My Second Spring - Inaugural Event! Some pics, 6 key supplements - 10% discount!
by
Aisling Grimley.
A lively and engaged group of women gathered to hear Anna Collins speak about nutrition at midlife. The topics included balancing blood sugar, hydration and stress management. I think a lot of us ended the morning feeling energised and inspired to drink more water (filtered of course), reduce caffeine, eat protein with every meal and add a few supplements - particularly Magnesium, (nature's tranquiliser) Vitamin C (to avoid some wrinkles) and Vitamin D (for strong healthy bones). Congratulations to Brenda Michel who won the raffle!
We were intrigued to hear about blood sugar balance
Top 6 Supplements at Midlife and other busy/stressful times
During her talk Anna Collins stressed that in today's world, despite a healthy and balanced diet, many of us are deficient in vital nutrients. She explained that our soil has become depleted by intense farming and pesticides are often robbing our food of goodness. She cited that the nutrients that our grandparents would have gained from vegetables far exceed the nutritional value of our foods today.
Anna tailors individualised supplement plans for people. For women at midlife she most often uses B vitamins, Magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin C, fish oils and adrenal support. Here is a brief note by Anna on how and why each nutrient is necessary in our diet.
The supplier below is Cytoplan, a top quality brand developed by nutritional therapists.These supplements are available on the Products page - A 10% discount for Second Springers will be applied when you use the Promotional Code GA10 at the Cytoplan checkout.
Biofood Magnesium (100mg element)
Magnesium is Nature’s tranquiliser – if you don’t have enough you are more likely to feel stressed, run down, feel low or even have more hot flushes. Magnesium is needed to help your body clear used up hormones, toxins and waste matter. Green vegetables, beans, pulses and seeds are rich in magnesium and most of us don’t get enough. It’s a really common mineral deficiency. Magnesium is also vital for healthy bone density as you age.
This magnesium is in a very easy to absorb form, even if you have digestive difficulties. By age 50, a large proportion of women will have declining levels of the healthy stomach acid needed to break down proteins and minerals vitality. This form of magnesium is much better than the cheapest forms (oxides and sulphates), which are more difficult to digest.
If you are feeling frazzled or exhausted you could be low in B vitamins. Ironically, stress increases your requirement for these calming vitamins. B vitamins act as enzymes to power natural chemical reactions in your body involving minerals. You need vitamin B6 for example, in order for magnesium or zinc from your diet to work at all. Wholegrains, dark green leafy veg and beans/pulses are rich in B vitamins.
This 50 mcg of vitamin D is equivalent to 2000 iu so is a good dose for maintenance of healthy bones. Vitamin D3 is the active form of vitamin D. It is a hormone-like substance that is essential for getting calcium into your bones. Vitamin D makes the calcium you do eat work better. Vitamin D also helps protect against arthritis, bowel problems and over 13 different types of cancer. Most Irish people are low in vitamin D. As a nutritionist it’s probably the test I most often ask people to get their GP to check. If a blood test shows you are low in vitamin D you will need a short programme of high vitamin D to get your levels up before going on a maintenance dose of 50mcg/2000iu. It is not possible to eat enough vitamin D in your diet for health but if you eat lots of oily fish you can get one fifth of what you need. To get adequate vitamin D you either need to get about 15 minutes of bright sunshine most days on your face/arms or else take a supplement. Vitamin D dramatically reduces falls in elderly people. Smoking or being low in vitamin A can affect your ability to utilise vitamin D.
This product contains vitamin B5, which helps your stress-hormone-producing adrenal glands. The hormone cortisol, produced by your adrenals, helps give you energy and keep you motivated. If its too high you will have racing heart and inability to relax. If its too low, you will feel exhausted and possibly unmotivated. Siberian ginseng is used to help gently balance the action of the adrenal glands, boosting them if they are low, reducing if they are too high. The iodine and selenium are important for thyroid function. If your thyroid is underactive, as is very common in Ireland, you may suffer from dry skin, coarsening hair, thinning hair or fatigue. If your adrenals are struggling or you don’t have enough thyroid nutrients in your diet your thyroid will struggle. Interestingly, iodine is also needed for keeping your breasts normal. Iodine deficiency is associated with hormonal cancers of the breast, ovaries and womb. This is important because its essential for helping your body clear used-up female hormones. Most women do not have adequate iodine levels. Refined diets deplete many nutrients needed by your adrenal and thyroid glands. Iodine is found in sea vegetables such as nori.
Vitamin C (1,000mg + Bioflavonoids)
Vitamin C is needed in large amounts by your adrenal glands and is important for energy production and collagen formation to keep your bones and skin young. Collagen is like a stretchy mesh made of elastic. In order to make bone, collagen is formed and then minerals such as calcium and phosphorus attach to the mesh, making bones that are slightly flexible. Osteoporosis is where bones lose their elasticity and density and become fragile. Vitamin C is also the number 1 supplement for wrinkle prevention and keeping your skin elastic and young-looking. Stress and a highly refined diet depletes vitamin C. A majority of people with bleeding gums or easy bruising are low in vitamin C. Even if you eat raw fruit you may be getting inadequate vitamin C because it declines by half for every 2 weeks after harvesting. The bioflavonoids, natural substances in plants, potentiate (multiply) the power of vitamin C, making it even better for you. Sweet peppers, strawberries, kiwifruit, watercress and broccoli are some foods that are rich in vitamin C.
Omega 3 fatty acids are very important for brain function. Low levels are linked to depression, low libido, bone loss and even heart problems. Scientists have found that omega 3 helps prevent atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure and also helps thin your blood. This is important because thin blood helps you avoid strokes caused by clots.
In my opinion, many of the "symptoms of the menopause" are in fact symptoms of decades of nutrient deficiencies catching up with us. If you don't eat (non fried) oily fish 3 times a week you are likely to be low in omega 3.
With fish oil supplementation you do need to be careful. Cheap fish oil supplements can actually be harmful. This is because they are not processed correctly in the absence of light and oxygen (to stop them becoming oxidised or damaged). Also, if you take even a high grade fish oil, you need to ensure adequate amounts of antioxidants in your diet/supplements first. Otherwise you are simply better off eating more oily fish rather than taking a supplement.
These high potency fish oil capsules give you 550mg of the essential fatty acids EPA/DHA per 1000mg capsule, these Fish Oils are guaranteed to be clean, stable & free from pollutants. Fatty acids are recognised in having an essential role in normal brain function.
Anna Collins 20/2/14
Photos by Laura Sothern, Sothern Hemisphere Photography.
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