7 Good Reasons to Love Strawberries

Today I'm getting ready for the 14th Annual Bradford County Strawberry Festival.  I'll be there with the Live Fit Team promoting the Ultimate Body Challenge. 

I love strawberries and have them just about every morning at breakfast.  Not only are they yummy, here are 7 other reasons to love them!

1.  Antioxidants - Antioxidants protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to environmental hazards like smoke, radiation, etc. Free radicals damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases, including wrinkles (not a disease I know but still...).  

2.  Anti-inflammatory - Strawberries have phenols which fight against many inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis, asthma and atherosclerosis, similar to the way that aspirin and ibuprofen do but without unwanted side effects like stomach and intestinal bleeding you get from excessive use of pain relievers.

3.  Combat Cancer - Free radicals and inflammation are at the root of most cancer.  The combination of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of strawberries are a good line of defense in preventing some cancers!  (1+2=3)

4.  Healthy peepers - This is an important one for me because I'm blind as a bat and macular degeneration runs in my family.  The Archives of Ophthalmology recently published a study saying that  three or more servings of strawberries per day can decrease the possibility of contracting age-related macular degeneration by over one-third. I think 3 servings of strawbereris is a lot when you consider the sugar and would recommend you incorporate some of these other healthy-eye foods to defend against macular degeneration:  kale, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, eggs, sunflower seeds, salmon and garlic)

5.  Fiber -  1 cup of strawberries has 3 grams of fiber and only 45 calories.  Fiber aids in healthy digestion, helps control blood pressure and helps prevent overeating. 

6.  Vitamin C - 1 cup of strawberries has about 90 mg of Vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure, build up the immune system, and prevent eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts.

7.  Bone building - Strawberries also contain potassium, magnesium, manganese, and Vitamin K, all of which are important for building healthy and strong bones. 

So, come out to the Strawberry Festival and see us or go to your local farmers' market and pick up some fresh, sweet strawberries!

Get to the beach...

...for Vitamin D therapy

As summer approaches and many of you are already visiting the many nearby lakes, rivers, creeks and beaches, its time to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly in sun exposure. There has been concern in recent years that the United States has gone too far in promoting protection from the sun since it is a great natural source of Vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 has benefits for men, women and children:

• Helps strengthen immune system
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Helps prevent cancer
• Helps prevent type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Helps maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphorus
• Helps increase absorption of calcium
• Potent immune system modulator
• Four times as potent as Vitamin D2
• Helps lower inflammation by increasing anti-inflammatory messengers
• Helps prevent risk of coronary artery disease
• Helps control insulin synthesis and secretion

Vitamin D deficiencies were rare when most men worked out in the sunny fields and women hung clothes out on the line. But as work shifted from farms to offices, that changed. Elderly individuals, obese individuals, exclusively breastfed infants, and those who have limited sun exposure are all at higher risk of Vitamin D3 deficiencies. Also, individuals who have fat malabsorption syndromes (e.g., cystic fibrosis) or inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease) are at risk.

There is strong evidence that deficiencies may result in rickets, muscle weakness and pain, osteoporosis, psoriasis, and thyroid issues.

How much sun is safe for your skin?

Considering the fact that sun exposure is both natural and essential for life, avoiding it to the extreme that’s commonly recommended certainly doesn’t seem right. Multiple sources, including the Mayo Clinic, say that 10-20 minutes of sun exposure is safe for healthy skin. Beyond that, apply your sunscreen.

Maintain healthy, resilient skin by drinking plenty of water (at least 64 ounces each day) and eating a healthy diet with a good balance (20%) of fatty acids.

Other sources of Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is found in dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. Being in the sun also contributes to the daily production of vitamin D3.

The dietary recommendations from the FDA are 400-800 IUs a day dependant on age. But many experts believe that these recommendations are far too low to maintain healthy vitamin D levels. They advocate for supplementation of about 2,000-4,000 IUs per day and a dose of daily sunshine in the summer.

For more information on Vitamin D3 supplementation, or eating for healthy skin, contact me.

Give me a D...

...D3

First Fitness Nutrition has just released an amazing new product, 8Rx. The company provides excellent training on our products, from the actual doctors, scientists and product developers, but I always like to do a little research on my own.

You can see here that 8Rx is a proprietary, synergistic blend of 8 of the most powerful all-natural nutraceutical grade ingredients and extracts.

Over the next few days, I'll share what I've found out about these ingredients individually! Starting today with Vitamin D3.

Vitamin D is found in dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. Being in the sun also contributes to the daily production of vitamin D.

Vitamin D3 has benefits for men, women and children:

• Helps strengthen immune system
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Helps prevent cancer
• Helps prevent type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Helps maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphorus
• Helps increase absorption of calcium
• Potent immune system modulator
• Four times as potent as Vitamin D2
• Helps lower inflammation by increasing anti-inflammatory messengers
• Helps prevent risk of coronary artery disease
• Helps control insulin synthesis and secretion

Vitamin D deficiencies were rare when most men worked out in the sunny fields and women hung clothes out on the line. But as work shifted from farms to offices, that changed. Elderly individuals, obese individuals, exclusively breastfed infants, and those who have limited sun exposure are all at higher risk of Vitamin D3 deficiencies. Also, individuals who have fat malabsorption syndromes (e.g., cystic fibrosis) or inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease) are at risk.

There is strong evidence that deficiencies may result in rickets, muscle weakness and pain, osteoporosis, psoriasis, and thyroid issues.

The new 8Rx formula contains a synergistic blend of Vitamin D3, Vitamin K, DHA (Omega 3 - Fish Oil), Olive Leaf Extract/Sesame Lignans, 2-AEP Calcium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Turmeric Powder/Piperine, and Green Tea that is unavailable in any other single supplement. There are over 1500 clinical studies published proving the health benefits of these ingredients supporting that they may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Stay tuned for more info on the benefits of these all-natural components!