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Jennifer Murray's BlogPosted by Jennifer Murray Unlike water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins do not dissolve in water and are actually stored in the fat in our body and in the liver. Since fat-soluble vitamins do not dissolve in water, the body actually stores them, which can lead to a buildup and vitamin toxicity. The fat-soluble vitamins are:
Even though these vitamins are stored in the body, it's still next to impossible to eat enough food to actually overdose on fat-soluble vitamins. The most likely way for vitamin toxicity occurs in regards to these vitamins is through supplementation. Why Do We Need Fat-Soluble Vitamins? Both vitamins A and D both play a role in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Vitamin A also helps our vision and skin. Vitamin D also plays a key role in our bodies absorbing and using calcium. Vitamin E helps the body form red blood cells and muscles, while Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. Some research has suggested that vitamin K may also help maintain strong bones in the elderly. While eating a healthy diet is the best way to ensure adequate intake of fat-soluble vitamins, researchers also recommend taking a daily multivitamin that contains 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D. Posted by Jennifer Murray It has been said by experts for years now that eggs are bad for us and should be avoided; however, recent research published by Nutrition & Metabolism suggests that those who follow a low-carb diet can combat the negative effects by eating eggs. While low-carb/high protein diets provide rapid weight loss results, they can also increase the risk of heart disease and inflammation, among other things. Researchers at the University of Connecticut at Storrs recently found that low-carbers can combat those negative effects by eating eggs, which actually increase HDL cholesterol and reduce inflammation. The research goes on to state that eggs also:
So the next time you have eggs, you can be assured that you're doing something good for your body, contrary to what the experts have recommended for the past 30 years or so. Posted by Jennifer Murray In researching my most recent article, Best Dietary Sources of Calcium, I found some other good sources of calcium that I was surprised to find are also high in calcium. I knew that oranges are a great source of calcium, but did not know that raisins also were rich in calcium. The best fruit and vegetable sources of calcium are: Cooked collards contain 168 mg per 1/2 cup Cooked kale contains 103 mg per 1/2 cup Cooked spinach contains 84 mg per 1/2 cup Cooked broccoli contains 68 mg per 1/2 cup 1 medium raw carrot contains 27 mg 1 medium orange contains 60 mg 1/2 cup of chopped dates contains 26 mg 1/2 cup of raisins contains 22 mg So for those who don't like fish or cannot tolerate dairy products, eat your fruits and veggies to help meet your daily requirement of calcium. Posted by Jennifer Murray My recent article, Osteoarthritis and Supplements, outlines a topic that interests me because of my mom. She suffers from osteoarthritis and has had problems with pain, stiffness, swelling, and gnarling of her fingers. I had heard about glucosamine and chondroitin helping with joint pain about a year ago, so I bought a glucosamine chondroitin supplement for her, and she has stated numerous times how much it has helped her, especially with the pain. But with so many brands of glucosamine and chondroitin on the market, how did I choose which one to buy? I'll share with you what I did (and these are the steps I take before buying any dietary supplement) to help me decide which brand to get. The first thing I do is check the list of USP verified dietary supplements. I then check the manufacturer's website to see if they manufacture the type of supplement I am looking for. If they do not (and sometimes even if they do), I go to ConsumerLab and check their supplement tests. ConsumerLab is a fee-based website; however, I have found it to be an invaluable resource. I was totally shocked to find so many brand name products that do not contain what the bottle says it does! Some supplements have a hefty price tag, so I want to be 100 percent certain that I get what I am paying for, and CL has saved me quite a few times from spending money on supplements that would've been a waste of money. Posted by Jennifer Murray While writing my most recent article, a review of The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women, I started thinking about all of the books I have read on strength training, and while large portions of this book and others that I have read are devoted to why women should resistance train, how they should resistance train, and descriptions of strength training options, the books do not spend a lot of time talking about nutrition and strength training and how to eat in order to experience maximum results. While most of these types of books do provide recipes, what the majority of authors do not explain is that what we eat is responsible for 80% of how we look and feel. You can do all of the aerobics and resistance training you want, but if you're not nourishing your body with the right type and amount of food, you may get results, but those results will probably not be the results you're looking for. A lot of women are surprised that once they add strength training to their workout regimen, they actually need to eat more, not less. The need to eat more doesn't mean the need to eat more of just any food (i.e., junk food), but to eat wholesome, healthy foods and a well-rounded diet consisting of enough calories, carbs, protein, and fat to fuel the body to build the muscle you want. The type of diet you eat will depend upon what type of results you want and will require more research, but it's always a good idea to start out with a healthy diet and adjust it to suit your fitness needs and desires. Posted by Jennifer Murray When I'm feeling a little down in the dumps, I usually take a vitamin B supplement since B vitamins are known to help with depression. Since I do have 2 or 3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day, it would not be surprising that I would be deficient in vitamin B since caffeine is one thing that destroys B vitamins in the body. In addition to all the many benefits of B vitamins, new research has found that taking a vitamin B12 supplement can help with memory. Researchers at the University of Oxford in the U.K. found those who are deficient in vitamin B12 experience a faster decline in memory over a 10-year span than those with higher levels of B12, and that supplementing with vitamin B12 can slow down mental decline by one-third. Of course, it's always best to try and get what the body needs from food. Some good food sources of vitamin B12 include:
The recommended daily dose of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need a little more, 2.8 mcg. The recent research is good news to those of us who are extremely forgetful. Since I seem to be having a bit of trouble remembering things lately without sticking a post-it note on my computer screen, maybe I will try taking a B12 supplement every day instead of waiting for a case of the blues to strike. Posted by Jennifer Murray With the rising cost of gas, and therefore increasing food prices, many people are looking for ways to save money on their grocery bill, including me. I am shocked at how much the cost of food has increased! Gas prices are expected to keep rising, so the price of food is going to get even more expensive. Here are two ways I'm saving money on food while still eating healthy: Planting a garden. While growing up, my mother always planted a garden and canned foods in the summer. I never learned to do it, but this year is the year I decided to plant my own garden and learn how to can my own foods. I'm somewhat excited and can't wait for my veggies to be ready to be picked, cut, and canned. So I'll have fresh vegetables in the winter, and I'm even going to make my own pasta and pizza sauces and salsa. Yum! Buying from a local farmer. For those foods that I'm not planting in my garden, I am going to a local farmer's market or local farm to buy. I have found that buying from a farmer's market or going and picking the fruit (and vegetables) from a farm is actually less expensive, and the produce is fresher and more flavorful than when buying from the store. If you don't know where there is a farmer's market or farm near you, check out Local Harvest. However, I do not buy from Local Harvest online because their online prices to be a lot more expensive than just going somewhere local. While I'll still have to purchase some food from the grocery store, I look for the above two ways of saving money on healthy food to cut my grocery bill by at least half. |
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