A trip to Lussmanns for better immunity?
Hello and welcome to The Fitness Society blog. Here I will be posting short nutrition blogs helping you to stay fit and healthy while showcasing some of the best dishes Berko restaurants have to offer.
October to March is the time to focus on Vitamin D
As we have just entered the 6 winter months of the year, now is the perfect time to mention Vitamin D, and since we have recently had a nice bit of hot weather, you may have been lucky and enjoyed some time in the sun topping up your Vitamin D levels. However, in the 6 winter months (October to March) the sun simply doesn’t get high enough in the sky for our body to be able to convert the sun's rays into Vitamin D.
Having a sub-optimal Vitamin D status negatively impacts our body’s antiviral ability, (our ability to fight off viruses that cause coughs and colds.) So ensuring you are getting enough is something in your control to help reduce the amount of coughs and colds you get this winter.
You can find Vitamin D in food, with the top source being fatty fish such as: anchovies, salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout.
Lussmans Berkhamsted Head Chef, Xavier Hoyle
South Coast mackerel with Asian slaw & lime
The restaurant Lussmanns, opposite The Fitness Society, has a starter of ‘South Coast mackerel with Asian slaw & lime’ that I can highly recommend. I had this dish recently and the combination of the punchy mackerel flavours with the sharpness of the lime and the crunch of the slaw was a delicious combination. The benefits of this starter go beyond Vitamin D, as this fish is rich in Omega 3s, an anti-inflammatory, healthy fat.
Mushrooms & Vitamin D
Mushrooms can be another good source of Vitamin D but only when the mushrooms are exposed to sunlight during the growing process. Supermarkets have cottoned on that they can use their fungi’s Vitamin D status for marketing, so look for claims of ‘great source of Vitamin D’ on the packet to help you choose the right mushrooms. Not all mushroom are grown this way so flip the packet over and look for Vitamin D at the bottom of the nutritional table which will show you quantities per 100g and also as a percentage of your recommended daily intake. This is 600IUs for teens and adults and 800IU for those 70 and over.
Food first, with the exception of Vitamin D in winter
Now, I am a proponent of a food-first approach and it is true that you can get the majority of nutrients you need from a “balanced diet”. However, Vitamin D is an exception to this because our main source is usually sunlight as explained above and the UK sadly doesn't get enough of it in winter! So I recommend taking a daily vitamin D supplement except on days you are having a serving of oily fish or a big portion of those specific mushrooms. But how much should you supplement with…?
The government recommends we take a supplement through the winter months. If you didn’t know this you are not alone. According to a survey commissioned by the British Nutrition Foundation, 49% of the UK public were unaware of this guidance.
The recommendation is to take 10 micrograms (ug) which is equivalent to 400 IUs daily. This will be enough to keep you “optimal” through winter and give your body the best chance at fighting off infection.
Caution! You can overdo it with your Vitamin D intake. The upper limit for toxicity is a daily intake of 10,000 IUs, so please don't take the highest strength you can find as it is unlikely at this time of the year you need that much. Look for a supplement from a brand you trust, ideally with Vitamin D paired with Vitamin K2 as these vitamins work best when taken together.
Say hello
I encourage you to start supplementing now, to reduce the risk of illness through winter and the team at The Fitness Society can see you in the gym more.
If you see me in the gym say hello and feel free to ask me any nutrition questions you have. Speak soon.
