Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 may be one of the most important of all the B vitamins, particularly because only true humanly usable B12 comes from animal sources.  Yes, to all my vegetarian and particularly vegan friends, watch your B12 levels.  There is no such thing as "vegan" or "vegetarian" B12 as far as your body goes.  It needs along with it what is known as "intrinsic factor" which comes from animals.  Fortunately B12 (as other B vitamins) will store in the body, but over time this may become a deficiency.  In fact, a good friend of mine, after years of being a vegetarian has reintroduced more animal product into her diet after seeing a live blood analysis showing a lack of B12 and a move towards anemia.

So what does B12 do?  It is a cofactor for two, yet very important enzymes.  One is used for methionine metabolism.  Methionine is an essential amino acid.  The other enzyme aids in producing energy from proteins and fats.  Overall B12 supports the nervous system, promotes the maturation of red blood cells (hence the tie to anemia when deficient in B12) and other cells, and supports bone and joint health.

B12 is available from animal products such as fish (halibut, salmon, scallops, shrimp, and snapper are best sources), lamb, beef, organ meats, and yogurt.  It is important for the blood, digestive, hepatic, and nervous systems.

Vitamin B6

We're back to the B Vitamins today with B6.  Like all the other B family vitamins it plays a big role in our metabolic reactions, specifically amino acid metabolism (making proteins for your body to use in building itself) and glycogen utilization (blood sugar control).  It is also involved in supporting the production of hormones and neurotransmitters - the chemicals that are directing all your body's activities. 

B6 supports the blood, central nervous, digestive, immune, integumentary, and musculoskeletal systems.

It is found in bananas, fish (cod, halibut, snapper, salmon, tuna), lean beef, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, organ meats, poultry, and wheat germ.

Are you noticing how the B vitamins are so prevalent in animal foods?  Wait until we discuss the next B vitamin - B12!

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid is not Vitamin C)

We' are all familiar with getting out our Vitamin C when we feel a cold coming on as it is known to enhance immune cell function.  Sometimes it works in keeping the cold at bay, other times not.  In addition, we hear varying stories about the effectiveness of "Vitamin C."  Well, the first and most important point to understand is that Ascorbic Acid is not Vitamin C - it is just the outer layer of the Vitamin C complex (remember how I spoke of the 20 factors of the Vitamin B complex? - the same applies here).  We all remember the story of the British sailors who would get scurvy until they started eating lemons and limes.  It was the Vitamin C content of those fruits that saved them.  In fact, if you were to give someone with scurvy some ascorbic acid, guess what would happen? Yes, they would die of the disease.  You see it is the whole Vitamin C with all its parts that does the magic, not the isolated ascorbic acid.  By the way you can make your own ascorbic acid if you like - just mix together sulphuric acid and sugar - now that sounds real healthy!

The other benefits of Vitamin C - it is an antioxidant, so it kills those free radicals to prevent damage to our cells and tissues.  It is also involved in forming collagen which is in our connective tissue.  It also facilitates iron absorption and assists in cholesterol metabolism.  So it is helping the blood, cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems.

The best sources of Vitamin C are not your ascorbic acid pills!  It is found in Acerola berries, broccoli (yes, another reason to eat your broccoli), Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, kiwi (an excellent source), oranges, papaya, red bell peppers, and strawberries.

Choline

A little known nutrient - choline - is actually extremely important as it is part of lecithin which is a key structural component of all cell membranes.  It is quite certain that any substance that is in every cell in our body would be quite important.  It is involved in cell metabolism, nerve transmission, and regulation of the liver and gall bladder.   

Are you getting enough choline in your diet?  It is found big time in the cruciferous family (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), butter, egg yolk, flaxseed, lentils, peanuts, potatoes, oats, sesame seeds, and soybeans.  You will often see lecithin from soybeans in nutritonall supplements.  One of the few useful applications of the soy bean!

Choline supports the cardiovascular, biliary, endocrine, integumentary, nervous, and renal (kidney) systems.

Chromium

Today we explore chromium, another important mineral nutrient.  Chromium is involved in metabolism as it supports insulin function in the body.  In this way it helps in glucose and protein metabolism.  What does this mean to the average person?  In short, it helps us control blood sugar levels.  This is one of the most important functions in the body, and much of what our body does, is about keeping blood sugar levels constant.  We get ourselves into trouble when blood sugar levels stay consistently too low or too high, or when they bounce back and forth (like the sugar high).  Therefore, chromium has also been found to help with weight control and managing cholesterol.

Chromium supports the blood, cardiovascular, circulatory, endocrine, hepatic, immune and nervous systems.  As you can see - almost the whole body!  It is found in cheese, liver, nutritional yeast, onions, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, vegetable oils, and whole grains.  Its common supplement form is chromium picolinate.

Calcium

Calcium is one of the most talked about minerals and for good reason.  It supports strong bone structure, teeth, and muscle tissue, aids in blood clotting function, supports cardiovascular and nerve functions, and helps in normal functioning of many enzymes.  We often hear about it in conjunction with osteoporosis.  Everyone needs more calcium to build their bones, so everyone is throwing down a whole bunch of calcium supplements.  Well, there's a couple of problems. 

First off - is the biggest one.  While it is true that we need calcium to build our bones, it is one of 18 nutrients that are required.  And let's get a little better understanding of how our bones work.  They are constantly breaking down and rebuilding.  What happens in osteopenia and osteoporosis?  The breakdown process continues, but the bone does not rebuild.  Why?  One reason is the lack of the other nutrients required to build bone. What happens when we take certain medications for this?  The breakdown is slowed down, so the bone density scan will show more bone, however, it is weak bone and still likely to fracture.  There are many other resources you can go to read more on this. 

Second - most of the calcium in supplements is not very absorbable for our bodies.  We need to be able to utilize the calcium we take in.  One of the more absorbable forms of calcium is Calcium Lactate.

What else contributes to our calcium shortages?  Soft drink (soda) consumption.  What makes soft drinks bubble?  Phosphorus.  And, phosphorus and calcium need to be in a specific relationship in our body.  So, when we take in excessive phosphorus and don't have sufficient calcium intakes, our body must take it from a storage location.  You guessed it - the bones!

The best sources of calcium are of course from food.  It is also a misconception that this has to come from milk.  Leafy green vegetables are a great source of calcium.  For calcium choose: bone meal, cheese (best are Cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss), collard greens, flaxseed, liver, milk, molasses, mustard greens, sesame seeds, spinach, turnip greens, wheat germ and yogurt.

Calcium benefits many systems of the body: blood, circulatory, digestive, enzymatic, immune, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems.

Vitamin B3 - Niacin

Vitamin B3, also called Niacin, is one of the most important of the B vitamins.  We often hear it recommended for cardiovascular health, but it is also important for digestive health as it promotes hydrocholric acid production.  Did you know that most people who suffer from acid reflux actually do not produce enough hydrochloric acid?  The "acid" of acid reflux is usually organic acids produced by foods rotting and fermenting in the stomach due to poor digestion.

Here's the technical detail: Niacin is converted to the cofactor NAD which is an important part of how our body processes carbohydrates, fats, and protein (amino acids). It promotes a healthy heart, skin, digestion, cellular respiration, and enhances metabolism and circulation. 

You can get too much Niacin, particularly from syntethic sources.  How do you know?  You get what is called the "niacin flush" - your face and ears become red and hot.  I recently experienced this myself and was able to trace it back to this very source.

Niacin supports the cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic (liver), integumentary, and nervous systems.  It also supports the soft tissue and the tongue.

The best food sources of Niacin are: fish (salmon, tuna, halibut), lean beef, liver, mushrooms, nutrtional yeast, organ meats, poultry, and wheat germ.

Are you noticing a trend - the best sources of B vitamins are mainly from animal products.  Keep that in mind when we get to B12 in a few days!

Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin

Vitamin B2, better known as Riboflavin, is an integral part of enzymes involved in oxidation reduction reactions that drive cell respiration.  What does that mean? It is critical in our cell making energy for our body.  It also supports the function of antioxidant enzymes and interacts with the other B vitamins.  It promotes a healthy immune system and regulates the activity of 50 of our enzymes.  Wow!  Remember enzymes are what make things happen in our body.  They drive everything we do.  This is why Riboflavin is often one of the B Vitamins added back into our "enriched" wheat flour, but as you remember from the  B1 discussion, this is synthetic and our bodies need the real stuff.

We get the "real stuff" in lean beef, milk, mushrooms, nutrtional yeast, organ meats, spinach, wheat germ, and yogurt. 

Vitamin B2 supports the cardiovascular, blood, digestive, endocrine, integumentary, and nervous systems as well as our soft tissue.

Vitamin B1 - Thiamine

Today's Vitamin of the Day is B1, also known as Thiamine.  Did you know that the true Vitamin B complex actually has about 20 different parts to it.  We know these as all the different B's.  One of the main foods that have the B family are whole grains.  Let's use wheat as the example.  There are three parts - the germ, the bran, and the endosperm.  The germ and bran have the B vitamins as well as some healthy fats.  The endosperm is the carbohydrate.  When they make refined flour, the main ingredient in white bread and cookies all that gets used is the carbohydrate.  But the food manufacturers are nice to us and they "enrich" the flour with up to 8-12 synthetic B vitamins.  Doesn't sound like enriching to me - take away 20 and give back 8!

B1 is a required cofactor for some very important enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.  This supports mental alertness and cognitive ability.  It also maintains appetite and normal digestion.  It aids the cardiovascular, digestive, integumentary (skin), and nervous systems along with the eyes.

You can find B1 in black beans, brown rice (not white), green and split peas, lentils, lima beans, mushrooms, navy beans, nutritional yeast, organ meats, pinto beans, sunflower seeds, tuna, wheat germ, and whole grains.

Vitamin A a.k.a Beta-Carotene

Vitamin A is also known as Beta-carotene.  However, here is where it gets confusing - they are not the same!  True Vitamin A is found only in animal products, such as butter, egg yolks, liver, organ meats and shellfish.  Beta-carotene is found in plant food, such as carrots, red bell peppers, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and particularly leafy greens (collard greens, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens).  And for the animal product to be a good source of Vitamin A, they should be eating green food, such as cows eating green grass.  Think of the animal as a Vitamin A factory!  When we consume Beta-carotene from plants (or vitamin supplements) our body has to convert it into Vitamin A.  And guess what - we aren't that efficient in doing that.  To learn all about Vitamin A click here.

Vitamin A supports the endocrine, immune, integumentary (that's skin), and reproductive systems along with our eyes.  It is required for growth and natural repair of many body tissues, and maintains integrity of blood cells and epithelial tissue lining the gut, lungs, and reproductive tract.

January 2011 Newsletter - Happy New Year and Resolutions

Happy New Year! May it be both happy and healthy for you and your loved ones. First off I’d like to thank all of you for your support this past year. My business grew over 20% and given the generally poor economy for most of the year I am very pleased with that. But even more so, I am pleased with the successes of my clients and their moves to healthier lifestyles.


Since it is that time of year I have two resolutions for the year with respect to Rosen Wellness. They both revolve around providing the best service to my clients and readers. The first one is to continue to expand my capabilities and certifications to help my clients through training and education. You can read the article below about my planned trainings for 2011. The second resolution is to begin what I’ll call “Health Club” – a monthly open forum meeting for clients which I’ll tell you more about next month.

For those of you in the Milwaukee area pick up the January issue of M Magazine. It is their wellness issue and I am featured in one of the articles!

I’ll be starting the year off with a series of workshops in Sonoma, California, so if you are in the area please join me. I’ll also be doing a Nutrition Boot Camp Part 1 in Port Washington. For a complete list of workshops click here Workshops.

Strategies for Successful and Sustained Weight Loss

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and adapt a healthier lifestyle. Each year we tell ourselves “this is the year I’ll do it.” The health clubs are jammed with others making the same resolution. You see all your friends and co-workers. There are lines of people waiting to use the stepping machines and the exercise bikes. Then, as it happens every year, by the middle of February the crowds are gone and the few faithful remain.

If you are like most people, at first you were successful, feeling good, and had dropped a few pounds. You cut back on your drinking, were choking down salads at lunch, skipped a meal here and there, swore off desserts, and worked out hard at the gym. But now you’ve hit the dreaded “plateau” and the pounds are no longer flying off. You’re starting to get discouraged and the old habits start to creep back in. You have a beer or wine, cheat a little bit at lunch, have a dessert, skip a workout, and before you know it, all the weight you worked so hard to lose is back on and perhaps a few more bonus pounds. Unfortunately you are not alone. This is how over 95% of all diets end. However, there is another outcome. If you read on you’ll learn how you can get lasting results.

Full Article - Secrets to Successful and Sustaining Weight Loss

My New Year’s Resolutions – New Certifications and Training

I have to admit - I enjoy what I do. One of my main reasons for leaving the corporate world was to have a more rewarding career – where I could truly help people improve their lives. When most people think of nutrition consulting they think of weight loss. While that certainly is a big part of it (particularly in January), I find what I do frequently is more like detective work. For many of my clients weight loss is not their main issue. Many of them have digestive or hormonal issues or something that “isn’t quite right” that their doctor can’t explain. While I have a variety of tools to use in my analysis, I’m always looking to learn new stuff.

This year I’ll begin two new trainings. The first is a Certified Clinician in Whole Food Nutrition (CCWFN) from the International Foundation for Nutrition and Health (IFNH). To read more about the IFNH click here IFNH. To read about the program click here Whole Foods Nutrition Certification.

The second is Nutrition Response Testing, better known as muscle testing. I will be learning this in March and am quite excited about it. The program is through Ulan Nutritional Services, one of the leaders in teaching this information. Ulan Nutritional Services/.

The Page Diet

One of the eating plans taught by the IFNH (see above) is the Page Diet Plan. It seeks to balance body chemistry through a whole foods diet. Of course one of the “side effects” of this is weight loss. If you’d like to read about this diet, follow this link Page Diet Plan.

Secrets to Sustaining and Successful Weight Loss

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and adapt a healthier lifestyle. Each year we tell ourselves “this is the year I’ll do it.” The health clubs are jammed with others making the same resolution. You see all your friends and co-workers. There are lines of people waiting to use the stepping machines and the exercise bikes. Then, as it happens every year, by the middle of February the crowds are gone and the few faithful remain.


If you are like most people, at first you were successful, feeling good, and had dropped a few pounds. You cut back on your drinking, were choking down salads at lunch, skipped a meal here and there, swore off desserts, and worked out hard at the gym. But now you’ve hit the dreaded “plateau” and the pounds are no longer flying off. You’re starting to get discouraged and the old habits start to creep back in. You have a beer or wine, cheat a little bit at lunch, have a dessert, skip a workout, and before you know it, all the weight you worked so hard to lose is back on and perhaps a few more bonus pounds. Unfortunately you are not alone. This is how over 95% of all diets end. However, there is another outcome. If you read on you’ll learn how you can get lasting results.

Here’s the secret. First, eat nutrient dense foods. We are told the equation is simple – eat fewer calories and exercise more and we will lose weight. Truth be told, the formula is much more complex – all calories are not created equal. A calorie is a potential for energy. How and when your body uses that calorie can yield completely different outcomes. I can guarantee you that 75 calories from a hard-boiled egg and 75 calories from white bread will behave completely different in your body. Look back at previous columns I’ve written or go to my blog for a refresher on these healthy foods.

Second, it is not only about weight, but also size! We need to measure body fat, not just weight. Remember our friend protein from last month? It is protein that builds muscle. Muscle burns fat and weighs more than fat. If we are working out too hard and not providing our body with enough nutrients, in order to keep up with the exercise our body will actually break down muscle. In a surprising number of people, a high percentage of their weight loss is coming from muscle loss disproportionate to fat loss. I always get a chuckle when a client is upset because they have not lost any weight, but they are down two dress sizes!

Third, exercise wisely. Improper exercise will raise cortisol levels. This puts sugar in the blood stream, and promotes fat storage which increases the likelihood of insulin resistance; and lowers DHEA (an anti-aging, libido stimulating, and fat burning hormone). Insulin resistance blocks the burning of fat, causes fat storage around the abdomen, and causes inflammation.

Fourth, be aware of hormone imbalances. Imbalances of estrogen and progesterone in women promote fat storing. Low DHEA and testosterone in men and women reduce the ability to burn fat and build muscle. High estrogen in men promotes fat storage. High progesterone in women promotes insulin resistance. With low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) muscle building is slowed, metabolism is slowed, sex hormones are not produced sufficiently and are out of balance, and general low energy and fatigue is experienced. How do our hormones get out of balance? Too much stress and poor food choices are the major culprits.

The best program for long term health and vitality will be one that addresses your individual needs. Working with a qualified nutrition consultant you can determine what foods you need to add to your diet, what exercise is right for you, and whether or not your hormones are in balance. As these areas are brought back into balance your metabolism will improve, enabling you to lose weight in a healthy manner. It may take some time to get the body back on track. The body has built-in healing mechanisms and with proper nutrition and healthy behaviors the body will heal. As the body heals you will lose fat and weight.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.