Hold the Sunscreen
Now that I've raised everyone's social conscience about the true cost of our fresh food and other goods, I thought I'd focus on some of the benefits of those fruits, vegetables and another natural ingredient: the sun.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a health conference and one session focused on treating the whole person through diet and exercise. Many of our "lifestyle diseases" such as type 2 diabetes come from poor choices and bad habits.
I thought I knew it all, but here are some things I learned that surprised me.
Vitamin D - Not as Easy to Get as You Think
We all know that vitamin D is a key component of our everyday health, and that the best way to get it is from direct sun. (Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression.) What you may not know is that if you wear sunscreen, you not only block potentially harmful rays but also the beneficial ones.
Similarly, once you ingest vitamin D through the skin or the stomach (in food or pill form), you must engage in weight-bearing movement in order for it to be pulled into bones and muscle. There's a fancy term for how it works, but just know you need to walk or run to make it work. Swimming, cycling and yoga, great as they are otherwise, won't help you here.
So the best way to maintain bone health via natural vitamin D is to walk or run on a sunny day for 15-20 minutes daily. If you are at high risk of skin cancer, then by all means follow your doctor's orders on sunscreen. But if you have experienced or fear stress fractures, go "naked" for the first 20 minutes outdoors, then apply the sunscreen.
Ah, Ah, Ah ...Chew
Broccoli is a natural cancer-fighting food when eaten in concentrated forms. Two Brazilian nuts have the same anti-inflammatory power as a dose of Motrin (but more than six of those giant nuts, and they become toxic in the body!) Popcorn is not only a great source of fiber, but it contains trytophan -- the "feel good" ingredient that mimics a runner's high. (Ditto spinach, egg whites, and halibut.) And speaking of endorphins, the top three ways to release them in our bodies are: sex, exercise and -- ready for this? -- sneezing.
When it comes to antioxidants, the real superstars are blackberries, walnuts and strawberries - not blueberries, wine and dark chocolate (though they are major league too).
The best way to benefit from all of these functional foods is to eat them as close to nature as possible - which means raw. Once you start to boil, bake or fry (!) them, they loose some of that medicinal punch. That said, I'd rather eat my egg whites cooked.
Finally, for those that are starting to mull over changes they wish to make in the coming year: give a new habit enough time to set. We always hear about the 21-day rule or how 30 days will lead to some transformation. Apparently, science says it actually takes 6 months for most people to develop a solid habit and 2 years for it to become a permanent way of life for them.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a health conference and one session focused on treating the whole person through diet and exercise. Many of our "lifestyle diseases" such as type 2 diabetes come from poor choices and bad habits.
I thought I knew it all, but here are some things I learned that surprised me.
Vitamin D - Not as Easy to Get as You Think
We all know that vitamin D is a key component of our everyday health, and that the best way to get it is from direct sun. (Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression.) What you may not know is that if you wear sunscreen, you not only block potentially harmful rays but also the beneficial ones.
Similarly, once you ingest vitamin D through the skin or the stomach (in food or pill form), you must engage in weight-bearing movement in order for it to be pulled into bones and muscle. There's a fancy term for how it works, but just know you need to walk or run to make it work. Swimming, cycling and yoga, great as they are otherwise, won't help you here.
So the best way to maintain bone health via natural vitamin D is to walk or run on a sunny day for 15-20 minutes daily. If you are at high risk of skin cancer, then by all means follow your doctor's orders on sunscreen. But if you have experienced or fear stress fractures, go "naked" for the first 20 minutes outdoors, then apply the sunscreen.
Ah, Ah, Ah ...Chew
Broccoli is a natural cancer-fighting food when eaten in concentrated forms. Two Brazilian nuts have the same anti-inflammatory power as a dose of Motrin (but more than six of those giant nuts, and they become toxic in the body!) Popcorn is not only a great source of fiber, but it contains trytophan -- the "feel good" ingredient that mimics a runner's high. (Ditto spinach, egg whites, and halibut.) And speaking of endorphins, the top three ways to release them in our bodies are: sex, exercise and -- ready for this? -- sneezing.
When it comes to antioxidants, the real superstars are blackberries, walnuts and strawberries - not blueberries, wine and dark chocolate (though they are major league too).
The best way to benefit from all of these functional foods is to eat them as close to nature as possible - which means raw. Once you start to boil, bake or fry (!) them, they loose some of that medicinal punch. That said, I'd rather eat my egg whites cooked.
Finally, for those that are starting to mull over changes they wish to make in the coming year: give a new habit enough time to set. We always hear about the 21-day rule or how 30 days will lead to some transformation. Apparently, science says it actually takes 6 months for most people to develop a solid habit and 2 years for it to become a permanent way of life for them.
