Feed Your Cells: Why do we need vitamins and minerals?

Feed Your Cells and they will keep you healthy

Running on Empty

You may feel full after eating but your cells may still be hungry. There are many types of cells in your body and while one group of cells may get all the nutrients they need, another group may not get good nutrition. 

The cells in different organs in your body can have different nutritional requirements: heart cells need lots of protein, vitamin E and minerals such as magnesium and selenium.  Lung cells need a lot of vitamin A; cells in a woman’s reproductive tract need high levels of the B vitamin folic acid. In men, zinc is important in preventing prostate trouble.  Our genetics also play a role in determining what our cells need.  You may see that heart disease runs in one family and not in another family.  Why? What is really happening is that the heart cells in the family with disease have a greater requirement for one or more nutrients than heart cells in the healthy family.  By learning about the nutrients that each cells needs and by looking at your family history you can find out what you really need to have well fed cells.

One thing that all our cells need is energy. You can only get this energy if there are good amounts of vitamins and minerals present in your food – these nutrients act to unlock the energy in the food and carry it to the cells.  Toxic substances – in our food, in the air and water get into the body and can harm the cells because they create what is called “free radicals”. These free radicals destroy the cell membranes – the protective covers of the cells -- unless the cells are protected.  The vitamins and minerals called antioxidants give you this protection: Vitamins E, C and beta carotene and the mineral selenium are examples of antioxidants.

Inside your cells

Slowing Aging

Antioxidants do something else that is very important: they slow down the aging of cells (and therefore slow down your aging). We’ve all seen those little brown spots on the skin that increase as we age. Some people have more than others. What are these spots?  They are the result of going for years without enough antioxidants.  When free radicals destroy cells they produce a brown pigment that you can see as these spots on your hands and other areas of your body. There are some brown spots you can’t see: they are inside your brain, in the testes and in the heart.  In the brain, these spots cause the brain cells to lose their function resulting in senility.  No one has to become senile as long as they feed their brain cells.

Nutrients are important if you don’t want your skin to sag, your bones and joints to get out of alignment or your teeth to get loose.  It is connective tissue that prevents these things from happening.  To make strong connective tissue we need good supplies of protein, iron, vitamin C and the amino acid called lysine.  If we can hold our bones in place properly with strong connective tissue we won’t get arthritis and back and knee pain. If our teeth are firmly held in place by healthy connective tissues we won’t get gum disease.

So there is more to good nutrition that a full stomach.  By giving your cells what they need to thrive you can look forward to more years, with a better quality of life.  This blog, Everything Healthy will help you achieve your optimal health so stay tuned.

Feed Your Cells: Live Long and Stop Cancer

Are you really well fed?

You may be eating well and your weight may be fine.  You stomach may feel full after each meal. However, the cells in your body may be starving!  Our bodies are made up of organs: heart, liver, brain, kidney, the skin, etc.  Each of these organs is composed of many different types of cells. 

Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things: humans, animals, fish and plants. The human body contains trillions of cells. Cells provide structure for the body – like the skin cells and bone cells. Cells take in nutrients from your food and change those nutrients into energy. Groups of cells have specialized functions: some make hormones that control your kidneys, pancreas, ovaries, heart and lungs. Cells also contain the body’s hereditary material – the DNA -- and can make copies of themselves.

It runs in the family - or does it?

We all have an “Achilles heel” – a weakness that your family has. Your biochemistry – the function of your cells – is like your fingerprint – no person is identical to another.   What runs in families when you see heart or lung disease or cancer is a difference in the nutritional requirements of the cells in those families.  For example, someone may have a heart attack at 50 years of age. The cells in this heart did not get enough of the nutrients the heart cells needed. So the heart cells wore out before their time. Under a microscope these cells look like the cells of an 80 year old.  

Each body cell has a genetic message to live for a certain time span.  If the environment around the cell is healthy, the cell will reach its potential – it will “go the distance”.  But our cells are exposed to many toxic substances – air pollution, tobacco smoke, chemicals in our food. They still manage to survive but function poorly on less than optimal fuel.  Then the cells don’t live as long, the organs stop functioning and so we don’t live as long.  The “hungry” cells look smaller and miss-shaped under a microscope. When you see abnormal shaped cells, you are usually talking about cancer. 

The best cancer treatment is prevention

It is amazing that with all these insults we still live longer than many species of animals. This is because we have better cell repair mechanisms. Damaged cells are repaired or discarded. Cancer cells appear in our bodies every day.  As long as the repair mechanisms and our immune system is in good shape, we stop the cancer cell in its tracks. But this repair system depends on key nutrients that the cells need. The better the nutrition, the better is the chance of holding off disease and the forces of aging.

In the second part of this article we will talk about the nutrients that your cells must have to live long and thrive. 

#Sunlight may put you in the dark: Protect your #eyes from #UVrays

Sunshine, sandy beaches, swimming, picnics, outdoor sports – it’s time to enjoy the season.  We want to be carefree but we need to be careful – especially with our eyes. We all use sunscreen to protect our skin, but our eyes need protection too.

We know sunlight can be beneficial, causing production of vitamin D3 in the skin.  Natural light also helps us see better and sleep better -- but too much can be destructive. We still don’t know exactly how much is safe for our eyes. We have to protect three parts of the eye: the cornea, the lens and the retina.

How does the sun hurt our eyes? 

Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are two types of UV radiation:

UVA - can pass through the cornea (outer layer of the eye) and reach the lens making it cloudy and causing cataracts. It can also harm the retina inside the eye causing macular degeneration leading to blindness.

When the sun is overhead and you stare at it -- in 90 seconds it will cause a burn to the retina. A few hours later it takes several minutes to burn you and it is almost impossible at sunset.  While most of us will not stare at the sun we should limit or avoid exposure.  From 10 AM to 2 PM is the worst time for sun exposure – for your eyes or skin.

UVB - this type of UV radiation is unlikely to cause cataracts and macular degeneration. UVB rays may cause pingueculae and pterygium. These are growths on the eye's surface which can become unsightly and cause cornea problems as well as distorted vision.

pingueculae

In high, short-term doses, UVB rays also can cause photokeratitis, a painful inflammation of the cornea which is la "sunburn of the eye." It can make the eyes red, light sensitive and cause a gritty feeling and excessive tearing. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually temporary and rarely cause permanent damage to the eyes.

"Snow blindness" is the common term for severe photokeratitis, which causes temporary vision loss usually lasting 24-48 hours. So UV eye protection is not just for the summer.

New research suggests the sun's high-energy visible (HEV) radiation (also called "blue light") may increase your long-term risk of macular degeneration. This radiation penetrates deeply into the eye to the retina.  People with low levels of vitamin C and other antioxidants in their blood have a higher risk of retinal damage from HEV radiation. According to a study published in the medical journal Archives of Ophthalmology, HEV radiation — especially with low antioxidants — is associated with the development of macular degeneration.

Who needs protection from harmful UV light?

Everyone needs this protection, especially those who work or play in the sun: construction workers, farmers, drivers of taxis and trucks, sports participants and spectators, police officers, skiers, lifeguards, and beach goers. All people who work outdoors can get eye damage from the sun.

Contact lens wearers are at risk of eye damage. Soft contact lenses can transmit up to 50 percent more UV light to the eye. So even if your contact lenses provide UV protection, you still need sunglasses.

Vacations at the beach, with highly reflected water and sand all around, is a place of high exposure to UV and HEV light.  The radiation is reflected into your eyes. And fresh snow is an even greater risk, reflecting up to 88 percent of the light that hits it into your eyes.

Geography is a factor--the closer you live to the equator, where the UV and HEV radiation is stronger--the greater the UV exposure. Altitude is a factor as well--UV radiation intensity increases about 5 percent for every 1,000 feet of elevation.

Surprisingly, cloud cover doesn't decrease UV levels much. Your risk of UV exposure can be quite high even on hazy or overcast days. This is because UV is invisible radiation, not visible light, and can penetrate clouds.

Anyone else to protect? - People taking medications may be at risk. There are many drugs that make your eyes more sensitive to sunlight (photosensitive), including certain tranquilizers, diuretics, oral contraceptives, antibiotics (like tetracycline), anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive medications, and even artificial sweeteners such as cyclamates. You can ask your pharmacist about a medication or look up the drug side effects online.

Babies and young children

Children may be outside for long periods of time in the sun. I see infants and toddlers pushed around in their strollers with no hat, no sunglasses and many times no skin sunburn protection – it makes me ill. With their clearer corneas and lenses, children's eyes actually admit greater levels of UV and HEV light than adults. So the UV radiation can go straight to their retinas. Even small amounts, accumulated over time can lead to damage – and you won’t know it until years later. Up to half of a person's lifetime exposure to UV radiation can occur by age 18. The damage might not show up for 30 years.

Don’t forget grandpa and grandma

The effects of UV radiation keep adding up as a person gets older and receives more and more UV and HEV radiation. As we live longer and longer, the average person is more likely to be affected by eye diseases caused by years of exposure to this radiation. So if grandpa is 70 and will live to 95, there is still time to protect his eyes so he is not blind later on.

Computer screens and other light source effects on your eyes

Working under bright fluorescent lights in an office or a store -- or spending hours in front of a computer screen can also damage the eyes. Laboratory workers who are exposed to UV light as part of their job are also at risk. All of these people need eye protection.  UV protection can be put in eyeglass lens that can be used indoors or protective screens can be used on monitors.

Digital screens give off little or no UVA or UVB radiation and will usually not cause eye damage such as cataracts. However, digital screens do expose your eyes to HEV (blue light). The HEV exposure you get from screens is small compared to the amount of exposure from the sun. But the long-term effects of screen exposure and how close we are to screens is cause for concern. Research shows that children’s eyes absorb more blue light than adults from digital device screens. There are many other sources of HEV: CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs, LED light, flat screen LED televisions, smart phones, and tablet screens. 

Protection against sun exposure

The longer the eyes are exposed to sun radiation, the greater the risk of developing cataracts or macular degeneration later in life. It is not clear how much exposure to solar radiation will cause damage. So whenever you spend time outdoors, wear quality sunglasses that offer full UV protection. A hat or cap with a wide brim can cut out a lot of UV.

Misleading claims about sunglass UV protection can be confusing. A pair of glasses might be labeled UV absorbent, but the label might not say exactly how much UVA and UVB rays are blocked. Sunglasses should be labeled UV 400 to ensure complete blockage of UV. This is not the time to look for bargains – your eyes are too important! The skin around your eyes and your eyelids is susceptible to skin cancer – we don’t usually put suntan lotion there.  To protect as much of the delicate skin around your eyes as possible, try sunglasses with large lenses or a close-fitting wrap around style.

Some sunglasses come with amber, green or gray lenses. The colors do not block UV but can increase contrast, which may be useful for athletes who play sports such as baseball or golf. Polarization reduces glare coming off reflective surfaces like water or pavement. It doesn’t protect from sun radiation, but can make activities like driving or being on the water safer or more enjoyable. A darker lens that doesn’t have the right UV protection will allow the pupil of the eye to dilate (widen), letting in damaging radiation.

Nutrients that protect your eyes

You can protect your eyes from the inside out with key nutrients:

Vitamin C: lowers risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Find it in citrus fruit like grapefruit and orange juice, as well as strawberries, kiwi and green peppers. Most foods with vitamin C also contain bioflavonoids which protect the blood vessels in the eye.

Lutein & Zeaxanthin: These antioxidants aid in prevention of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Food sources are orange and yellow colored vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes; dark green, leafy vegetables (especially spinach and kale); and eggs.

Zinc: This mineral helps release Vitamin A from the liver, which in turn helps your body make melanin, a protective pigment in the eyes. Melanin is the same pigment that protects your skin from the sun. Zinc is found in high concentration in the eye -- in the retina. Red meats, poultry, and eggs supply larger doses of zinc but plant sources are available in wheat germ, nuts, black-eyed peas, and tofu. Vegetarians need several plant-based choices each day because there is lower absorption of zinc from these foods as compared to the non-vegetarian options.

Vitamin E: This super antioxidant protects the eyes from the damaging effects of the sun on the fragile cells in the eyes (and rest of the body). Nuts or nut butters have some vitamin E, as do wheat germ and cooking oils such as soybean, sunflower and canola.  Given the limited types of foods or the calorie content, some people prefer to take a vitamin E supplement. 

Essential fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acids, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are both important for vision development and retinal function. DHA is found in high concentrations in the retina. These important good fats are found in higher-fat fish, such as salmon and mackerel; fortified foods such as eggs and various types of milk; green, leafy vegetables; and nuts and seeds, like flaxseed and walnuts.

Bilberry, blueberry and black currants: These antioxidants contain anthocyanins that are important for eye health because they stay in the thick watery fluid filling the space between the lens and the cornea. Blueberries also contain anthocyanins. The vitamin E in blueberries may help stop the formation of cataracts, or clouding of the eye lens.

Your eyes are precious so take care of them. They are vulnerable to damage by UV radiation and nutrient deficiencies. There are many types of radiation exposure and they all add up. Please write to me with any questions you may have.

 

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#Vitamin D: Facts that can change your life

D Facts

We can’t make vitamins and minerals in our bodies so they must enter with our food, or as supplements or in the case of vitamin D we can make it when UVB rays from sunlight shines on our skin.

Vitamin D is measured in International Units (IU). If you were in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes of unprotected exposure of your skin about 10,000 IU would be made.  However if we use sunblock or cover up our skin with clothing we don’t make any vitamin D.  Yes, there is concern about too much sun causing skin cancer or accelerating aging and anyone who has had skin cancer should not be in the sun. However, short exposure can be beneficial if that is the only source of vitamin D we are getting.

The darker our skin, the less vitamin D we can make because the pigment in the skin blocks the UVB needed to make vitamin D.

 If we stay indoors we get no sun and in the wintertime in cold climates the same is true. As we get older and our skin gets thinner, it is less efficient in making vitamin D. If you`re around 35-40 years old or above, you`re likely losing the ability to make activate vitamin D in your skin, even in the unlikely event that you`re getting adequate UVB sun exposure  We also get less absorption of vitamin D from our food as we age. If you`re overweight, your body requires more vitamin D than if you are not overweight. To get enough vitamin D the sun exposure may be too long to be safe.

How much vitamin D do we need?

The U.S. daily vitamin D dietary allowance is 600 IU for ages 1 to 70 including pregnant or breastfeeding women. For People 71 years and older it is 800 IU.  About 75% of teens and adults in the U.S. are not getting even these basic amounts.  U.S. Dietary allowances are minimum amounts that will prevent deficiency diseases – in the case of vitamin D, rickets is the deficiency disease.  However, dietary allowances are not the optimal amounts that a person may need.  Everyone is different.  And taking or getting the daily allowance does not mean that there is enough vitamin D in the blood.  That is why a blood test is done.  You need to know your level.

Get Tested

So many people are deficient in vitamin D – as many as 1 billion people worldwide. Everyone should get a blood test for vitamin D level.  Because of the widespread deficiency, some doctors are now adding the test to the annual blood work done when we get a physical examination.  Vitamin D is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) in the blood.  Some experts say that between 20 and 40 ng/mL is a good level.  In the U.S. 70% of people are under 30 ng/mL, up to 15% are severely deficient at less than 10 ng/mL.  As long as the value is under 100 ng/mL, there is no danger of having too much vitamin D. 

Besides your doctor, you can order tests online and get blood drawn at a local lab, or order a vitamin D home test kit, where you prick your finger, send in the blood, and wait for the results to come back to you.  Make sure you are getting the right test. You must test for 25(OH)D, not 1,25(OH)D. They look similar, but 1,25(OH)D is a measure of kidney function, and is not the test you want for measuring blood vitamin D levels.

Food Sources of vitamin D

So if we can’t get vitamin D from the sun, where do we get it?  The first place is from food.

Fatty fish, egg yolks  (see below) are good sources  but you may have to eat a lot of these foods, especially if you start off deficient. Some foods are fortified with vitamin D such as milk, yogurt, cereal and orange juice. However, the most effective form of vitamin D is D3 (cholecaciferol); some foods are fortified with vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), a synthetic product which is not absorbed as well.  Vitamins like D and others – as well as minerals, need to be absorbed from our digestive tract into our blood stream before they can work, so the form is important and so is the condition of our digestive tracts (a future blog on this).

Some food values for Vitamin D

1 tsp cod liver oil has 400 to 1,000 IU

3.5 oz salmon, fresh (wild) has 600 to 1,000 IU

3.5 oz salmon, fresh has 100 to 250 IU

3.5 oz salmon, canned has 300 to 600 IU

3.5 oz sardines, canned has about 300 IU

3.5 oz mackerel, canned has about 250 IU

3.5 oz tuna, canned has 236 IU

3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms (fresh) has about 100 IU

3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms (sun-dried) has about 1,600 IU

1 egg yolk has about 20 IU

8 oz fortified milk or yogurt has 100 IU

8 oz fortified orange juice has about 100 IU

3 oz fortified cheese has about 100 IU

If you are not getting enough vitamin D from sunlight and/or food, you may need a supplement.

What Kind of Supplements?

In order to get the best results, it is important what form of the vitamin you use. The best form is an oil-based vitamin D in a gel capsule or liquid. This is because vitamin D dissolves in fat and in that form it can be better absorbed. Take with meals which usually have some fat in the food. Dry preparations, like tablets and capsules are not well absorbed.

Depending on your test results, you may start out at a higher dose and decrease after a month or two. Most experts feel that the goal is to get your level above 30-40 ng/mL then take a lower maintenance amount. When you are deficient, it is recommended to have your blood tested after two to three months of taking the supplement to be sure that your levels are going up. Work with your doctors to find the best plan for you.  Having values too low is very dangerous.

 Interactions with Drugs and Herbs

As is true for any vitamin, mineral or herb, vitamin D can interact with medications. So if you take medications your doctor should have your blood tested for vitamin D level and recommend how much vitamin D you need to take.  Vitamin D may affect blood sugar levels. So if you take medications or insulin that affects  blood sugar, your doctor needs to closely watch your sugar. Medication adjustments may be necessary. Vitamin D may also affect blood pressure. So if you take blood pressure medications they may also need to be adjusted. Some herbs may also affect blood sugar or blood pressure so the same cautions apply to taking vitamin D and herbs.

Symptoms of deficiency and protective effects

You need vitamin D to absorb calcium into your bones, so softening of the bones (osteomalacia) is a result of deficiency. If severe enough, you will have muscle weakness and pain. We know that there is a   protective effect of vitamin D against skin, colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased blood pressure, cholesterol problems, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke.

Low vitamin D status is often seen with increased upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D is very important for good immune system function.  Research shows that people with blood vitamin D levels over 25 ng/mL had a 43% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with people with levels under 14 ng/mL.

Decreasing inflammation: Many of the health benefits associated with vitamin D may come from its role in decreasing inflammation. This is good for the heart and for reducing allergies and even reducing cavities in children. Inflammation is associated with many brain diseases.

Brain Health

Reported in 2012, a Journal of Alzheimer's Disease article showed how vitamin D3 may help the body clear the brain of amyloid beta, the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and multiple sclerosis (MS). A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Harvard researchers found that people with blood levels of vitamin D above 40 ng/mL had a 62% lower risk of developing MS.  Migraines, depression, sleeping problems and fibromyalgia are often linked to vitamin D deficiency.

Every day we are finding out more about the benefits of having adequate and optimal levels of vitamin D.  The National Institutes of Health says that vitamin D deficiency is a world-wide epidemic that has been ignored until recently.  Don’t ignore your health and the health of those you care about.

#Breakfast: the most important meal of the day

Break the Fast

You slept for 6 to 8 hours. You wake up and you are hungry and want to eat or you are in a rush and decide to skip breakfast and grab something quick on the way to where ever.  What is the best decision for your health?  While sleeping you are fasting – that’s where the word came from: “break-fast”.  Your sugar levels are low. Unless you drink liquids at night you are probably dehydrated (which speeds up aging – and that is a future blog).

What not to do:  grab a cup of caffeine coffee (or cola).  Caffeine may give you a boost but it also lowers your blood sugar levels. It is also a diuretic which doesn’t help dehydration.  A donut or bagel or any food sweet or starchy and high in carbohydrates will eventually lower your blood sugar even more. Then, you will either be starving at lunch time or get that mid-afternoon fatigue (or both happens). If you do this often it will be like a merry go round that you can’t stop.  What to do?

Protein, good fat, whole grain

Add protein powder

Break the cycle.  You need protein for breakfast: eggs, cottage cheese, meat or fish. Protein will keep you full, and will not lower your blood sugar. If you drink smoothies, add protein powder. A little fat is also needed: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, peanut butter, cheese, and even butter --  but no hydrogenated fats (a future blog will tell you why).  Fat slows absorption of carbohydrates into your blood stream and slows the lowering of blood sugar. So have a piece of whole grain toast or a bran muffin or a piece of fruit. The fiber in the whole grain, bran or fruit also slows down absorption of carbohydrate. Fat fills you up – your brain is geared to stop being hungry when fat is eaten. (good fats and oils is a future blog).

The Best Breakfast = protein + fat + fiber + carbohydrate (in moderation).  If you eat them together the carbohydrate and even the caffeine will have less of an effect.  And having a good breakfast will help cut your appetite later in the day. So wake up and eat up – a good breakfast.

To Your Good Health

Welcome to Everything Healthy by Jean

Welcome to Everything Healthy

Welcome to Everything Healthy.  For many years I have been advising people about health of the body – what to put in it, on it and around it.  While doing this counseling I found that most of the information people get is made more complicated than it needs to be.  Doctors, scientists, nurses, nutritionists, (and I’ve taught them all) often want to protect their own interests and do this by devising plans for diets, exercise, and life style that take a lot of time and effort.  The truth is that there are simple changes, backed by good medical and scientific facts that can improve your health, energy levels, and longevity.

So what I want to accomplish, with your input, is to talk about things that will make a difference in how you feel and how you look.  We can talk about:

Energy levels

Diet – what you eat is what you get (or don’t get)

Feeding your body’s cells – they all have different appetites

Dieting and weight loss – don’t start a diet before you do this

What to do about cravings: sugar, alcohol, nicotine, drugs

Exercise

A healthy house

Looking healthy

Slowing down aging

Boosting your immune system

Natural stress relief

Vitamins and minerals come in different forms – which ones can your body absorb?

Herbs can be nutrients or drugs

Supplement safety – how or whether to mix them with prescription drugs

Healthy hints for your dog or cat

Let me know what else you would like to talk about.  This blog is for you.

 Coming soon (sign up for notification): The most important meal of the day

 Best of health,

  

Jean