Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash A variety of vitamins and nutrients – from supplements to skin care – are needed throughout the season. Summer is coming, and the products you need to revamp your healthy supply have arrived! To Support Hydration You’ve always been …
It’s the middle of the summer and your in between plans to go to the beach, head to your favorite restaurant with some friends, or just chill out pool side. But all of that fun in the sun can leave you feeling a little burnt …
Vitamin D, commonly called the ‘sunshine vitamin, is an essential nutrient that plays a major role in many of the body’s functions, including in the skin, hair and bones. Vitamin D has been shown to promote calcium absorption, support healthy cell growth and healthy immune function. Sources of vitamin D include the sun, some foods like fatty-fish and cheese (though small amounts), and supplementation.
Could a Vitamin Deficiency be to Blame for Your Hair Loss?
It has been estimated that approximately 70% of North Americans have a Vitamin D deficiency. This is due to a combination of factors: low levels of sunlight for most of the year, obesity, sun avoidance, and low consumption of foods high in Vitamin D such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines). Inadequate Vitamin D in the body often leads to conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia, which bring on symptoms like bone and muscle pain, enlarged joints, and easily fractured bones. Given the high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency, this could be the most essential of all the conditionally essential vitamins.
According to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Department of Internal Medicine, vitamin D deficiency is high in winter because of the reduced exposure to sunlight. However, in summer, there seems to still be low vitamin D levels in individuals in places with high humidity and a sultry climate. In the Universities cross-sectional study, blood samples from men and women ages 10 to 70, a total of 351 subjects, were taken towards the end of the summer and in the winter. The levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and PTH were measured. Results of the study shows that, although the area had a high humidity climate, seasonal variation of vitamin D was still statistically significant, and was a high in the summer as the winter.
Speak with your doctor or a nutritionist about your vitamin D intake, in all seasons. Need help finding a nutritionists. Click here to meet one in your area!
Written Amanda Williams, MPH You’ve always been told to drink more fluids – in the summer when you’re sweating and by your doctor when you’re sick. But why is this so important to our health to stay hydrated? What is waters purpose in our bodies? …
Photo by Caju Gomes on Unsplash Summer is upon us, and that means we’re heading outside! This season can be great for the body (especially those Vitamin D levels) but there are some products that can help us stay healthy this summer – from your …
Summer can be a rough time for your skin – bug bites, sunburn, poison ivy and other irritating skin problems are at their peak this time of the year. Unfortunately, sometimes the cure is just as bad as the problem. Many anti-itch creams and other lotions are full of chemicals and preservatives, which don’t do your skin or the rest of your body any good at all. [Read: The Dirt on Skin Care Products By Dr. Mariesette Zeyl] What’s more, since the skin is the body’s largest organ, anything you rub into your skin goes directly into your blood stream and can potentially have an effect on your entire body.
Here are a few natural remedies for some of summer’s most bothersome skin problems.
We’ve all been there. You spend the whole day in the pool relaxing, only to find later that your skin has dried out and is turning into a painful, orange, peeling mess. A chlorine burn is usually only on the top layer of skin, but it can be itchy and start to sting as it cracks. The quicker you nourish your skin, the faster your skin will heal.
Aloe Vera lotion is a great, chemical-free remedy for minor sunburns. Try a natural Aloe Vera lotion, or take a fresh Aloe leaf, slit it open and allow the juice to settle onto your sunburn. If your sunburn is more severe and lasts more than a few days, try coconut oil. Thanks to its hydrating lipids, coconut oil can be very helpful for healing and preventing itching, swelling and irritation. Wait a few days after you get a sunburn to use coconut oil – it also can create a protective barrier and trap heat. Mix it with a few drops of pure lavender essential oil or Aloe Vera for extra pain relief.
Nourish Skin From the Inside Out with Collagen, by Nicole Crane, B.S., NTP
Mosquito and other insect bites can cause inflammation, redness, swelling, tenderness, and serious itching. Many anti-itch creams can provide relief, but they tend to be loaded with chemicals. Fresh basil leaves can be used to make a paste that will instantly soothe bug bites. Basil is a natural source of camphor and thymol, two compounds that relieve both itching and irritation. Take some basil (use organic basil to avoid pesticides), crush them into a paste and apply it directly to the bug bite.
Skin care information by Alison Menor of InVite Health
Poison ivy comes along with swelling, blisters, itching and pain that lasts for several days. Try using baking soda to alleviate some of the bothersome itch. Add about ½ a cup of baking soda to a warm bath, or mix a small amount with water and apply to the affected area. To help pull out the toxins, mix up some apple cider vinegar with water, soak a thin towel in the mixture, and apply it to the affected areas. It’s believed that apple cider vinegar induces a toxin-releasing effect that helps your skin heal faster.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/08/06/natural-remedies-for-summer-skin-troubles/