The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has published a new paper, “Vitamin D & Health”*. In it, the SACN recommends the reference nutritional intake for vitamin D be 10 µg/d (400 IU/d), throughout the year, for everyone in the general UK population aged over four; including those pregnant and lactating, and especially those at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency; the housebound, elderly, infirm.
Vitamin D is synthesised in our bodies when exposed to UVB radiation, but this can be influenced by several variable factors, such as time of day, season, latitude, altitude, cloud cover, air pollution, clothing and sunscreen use. In the UK, one of the most cloud covered countries in the industrialised world, sunlight-induced vitamin D synthesis is only effective between late March/early April and September, so all the more reason to supplement with vitamin D through the winter months.
Vitamin D is involved in so many processes in our body, but here are seven top reasons** to supplement your diet with vitamin D!
Vitamin D contributes to normal absorption/utilisation of calcium and phosphorus
Adequate vitamin D is required for efficient calcium absorption and for the maintenance of normal blood levels of calcium and phosphate that are needed for the normal mineralisation of bone.
Vitamin D contributes to normal blood calcium levels
Calcium in the blood contributes to normal blood clotting.
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones
Vitamin D is needed for normal growth and development of bone in children. For children one consequence of not having enough vitamin D is it can cause their bones to soften and can lead to rickets. There is also a well-established link between vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis and this is most associated with the negative effect on calcium metabolism.
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function
This has relevance to all age groups and none more so than those at risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin D receptors are to be found in skeletal muscle cells and research suggests that people with unwarranted muscle aches, pains and weakness have a significant incidence of low serum vitamin D.
Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth
Vitamin D supplementation may help reduce the risk of developing tooth decay. Research shows that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of tooth decay in infants and younger children. Also, studies have shown that children with tooth decay have lower levels of vitamin D.
Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system
Vitamin D is essential to innate immune cell functions and the association between vitamin D depletion and weakened immune function has been researched.
Vitamin D has a role in the process of cell division
Healthy cell division is vital to the overall health of all of our body; skin, muscle, organ and bone.
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I was asked yesterday what I thought it takes to successfully stick to an improved diet. My answer, to keep it VERY SIMPLE.
As a coach I’m always researching the latest studies and techniques being used in the health and fitness industry. Of course, you’d expect me to be doing this, as I want to stay ahead in my area of specialty. Although new information is always useful, I’ve come to realise that nobody is ever going to re-invent the wheel.
There’s a reason why I don’t write about the latest trending topic like ‘carb cycling’ or ‘alternative day fasting’ any more. Because it will never beat keeping your diet as simple as possible and sticking to the fundamentals. This was just recently reinforced to me, when a HPL member, Jola, contacted me to say she had lost 2 stones in less than three months. I asked Jola what information or guidance I had given her that helped the most with losing weight.
“What helped me the most?” Here’s her reply:-
food preparation;
having consistency in eating small daily meals;
drinking 2 litres of water each day;
daily exercise such as cycling to work and back;
eating more protein and lots of fruit and vegetables;
sleeping 8 hours per night;
visual motivation through the HPL community – inspired by other people’s success;
staying positive and realising that it will take time to lose weight”
That’s the power of keeping your diet as simple as possible for maximum results.
There’s no mention of tracking food intake, calories counting, food restriction, excessive gym routines or gimmick supplement plans. And Jola didn’t need to starve, or follow a boring meal plan, and she definitely didn’t stop eating her favourite foods. Instead, she decided upon the key areas of her current diet and lifestyle routine that were holding her back the most, and applied some basic daily new habits to combat them.
Not only did Jola focus on the ideal starting point for her; she made small and incremental changes at first. It wasn’t a total diet and lifestyle overhaul that was required, it was simply the application of a few improved daily habits. This is essential if you really want to stick to a better diet. Because motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.
So you too must identify, implement, and maintain the habits necessary for creating the results you want, while learning how to let go of any negative habits which are holding you back from achieving your true potential.
Whether you realize it or not – your body, your health – has been, and will continue to be, created by your habits.
If you don’t control your habits, your habits will control you. The problem is, most of us have never thought about tackling our nutrition like this before. It’s usually a single focus around boring meal plans, tedious training programmes and food restriction. Because we have never learned to master our habits, most people fail at virtually every attempt to control them, time and time again.
Why is it so difficult to implement and sustain the habits we need to be in shape, healthy, happy and successful? Well, our existing habits have become so reinforced through endless repetition that they have become very difficult to change. One of the primary reasons most people fail to create and sustain new habits is because they don’t know what outcome to expect, and they don’t have an effective strategy in place to work through hard times.
This lead to two key problems:
They change too many habits at once
They don’t give the new habit enough time
Both result in quickly returning to old, bad habits!
My personal experience and the real world results I’ve seen working with hundreds of coaching clients has led me to the conclusion that it can take around 30 days to change a habit. Also, the primary focus should be only on one habit at a time. Focusing on too many habit changes at once can lead to failed attempts after failed attempts. I encourage you to apply this same approach to adapting your diet and lifestyle.
So how can you become a master of your own habits?
You’ll succeed with the help of an effective, proven strategy. It should include the correct information, some guidance and a great community to provide the support you’ll need.
High Performance Living by Ru Anderson
High Performance Living is a complete lifestyle book with healthy recipes and strength training program. The book helps you build up a routine that best suitsyour body, and motivates you to be at your best.
Ru Anderson is a performance nutritionist, writer, speaker, competitive athlete, and owner of Exceed Nutrition. He helps motivated and driven people to be at their best, to look, feel, and perform better all day every day. Anderson is also the founder of Exceed Nutrition, an online nutrition coaching website. Anderson has also toured the UK to deliver his High Performance Living nutrition seminar.
For further inquiry, voucher copies, high res images, features or interviews please contact Rebecca Goodyear Health & Beauty me@rebeccagoodyear.com
07734729543
”Need a natural kick? Amazing Grass Green Superfood Raw Reserve is loaded with health-boosting ingredients to fire up your day; perfect to add to your favourite morning smoothie.”
Raspberry Ketones kicked off in a big way last year in the UK, but did you know that many supplements do not use real raspberry ketones instead they synthesise this chemical. Nature’s Answer Raspberry Ketones is a natural extract and has been combined with L-Carnitine, Amla, Capsicum, Ginger, Green Tea and Green Coffee Bean to create a super blend of fat burning promotional chemicals. Rebecca has just started trialling this product so watch out for her take on it on Biteable Beauty in the coming months. For now, read Nigel Summerley’s take on last year’s launch from Nature’s Answer below.
We first met leading nutritionist and chef Christine Bailey, founder of Advance Nutrition at our Sensational Superfoods day almost a year ago, which we held in The Room with a View at Whole Foods Kensington. We were showcasing several of our health brands we work with including Terranova, Amazing Grass and Nutiva, and we were honoured to have the formidable Stephen Terrass join us for the afternoon! To hear him speak about his products fired us up with even more passion for the brand (we didn’t think this was possible!)
Christine is the go to for many health brands in the industry, and she definitely knows her onions, as well as chia seeds, hemp protein and coconut oil, when it comes to nutrition. Her dedication to the gospel of health is boundless, and for this we hold a lot of respect for her. Needless to say we were delighted when an email popped into our inbox with her article entitled “Are Your Supplements Working?”
Fortunately, Christine was recommending Terranova Products in the section about Multivitamins as products that work! She gave a thumbs up to Terranova Full Spectrum Multivitamin Complex and Life Drink. These both get our thumbs up too! Rebecca recently started taking the Full Spectrum Multivitamin (for a change from Life Drink) and was astonished to read the %RDA for the B vits –
