Posts Tagged ‘Vitamin D’
Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that has been used in India for over 2500 years, and once you learn about some of the health benefits of Turmeric, you won’t be too surprised it’s been used for so long!
Benefits
• May increase metabolism and aide in fat loss or weight management
• Naturally detoxifies the liver, which helps boost liver function
• The active ingredient in Turmeric is curcumin. A study in 2009 showed that the combination of curcumin and vitamin D helped the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which is a substance that forms the brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Natural Antiseptic and Antibacterial agent.
• A study done in 1992 has showed that Turmeric may be able to help reduce cholesterol level and fight atherosclerosis (which is when the artery wall thickens).
• Natural pain killer
• May help prevent Melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer.
• Natural anti-inflammatory that works just as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs on the market – with less or no the side effects. Because of this, it can be used as a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Early studies show promise that Turmeric can help slow the progression of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Intake
Dried – You can find Turmeric in a dried powder form to use in a variety of recipes. I typically find this spice used in Indian dishes, but you can be creative and use this however you want! Test it out, and have some fun!
If you prefer, you can usually find Turmeric in a pill at your local health food store. Just follow the suggestions on the bottle for use.
Precautions
If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your doctor first (by the way – I am pretty sure every spice and herb says this!).
Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction.
Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!
Image Credit: FotoosVanRobin on Flickr®
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, Antiseptic, cholesterol, culinary, curcumin, immune system, liver, melanoma, metabolism, Multiple Sclerosis, pain killer, spice, Turmeric, Vitamin D, Weight Loss
Cure for the Common Cold
It has been said that there is no cure for the common cold. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies make too much money keeping you sick, and curing the problem isn’t a profitable business. Luckily, there is a cure for the common cold.
I have noticed that when people start to feel like they are getting a cold, they will increase their Vitamin C and Antioxidant levels to boost their immune system. Though their immune system may be weakened and needs the boost of strength, it doesn’t necessarily resolve the problem.
Vitamin D Deficiency linked to Illness
During the Winter months, many of us suffer with the common cold. Also during the Winter months, we have a decrease in sun exposure, which causes us to become Vitamin D deficient. According to Archives of Internal Medicine, studies have shown that being Vitamin D deficient has been linked to becoming 36% more likely to suffer from respiratory infections, such as the common cold.
Are you Vitamin D deficient?
Chances are, you are Vitamin D deficient since about 85% of the American public is Vitamin D deficient.
Forms of Vitamin D
Vitamin D can come into two forms.
First there is Vitamin D2 which comes from plants or fungus. It is important to know that Vitamin D2 can be very toxic to the body since when broken down by the body it creates harmful substances.
Second, there is Vitamin D3. This form of Vitamin D3 is naturally formed when your body synthesizes sunlight and also through animal products. Vitamin D3 is a healthy way to obtain many health benefits, including prevention of the common cold.
Where you can get Vitamin D
•Sunlight Exposure – Limited Sun exposure is known to be beneficial for your body, which naturally produces Vitamin D. As pretty much all things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad. It is very important that you don’t allow yourself to get a Sunburn, which can be extremely dangerous to your health.
•Cod Liver Oil, Eggs, Organ Meats and Animal Fat – These contain high amounts of Vitamin D3. Feel free to add them to your diet for a safe way to increase your Vitamin D3 levels.
•Vitamin D3 Supplement – A great way to get the necessary amount of Vitamin D. If you are taking Vitamin D3 orally, it is important that you get your blood work tested to see what your Vitamin D levels are. When taking supplements it would be beneficial that you take the correct amounts, which will prevent you from overdosing. If you have Tuberculosis, Sarcoidosis, or Lymphoma, you should not take Vitamin D3 supplements.
Cost of Vitamin D3
If you are getting your Vitamin D through Sun exposure, the cost of this wonderful vitamin is “free”! If you are getting your vitamin D through food, you get to enjoy a nice meal along with some helpful vitamins. I recently purchased Vitamin D3 supplements , which cost me about $7 for 100 softgels containing 400IU. Depending on how much Vitamin D3 you need, this can be up to 3 months worth of Vitamin D3!
As you can see, it doesn’t cost a lot to cure the common cold. The Drug companies would like you to think otherwise.
Sources:
Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!
Tags: Cod Liver Oil, Common cold, cure, eggs, illness, Natural Healing, Organ Meats, sickness, Vitamin D, Vitamin D3
Sliced Pear and Cottage Cheese
I love snacks so much that I decided that I needed to learn how to make healthy snacks for myself. If you are going to enjoy a snack, make sure that it is delicious, easy to make, and guiltless.
Ingredients:
2 Pears
1/2 cup low fat Cottage Cheese
ground Cinnamon or Poppy Seeds (garnish)
Instructions:
1) Cut pears in half and throw out the core and seeds.
2) Scoop cottage cheese over pear halves
3) Sprinkle on desired amount of Cinnamon or Poppy Seeds on top of the cottage cheese.
Enjoy!
Notes:
This is a great snack to have any time of the year. This snack not only taste great, but it’s also very quick and easy, inexpensive, and low in calories. You can use fresh (preferred) or canned pears for this recipe.
The pear is about 75 calories or less (depending on size), and the low fat cottage cheese is about 90 calories.
Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!
Tags: Copper, cottage cheese, dairy, easy recipe, fiber, healthy snack, pear, potassium, Recipe, snack, vitamin C, Vitamin D
The many Health Benefits of Salmon
Nutrition and Health Benefits
The American Heart Association recommends at least 2 servings of fish per week. Now, I know why… This fish is packed with a lot of healthy and beneficial nutrients! Salmon is not only low in calories, but it is also a great source of important and healthy Omega-3 fatty acids (helps with the immune system,circulatory systems, and helps prevent unwanted inflammation) , B6, B12, Niacin (processes fats in the body and lowers cholesterol), tryptophan (an amino acid which helps reduce headaches and even help stop cravings for unecessary amounts of carbohydrates and sweets), Selenium, High in Vitamin D (an entire day’s worth!), Magnesium, and of course…protein!
Wild or Farmed Salmon?
Many don’t even bother to ask this question or understand the difference between the two, so I have to bring this up! Defintely go for the Wild Salmon. Farmed Salmon has been tested with much higher (up to 10 times the amount compared to Wild Salmon) amounts of toxins, including dioxin, toxaphen, dieldrin, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s). These toxins are found to increase the risk of all cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and can even surpress your immune system – just to name a few things. To keep it short and simple; you don’t want these toxins in your body, and if it is Farmed Salmon, the dangers outweigh the benefits and it is best to avoid them.
Food Preparation
You can buy Salmon in many different ways; fresh, frozen, canned, and raw (sushi). This is great because that means there are many ways to prepare this wonderful and healthy fish without ever getting bored!
Fresh Salmon is great as long as you are planning on preparing your meal same day, or at least in the next short while (usually there will be a “best before” date on the package). Frozen Salmon is convenient if you want to buy Salmon in bulk, without having to deal with your fish going bad. Both Fresh and Frozen salmon can be baked, steamed, and the Fresh can also be grilled. Canned is not necessarily my first choice, but if you want it, I personally recommend choosing the canned Salmon with the bones and skin included, which gives you a higher amount of Calcium in it- perfect for Salmon sandwiches which can replace your Tuna sandwiches. Salmon Sushi rolls is another great way to enjoy Salmon! When I first tried raw Salmon, I was nervous that it might taste “fishy”, but if you go to a reputable Sushi Restraunt, it shouldn’t taste “fishy” at all, and you will enjoy it if you already enjoy sushi.
Serving: 4 oz
Calories: 261 (plain, nothing added)
Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!
Tags: American Heart Associatation, amino acids, B Vitamins, B12, B6, baked, beneficial, canned, carbohydrates, carbs, circulatory system, fat, fish, fresh, frozen, good for you fat, grilled, Healthy, healthy fat, immune system, inflammation, low calorie, lowers cholesterol, Magnesium, Niacin, omega 3 fatty acids, prevent cancer, process fats, protein, raw, reduce headache, salmon, sandwich, selenium, stop cravings, sugar, sushi, sweets, tryptophan, Vitamin D
