Because of the fact that every cell in the body is influenced by Vitamin D and its role in hormonal activity, it is interesting but not surprising to note that lack of Vitamin D interferes with the leptin response within the body.

Leptin is the hormone that suppresses appetite and regulates weight – it signals us to stop eating—could there be a link to the sun helping dieters to lose weight? Research has shown that the obese have very low levels of Vitamin D!

The sun produces 3 rays UVB (burning), UVA (aging) and UVC. Simply put, when UVB rays hit the skin, it stimulates a reaction just below the surface, creating a cholesterol, which in turn stimulates Vitamin D production.

Tanning beds have varying degrees of UVA and UVB radiation. The “Low Level” or “Level 1″ tanning beds which are mainly UVB bulbs have been shown to have the same effect on Vitamin D production within the skin as natural sunlight. However, the UVA bulbs in tanning salons are discouraged. They are advertised as the “bronzing bulbs” in the beds –UVA rays are the most damaging to the skin in terms of wrinkles, photo-aging, solar elastosis, etc. For the sake of this article, UVB tanning beds are synonymous with natural sunlight. Of course, your first choice would be to go out in the sun during the warmer months to increase Vitamin D stores.

As with diets, even the animals know they need sunlight to survive! We have all observed various animals sunning themselves – they need Vitamin D for survival as well to keep strong and healthy.

Ever notice that people are sick less often in the summer than the winter? Hmmmm, could it be Vitamin D? I recommend my clients take supplementa; Vitamin D3 during winter months to keep their immune systems strong, and towards January visit the tanning salon once or twice a week, depending on the individual.Vitamin D made in the skin lasts twice as long as Vitamin D made nutritionally. Only about 2 – 4 micrograms a day of Vitamin D is produced in the kidneys and stays constant regardless of the amount in the bloodstream. Recent discoveries have shown that vitamin D can also be activated within a variety of cells influencing the activity of abnormal cell growth and destruction.

Most Americans have very low levels of Vitamin D, and taking a Vitamin D supplement is not the fastest and only beneficial way to get vitamin D. The body has vitamin D receptors in every cell and is believed to actually be a hormone. Dr. Holick, Ph.D., M.D. has done extensive research on Vitamin D, not without ridicule. Besides, there is no money in promoting the sun – it’s free. Dermatologists and sunscreen manufactures would go out of business if the sun could advertise.

Here are some benefits of vitamin D as outlined in Dr. Holick’s book, “The Vitamin D Solution”:

• Bone health: prevents osteopenia, osteoporosis, osteomalacia (characterized as extreme bone and muscle pain–”adult rickets”), rickets and fractures
• Cellular health: prevents certain cancers, such as prostate, pancreatic, breast, ovarian, and colon; prevents infectious diseases and upper respiratory tract infections, asthma and sneezing disorders
• organ health: prevents heart disease and stroke; prevents type 2 diabetes, periodontitis and tooth loss, and other inflammatory diseases
• Muscular health: supports muscle strength
• Autoimmune health: prevents multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes melitus, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis
• Brain health: prevents depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Mood Related health: prevents seasonal affective disorder, premenstrual syndrome, sleeping disorders, elevates sense of well-being

The major circulating form of Vitamin D is called 25-vitamin D and its subsequent active form is called 1,25-vitamin D. The kidneys make a supply from the 25-vitamin D in the bloodstream that is created by the liver from the vitamin D that is made in the skin from sun exposure, and to a lesser extent, foods from the diet.25-vitamin D is converted to active Vitamin D and used on the spot within the cell and thereafter extinguishes itself by self-destruction so as to not reenter the bloodstream and accumulate. Supplementation with Vitamin D nutritionally through food or pill form has benefits, but are used up and eliminated very quickly. Studies now indicate that Vitamin D obtained through the diet is not stored for future use.

When your body doesn’t obtain sufficient sunlight, it can’t make enough Vitamin D on its own. There is very little vitamin D from dietary sources — to get a sufficient amount (1,000 – 2,000 IU’s) every day you would have to:

• eat 3 cans of sardines
• drink 10 – 20 glasses of fortified milk
• eat 10-20 bowls of cereal
• consume 50 – 100 egg yolks
• eat 7 ounces of wild salmon every day

All the hype about using sunscreen to prevent cancer actually has had an adverse effect on the body – osteoporosis, diabetes, adult rickets now referred to as osteomalacia, ect., including obesity!

Sunscreens have been known to block out the good UVB “burning” rays and allow the damaging UVA rays to penetrate longer – the burning is what tells us we have had enough! My recommendation has always been 20 minutes of “unprotected” sun exposure during the summer months between 10am and 2pm at least 3 times a week and avoid use of chemical sunscreens as they are more damaging to the body than the actual sun! If used, the best sunscreens contain natural ingredients, such as minerals, which absorb and reflect the sun’s rays.

Sun exposure just a few times a week provides the body with the longer lasting Vitamin D for almost two weeks, depending on the length of time spent and intensity of the sun. Vitamin D obtained through sunlight is imperative to keep levels of Vitamin D up and stored for winter months. It’s raining out and I’m off to the tanning salon…..

Janet Stuck is a Doctor of Naturopathy, Certified Nutritional Counselor, Certified Wellness Nutritional Counselor, Master Herbologist and Certified Natural Health Professional. Janet writes for www.LiberationWellnessBlog.com and her website www.onestopherbshop.net.

Anyone watching the World Cup in South Africa will be familiar with the vuvuzela. It’s a plastic blowing horn which makes a loud noise. It’s typically used at South African football matches and some say it’s ruining their enjoyment of the matches on TV. Personally, I don’t even notice them and, if anything, I think they add atmosphere. I’m alone in thinking this in my family. I’ve just discovered a shop in town selling them and I’m seriously considering buying one to vent my anger.

I had the most useless doctor’s visit ever on Monday. I went to him to talk about my cholesterol and weight gain. I wanted him to review my last test results to see if he could think of anything to link all my symptoms together. He didn’t really feel like talking about that, but wanted to give me lots of advice on vaginismus. Some might think that great, but the advice was as follows:

 Have you ever thought about having a few drinks to relax because, you know, if you could just have intercourse once, you’d be fine.

You need to have that snipped.

 You need to get that sorted because your boyfriend must be very frustrated.

 Take a Valium an hour before going to bed and see what happens.

 And my personal favourite piece of advice was:

 Be careful not to get pregnant!

 So, I left the doctor’s office with a prescription for diazepam and a form for a blood test. 

I cried a lot out of frustration and anger on Monday night and that’s why I thought a vuvuzela would be a great idea. I think there would be something very satisfying about making a tiny noise sound huge! I had the blood test today and in the interest of experimentation I will try a Valium at the weekend………just to see what happens!!!  

Tim Harmon was the Director of Residential Services for Alcohol and Drug Services of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board in Fairfax, Virginia.  He spent so much of his time changing the lives of those with addiction for the better.

Everyone at this race seemed quite keyed into remembering Tim but also supporting his life’s work.  Tim died of Hepatitis C, and one man at the race (who unfortunately I didn’t get on video) talked about how he survived the disease with the support of Tim.
Watch the video and you’ll hear Tim’s widow, Becki, talk about how the comment she hears most of all at the race is how thankful someone was to know Tim and that they firmly believe he saved their life.

What a great tribute to someone.  The part of this race that really hit home for me was that Tim seemed to be practicing what I’m preaching now or I guess I’m practicing what he was preaching..or maybe..whatever..we both are on the same wavelength: BELIEVE in yourself first and then when you do, pass it along to others, especially those who need a boost.  I’ll bet more than once, Tim looked at someone who was hurting, or suffering from Hep C or even struggling to kick a deadly habit and told them he BELIEVED in them.  That can make all the difference.

So from this charity and the interview with Becki, I ask you to look around you at your friends and family and see if anyone is hurting even a little bit.  If they are, tell them you BELIEVE in them and mean it.  Watch it light up their day.

Please visit the Tim Harmon site and donate anyway you can.

Special thanks to the race coordinators who took the time to help me talk with Becki and even gave me a shout out at the race to tell everyone there about my quest (video is below).

Scott In Stride

What’s wrong with milk and eggs?

For years people have been concerned that eating shrimp would raise their cholesterol levels.  Shrimp is naturally high in cholesterol.  But what we have learned from research is that dietary cholesterol does not raise your blood levels of cholesterol like saturated fat and trans fat do.  Shrimp is actually a very low fat, high protein food.  It could be a great addition to your normal diet.  Now, that doesn’t mean that you should go buy popcorn or coconut shrimp.  Breading and frying add the saturated fat that we are trying to keep in check.  Feel free to use steamed or cocktail shrimp.

In addition to being a good lean source of protein, shrimp have other health benefits.  They are very high in a carotenoid called astaxanthin.  This is responsible for seafood’s red color (shrimp, lobster, salmon, trout).   Studies have demonstrated that astaxanthin is much more active as an antioxidant than beta-carotene or vitamin E.  Other studies have also shown that dietary astaxanthin enhances our immune response, decreases inflammation, enhances fat metabolism, and improves eye health.

Bottom Line:  Shrimp can be part of a healthy diet, and I would argue that it should be included to balance your diet.

© Randy Bird, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS and Randy Bird Sports Nutrition, 2010.

It’s a myth that Americans are obsessed with losing weight, according to Benjamin Radford.   He says that “if Americans were truly committed to getting fit and losing weight, they would eat less and exercise more”.   Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  In fact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2004 that two thirds of Americans are overweight, while only one third of Americans get regular exercise.

This underscores Radford’s point, that American’s really aren’t interested in losing weight.  In his article Fat and Happy:  Why Most People Don’t Diet, he cites a 2002 Glamour magazine survey of over 11,000 readers who were asked what they would be willing to give up to lose weight permanently.  The findings:  75% would not give up eating dessert, 41% would not pay $3000 to be permanently thin, and 25% would not give up anything to lose weight.

What’s concerning is how this attitude is affecting the rise in childhood obesity.   Results from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey showed that children will eat what their parents eat.  Surprised?  More specifically:

- Teens are 40% more likely to drink soda every day if their parents do the same.

- Teens are 16% more likely to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables if their parents do the same.

- 48% of the teens who have parents that drink soda daily also eat fast food at least once a day.  Of the teens whose parents did not drink soda daily, only 39% of them ate fast food daily.

- 45% of the teens whose parents did not eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables ate fast food daily.   Only 39% of the teens whose parents eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables reported eating fast food daily.

This year, the CDC reported that 37% of children (age 2 – 19) are over weight and 16% of them are obese which puts them at a higher risk for health issues like type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  What’s more alarming is that 50% of those children became overweight before reaching the age of 2 and 90% by age 5!

The lead researcher in this study, Dr. John Harrington says, “this study indicates that we may need to discuss inappropriate weight gain early in infancy to affect meaningful changes in the current trend of obesity”.

But it seems that it’s just too painful for adults to do that, for themselves and for their children.

Results from a study published in this month’s issue of Clinical Pediatrics, show that 71% of parents have a false perception of their child’s weight.   Of the 150 children aged 2 – 5 years participating in the study, about 1/3 of them were overweight or obese, yet 85% of all of the parents reported their child as being “about the right weight” to a written question.  Researchers also used drawings of various body sizes and asked parents to identify the body size that most closely matched their child.  20% of the parents with overweight or obese children actually chose the drawing representing a body that was below healthy body weight!

Who are we fooling here folks?  It’s time to get brutally honest with ourselves about our relationship to food and our avoidance of exercise.  We keep looking for the cause of our overweight condition around us, instead of looking into the mirror to avoid the pain of the current reality.  But facing that reality is the first step to making new choices in the moment.  Not only do we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our children to recognize the outcome of our food and exercise choices.

The good news is, you can begin making new choices right now – once the pain of staying overweight begins to outweigh your fear of the pain of exercising and changing your choice of foods.

- Paul Kulpinski, LMT

Resources:

Parents Lowball Heavy Tots’ Weight

Parents Blamed for Childhood Obesity

Fat and Happy:  Why Most People Don’t Diet

Chubby Babies May Become Obese Teens

"Saturday morning at-home exercise"

Class is over, we’re standing in the “Y’s” parking lot talking, 3 beautiful women, 3 different body types, all committed to our particular exercise routines and with different goals in mind. I’m the leanest of the 3, and lest you think I’m boasting, let me say that I’m a black West Indian who believes my heritage dictates that I should be packing at least a little bit of “junkiness in my chunkiness.” So several years ago when my doctor hinted at high cholesterol and I changed my eating habits and my hips disappeared I was not pleased. Years later, my healthy eating habits have remained, I’ve kicked up my exercise routine and I said good-bye to hips.

I’ve realized, though, it’s not only important to know the fitness level you want to achieve, but finding your personal fitness groove is paramount — that is, a routine that is fun, flexible, works and can grow into a life long habit.

I had committed myself to 2 nights at the “Y” (1 hour of yoga, 45 mins of cardio box and 1 hr of Zumba.) However, I wanted to exercise more often without having to give more time at the “Y”, so I needed to find something that I can do at home consistently. I have a range of dvds– pilates, yoga, dance, taebo and more but in the past I’ve lacked consistency. So now, every morning Monday to Friday I get up at 5am. I mix my chores with exercise and then I dedicate about 20 mins to jogging in place or dancing, a little yoga, planks, push ups, and I’m energized to face my day.

Does it work? Can 20 mins a day make a difference? My body says it can, consistency is key. So find your fitness groove and work what works for you.