Here’s my top tips for the healthiest Memorial Day.

1. Remember our loved ones… fondly, with love and gratitude. A heart in love is physiologically different than a heart that is in pain, fear or worry. Remember your loved ones and send those healing endorphins throughout your body. Our loved ones will always be in our hearts and souls. Remembrance can also bring up grief and deep emotions. Honor them.

2. Laugh. Love and laughter are healing energies. If you’ve been to one of my Carpe Diem Dance or Movement to Music classes then you’ve heard me say that emotions are energy in motion. We can stuff them in our bodies and create dis-ease, or we can acknowledge them and release them. Spend time with family, friends and loved ones today and find joy and laughter in shared history.

Yesterday we had the privilege of hosting my niece, her husband and friends for a rainy day brunch. After yoga this morning, I’m headed over to play with my grandson, nothing gives me more joy than that!

3. Get some “unprotected” sun! Vitamin D is a hormone that controls the expression of our genes. Vitamin D turns on cancer suppression genes and turns off inflammatory processes. Optimal levels of vitamin D protects you from all causes of mortality from depression to cancers*. Notice, I said “optimal” levels and not normal levels.

Within normal limits (WNL) on a labtest does not mean optimal. WNL means the average in the given population, that have had blood drawn for the region. This is a far cry from optimal and healthy. WNL for vitamin D is 30-100; that is a huge range. What does this mean?

The rates of expectancy for cancer are now up to 50%. If this is the case, I certainly don’t want to be normal! Optimal vitamin D levels to protect against autoimmune disease and cancers is ~ 70ng/ml.

The best source of vitamin D comes from the sun. Many experts believe a minimum of 20 minutes a day without sunscreen to as much of your body as you can expose. If you start to burn, then cover up. We have a natural mechanism within (sunburn) that tells us enough is enough! The darker your skin, the more exposure may be needed.

Sunscreen blocks the body’s ability to synthesize this vital hormone named vitamin D. I personally use coconut oil, and then a hat and longsleeves when I’ve had enough.

Beware of synthetic supplements and understand bio-availability.  Many supplements are made from synthetic nutrients that we cannot absorb well. Many cannot convert Vitamin D2 to Vitamin D3 and D3 is 87% more effective at raising serum levels than D2**. Vitamin D2 is less expensive and the form that is often prescribed by physicians and added to processed food for supplementation.

In addition to spending as much time as possible in the sun, I also take supplements and every year do my own micronutrient testing to ensure I have optimal levels of vitamins and minerals in my body.

Too much supplementing with vitamin D can lower vitamin A levels. Both are essential for a healthy immune system. This is a key test that I offer to my clients too.

I like Thorne Research Vitamin D3/k2 liquid drops for optimal absorption and value. K2 is different from Vitamin K1 which may affect those on blood thinners. K2 and magnesium are both needed for calcium absorption. I don’t recommend vitamin D and calcium supplements because taking just calcium and vitamin D alone without supportive nutrients such as K2 and magnesium can potentially lead to calcification in arteries and kidneys***.  All are important for long term bone health.  Also important is good hormone balance, lowering inflammation and increasing weight bearing exercises such as yoga.

Wishing you a safe and healthy Holiday.

Lisa

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21735411
**http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21735411
***www.ajcn.org/content/86/6/1780.full