|
10 February 2010
Posted in
6) Winter Health, Naturally
Winter leaves our pour bodies depleted of certain vitamins we really need. Here are a few tips to help you get all the goodness you need…
While it’s true you can take supplements to get all the vitamins you need, the best way to get them is to eat them! Have a healthy, diverse and well planned diet to ensure good winter health.
- Some Vitamins You May be Missing
- Health Stores
- Local Fish Oil with Vitamin D & Canadian-made Vitamins
Some Vitamins You May be Missing
Make sure you maintain a healthy diet full of all the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your body going. Here are a few examples:
- For Vitamin C, eat lots of oranges and mandarins instead of taking tablets to help you fight those nasty colds.
- For Vitamin A, eat lots of apples from the Valley, or other fresh fruit when you can, to give you quick energy.
- For Vitamin D, milk is always a good source for healthy bones and teeth.
- For Vitamin B12, eat animal or dairy products, or, if you are vegetarian, eat large amounts of raw food or fermented foods such as tamari or tofu, according to Dr. Arthur Winter, MD, co-author (with Ruth Winter, MS) of Smart Food: Diet and Nutrition for Maximum Brain Power, re-issued by ASJA Press in 2007. “It is believed that they (vegetarians) can manufacture B12 in their own systems with the aid of friendly bacteria. Dr. Winter adds that “Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause ‘pernicious anemia’, a severe anemia similar to that caused by a B6 deficiency. Vitamin B12 anemia is rarely the result of dietary deficiency, except in vegans (vegetarians who consume no animal food or dairy products), since the liver stores sufficient quantities to sustain the body’s needs for three to five years.”
The winter is particularly difficult to keep up with all the vitamins and minerals we need since a lot of the foods that contain them are not as seasonal. When we’re feeling run down, low on energy, depressed, or have a lack of ability to concentrate, the habit often tends to be to reach for some sugary sweets or coffee to give us a boost. If that’s your inclination, see what advice Conscious Catering owner Roberto Gueli, RHN, has in this regard.
Furthermore, “According to Dr. Winter, director of New Jersey Neurological Institute’s Memory Clinic, Livingston, NJ, Vitamin B12 is one vitamin which is vitally needed for the aging brain. It is known to be necessary (for) normal growth, a healthy nervous system, and normal red blood cell formation.” (Ruth Winter’s weblog)
Health Stores
If your diet is otherwise good but you are just trying to ensure your body gets some of the vitamins it is lacking during the winter season, visit some of our local natural food stores like the Healthy Bug (Joseph Howe Dr.) or Super Natural (Agricola at Young St., where new Humani-T Café is located).
Local Fish Oil with Vitamin D & Canadian-made Vitamins
Super Natural, along with other local pharmacies, sell highly sough-after fish oil made in Nova Scotia (Nutra-Sea) for Omega 3, and with option of having Vitamin D added in the oil. Whatever vitamin, mineral or herb you are buying, try to buy locally made brands, or those made in Canada like Jamieson.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|