VITAMIN D ….. FRIEND OR FOE???

Can a society with a fear of melanoma be depriving itself of the health benefits of the sun by lathering on sunscreen and not getting even the recommended 10-15 minutes of sunshine each day?

Getting a sunburn is certainly not the way to go, so sunscreen is definitely a must. There are an increasing number of reports on the Internet, in magazines, and on TV hyping the benefits of Vitamin D and claiming that is “the” vitamin to add to your daily routine. This, they say, is especially important for those of us do not get enough exposure to the sun. But how do you know whether taking Vitamin D is right for you and, if it is, how much to ingest? Consult your physician!!

I added Vitamin D to my supplement list last fall because of the studies showing that it will prevent SAD during the dark winter months and also because of several claims that it might also be beneficial for those wishing to boost the immune system in a fight against cancer. A new study is presently in the planning stages with the goal of determining just what the actual benefits of Vitamin D are for a variety of cancers, the results of which many of us will find very interesting.

More recently I’ve been hearing that Vitamin D3 is even more beneficial than plain old Vitamin D, so I decided to look into that. What I found is a lack of legitimate sites that discuss Vitamin D vs Vitamin D3, so I'll keep looking.

What I do know is that 10-15 minutes of “good old sunshine” is still number one on the list! Just don’t overdo it …….

You’ll have to excuse me, but the sun is out and I need my fix!

Until next time ……
~ B-Optimistic ~

NOTE: (I found the information on sun exposure on Ed's blog very interesting and sums up most of what you will find on the web for the ordinary Joe like us!)

OF SPECIAL NOTE: Be cautious when searching for information on vitmain use online because many of the sites promoting supplementation may in the "money-making" business rather than the "help you get healthy" business! For facts on the pros and cons of vitamin supplementation, stick with legitimate sites such as major health and research centres. Discuss any information you find on these sites with your doctor and pharmacist before adding them to your diet as many supplements may counteract other medications you are taking.

Calling all Naturopaths: Do you Have a Treatment for Brain Bog?

OK, I’ve got a confession. I think I’ve OD’d on data ….. I’m suffering from a major case of information overload and I’m spinning out of control!

After my oncologist told me in July 2008 that chemo wasn’t in the cards just yet, I decided that I would change my lifestyle – become more aware of what I put in my body, exercise several times each week, and start a program of supplements geared towards improving my immune system – all in an effort to ward off a return of the evil “C”.

When I mentioned supplements, both my family doctor and oncologist advised me that making healthy food choices would suffice. So, I identified which vitamins and minerals would help boost my immune system and then attempted to translate that information into lists of relative foods so that I could do as my doctors had suggested.

That’s all well and good - in theory. But then I read several articles explaining that growing conditions and/or overcooking can eliminate any hopes of getting the required amounts of these nutrients on a daily basis. Hmmmm …. Wouldn’t it be easier, I thought, just to take supplements to ensure I was getting what I needed; at least until I got my “food ducks” in a row? So I started out loyally with flax oil and yogurt once or twice a day. Then I added supplements – Vitamin E and Selenium; Zinc and Vitamin A; and a few others for good measure.

It just dawned on me last night that I haven’t done the flax oil/yogurt mix for over a month. And what feels like an irritated stomach - that I blame on Vitamin A - has caused me to ease off of the vitamin/mineral concept for the past month as well. So now I find myself back at square one because I can’t remember why I was taking any of these in the first place!!

Well, here it is four months later and after reading a pile of self-help books and visiting hundreds of Internet sites on healthful living, I am overflowing with knowledge; stuffed with page after page of wonderful hints and insights on how to improve my health and fuse my mind, body, and soul – and I wonder if I’m doing myself more harm than good!! To make things worse, I can no longer absorb or even make sense of all of the information I’ve read and I think I may have developed brain paralysis because my mind is pulling a blank - caused, no doubt, by information overload.

Oh, and since I’m confessing my sins, I might as well admit that I’ve spent so much time reading that I also haven’t made time for an exercise regime!!

So today I finally admitted to myself, and now to you, that I need help; I made a call to a Naturopath in the hopes of finding someone knowledgeable in these matters who can keep me on track and monitor what I’m doing. I no longer want to worry about whether I’m approaching this lifestyle change correctly; taking too much of one or more supplements; or maybe even using the wrong the combinations.

I’ll be meeting with my new friend on November 18th for a consultation.

After all, getting healthy is my goal and helping me get healthy is hers. I think it will be a good partnership!!

Until next time …….
~ B-Optimistic ~