Vitamin D : Know your levels!

Vitamin D

Do you know what your vitamin D level is? Did you know that even people living in Florida, Hawaii ect. are still D deficient?? Who would have ever thought that possible with all the sunshine… Our bodies do not synthesize vitamin D like it used to. There are many factors that play into this- sunscreen (which you should use if being in the sun), environmental pollutants, improper metabolism due to toxic burden, medications and steroids, aging and so on.

Vitamin D plays a huge role in your health. Some of the beneficial properties of Vitamin D is reduction of cancer risk, improving of cellular energy, decreased pain in fibromyalgia patients, improvement of mood and bone health…

The functions of Vitamin D in the body: aids in absorption of calcium, helps body assimilate phosphorus, helps pancreas release insulin, necessary for blood clotting, growth and development of bones and teeth, thyroid function..
“My doctor says my level is normal… it was 31.” A level of 31 is “NORMAL” according to traditional medicine. Would you like to be normal or optimal? Optimal ranges for Vitamin D is 50-70.

“I take a supplement from a retail store is that good enough?”… I would not recommend taking just any supplement. Supplements are not governed by the FDA and retail brands may contain fillers and harmful ingredients, they may contain too much or not enough of what the bottle actual says. There has been Dilantin (a seizure drug) found in calcium… Yikes!

Pharmaceutical grade supplements are the most pure supplements on the market. They are sometimes more pricey but in order to be this grade, the supplement must be tested by an outside source (they cannot test their own products). Where do you get them? There are many health care providers that have different lines of supplements they carry. I personally use and carry Pure Encapsulations brand supplements. I started using them for my family and then began to carry some in my office.

http://www.purecapspro.com/customizedwellness

Now lets get back to Vit D… you should have your provider test your levels and optimize them with pharmaceutical grade supplements. You can become toxic with vitamin D because it is fat soluble, so follow the guidelines of your provider or better yet, find a provider that practices Functional Medicine. If you live in or near Sebring, FL. I would be happy to help you become a happier, healthier person…

2914 Kenilworth Blvd, Sebring FL 33870
863-471-0995
customized.wellness@yahoo.com

To your health!!

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Fatigue

Are you fatigued?  Do you have an afternoon slump?  Do you have trouble getting up in the morning?  

Many people find themselves feeling tired but because of their busy lifestyle they just push through and keep going.  This is one of the worst things that you can do to yourself.  The human body is a remarkable machine.  It will give you a sign or symptom to tell you that something is wrong and you need stop what you are doing and pay attention to your body.

What are some common causes of fatigue?

1) DEHYDRATION!!  many of us walk around on an everyday basis mild – moderately dehydrated.  No having adequate fluid (water) is one of the most common causes of fatigue.  You need to drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day.  So, if you are 130 pounds, you need 65 ounces of water per day.  If you exercise or are sweating, you will need more.

2) MALNUTRITION!  Most people think of malnutrition as what happens in Ethiopia… super skinny people with distended bellies.  Many people are walking around with nutritional deficiencies.  There are several supplements that when deficient in the body can cause fatigue.  B Vitamins are a big part of not only your energy levels but also helps with stress.  You need a B Complex, not just B 12.  You should eat a healthy diet consisting of 7-10 fruits/veggies per day, lean meats, beans/ healthy carbs, healthy fats.  YES!! 7-10!  Eat the entire rainbow of colors… You should also take a multivitamin.

3) LACK OF EXERCISE!  Exercise is one of the best ways to boost energy levels as well as mood.  You do not have to join a gym.  Some suggestions include interval training where you walk and run for 1 minute each for 20 minutes, small hand weights and resistance bands, exercise DVD’s.  You must move each day in order to keep your body and mind healthy!  Studies have shown that exercising keeps memory sharp and cognitive decline low.  Now that sounds like a reason to exercise to me!

4) MEDICATIONS!  Many medications can cause you to be tired as a side effect of the actual drug or because it can make you deficient in nutrients that are needed in the body.  For example- estrogen can make your folic acid levels go down, statin drugs cause your CoQ10 to lower (which is why many people get muscle problems as well).

5) SLEEP DISTURBANCE!!  Disrupted sleep can cause many problems with the body and fatigue is one of them!  Your body produces growth hormone while you are sleeping… without proper sleep you will feel tired, start gaining weight, become irritable and increase blood pressure.  Waking up feeling tired despite sleeping all night is a sign of sleep apnea, especially if you snore, if you have this symptom you should have an evaluation.

6) HORMONE IMBALANCE!  Hormones can be imbalanced for numerous reasons such as menopause/andropause, hysterectomy, toxic exposures and STRESS!  Stress is one of the worst culprits for causing imbalance of hormones.  An imbalance of hormones also increases the risk of cancer.  The only kind of hormones that I recommend are bio-identical hormones.  These hormones are biologically identical to what your body produced.  Synthetic hormones that are mass produced have proven to increase cancer risks.  Stress reduction techniques will lower cortisol (stress hormone).  You should also have an in depth thyroid test done as well as checking for adrenal fatigue.

So you are tired… what should you do?  If this is new for you, you should immediately try some lifestyle changes.  If you symptoms continue I would suggest that you find a functional medicine provider to try to find the route cause of the problem.  If you are beyond tired and are fatigued then you should be tested to determine your cortisol levels, hormone function and some basic labs to check vitamin levels and thyroid function.

Pharmaceutical grade supplements should be taken, they are the cleanest and most pure and must have testing done to ensure their purity and amount of nutrients.  You can purchase pharmaceutical grade supplements online.  Type http://www.purecapspro.com/customizedwellness in your address bar…

If you are near Sebring, FL.  Come see me…

customized.wellness@yahoo.com

863-471-0995