Seasonal Solutions

With the colder, wet weather, I’ve been seeing more people with flare-ups of chronic problems and complaints of various aches and pains.  While, I suppose on one hand this is good for business, on the other hand, there are some simple solutions to deal with these aggravations that we all should consider as the seasons change.

In following this column, you should already know that it’s been proven that low pressure fronts in the weather do indeed increase the inflammation associated with arthritis, allergies, sinus problems, and general aches and pains.  Likewise, you should also know that inflammation has been implicated with pain as well as every disease known to man.  If you can win the war on inflammation, you feel better and live a longer, healthier life!  So, if the crappy weather increases inflammatory problems, how do you overcome this, outside of moving to a less threatening environment?  The obvious solutions are the same lifestyle strategies that help any health problem – eat better, mover better (exercise), and think better by reducing stress and getting proper sleep.  These should always be your long-term strategies.  However, there are a few short-term approaches that can give you some quick relief.  At this time of year you should always think about taking or increasing your vitamin D.  The only way to truly know if you’re low in vitamin D is through blood testing, but it is generally accepted that D can be safely taken at 4000-5000 I.U.s per day especially through the winter months until we begin getting our D naturally from sunlight again in the spring.  Vitamin D is particularly important for dealing with seasonal affective disorder, more commonly known as the “winter blues.”  Another common solution is fish oil and vitamin C.  The C and the omega 3’s from fish oil are necessary ingredients for all the steroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands.  These are your body’s natural anti-inflammatories.  In fact, 3000 milligrams of vitamin C have been proven to be as effective in reducing inflammation as prescription medications without the nasty side-effects on the kidneys and liver.  There are also some less scientific “folky” methods of reducing inflammatory pain.  Possibly the oldest remedy is organic apple cider vinegar.  While the reason for its results are largely unknown, cider vinegar can be very effective at reducing joint and arthritic pain and some studies have even shown that it reduces blood sugar and insulin levels.  It’s thought that 2 tablespoons of vinegar in the morning diluted in water or juice is the best way to achieve results.  Vinegar is very acidic so make certain you dilute and use the dark, organic variety.  In the end, reducing inflammation has much to do with antioxidants.  These are the little chemicals that fight against free radical damage.  Fruits and vegetables are your primary source of antioxidants, but as I’ve mentioned before, green tea is a super anti-oxidant.  Use a combination of these strategies along with a healthy lifestyle and this should help you get through another long cold winter much more easily.

Core Four

With the New Year right around the corner, many people will have a renewed commitment to health and several people have asked me what vitamins and supplements they should be taking as part of a program for wellness.  There’s so much confusion on this subject out there and I have seen people literally come in with bags of stuff that they’ve accumulated over the years.  Unfortunately, often much of what people are taking isn’t always necessary and even more times they are taking supplements that contain the same nutrients.  After numerous seminars and books, I’ve found four supplements that everyone agrees to be the basic nutritional foundation.

Understand, in a perfect world, we shouldn’t need any supplementation.  God didn’t screw this up.  We did.  As a result, unless you are eating an array of organic fruits and vegetables with every meal, a high quality multivitamin combined with a multimineral is necessary.  Vitamins don’t do much by themselves; they require the minerals to activate them.  Many of the vitamins out there are junk and don’t even absorb.  At the very least, you should observe your urine turning to a fluorescent yellow color after you’ve been taking these for a few days.  Secondly, you should take omega 3 fatty acids.  These are a required nutrient that the body does not produce.  They are a necessary building block for the anti-inflammatory hormones produced by your adrenal glands.  When you reduce inflammation with these hormones, you reduce your risk of nearly every disease.  Fish oil is your strongest source of omega 3 fatty acids.  However, make certain that the oil is fresh as it oxidizes and turns bad after about 90 days on the shelf.  Next, a probiotic is key.  These are the good bacteria that are found in healthy soil.  Microbes such as acidophilus and lactobacillus serve to break down waste in the colon and assist bowel function.  They also are a first line of defense for any bad bugs ingested from food and drink.  Probiotics also produce enzymes that are critical for the immune system.  We should take these regularly, but it is critical after a round of antibiotics as these drugs wipe out the good bugs.  Lastly, Vitamin D is often recommended.  Unless you are getting regular exposure to the sun and allowing time for this vitamin to be released to the surface of the skin and be reabsorbed before washing it off in the shower or the pool, you should supplement.  Nearly every sunscreen blocks the rays that stimulate Vitamin D.  This nutrient should not be looked at just as a vitamin – it is a hormone precursor that helps regulate the function of your endocrine (hormonal) system.  Most people are insufficient in D, but the only true way to know if your levels are adequate is with occasional blood testing.

As mentioned before, with a diet of healthy organic fruits and vegetables grown in natural soil and grass fed organic meats or fish along with adequate sun exposure, we don’t really need any of these things.  But in the world we live in, these four supplements should be considered essential for your body to function normally and to help prevent numerous forms of illness.  Work on your diet and consider adding these products to your strategy for better health and wellness.