Improving vitamin D deficiency
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Winter is in full swing and the sun is low on the horizon. This is when your vitamin D level drops when you need it the most. Northern Americans levels will drop into the deficiency zone, increasing immune system failure, risk of many chronic health problems and Season Affected Disorder (SAD). Winter depression, is biochemical in nature, created by the lack of sunshine.
1st Segment: Make the tuna fish salad; Sun is the ‘food’ we need for vitamin D production: The National Cancer Institute and the NIH held a conference on vitamin D, and this is what they found.
- What is SAD-(seasonal affective disorder symptoms):
- Depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, heavy, “leaden” feeling in the arms or legs, social withdrawal, oversleeping, loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, appetite changes, especially craving foods high in carbohydrates, weight gain, difficulty concentrating
- During winter, your levels may drop as much as 50 percent, plunging you deep into deficiency territory.
- Immune system depends on D.
- Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in autoimmune disease. (NIH)
- The average American’s level will drop well into the deficiency zone, increasing risk of illness, cancer, and a host of other health problems.
- The sun stimulates the production of Vitamin D in the skin.
- Vitamin D3is created through exposure of your skin to the sun.
- Vitamin D production is not possible from November to February. (FLU SEASON)
- Deficiencies linked to certain cancers, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, skin diseases and mood disorders
2nd Segment: Assemble and bake the open-faced sandwich.
- Foods’s that contain Vitamin D are rare. That’s why you need sunlight and/ or supplementation.
- Where is D found? Mushrooms exposed to ultra-violet light, egg yolk, beef liver.
- Oily fatty salmon, tuna fish, mackerel cod liver oil.
- It’s next to impossible to get these amounts through food alone.
- TheArchives of Internal Medicine, those with the lowest vitamin D levels have more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes.
- Seniors who are vitamin D deficient also tend to have compromised immune function, according to new research accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
- Seniors: Vitamin D plays an important role in helping the body absorb calcium needed for healthy bones.
Classic tuna melt
12 ounces tuna, drained and flaked (Try and avoid canned. Reach for the POUCH)
1/4 cup Veganese mayonnaise, plus more if you like a creamy tuna salad
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. ground flax or chia seed (FIBER)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh mint
2 tsp. chopped pickle relish
2 slices whole wheat bread (Ezekiel or Rudi’s)
2 Tbsp. butter from grass-fed cows
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Chopped green onion for garnish.
Preheat oven to 375 °
- Place buttered bread slices in the oven to toast while it preheats, and while you make the tuna salad.
- In a small bowl, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, salt, herbs, relish, onion until well blended. Remove bread from the oven, and pile the tuna mixture onto one slice. Sprinkle cheese.
- Bake 7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tuna is heated through..
- Garnish with chopped green onions
- Cut in half and serve immediately.
- Serve warm with pickles.