Vitamin D? Really?
I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago for my allergies (a relatively new thing to me) and told her I’ve been feeling fatigued. I’m exercising and eating well, even losing weight, but I feel lousy.
She tested me for a vitamin D deficiency. Then yesterday, I read an item on Huffington Post by Dr. Mark Hyman. The article said up to 80 percent of Americans may be deficient.
Vitamin D is manufactured by the body through exposure to sunlight. Most people don’t get enough sun anymore. Our use of sunscreen also minimizes the making of vitamin D. In fact, according to Hyman, it blocks 97 percent of vitamin D production.
So most of us need supplements of D3, the type that’s best absorbed by the body.
Vitamin D deficiency is more serious than I thought. In addition to fatigue, a lack of vitamin D also leaves the body more vulnerable to several types of cancers (colon prostate, breast and ovarian) and auto-immune disorders such as type 1 diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
It also helps boost mood and helps prevent osteoporosis.
Most people should get 2,000-4,000 IUs of vitamin D3 a day. That’s just for maintenance, Hyman said. He believes the current USDA recommended levels are too low.
So, I’m taking extra vitamin D to build my levels up to where they should be. If Dr. Hyman is right, I’ll feel a lot better in just a few weeks.
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
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