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Vitamin D – 3 Tips for Having Healthy Levels

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:05:40 GMT

Vitamin D – 3 Tips for Having Healthy Levels

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins there is.

Vitamin D regulates the health of our bones and our immune system, and we need it to maintain healthy levels of calcium in our blood.

At Everything Natural one of our core beliefs is that Nature is our best provider.

From the animals that roam the land, to the herbs and plants that sprout from the soil, our planet has so much to offer.

This is especially true for Vitamin D.

While vitamins and supplements have an important role in a healing regimen, I always recommend obtaining nutrients from nature first, and then consider supplements second.

With that being said, here are 3 tips for maintaining healthy vitamin D levels!

Maximize natural sources of Vitamin D

SUN – This is the big one! We make Vitamin D in our bodies by exposing our skin to ultraviolet-B (UVB) light from the sun. During the late spring and summer months, (when UVB is high) aim to spend at least 20 minutes in the sun each day around mid-day with minimal clothing on and no sunscreen. During the early spring and fall aim for 40 minutes or longer and work your way up as you develop a deeper tan.

FATTY FISH – 1 can of whole sardines can supply almost 100% of our daily value of Vitamin D. This is a quick and easy way to get vitamin D from a natural source, along with various other nutrients! For those who don’t like sardines, other fatty fish like salmon also have plentiful levels of Vitamin D.

COD LIVER OIL – My favorite source of whole- food vitamin D is cod liver oil. This nutritional powerhouse is high in vitamin D, as well as Vitamin A and Omega-3 fatty acids, which all have numerous health benefits. We carry several brands of cod liver oil at the store, including my personal favorite, Rosita, which is widely regarded as one of the best sources of cod liver oil in the world.
Take Magnesium

Research shows that magnesium is required to convert Vitamin D to its active form. This means that if your magnesium levels are low, you will have a harder time activating Vitamin D, even if you take a vitamin D supplement and get lots of sun.

In my opinion, the best blood test for determining your magnesium status is called the Red Blood Cell (RBC) magnesium test. I recommend most of my customers to be in the top half of the normal range.

If your level is low (or suspected to be low) one of the fastest ways to increase the magnesium level in the body is to take magnesium glycinate. This form of magnesium is highly absorbable, it’s very affordable, and it also has the added benefits of calming the nervous system. Most people can aim for 300-600 mg daily. I personally take it at night for its relaxing effects.
Supplement Wisely

Vitamin D comes in both D3 and D2 versions. Aim for the D3 version as this is better absorbed.
Vitamin D is also available in combination with Vitamin K2. If you have osteoporosis, heart disease, or tooth decay, consider taking the Vitamin D3/K2 supplement because Vitamin K2 will help transport calcium into the bones and teeth, helping to improve those condition.
Because our exposure to UVB light changes based on the season, it’s important to factor this in when taking a Vitamin D supplement. Many people can benefit by taking a higher dose of Vitamin D in the winter when there is little to no UVB light, and cutting back the dose (or skipping altogether) in the summer.
Personally, I do not take Vitamin D in the spring, summer, or fall because I make sure to get adequate sunlight. I either take cod liver oil or a Vitamin D supplement in the winter (sometimes both!).
Get your vitamin D levels checked! There are varying opinions on what is the “optimal level.” While the normal range is widely believed to be 30-50 ng/ml, a growing group of physicians, including Dr. Joseph Mercola, now recommends levels in the 40-80 ng/ml range, or even higher.
Consider your ethnicity. People with darker skin tend to require more sunlight/vitamin D supplementation to maintain healthy levels.

Well, there you have it my friends!

I hope this post helps clear up any questions you might have about vitamin D and how to maintain healthy levels.

If you have any other questions or thoughts please leave me a comment on this post.

I look forward to seeing you in our store!

Best,

Guy

3 Tips for Finding Joy in Spring

Wed, 08 May 2024 19:11:23 GMT

Spring Is In Full Bloom

Spring is in full bloom here in northeastern PA, and it has been incredibly beautiful!

The dandelions dot the grass like thousands of little yellow suns, and flowers of pink, purple, and white adorn every corner. New life has been breathed into the trees and grass, with green growth filling our vision nearly everywhere. The days are long, and winter has finally gone to rest.

With my favorite season in full swing, I would like to share 3 tips with you for making the best of it!

1. Harvest your Dandelions!

My grandmother told me that when she was young, her family would pick dandelion greens in the spring and make salads with them or sauté them in olive oil. I found this funny at first because I used to think of dandelions as “weeds.” In fact, I used to pull them out of the ground and discard them during my landscaping days in college. Little did I know that I was tossing out handfuls of nutrition!

Dandelion leaves –also referred to as dandelion greens—are one of the most health-promoting greens in existence, and their presence is nearly everywhere in April and May. Not only are these bitter greens high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and folate, but they also have been shown to support healthy blood sugar, blood pressure, and liver health.

I spent a few days pulling the greens for use in my afternoon smoothies, and even munched on a few bites as I sat in the warm spring sun. Harvesting the greens was what I call a “win-win-win.” I connected with nature, soaked up some vitamin D from the sun, and even got exercise in while grounded to the earth (bare foot of course.) I enjoyed it so much this year that I decided I will continue to make this a spring time ritual for me in the future. Which bring us to #2…

2. Take in the Beauty.

Every year, I’m taken aback by the boundless beauty of the springtime bloom. It’s as if a powerful, sleeping force comes to life and announces to the world: “I’m back!” While the cherry blossoms are sure to impress, one thing that stood out to me this year was how nature simply “knows” to pair beautiful colors together, notably purple and yellow.

For my fellow sports enthusiasts, thinking of purple and yellow brings to mind the iconic Los Angeles Lakers jerseys. This legendary NBA franchise is known all throughout the world, and is easily recognized by their bold, purple and yellow jerseys.

But what few people realize is that the Lakers “stole” this color combination from nature. Mother Nature was the first to pair purple and yellow together, and she does this every year with dandelions and violets in the Northeast. As you can see from the pictures, these two beautiful flowers pair quite well together.

In between harvesting your greens and taking in the beauty, you can also indulge in some…

3. Spring Cleaning

Many cultures have known that spring is a good time to clean the house. From ancient Jewish traditions during Passover to the Iranian (and others’) new year in March, many of our ancestors naturally cleansed their homes during the spring-time transition.

What’s interesting about the Spring equinox is that this used to mark the start of the New Year for a variety of ancient cultures. The year used to be divided into 13 months (not 12) which were equal periods of 28 days. These 28-day periods followed the cycles of the moon, which (not coincidentally) also mimics the 28-day cycle that females experience.

While this may be surprising, just look at the months SEPTember, OCTober, NOVember, and DECember. Sept means 7, so why is it the 9th month? Dec means 10, so why is it the 12th month? Clearly our calendar was arranged differently at one time.

But I digress..

Either way, Spring is a nice time to clean the house because it is correlated to when we used to celebrate the new year.

Cleaning. Dusting. Removing old junk.

Purging what is no longer needed.

Opening the windows and letting the sunshine and fresh air in.

This “chore” can actually be quite fun when you think of it as a celebration. We are celebrating all the new life around us. We are celebrating the beauty of Mother Nature. And we are celebrating another year that we are alive to take it all in.

Enjoy ��

Turning Pain into Purpose

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 19:03:05 GMT

Turning Pain into Purpose

Everything Natural has been a special place for me for a long time.

When I was in my 20s, I developed an autoimmune condition that the doctors told me was “incurable.” They started me on several prescription medications – saying I would be on these medications for the rest of my life – and told me I would likely need surgery at some point.

As a licensed pharmacist, I knew a lot about how these medications worked. And in the beginning, I accepted my situation for what it was.

But over time, the reality of going from a healthy young man to a man on multiple medications who will likely need surgery just didn’t sit well with me.

What happened? What was going on? Why did this happen to me?

Answering these questions eventually became an obsession. And I found myself no longer accepting the destiny the doctors laid out for me.

So, I decided to learn everything I could about natural medicine and see if I could turn my health around. From reading about healing diets, herbal remedies, and even obscure things like applied kinesiology, I found myself researching and learning about natural health every day.

Around this time, I started seeing chiropractors and naturopathic doctors, and I took various trainings in holistic medicine.

As the years passed on, I discovered I felt better on a gluten-free diet. And as I searched the area for gluten-free alternatives, I eventually took the drive up to Clarks Summit and walked into Everything Natural.

As cliché as it sounds, I can still remember this first trip to the store today—almost 10 years later!

The store was clean and bright, the staff welcomed me with warm smiles, and I found myself getting lost in the aisles with a whole new world of products. From various herbs and supplements I had never heard of, to gluten-free breads and snacks, the amazing products at Everything Natural became my new playground.

I also would occasionally chat with the owner, Neil, about a variety of health topics. I found him friendly and knowledgeable, and this made my trips to the store even more memorable.

As time passed, I slowly started getting better from my health condition. Through a lot of ups and downs (even through a period of very serious illness where I was hospitalized) I was able to get off all my medications and avoid the surgery that the doctors told me was inevitable.

Fast forward to the winter of 2023.

My health had fully recovered. I had been working as a retail pharmacist for 12 years. And I was looking for a career change.

Working as a pharmacist no longer felt aligned with my values.

While prescription medicine plays an important role in our society (and I am grateful for various aspects of modern medicine that helped me on my journey) I found that a majority of my customers were not getting better from their health issues.

Plus, after seeing how my own body recovered through the use of natural medicine, I felt a calling for something more holistic and natural.

And right when I felt I couldn’t do one more year of retail pharmacy…the universe rang.

Everything Natural was for sale!

My wife, Gabby, and I spent a few hours on a Saturday afternoon mulling it over. Could we possibly put in an offer for the store?

Together we operated a small real estate company, owning and managing several rental properties. But we never did anything this big..

A few hours was all it took.

We put the offer in, and from then on it was off to the races.

Neil, the owner at the time, felt we were a perfect fit for the store, and he accepted our offer. A few months later on May 16, 2023, Gabby and I became the new owners of Everything Natural.

To say this was a huge blessing for our family, would be an understatement.

I now spend much of my days counseling customers about organic food, healing diets, and various herbs and supplements.

I get to help organize events and seminars centered around health and wellness.

And most importantly, I get to work a job I feel aligned with.

And when I look back on everything, this is what the phrase “turning pain into purpose” is all about.

If it wasn’t for my own struggle, I would never have been steered to the path I’m on today.

They say that God works in mysterious ways.

At the lowest point of my health journey, when I was sick and everything seemed hopeless, I often wondered why this happened to me…but now it all makes sense.

I turned my pain into purpose.

If you made it this far, you now know a good part of the story that is behind the current owners of Everything Natural.

So thank you for reading, and I hope to see you at the store!

All the best,

Guy