That's Just Nuts!

As a child I refused to eat anything with nuts. Not candy bars, fudge, ice cream or the mixed nuts my family always bought from the Boy Scouts. As I get older I found that I actually like almonds! Almonds contain vitamin E and are free from cholesterol and mono-saturated fat. They can actually help lower LDL cholesterol, making them appealing to food manufacturers catering to nutritionally-aware consumers.

In keeping with these health benefits, almonds are increasingly being included in energy bars and cereals, according to the Almond Board of California. These high-growth almond cereals appeal to the natural and organic segment of the market, almost doubling the number of new almond products from 2003-2007. Initiatives such as MyPyramid show nuts as important for a healthy, balanced diet.

The sweet almond contains practically no carbohydrates and may therefore be made into flour for cakes and cookies for low carbohydrate diets or for people suffering from diabetes mellitus. Almonds can be processed into almond milk. This dairy free, soy-free choice appeals to lactose intolerant people, vegetarians and vegans. Other studies claim almonds can help improve complexion, improve movement of food through the colon and help prevent cancer. Recent studies have shown that almond may have anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, and liver health effects and that they are very high in Omega-3.

Almonds is a tasty source to help you get your vitamin E and omega-3! Now I have a few good reasons to eat an Almond Joy!
-Community Assistant

CLA and Body Fat

Recently I saw an article that talked about conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and its relation to weight loss. In the past, CLA has been part of studies for its anti-cancer properties, which may hinder the growth of tumors in mammary, skin, and colon tissues.

Regarding CLA's link to weight loss, studies in human diets show that it tends to reduce body fat, particularly abdominal fat, increase lean muscle and may decrease glucose uptake. Due to changes in the diet of the average American, intake of CLA has fallen. An example of this is when the fat is removed from a dairy product to make a low fat version--CLA is removed along with it. The food with the highest concentration of CLA is kangaroo meat, but for vegetarians, there are plenty of CLA supplements on the market.

If you're interested in taking CLA to help with weight loss, keep in mind that it's not a magic pill, and you will need to start a program of diet and exercise in order to successfully lose weight and keep it off. And of course, always consult your doctor before starting any diet regimen.
-Community Assistant

Vitamin B & Beer

This blog article is dedicated to my husband, the beer drinker. My husband tells me all the time that having one beer a day is healthy for him. He sends me articles whenever he can find them about how it is good for his heart, his stress, whatever "benefit" he can stumble upon.
This time, I've stumbled upon a little known fact that I know he is going to love.

I've blogged before about a lack of energy potentially being caused by vitamin B deficiency. Vitamin B helps to provide energy, enhance your memory, help with joint mobility and more. Vitamin B can be found in potatoes, bananas, lentils, chilli, peppers, turkey, etc. In addition, according to homeopathic physician Karen DeNoble, a good source of vitamin B is also... BEER!
Brewer's yeast, used for making beer, is a good source of Vitamin B.
...I guess my husband is right. Beer may be good for you after all.
*Please don't drink if you are under 21. Please drink in moderation.

Premenstrual Supplements...?

High intake of calcium and vitamin D seems to reduce the risk of getting Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS) according to a study that followed more than 3,000 women and was published in 2005 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Women who ate about four servings a day of low-fat milk, dairy foods or fortified orange juice were less likely to develop PMS over the 10-year follow-up. Women who ate these servings, approximately 1200 milligrams of calcium and 400 International Units of vitamin D, were less likely to develop feelings of anxiety, loneliness, irritability, tearfulness and tension that characterize PMS. One theory is that calcium affects the female hormone estrogen during the menstrual cycle.
Some experts have suggested that vitamin D and calcium deficiencies actually lead to PMS. More research is needed, but in the meantime, I am going to go eat some cheese.
- Community Assistant

This Zincs

I can already tell that summer is coming to an end and winter is on the horizon. I have been feeling sad that the days are getting shorter and it is now dark when I get up in the morning… Or I could just be lacking zinc in my diet. Depression has been directly connected with low blood-zinc levels in the body and current data suggests that zinc has a strong possibility of possessing anti-depressant activity and may be a beneficial supplement for those currently taking anti-depressants.
Zinc is a mineral found in almost every cell of the body, but cannot be produced by the body. It must be replenished through the diet, including oysters, animal proteins, beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds- very few of which I eat. Zinc supplements combined with antioxidants may delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and have been shown to hinder the onset of the flu. Although I doubt I will be doing oyster shooters anytime soon, I am definitely going to double check my multivitamins for Zinc. And maybe start sleeping in until it’s light outside.
-Community Assistant

Tossing and Turning all night

Tossing and turning? You may not want to head straight for the pharmacy to drug yourself to sleep... Try a natural route first.

Make sure you are eating a healthy diet. A lack of certain vitamins may be the cause of your restless nights. You may want to work on adjusting your diet or take dietary supplements to help ease you into a good night sleep.

Here are a few vitamins that may help:

Calcium - Calcium has a sedative effect on the body and the lack of it can cause your body to be restless.

Magnesium - Magnesium deficiency may cause nervousness. Magnesium of 250 mg can help sleep, as well as eating foods such as almonds and cashews.

B Vitamins - B vitamins may help to calm your nerves.Vitamin B6 is found in natural yeast. Vitamin B12 can be found in whole grains, tuna, peanuts, and bananas.

Two other vitamins that can you can even buy at the drug store that may help you sleep at night are serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin helps initiate sleep and helps to shorten the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Melatonin is a sleep hormone and can help to induce sleep if your
melatonin levels are low.

When trying to remedy your sleep patterns always make sure you are getting enough exercise and maintaining a healthy diet, as not falling asleep is usually a sign that something else in your life needs to be remedied!

Vitamin A

Did you know that Vitamin A deficiency is a serious public health problem in more than 50% of all countries, especially in Africa and South-East Asia? According to the World Health Organization, this deficiency causes blindness in up to 500,000 children each year! Night blindness is one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency and it contributes to blindness by making the cornea very dry and damaging the retina and cornea. Vitamin A deficiency also diminishes the ability to fight infections, therefore increasing mortality rates. In more developed countries excess alcohol consumption and Iron deficiency can deplete vitamin A, and a stressed liver may be more susceptible to vitamin A toxicity.

Vitamin Angels, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, works to provide vitamin supplementation in developing countries to help prevent disease brought upon by vitamin deficiency. Operation 20/20 is Vitamin Angel's global campaign to eradicate child blindess from Vitamin A deficiency by the year 2020. Vitamin Angels is working to raise money to be able to provide vitamin A deficient children with vitamin A and anti-parasitic supplements in order to prevent them from going blind and suffering from other life-threatening diseases caused by Vitamin A Deficiency. - Community Assistant

Fashion Week & Women's Health

Viactiv is helping to promote vitamins and women's health in a very unique way! Vitactiv brand, known for their flavored calcium and multivitamin chews targeted at women, is partnering with Verrier, an upscale fashion line, during fashion week. Together they will be giving out a "Fashion Week Survival Kit" to launch Viactiv's "Style and Strength for Life" campaign. This campaign promotes women's health and the importance of multivitamins and calcium in their daily routine. Not only is this a unique campaign, I think it is a great way to create awareness for women about multivitamins and calcium.

Multivitamins are important to supplement the diet and make sure you are getting nutrients that you need every day. Most multivitamins don't provide the amount of calcium women need. It is recommended that women in the early 20s start to take calcium to keep up their bones health. By the time women reach menopause bone loss accelerates tremendously.

Lutein - Guest Blogger

Yesterday I was a guest blogger on the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau's blog. Check it out! Learn more about lutein and other supplements! Click here.

The Birth of Vitamins

As vitamins become more and more common as a part of our daily routine, I was curious as to the history of vitamins. How and when did they come up with the concept of vitamins?

Over 100 years ago (1905), Dr. William Fletcher hypothesized that if he removed special factors from foods that disease occurred. Dr. Fletcher was researching the disease, Beriberi when he discovered that eating unpolished rice prevented Beriberi and eating polished rice did not. He believed that there were special nutrients contained in the husk of the rice.

Over the next few years, other scientists, such as Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, found that other food factors were important to health as well. In 1912, Polish scientists Cashmir Funk named these special parts "vitamine" - "vita" meaning life and "amine" from compounds found in the thiamine he isolated from rice husks. Vitamine was later shortened to vitamin.

Together, they hypothesized that the "lack of vitamins could make you sick."

Over the years Vitamin A, B, Niacin, etc were discovered and slowly scientists found ways to synthesize these vitamins to make what you can buy today in capsules and tablets to supplement your diet.

The history of this is interesting to note as more research is done every day to determine what vitamin(s) can help prevent present diseases of today and keep us healthy!

What to do about....Depression.

Nowadays it is a pretty common thing for people who are depressed to be on drugs, such as antidepressants. Over the past couple years I have had friends go through different hard experiences in their lives from losing a loved one to moving across the world from their family. They have trouble thinking, eating, and sleeping, but really don't want to be on a drug. After doing some research and speaking with physicians, I found that there are natural supplements that may be able to help (although you may want to consult your doctor first).

St. John's Wort is an herb that is said to help with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. St. John's Wort comes from a plant that can be found growing wild in meadows in both American and Europe. You can by St. Jon's Wort over the counter. It may take a couple weeks to really make a difference but could be worth the wait.

Another supplement that is new in the research for depression are omega-3 supplements, which also has many benefits as well for other areas of your body, such as your heart.

Vitamins & Energy

Although we are in the “lazy days of summer” I have been feeling extra tired lately, and I can’t blame it on the beautiful weather we are having. I have been sleeping plenty, exercising regularly and drinking lots of water. Something I have not been doing, however, is taking my multivitamin. I ran out a few months ago and just haven’t replenished, but could not taking that one supplement a day really affect me that much? The answer is yes. The lack of a few key vitamins can upset the body’s internal balance and block metabolic reactions. In the past I have been anemic and I know from personal experience that a supplement that is helpful in maximizing energy levels is the mineral Iron. Iron is necessary to the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. When iron levels in hemoglobin get low, a person feels tired and lacks energy to do everyday tasks due to lack of oxygen delivery to organs and tissues.
One of the best vitamins for energy are the B Vitamins, essential in facilitating the metabolic process. They breakdown carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which provided energy, aid in the function of the nervous and immune systems, maintain muscle tone, healthy skin, hair and eyes. Vitamins, B1, B2, B6, B9 and the most popular B12 can also help combat the symptoms and causes of stress and depressions. If you look for a B Vitamin for extra energy look for a bottle that says "B Complex" and includes all of the vitamins mentioned above. I have recently seen a host of vitamin enhanced drinks boasting their vitamin B levels. Vitamin B is water soluble and carried out of the body every day, so taking a daily multi vitamin is the best way to keep up on vitamin B intake and hopefully help keep me feeling rested. - Community Assistant