Striving4Zen

Strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis. Recently, research has suggested it may prevent high blood pressure, as well as colon, prostate, and breast cancers. It also is highly effective in boosting immunity.

News

A 2008 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that low levels of vitamin D could lead to a substantially increased risk of death. Researchers analyzed vitamin D levels in 13,331 healthy men and women over the course of seven years. Low levels of vitamin D were linked to an increased risk of mortality from all causes by 26%.

How to take it

The current recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D is 200-600 IU. However, the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that adults age 50 and older consume 800-1,000 IU per day for bone health. The Institute of Medicine is expected to release new, significantly higher daily requirements for vitamin D next year. Ask your health care practitioner if you should take supplements, especially if you spend little time in the sunshine, live in a cloudy climate, have dark skin, are lactose intolerant, over age 50, overweight, or a strict vegetarian.

Side effects

Experts disagree on an upper limit of vitamin D, but the Institute of Medicine suggests that anyone over age 14 can safely consume up to 2,000 IU per day.

Source

Labels: calcium, eggs, healthy diet, immunity, sardines, skin, study, sunshine, Vitamin D, Vitamins

# posted by Striving4Zen : 6/03/2009  0 comments

Since oxybenzone in an ingredients in well over 600 sunscreens, it can be a challenge to find ones that don't contain it. Here are a few options:

• Natural Sun SPF 25 Sunscreen for Active Lifestyles by Aubrey Organics ($8.50/4 oz.): It is a broad spectrum sunscreen and although the label doesn't say it is water- or sweatproof, it is the brand's sunscreen for water activities.
• Oat Protein Sunscreen SPF 30 by Kiss My Face ($13/4 oz.): Water-resistant and broad spectrum, this sunscreen uses the mineral titanium dioxide to block the sun's rays.
• SPF 30 Sunscreen by Vanicream ($15/4 oz): This sunscreen is non-comedogenic, meaning it won't block your pores or cause blackheads. It is a broad spectrum sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

It pays to read sunscreen labels and look for ones that use minerals to block the sun's rays, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It can be difficult to find a sunscreen that is both non-comedogenic and waterproof. It might be well worth your money to invest in a sunscreen for just your face that covers both the requirements, and use a less expensive sunblock for the rest of your body. Do wear a protective hat that wicks when you're outside and active.

Source

Labels: oxybenzone, personal care, sunscreen, sunshine, toxins

# posted by Striving4Zen : 5/28/2009  0 comments

Here’s why:

Even when you’re clothed in layers to defend against the cold, chances are good that a portion of your face, if not all of it, is still exposed. That means damage is still taking place if you didn’t apply sunscreen. Whether it’s the middle of January or you’re heading to the beach in June, you need sunscreen 365 days a year. Of course, in the summer months and in climates that are sunny year-round you have almost daily reminders as to why you should protect your skin from UV damage. But what you must remember when clouds prevail or the weather turns cold and gray are three basic facts about UV damage:

1. Sun damage is about your skin seeing daylight not just “sunshine”.

2. Sun damage begins within the first minute of unprotected exposure.

3. The bad rays of the sun penetrate windows.

I know winter weather can be deceptive to say the least, because without question your skin is not being exposed to the same intense radiation you’ll get in summer or sunny climates. However, even though you cannot feel the sun warming your skin (and may not even be able to see it through the thick cloud cover that’s overstayed its welcome) ultraviolet light is still present and still capable of harming your skin. Ignoring sunscreen during winter months just doesn’t make sense, especially if part of your skin care concern is about preventing or reducing wrinkles.

Still not convinced?

You may not know that the sun’s aging UV rays are no match for cloud cover. Clouds offer some UV protection, but enough skin-damaging rays break right through dreary winter clouds that damage will still occur. It’s also critical to keep in mind that snow is an excellent UV light reflector. So depending on where you live or where you are vacationing not only are UVA rays bombarding your skin from above, but they’re bouncing off the glaring white snow and hitting you from below, too. And for all of you skiers out there, don’t forget that altitude is also a sun enhancer. For every 1,000-foot increase in altitude the ultraviolet radiation potency increases by 4%.

If you’re spending little time outdoors and getting through the typical cold, gray winter months inside a toasty, heated room, you may want to change the sunscreen you use. For example, it may make good sense for you to apply a sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater during summer months or in sunny climates; however, a high SPF rating becomes extraneous when you’re spending most of your daylight hours indoors and the sun isn’t shining; there just isn’t that much time for significant UV light exposure. Of course I’m not implying you should skip sunscreen (no way!), but you’ll likely be just fine applying one rated SPF 15. Regardless of whether you choose to decrease your SPF protection or not, you would never want to go lower than using a sunscreen rated SPF 15. Also, you still have to make sure to apply sunscreen liberally and only use one that contains one or more of the active ingredients that ensures sufficient UVA protection: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone (sometimes listed as butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane), ecamsule (Mexoryl SX) or Tinosorb.

It is easy to take the approach that when sunlight is out of sight the need to protect yourself from it is, to finish the phrase, out of mind. It also doesn’t help that between the end of summer and onset of autumn, sunscreen displays and promotions in stores vanish. It seems that as far as the retail industry (and many fashion magazines) are concerned, you only need sunscreen when it’s sunny, and mostly that means summertime. Don’t become complacent about sunscreens just because the stores and media are. It’s a daily habit everyone should stick with not only for maintaining skin’s youthful appearance (and preventing further sun damage) but for its overall health. This and every winter, the goal is to be as sun smart as you are when sunny days are once again the norm.

Source

Labels: anti-aging, Paula Begoun, skin care, sun, sun damage, sunscreen, sunshine, wrinkles

# posted by Striving4Zen : 1/12/2009  0 comments

More than a million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, but FDA still hasn't finalized sunscreen standards first announced 30 years ago. Click here to tell FDA you're tired of waiting.

Meanwhile, companies are free to claim but not provide broad spectrum protection. Until FDA requires that all sunscreens be safe and effective, Environmental Working Group's comprehensive sunscreen guide—including a list of 143 products that offer very good sun protection—fills in the gaps.

Labels: FDA, hazardous, skin cancer, sunscreen, sunshine

# posted by Striving4Zen : 7/10/2008  0 comments

Tomato Party, originally uploaded by espion.

Is there such a thing as a "sunscreen" you can safely eat?

To find out, volunteers were exposed to ultraviolet light to measure how quickly their skin would burn. Then after eating about four tablespoons of tomato paste a day for three months, they were exposed to the same level of ultraviolet rays.

The tomato paste resulted in a 30 percent reduction in sun damage. The reason, Dr. Oz says, is lycopene—an antioxidant found in tomatoes, especially in the reddest ones—which replenishes skin cells.

"What lycopene does is it attaches to key cells in your skin. The sun is attacking your body and it's helping your body at the same time. The skin's major function is to let enough sun through so you can convert cholesterol to vitamin D, because you've got to have vitamin D. But at the same time, it needs to protect you against the sun destroying all of your folic acid. So how does it do that? It does that by having its own antioxidant system always there to protect you. And how do you replenish it? Things like lycopene."

In addition to protecting skin from sun's burning rays, lycopene can also prevent wrinkles by keeping your elastic skin tissues from losing their tenseness.

Thanks!

Labels: healthy diet, lycopene, skin cancer, skincare, sunscreen, sunshine, tomatoes, Vitamin D

# posted by Striving4Zen : 3/05/2008  0 comments

The Angel Beams, originally uploaded by goinonbro.

Through most of human history, sunlight was the primary source of vitamin D, which is formed in skin exposed to ultraviolet B radiation (the UV light that causes sunburns). Thus, to determine how much vitamin D is needed from food and supplements, take into account factors like skin color, where you live, time of year, time spent out of doors, use of sunscreens and coverups and age.

In addition to fortified drinks like milk, soy milk and some juices, the limited number of vitamin D food sources include oily fish like salmon, mackerel, bluefish, catfish, sardines and tuna, as well as cod liver oil and fish oils. The amount of vitamin D in breakfast cereals is minimal at best. As for supplements, vitamin D is found in prenatal vitamins, multivitamins, calcium-vitamin D combinations and plain vitamin D. Check the label, and select brands that contain vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol. D2, or ergocalciferol, is 25 percent less effective.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that when consumed or made in the skin can be stored in body fat. In summer, as little as five minutes of sun a day on unprotected hands and face can replete the body’s supply. Any excess can be stored for later use. But for most people during the rest of the year, the body needs dietary help.

Furthermore, the general increase in obesity has introduced a worrisome factor, the tendency for body fat to hold on to vitamin D, thus reducing its overall availability.

Read more in the NY Times...

Labels: natural health, nutrition, sunshine, Vitamin D

# posted by Striving4Zen : 2/21/2008  0 comments