The benefits of Vitamin D are outstanding!  Vitamin D has been found to reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many types of cancer.  Vitamin D also plays an important role in the absorption of Calcium and the strength of our bones. 

The body makes Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight for 10 or 15 minutes a day.  With our busy and somewhat sedentary lifestyles, 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight may not be included in our routine.  The other major problem with relying on the sun for our Vitamin D is sunscreen, blocking cancerous rays of sunlight as well as 98% of Vitamin D.  Darker skin and your location from the equator also affect your exposure to the sun’s Vitamin D.   Call your family and friends north of San Francisco to Boston and let them know they are at high risk for Vitamin D deficiency!

Other than the sun, where can you look to meet your Vitamin D needs?  Good sources include cod liver oil (good luck with that!), fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna, and foods fortified with Vitamin D such as milk and juices.  But it may not be that easy.  Researchers have looked at the levels of Vitamin D in the fortified foods and found unbelievable results! 

Of the tested milk fortified with Vitamin D, 15% did not have any detectable Vitamin D and over 50% of the milks tested had less than 80, yes 80% of the level it was supposed to have.  

The current recommendation for Vitamin D is 400 IUs (International Units) per day, of which most of us fall short.  Research is showing that this recommended intake may need to be increased to 800 IUs or more!  Our best bet is to be sure we are drinking our milk every day, getting our sun exposure, and taking a multivitamin to allow ourselves the benefits of Vitamin D.

By Emily Barr, MS, RD, CNSC

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Whether you have a little extra around the middle, a muffin top, a little baby fat, a spare tire, love handles, or a beer belly, you need to know you are at risk!

Some of these terms of endearment, or some not so glamorous terms for extra weight around the waistline, are actually a big red flag of danger!  We call this central adiposity or AKA belly fat.  This is the fat that unfortunately made a home around your belly button and is the most scary type of fat of all.  It increases your risks of heart disease (heart attack and stroke), cancer, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and metabolic syndrome to name a few.   The feat of losing the weight around your midsection may seem difficult and frustrating at times, but what if we let you in on a little secret?

Research shows that adults who ate a low-calorie diet including at least 3 servings of dairy, lost more weight!  Oh and wait, that’s not all.  These adults also had lower blood pressure, risk of obesity, lower risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, stronger teeth and bones, and lower risk of heart disease and stroke.  It seems like an obvious solution for that extra jiggle in our middles and our commitment to better health.

So are you ready to add some extra dairy to your day?  Try having 3 or more servings  a day! One serving is equal to one cup of milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, or pudding. You can also get your daily servings of dairy from cheese. It’s easy; 1 oz (about the size of 4 dice) of cheese equals 1 daily serving of dairy.  Choose the low-fat or nonfat versions to help control your overall calorie and fat intakes.   Here are some ideas to help you eat more dairy to lose more weight!

• Use milk in place of water when making hot cereals, hot chocolate, and soups
• Make yogurt parfaits with low-fat yogurt topped with cereal
• Make smoothies with yogurt, low-fat milk, fruits and for a bonus a spoonful of flaxseed!
• Use plain nonfat yogurt in place of sour cream for dips and sauces.
• Have high calcium snacks on hand such as yogurts, string cheese, low-fat pudding.
• Add low-fat cottage cheese to your salads.
• Add a little light chocolate syrup to your low-fat or nonfat milk.
• Try fruit or vegetable and cheese kabobs for a fun treat!

Whether you enjoy your low-fat smoothie, chocolate milk, or reduced fat cheese, remember 3 servings a day in combination with a healthy diet will help reduce your belly fat!

In honor of National Dairy Month, I would like for all of us to raise our nice frosty mugs of milk and toast to losing that jiggle around your middle!

By Emily Barr, MS,RD,CNSC

Want More?? Check out these posts from Emily…

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