Free Health Tip from Dr Marilyn Glenville’s Health Digest ‘Natural News for Women’
Vitamin D – What you need to know about the sunshine vitamin
You may have heard about the news story yesterday broadcast by the BBC (
click here to view the article), that shows that nearly three quarters of parents and more than half of health professionals aren’t aware of the Government guidelines on this vital nutrient. The guidelines recommend that certain groups, including children under five and pregnant women should take a daily supplement.
But, and this is a big but, in my opinion we should all be taking a daily supplement of this simple vitamin. Why?
Because research has shown that this versatile nutrient plays a key role in keeping in us in good health, both mentally and physically.
For example, it has been found to:
- be vital for bone health and osteoporosis
- play a major role in breast and bowel cancer prevention
- be important for immune function and particularly helpful in the winter when there is more flu around
- help with other conditions as diverse as diabetes, heart disease, joint pains and arthritis, dementia, autoimmune diseases, fertility, autism, and allergies
- help with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
When selecting a supplement containing vitamin D, choose one where the form of vitamin D is D3 – cholecalciferol. There is another form of vitamin D, D2 –ergocalciferol, but this form is not as efficient as D3 in helping to correct low levels or deficiencies of vitamin D in the body.
Also get a liquid vitamin D3 which you just drop under your tongue or rub into your gums for faster absorption this is especially helpful if you have digestive problems and also easy for children to take. The one I use in the clinic is called
Bio-D-MulsionApart from the vitamin D3,
Bio-D-Mulsion is completely natural and only contains three ingredients; water, gum arabic and sesame oil. Just one drop a day (the bottle contains 750 drops) will provide you with 400ius of vitamin D3, the Recommended Daily Allowance.
Free Health Tip from Dr Marilyn Glenville’s Health Digest ‘Natural News for Women’
Cherry Good for You!
In my last email I mentioned Montmorency Cherry juice. These special superfruit are powerhouses of nutrition. Just 250ml of their juice contains more antioxidants than five portions of peas, tomatoes, water melon, carrots and banana, so drinking a glass a day offers the same health benefits as eating 23 portions of fruit and vegetables!
Recent research published in Nutritional Practitioner compared the anti-oxidants (ORAC levels) in 25ml of diluted Montmorency cherry juice concentrate with various food and vegetables. It found the ORAC level of cherry juice was 8,260, compared with 1,790 for fruit and vegetables. As a note, Montmorency Cherries are far higher in antioxidants than our usual supermarket variety.
Previous research has shown that antioxidants – which target harmful molecules in the body called free radicals – can help prevent cancer, heart disease, stroke and ageing.
Creamy Chia Berry Milkshake
I’m not gunna lie, I have been so into chia seeds lately. Major big crush. Can’t stop blushing and might get a little flustered if one were to ask the status of our relationship. Yes, I know in the health-junky-blog-world, these little seeds are not new to anyone. In fact, people have been talking about these itty bitty seed’s greatness for a while now, but I have just seriously gotten into them this past year and have declared 2012 the year of the chia seed.
They are so pretty too. I have been grinding them and making a ‘chia seed meal’ that I mix with water and then let sit in the fridge to make a chia gel to have on hand to add to smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods, and more. The gel seems to work so well in smoothies- making them extra creamy and like a “triple-thick” milkshake if you ask me. I know I could just add the seeds whole and still get all the great health benefits form them, but I have found that I really like how the texture turns out when I make the chia-gel and add it in that form instead. So thick, creamy and almost like ice cream or pudding if you ask me.
Some reasons to LOVE chia seeds
(more than growing a chia a pet, of course!)
-Chia seeds are an amazing source of Omega-3 fats. Great for your brain, organs and heart. Chia is a great way to ingest and digest these amazing fats. If you are sick of swallowing a pill or oil to get your Omega’s- then try some chia seeds instead.
-Chia seeds have a much higher amounts of antioxidants compared to the flaxseed. Chia and flax seeds are many times said to be interchangeable in recipes (which is mostly true for texture) but chia seems to beat out flax in some pretty amazing health benefits.
-Chia seeds have 5 grams of protein per serving size (1 ounce or 3 Tablespoons) and 12 grams of dietary fiber-whoa- starting your day with a serving of this powerful seed will keep you going strong without question.
-Chia seeds do not need to be refrigerated and can last a lot longer than other seeds, so there is little worry about them becoming rancid over time. Extra bonus for stock-up purposes.
-Chia seed gel is an amazing egg-substitute. Great for vegan baking with an added punch of goodness too. I have been enjoying adding it to almost any baking recipe- just because 
-Chia seeds contain phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, niacin and zinc. Perfect for keeping your immunities high along with strengthening your cells and organs.
*chia-gel ‘recipe’
1. Grind 1 cup of chia seeds in a magic bullet, Vitamix, or smaller food processor (using a blade you would normally use to grind other seeds or whole grains).
2. Pour the chia seed meal into a quart-sized mason jar that you have a secure top for.
3. Fill the rest of the quart jar with pure water (about 2 cups).
4. Shake up the jar and let sit in the fridge ready for use.
My wake-up milkshake as of late using ‘chia-gel’ for extra creamy goodness:
the 4-ingredient milkshake recipe
1 cup of frozen berries
1 cup of hemp or coconut milk, or other favorite non-dairy milk
1/2 cup of chia-gel*
10-12 drops of alcohol-free liquid stevia (I use NuNatural‘s)
I blend all of the above ingredients in my magic bullet and you have to shake it or stir it a few times to get things moving- but I like it thick- so I am willing to make it work. I blend for a minute or so and viola my morning milkshake is ready to consume. Because I like to use hemp milk there is another dose of Omega’s and the protein is around 10 grams, fiber around 16 grams and calories around 320. Not bad. And, it is fulfilling and energizing for 4-5 hours for sure- another bonus.
Yes, you could add some more hemp seeds for more protein and goodness and you could add some greens and more fruit if you wanted, but I personally have found myself addicted to this simple combo. Plus, you do not have to add a banana to get a thick and creamy or sweet mix. The stevia can be omitted of course, but I love how it just sweetens the tart berries perfectly. I can down this milkshake in minutes. So good. I’ll save my greens for lunch 
Delicious creamy chia berry goodness gone in seconds. Try the gel in your next shake and I bet you will notice the difference. Or don’t but you might want to consider adding some chia to your life this year in some way. I have been buying my chia seeds from Costco for a very fair price (32 ounces for $6.79). Or I have bought chia seeds in larger quantities from Vitacost as well. If you are interested in getting an extra 10 dollars off your next purchase of chia seeds check out this link and order them through Vitacost with the $10 discount (disclaimer: You have to be a BRAND NEW customer to receive the 10 dollar free coupon).
