Having been a health care practitioner for almost ten years now, I have had my fair share of experience with vitamins, minerals, juices, special powders, superfoods, and dietary supplements in general. I have done it all, from making the daily breakfast smoothie chock full of protein and vitamin powders, to taking a combination of seven or eight vitamins a day, so I know how tedious it can be. I found myself thinking, why can’t I just take a Flintstones chewable like I used to give my daughter? But of course, there is no easy fix or magic pill for a healthy lifestyle.

There is, however, Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10.

CoQ10 is a key nutrient in boosting your cells’ energy levels. Found in every single cell, your body naturally produces CoQ10, but at the age of about 25, the level of production decreases dramatically. Some nutritionists believe that this change in production contributes to a decline in mental and physical energy that a lot of people in their 30s and beyond notice.

Cellular energy is directly linked to so many aspects of health, it’s no surprise to learn that CoQ10 is commonly used in treatment for heart conditions, diabetes, migraines, muscular dystrophy, and many other conditions. Additionally, CoQ10 has been shown to strengthen the immune system and even fight breast cancer. There’s even being research done right now studying the effects of CoQ10 on lifespan and longevity.

One way to incorporate more CoQ10 into your life is through meals. Foods such as spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ, and eggs are great sources, along with whole grains and the heart, liver, and meat of beef, lamb, and pork. However, as much as I personally prefer to get my nutrients form whole foods, it’s important to note that eating these foods is not usually a sufficient substitute for taking a supplement, so you should consider including both into your healthy habits.

From the research being done, it seems like everyone over 25 should be taking a CoQ10 supplement, even if you already have a healthy diet and lifestyle. In addition to aging, smoking also decreases your body’s ability to produce CoQ10, so smokers should be sure to get their hands on some CoQ10.

CoQ10 is a great addition to your anti-aging arsenal, and can boost your day-to-day energy on a cellular level. I know I’ll definitely be trying it out!

“This entry has been posted as part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday hosted by The Kathleen Show” Click here and check it out!

I don’t know about you, but over the past year or so, I have been hearing more and more about the health benefits of Vitamin D, and conversely, about all of the health risks associated with a Vitamin D deficiency. That is why I decided to compile as much information as I could regarding this topic, and share it here, making it (hopefully) simple to understand. Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post with any feedback, Vitamin D success stories,  or any additional information you might have and want to share, and thanks.

If you steer clear of the sun, are over weight or live in a northern climate such as New England or the Pacific Northwest, you may have a Vitamin D deficiency! Since the symptoms may be subtle, you may not even know are deficient. Last year after my annual exam, I found out that I was indeed Vitamin D deficient. I had no idea and had no specific complaints at that time that would have led to believe that I was. I was prescribed 50,000 I.U.’s of Vitamin D supplement per week for eight weeks, with the recommendation of at least 1000 i.u.’s per day after that. What I can tell you is I noticed a general sense of well-being and an increase in my daily energy after the eight week period. Also, I have not had one cold since, and as a health-care practitioner, I see many patients that have bad colds and upper respiratory infections. What I have learned since then is also very important. If you do not have the appropriate levels of Vitamin D in your system, there are many long-term health risks.

Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with many conditions including, increased cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment in older adults, severe asthma in children, and certain cancers such as breast cancer. Research also suggests that appropriate Vitamin D levels could play a role in the prevention and treatment of Obesity, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, breast, colon & ovarian cancer. It can also help the growth and activity of your cells, reduce inflammation and help to ward off depression, especially seasonal affective disorder or SAD.

A recent study even confirmed that individuals with low levels of Vitamin D reported having more cases of the common cold AND the flu! I will definitely make sure I am taking my Vitamin D this season especially as I mentioned before I have not had a cold or flu in a VERY long time. Whew!

Because Vitamin D also helps to regulate our immune system and reduce inflammation, it is important in autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, & IBS. Vitamin D also helps to increase serotonin levels in the brain to help treat depression.

With regards to obesity, because Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it can be taken and stored in the fat cells making it less available in our body’s metabolism.

As we age, our ability to convert Vitamin D into its active form decreases, which can potentially lead to many of the degenerative diseases mentioned above.

I highly recommended that you check to see what your vitamin D levels are; a simple blood test is all you need. This is a great time of year to check as we move into the winter months, and you may want to recheck your levels in a few months to make sure you’re indeed getting enough.

Thirty minutes in the sun every day is a great way to get Vitamin D but unfortunately many of us can’t get that for several reasons, especially if you live where I live in the Pacific Northwest.

I often try to get my nutrients including Vitamin D from my daily meals, such as Sockeye Salmon with a cayenne, cumin & brown sugar glaze, (one of my daughter’s favorites) or for breakfast a poached egg. Both are great sources of Vitamin D. as well as cod. Other good sources would include halibut, herring, steelhead trout (a fish my boyfriend will often catch), catfish, sardines and tuna. Unfortunately, most foods fortified with Vitamin D are not well absorbed into our body.

I also think is very important to include a Vitamin D3 supplement. It has been recommended that a dose between 3 – 5,000 I.U.’s per day is a good maintenance, especially in the winter months. My friend, colleague and local nutritionist here in Portland, OR Diane Reich has seen really good results with the higher dosage with many of her clients.

Please go get your Vitamin D levels checked as soon as you can so that you can start improving your health today.

Sources:

Dr. Mercola.com

Nutrition Data.com

Web MD