An Overview of Vitamin D – How It Is Used in the Body and Common Food Sources

An Overview of Vitamin D – How It Is Used in the Body and Common Food Sources

As children, we were all told that we need calcium in order to have strong bones and grow big and strong. However, calcium is not the only vitamin needed for good bone development; Vitamin D also plays a very important part. No matter how much calcium we take in, without Vitamin D, our bodies won’t be able to absorb it properly.

Before, people would just bask under the heat of the sun for a good dose of Vitamin D; however, because of the extreme changes in our environment, the heat of the sun will more likely do damage to your skin than make your bones healthy. A person’s next recourse then, is to get the Vitamin D he needs from the food he eats.

Our body needs 10 micrograms of Vitamin D per day. Fortunately, there are a lot of Vitamin D rich foods which will give you the recommended nutritional intake even with just tiny servings. For example, 100 grams of cod liver oil can contain more than 200 micrograms of Vitamin D and may go higher than that, depending on the purity of the cod liver oil.

For breakfast, slathering a toast of bread with butter or margarine can put you on the right track, as both of these contain high levels of Vitamin D. Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel and Sardines not only contain around 4-12 micrograms of Vitamin D, but they are also low in cholesterol, making it easier for people on a diet to get their Vitamin D.

Milk can be a very good source of Vitamin D, specially Vitamin D-fortified milk. One cup of Vitamin D-fortified milk is equivalent to 25 percent of the recommended nutritional intake. If you serve your milk together with fortified cereals, you can replenish up to 35 percent of your Vitamin D daily requirements.…

Stroke – Fighting the Stoke With All the Tools Available

Stroke – Fighting the Stoke With All the Tools Available

Stroke is the second leading cause of death around the world. It is the leading cause of disabilities in the US. Those two facts are why having good health insurance in place is critical, especially if you or your family have a chance of having one. They happen when blood flow stops or diminishes drastically to the brain. When the blood doesn’t reach the brain, some parts of the brain can stop working properly. Many patients experience lose motion of limbs, speech impediment, or vision problems as a result. Often the incident focuses on one side or the other of the body. It is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

What can lead to a stroke? The underlying causes are usually a blockage in a critical blood vessel or a leak in one of them. But, what leads to those blockages and leakages are the real culprits. High blood pressure is a leading factor. This is often due to a poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle, and drug use. Another factor is diabetes. Patients with diabetes are up to three times as like to have a blockage or leakage than people without it. Other medical conditions may cause these attacks also. It is important for everyone to have enough medical coverage in place to help deal with these conditions.

Strokes incur more than just diagnosis and treatment costs. Many people suffer with an impediment in the speech, motion, or vision. These often require physical therapy for a period after leaving the hospital in order to regain function when possible. Patients also need follow up visits with their doctor and specialists to reduce their chances of developing another episode. Without follow up and physical therapy, many patients are permanently disabled and likely to suffer additional episodes which can lead to further problems. Good medical insurance is imperative in these cases for diagnosis, treatment and follow up.

People who smoke, are obese, or have lifestyle problems have a higher than normal risk of having a stroke. If you fit into one of these categories, it is very important to make sure your health insurance is ready to go. If you have an attack, the medical insurance can save your life since the doctors and hospitals will not hesitate to give treatments. Having medical insurance will give you, the best chance to survive and recover to the greatest extent possible.

If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help you find a Free health insurance quote and save up to 50% on your monthly premium.…

How to Beat the Heat – Staying Cool During Summer Heatwaves

How to Beat the Heat – Staying Cool During Summer Heatwaves

As temperatures heat up across the country and we find ourselves in a heatwave, it’s more important than ever to stay cool and beat the heat. Here are five tips you can use to make sure you and your family stay safe during the hottest days of summer.

Dress the part – Wear light clothing that breathes easy. Most experts advise on wearing cotton. There are new clothing products on the market that help to keep you cool and wick moisture away. Check out your local sporting goods store. Wearing light colored clothing helps to reflect the sun away. Stay away from dark color clothes which could make you warmer.

Take it slow – It is recommended that on really hot days that you limit your physical activity outdoors. Especially during the hottest times of the day. If you normally exercise outdoors, it’s wise on these hot days to move that to either early morning or very late in the evening. If you have to be outside, slow down and take your time.

Stay hydrated – Keep a bottle of water with you on those really hot days. You are going to lose a lot of water through sweating when temperatures rise. As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, freeze a bottle of water then keep it with you during the day. The ice will slowly melt leaving you ice cold water to enjoy.

Stay inside – If your house has air conditioning stay inside to keep cool. If you don’t have an air conditioner head out for the day, go to the mall, a movie, or you public library.

Eat less – Many of us accustomed to eating healthy already eat smaller more frequent meals during the day. During the hottest days of the year spread your meals out and eat less but more frequently. If you eat too much and then get hot you run the risk of getting sick, and then possibly dehydrating from being sick.

Heat related injuries happen when the body can no longer keep itself cool On really hot and humid days the body can really struggle to keep cool. The humidity will make it harder for the body to stay cool because sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly. Certain groups of people are also more at risk to heat related injuries such as the elderly, children, infants, and those with chronic illnesses. Be a good neighbor and check in on your neighbors during these hot days to make sure they are coping well.

According to the Red Cross there are three categories of heat-related illness.

Learn to recognize the signs of heat-related illness.

Heat Cramps – Heat cramps happen due to a loss of fluids and a loss of electrolytes. Symptoms of heat cramps involve muscle cramping and aching. This is an early sign that the body is having a hard time coping with the heat.

Heat Exhaustion – Happens during strenuous exercise or …

Heat Strokes in Dogs

Heat Strokes in Dogs

If you live in a relatively warm climate and own a dog, it is important to understand that your pet is susceptible to having a heat stroke. This is an extremely dangerous health complication that could result in serious health issues such brain damage that is irreversible and possibly even death. If a dog is exposed to extremely hot and humid conditions, it produces a lot of different symptoms that could actually jeopardize the dog’s life. When a heat stroke develops, the dog must be quickly tended to. The goal is to reduce the body temperature as quickly as possible. If the temperature of the body is not reduced, it will continue to rise.

There are many factors that put a dog at risk for having a heat stroke. The following outlines the details associated with dogs that have a high risk for developing this potentially fatal complication:

• If a dog has other types of health conditions, it could put them at a higher risk for developing a heat related complication. This is especially true if the dog is on medication for another condition.

• Younger dogs tend to handle the heat much better than older dogs. Dogs that are older have a higher risk of suffering from a stroke that is induced by excessive heat.

• If a dog is considered to be overweight, they may experience this issue quicker than a dog that is considered to be at a healthy weight.

• If a dog has a face that is sort of pushed in, they may experience this heat issue.

• Dogs that have a lot of hair in their coat are at risk for this problem when they are subjected to extremely hot temperatures.

• If a dog has a respiratory or a cardiovascular complication, they may experience a heat stroke in warm weather.

If you live in a warm environment, it is absolutely essential to become familiar with the signs of a dog that is experiencing a heat stroke. If you see your dog exhibit any of the symptoms, you should attempt to lower their body temperature and seek medical assistance as soon as possible. The symptoms are as follows:

• First, a dog will start to pant in a heavy manner. You will find that this heavy panting is much more excessive than the typical panting that the animal engages in.

• It is common for the dog to start the process of drooling. You will find that the drooling is much more excessive than the dog typically exhibits.

• Gastrointestinal complications such as vomiting are extremely common when a dog gets too hot.

• You may find that the dog appears to be off balance. This is typically a direct result of dizziness that the animal is experiencing.

• The gums and the tongue of the animal may appear to be deep or bright red.

• Many dogs will appear to be extremely weak. They may be unable to …

Vitamin Dietary Supplements – Understanding the Basics

Vitamin Dietary Supplements – Understanding the Basics

Vitamin dietary supplements form one of the largest categories of global supplement sales that are reportedly set to reach $180 billion by the end of 2009.

Whilst this trend is set to increase, we really need to know the “what”, “why” and “how” of supplements before we spend more of our hard-earned cash.

What Are Vitamin Dietary Supplements?

Well, it’s all in the name really! Vitamin dietary supplements are tablets, capsules, powders or liquids that provide (i.e., supplement) vitamins that may be lacking – or missing entirely – from your diet.

Vitamins are chemical compounds that occur in food and have been shown to be essential for life. Many of them can be produced in limited amounts in your body, but your main source of supply is the food that you eat.

Only small amounts are required to be effective, but even these small amounts are essential for maintaining your general health, preventing many diseases and, probably their most important function, releasing energy from the food that you eat.

Why take vitamin dietary supplements?

Despite ongoing campaigns by various governments, our diets don’t seem to be improving much. Our reliance on fast foods, junk foods and processed foods is increasing all the time.

Unfortunately, all these foods have reduced vitamin levels. Even fresh fruit and vegetables have less vitamin content that they used to due to modern farming techniques, so the answer for many people is to supplement their diet.

In addition to poor diet, supplements can prove beneficial for:

women of childbearing age

young children

adolescents

the elderly

vegetarians

those on a slimming programme

people on strict exercise programmes

people who smoke or drink excessively

In general, people only take vitamin dietary supplements for two reasons:

To ensure they are getting optimal nutrition for a healthy life

To address specific vitamin deficient health problems they may have

How to choose vitamin dietary supplements?

To overcome the confusion that can be caused by too much choice, you need to do some homework!

I know it’s easy to just grab a cheap pack of multi-vitamins whilst you’re in the supermarket, but how do you KNOW that they’re right for you & that you’re not wasting your money?

The starting point is with yourself. Take a close look – are you:

tired & run down

forgetful

suffering from poor hair, skin, nails and teeth

getting frequent colds

depressed or anxious

slow to heal

These are just a few of the symptoms that could be due to vitamin deficiencies (if you’d like to find out more about the signs of vitamin and mineral deficiency, I suggest you get my report listed in the resource box).

Once you’ve noted all the symptoms and which vitamins these relate to, you’ll have a list of what you need in the way of vitamin dietary supplements. (I strongly recommend you see a health professional at this stage to help guide you in your choices).

Now, here comes the tricky bit. …

How to Find Assistance For the Patient Who Suffered a Stroke

How to Find Assistance For the Patient Who Suffered a Stroke

Many people are have been diagnosed with having had a stroke, and the number rises each day. The sufferers of strokes can range from children to elder adults, and is characterized as having insufficient blood flow to the brain. Without enough blood, the brain is not able to function properly and when this happens, there can be permanent damage that may be hard to recover from. During a stroke it is important to seek assistance right away in allowing normal blood flow into the brain to ensure functionality. In some cases, the blood vessel is actually ruptured, and thus blood spills into the skull, either inside the brain, or outside, and sufferers of this may have certain head ailments.

The path of stroke recovery must be started as soon as possible to ensure the most in their recovery process. Many functions of the brain can be, and usually are, affected after a stroke. These are simple functions we often take for granted in healthy day’s life, such as movement capability in the limbs, ability to speak clearly, and having the ability to see correctly. To get these functions back, the best idea for a stroke patient to do is to seek professional help that is proven to work with a variety of stroke patients, as no two cases will be alike.

Many places that assist stroke patients will ask them if their stroke occurred before or after six months ago, and this timeline is important in having the capability in recovering to one hundred percent, if possible. There is information in the Internet on where to seek professional assistance with stroke patients. Several sites will offer real customer reviews that will help one decided whether a certain facility is right for them. This is important for stroke recovery, because one must have confidence in the people assisting them, and the methods of the facility if they are going to use their services.

Caregivers wanting to take care of stroke patients must be well informed of the symptoms that many stroke patients suffer during, and after, their strokes. This is to ensure the best care possible not only to ensure the safety of the patient, but also in case another stroke may strike. The facility might need special accommodations to help assist the patient, and they may span over several rooms throughout the house or facility. Rooms that may need universal accommodations are the bathroom, the kitchen, and the bedroom. These must provide privacy for the patient as well.…

Nutrition, And Vitamins For Fibromyalgia

Nutrition and physical fitness go hand in hand as part of a complete fitness program. People who eat just the aforementioned foods are called raw food vegetarians. Of course, there is no substitute for eating 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains every single day, but who actually does that? Raw plant foods are complex carbohydrates. No doubt, it is glucose – a good substitute obtained by eating good carbohydrate rich foods.\n\nStay with whole grain foods and lean meats. I find that the easiest thing to do it make sure I eat the right food at the right times. Perhaps people need a mixture of raw plant foods and supplementary animal foods to be successful on the diet. One’s oral health, however, goes beyond a great-looking, pain-free smile; it also plays a big role in the health of one’s body.\n\nWhen you consume carbohydrate rich foods, your pancreas will release insulin, which is a powerful hormone that generates new body tissue. They chose to eat about 400 less calories than they did on a 15% protein diet, and they lost an average of 11 pounds over 12 weeks.\n\nThe reason active people need much more protein than sedentary people is because activity, especially strenuous activity, leads to muscle damage. According to WebMD a healthy, balanced diet also provides nutrients to your body. So, you see, there are many dietary permutations of which raw foods are chosen and consumed.\n\nFortunately the best way to support your digestion is to eat a good diet; one that contains the right mix of cooked and raw foods and liquids for YOUR body. Drinking 8 ounces of 100% pomegranate juice a day for 2 years slowed down the progression of prostate cancer in men who went through surgery or radiation treatments.

Domino’s Pizza, Order Pizza Online For Delivery

Are you struggling with weight loss? Lambert believes eggs are in fact a faultless food, given they’re high in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and unique antioxidants – a claim few foods can make. The software will calculate the total calories as well as the amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals.\n\nSome nutritional facts that should be very well understood and kept in practice for maintaining a healthy diet plans are the nutrition label details. We are talking about fruits, vegetables, meat, and less of the junk foods. It may not be a fashionable thing to say, but we, as parents, have a responsibility to educate our children about healthy eating and to enstill good eating habits from an early age.\n\nYou can enter all the foods you would eat in a meal. A nutrition plan low in carbohydrates, for instance, is not advisable for a person training for a marathon who runs many miles each day because his type of exercise burns more. Eating protein will reduce your appetite in comparison to the same amount of calories from fat and carbs because protein is high on the satiety index, which keeps you full.\n\nUsing whole foods means getting natural vitamins into your body without any chemical enhancements, being much better for your vitamin nutrition intake. Therefore, going low carb on your fat loss diet doesn’t mean you will automatically start losing body fat at an accelerated pace.\n\n- Moderation: Use moderation as your guide for everything, including the calories you eat each day, your exercise and other activities, desserts, sweets, and even restriction. Choose a healthy calorie-controlled diet rich in fruit and vegetables, moderate in protein and low in saturated fat or trans fatty acids, with foods from all main food groups.…

Organic Whole Food Vitamins

Most people are not deficient in a certain nutrient. From infancy to school age, you can give your child a great start with Shaklee children’s vitamins. The products should be constituted entirely of whole food products which have been refined using cold processing without the nutrient reducing effects of extreme heat, pasteurization and irradiation.\n\nSupplementation with isolated vitamins and minerals alone will not solve a nutritional deficiency. These all-natural nutritional supplements use vitamin rich, live whole food ingredients that contain thousands of pure nutrients not found in modern processed foods.\n\nThere are many ways that are used for selling them like organic vitamins with some great fruit and vegetable pictures printed along with the labels. An animal-based food diet with decreasing plant based foods tends to enhance formation of these radicals, among countless other mechanisms.\n\nMany people find that even though they may have had a reaction in the past to certain vegetables, they have no problem taking Optimal 2. Optimal 2 contains the Opti-Blend Delivery System that is made of a blend of enzymes and minerals to enhance the complete digestion of nutrients within the product.\n\nThe key to an organic whole food vitamin supplement is that it will consist entirely of all natural ingredients. When you eat vitamins and minerals, your body has more of what it needs to defend against dis-eases. More than 25,000 different micronutrients, also known as cofactors, have been discovered in whole fruits and vegetables alone.…

Simple Healthy Living

Apart from the usual diet which provides nutrients to the body, health food products are also meant for your health benefit and containing plenty of nutritional value. Whole food supplements are the best daily vitamin supplements you can use. Unfortunately, most commercially available nutritional supplements including vitamins, minerals and herbal products are made completely of single ingredient extracts or worse, artificially synthesized in a lab using chemical processes.\n\nNatural vitamins contain the essential trace minerals necessary for the synergy with your body to occur. Whole food vitamins are exactly what the say-vitamins made from whole foods. Whole food supplements are defined as nutritional supplements derived entirely from food.\n\nIf your objective is optimum health, it is important to make sure you eat fruits and vegetables which have been freshly picked. While it’s always good to add more raw fruits and vegetables to your diet, whole food supplements let you get more of the nutrition you need even when you can’t manage to eat as healthy as you’d like.\n\nThe best whole food vitamins will have enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, raw whole fruits, raw whole vegetables, spices and herbs. Nutrients are the fuel that drives the human body and are essential for a healthy, energetic lifestyle. Many of the ingredients will come from fruits and vegetables.\n\nChildren’s vitamins have become an absolutely necessary tool in the management of nutrition. These chemical substances produced in laboratories fake the molecular structure of vitamins to fool your body. Colds are fewer by many people when regularly taking a whole food based supplement.…