As we all know Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones but vitamin D may also help fight depression and other mood disorders.  There is speculation among some researchers that low levels of sun exposure, which lead to Vitamin D deficiency, can be connected to depression. Several studies have indicated that there is an association between major depression, premenstrual syndrome and seasonal affective disorder and Vitamin D.

It is thought that Vitamin D increases the brain’s level of serotonin, which may have an effect on depressive symptoms.  Vitamin D receptors, glucocorticoids and mood disorders may also have a link. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may be caused by low levels of Vitamin D.  Studies have shown that Vitamin D is more effective than light therapy in persons suffering from this disorder. Light therapy boxes do not emit UV rays that the body needs to produce this vitamin.  SAD is most prevalent in the winter time when the sun’s rays are the weakest.

Other studies have shown that heart disease sufferers with low level of Vitamin D tend to be more depressed that those with adequate levels.  Also, older adults may be more prone to mood disorders due to Vitamin D deficiency. Research has shown that mothers who do not get much sun during pregnancy have children that are more likely to develop schizophrenia later in life than expectant mothers who spend time outdoors.

A person may ask if they should take supplements of Vitamin D.  While the relationship between the sun, Vitamin D and depression is not totally clear, a person who does not get enough of the vitamin may not show symptoms of deficiency but have depressive symptoms.  Always talk to your physician before beginning supplements as it is possible to get too much vitamin D, especially persons with kidney disease.

There is no known cure for cancer, however it has been studied recently that having an adequate level of Vitamin D in our systems can help prevent the development of breast, prostate and colon cancer. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning that a small amount of it is stored in our bodies and is not eliminated through the excretory system. It is used by the immune system and it also regulates cell growth. The regulation of cell growth is one reason having sufficient amounts of this vitamin can help prevent some cancers.
Studies have shown that a woman with adequate levels of Vitamin D is 50 percent less likely to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer than one with low levels. Vitamin D is also being looked at as way to treat cancer pain. Research has shown that women who have breast cancer and who were given Vitamin D supplements every week had less joint and muscle pain.
Research has shown that Vitamin D helps the body cleanse itself of certain chemicals which are known to be the cause of colon cancer. In a 2008 oncology study, persons suffering from colon cancer that had the proper amount of this vitamin in their systems survived cancer more often than those who had low Vitamin D levels.
Men who are exposed to the sun, and therefore get a great deal of Vitamin D, have been found to have less of a chance of developing prostate cancer. If a man with adequate Vitamin D is diagnosed with this form of cancer, it is often less aggressive than in one who has low levels of Vitamin D. The recommended dosage of Vitamin D for a person is between 200 and 600 IU daily. Physicians do not advocate taking more than this as it can be harmful.

Vitamin D is a vitamin, of course, but it is the only vitamin that the body can make on its own. It manufacture does not have to rely on specific food sources or anything else. All the body needs to make Vitamin D is fifteen to thirty minutes of exposure to the sunlight several times a week.
Vitamin D is considered a fat-soluble vitamin. This means that it dissolves upon contact with fat, allowing it to be absorbed more readily into the body. Once absorbed into the body, Vitamin D is then stored in the liver. From there, a conversion process begins so that the body will be able to use the components found in the vitamin.
The conversion process involves two stages: conversion into calcidiol and then conversion into calcitriol. Both stages are important, but it is the second stage that is most crucial, because it is calcitriol that allows the body to absorb calcium and phosphorous. These two minerals are important to bone health.
Because the main source of Vitamin D is sunlight, many people do not get enough Vitamin D. One reason for this is because some people become so concerned with preventing the risk of skin cancer that can come with prolonged sun exposure they erroneously believe that any sun exposure is not good.
In order to protect themselves from the risk of skin cancer, people will use sunscreen products with a higher SPF factor than may be needed. Sunscreen is intended to prevent sunburn, and each person’s skin can tolerate different amounts of sunlight. Therefore, while it is important to use sunscreen, the trick is to use a high enough protection factor that sunburn does not occur, but the body can still absorb some Vitamin D.
People should remember also that the key to avoiding sunburn and the risk of skin cancer is to limit sun exposure during the hours when sunlight is at its strongest—usually 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. So, getting out before 10:00 or after 3:00 or limiting the time in the sun to a few minutes each hour during those hours will still allow the body to absorb Vitamin D.

It’s April Fool’s Day! It’s time to take a minute to be healthy by laughing. Yes, that’s right. You can improve your health significantly but just cracking a chuckle.

How Laughter Improves Your Health

• When you laugh you reduce stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and dopamine, which all increase when you are under high levels of stress.
• It increases hormones such as endorphins and neurotransmitters, which promote health!
• Laughing is cathartic, which means it helps you release tension.
• Laughing like exercising because when you get really into it, you usually contract your abs, shoulders and diaphragm, which then relax after your done.
• Laughing can change your perspective on things and help you feel better about situations. Decreasing your stress by looking at things in a new way, can help you fight off illness and even some diseases.
• Laughter makes you attractive and socially engaging, which can bring friendships and love to your life.
• Laughing takes your focus away from stressful situations – take a break and laugh a little, you’ll feel better.

So now that you know how laughter can significantly improve your health, laugh at those April Fool’s Day jokes tomorrow and make some of your own!

Photo: dieupham206

According to a report that will release on Monday from Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc., and other companies for beverages, students in secondary schools are drinking less high calorie drinks from vending machines. Apparently, this consumption has decreased as much as 72 percent with a 95 percent decrease in sodas and a 94 percent decrease in juice.

The Reasons Behind Falling Sales of High Calorie Drinks in Schools

Let’s consider some of the reasons why students are drinking less soda and juice while in school.

Just because the sales of these drinks are declining in school, it does not mean that they are not drinking it at home. It also doesn’t mean that they aren’t bringing it to school in their lunch bag. It just means that they are not purchasing them (purchasing and consuming are two entirely different things).

So what we need to speculate is why students are not buying these drinks in school as much anymore. Here are some of my reasons why I think there is a decline:

• Vending machine prices have increased since the 2004-05 school year that these companies are comparing to the current year. A soda used to cost maybe a dollar back then and now they are as much as a 1.50.
• The recession hit many homes and many parents don’t have the extra cash to give to their children so that they can purchase extras in the school cafeteria.
• In a world of card carriers, many parents also don’t have cash for their children to take to school because they usually carry credit/debit cards.
• Cafeterias aren’t like they used to be back in the day. Now there are more foods to choose from and some even have fast food chains in them like Taco Bell or Pizza Hut. Students may be spending their extra money on those foods rather than a soda or juice.
• It’s true that even students are starting to pay better attention to their health. With the high incidence of obesity among teens, more of them are trying to cut back on sodas and juice.

What are some of your ideas on why there has been a decline in soda/juice vending machine purchases in secondary schools?

Photo: Qfamily

During the Lenten season, many people are eating fish on Fridays. While this is a great reason to start eating fish on a regular basis, the health benefits also should give you a good enough reason to continue to eat fish long after Easter.

The Health Benefits of Fish

• Omega-3 fatty acids help lower blood pressure, lower your heart rate, and improve your cardiovascular health.
• Fish provides DHA to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, which is an essential nutrients to the brain development of fetus’ and infants.
• Fish reduces the risk of depression, stroke and mental decline in the elderly.
• Eating fish can also lower your risk for heart disease.
• Some studies suggest that omega-3 in fish help protect against diabetes, cancer, and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages.

If You Don’t Like Fish

If you’re like me and don’t like fish, there are many types of fish you can eat that give you the same fish health benefits without the fishy taste. For example, you can dress up tuna so that you can hardly taste the fishiness of it. You can make salmon patties and use ingredients to hide the fish taste. The key is to incorporate fish into your diet in a way that you will enjoy it!

Photo Courtesy of: La tartine gourmande on flickr

It’s that time of year when people are making a point to become more physically active to improve their health. Many of these people will fall off the wagon after a couple of months because they overdid themselves. The reality is that people think they need way more exercise than they really do to reach maximum health benefits. Remember, your body does need to rest so don’t think you have to hit the gym every single day for hours.

How Much Exercise Is Enough

How long you exercise depends on the type of physical activity you do. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), adults need 150 minutes a week if they plan on working out at moderate intensity. For those of you that like to have an intense workout, you only have to fit in 75 minutes a week into your schedule. The CDC also recommends that you have at least two days of strengthening exercises for all your major muscle groups.

As you can see, these times are calculated per week. That’s because it doesn’t matter how long you exercise each time, it’s whether you get the minimum in total during the week. Of course, if you do more, there’s no harm and you will burn more calories. However, you are looking for the minimum to achieve health benefits those are your goals!

Photo Courtesy of: mikebaird on Flickr

If you’re looking to turn over a new leaf in 2010 by eating healthier and exercising, you may be interested in having your Blackberry help you. There are many applications that you can download to your phone that will help you manage your workouts, look up calorie count for different foods and other great health information.

Star Exercise Assistant for Blackberry: Version 1.0

This application will help you keep track of what you are accomplishing with your workouts such as weights and cardio. You can also record your measurements to see how well you are doing!

Weight Tracker for Blackberry:  Version 1.0

Keep track of your weight with this application. You can input your starting weight, your goal and each step you take towards it! You can then reflect back and see how far you’ve come, which will motivate you!

Fast Food Calorie Counter 1.20

Just because you’re on a diet, it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat out. It just means that you need to make better choices when you do! With this fast food calorie counter, you will have a handy tool that will tell you exactly what you need to know to make a healthy decision.

Best Diets, Plans, Recipes and Nutrition Encyclopedia

For health and exercise information, download this Blackberry app. Find out which diet is best for you, make an eating and exercise plan and then find recipes to help you stay on track!

If you have any Blackberry apps for health and exercise, feel free to let us know by adding it to the comments below!

Photo Courtesy of: Honou’s on Flickr

A recent Associated Press article, Did Americans Get Any Healthier Over the Past Decade, discussed how Americans’ health have changed over the last ten years.

According to the article, more Americans are obese and eating much less healthy. This is surprising since there has been such a huge push towards eating healthier with organic foods and healthy food choices information everywhere you turn. Apparently, this has not made a big enough impact as we all hoped and I believe that it might be still a factor convenience. Health food isn’t always convenient, especially with all of the fast food places and restaurants across the country. Any given night, you can see parking lots full of people’s cars who are eating in restaurants and fast food places, and especially in drive thrus. Not only is this food delicious, it’s easy to get.

Choosing Good Now or Later

While many of the restaurants and fast food places are adding healthy choices to their menu, people are probably not choosing them as much as they should. Comfort food makes you feel good and it tastes good, even if it’s not good for you. What needs to be thought about is that the temporary feeling you get from junk food isn’t good for the long term. I guess it depends on what’s more important to a person (the short-term benefit or long term one).

The Weight Loss Resolution

Thousands of people will make resolutions to lose weight this year. Many of these people will not succeed. Eating better and exercising is a lifestyle, not something that you do once and awhile. If you are willing to change your lifestyle, you will succeed in your weight loss goals. That means, trashing the junk food and loading up on the health food.

Photo Courtesy of: Tobyotter on Flickr