Happy Chinese New Year! January 23, 2012 - February 9, 2013 is the year of the Yang Water Dragon.
Why I’m Cautious About Vitamin D Supplements
You have surely heard about the importance of vitamin D, and how we aren’t getting enough of it because we’re indoors too much of the time. Chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and even medical doctors are recommending it to their patients. However, I have remained skeptical of the push to get everyone taking high dosages of synthetic vitamin D3 pills. In fact, vitamin D is actually a hormone produced by your body in response to sunlight; it isn’t really a “vitamin” at all. All other hormones (except for DHEA, which has restricted status) are only available by prescription from a medical doctor. Vitamin D is the only hormone you can buy like candy from a discount store. Synthetic vitamin D taken alone in pill form may cause more harm to your body than good. We simply don’t know yet because the public is being used as guinea pigs.
What I Recommend Instead of Synthetic Vitamin D Pills
Before the era in which drug manufacturers and corporations influenced what the government, registered dieticians, and medical doctors told us what was good for our health, people who did not live in tropical climates used cod liver oil as a health tonic to protect against cold viruses, the flu, bone disorders, overweight and underweight, respiratory disorders, and chronic cough, among other things. We now know that cod liver oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2, which are not found in substantial amounts in plant-based foods, and which protect against a variety of diseases. The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are not present in plant foods and cannot be synthesized by the human body. New evidence suggests that the vitamin A and vitamin D found naturally in cod liver oil work together synergistically to protect against autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and hypothyroidism. Vitamin K2, a rare nutrient also found in organ meats and nattokinase, protects against osteoporosis, tooth decay, and arteriosclerosis. Clearly, there is much more time-tested and scientific evidence for the use of cod liver oil to fulfill vitamin D requirements and promote optimal health than the usage of synthetic vitamin D3 pills such as here.
My Personal Experience With Cod Liver Oil
I truly notice a difference in my health when I take a tablespoon of cod liver oil every day.
Some things that I notice are:
- Perfect skin (I don’t mean to brag here, but I’m elated that my forehead pimples have been gone for an entire year.)
- Youthful complexion (People still think I’m a college undergrad.)
- Heightened mood (No more wanting to jump off a cliff.)
- Lots of energy that lasts all day (Literally.)
- Improved quality of sleep (I actually sleep through the entire night and wake up at 6 AM without an alarm.)
- Greater strength & flexibility (Nutrition plays a huge role in whether you are stiff or flexible, injury-prone or injury-proof.)
- Flat, toned abs (Without ever logging one minute inside a gym.)
- No winter weight gain
- No sniffles and coughs
- No winter blues
- No cravings for sweets
- No dry, itchy skin
- No pale, pasty complexion
The cod liver oil I recommend is this one.
This Norwegian cod liver oil is regularly tested to be free of heavy metals and PCBs. Lemon oil and rosemary oil are added to keep the oil from going rancid and to prevent “repeats” (AKA fish burps). This cod liver oil tastes pleasant — believe it or not — and you can take it alone or in a smoothie or salad dressing. Strangely enough, I always look forward to taking a tablespoon of cod liver oil that some days I will even take 2 tablespoons of it: one in the morning as soon as I wake up and one at night just before I go to bed. This practice of taking cod liver oil in the morning and at night is also recommended by Tim Ferriss in his book 4-Hour Body.
Some other supplements I take daily as part of my anti-aging and perfect health regimen?
Astaxanthin
Ubiquinol
Theralac probiotics
Immortal Qi