Vitamins And Minerals

As promised, here is an over-view of the main essential vitamins
and minerals, BUT, rather than take them in isolation it is
better to take a good multi-vitamin and mineral tablet aimed
specifically at the over 50s
Vitamin
What it can do for you, for example -
Found in, for example -
Helpful Advice
A
Promotes growth, strong bones, healthy skin, hair, teeth, and
gums Builds resistance to respiratory infections Good for
eyes, particularly night blindness
Carrots, fish oils, eggs, green and yellow vegetables, milk and
dairy products
10,000 iu is the average daily doseProlonged high doses can be
bad for you as it can be stored in the body
B
Helps to maintain a healthy nervous system, muscles and heart
and energyGood for stress and aids memory
Whole-wheat, whole brown rice, oatmeal, bran, milk, liver, fish,
vegetables, beef, pork, nuts, fruits
It is a good idea to take all the various B vitamins in one B
complex tablet Smoking and alcohol can deplete the body of this
vitaminC
Aids in the prevention of the common cold, infections, helps
repair body tissues, eg helps healing after surgery
Citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes NB
It is generally not a good idea to eat citrus fruits, eg
oranges, grapefruits, etc if you suffer from arthritis
Helps the body absorb iron Vit C works best when taken with
calcium and magnesium Vit C is excreted from the body quite
quickly so it is a good idea to take a time-release tablet
Smoking can destroy Vit C
D
Works with calcium for strong bones and teeth
Acquired through sunlight, eating plenty of fish and fish oils,
and dairy products
Dosages over 5,000 iu daily not recommended Dark-skinned people
living in northern climates usually need to take additional Vit
D
E
Good for the skin and helps you to look younger Helps healing
of burns, and helps with fatigue
Wheat germ, soya beans, broccoli, spinach and leafy greens,
whole-grain cereals and eggs
Iron tablets destroy the efficiency of Vit E if taken together -
allow 8 hours between Women over 50 and menopausal women should
increase their Vit E intake
MINERALS
Calcium
Essential for strong bones and healthy teeth
Milk, cheese, soyabeans, sardines, walnuts, sunflower seeds and
green vegetables
Calcium and iron are the two minerals often deficient in a
woman’s diet Dolomite tablets are a natural form of calcium and
magnesium
Iron
Necessary for the production of red blood corpuscles
(haemoglobin) Prevents iron-deficiency anaemia and fatigue
Red meat and offal, egg yolks, nut, beans, molasses, oatmeal
For normal adults the recommended amount is 10 – 18 mg, but
before increasing the amount (perhaps because of fatigue, etc)
it is better to consult your doctor It is worth noting that
ferrous sulphate, a form of iron that appears in many
supplements, may destroy your Vit E: the chelated form of iron
is preferable
Magnesium
Necessary for the optimum functioning of nerves and muscles
Helps fight depression Good for the heart
Figs, nuts (in particular almonds), seeds, apples, grapefruit
and apples
People who suffer from cramp are often deficient in magnesium
Alcoholics are also usually deficient Dolomite (a balanced
formula of magnesium and calcium) is a good quality supplement
Selenium
Works with Vitamin E and appears to slow down the aging process
Helps with energy
Wheat germ, tuna fish, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, bran
Selenium is important to human nutrition Because of intensive
farming and food processing techniques, many of our foods are
depleted of Selenium
Zinc
Good for the immune system, muscle function and blood and brain
function It can also help with healing
Choice meats such as steak and chops, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds,
eggs
Men should keep their zinc levels up, particularly if worried
about prostrate problems Zinc and manganese are thought to help
ward of senility in the elderly

REMEMBER: What you put into your body is what you get out of
your body! So think of food as fuel and choose food from the
chart above Sadly, cakes, biscuits, etc are merely ‘comfort’
foods and not nourishing fuel for the body The only result we
get from eating too many buns is perhaps ending up looking like
one – which is certainly food for thought!!!
NOW HERE ARE A FEW MORE SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP YOU ‘SPRING’ INTO
SPRING
Co-enzyme 10 The body’s ‘spark-plug’ for energy
Ginkgo Biloba Helps maintain good circulation to the body’s
extremities (so good for those who suffer from cold hands and
feet) Also improves blood supply to the brain and helps with
poor memory
Glucosamine Helps maintain connective tissues in the joints and
is believed to stimulate cartilage growth and promote smooth
functioning joints
Echinacea Boosts the immune system – an aid in the prevention of
colds and flu
Garlic Also boosts the immune system and, importantly, has
antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties
Omega 3 fish oils Benefits heart, circulation, joints and
brain
Evening Primrose Oil Good for the immune system and appearance
of skin
So all the above are a bonus for the over 50′s
- – - – - – - – - – - – - -
Now we all know that there is nothing like a nice cup of tea of
give yourself a lift, and at last it has been confirmed that tea
is actually good for us (this comes as a surprise, as we all
know from experience that if we enjoy something then it is
guaranteed that someone will come up with the discovery that it
is bad for us) Research has also shown that Green Tea contains
remarkable health promoting properties So next time you feel
like a ‘cuppa’ reach for the Green Tea – drink it on its own or
with a slice of lemon – and it is really refreshing As a matter
of interest, I recently visited a tearoom where they had on
offer a choice of over 300 different teas, and guess which one
the owner drank? Yes, Green Tea ‘nough said!
MENOPAUSAL TREATMENT
Now that there is concern about the long term use of HRT
(hormone replacement therapy), many women are looking for a
natural alternative in order to alleviate menopausal symptoms
and maintain a healthy lifestyle when their oestrogen levels
drop Phytoestrogens are oestrogens derived from plants that
work in a similar way to ours These are found in soyamilk,
soyabeans, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, red clover, etc So here is
an opportunity to give you the recipe for what is known as the
‘HRT CAKE’ So why not cut yourself a slice of this ‘feel good’
cake to go with your cup of green tea?
HRT CAKE
Ingredients:
50 gr sunflower seeds, 50 gr pumpkin seeds, 50 gr linseeds, 50
gr sesame seeds, 50 gr almond flakes, 50 gr raisins 100 gr
cranberries, 150 gr chopped dried apricots, 2″ stem ginger,
chopped, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon
malt extract, 3 tablespoons apple juice, 425 ml (approx) of soya
milk (add more milk if necessary to make a soft dropping
consistency)
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl Add the
cranberries, apple juice and soya milk and stir well Leave to
soak for approx ½ hour Pre-heat the oven to 190°C Line a loaf
tin with baking paper and spoon mixture in Cook in pre-heated
oven for approx l¼ hrs When cooled, slice and store in freezer
If you don’t feel inclined to bake a cake, why not include a
good percentage of the above ingredients with your breakfast
porridge

Here is MY version of a nourishing/HRT breakfast
Into a microwaveable dish mix oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower
seeds, linseeds, sesame seeds, raisins; toss in all or any of
the following as your fancy takes you – chopped dried apricots,
prunes, apple, dates, almonds, walnuts, also perhaps a spoonful
of malt extract or honey if desired, cover with water or
preferably soymilk, and microwave for approx 3-4 minutes Eat
with a dollop of bio-yoghurt on top (if desired) and you’ll be
truly set up for the day – you certainly won’t feel the need for
a mid-morning snack
And whilst we are on the subject of the menopause, don’t forget
the importance of looking after your bones with extra calcium
* Healthspan of Guernsey (wwwhealthspancouk) offer a good
rangeof tax-free vitamins and minerals with free post and
packing They also print a very good informative monthly
magazine, and if you spend over £10 (and with so much on offer
it’s quite difficult to spend less than £10) they will add your
name to their mailing list for a free monthly magazine
Top of Page
STOP PRESS ! ! !
Although in my previous column I promised not to mention
chocolate, I can’t wait to pass on the good news recent
research has shown that chocolate is actually good for us -
Halleluiah! I give below an extract from the Daily Mail, 1 June
04
“CHOCOLATE ‘KEEPS YOU IN GOOD HEART’ Scientists endeared
themselves to chocolate lovers yesterday when they revealed that
eating the sweet can help protect against heart disease The
researchers, at the University of California, San Francisco,
found that the dark variety of the sweet with a cocoa content of
over 70 per cent can be beneficial to blood flow Better blood
flow is crucial to avoiding narrowed or clogged arteries,
leading to heart attack or stroke”
I must say I personally agree with the newspaper heading, as my
heart always feels good when I tuck into a bar of my favourite
chocolate It is only after I have demolished it that my heart
sinks when the guilty feeling kicks in Well, as long as it is
the dark chocolate with over 70% cocoa solids then we needn’t
spoil the pleasure with a feeling of guilt And, unlike milk
chocolate or other comfort food such as chocolate cake, there is
the added bonus that we are unlikely to put on too much weight
with this ‘high cocoa content’ chocolate, as it is quite
difficult to over-indulge with this very rich dark chocolate
However, don’t forget that ‘less is more’! Remember what
happened when the medical profession informed us that ‘a glass
of red wine is good for the heart? Generally, people only heard
‘red wine is good for the heart’ and ignored the recommendation
of ‘one glass’ Unfortunately, just because you consume a bottle
of red does not mean that you are consuming a bottle of health
(Sorry to be a ‘party puper’) Similarly, if you are a
chocoholic, then try exchanging your usual milk, fudge, cream,
chocolate for a small amount of high quality dark chocolate
containing over 70% cocoa solids – enjoy it, and, hopefully,
reap the rewards

Tags | cereals, citrus, climates, fish, greens, infections, leafy, northern, plenty, release, result, tissues, vegetables, yellow