Vitamin D - where to access and why we need it

As I was outside having a cup of tea, enjoying the suns rays I got to thinking about Vitamin D, as you do......

So I found a bit of writing that I had done a while ago and forgot to post, so here it is - hopefully good timing for someone!!!

For many, winter can be cold with short, dark days. This is the season that often raises concerns about vitamin D, sometimes called the sunshine vitamin.

Interest in vitamin D has exploded in recent years and for very good reason. What is Vitamin D? Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin.

The reason it isn’t is that we as humans can make this ourselves. When we expose our skin to sunlight the vitamin D we absorb is inert. In other words, it needs to be converted.

Going through some chemical processes to activate it. The first occurs in our liver this converts the Vitamin D to a pre hormone called Calcidol.

The second occurs primarily in our kidneys, this forms the physically active hormone called Calcitriol. So, when we don’t get enough sunlight and therefore Vitamin D we will not have enough of the active hormone (Calcitriol) inside our tissues and this can be very bad news.

(As we are talking about absorbing - what I have learnt is that when your skin is exposed to the sun, it is important that you don’t wash that area with soap as it interferes with the absorption - so have a shower or bath but don’t use products on these areas!!)

What a lack of this hormone can cause is a range of symptoms that can be the root of many dis-ease processes. Such as Asthma, Heart failure, and Autoimmune diseases—such as multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

This starts to make sense when you think about the action of this hormone. Human DNA contains more than 2,700 binding sites for Calcitriol. Including sites that are involved in every major Dis-ease.

The mere presence of these sites suggests that this hormone, and therefore vitamin D is important for every aspect of our health. As an example Vitamin D is well known for it’s importance in bone health, deficiency is known to be the root cause of rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.

And as I pointed out that Vitmain D has so much more to do than deal with bone health.

So, In winter how do we manage to get vitamin D and therefore Calcitriol in our system. Many people take vitamin D supplements, however very few are absorbed and converted into this wonderful hormone.

Of course, as nature provides us with everything we need there are some wonderful foods that contain Vitamin D and are known to be easily converted within our bodies, after all we have evolved with them!!

Top foods containing Vitamin D

Surprisingly, the dried versions of shiitake mushrooms are Very high in Vitamin D. This may be due to the fact that these mushrooms are adept at sucking up sunlight. Shiitake is also rich in B Vitamins like B1 & B2. Make sure that you find mushrooms that have been dried in the sun, not by some artificial means, in order to

extract the benefits of high Vitamin D content.

Mackerel A small, 3½ ounce portion of this Omega-3 rich fish will give you 90% of the recommended daily amount. Currently, the FDA recommends that we eat more of these oily fishes to infuse our bodies with the vitamins and omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA’s) that our body cannot produce on its own.

Sockeye Salmon: A small 3½ ounces portion of cooked salmon will give you 90% of the recommended levels of vitamin D (might not be therapeutic levels though) Make sure to purchase salmon that has been caught from the wild, if not, then sustainably farmed.

Salmon eat zooplankton, an excellent source of the important vitamin.

Herring: Fish like herring are so high in vitamin D because they are the part of our food chain that thrive on plankton, which is extremely high in vitamin D.

Sardines: Sardines are one of the best foods containing Vitamin D. One small tin can of sardines will provide you with approximately 70% of your daily needs. These tiny canned fish are also a great source of Vitamin B12, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, protein and selenium.

Tuna fish: Eat 3 ounces of tuna daily for 50% of your Vitamin D needs. Fresh, wild-caught tuna is the most nutritious. Remember, eating oily fish can also lubricate the body with “good fats,” providing a host of health benefits to your body, like better memory and brain function.

Cod Liver Oil: If you can stomach the strong aroma, this oil is super-rich in sunlight Vitamin D. This marvellously golden, yet terrible-tasting oil, is also rich in omega 3. Incorporating this oil into your diet will help you increase your bone's ability to stay strong and healthy. Because of its high Vitamin D content, cod liver oil has also been shown to prevent osteoporosis in adult, it improves brain function and optimize the functioning of the nervous system. What is more, the oil holds 10,000 IUs of vitamin D. One tablespoon of the oil provides more than enough Vitamin D for the day.

Eggs: Eggs are another food containing vitamin D in small amounts. Eating one egg will provide you with approximately 10% of your daily needs. I would personally recommend eating free-range eggs from a local farm, if possible.

Sunshine: Okay, - Just a reminder, if it does come out, treat yourself to having a sun bath.

If you look at the list of foods that are high in Vitamin D, isn't it interesting that they are mostly freely available to those of us in colder, cloudier climates, we can up our intake from the foods we eat. This really does explain why Native Inuit people in Alaska ate so much fish!

Health Benefits of Vitamin D, in brief, There are many reasons to stock up on foods containing vitamin D. Health benefits of the vitamin include:

The prevention of chronic diseases such as many forms of cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. The protection and lubrication of your bones, teeth and hair. The regulation of cellular growth and healthy cell activity Overall reduction of the inflammatory response, a condition known to cause many chronic diseases, from cancer to diabetes to obesity. Protection against adult osteoporosis

Reduction in the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women Plus a significant reduction in the occurrence of prostate cancer in African-American men

Sugar and it's effects on your immune system

Sugar!!

60 mins after eating sugar….

What happens in your body when you have even just a small amount of sugar??

0-15 minutes

The first part of your body that feels the effects is, of course, teeth and gums. Sugar mixes with bacteria in saliva, which forms an acid that attacks teeth enamel

15- 30 mins

Once the sugar has passed through the stomach, it then hits the small intestine, which gets broken down and taken into the bloodstream. The pancreas kicks into action, releasing insulin to convert as much of this into energy. Then the energy is distributed around your body.

However, because there is such a high influx of sugars swimming around the blood, not all can be converted.

Whatever is leftover is sent to the liver and converted and stored as fat.

Around this time, the adrenals interpret the sharp increase in sugars as the body undergoing huge stress. Adrenal hormones, including epinephrine and cortisol, are released. This, in turn, causes the heart rate to increase and makes you sweat.

30-45 minutes

Your blood pressure has now risen.
Increased dopamine levels in the brain have resulted in a sugar high, which gradually starts to decline.

Next comes the crash!!

Your insulin skyrockets, and hormone levels have caused blood sugar levels to crash. This causes tiredness, irritability, anxiety or even headaches.

In response, the hormones attempt to restore Blood sugars to normal, by squeezing what they can from the liver.

45-60 minutes

Hormonal chaos has disrupted the Phagocytic cell function - which means that your immune system won't be working at full capacity and your body is more prone to infection from bacteria and viruses. A lot less effective than it was before ingesting the sugar!!

The immune system will take at least 5 hours to be back to where it was before you ate sugar-

So to keep yourself healthy - don't eat Sugar!!!

(sugar is hidden in lots of foods - Look at your labels)

How are YOUR Thyroid and Adrenal Hormones?

Today we are going to look at thyroid health.

Why do Our Fast Track to Health and Ultimate Detox programmes concentrate on Hypothalamus to get our body into balance?

First off, Metabolic activity is a short description of the vast array of chemical processes that our cells must complete before we create the energy needed to sustain life.
A healthy metabolism depends, most importantly, on the thyroid and adrenal glands. In this article, we will go through some of the processes the thyroid must perform for us to have the energy to thrive.  

The thyroid governs our basal metabolic rate - BMR. Which is the rate at which the body converts oxygen and calories into energy in a resting state.

The hypothalamus and pituitary glands closely regulate the production of T4 and T3. The hypothalamus monitors circulating blood thyroid hormone levels and responds to low levels by releasing thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). TRH then stimulates the pituitary gland to release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). When thyroid hormone levels increase, the production of TSH decreases, which in turn slows the release of new hormones from the thyroid gland.

The most biologically active form of thyroid hormone is T3, primarily converted in the liver (and peripheral tissues). This is because the thyroid produces mainly T4 which has to go through a conversion to T3 to make it viable.  For this conversion to take place, we need selenium, which converts to a selenium-dependent enzyme. This, in turn, helps the vital conversion to take place.

Inflammatory cytokines prevent the HPA ( Hypothalamus, Pituitary adrenal) axis from functioning at an optimum rate, Which in turn reduces levels of thyroid hormones, inhibits the conversion of T4 into T3 and decreases the sensitivity of the thyroid to TSH.

Elevated inflammatory cytokines* also play a role in autoimmune (Hashimoto’s) thyroiditis by suppressing thyroid receptor site sensitivity. Chronic stress also disrupts the body’s immune barriers, potentially inducing auto-immune dysregulation.

 * Cytokines are small secreted Proteins released. Some are inflammatory, and some are anti-inflammatory. It is the inflammatory ones we are talking about here. They can be the cause of chronic pain and dis-ease

Most T3 conversion occurs in the liver.  Poor liver function, heavy metals (like mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic), plus excessive oestrogens (oestrogen dominance) may all affect thyroid function.  
Plus if you are iodine deficient you are more likely to be having problems with fluoride because it is very similar in its makeup to iodine. The receptors in our thyroid that react to iodine will also react to fluoride. Iodine is mainly known to be stored in the thyroid, so this imposter can also be found in the thyroid, in iodine’s place, preventing the health and vitality of that gland. Plus if this and other chemicals are in your thyroid, it allows less space for iodine if you supplement it.  Which, of course, impacts the rest of the body.

If we look at this imbalance in another way, Chemical toxicity and nutritional deficiency, as in Mineral imbalance such as low selenium, low/high iodine, zinc & high fluoride, chlorine & cobalt., these both can be a major stress on the body and really could be the root of so many different symptoms.   
What to do if you think that Thyroid/Adrenal/ Oestrogen dominance could be your issue?
Here are some symptoms that you might be experiencing – if you tick 5 or more of these boxes then it is likely that you are in need of some support.

Thyroid Symptoms

Underactive

• Increased sensitivity to cold

• Fatigue

• Constipation

• Dry skin

• Weight gain

• Puffy face

• Hoarseness

• Muscle weakness

• Elevated blood cholesterol level

• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness

• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints

• Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods

• Thinning hair

• Slowed heart rate

• Depression

• Impaired memory

• Changes in the menstrual cycle

• Infertility

• Eye problems

 
Overactive

• fatigue or muscle weakness

• hand tremors

• mood swings

• nervousness or anxiety

• rapid heartbeat

• heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat

• skin dryness

• trouble sleeping

• weight loss

• increased frequency of bowel movements

• light periods or skipping periods.

The symptoms of adrenal imbalance include:

• Mental and psychological ailments such as depression

• Faintness and dizziness

• Weakness and fatigue

• Heart palpitations

• Emotional hypersensitivity

• Inability to cope with stress

• Social anxiety

• Muscle weakness

• Headache, scalp ache, or general body ache

• Severe or dull lower back pain

• Extremely sensitive skin

• Nausea, diarrhoea, and vomiting

• Abdominal pain and hunger pain despite an empty stomach

• Extreme craving for salty foods

• Anxiety and jitters

• Clumsiness and confusion

• Motion sickness

• Insomnia and dark circles under the eyes

• Low bladder capacity and symptoms of IBS

• Irregular or non-existent menstrual period

Adrenal fatigue symptoms

• body aches

• trouble concentrating

• racing thoughts

• moodiness and irritability

• feeling overwhelmed

• hormone imbalance

• cravings for sweet and salty foods

• Always tired

 
Oestrogen dominance symptoms
 
 

• Irregular or otherwise abnormal menstrual periods

• Decreased sex drive

• Bloating (water retention)

• Breast swelling and tenderness

• Fibroids

• Zinc deficiency – If you are not sure about this one then get a taste test done at your local clinic/health shop

• Irritability

• Fibrocystic breasts

• Headaches (especially premenstrual)

• Mood swings

• Magnesium deficiency – symptoms like cramp and nervous twitches are the main ones

• Osteoporosis

• Pre-menopausal bone loss

• Prostate cancer

• Weight and/or fat gain (particularly around the abdomen and hips)

• Cold hands and feet (a symptom of thyroid dysfunction)

• Hair loss

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Sluggish metabolism

• Foggy thinking, memory loss

• Mild to severe depression

• Fatigue

• Trouble sleeping/insomnia

• PMS

• Bloating

• Concentration

• Anxiety

• Skin breakouts

• Mania

• Hallucinations 

• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar esp. 3-4 pm)

• Memory loss – from mild to severe dementia

• Polycystic ovaries (PCOS)

 
If you tick 4 or more in one or more of the categories, then please book an appointment and we can go through your options - book a free 15 min chat

Know that something is not quite right?

Had all the doctors tests and everything comes back as normal??
Have a look here to see if it is your Hormones.

Estrogen Dominance - is this the root of your problems (men as well as ladies)

Dominant Oestrogen Symptoms

I am sure you have heard of Oestrogen Dominance, but I wonder if you realize how much it can affect us all, men and women alike! What I am going to cover is the why, how and what you can do to start reversing it!
It is simple really like most things. It feels and sounds complicated.  But once you know what you are dealing with.  All will be revealed to you.

First, here are some of the most common symptoms that can be signs that you are dealing with Dominant Oestrogen!

• Irregular or otherwise abnormal menstrual periods

• Decreased sex drive

• Bloating (water retention)

• Breast swelling and tenderness

• Fibroids

• Zinc deficiency – If you are not sure about this, then get a taste test done at your local clinic/health shop

• Irritability

• Fibrocystic breasts

• Headaches (especially premenstrual)

• Mood swings

• Magnesium deficiency – symptoms like cramp and nervous twitches are the main ones

• Osteoporosis

• Pre-menopausal bone loss

• Prostate cancer

• Weight and/or fat gain (particularly around the abdomen and hips)

• Cold hands and feet (a symptom of thyroid dysfunction)

• Hair loss

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Sluggish metabolism

• Foggy thinking, memory loss

• Mild to severe depression

• Fatigue

• Trouble sleeping/insomnia

• PMS

• Bloating

• Concentration

• Anxiety

• Skin breakouts

• Mania

• Hallucinations

• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar esp. 3-4 pm)

• Memory loss – from mild to severe dementia

• Polycystic ovaries (PCOS)

Dominant Oestrogen Is also linked with
Allergies, Autoimmune disorders, Breast cancer, uterine cancer, infertility, ovarian cysts, and increased blood clotting. It is also associated with the acceleration of ageing.

It is all well and good knowing the symptoms. It is imperative that we know what causes this debilitating and sometimes life-taking problem. Then we need some guidelines on how to move out of imbalance and into balance. – We will come to this a bit later

The PILL and HRT

It has been known for a long time that medications such as birth control pill and HRT can cause problems.
However, we are now being affected every day by a chemical onslaught. One that we can’t keep away from unless we are consuming organic foods and that have never had chemicals or other herbicides added. Not many people have the great fortune to have this all their lives!
It isn’t just what we have consumed recently, as these chemicals are cumulative. As in as we go through life, we accumulate this toxicity. Our body has no mechanisms to remove them, as they are foreign to it.

There has been found to be many chemicals that act just like oestrogen in the body. These are called Xenoestrogens. These are some of the root causes of Oestrogen dominance in society. These along with Oestrogen-only HRT and the contraceptive pill have a lot to answer for!

List of the Xenoestrogens – that we know about

Pesticides  - DDT, DDE, 24T, Dioxin, Dieldrin, endosulfan, Methoxychlor, kepone, toxaphene, chloropicrin, 245T, glyphosate, hi-cane. These are the tip of the iceberg. The list is huge, but I am sure you get the idea.

Petroleum products – including car fumes, methylbenzene, toluene, benzene, styrene, pyrene, mineral oil - think baby oil, bio-oil

Plastics (PVC, PCB’s biphenyl, nonylphenol, octaphenyl, lunch wraps etc)

Hormones: a. From Doctors (OCP & HRT + contraceptive injection), b. From the poultry industry and antibiotics in animal feed

EMFs – These are all around us and are known at Electromagnetic field stress. The waves from mobile phones, Bluetooth devices and even some radio waves. These can disrupt the balance in the body. Then indirectly, along with the above, make our oestrogen levels go totally out of kilter.

What to do to bring your balance back?

Well, you need to do the following.

1. Minimize the Usage of Endocrine Disruptors:  Come off all oral contraceptives, hormone creams, hormone-based prescription medications, etc. If you decide to do this.  It would be advisable to consult your doctor or health professional about this. This is because weaning stages may be required

   Plus, this also includes Plastic around your food, bleached sanitary towels and tampons, makeup, skin products that contain mineral oils etc.

2. Use an anti-inflammatory diet plan – avoid grains and other carb-loaded foods. Keep off meat that isn’t grass-fed and hormone-free – preferably organic, if possible.

3. Drink lots of water and other non-fizzy non-aspartame drinks – lemon juice with water or good quality herbal teas are great.

4. Eat lots of leafy green veggies and broccoli

5. Walk or do gentle exercise regularly

6. Detox regularly

7. Reduce stress in your life as much as you can by avoiding the news and listing to negative people

To help with the above and to drop weight and help bring balance into your life, please look at our programmes Fast Track to Health and/or Ultimate Detox - or go the whole hot and get onto our 12 week Ultimate Detox challenge which includes both of these amazing programmes. - Have a look at our shop for your options