A Long and Happy Life
What makes for a long and happy life? Some things which are spiritual, some things which are material, and some things which are physical. While not everything that happens to us in life is under our direct control, chronological age is not a stop sign for an active life.
Back to School: Keep Your Kids' Healthy
As parents, we know this time comes with a lot of preparation, including getting school gear, school supplies, etc.; however, it is also time to take measures to ensure the health of your kids’ immune system.
A Multi A Day!
Multivitamins are an easy, convenient way to help ensure that your body gets all of the nutritional support it needs every day. But how to choose? With so many choices out there, the Wellness Advisor asked our Wellness Expert, Lynn Laboranti, MS RD, to help us sort through he differences and make the right choice about which multivitamin you should be taking.
Probiotics Linked to Good Immune Health
With summer ending and the winter season not far behind, doing everything we can to keep healthy should be at the top of our list. We hear quite a bit about vitamin C, exercise, hand washing and even echinacea, but one important component of immune system health that may actually surprise you is probiotics.
Anti-Aging Tactics
While a fountain of youth may be a myth, there are steps you can take to lessen aging’s toll on the body. Dr. Mike Roizen, author of the book Real Age and a five time guest on Oprah is a leading expert on anti-aging. He shared some of his secret weapons—including vitamin D, antioxidants and calcium—with the Wellness Advisor.
Celebrate Spring and the Vitamin D Benefits
While not found in many foods, vitamin D can be made by the presence of sunlight (UV rays) on skin. So that extra hour of sunlight may give you the opportunity you need to get your vitamin D. The preferred time to maximize your vitamin D production is between 10 am-2 pm, when the sun is high in the sky.
Commonly Asked Questions About Vitamins
If you have unanswered questions about vitamins and supplements, you are not alone. Over 50% of Americans take supplements, yet many aren’t sure which ones to take, how much to take or even when to take them. To clear up the confusion, the Wellness Advisor has put together answers to your most commonly asked questions about vitamins and supplements.
Good Health and Vitamin D
Vitamin D has emerged as the “star supplement” because of its many nutritional benefits for both men and women. Vitamin D plays a key role in the proper absorption of calcium for strong bones and teeth and has been shown to support colon, breast, prostate, ovarian, heart and colorectal health. This important vitamin also enhances immune system strength in adults. Unfortunately, too many Americans are not getting enough of this “star supplement.”
Guide to Calcium
Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found primarily in the skeleton where it builds and maintains bones and teeth. Other important functions dependent on calcium include muscle contraction, regulation of heartbeat, and blood clotting. Inadequate calcium intake leads to bone loss and, eventually, osteoporosis. In children, a calcium and vitamin D deficiency may lead to rickets which causes bone deformities and growth retardation. Low calcium levels may also cause muscle spasms, leg cramps, and can contribute to high blood pressure. Calcium supplementation helps prevent osteoporosis and maintains a healthy blood pressure.
Natural Health: Guide to Using Herbs
From the earliest of times, people have relied on plants to address health concerns. Today, a number of things continue to fuel a growing interest in natural health including a cultural use of natural herbs, ongoing scientific study and government funding for complementary and alternative healthcare. Another interesting aspect of natural herbs is that they fit an immediate personal need: herbs are accessible and inexpensive.
Nutritional Supplementation for Adults 50+
Because of all the nutrition-related changes that occur with the aging process, adults 50 years of age and older may benefit from nutritional supplementation. According to the 2005 New Dietary Guidelines, adults often fall short of meeting their needs for certain nutrients.
Starting or Updating Your Vitamin Regimen
Making the decision to lead a healthier lifestyle is fairly easy, but putting it into practice on a daily basis is more difficult. Busy lifestyles often interfere with efforts to eat a more balanced, healthier diet. Have you ever tried to eat 5-6 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday? It’s no secret that most Americans don’t follow the guidelines set by the food guide pyramid. Fortunately, supplements are there to fill in the nutritional gaps.
Timing Your Vitamins
Taking vitamins is an important way to boost your nutritional intake. The timing of when we take vitamins, though, can be as vital as the fact that we take them. To ensure that we get the most out of vitamins and supplements when is the best time to take them? We asked Melissa Dorval, RD, to help us understand when the best time is to take vitamins and supplements.
Vitamin C: Just the Facts
You’ve probably heard that Vitamin C is good for you--that it is a powerful antioxidant, that it can help maintain a strong immune system and that it may promote a healthy heart. Perhaps you want to know more about vitamin C and how it functions in your body. Vitamin C is probably better known and more widely used than any other supplement, but even with all Vitamin C is known to do for the body, its versatility may still surprise you.
Wellness Tips
For Optimal Health: Carroll Reider, M.S., R.D. suggests everyone add vibrant hues to the dinner plate like steamed carrots, peppers, and red cabbage. “Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will help maximize nutrient intake and many provide essential antioxidants,” Reider said. “It’s even better to take a multivitamin with your dinner to better absorb the nutrients and ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.”
Vitamin D: The Vitamin of Life
Vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin, is readily available, yet over 70% of all Americans have insufficient blood levels of vitamin D.
Winter Wellness
As winter gears up, the joys of the season can often be mitigated by concerns of supporting immunity and guarding against any sniffles or coughs. There are some simple, effective steps you can take to help your winter wellness. The Wellness Advisor sat down to chat with Wellness Expert Lynn Laboranti, R.D., to talk about what steps you can take to safeguard your wellbeing during the colder months.