Vitamin D: Monitoring and Improving It; Fatigue; Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Salmon
Health Tip:
Fatigue is one of those symptoms a lot of patients come in with. Sometimes the solution is to simply clean up the diet, get some good nutrition in and encourage the body to rest. Other times, we have to dig more. One of the ways to find some of those issues that don’t make themselves obvious initially is to do some blood labs. Some of the common nutritional deficiencies that can result in fatigue include iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate (B9), and magnesium. A simple blood test will show if these are out of optimal ranges. Some bodies are more sensitive than others so even if the labs are in the “clinical range” (on the usual lab report) it often is not balanced enough for optimal health. Make sure your values are in the “optimal range” so you can function your best!
Monthly Article:
Vitamin D: Monitoring and Improving It
I had an article in the newsletter on Vitamin D earlier this year. Most of us have heard about the benefits of vitamin D. As a reminder, here is an excerpt from the article I shared previously:
“Three quarters of the American population is deficient in vitamin D. This essential vitamin plays a significant role in many body functions including bone formation, calcium absorption, cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and decreasing inflammation. Low vitamin D levels are linked to an increased risk of major diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative conditions. A low vitamin D level also predisposes you to various autoimmune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes.” - The Vitamin Deficiency and Nutrient Epidemic, Jul 25, 2014 | Posted by Dr. Daniel Pompa, D.C., D.PSc
One of the symptoms I find in my practice is fatigue. I’ve experienced this myself as well. It can be an overwhelming fatigue that doesn’t get better with more sleep. Even after healing Adrenal Fatigue, this was an unexpected level of fatigue for me personally. It only lifted once I started taking a Vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D is often overlooked as a regular value to track. I recommend getting your Vitamin D checked yearly. ASK for it. If your medical doctor won’t order it, go someplace that will. I believe it is THAT valuable to know.
We all know we need it, but many times we don’t know just how badly we need it. The only way to actually know what your Vitamin D level is at is to do a blood test. There is a blood spot test that you can do at home and mail in or you can get a lab order and have it taking at a blood lab. (If you are interested in either of these, please reach out and let me know as I can order both of these.) Many people have never had their levels checked. The clinical level is also too low and we want our Vitamin D to be 60-100 for good, balanced bodies.
Once you know your Vitamin D levels, now you can monitor it if needed as you are working on improving it. We want to make sure the therapy for improving Vitamin D is actually working.
To improve Vitamin D there are 4 options that can be used in combination. I personally do all four because my values were very low.
1. Sunlight!! Get sun exposure without sunscreen daily. The stronger the sun, the less time needed for Vitamin D. Plan for 5 minutes and see how that does. Make sure you have good fat in your diet because your body is actually using that fat to convert into Vitamin D.
2. Eat foods that are naturally high in Vitamin D like fatty fish and fish oils, egg yolks, and beef liver.
3. Supplemental Vitamin D. I find the supplements that test the best for the most people are liquid versions that contain Vitamin D3 with K2. The next best one is a combination of all 4 fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K. Finding out which one supplement version works best for you will help your values improve faster and usually results in faster symptom relief.
4. A Sunlamp. This is a lamp that emits UVB light which triggers Vitamin D production in your skin. This is not to be confused with the UV-Free Lamps that are great for mood and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). The UV-Free lamps will NOT trigger Vitamin D but will help you mentally feel better since our bodies do actually need light. Most of the Sunlamps that are marketed for Vitamin D production are more expensive. I’m working on finding a most cost effective option but it will come with more due diligence on the users part (particularly watching time usage). I use a lamp for 2 minutes every morning. Do not go over 2 minutes, especially if you are first using a sunlamp, as just like the sun, you can get burned. I did this myself and had a “rash” on my neck which was likely from too much exposure too quickly.
So, the takeaways are: If you have not been tracking your Vitamin D yearly, you should be. There are several ways to improve your Vitamin D and sometimes a combination is actually best. If you don’t have a practitioner that will order Vitamin D test, please feel free to reach out to my office.
Recipe of the Month:
Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Salmon
This blend of spices gives the salmon an Indian/Moroccan taste. The sautéed onions are optional, but highly recommended.
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 8 minutes Makes: 2 servings
Rub
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Fish
2 (6-ounce) salmon filets
Topping
1 small onion, sliced in rounds
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the rub.
3. Spread the rub on the flesh side of the salmon filets.
4. Cook the fish without turning for 8 minutes, or until the fish flakes with a fork.
5. While the fish is cooking, sauté the onion in the oil. Place the sautéed onion rounds on top of the fish for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Cook’s Note: If you have never used these spices, you might be hesitant about this recipe, but giving it a try might just open a whole new world of delicious possibilities to you and your family.
Recipe taken with permission from: Recipes for Repair: A Lyme Disease Cookbook by Gail Piazza and Laura Piazza, page 93.
Upcoming Activities and Announcements:
Roots to Health talk: Please sign up at the front desk or on our website. Bring a friend and write a question! This is a casual time to learn about the real Roots to Health!
-Saturday August 15 at 10 am
-Tuesday September 8 at 6:15 pm
-Saturday September 19 at 10 am
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