Sunday Supplement: Vitamin D

Welcome to my new weekly supplemental. Every Sunday I’ll be featuring an important vitamin and the reasons why it may be vital to your health.

Vitamin D: Immune System Superstar

I’m not pretending to be an authority on the subject – that I’ll leave for the experienced professionals. Although I have an interest in health, I can at least share some knowledge I’ve gained from these experts. Some of them I know personally, and all agree that Vitamin “D” is of ultimate importance, especially right now with Covid. I’ve done my own research too. What I’ve found out is that most people are deficient in Vitamin D and even if you eat really well, there are some vitamins (D being one of them) that you cannot create enough of from food alone.

D boosts the immune system and protects against respiratory infections. However, it is found in few foods and the body only replenishes its stocks through sunlight on the skin.

Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a primary risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection and death. Higher vitamin D levels have even been shown to lower your risk of testing positive for the virus in the first place. According to a Spanish study, 82.2% of COVID-19 patients tested were found to be deficient in vitamin D.

Dark skin color, increased age, pre-existing chronic conditions and vitamin D deficiency are all features of severe COVID disease. Of these, vitamin D deficiency is the only factor that is modifiable. As such, it would be foolish to ignore, especially since vitamin D supplements are readily available and low cost.

*The Scottish Government is giving out free vitamin D supplements to the most vulnerable to help boost their immune system. People who have been shielding are to be sent a four-month supply to compensate for a lack of natural sunlight. (see link below).

So I’ve upped my intake to 5,000 UIs a day in the winter months (some take more). In the summer I take 1000 – 3000 UIs depending on how sunny it is. Most medical doctors will suggest 400 UIs is enough. However over a dozen research studies completed in 2020 alone show that we need at least ten times that amount to get optimum immune system benefits.

We already know that Vitamin D is good for a variety of illnesses and disorders such as depression (no surprise here – sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. Oh; you too?), hypertension, Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, oral health, inflammation…

The point being there’s tons and tons of research out there. I’ve narrowed it down to some choice statements taken from various sites.

**Dr. Michael Holick, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine and colleagues studied blood samples of more than 190,000 Americans from all 50 US states and found those with deficient levels of vitamin D had 54% higher COVID positivity compared to those with adequate blood levels of vitamin D. The study was published in PLoS (the Public Library of Science One) peer-reviewed journal. Many people are vitamin D-deficient because there are only small amounts in food, Holick said.

For the Top 25 Vitamin D Publications in 2020 go to:

https://orthomolecular.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=4c5bde74a8f110656874902f07378009.186&s=f4d21263462859c8c606dca185b7c0f9

*Sunday Times UK – Coronavirus in Scotland: Vulnerable will receive vitamin D supplements:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-in-scotland-vulnerable-will-receive-vitamin-d-supplements-zc8stdpkh

**Boston Herald article – how vitamin D can help reduce coronavirus by 54%:

https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/09/17/vitamin-d-can-help-reduce-coronavirus-risk-by-54-boston-university-doctor/?fbclid=IwAR10nEx2rkGO0BiXUPdcctC-WdKzXGFw8rcs4RNPGcXhvaGI6hWApTjLbLY

Out of curiosity, how much Vitamin D do you take regularly?

Health + LifeStyle

2021 here we come

Okay let’s be real; 2020 sucked Big time!

Leap Year
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves – Bill Vaughan (American columnist and author). Is it possible to be both an optimist and a pessimist? I think in this case it is.

It’s already 2021 Somewhere

Here are some things to consider as we get ready to close the door on one of the most horrible years of our lifetime:

The dumbest thing we could have ever bought was a 2020 planner.

The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house & their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!

Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas should be reserved for quarantine and bedtime (even though I’ve actually worn mine under a coat – but only on occasion. I mean, who’s looking?).

This virus has done what no woman has been able to do. Cancel sports, shut down all bars & keep men at home!

I never thought the comment, “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a 6-foot pole” would become a national policy, but here we are!

I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator. You too?

I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to the Backyard. I’m getting tired of the Living Room.

Never in a million years could I have imagined going up to a bank teller wearing a mask to ask for money.

While we’re on the subject…

Regardless of whether you are FOR or AGAINST masks, FOR or AGAINST social distancing, FOR or AGAINST shutting down the entire economy, FOR or AGAINST the vaccine, FOR or AGAINST being able to meet with a few healthy friends or even healthy family members, FOR or AGAINST the mainstream media, our governments and even the medical establishment not even uttering a single word about the importance of maintaining a robust immune system through proper diet, supplementation (hello vitamin D), exercise, stress-reduction, etc., we are quickly falling down a rabbit hole with no end in sight.

My brother Brad King (health + nutritional expert) added…

You are the only ones who can make a difference in your overall health – YOU! Stop living in a constant state of reaction and start becoming proactive. If you sit on your behind and expect your health to be taken care of for you, you are sadly mistaken.

Wake up, move your body, eat some healthy food, stop watching so much negative news, smile more (yes even with a mask on), breath some fresh air (please don’t say you wear a mask when you’re out hiking or taking a walk outside), expose your skin to real sunlight (obviously never get burned), sleep deeply and love with all your heart.

Here’s to a much, much better 2021 and beyond. Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Health + LifeStyle

Vitamins to help boost your Immune System

In light of all this pandemic panic we can use a little humour:

However on a more serious note:

I, like countless others am staying put right now. Of course I’m still walking my dogs outdoors and I have gone to yoga (with my own mat) but for the most part avoiding social interactions as much as humanly possible. Taking the COVID-19 situation more seriously now especially since I’m still in California, planning to make my way back to Vancouver very soon. So many events are cancelled. It takes something really major to cancel popular sporting events, parties and music festivals. Many businesses have already begun to suffer. Hope we get back to some normalcy soon. Only time will tell, for better or for worse.

Until then, trying to stay healthy with a morning tea concoction of fresh squeezed organic lemon, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, apple cider vinegar + organic raw honey. It’s delicious. Followed by a cup of coffee with added cinnamon to the grounds. This incorporates some of the super spices. Mid morning I usually make a smoothie using frozen organic blueberries or açaí, half a banana, fresh (or frozen) ginger, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, topped with organic unsweetened almond or coconut milk, 3 Tbsp. of organic whey protein (grass fed bought at market) + a little turmeric powder. It’s the best! Taking lots of vitamins too and trying to get plenty of rest. Emphasis on trying.

**My lineup** includes **Super Omega-3**, **Ester-C,** Advanced **Turmeric** (because I broke 2 fingers), **Mega B** **complex**, **Vitamin D3**, **L-Lysine**, Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes, **Probiotic** (has Prebiotics from Inulin), Extend-Release **Magnesium**. Layla + Jia Jia are stress releasers (*sometimes* *not* so). Not shown: ***Leaf** **Source** + ****Samuraw** **Organic** **complete** *but only because I’m out*.

Other recommended supplements to help boost your immune system: Quercetin, N-A-C (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine) to treat respiratory issues such as bronchitis – an amino precursor to glutathione, and 2 grams of Vitamin C per day.

What’s the difference between an Epidemic and a Pandemic

An epidemic is defined as “an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time.” A pandemic is a type of epidemic (one with greater range and coverage), an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. While a pandemic may be characterized as a type of epidemic, you would not say that an epidemic is a type of pandemic.

Epidemic is a term that is often broadly used to describe any problem that has grown out of control such as an event in which a disease is actively spreading. In contrast, the term pandemic relates to geographic spread and is used to describe a disease that affects a whole country or the entire world.

Even so, it doesn’t do much good to panic….unless of course, you test positive for the virus. And even then, your survival rate depending on factors of age and overall health are not dire.

Wishing you a weekend of wellness. Let’s keep our fingers crossed (and washed) that this terrible virus will go away in short order.

I recommend the two products below available online and in select health stores. Full disclosure: both are formulated by my brother Brad King. Aside from him being my brother, you should know that I believe these are excellent quality products and would take them regardless.

*Leaf Source: The world’s cleanest + most powerful humic – fulvic acid complex. Find out more at: https://leafsource.com/

**SAMURAW NUTRITION: the very first truly natural 100% whole food derived multi-vitamin/mineral/probiotic. Available at: https://www.samuraw.com/

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Health + LifeStyle

SAMURAW; you complete me

First off, I’m not a vitamin fanatic.

I have a fairly clean vitamin protocol and don’t go overboard with what I believe is not necessary. I like to simplify my life with not having too many bottles of vitamins (many of which I end up forgetting to take) take up too much of my sought after shelf space. However, I do believe in adding some indispensables because it’s almost impossible to eat a complete balanced daily diet. Even if you think you are; you are not.

Which brings me to my latest addiction…SAMURAW organic complete. It’s easy because all you have to do is add one scoop to pretty much anything. It has no taste therefore it doesn’t compete with anything else you drink such as juice or smoothies. It’s almost impossible to believe how many vitamins/minerals is in one little scoop. I’m proud of my brother Brad King for having formulated this product.

It was first formulated with children in mind because it’s so hard to get them to take anything. So now there’s an adult version ~~thankfully for us adults who never grow up~~ and I’m really happy about that. Just had to share the wealth of wellness.

And if that’s not enough, here’s another testimonial from none other that Dr. John Gray; Author of the famous best selling book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zft5kR5zgXE

Website: https://www.samuraw.com/

Health + LifeStyle

Self-care: Pilates Plus

So I finally broke down and joined the club

Machines they call **PROformers**. d. king

The club with those scary machines. The kind that come with interchangeable spring loads and all kinds of kinky ropes and gadgets that are supposed to whip you into shape. It’s quite intimidating. At least at first. It’s been a month now and I’ve only missed a couple of days. I did a class called Ass & Abs which is slightly above my level of expertise and now I’m sore. But it’s a good sore. The sore where I can feel my muscles….it’s a start. I’m not aiming to have a six-pack exactly…I’m looking to tone, strengthen, have more flexibility and improve my balance. Oh hell who am I kidding. I want ABS dammit!

Pilates Plus in Palm Springs has three rotating instructors; all excellent in different ways. They watch you and they will never let you get away with doing things incorrectly. Believe me; I know! I’ve been reprimanded more than once. I must say the non-stop 50 minute workout goes by very quickly and in all honesty I’m hooked now. Hooked on a feeling….and the reality of liking what I’m beginning to notice. Also, my eating habits are getting lighter too ~~except for last night when I ate a lobster roll at Dead or Alive wine bar~~. But the key to Life is Balance.

Before this I did mat Pilates on occasion. Here’s a bit of history:

Pilates was created in the 1930s by Joseph Pilates and quickly became popular among dancers as a method of training and rehabilitation. There’s no denying that Pilates offers some great health benefits. Included is core strength and stability, improved posture and balance, flexibility, and the prevention and treatment of back pain.

Pilates on a Mat vs. Pilates using a Reformer

Pilates allows you to work your muscle groups with no impact on joints. It also works your precise, small muscles in controlled ways. The machines are the basis of a core-burning workout that blends Pilates, cardio and strength training.

The simplest way to do Pilates exercises is on a mat. The more challenging and effective way is on a reformer, a device which uses pulleys and springs to create the resistance that’s impossible to generate by simply using the body.

What about weight loss?

Weight loss is a result of creating a calorie deficit whereby you eat fewer calories than you burn and then you drop pounds. Now in some cases, hormones and other metabolic factors come into play, but the primary driver of weight loss is calories in versus calories out.

Pilates Reformer is a great exercise for core and it can help you burn calories, but maybe not as much as certain other activities. And, like any movement, how many calories you do burn depends on how long your session lasts, the intensity of the session, your ability (if it’s new for you, you’re likely to work harder and burn more calories) and your size. So it’s best to do a mix of some cardio like biking, running, swimming, hiking, fast paced walking combined with pilates and/or yoga.

Yes; it’s work indeed. But well worth it because your body is a machine. One that you want to make sure is in tip-top working order. So she says!

In Vancouver I’m going to source out a couple of studios. I already belong to a gym close to home that offers varied daily yoga classes and mat pilates with good instructors. And truth be told, if it’s not within close walking distance to where I live, I probably won’t go.

How about you? Have you tried the reformer, proformer or megaformer? What are your parameters for working out and how often?

Health + LifeStyle

Healthy Breakfast Bowl – Açaí

Açaí (pronounced Ahh…Sigh….E) is like a slightly thicker smoothie in a bowl which you eat instead of drink.

Photo: d. king taken at Palm Greens Cafe in Palm Springs – $13

I only recently jumped onto the Acai bowl bandwagon. After sampling a few delicious but costly breakfast bowls I decided to make my own.

I’m sure you’ve seen Acai pop up places here and there and maybe wondered what this mysterious name is all about. Actually it has been around forever. When I lived in Brazil I was lucky to find out about super fruits such as this along with Guarana and Acerola which were foreign to me at the time. It just took longer for a lot of North Americans to find out.

Açaí is a palm tree from South American that produces these small edible blackish-purple berries which are loaded with antioxidants (similar to blueberries) with many potential health benefits. They also deliver good-for-you fats and fiber, making them an overall generally healthy food.

Because of global demand for the berries, the tree is now cultivated for this purpose. Unfortunately you won’t be able to find fresh berries. Quality products are shock frozen right after harvesting to preserve as many nutrients as possible. Also, you shouldn’t find any additives or sweeteners in it. I recently bought a bag of frozen unsweetened organic acai puree (four packets in one bag) at Trader Joes for less than $5. Apparently it’s easy to find them at your local health food store.

Photo: d. king – the acai is underneath. For this one I used mango & blueberries.

Photo: d. king – when you mix it up it looks like this.

INGREDIENTS for one:

1 package (100g) unsweeteted Acai puree, frozen

1/2 cup of your favorite granola or muesli (with nuts, raisins and seeds)

½ banana

1 cup mixed fresh fruit

1/2 cup goat milk *kefir (or yogurt)

½ cup coconut milk (optional)

1 tablespoon honey

Sprinkling of cinnamon (I also added some roasted cocoa nibs and extra unsweetened coconut chips).

Take the packet of frozen Acai and run it under warm water for a few minutes, then break it up into a bowl. Or if you have a blender like a Vitamix you can put it directly into that either alone or with some coconut water or milk, then stir and put into your bowl.

Then add granola, fruit and toppings. That’s it!

You can thank me later

*Kefir is a fermented milk drink similar in look and taste to a thin yogurt that is made with a yeast and bacterial fermentation starter of kefir grains. The drink originated in Eastern Europe and Russia. Goat Kefir is supposed to be easier on digestion.

I’ve been using Kefir instead of yogurt in smoothies for over a year now.

Health + LifeStyle

Feel-good Friday: Desert Bloom

Feeling really inspired, full of life, more nurtured and on my way to becoming more fit. You could say I’m beginning to blossom again (ha,ha). Well that’s how I feel right now. And right now is where I want to be…in the moment.

Could have something to do with being in the desert, the sunshine and noticing the desert flowers starting to bloom. Even since one week ago they’ve become so much more noticeable. If you look between the cracks you can find beauty.

And I’m enjoying hiking around Palm Springs. There are many varied hiking areas, however these photos were taken on two recent hikes in an area where I can walk to from my place. In that regard I feel very lucky. Another beautiful sight on my last hike was seeing for the first time a large family of big horn sheep. They sprinkle the mountain white.

It appears that everything is starting to flourish for Spring. It’s at least a positive force and a force of nature – not to be messed with.

Selfie – a few days ago with Ramona & Alex.

So on that note…I leave you with a few quotes to contemplate over the weekend:

There is only “one” you in the bunch. Photo: d. king

I like this quote but I’m staying on the trail. I don’t mind losing myself but I don’t want to get lost completely.

These guys certainly make their own way and their own rules. They’ve even disrupted some of the paths but they were here before us so that’s ok.

Photo: Tammy Preast – Josie Johnson Vista

**Tammy is an inspiration** – she even has a hiking guide book so you can say she goes by the book so to speak. Plus she’s super fit. Photo: d. king

Trying to keep on top of things. Photo: Ramona

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND

Girl Who Would be King, Health + LifeStyle

Healthy Alternative: Homemade Coconut Milk

I’ve been pouring store bought coconut milk over granola, oatmeal and adding it in place of water to smoothies for a looooong time. That’s before I knew how so much more delicious and easy it is to make my own. Trust me, bought coconut milk does not compare to homemade. It’s great for smoothies, but after making your own you’ll realize how watery it is in comparison because they use more water to coconut ratio. I prefer coconut over almond milk. It’s my tropical side coming out.

When you make your own it’s almost like cracking open a fresh coconut. Really!

Ingredients (for about 3 cups)

2 cups shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut
3-4 cups water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk!)
Pinch salt
Add optional: 1 Tbsp maple syrup, ½ tsp. vanilla extract or scrape half a vanilla bean for added sweetness. fyi: I have not added any extras so far

Instructions

Add coconut, 3 cups of hot (not boiling) water, pinch of salt (I like himalayan), and any additional add-ins (optional) to a high-speed blender. Top with lid and cover with a towel to ensure it doesn’t splash. Blend for about 2 minutes or until the mixture seems well combined.
Pour the mixture through a sieve over a large mixing bowl. Save pulp for smoothies, baked goods or add it to oatmeal. You won’t waste any and it gives added coconut taste.
Transfer to a sealed container or glass bottle and refrigerate. Will keep in the refrigerator for about one week. Shake before use, as it can separate in the refrigerator (due to no preservatives!). Some recommend squeezing the milk through a cheese cloth after using sieve but I didn’t need to do this.

FOR COFFEE LOVES (like me)

And if you want to go one step further try making your own coconut milk creamer. I’ve been using So Good fat free Coconut Milk Creamer with French Vanilla which works really well to sweeten up coffee instead of adding sugar. But I can’t find it easily in Vancouver and I’ve tried all the other brands which don’t compare in my opinion. I still like sweetener (that’s not gonna change) so I’m now making my own.

Homemade Coconut Milk Creamer

Homemade coconut milk creamer for coffee is also super easy to make. All you need is quality coconut milk and a healthy sweetener like honey and natural vanilla extract. Full fat coconut milk contains the healthy medium chain fats that are in coconut oil.

Ingredients:

1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
4 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Blend the coconut milk, sweetener of choice and vanilla extract together until the creamer is mixed well.
Pour desired amount into your coffee or tea and store the remaining creamer in the refrigerator.
Make sure to shake the creamer well before using. Enjoy! This creamer will be good for up to two weeks.

Sooooo Good!

Girl Who Would be King, Health + LifeStyle

Self-care: take this!

I always thought of self care as more than mud masks and bubble baths.

It really is a total package encompassing mind/body/spirit + other life essentials. So when I saw this article from another website it was only fitting to share it with you. Because life is simple and complicated at the same time. We need to focus on what needs to be fixed on the outside in order to feel good on the inside. I’m not the only one who thinks this way.

Self-care is often a very unbeautiful thing – by Brianna Wiest: thoughtcatalog.com

It is making a spreadsheet of your debt and enforcing a morning routine and cooking yourself healthy meals and no longer just running from your problems and calling the distraction a solution.

It is often doing the ugliest thing you have to do, like sweat through another workout or tell a toxic friend you don’t want to see them anymore or get a second job so you can have a savings account or figure out a way to accept yourself so that you’re not constantly exhausted from trying to be everything, all the time and then needing to take deliberate, mandated breaks from living to do basic things like drop some oil into a bath and read Marie Claire and turn your phone off for the day.

A world in which self-care has to be such a trendy topic is a world that is sick. Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely exhausted that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure.

True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.

And that often takes doing the thing you least want to do.

It often means looking your failures and disappointments square in the eye and re-strategizing. It is not satiating your immediate desires. It is letting go. It is choosing new. It is disappointing some people. It is making sacrifices for others. It is living a way that other people won’t, so maybe you can live in a way that other people can’t.

It is letting yourself be normal. Regular. Unexceptional. It is sometimes having a dirty kitchen and deciding your ultimate goal in life isn’t going to be having abs and keeping up with your fake friends. It is deciding how much of your anxiety comes from not actualizing your latent potential, and how much comes from the way you were being trained to think before you even knew what was happening.

The act of self-care has become yet another thing women are expected to be good at. Did you use the right filter for that ‘gram of your impeccably prepared acai bowl? Are the candles you just lit in your Snap story made from organic hand-poured soy or are they that mass-produced factory shit? And how can we stem the inevitable capitalist tide from turning something as simple as self-care into yet another thing to be bought and sold? These are all things I wrestle with as I order Dominos in sweatpants under the guise of ‘being good to myself.’ – Amil Niazi

If you find yourself having to regularly indulge in consumer self-care, it’s because you are disconnected from actual self-care, which has very little to do with “treating yourself” and a whole lot do with parenting yourself and making choices for your long-term wellness.

It is no longer using your hectic and unreasonable life as justification for self-sabotage in the form of liquor and procrastination. It is learning how to stop trying to “fix yourself” and start trying to take care of yourself… and maybe finding that taking care lovingly attends to a lot of problems you were trying to fix in the first place.

It means being the hero of your life, not the victim. It means rewiring what you have until your everyday life isn’t something you need therapy to recover from. It is no longer choosing a life that looks good over a life that feels good. It is giving the hell up on some goals so you can care about others. It is being honest even if that means you aren’t universally liked. It is meeting your own needs so you aren’t anxious and dependent on other people.

It is becoming the person you know you want and are meant to be. Someone who knows that salt baths and chocolate cake are ways to enjoy life – not escape from it.

Well said! Who else agrees?

Girl Who Would be King, Health + LifeStyle

Self Care: Dinner for One

I’m slowly getting back to some of the usual happy rituals that make my day complete. One is the enjoyment of cooking dinner.

Broccolini with shaved Vermont cheddar, baby potatoes & wild sockeye salmon with salsa verde (Botanica recipe posted on October 17th – absolutely delicious).

Over dinner (many times accompanied by a glass of wine) along with pleasant music playing in the background, there is conversation. Which means normally there’s another person to converse with. Someone who can talk about pretty much…anything, which makes the ritual that more gratifying. Of course I talk to the dogs but it’s not the same. They’re really not up on current affairs, however they’re very good listeners.

So it has taken me at least two months to get back into some kind of norm of cooking only for myself. It’s not that I don’t have the inclination to invite someone else to join me, it’s just that I feel the time has come to look after me, in the same way I used to do for two. So I went grocery shopping and thoughtfully put together a proper dinner, taking time to do so, incorporating healthful ingredients. And I enjoyed every bite. By myself.

I’m not gonna lie; I much prefer dinner for two. But there is something to having a routine even if it’s only meant for one. It brings meaning to everyday living. And besides, I enjoyed the company. Maybe next time I’ll try taking myself out on a date!

But really; looking after ourselves is as important as looking after another. Even if it’s not as much fun.

How about you? Do you take the time to make a nice meal just for yourself?

Wine + Dinner = Winner (image: d. king)