256 278
HEALTH&FITNESS
256
April15
Low levels of vitamin D have been connected not only with
osteoporosis, autoimmunity diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis,
rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, but also with metabolic
syndrome, the cluster of conditions that predispose us to diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.
So we’re lucky to live near the Equator, right?
We are. Year-round sunshine is one of our best assets here in the tropics,
and it’s free! Unfortunately, though, most of us don’t take advantage of
that fact, and we don’t get nearly enough sunshine.
Our lifestyle is partly to blame: we’re in the car or on the train, we sit
all day in an office, and by the time we leave the office it’s 6pm or later
and the sun is going down. Even I only manage to get outside during
the day on the weekends – but I do try my best to do that!
What about a vitamin D supplement?
If you’re not able to get enough sunshine for whatever reason, a vitamin
D supplement is the second-best source; but check the label to make
sure it’s in the more bio-available, active D3 form (not D2). You get some
vitamin D from food, too, but it would be very difficult to get enough.
What’s your approach to supplements in general?
Supplementation is a very individual thing. Just because one of your
friends does well on a particular supplement – be it folate, glucosamine,
CoQ10 or whatever – doesn’t mean that you necessarily will, or that the
same amount will necessarily be right for you. It’s important to get the
right supplements and to get the dosage right, too, for each person’s
individual needs.
Taking a daily multivitamin is unlikely to do any harm and might do you
some good. But because it has limited amounts of any one particular
nutrient, you may not experience any difference in your wellbeing; it may
not provide enough of what you may be lacking. Also, each nutrient
works within a complex system, where all the nutrients need to be in
balance. It’s hard – and seldom useful – to try to give a good general
recommendation.
Just how do you assess nutritional
deficiencies? Blood tests?
Sometimes yes; vitamin D levels can be checked in
this way. But for many nutrients, there are no blood
tests available to assess deficiency; instead, we
use clinical assessment tools and clinical history
to formulate an overall picture of the patient; from
that, we get an idea what the problem could be.
Nowadays, we may also be able to detect genetic
changes and variations in our patients that give us
clues as to where a problem may lie.
What’s your advice for a healthy diet?
The key is to eat whole foods, including good fats
such as coconut oil, olive oil and avocados, and to
avoid highly processed food and refined sugars. If
you must cook at a high heat, use coconut oil: it’s
stable enough not to be transformed into a transfat.
Again, however, a diet that works well for one
person may not be right for another. For example,
though fresh fruit is generally healthy, someone
who is prone to diabetes or metabolic syndrome
might be better off sticking to one or two pieces
a day.
Do you cook at home?
Yes, we juice in the mornings, and I cook almost
every evening – mainly Asian soups, stews and stir
fries with plenty of vegetables. I choose organic
when I can, but it can be pricey, so we just do our
best. Apart from helping to ensure a nutritious
diet, I believe that eating at home also brings the
family together.
Complete Health International (CHI)
45 Rochester Park | 6776 2288
chi-health.com.sg