Healthy & Refreshing Summer Greek Recipes

Who wants to use their oven during the summer months? I know I sure don’t like to! During the summer months and especially after workouts, I simply crave crisp, refreshing and thirst quenching fruits and vegetables. There’s no better, fast and easy recipes than a few of my summer staple Greek recipes! The ‘Traditional Greek Salad’ (below) is excellent for using up fresh summer produce you can find at your local farmer’s market or your very own garden!

These are quick and easy recipes, not to mention super healthy, tasty and refreshing! Great for athletes too! I’ll provide the nutrition information below!

Traditional Greek Salad

 

This is my summer staple salad that my husband and I always take to parties and BBQ’s. It’s always a hit!

In our household, we simply ‘eyeball’ how much we want to add, so these are simply approximations. Feel free to add more or less of the ingredients OR add other fresh ingredients not listed! 

Servings: Approximately 10, 1 cup servings. It typically fills a 2.5 quart bowl.

Ingredients:

4-6 Vine Tomatoes, diced with seeds removed (see photo- I slice the tomato in quarters and then peel out the seeds)

1 medium cucumber, diced

1 medium to small green pepper, diced

1 medium to small red onion, diced

One 6 oz. can of large pitted black olives, halved (may purchase already sliced)

One 4 oz. package of reduced fat feta cheese (may come in 6 oz. pkg, can also purchase flavored)

½ cup to ¾ cup Greek Dressing (We use ‘Lite Gazebo Room Greek Dressing’ (Pennsylvania company), if you cannot find a Greek Salad dressing, you can make your own using olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and Greek seasoning, which you can purchase pre-done OR make your own using oregano, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper)

Directions: 

Dice all vegetables, add cheese and then pour dressing on top and combine.

Tips to enjoy-

The salad typically keeps well refrigerated for about 3 days. It tastes best the next day, after marinating. Enjoy it on its own for lunch or as a side. Before adding the dressing, you can use the filling for Greek Quesadillas, which is super quick and easy to prepare! You could enjoy the salad wrapped in a whole wheat pita or tortilla! We often will make chicken shish kabobs, marinating the chicken in the Greek dressing and then barbeque. You could enjoy the chicken on its own with the salad as a side OR add the salad and chicken to a pita. I have also added whole wheat pasta to the salad to stretch it and add a little more sustenance to it.

Nutrition Info:

In a nutshell, per serving there is approximately 107 calories (based on a ‘full’ fat dressing, not the 'lite' dressing I use), 4 grams of Protein, 6 grams of Carbohydrate and about 8 grams of Fat (more monounsaturated). A good source of vitamin C and A, calcium and potassium! If you would like more details on the nutrition information, please feel free to ask.

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

If you have never tried Tzatziki sauce before, you must! It’s delicious, particularly with Greek dishes. It goes wonderfully with the chicken shish kabobs and Greek quesadillas I mentioned above! It makes a nice summer dip for pita chips or vegetables. You could also add it to the pita Greek wrap I mentioned previously. 

Makes- approximately 1.5 cups

Servings- approximately 24, 1 Tbsp serving

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Non-fat Plain yogurt (could use Greek yogurt for a more creamy texture and added protein! You could also use more or less depending on how much you wish to make)

1 Tbsp fresh Lemon juice

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1-2 cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. fresh Dill, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional- Add finely shredded cucumber

Directions: Simply combine all ingredients. Sauce tastes best after it has chilled for a few hours or the next day.

Nutrition Info:

Per 1 Tbsp serving there is approximately 14 calories, 0.9 grams of Protein, 1.3 grams of Carbohydrate and 0.6 grams of Fat. Good source of calcium. If you would like more details, feel free to ask. 

These recipes and suggested combinations are great for athletes, as they’re a great source of well known antioxidants (vitamins A & C), as well as phytochemicals found in the vegetables, dill and garlic (garlic's phytochemical, may strengthen the immune system), Calcium and the much needed electrolyte, Potassium! Add the chicken shish kabob and you have lean source of protein! If you’re vegetarian, you could add on some chick peas (garbanzo beans) or your other favorite bean.  They’re also simply great summer recipes that won’t get your house overly warm! Great for those watching their weight, since they’re low in calories, fairly low in fat (a good source of healthy fat, especially when using olive oil!) and full of rich nutrients!

I hope you enjoy! Here’s to a Refreshing and Happy Summer!

'Tis the Season for Cross Country

Ahhh there really is nothing like the fall and cross country season. The air slowly begins to become crisp and the reminiscent smell, I don’t think I can even describe that earthy smell! Don’t get me wrong I love track, however, cross country is definitely a lot more fun especially if you enjoy running trails and sprinting on grass. Our cross country team officially begins practices next Monday and we are finishing up our evening camp tomorrow night. I recently returned from the prestigious Eastern States Cross Country Camp where I was a counselor, as well as a speaker for a round robin of sessions. I was thoroughly impressed with this classic camp! It was amazingly well organized for the 230 campers, which was mostly due to returning counselors from year after year after year! Many of these counselors were Millersville University alumni and many had attended the camp as campers years ago! I was one of the very few new counselors of the 40 on staff. In general, we would run in the morning and then again later in the evening. The hot afternoon was filled with 6 different sessions ranging from race prep/visualization, yoga, swimming, plyometrics, weight training, and finally my session on sports nutrition. I also did this nutrition lesson last night at our Marion Center Cross Country camp. Here’s a brief fill-in or re-cap for those of you who attended regarding my nutrition session…

To keep things interesting we started our session off with a Fact OR Myth activity and discussed the statements as we went through the lesson. Here are some of the topics and key points we discussed:

·         The Importance of Nutrition- WHAT and WHEN you eat can most definitely either impair or improve your performance!

·         Energy- We obtain energy from the foods we eat. The ONLY nutrients that can provide us with fuel are carbohydrates, protein and fat. It’s important to understand what our body actually burns for fuel. To know this answer we have to look at the Intensity/Type of exercise and the Duration of the exercise. If we are engaged in explosive anaerobic exercise, such as a sprint, our body will primarily depend on burning carbohydrate for fuel. If we are doing slow, long aerobic exercise, such as running slowly for a long time, our body will burn carbohydrate, but will also be burning fat. Depending on the workout that day, cross country runners will typically be burning both carbohydrates and fat.

·         Carbohydrates- We discussed what foods are rich in carbohydrates (Grains, Fruits, Vegetables and Dairy products). We also discussed what carbohydrates are eventually broken down into, Glucose and what can happen to this blood sugar… how Glucose can be stored as Glycogen in our muscles and liver. Which as cross country runners, we can tap into this Glycogen (stored form of Carbohydrate) during a tough workout that may be intense or during a race.

·         Fat- “Athletes should follow a fat-free diet.” MYTH!! We discussed the importance of fat in the diet AND since fat is energy dense, providing us with more energy than carbohydrates or protein; it’s a great nutrient to include to help us obtain the high amount of calories many of us runners need!

·         Protein- “If you eat a lot of protein, you will build a lot of muscle.” MYTH! We discussed what it takes to gain muscle mass= resistance training and higher amount of calories coming from all nutrients (fat and carbohydrates), not just protein.  What does protein do for us? Protein helps with muscle tissue repair, which is so important after an intense workout or downhill running. Protein also helps build NEW muscle and is important for growing teenagers!

·         Hydration- We discussed the signs of dehydration and how dehydration can impair performance. How can we monitor our hydration? We discussed examining urine color, keeping track of how much fluid you’re consuming and weighing yourself before and after workouts and then replacing what you have lost.

·         Sports Drinks- We discussed what activities are recommended for sports drink consumption. Activities lasting longer than 60 minutes (water is typically sufficient for activities <60 min), activity in hot/humid conditions, during intense workouts (interval workout), and finally as a post-workout drink.

·         Pre-Competition/Workout Nutrition- Carbohydrates (crackers, pretzels, cereal, bread, etc.) are the best foods to consume prior to a workout/race, since they digest quicker than protein and fat.

·         TAKE HOME MESSAGE FROM CAMP: Cross country runners do NOT need to “carb load” or go overboard on pasta the night before a race! X-C runners simply need to top-off their glycogen stores and so a meal that looks like the USDA’s MyPlate would be sufficient. I always tell my runners if you are still hungry later have a bed time snack, such as a small bowl of cereal, or crackers and cheese. Keep in mind, this MyPlate image is what your plate should look like every meal, especially as runners who need to follow a high carbohydrate diet.

·         Post-Competition/Workout Nutrition- “Eating a snack/meal rich in carbohydrate after exercise will help you recover faster and refuel your muscles.” FACT! There is a special timeframe or “window” period to consume a carbohydrate rich snack, which is about 30 minutes after working out. During this time your muscles are better able to “take-up” glucose and store it as glycogen, which has been depleted after a workout. You will have much more energy going into practices and races that are later in the week if you are conscientious about eating something right after a workout! If the snack also has some protein, such as chocolate milk, yogurt, or a smoothie that’s even better to help your muscles repair!

After the lesson athletes broke up into groups and went over cross country/nutrition scenarios and answered questions. 

Nutrition can be one of the simplest factors that you can control and change to help your performance! I was really proud of our cross country athletes this week; they all showed up to camp with a water bottle and carbohydrate snack (granola bar, banana, and cereal)!! 

Good luck to all runners and coaches during this upcoming cross country season!

A Year in Passing and Looking Ahead

Hello readers! I am back and am terribly sorry for leaving you last year! Life got a little crazy for me between immigration, coaching, running, moving into a new home and starting a new job. Here is a little update about what I was up to and the exciting news of what will be happening shortly…. 

A big relief and satisfying moment for me last summer was passing the Registered Dietitian exam. It feels pretty great after having to complete a 4-year degree and 12 month dietetic internship to even be allowed to take the exam! Later on last summer I started teaching at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience, learned a lot and grew personally. I taught a liberal studies course, “Nutrition and Wellness,” which covered not only nutrition, but other aspects and dimensions of wellness. I was teaching full-time in the fall and therefore found it very challenging to be able to run and train for a half marathon (let alone this was my first ‘real’ experience teaching). After the holiday break I was teaching only part-time and found the time to train for the 2011 Pittsburgh Half Marathon. I ran this race the year before and was hoping to break my time of 1:31:58. Unfortunately, I ended up running 6 seconds slower. However, I don’t know what I was expecting to run considering I did the same training for the same amount of time (not even a full year, only 4 months) as I had the year before and they changed the course around. I suppose I should look at it positively and consider consistency a good thing. Of course it was a great experience, a lot of fun and I can’t even describe to you the amount of positive energy you feel from everyone running and cheering you on, which is why I continue to do these races! One aspect I greatly missed in the fall and spring was being unable to help coach cross country and track. Time just wasn’t on my side while I was teaching, but I made a huge effort to make it to the meets to cheer the athletes on!

Looking ahead…

I have always felt that opportunities are what you make of them and that sometimes you have to look outside the box and observe that there are opportunities available if you’re willing to take hold and work! And so, I am very excited to share with you the opportunities that lie ahead for me.

Coaching- This past spring I was hired on as an assistant cross country coach for the team I had been volunteering with over the past few years. I am very, very excited about this position! We have been running our once a week “fun runs” and the athletes have been doing their summer training. We begin our two week cross country camp soon, followed by our summer cross country race and pre-season training. There is nothing like cross country and I am very proud to be working with such a great group of athletes and successful head coach, whom I have been learning a lot from!

Work- I have heard recently that I will be once again teaching “Nutrition and Wellness” at IUP. This was a huge relief considering the proposed budget cuts and financial status of state schools.  I am excited to be teaching again and have learned the areas I need to improve upon, which I will be anxious to see the results of what I change. 

However, the real big news is that I am planning on starting my own private practice! I need to get a few more items in place, but I hope to begin next month! I am quickly learning that it takes money to make money! I finally decided to do this after being contacted by local athletes requesting help with their diet and nutrition. After much deliberation, I felt that there could be a niche for a sports nutritionist in this area, since one does not exist. I always blocked the notion of having my own business, most likely due to the fact that both of my parents have their own businesses and I have seen the high’s and low’s.  I asked myself “why not?” I am feeling both excited and anxious, but see the opportunity! I have an office space in mind. My friends at the Gingerbreadman Running Company  have office space available, which will be a unique and beneficial experience for both businesses! Actually, this past spring I did 3 various sports nutrition talks at the Gingerbreadman store prior to their Thursday night fun run. Hopefully this is something we can continue!  I will keep you all posted on my progress! In the meantime check out the Gingerbreadman Running Co website, you can make purchases on-line! I recommend a Gingerbreadman T-shirt!

Other exciting news is that I will be presenting sports nutrition information and running with cross country runners in a week and a half at the Eastern States Cross Country Camp.  Eastern States Cross Country camp is a premier camp on the east coast, attracting runners from about 7 different states. I am extremely excited about this opportunity since I will be doing two things I love, teaching nutrition and running! I am also excited to meet the camp special guest, U.S.A.  distance standout, James Carney!

I may also be working with both Millersville and Mansfield University cross country teams during their pre-season training. And I am scheduled to present sports nutrition information at the 2012 PIAA State Track and Field Championship Coaches’ and Athletes’ Clinic.

As for my running, I am still setting personal goals. I signed up to run the Corning Wineglass Half Marathon  . This is the first year they are doing a half marathon and I am super pumped about it, since their website states how fast their course is. I would be very happy to break 1:30, but feel a little nervous considering the race is approaching fast!

I will continue to keep you all posted about the upcoming opportunities and of course will continue to blog about nutrition. Keep an eye out this week for the roasted salsa recipe I recently made and with this extreme heat and humidity will be discussing hydration!

Keep active, nourish yourself and set goals!

Green with Envy Soup

Green with envy soup??  I thought this would be a great title since, as you can see from my photo of this avocado soup, it is extremely green and is packed with plenty of healthy nutrients! Who wouldn’t enjoy this yummy soup?!

About two weeks ago, I was watching Good Morning America and they had a segment with two fellas talking about their book, “The 10 Things You Need to Eat.” They were showing recipes made from their book and one of them happened to be avocado soup! I had never even thought of using avocados in soup! The soup looked delicious and when Robin Roberts tried it the look on her face was the look of astonishment. She went on to saying how amazing the soup was. I HAD to make this soup!

If you know anything about cooking, and me you would know that I absolutely LOVE making soups! I love making soup for people too! I’m always trying new soups. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t have a fondness for new and unusual foods. I think he would be content eating pizza for the rest of his life; so, I usually end up making a whole pot of soup for one! I eat leftovers for lunches and freeze the rest. My favorite recipe book for soups is titled “Jill’s Soups” by Jill Wilcox. If you can get your hands on this recipe book, I highly recommend it! Jill is from my hometown, London, Ontario Canada and she even has her own specialty food and kitchen shop, Jill’s Table in London! I love, love, love her store! I go in there and drool over all of the amazing products! Check it out

http://jillstable.ca/

I had a friend over one day when I was making Italian wedding soup and she said she had never made soup before. I could not believe this! She stated that she thought making soup would be, “too hard.” Too hard!! I quickly proclaimed that making soup is the easiest thing you can make! Believe me, it is!! For the most part, you simply add all of your ingredients and let the element do the rest of the cooking!

I had friends asking for this recipe with curiosity, so I thought I would share it with everyone here. I also have quite a few vegetarian and vegan friends, who I know would enjoy this soup! I also thought this would be a nice addition to the blog, maybe once a week with a recipe along with nutrition facts about ingredients from the recipe?! Let me know what you all think of such an idea…

Here we go…

RECIPE:

Avocado Soup

From Anahad O’Connor and Dave Lieberman’s book ‘The 10 Things You Need to Eat’

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=9536043&searchtext=avocado%20soup&criteria=&page=1

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 large leek

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 quart (4 cups) chicken OR vegetable stock

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and mashed

1 lime, juiced*

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch of scallions (green onions), finely chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Trim the root end of the leek, cut off the tough green leaves, cut the leek in half lengthwise, and rinse well to remove any grit. Roughly chop the leek.

Nicole’s Notes: Leeks are extremely dirty and gritty! Be sure to wash them well! As the recipe states you can cut the leek lengthwise, peel away each layer and rinse each layer well. I did it this way when I made this recipe.

 

OR you can simply cut the leek in half (lengthwise) and chop roughly, THEN place all rough cut pieces of the leek in a bowl of cool water. Break the pieces apart; be sure to remove all the dirt. The dirt should sink to the bottom of the bowl and the leek should float to the top. Scoop out the washed leek pieces. DO NOT empty the whole bowl or empty the whole bowl into a colander, as the grit and dirt will follow.

 

*An easy way to juice a lime or a lemon is to “roll” the fruit. Before cutting the lime, roll the fruit on the counter using your palm of your hand. Apply plenty of pressure while doing this. This allows for easier juicing of the lime once you cut it.

Directions Continued: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the leek, celery, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.

Add the bay leaves, stock, coriander, cumin, avocado, and lime juice and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with the chopped scallions and cilantro to taste.

Nicole’s Notes: You can serve this recipe hot or cold. I had it the next day and it tasted even more amazing! There were two things I would have added if I made this soup again… first, I LOVE garlic and so, I would have definitely added a clove or two to the onion, celery and leek mix! The second item that would have been tasty with the soup would have been an ice-cold Corona beer! This soup is perfect for a cold January day; it takes you away to Mexico!

Nutrition Info…

AVOCADOS-

If you have never tried an avocado, you are truly missing out on one of Mother Nature’s divine, creamy, delicious fruits! Yes, avocados are classified as a fruit.

They have a creamy texture and taste slightly bland. They should not taste bitter.

FIRST lesson about avocados: How to choose an avocado?

Avocados have a deep, dark green to brownish purple outer skin. Often, the darker the color of skin, the more ripe the fruit. If you plan on using the avocado right away, choose an avocado that is slightly soft to the touch. Apply a bit of pressure to the avocado or slightly squeeze it, if it feels soft or allows pressure it should be ripe to use right away. If you want to use an avocado later in the week, choose ones that feel firmer and allow them to ripen on your kitchen counter. DO NOT store in the refrigerator; it will not allow them to ripen and can sometimes affect their flavor.

Nutrition and Health Benefits

Like citrus fruits, avocados are grown in Florida and California, or other warm countries such as, Mexico. Believe it or not, there are many, many different varieties of avocados that come in all shapes and sizes. Usually, the most common avocado you may see in your local supermarket is the Hass avocado, but you may see other varieties. Check out this link to view the array of avocado varieties. http://www.avocado.org/about/varieties

A fruit that contains fat?!

Yes, avocados do contain fat. However, they contain more ‘healthful’ fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (often referred to as the “good” fats), which have greater health benefits than saturated fats. Saturated fats are typically found in animal products and meats, whereas monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetables and some fruits like avocados. Athletes and non-athletes alike, NEED fat in their diet! No one should exclude fat completely from his or her diet! Fat is needed for fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K, as well as carotenoids. The 2005 American Dietary Guidelines, recommend that adults consume 20-35% of their total daily calories from fat with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (1). The guidelines also recommend that adults consume less than 10% of their total daily calories from saturated fats (1).

Reference:

1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. Chapter 6: Fats. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGPolicyDocument.pdf. Accessed January 25, 2010.

 

Plenty of Vitamins and Minerals!

A great aspect about the healthy fat-containing fruit, avocados, are that they contain about 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients including, vitamin E & C, folate, fiber, iron, potassium, lutein (which is important for eye health, since it is an anti-oxidant), and beta-carotene (2). Avocados also contain a plant sterol called beta-sitosterol, “which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels” (2).  Overall, avocados are an excellent fruit to add to your diet since they are a “nutrient dense” food! A “nutrient dense” food is a food that contains few calories, but contains a considerable amount of excellent nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber!

Reference:

2. California Avocado Commission. (2010). Nutrition. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.avocado.org/healthy-living/nutrition

Source: Avocado Nutrition Fact Label, California Avocado Commission. (2010). Nutrition. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.avocado.org/healthy-living/nutrition 

For more information, please check out these links:

Hass Avocado Board http://www.avocadocentral.com/

California Avocado Commission http://www.avocado.org/

How to Use Avocados:

I often purchase a bag of about 4 or 5 avocados or the grocery store sometimes offers a deal, such as 4 for $5. I find different ways to use and eat avocados. My favorite way to eat avocados is homemade guacamole (see my recipe below)! Add cut pieces of avocado to salads, wraps, or sandwiches. Or simply enjoy eating cut pieces of avocado alone!           

Nicole’s Guacamole Recipe-

Guacamole is one of the simplest, quickest, easiest snacks to make, especially if you are entertaining!

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed

1 large or 2 medium-small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

½ lemon, juiced (OR Lime)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sometimes, I add fresh-diced tomato and onion.

Mix all ingredients in a small-medium bowl or container. To store for later use, use an airtight container and refrigerate. Once the avocado has been cut and exposed to the air, it can brown, just as other fruit would (apples). Lemon or lime juice is added to prevent ‘browning’ of the avocado.

For more amazing avocado recipes check out:

http://www.avocado.org/recipes

http://www.avocadocentral.com/recipes-and-entertaining

LEEKS

Leeks are part of the onion family. Like most dark green vegetables, leeks are packed with plenty of essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, A, C, and B6, folate, manganese and iron (3).  Of course like all fruits and vegetables it’s a good source of fiber.

Reference:

3. NutritionData.com. (2009). Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2470/2

Check out:

“Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Leeks”

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=8433

Everyone should aim to consume more fruits and vegetables in their diet, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables! They are low in total calories and packed with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. It is well known that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important for health and disease prevention, particularly cancer preventative due to fruits and vegetables antioxidant content.

How are you consuming fruits and vegetables?

The Stupendous, Surprising, Super, Sunshine Vitamin!

Over the last few weeks, here in Western Pennsylvania, the weather has been rather typical January weather, with plenty of snow and miserable cloud covered days. However, today, and over the last few days, it has been a complete 360 as far as the weather goes. With the feeling of spring and the sun shining gloriously, it has been a true delight for everyone! For myself, it has meant being able to run outside, opposed to trudging on the infamous winter “dreadmill,” which got me thinking about my absolute favorite vitamin!

Do you know what vitamin I am talking about? If you did not catch the clue above, this vitamin is somehow associated with the sun….

I hope you said VITAMIN D! If you didn’t know this or you don’t know much about vitamin D, I am very, very excited to introduce you to the amazing world of vitamin D!

Perhaps, some of you have been hearing a lot about vitamin D recently in the news? If you have not heard about vitamin D, I think you may be living under a rock! If you are wondering why I am so “hyped up” about vitamin D, it’s because there has been a lot of new and exciting research coming out about vitamin D. I suppose you could say my fondness and growing affection for vitamin D began over a year ago thanks to my mentor and professor of the “dreaded course,” DUN, DUN, DUN… vitamins and minerals. Which, is one of the hardest and most challenging nutrition graduate courses (ask any dietitian), however, this professor did an excellent job of challenging her students and intrigued her students with her enthusiasm for vitamin D. I don’t know about my peers, but I was excited to learn more about vitamin D.

Some of you may be asking: “Why is vitamin D often referred to as the ‘sunshine vitamin?’”

Believe it or not, simply exposing your skin to the sun’s UVB rays can form vitamin D! This may sound simple, however the process, of course, is much more complex… Your skin absorbs the sun’s UVB rays this causes 7-dehydrocholestrol (found in your epidermis and dermis) to convert into previtamin D3 (1). From here the previtamin D3 is further converted into vitamin D3 due to the heat from the rays (1). This all occurs in your skin! However, vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol is NOT the Active form of vitamin D responsible for crucial roles in the body (2).  Vitamin D3 has to go through further steps or metabolism to become the active form of vitamin D! It has to go through the liver and then the kidneys before it’s converted to the active form of vitamin D: calcitriol (1).  Vitamin D consumed in the diet, either as ergocalciferol/vitamin D2 or as cholecalciferol/ vitamin D3, is broken down and absorbed with fat (vitamin D is a FAT soluble vitamin) (2). From here the dietary vitamin D  MUST also travel to the liver and then the kidneys for the active form, calcitriol, to become available for important roles in the body (2).

What does vitamin D do? Why is it important?

In a nutshell, vitamin D’s (the active form: calcitriol) main role is to help manage levels of calcium in your blood and also helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus (2).  This is how vitamin D plays a role in bone health! If a child were to become deficient in vitamin D, it could affect and impair their bone growth and could potentially lead to rickets (weak, soft bones) (2). If an adult were to become deficient in vitamin D, it could also affect their bone health and potentially lead to osteoporosis (2). 

Interestingly, there has been recent research that has shown that vitamin D (calcitriol) may be able to prevent other chronic diseases such as, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, breast, prostate, and colon caners, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis (3).  Dr. Michael Holick summarized, “Investigators have recognized that living at higher latitudes and thus being prone to vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of dying of many common cancers, of developing several autoimmune disorders including type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, and developing hypertension and cardiovascular heart disease” (pp. 392) (1). 

I personally believe this is great reason for getting excited about vitamin D! However, I do believe more research needs to be done.

If you are interested in what diseases vitamin D research has been conducted on check out the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health’s Medline Plus website about Vitamin D. They have given ‘grades’ to research of vitamin D on various diseases. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitamind.html

I also highly recommend that you listen to the CBC radio’s Quirks & Quarks program titled “The Vitamin D Miracle Cure.” There are also great links there about vitamin D.

http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/07-08/jun07.html

How much exposure do I need from the sun to make vitamin D?

According to many health professionals and texts the recommended exposure is 10-15 minutes everyday (2, 3, 4).  However, wearing sunscreen will prevent the skin from making vitamin D (1, 3). Without wearing sunscreen for 15 minutes, exposing your face and hands should be adequate if you have light colored skin. If you have dark colored skin the recommendation for sun exposure is doubled at 30 minutes, due to skin melanin content (4).  There are other factors that can limit production of vitamin D via the sun such as, the season (ex. Winter months), time of day, and latitude (ex. northern hemisphere, north of 42 degrees) (1). Interestingly, researchers and health professionals are finding that even those living in southern states may be deficient in vitamin D. For example, Jacobs et al. (2008) concluded, “Despite residing in a region with high chronic sun exposure, adults in southern Arizona are commonly deficient in vitamin D, particularly blacks and Hispanics (abstract). Another group at risk is elderly adults. As we age we have a decreased ability to make vitamin D when exposed to the sun’s UVB rays (1). 

How much vitamin D do I need?

The following are the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for vitamin D, which include the Adequate Intake (AI) and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL). (These do not account for vitamin D made by exposure to sunlight, only dietary sources.)

	Age (years)	AI (micrograms/day) (IU/day)	UL (microgramsg/day) (IU/day)
Men & Women	19-50	5  (200 IU)	25 (1000 IU)
Men & Women	51-70	10 (400 IU)	50 (2000 IU)
Men & Women	> 70	15 (600 IU)	50 (2000 IU)
Pregnant & Lactation	< 18 19-50	5 (200 IU)	5o (2000 IU)

(1, 2)

About 2 cups of milk (fortified with vitamin D) per day would provide you with 5 micrograms or 200 IU (2).

With much recent research, many health professionals are recommending people consume much higher amounts of vitamin D than the recommended amounts (1).  The position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance (2009) also acknowledge this point, “A growing number of experts advocate that the RDA for vitamin D is not adequate.”

Dr. Michael Holick, a renowned researcher in the field of vitamin D recommends and states the following, “Sensible exposure to sunlight during the spring, summer, and fall can satisfy most of our vitamin D requirement. In the absence of sun exposure, 1000 IU/day of vitamin D is effective in maintaining 25(OH)D levels in what is considered to be a healthy range” (pp. 393) (1).

As with other vitamins and minerals there is a thing called “too much” or toxicity! That is why there is the tolerable upper intake level for people to follow. I realize the UL is 1000 to 2000 IU for most individuals, yet many researchers and health professionals are recommending people consume the UL of 1000 IUs! Dr. Michael Holick writes, “Although the safe upper limit (UL) for vitamin D intake for children and adults was recommended to be 2000 IU/day by the Food and Nutrition Board, mounting evidence indicates that levels greater than 10,000 IU/day of vitamin D are more likely to cause vitamin D intoxication” (pp. 392) (1).

I highly recommend if you are interested in more information and research regarding vitamin D that you check out Dr. Holick’s website:

http://www.vitamindhealth.org/

Dr. Holick is also a very informative and entertaining speaker, so I recommend that you check out a presentation by him:

Vitamin D and Prevention of Chronic Diseases- Presentation by Dr. Michael Holick 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0

What are some sources of vitamin D besides sun exposure?

Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of foods rich in vitamin D, but thanks to fortification we do have some good sources of vitamin D (2).

Fortified Sources (be sure to read the food label) (2,3):

Milk

Cereals

Some margarine

Fortified yogurts

Fortified orange juice

Fortified soymilk

Natural Sources (2,3):

Fish oils

Salmon (especially canned with bones)

Sardines

Herring

Egg Yolks

Liver

If you want to know how much vitamin D (along with other nutrients, vitamins, and minerals) is in your favorite foods check out the following link:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Simply enter the name of the food in the search box and a list will appear. Choose the food that best match your food and hit submit at the bottom. Then enter the amount you eat or ate and hit submit. The nutrition information will appear for your food.

Am I at risk for being deficient in vitamin D? And what about athletes?

There are certain individuals who may be at a greater risk of being deficient in vitamin D, but before I continue on, if you are concerned about your vitamin D status and are interested in supplementing your diet with vitamin D, you should consult your primary physician first or a Registered Dietitian (RD)! The following are individuals and athletes, who may be at risk of being deficient of vitamin D:

• Indoor athletes- athletes who train indoors throughout the year, such as gymnasts and figure skaters are at risk, especially if they do not consume foods rich in vitamin D (3, 5).
• Allergies/Lactose Intolerant individuals- if someone is allergic to foods rich in vitamin D or those who are lactose intolerant to dairy foods rich in vitamin D (3).
• Geographic location- Individuals who live at northern latitudes (1, 5).
• Diet- individuals consuming fewer calories or restricting calories (3, 4).
• Vegans- who does not consume any animal products may be deficient in vitamin D as well as other important vitamins and minerals (3).
• Older Adults- remember above I mentioned how it becomes harder for older adults to be able to synthesize vitamin D from the sun. Also, older adults often consume fewer calories (3).

Obviously good bone health is imperative for athletes to be able to perform at their sport! Along with all of the new and exciting research about vitamin D and various chronic diseases, I hope you are now as excited as I am about vitamin D! Be sure to get some sun and foods rich in vitamin D daily! Hopefully this gives you some good reason to get outside and be active!

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed medical practitioner. The content expressed are my views, opinions and thoughts. I make concerted effort to use and reference scientific and evidence-based information and research. Before changing your diet or exercise regime you should speak to your primary physician. If you are interested in taking vitamin or mineral supplements you should consult your primary physician. The information expressed is for your pleasure and interest, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.

REFERENCES:

1. Holick, M.F. (2006). Vitamin D. In Shils, M.E., Shike, M., Ross, A.C., Caballero, B., & Cousins, R.J (Eds.), Modern nutrition in health and disease (10^th ed.) (pp. 376-395). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

2. Hedrick Fink, H., Burgoon, L. A., & Mikesky, A. E. (2009). Practical applications in sports nutrition (2^nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

3. Clark, N. (2008). Nancy clark’s sports nutrition guidebook (4^th ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

4. Dunford, M (Ed.). (2006). Sports nutrition a practice manual for professionals (4^th ed.). Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association.

5. Position of the American dietetic association, dietitians of Canada, and the American college of sports medicine. (2009). Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(3), 509-527.

Links for more information:

http://www.vitamindhealth.org/

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitamind.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002405.htm

Vitamin D

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6795

Vitamin Needs of Athletes

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=7087

UW research finds athlete vitamin D levels wobbly; general public probably worse

http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news/Vitamin_D.asp

Phys Ed: Can Vitamin D Improve Your Athletic Performance?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/phys-ed-can-vitamin-d-improve-your-athletic-performance/

Vitamin D and Prevention of Chronic Diseases- Presentation by Dr. Michael Holick 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0