Fancy coleslaw

Ned's many friends know he loves coleslaw in moderation, and he has posted his recipe for making healthful coleslaw. His friends recall that Ned recommended buying the deli stuff at their favorite store, and then mixing the deli stuff with packaged coleslaw, organic if they can get it, to cut down on bad stuff like salt and too much fat. Now Ned would like to recommend his friends add finely chopped red pepper (he prefers Spanish Sweet Peppers) to their slaw. It add color, texture and nutrient, and further dilutes salt and fat content.
Bon appetit!

New Advice on Vitamin D

Ned's friends know that he has often touted the value of Vitamin D supplements in winter months, and in summer for those who feel they must slather themselves in sunscreen. Ned also has recommended D3 as the form researchers report as the most easy to absorb. Comes word however that another thing must be emphasized, that of taking fat along with the pill. Of course, the easiest way to do this is always take a Vitamin D supplement (and never mix anything with the D, by the way) with a meal. But now Ned must amend his advice to read a meal containing fat. We know that many of our benighted friends associate 'low fat' with health, and, while we bemoan such ignorance, we know that leopards are loth to change their spots.
Therefore, we recommend Vitamin D3 supplements taken with a meal containing fat--good fats include nut butters, olive oil and even butter (unsalted BGH free and in moderation).
Ned wishes his friends a very good day.

Multivitamins: beware

Ned had occasion to read on his local "public affairs" TV channel that some bunch of experts has concluded, from a study, that older women are more likely to die if they are taking multivitamins that if not. Now, Ned has no way to assess the validity of the purported study but common sense dictates that it is foolish to take such pills, composed as they are of both lipophobic and lipophilic compounds. Moreover taking those damned things lulls the ignorant into a false sense of security, such that they probably think it no longer matters what they eat just as long as they take their pills. Finally, it is easy to take too much of some nutrients in pill form. For all these reasons Ned has long cautioned about taking anything in pill form unless absolutely necessary and thoroughly researched. For example, it is advisable to take a Vitamin D supplement (1,000 IU of D3) daily in most latitude zones outside the tropics during October-April, when sun angle is low and cloud cover is high. Also, smokers, especially cigar smokers would do well to take a Vitamin C supplement (always with food), because it is great for your mouth and throat. And vegetarians must be careful about Vitamin B12 deficiencies.

Fighting winter's blahs: fluids!

Five days of rain have stirred Ned from his summer ideal-weather-induced stupor. He is now ready to prepare his many friends for the trials of winter, so for the next few days, he will provide his proven tips for staying healthy during the winter.

Drink plenty of water. This can be hard to do, especially when we may not feel thirsty. But plenty of water is great for us especially as we get older and cramps lurk in the shadows.

Eat plenty of fruit but avoid fruit juice. Fruit is great for us, but fruit juice is too easy to gulp down, has no fiber, and is calorie and sugar-rich. Far better to eat an apple than to gulp down some apple juice.

Drink low-salt vegetable juice. Ned's admonition against fruit juices does not apply to vegetable juices, because they are low in calories, have little sugar, and have some fiber. And they are a great way to get potassium and other minerals and vitamins.

Try liquids like kefir or even buttermilk, if you can find the latter in a low-salt form. These fluids, although they can have lots of calories so must be taken carefully, have lots of probiotics, and are great sources of calcium and protein.

Drink plenty of tea if you can, and a modicum of coffee. Be careful of sugaring and overly creaming that tea and coffee.

Ned wishes his friends a healthy autumn!

Vitamin D

The New England Journal of Medicine or some such journal had a report of a study of cancer patients, finding that three-quarters of cancer patients in the study had a Vitamin D deficiency, and more interestingly, those patients with the worst cancers had the lowest levels of Vitamin D. Two possible conclusions: cancer eats Vitamin D or Vitamin D is important in fighting off cancer. We report, you decide.