Since I am a nutritionist, after all, I thought it was about time I slipped in a blog post about food!

Turns out a lot of people are asking “What vitamins and minerals are in bananas?“

In fact,  bananas are one of the most consumed fruits in the world!

I can see why.  Bananas are inexpensive, readily available all year, portable, super easy to peel, and easy to chew and digest.

Here are the highlights of the vitamins and minerals in one medium banana:

• 23% of your daily requirement of potassium

• 41% of your vitamin B6

• 33% of your vitamin C for the day!

• 23% of your suggested fiber intake for the day.

Why Do You Need Potassium?

Potassium, an electrolyte, is a very important mineral for regulating blood pressure, which is why you often see bananas and other potassium-rich foods, such as  papayas and mangoes, suggested for anyone with high blood pressure concerns. Potassium is also critical in regulating muscle function, and heart, kidney and adrenal function. You need potassium.

A drawback to bananas, however, is their high sugar content. At 28 grams of sugar per banana, if you are watching your carb/sugar intake (if you have diabetes, for example, or are wanting to lose weight) you may want to limit your bananas.  As a comparison, a medium apple with skin has approximately 13 grams of sugar.

Cooking With Bananas - Whip Up Some Banana Cookies!

The good thing about that sugar content is you can use ripe bananas in recipes (the riper the banana the higher the sugar content) and cut back on the sugar needed. Using fruit versus refined sugar is always a healthy idea.  In fact, here’s a tasty recipe for banana cookies, with  the naturalhealthywoman.com stamp of approval – delicious, nutritious…and easy!

Of course, variety is the spice of life.  It’s also the best way to get the many vital nutrients you need to stay healthy.  If you are serious about your health, you probably know the recommended daily total intake of fruits and vegetables has been updated to nine servings (from five) per day.

Don’t groan!  You can do it! Keep in mind that one serving (generally 1 cup), isn’t that much.  It’s actually easy to get credit for 2 servings at a time with a 2 cups of berries in the morning, a large apple at lunch, a big helping of veggies at dinner…you get the idea.  However, if you aren’t even at five per day, start there, and then I promise to post later about easy ways to sneak in a few more servings every day.

In fact, that’s the real secret to eating healthy:  Make it easy.  Have it available. Sounds simple, but when it’s not there for you to grab, that’s when you reach for the chips instead of the banana, or the cookie instead of the apple.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to make it super easy!  Get fresh, healthy fruit delivered to your door on a regular basis!

And….very important…..The Fruit Company offers an all-organic fruit basket. I always recommend organic whenever possible and I’m absolutely delighted they offer this option.

(If you aren’t already convinced about the importance of eating organic, look for more info on that topic soon.)

In the meantime, go bananas with fresh fruit and veggies and do your health a world of good!

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It’s a beautiful sunny day in Colorado, and I’m sitting in my home office, in my jammies, writing this blog post.

In other words, I’m not getting any.

Vitamin D, that is.

In fact, chances are very good that unless you get out in the sun on a regular basis – without sunscreen- you aren’t getting any either.

And that’s a problem.

What causes vitamin D deficiency can be summed up simply: lack of sunshine on bare skin. It’s nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet alone. That means a couple of glasses of vitamin D-enriched milk aren’t going to do it for you.

If you are interested in staying healthy, and in some cases, staying alive, you won’t skimp on “gettin’ your rays” anymore. According to the Vitamin D Council, vitamin D deficiency is a major factor in:

• At least 17 varieties of cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Autoimmune diseases
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Chronic pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle wasting
• Birth defects
• Periodontal disease

Now if that’s not enough to make you see the light of day, I don’t know what is.

In fact, recent statistics show that up to 85 percent of the American public is deficient in this crucial vitamin. This may be blamed, in large part, to the fact that the U.S. is a nation of indoor workers for the most part, AND the pervasive use of sunscreen.

How Much Sun Is Enough?

The very general rule of thumb is ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two- to three times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back – without sunscreen.

NOTE: I am not advocating that you go outside and bake like a lobster – of course you want to avoid sunburn.

But truthfully, it depends on a variety of factors. Anything that blocks the sun’s rays from reaching your skin will affect vitamin D synthesis. This includes the time of year, your age, the state or country you live in, time of day, cloud cover, smog, the pigment of your skin (the darker the skin, the less it absorbs), and, of course, sunscreen use. Even weak sunscreens (as low as SPF-8) can block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by up to 95%.

If you live in a smoggy city (think L.A., Mexico City…) or a city with a lot of rain and/or frequent cloud cover (think Portland, parts of the U.K., Alaska…), are African-American, always wear sunscreen, or seldom get outside in the sun, consider yourself at risk for vitamin d deficiency symptoms.

What You Should Do Now:

• Get Tested

Request a simple blood test, called the 25-hydroxy vitamin D, (at a clinic, doctor’s office, or lab near you) to find out for sure where your levels are.

• Understand Your Results

According to the most recent research, optimal levels of vitamin D are between 50-65 ng/ml (ng/ml stands for nanograms per milliliter of blood). Anything below that is of concern. If your current health care provider balks at that, find a holistic MD, naturopath, or DO (doctor of osteopathy), who is up on the latest research in this area.

• Supplement As Needed

If your levels are low, you’re going to need a combination of sunlight and vitamin D3 (also called cholecalciferol) supplements.
You may need a high amount – up to 5,000 IU or more per day – to get back to optimal blood levels of vitamin D. At these amounts, it’s best to be under a doctor’s supervision. It’s also important to supplement with calcium and magnesium at the same time – since these three nutrients work together – so check in with your doc on that one, too.

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It’s Miserable When You Cant Sleep, isn’t it?

The morning after a sleepless night, it’s hard to push through the brain fog and think clearly, your performance at work suffers, your head may be pounding, and you tend to snap (or maybe scream) at everyone around you.

Not to mention the long-term effects of poor sleep–such as weight gain, heart trouble, and insulin resistance that may lead to diabetes. Yikes!

Even though my chronic insomnia was eventually solved through homeopathy 16 years ago, there are times when I just cant sleep. Unresolved stress, airplane travel, any big disruption in my normal routine…and instead of snoozing, I’m tossing and turning.

So if you cant sleep, why don’t I suggest you just take the “easy” route and pop a sleeping pill and be done with it?

With their potential nasty side effects and concerns of dependency, prescription sleep medications such as Unisom, Ambien, Sonata, Halicon, Lunesta, and others just aren’t the answer. Even doctors that prescribe these drugs will tell you they are not a long-term solution.

So when you cant sleep, what can you do?

If your sleep deprivation isn’t due to a serious medical condition, or a sleep disorder such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (if it is – see a doctor!), try implementing one or more of these seven simple solutions to help you get your Zzzzs.

1.  Stick to a Schedule
If you’re going to go to bed at 8 PM one night and 2 AM the next, your poor body can’t get on a steady cycle of sleep.  It needs a routine so that it can differentiate between daytime tasks and nighttime rest.

2.  Just Say “No” to Stimulants
Caffeine, as well as other brain stimulants like electronics (video games, television, and the Internet) can all contribute to your sleeplessness.  Put that Blackberry down, turn off your computer, take a news break, and develop a soothing routine at least 45 minutes before bed instead.

Try yoga, meditation, a warm bath, or listening to soothing tunes while relaxing in your favorite easy chair.

3.  Move Your Body Toward Sleep
Exercise may be the medicine you need if you cant sleep. Many former insomnia sufferers I know found their sleep problems disappeared once they started exercising.

Exercise in the morning or early afternoon –not right before bed. And you don’t have to overdo it – a moderate 30-minute walk is enough to aid you in your quest for sleep.

4. Stay Cool
If your bedroom is too warm, or you’ve piled on too many covers, you may wake up in the middle of the night and not know why. Ideal room temperatures for sleeping are between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures above 75 or below about 54 can disrupt sleep.

Another tip – if you are prone to cold feet, wear socks to bed.

5. Let There Be (no) Light
You may not be aware that you are light sensitive. If you are, even that illuminated alarm clock on your nightstand may be disrupting your sleep.

Eliminate all light sources in your bedroom (we cover up our alarm clock with a towel every night!), use blackout curtains, or wear a sleep mask.

You never know what simple change may help. A friend of mine who suffered from poor sleep for years finally bought a sleep mask and viola! She now sleeps well. It turns out she was light sensitive and didn’t realize it.

6. Eliminate (or add) Sound
The most obvious solution here is to wear earplugs. However, some people find them very uncomfortable, so another option is to add soothing sound from a white noise machine to help lull you to sleep. Even the constant light drone of an electric fan may help.

The idea is that your brain focuses on a low, consistent sound which helps you disengage from your real-world problems and drop down into sleep mode.

7. Train Your Brain
Although some people do get good results from white noise machines, I prefer a sound technology called “brainwave entrainment.” The specific rhythmic nature of the pulses (there are no words) embedded into the soothing audio, safely and gently guide your brain into sleep — and help it stay asleep.

Take a look at a brainwave product I recommend.

You’ll find a Free sleep quiz here. You can take the quiz to discover if the tapes may help you, and watch a cool video. (I love the video!)

You can also read about how a retired doctor from New Orleans finally beat his addiction to Ambien by using the SleepTrack tapes.

Here’s to your great sleep!

-Vonalda

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What’s the best way to lose weight?

How about sleeping it off?

Sounds like a wild fantasy, doesn’t it?

But there’s actually been a lot of buzz in the media lately about the strong connection between insomnia and weight loss.

Sleeping as the best way to lose weight? C’mon.

I don’t blame you for being skeptical. So was I.

But because challenges with weight loss and insomnia are two health issues that I have personally struggled with, I really wanted to know more.

It turns out that even if you do all the right things while you’re awake–like regular exercise and eating healthy foods–if you are sleep deprived, you may still be packing on the pounds or struggling to lose them in spite of your best efforts.

The research has me convinced. At least two dozen different studies have documented that people tend to weigh less if they sleep more.

One study showed that women who slept five hours per night were a whopping 32% more likely to experience weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more!), and they were 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who sleep 7 hours a night. Wow!

Why?

It’s hormones, honey.

Two in particular:
Ghrelin – responsible for feelings of hunger, and Leptin – responsible for telling the brain when it’s time to stop eating.

When you are sleep deprived, your ghrelin levels increase at the same time your leptin levels decrease.  The result is a big craving for high carb food and no “stop – you’re full” meter to reign in your appetite – definitely not the best way to lose weight!

And that’s not all – you also need an active growth hormone to break down fat for fuel. Since this hormone needs deep sleep to do its job, If you are a card-carrying insomniac, your body tends to pack on the extra fat instead.

How much sleep is enough?  You need about 7 and a half hours of sleep per night for weight loss.

So take care of yourself.

•    Make it a priority to get the sleep you need
•    Stay out of the fast food drive-up lane and eat fresh, whole foods instead
•    Move your body on a regular basis (try for 30 minutes at least three times per week)

Soon you may find yourself waking up to a thinner you.

I know I’m getting to  bed on time tonight!

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