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Everything You Need To Know About Vitamin D

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Vitacost has provided me with another great guest post to share with my readers! Thanks Vitacost Smile  Read on to learn more about Vitamin D, where to get it and how you can ensure you are getting enough.

1. What does vitamin D do? This multi-tasking vitamin keeps your bones strong and sturdy by promoting absorption of calcium (without it, your body can only absorb 10-15% of the calcium you ingest!), supports normal immune response and lends a hand to help maintain heart health. And if all of that wasn’t enough, vitamin D has also been linked to mood, joint function and skin health.

2. How does my body make vitamin D? They don’t call it the sunshine vitamin for nothing. When skin is exposed to UV-B rays from the sun, a naturally occurring chemical in the body (7-dehydrocholesterol) converts the energy into vitamin D. It’s then transported to the liver where it picks up hydrogen and oxygen molecules, then heads off to the kidney to be converted into the active form your body needs. This process only occurs through direct exposure to strong, mid-day sun – something most of us don’t experience very often.

3. What foods contain vitamin D? You can put vitamin D on your plate by piling it high with fatty fish, cod liver oil, oysters, dairy products, eggs and fortified foods such as cereal and milk. Since many of us don’t eat mass quantities of these foods (sardine omelet, anyone?), it can be difficult to obtain vitamin D through diet alone.

4. How do I know if I need extra vitamin D? You always wear sunscreen, and you don’t eat fish or dairy. So are you “d”-ficient? Studies suggest that upwards of 60% of American adults are, especially those living in Northern climates. But the only way to know whether or not your body has enough is to get your vitamin D levels tested by your doctor or healthcare provider.

5. What type of vitamin D should I take? If your doctor recommends a vitamin D supplement, look for vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol), which is the same form that your body makes when exposed to sunlight. For a wide range of affordable vitamin D3 supplements, including liquids, softgels, capsules, powders, chewables and much more, visit an online health retailer such as Vitacost.com.

6. How do I take vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient. Once you find the vitamin D3 supplement that’s right for you, be sure to take it with a meal that contains healthy fat (such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, etc.) for maximum absorption and effectiveness.

Vitacost.com has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. Since then we have grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of our many helpful categories! Get the best price on vitamins, nutritional supplements, health foods and diet products. Vitacost carries raspberry ketones and chia seeds. Our customers mean the world to us, and it’s our goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, natural foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness.

By: +Katie Kaleita, writer for Vitacost.com

Get Your Nutrients from a Dairy-Free Life

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Many people are living the dairy-free lifestyle whether out of choice or because of food allergies or intolerances. This Vitacost guest post addresses ways to ensure you are getting the vital nutrients we often get from dairy. Thanks again Vitacost, very much appreciated!!

Guest blog by Liz Lotts

I scream. You scream. We all scream for…non-dairy ice cream! A dairy-free diet doesn’t have to mean skipping cookout classics like cheeseburgers, potato salad and ice cream. Though your favorite comfort foods contain milk or milk products, they aren’t totally off-limits thanks to the wide selection of dairy-free alternatives now available. But not all alternatives are created equal – some are more nutritious than others.

You probably know milk and milk products offer a range of essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and vitamin D. But did you know an eight-ounce glass of milk provides 18 percent of the daily value for vitamin B12 and 16 percent of the daily value for protein? When you’re lactose intolerant, have a milk allergy or simply prefer not to consume dairy, you could easily miss out on more than those American staples. Ensure your dairy-free diet doesn’t skimp on dairy’s nutrients with these guidelines:

Calcium – It’s an essential mineral that supports bone health and must constantly be replenished. Dairy may be the best known source, but there’s a pool of other foods that provide sufficient calcium. For instance, fortified foods and beverages can be dairy free and calcium rich. Because fortified soy milk has more calcium per cup (368 mg) than milk (306 mg), pour it over your cereal to start your day on a nutritious note. Still screaming for ice cream? Mix coconut milk with fruit, agave nectar, vanilla extract and silken tofu; then freeze in a cake pan until firm. You’ll have a decadent, calcium-packed, non-dairy dessert in no time – homemade, to boot!

Other dairy-free sources of Calcium include: dark leafy greens (kale, collard and turnip greens, bok choy), broccoli, ground sesame seeds (tahini), almonds, beans, and wild salmon (with the bones).

Vitamin D – A glass of milk provides more than 25 percent of the daily value for vitamin D to help support bone health and nervous system and immune function. That’s hard to top – unless you’re hooked on salmon (112 percent of the daily value in three ounces!) or swordfish. The truth is there aren’t many natural food sources of vitamin D, which may be why the U.S. government implemented a fortification program in the 1930s. Today, you’ll find many cereals and other ready-to-eat breakfast foods fortified with vitamin D. Just a few minutes of natural sun exposure can help boost vitamin D3 levels. However, your best– and the safest – dairy-free alternative may be a vitamin D supplement. (Tip: Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is the optimal D variety due to its greater potency and greater long-term impact.)

Protein – Protein in milk is considered a “complete protein,” because it provides all the essential amino acids that help maintain the health of muscles and tissues. To meet these same standards, stick to lean meat and poultry, which can provide 30 grams of protein per three-ounce serving. When you’re craving a cheeseburger, choose the leanest ground beef, or spare some calories by making it a turkey burger. Instead of cheese, top your burger with sliced avocado or guacamole – you’ll get the same creamy texture without the dairy.

Other great sources of proteins can be from plants, check out this past Vitacost guest post: https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2012/pick-your-protein/

Vitamin B12 – This vitamin is essential for proper red blood cell formation. Vitamin B12 is naturally found mostly in animal products with levels in trout, tuna and clams topping the charts. However, if you’re allergic to fish or live a vegan lifestyle, these options aren’t appealing. To ensure you’re getting enough vitamin B12, you may want to start a daily supplement routine. Methylcobalamin is the preferred form of this vitamin and comes as a capsule, tablet – even a fruit-flavored lozenge.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Offering more than just vitamins and supplements, Vitacost.com has a wide selection of over 35,000 organic, natural products for your healthy lifestyle. From organic foods and bath & beauty items to sports nutrition favorites and pet essentials, Vitacost.com has your needs covered – for less! Take your shopping list to Vitacost.com and take the cost out of healthy living. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Sip Smart: A Guide to Specialty Coffees and Teas

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These days there are so many different choices when it comes to coffee and tea. What flavor is the best, should you get organic, fair trade, herbal?? Here to clear the air is Vitacost.com to the rescue with a guest post from Rebecca Chopin. Thank you again for a wonderful and informative post!!

Guest blog post: coffee/tea, Rebecca Chopin
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Buying coffee used to be simple. You’d pick regular or decaf, with your biggest worry being which big-name brand—Folgers, Maxwell House, or Hills Brothers—tasted best. Tea was even easier. Lipton for hot; Nestea for iced.

Now, you’re lucky if you exit the coffee-tea aisle without a headache bigger than the one you’d get if you skipped the hot, caffeinated beverage altogether. Beans, grounds, freeze-dried crystals, pods, K-cups, loose leaves, bags, powders—these are merely delivery methods for coffee and tea today. What kind to sip is a whole ‘nother struggle.

Specialty coffees and teas have soared in popularity over the past few years, with the “gourmet,” exquisitely flavored varieties that once dominated the category now representing just a part of it. To keep up with trendy coffee house menus, and to satisfy the ever-more-selective palates of home brewers, manufacturers continue to roll out new specialty coffee and tea products.

Here’s a guide to some you’ll find on grocery store shelves:

Organic Coffee
Unless you’re a coffee fanatic, you probably don’t give much thought to the origins of the beans used to brew your morning cup. And as you sip that rich, black liquid, chances are slim you’ll consider it came from a plant. But coffee beans, which are technically seeds, are extracted from the berries of a small, perennial bush that grows in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.

In the lush, hot climate where coffee plants thrive, insects abound, making it necessary for farmers to use pesticides or other means of control. Although coffee is the third most chemically treated crop in the world (after cotton and tobacco), an increasing number of growers are moving toward organic agriculture.

Organic coffee beans are grown without the use of chemical-based pesticides or fertilizers, a practice that’s not only safer for the environment but produces a cleaner, healthier beverage for you. Look for the USDA Organic Certified logo on labels, and be prepared to pay a little extra, as organic coffee is more expensive to produce.

Fair Trade Coffee
Growing and harvesting coffee beans is hard work, especially on small, organic farms where plants require vigilant care. When you buy fair trade coffee, you help to support the people who dedicate their lives to bringing better beans to your grinder.

Put simply, fair trade certification is a guarantee that coffee farmers receive fair prices for their beans—allowing them to better support their employees and their own families. Fair trade revenues may also be used to support community projects, such as building schools.

Shade Grown Coffee 

Until about 35 years ago, “in the shade” was the only way coffee was grown. But hybrid plants that flourished in full sun—and yielded more coffee beans—were developed in the 1970s, resulting in farmers clearing away patches of rainforest to make way for these new-and-improved crops.

Besides negatively affecting the environment, tearing down trees interferes with the natural habitat of wildlife living in the forests. When you see “shade grown” on a coffee label today, it means the coffee plants were raised under a natural canopy of native trees—keeping birds where they belong, and preserving the biodiversity of the area. Shade-grown coffee is said to have a smoother, richer taste than full-sun varieties.

Estate Teas
Ready to take tea drinking beyond ordinary herbal blends? Single estate teas are considered the “champagne” of teas—respected in a way similar to fine, estate wines. As the name suggests, “single estate” means this type of tea comes from a single tea plantation. Common teas, like those found in supermarkets, often contain a blend of tea leaves from many different gardens (and even countries).

Single estate teas are known for their distinct “personalities,” with flavors reflecting the unique properties of the regions and individual plantations where the teas are grown. Their taste may vary from season to season, batch to batch, depending on factors such as weather and soil conditions. But this is what makes them special, and ups their cost significantly over other types of teas.

Medicinal Teas
Since the earliest of times, tea has been used to support health and longevity. Today it’s still a go-to natural solution for everything from a tickle in the throat to an upset stomach.

Next to boxes of “regular” herbal teas, you may see blends specifically designated for energy, relaxation, weight loss, digestive comfort and more. These teas are typically made from single or carefully blended herbs that have been used traditionally to support health. While they may offer some relief, medicinal teas aren’t intended to treat serious health issues. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have specific concerns.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Vitacost.com has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. Since then it’s grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements such as green coffee bean extract . Get the best price on vitamins, nutritional supplements, whole foods and healthy diet products. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, natural foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

By: +Rebecca Chopin writer for Vitacost.com

Pick Your Protein

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Another great guest post from Vitacost.com! Guidelines on how to choose protein – veggies have protein too, not just meat!! Thank you as always for the great information Vitacost Smile!

The great debate rages on. Is plant-derived protein better for you than a slab of steak? There is still no final verdict, but research continues to prove the benefits of both – or either. Meat lovers will defend their diet provides high-quality, or complete, protein; while veggie lovers will proclaim whole-food, plant-based eating is “cleaner” for the body. Luckily, there’s one thing everyone can agree on: protein is essential and should not be excluded from any diet.

Protein is (literally) an essential nutrient, made up of amino acids – the building blocks of our cells. Of the 20 amino acids, nine of them cannot be produced by the body. These are called essential amino acids, and they must be obtained through diet. By consuming protein from complete or incomplete protein sources, the body can adequately make up for what it’s lacking. It’s important to know a complete protein source – such as those from animal products – provides all essential amino acids. Incomplete protein sources provide less than the nine essentials, but consuming multiple incomplete protein sources can together deliver everything you need.

To help you choose which protein source(s) are best for your body, glance at the cheat sheet below. These are some of the best plant and animal sources, with average protein potency shown in grams:

PLANT PROTEIN

Dark green vegetables

Spinach (1 cup, cooked) = 5 grams

Broccoli (1 cup, cooked) = 4 grams

Asparagus (1 cup, raw) = 3 grams

Grains

Quinoa (1 cup, cooked) = 9 grams

Brown Rice (1 cup, cooked) = 5 grams

Whole wheat bread (1 slice) = 3 grams

Legumes

Lentils (1 cup, cooked) = 18 grams

Black beans (1 cup, cooked) = 15 grams

Soy beans (1 cup, cooked) = 29 grams

Nuts

Almonds (1/4 cup, raw) = 8 grams

Cashews (1/4 cup, raw) = 5 grams

Peanut butter (2 tbsp) = 8 grams

Seeds

Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup) = 6 grams

Hemp seeds (3 Tbsp) = 11 grams

ANIMAL PROTEIN

Beef

Ground (3 oz, 75% lean) = 22 grams

Filet Mignon (3 oz) = 24 grams

Poultry

Chicken (3.5 oz, skinless breast) = 31 grams

Turkey (3.5 oz, skinless) = 30 grams

Seafood

Salmon (3 oz, boneless fillet) = 21 grams

Tilapia (3 oz) = 24 grams

Tuna (3-ounce steak) = 25 grams

Dairy

Yogurt (8 oz, fat-free) = 13 grams

Cheese (1 oz, whole milk mozzarella) = 5 grams

Milk (8 oz, 1% milk fat) = 8 grams

Keep in mind the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. For a 160-pound adult, that’s about 58 grams per day. Depending on your daily caloric needs and health status, your protein consumption may be 15 to 25 percent of your total calories. Whether your dietary choices include vegan, gluten-free, low-carb or other, strive to reach these standards and enjoy whatever protein you put on your plate.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Offering more than just vitamins and supplements, Vitacost.com has a wide selection of over 35,000 organic, natural products for your healthy lifestyle. From health foods and natural hair care items to sports nutrition favorites and pet essentials, Vitacost.com has your needs covered – for less! Take your shopping list to Vitacost.com and take the cost out of healthy living. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

By: +Elizabeth Lotts writer for Vitacost.com

Nut-Free Living in a Nutshell

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If you have a child with a nut allergy, or you have one yourself, you worry about everything from school lunches to family gatherings—“nut” anymore! While nut allergies can be dangerous, they’re also common, affecting an estimated 3 million people, including more than 400,000 school-aged children, in the U.S. Today, there is greater awareness and recognition of nut allergies—along with more resources and solutions for those suffering from the condition.

Whether you’re allergic, sensitive to or just don’t like nuts, they can be avoided with these basic strategies:

1. Scrutinize labels: Review ingredient lists with an eagle eye. Look for any variety of nuts and/or nut oils, as well as warnings that food products were manufactured in a facility that processes nuts. If your child has a nut allergy, teach him or her how to read labels carefully. Also be aware that manufacturers can change ingredients or production processes at any time. Even if you have used a product for years, scan packaging for information.

2. Wipe it Clean: For those with severe nut allergies, a reaction can occur simply coming into contact with items or surfaces that have been contaminated by nuts. When caring for a child with a nut allergy, be vigilant when he or she plays with other children, ensuring that dishes and utensils aren’t shared. Wipe down toys and tools, and be sure your child washes his or her hands frequently, especially before eating.

3. Fake it: You can still enjoy the flavor and texture of nuts, without actually eating them! The key is to creatively mimic their taste and consistency. For example, old-fashioned oats can make a mock pecan pie seem like the real deal. For a nutty flavor, toast chickpeas and sprinkle with sea salt. For similar nutritional benefits, snack on seeds, or use them in baked goods and other recipes.

4. Bring your own: Headed to the spa? Many massage oils and beauty products contain nut oil. To stay safe and still enjoy a little pampering, bring your own oils, or call ahead to let the spa know you have a nut allergy. While equipment is generally sterilized and should be free from oil residue, mention your allergy to the staff beforehand, so you can truly sit back and relax.

5. Fly without fear: Before you board a plane, let the airline know you have a nut allergy. They will remove all nuts from the aircraft and make an announcement before take-off, so that any nuts carried on by passengers will be removed as well.

Whether it’s a plane ride or birthday party, always give a timely heads-up so the host can prepare accordingly – and don’t forget to show your gratitude. Nut-free living in a nutshell: Be gracious, be mindful and be prepared.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Vitacost.com has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. Since then it’s grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! You can find out about Gluten Free Diet or get information about the Green Coffee Bean Extract. You will get the best price on vitamins, nutritional supplements, whole foods and diet. It’s Vitacosts.com goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, health foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

By: +Elizabeth Lotts writer for Vitacost.com