Vitamin D

RDA 400 - 1000 IU for adults, Health Canada recommends 400 IU supplementation for 50+.   Vitamin D levels are sub-optimal for many Canadians, especially during the winter, but only seriously low for 10%.  Ethnic groups with darker skin tend to have a higher rate of deficiency, i.e., the evolution of paler skin lead to greater production of vitamin D at higher latitudes.

The winter sun in Canada doesn't supply vitamin D Oct - Mar.  Below the 35 latitude, vitamin D is supplied by the sun all year round, excluding sun screen of course.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php

http://www.cmaj.ca/content/182/12/E610.full

http://www.jabfm.org/content/22/6/698.full

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php#a10

http://www.osteoporosis.ca/news/press-releases/new-vitamin-d-guidelines/

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2010001/article/11131-eng.htm

Sinus, Lymph Nodes Massage

https://m.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=848220555252230&id=157695160971443

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-wi0d7-Ro

http://blog.massagebyheather.com/self-lymphatic-drainage-for-legs/

Contraindications for lymphatic massage are included in the last page above, just after the video.

Iron Supplements -- When to Take

This post is probably only of interest to people who are anemic or know people who are anemic.

I'm posting some information about taking iron supplements, because the information doesn't seem to be available on the bottle, and iron deficiency is not uncommon. However, too much iron can be very bad for you, so don't take iron supplements without blood tests to confirm that you need more iron and blood tests to confirm when you have enough.  On the other hand, most people's digestion will limit iron absorption to prevent overdose. To paraphrase an article, "iron is absorbed with a rate that's reverse logarithmic with respect to current iron stores", i.e., if you have a good iron store, much less is absorbed.

Here are guidelines for how to take an iron supplement:

• Best is on an empty stomach
• Alternatively, at least two hours after and one hour before a meal
• One hour between the supplement and tea or coffee
• Two hours before and after medications or supplements (iron, like calcium, can interfere with the absorption and operation of many different medications and supplements)
• If you have to take them with food to avoid nausea, not with foods or supplements with calcium, caffeine, tannins (tea) , fiber, phytates (legumes, grains), soy, polyphenols (wine, fruits, vegetables, nuts)

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/iron-supplement-oral-route-parenteral-route/proper-use/drg-20070148

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007478.htm

http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/iron-supplements