Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin at all but a hormone ( we make it in our bodies) and an important one, not only for healthy teeth and bones but for general overall health.
'Sunshine, not food, is where most of your Vitamin D comes from.So even a healthy, well balanced diet, that provides all the other vitamins and goodness you need, is unlikely to provide enough Vitamin D.' The Association of UK Dietitians.
Vitamin D is needed to help with the intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphate as well as for other biological processes. Deficiency in children is a cause of rickets, too little in adults is linked with bone pain and muscle weakness and implicated in other health issues such as dementia, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
It is present only in a few food sources such as oily fish, fish oils, some fortified foods such as fat spreads and egg yolks. A strict vegan, a person with food allergies or following a restricted diet due to religious reasons may struggle to obtain enough from their food intake.
Since most Vitamin D is synthesized after our skin has been exposed to UV radiation (sunlight) anyone who spends a lot of time indoors, has naturally dark skin or covers up (for religious reasons) may not be able to manufacture sufficient.
The NHS recommends that everyone (living in the northern hemisphere) takes a Vitamin D3 supplement during the autumn/winter months, when we have less sunlight. The recommended amount for children over 5 years and adults is 10 micrograms a day. There are different amounts recommended for infants, elderly people (classified as over 65 !) and other 'at risk' groups.
For most people 10-20 minutes of sun exposure (without burning) should be sufficient and safe in order to manufacture sufficient Vitamin D.
Vitamin D-the sunshine vitamin !
Monday 29 July 2019
Monday 22 July 2019
A spoonful of sugar....
Having spent around 4 years studying herbalism it would be fair to say that it was sugar that sparked my interest in seriously studying nutrition.
When Hubby discovered that he had high blood sugar and wished to control the condition through diet rather than medication, it led to much research into how to adopt a low-sugar lifestyle.
When most people think of sugar they probably think of this-
Sugar brown or white, refined or raw cane. Sugar is present in most plant tissues and is extracted generally from sugarcane or sugar beet plants.
Wikipedia defines sugar as 'the generic name for sweet tasting soluble carbohydrates'. Sugar can be either simple or complex. Simple sugars are monosaccharides which include glucose, fructose and galactose or disaccharides (where two or more simple sugars join together) such as sucrose (table sugar) made of glucose and fructose,maltose or lactose.
So as you can see 'sugar' hides under many names.
Fructose which is found in fruits and honey
Galactose found in milk and dairy products
Glucose found in honey, fruit and vegetables
Lactose found in milk
Maltose found in barley
Sucrose-found in plants and consisting of glucose and fructose.
The consumption of too much sugar is damaging to one's health, causes inflammation within the body and is linked not only with tooth decay and weight gain but also implicated in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, digestive disorders, hormone imbalance and alzheimer's...among others.
Many people when they are told to reduce their sugar intake do not also realise that this means they must also cut their carbohydrate consumption.
All carbohydrate metabolises into sugar.
It does not matter whether that is obtained from a banana, a pizza or a slice of wholemeal bread. The only difference is the speed at which the body digests and metabolises the carbohydrate. Food with a low glycemic index will release its energy more slowly. A bowl of porridge is a healthier option than a slice of pizza for breakfast and should leave you feeling fuller for longer. As well as being the lower-fat option !
Sugar hides in the most unexpected places, particularly within any kind of processed food. I had to check all the packaging labels very carefully. Tomato sauce is a well known example-the 'lower sugar' varieties have considerably less sugar. Any kind of pre-made food is likely to contain sugar. You will find it in supermarket bread. I certainly don't add it if I am baking my own loaves.
Sugar is often present in things that you might regard as a healthy choice-yoghurt is one such example. The lowest sugar version probably is Greek yoghurt.
Some foods which are high in carbohydrate (and therefore high in sugars) may surprise you. Jacket potatoes which are a good form of roughage have a high carbohydrate content. As does rice which on the surface appears a 'healthy' option.
Dr David Unwin has done considerable research into the benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet in order to help patients with Type 2 diabetes. For these people eating low-carb helps them to lose weight and keep their blood sugar levels within normal ranges. Sometimes his patients are able to come off medication.
For anyone who does not have Type 2 diabetes, following a low carb/low sugar diet will assist with weight loss, particularly if you wish to lose weight which has accumulated around your middle and around organs. A very similar way of eating is the Ketogenic diet which is currently very popular.
There is mounting evidence that sugar is addictive and damaging to our long term health. When we consume sugar the opiate receptors in our brains release dopamine which gives us a pleasurable 'high'. Over time we build up a tolerance and need more of the same substance in order to achieve the same feeling (ie substance abuse) In spite of the weight gain, headaches,lethargy and hormone imbalances that may follow from such eating patterns.
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug#4
A low sugar-healthier diet certainly isn't a boring one but perhaps more as nature intended. Fast food treats, takeaways and afternoon tea doesn't have to be avoided but enjoyed in moderation, the exception rather than the rule. I am certainly not a saint but most of the time I try and follow a low-carb, low sugar lifestyle.
I would recommend a lower sugar lifestyle to anyone :)
When Hubby discovered that he had high blood sugar and wished to control the condition through diet rather than medication, it led to much research into how to adopt a low-sugar lifestyle.
When most people think of sugar they probably think of this-
Sugar brown or white, refined or raw cane. Sugar is present in most plant tissues and is extracted generally from sugarcane or sugar beet plants.
Wikipedia defines sugar as 'the generic name for sweet tasting soluble carbohydrates'. Sugar can be either simple or complex. Simple sugars are monosaccharides which include glucose, fructose and galactose or disaccharides (where two or more simple sugars join together) such as sucrose (table sugar) made of glucose and fructose,maltose or lactose.
So as you can see 'sugar' hides under many names.
Fructose which is found in fruits and honey
Galactose found in milk and dairy products
Glucose found in honey, fruit and vegetables
Lactose found in milk
Maltose found in barley
Sucrose-found in plants and consisting of glucose and fructose.
The consumption of too much sugar is damaging to one's health, causes inflammation within the body and is linked not only with tooth decay and weight gain but also implicated in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, digestive disorders, hormone imbalance and alzheimer's...among others.
Many people when they are told to reduce their sugar intake do not also realise that this means they must also cut their carbohydrate consumption.
All carbohydrate metabolises into sugar.
It does not matter whether that is obtained from a banana, a pizza or a slice of wholemeal bread. The only difference is the speed at which the body digests and metabolises the carbohydrate. Food with a low glycemic index will release its energy more slowly. A bowl of porridge is a healthier option than a slice of pizza for breakfast and should leave you feeling fuller for longer. As well as being the lower-fat option !
Sugar hides in the most unexpected places, particularly within any kind of processed food. I had to check all the packaging labels very carefully. Tomato sauce is a well known example-the 'lower sugar' varieties have considerably less sugar. Any kind of pre-made food is likely to contain sugar. You will find it in supermarket bread. I certainly don't add it if I am baking my own loaves.
Sugar is often present in things that you might regard as a healthy choice-yoghurt is one such example. The lowest sugar version probably is Greek yoghurt.
Some foods which are high in carbohydrate (and therefore high in sugars) may surprise you. Jacket potatoes which are a good form of roughage have a high carbohydrate content. As does rice which on the surface appears a 'healthy' option.
Dr David Unwin has done considerable research into the benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet in order to help patients with Type 2 diabetes. For these people eating low-carb helps them to lose weight and keep their blood sugar levels within normal ranges. Sometimes his patients are able to come off medication.
There is mounting evidence that sugar is addictive and damaging to our long term health. When we consume sugar the opiate receptors in our brains release dopamine which gives us a pleasurable 'high'. Over time we build up a tolerance and need more of the same substance in order to achieve the same feeling (ie substance abuse) In spite of the weight gain, headaches,lethargy and hormone imbalances that may follow from such eating patterns.
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug#4
A low sugar-healthier diet certainly isn't a boring one but perhaps more as nature intended. Fast food treats, takeaways and afternoon tea doesn't have to be avoided but enjoyed in moderation, the exception rather than the rule. I am certainly not a saint but most of the time I try and follow a low-carb, low sugar lifestyle.
I would recommend a lower sugar lifestyle to anyone :)
Wednesday 10 April 2019
Life as a Spiral Path.
Welcome to a Spiral Pathway !
Life is never a straight pathway from 'A' to 'B' but often convoluted. We return to pathways and subjects that we have visited before. Why did I decide to start a blog about nutrition and living a Holistic lifestyle ?
It probably all began with Home Education.
Whilst home educating my son I met many people who would later influence my future path. My son was a keen science student so by default I found myself learning a great deal of physics and chemistry. At college I had gotten no further than Human Biology !
One particular science tutor had retrained as a Medical Herbalist. I'd always had an interest in herbs not just for their culinary uses but also their healing powers. Taking on an allotment in a fit of enthusiasm to encourage the family to eat more healthily, I had rose tinted ideas of the herb garden I would create on my allotment.
In the event I grew mostly potatoes and sweetcorn and fought a constant battle with aggressive weeds. Before deciding to enroll at college to learn from the experts about plant care. The year I spent studying for my Royal Horticultural Society Certificate in Practical Horticulture was thoroughly enjoyable and enough to convince me that a career in horticulture was not for me. Instead I embarked on a 3 year programme of study in Herbalism.
Herbs are amazing plants and nature provides so many remedies. Having qualified to advisor level I had hoped to continue to be a Herbal doctor but that required University study. I had neither the luxury of time or money for such a venture but then life intervenes. It was a health scare within the family that led me to learn about nutrition. Having to analyze what you eat, to pore over packaging labels and discover exactly what happens to your food before it reaches your plate is quite an education.
Rather like falling down a rabbit hole....and I am still falling. There is so much more to learn.
So I have set this blog up as a space to share what I have learnt on my herbal, health and nutrition journey. I hope you enjoy reading along and feel free to share anything of interest.
I'm going to begin by re-sharing something that I wrote last year on the subject of hayfever.
'It's that time of year again when hay fever misery is upon us. This summer seems to be shaping up to be a particularly bad one for those who suffer 'seasonal rhinitis'. Sneezing, itchy or running eyes and a blocked up/running nose can leave you feeling under par.
We all suffer from hay fever in our house but our son has the worst of it. Perhaps it will get better as he grows older....I hope so as the condition can be quite debilitating.
So over the years we have tried just about every over the counter remedy available. I change the bed linen more frequently ,remind him to wash his hair(as pollen can become trapped in the hair) drive with the AC on not open windows but it seems to make very little difference.
I've tried homoeopathic remedies, some of which helped for a while but like any allergic reaction it is useful if you know what triggers it....we don't. Some individuals are sensitive to the pollen of Rapeseed, others to tree pollen, or grass or flowers and the season is long. From March through to September. With our son it is always worse in early summer, generally in June although this depends on the weather.
Ideally when taking a hay fever treatment you should try and start before the hay fever season begins.
Then by coincidence two articles crossed my radar on the use of Stinging Nettle in treating Hay Fever symptoms.
I knew from my herbal studies that nettles are good for many health conditions. They are packed with Vitamin C and K and are considered very cleansing for the body. When used to treat coughs and respiratory problems they help to eliminate mucus. They also contain an anti inflammatory agent called scopoletin which helps to 'calm down' the overactive immune response. This reduces the amount of histamine in the body and alleviates hay fever symptoms.
You can very easily make your own nettle tea or take it as a supplement. I bought vegan capsules of 500mg of Urtica Dioica powder and he takes 3 a day (with food)
http://medherb.com/Materia_Medica/Urtica_-_Stinging_nettles_and_hay_fever.htm
Unlike over the counter antihistamine treatments, stinging nettle has no side effects of drowsiness. '
If you are a 'seasonal sufferer' then these are worth a try, they have certainly helped our family.
I'm going to begin by re-sharing something that I wrote last year on the subject of hayfever.
'It's that time of year again when hay fever misery is upon us. This summer seems to be shaping up to be a particularly bad one for those who suffer 'seasonal rhinitis'. Sneezing, itchy or running eyes and a blocked up/running nose can leave you feeling under par.
We all suffer from hay fever in our house but our son has the worst of it. Perhaps it will get better as he grows older....I hope so as the condition can be quite debilitating.
So over the years we have tried just about every over the counter remedy available. I change the bed linen more frequently ,remind him to wash his hair(as pollen can become trapped in the hair) drive with the AC on not open windows but it seems to make very little difference.
I've tried homoeopathic remedies, some of which helped for a while but like any allergic reaction it is useful if you know what triggers it....we don't. Some individuals are sensitive to the pollen of Rapeseed, others to tree pollen, or grass or flowers and the season is long. From March through to September. With our son it is always worse in early summer, generally in June although this depends on the weather.
Ideally when taking a hay fever treatment you should try and start before the hay fever season begins.
Then by coincidence two articles crossed my radar on the use of Stinging Nettle in treating Hay Fever symptoms.
I knew from my herbal studies that nettles are good for many health conditions. They are packed with Vitamin C and K and are considered very cleansing for the body. When used to treat coughs and respiratory problems they help to eliminate mucus. They also contain an anti inflammatory agent called scopoletin which helps to 'calm down' the overactive immune response. This reduces the amount of histamine in the body and alleviates hay fever symptoms.
You can very easily make your own nettle tea or take it as a supplement. I bought vegan capsules of 500mg of Urtica Dioica powder and he takes 3 a day (with food)
http://medherb.com/Materia_Medica/Urtica_-_Stinging_nettles_and_hay_fever.htm
Unlike over the counter antihistamine treatments, stinging nettle has no side effects of drowsiness. '
If you are a 'seasonal sufferer' then these are worth a try, they have certainly helped our family.
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