Mar 4, 2010
Feb 26, 2010
Weekly health bulletin
Vitamin D, Nutrient of the day
Vitamin D is the nutrient of the day, year, and even decade. Vitamin D plays a role in maintaining healthy bones, but the sunshine vitamin also helps prevent certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and neurological disorders.
In these dark, cold winter months, especially if you live in a Nordic country(including Ireland), you’re probably lacking vitamin D. Research suggests that about half of all men and women lack vitamin D and up to 70% of our children are deficient.
Individuals at highest risk for vitamin D deficiencies include:
• Anyone who lives in a cold climate (north of 42° latitude)
• Children and older adults
• Those with dark skin
• Individuals who are overweight or obese
Increasing vitamin D to at least 400 IU per day is the best way to boost vitamin D in the absence of sunlight, and here’s how to do it.
ID the D
Few foods naturally contain high levels of vitamin D. Those that do include things we typically don’t like, such as cod liver oil and sardines. However, eggs and mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, as well as milk and other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Some 100% fruit juices, spreads, and cereals are also fortified with vitamin D.
Some of the ways I add vitamin D to my diet include:
• Eggs`: Eggs contain vitamin D. Eating two eggs will provide 15% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
• Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain vitamin D. Similarly to how our skin can manufacture vitamin D through UV rays from the sun, mushrooms can manufacture vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. You can find mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light that provide 100% of your DV for vitamin D per serving.
• Salmon. Salmon is one of the richest sources of vitamin D you can find with up to 794 IU of vitamin D per 3 ounces cooked or nearly double your total daily intake. And, what’s great is that unlike tuna and other oily fish, wild Alaskan salmon is sustainable and has high quantities of heart-healthy omega-3s that aren’t found in farm-raised varieties.
Vitamin D is the nutrient of the day, year, and even decade. Vitamin D plays a role in maintaining healthy bones, but the sunshine vitamin also helps prevent certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and neurological disorders.
In these dark, cold winter months, especially if you live in a Nordic country(including Ireland), you’re probably lacking vitamin D. Research suggests that about half of all men and women lack vitamin D and up to 70% of our children are deficient.
Individuals at highest risk for vitamin D deficiencies include:
• Anyone who lives in a cold climate (north of 42° latitude)
• Children and older adults
• Those with dark skin
• Individuals who are overweight or obese
Increasing vitamin D to at least 400 IU per day is the best way to boost vitamin D in the absence of sunlight, and here’s how to do it.
ID the D
Few foods naturally contain high levels of vitamin D. Those that do include things we typically don’t like, such as cod liver oil and sardines. However, eggs and mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, as well as milk and other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Some 100% fruit juices, spreads, and cereals are also fortified with vitamin D.
Some of the ways I add vitamin D to my diet include:
• Eggs`: Eggs contain vitamin D. Eating two eggs will provide 15% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
• Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain vitamin D. Similarly to how our skin can manufacture vitamin D through UV rays from the sun, mushrooms can manufacture vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. You can find mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light that provide 100% of your DV for vitamin D per serving.
• Salmon. Salmon is one of the richest sources of vitamin D you can find with up to 794 IU of vitamin D per 3 ounces cooked or nearly double your total daily intake. And, what’s great is that unlike tuna and other oily fish, wild Alaskan salmon is sustainable and has high quantities of heart-healthy omega-3s that aren’t found in farm-raised varieties.
Jan 29, 2010
Weekly health bulletin
Creatine
Creatine monohydrate is formed in the human body from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine primarily in the kidney and liver. It is transported in the blood for use by muscles. Approximately 95% of the human body's total creatine is located in skeletal muscle.The rest is located in the brain or heart. Certain foods such as beef and oily fish contain creatine monohydrate. However the quantities a person would have to digest for the desired amounts would not be practical.
Creatine is stored in the body as creatine phosphate. The average 160lb person contains 120 grams of creatine phosphate.
In short duration explosive sports such as sprinting, weight lifting, rugby, ATP(adenosine tri-phosphate) is the energy system used. When ATP is depleted it uses your bodies creatine phosphate reserves to produce more ATP energy. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate increases your body’s pool of creatine allowing more ATP to be formed, resulting in more work being performed.
For optimum effect, load up on creatine as follows: 5 grams 5 times a day for 5 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 5 grams twice a day.
Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.
The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight.
Important Note: In some cases (different medical conditions) creatine can have side effects and for this reason the best thing before taking this supplement consult your doctor or physician.
Creatine monohydrate is formed in the human body from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine primarily in the kidney and liver. It is transported in the blood for use by muscles. Approximately 95% of the human body's total creatine is located in skeletal muscle.The rest is located in the brain or heart. Certain foods such as beef and oily fish contain creatine monohydrate. However the quantities a person would have to digest for the desired amounts would not be practical.
Creatine is stored in the body as creatine phosphate. The average 160lb person contains 120 grams of creatine phosphate.
In short duration explosive sports such as sprinting, weight lifting, rugby, ATP(adenosine tri-phosphate) is the energy system used. When ATP is depleted it uses your bodies creatine phosphate reserves to produce more ATP energy. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate increases your body’s pool of creatine allowing more ATP to be formed, resulting in more work being performed.
For optimum effect, load up on creatine as follows: 5 grams 5 times a day for 5 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 5 grams twice a day.
Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.
The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight.
Important Note: In some cases (different medical conditions) creatine can have side effects and for this reason the best thing before taking this supplement consult your doctor or physician.
Jan 18, 2010
Nov 26, 2009
Weekly health bulletin
SUGAR
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), glucose syrup and in many other sources. It forms the main ingredient in candy.
Excessive consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and tooth decay, therefore sugar intake should be carefully measured. If you need to know the average sugar intake of an adult, this depends on more factors but as a general rule for an average 2.000 calorie/day diet an adult should eat about 32 grams of simple sugar/day. To make it simple 32 grams mean about 8 teaspoons of sugar a day but you have to keep in mind that eating refined sugars (Bad Sugars) like: sweets, chocolate, ice cream, cakes, etc will be exactly like eating sugar if not worse in some cases, as refined sugars are referred to as empty calories – ie; they contain no nutrients what so ever.
Your body needs sugar as this is pure energy and the good thing is that sugar comes from different sources and some of this sources are healthy enough that’s why are called good sugars. These are the fruits and vegetables and here are few examples: (apple, blueberries, orange, pineapple, strawberries, banana, cantaloupe, carrots, tomato, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, etc.)These good sugars should be ingested instead of simple sugars and here are few reasons why simple (refined sugar) is bad for us:
The "glycemic index" is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food being assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the absorption and digestion process, which provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. On the other hand, a high rating means that blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.
An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.
Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:
• Sugar can suppress the immune system.
• Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
• Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
• Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
• Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
• Sugar can cause kidney damage.
• Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Sugar may lead to chromium and copper deficiency.
• Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
• Sugar can promote tooth decay.
• Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
• Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
• Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
• Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
• High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes and osteoporosis.
• Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
• Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
• Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
• Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
• Sugar causes food allergies.
• Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
• Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
• Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
• Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
• Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
• Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
• Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
• Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
• Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
• Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Sugar can cause hypertension.
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
• Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
• Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
• Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
• Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
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