Smart Shopping for Quality Food

A Handful of Tips for the Road…

From http://blog.loopcycling.com/

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time blogging for LOOP over the past 4 months. In honor of my last blog, I thought I leave you with some tips for the road! Eat well and prosper…and always enjoy the ride!

Tip #1
Are you training for an endurance event? If so, be sure that you are planning and practicing your “event eating.” If you are training for more than 90 minutes you should be refueling your body during exercise. You need between 120-240 calories of carbs every hour to spare muscle glycogen stores and maximize your endurance capacity. Try snacks like pretzels, candy, and carbohydrate gels to provide lasting energy.

Tip #2
Bananas are a great fruit when it comes to fitness. They are easily transported in your gym bag or purse, they are available year round, and they are a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamins C and B6 to keep your immune system healthy and your electrolytes in check after a tough workout. Try slicing and freezing bananas for a cool, grab-and-go summer treat. Pair with peanut butter for a balanced snack.

Tip #3
Slow down and savor your food! Eating your meals and snacks too quickly can block the release of hormones that tell you when your body is satisfied. Having your meals in a more relaxed atmosphere where you can focus on your food will help you to avoid overeating and may help to prevent weight gain. Not sure how to slow down? Avoid distraction during meals, put your fork down between bites, and chew your food well.

Tip #4
Are you eating spinach? If not, why? It’s packed with fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. It can be eaten raw or cooked and incorporated into your favorite foods. Spinach can fit in every meal: add it to your eggs at breakfast, eat a spinach and spring greens salad at lunch, and chop it up to add into your favorite family casserole, enchiladas, or lasagna for dinner. Start eating this versatile veggie today!

TIP #5
Ever walk into a grocery store and feel a bit lost? Grocery shopping starts at home. Plan your weekly meals ahead, prepare your grocery list and then hit the aisles. Avoid going to the grocery store hungry and stay on task while shopping. It’s easy to be distracted by end cap deals, but if it’s not on your list, you probably don’t need it. These simple tips will help you save time and money.

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Fw: Barb, help for fuzzy thinking. And cartoons are back!



----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 8:18 PM
Subject: Barb, help for fuzzy thinking. And cartoons are back!

                  WANT TO SOLVE 
         THE "BRAIN FOG" PUZZLE?

Wouldn't you agree that fuzzy thinking fogs up our lives and gets in the way of experiencing life at its best?

Brain fog gums up peak performance, drags down our lives, and blunts the fun.

What zaps mental clarity? Think about how much time we spend in winter shut up in our air-tight homes, offices, and schools where chemicals of all kinds carry through the house in dusty heat blasts. January is a good time to get clear about how the hidden toxins in our homes can mush our brains and affect the performance of kids and adults alike.

From Dr. Doris Rapp's IS THIS YOUR CHILD'S WORLD: How You Can Fix the Schools and Homes that Are Making Your Child Sick See her work at www.DrRapp.com

The photo above startles parents because it shows the affect chlorine bleach fumes from a dishwasher can have on kids doing homework at a kitchen table nearby.

Our nervous systems are affected by the toxins that we eat, drink, and breathe, according to the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine Household Products Database. You might be shocked at the 'ordinary' chemicals that are warned against--innocent-looking products like shampoo, air fresherners, and even toothpaste. Chemicals in our laundry products make our clothing and bedding into 'full body patches' for toxins to get into us. Even household cleaners under our sinks silently 'outgas' toxic fumes throughout our homes.

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Weight Loss For Women: Top 5 Secrets You Can't Live Without

Weightloss-success

Hello ladies, are you tired of every other ad claiming that they have a program specifically designed for weight loss for women? From one lady to another, stop torturing yourself with these addictive claims. Learn an effective way to lose weight safely and quickly without jitters and without losing your bank account. Learn the 5 secrets for successful weight loss that you can do anywhere and anytime.

It is tiring every time you turn your head or turn on the radio or television one or more ads will appear claiming to be for quick weight loss. Really, especially with the new year that is all you hear about. Every single time the television is on, an ad talks about how great their program can help you lose weight and not do anything differently. Then you jump in your car to get the kids, and guess what's on the radio? You got it another ad about how this system will help you lose weight and oh, this one says it is natural (and you don't have to change your habits with this one either). Remember, natural doesn't mean anything if it isn't healthy. Opium is natural. Marijuana is natural. That doesn't mean you should use it. And finally, you think it couldn't get any worse, but you take a deep breath, yet you are bombarded by it:

  • Your friends are telling you about the latest and greatest - Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Phone calls etc
  • Stores have ads in every isle
  • Billboards
  • Radio
  • Television

It is everywhere. As if we didn't feel bad enough that we let the last few stressful years of our busy lives take over and add extra weight - now they have to keep telling us. Well, ladies, it is NOT your fault. These are gimmicks and great marketing techniques - not great weight loss techniques. If these silly ideas worked then 2/3 of the adults wouldn't be overweight and the average person would not gain a whopping 12 pounds over the holiday season.

Whether it is a little or a lot, these 5 secrets are ideal for weight loss for women (excellent weight loss for men too, but let's not tell them yet).

Don't worry, you'll lose those pounds without being fatigued, stressed, or overwhelmed so let's get started. Let's do this naturally and safely so you can lose the weight and keep the weight off for good. We aren't talking a diet: we are talking about a system for a healthy lifestyle.

This is a journey. This is the most important step to understand and to accept! You didn't gain the weight overnight, so you probably won't lose it overnight. It is important to set realistic goals and practice commitment. Any diet that says you don't need to do anything other than buy their product and you will lose tons of weight fast is either 1. A lie, 2. Unhealthy or 3. Both. Set small goals that build into a big goal.

To maximize weight loss for women it is essential to combine as many of the following as possible as often as you can without feeling deprived. It is important to learn to incorporate the cravings you have so that you'll stick to this new lifestyle.

1. Reduce Calories Slowly: Reduce calories by about 500-1000 cal a day to lose about 2 pounds a week. Some people lose more, and some less but this is a good rule of thumb. This is considered a safe range to lose so you can keep it off. It's not safe and eventually you will gain more back if you deplete your body of calories too fast. If you cut your calories too rapidly or too low, your body will tend to feed off the valuable muscle. This is disastrous to any weight loss program because muscle makes us look firm and sexy, muscle keeps our metabolisms strong, and muscle is what our heart is made of. Cutting back too fast can damage your heart

How to lower our calories? A key way to do this is by increasing your activity level: workout, walk more (just parking your car farther helps significantly), and take the steps, etc. As an added bonus, more activity will lower your stress, improve your sleep, increase your overall energy and help you stay motivated.

2. Make Healthy Food Choices: This can be tricky when you are surrounded by contradicting information "Eat low Carbs, Eat Low Fat, Eat this...Eat that...". Well, here are the facts. According to University of Illinois, diets higher in lean protein and lean dairy have been proven to help weight loss. Eating less processed foods and less artificial foods is easier for your body to metabolize, therefore, helps with weight loss. Avoid empty calories like soft drinks and flavored coffees. Did you know that just by choosing healthy carbohydrate choices like sweet potatoes, veggies, and quinoa etc, it has been proven that you can reduce unsafe deep belly fat by 11%? It is true. And this deep belly fat is definitely our enemy because it is a contributing factor in heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Also, eating foods that are high in leucine, an amino acid, will greatly help your journey to a healthier, sexier you. Leucine has been used for years by body builders and others that want to shed unwanted fat while maintaining lean muscle. Remember it is this lean muscle is that helps us maintain a higher metabolism, and it is muscle that gives us that lean, firm, sexy look that we all dream of, plus a healthy heart as mentioned earlier.

3. Keep a Journal: This is a must. You may not find it enjoyable to see that you just drank all your calories in 3 lattes but it is important to know where the calories are going. An online diary is an excellent resource that can track exercise and food calories to optimize weight loss for women. In a recent weight loss study, people who kept a journal doubled their weight loss in a 6 month period when compared to those who did not keep a journal. It is a powerful tool for weight loss for women.

4. Adequate Sleep: Sufficient sleep is about 6-8 hours a night for an average adult. Sleep helps a number of things besides weight loss. It also helps to reduce stress and repair the body. As we know, stress has tons of negative side effects and a biggie is weight gain.

5. Reduce Stress: You may be thinking, easier said than done. Well, that is true. Remember this is a journey: it is a lifestyle commitment to a healthier, better you so it may not be super easy at first. But it will be super effective and you will LOVE the results. In fact, after a few weeks, your energy will begin to rise as you lose weight, and you'll wonder why you ever ate the way you did before. You will LOVE the new you - inside and out.

Now you have the tools to actually succeed with this year's resolution so Good Luck and welcome to your new healthy lifestyle.

About the Author:   Barb Lulay, Education Health Specialist, uses a state of the art system that invokes only guaranteed, safe and natural weight loss products that have helped thousand of women (and men) lose weight quickly and safely. Learn more by visiting Weight Loss for Women It has been proven to safely lose fat, maintain 100% muscle, & maintain energy. For the serious viewers only, wait no longer - save now & receive an entire month free plus a bonus while supplies last. This equates to less than $3 a meal. Simply click Complete Transformation. For a limited time Barb Lulay is offering 1 hour free coaching with purchase of the Complete Transformation so the most serious readers can achieve their goal quickly.

Wow....

this dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born  with   2   legs - He  of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not  want him.  


Att00010


His  first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was  thinking of 'putting him to sleep'.  

But  then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted   to take care of him.  

She  became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by  himself.  

She  named him 'Faith'.  

Att00013


In  the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the  movement. 
Later  she used peanut  butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for  him for standing up and jumping around. 

Even  the other dog at home encouraged him to walk.. 

Amazingly,  only after 6 months, like a miracle,  

Faith  learned to balance on his hind legs and to jump to move forward.  

After  further training in the snow, he could now walk like a human  being..  

Att00016


Faith  loves to walk around now. 

No  matter where he goes, he attracts people to him.  

He  is fast becoming famous on the international scene and  

has  appeared on various newspapers and TV shows.  

There  is now a book entitled 'With a Little Faith' being published about  him. 

He  was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter  movies.  

Att00019


His  present owner Jude Stringfellew has  given up her teaching post  and plans to take him around the world 
to   preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect  soul'.
  















In  life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better  you just need to look at life from another direction.  

I  hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and  that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful  day. 

Faith  is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of  life. 

A small request: All you are asked to do is keep this story circulating
.

 

 

 

 

(download)

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I think so.  I don't know about you but I was tired (sick and tired) of trying every stupid lose weight fast diet out there.  I felt lousy and loss energy and strength.  Sure I loss pounds but at what expense:  my heart would race, my skin would blush, my legs would cramp, and I was hungry.  I kept justifying that atleast I was losing weight.

But then, once I made it to the weight I wanted, I went back to eating the way I used to and guess what?  You got it...I gained back the weight plus more sometimes.  Talk about frustating.

Every company claiming they were safe and effective.  Looking back, how could that have been when 90% of the labels are incorrect on supplements anyway.  No wonder I felt lousy - I was taking garbage and feeling like garbage too.

 

Until I found a plan that really works.  Based on science, not hype.  The average person lost 14.5 pounds in just 12 weeks too.  In 5 weeks, my husband lost 20 pounds.  You may be thinking, "guys lose weight easy...but I can't".  This isn't true, my husband eats well and works out but has a tough time shedding unwanted weight now that he is nearly 60. 

This excellent system plan also worked with me.  I felt satisfied, it was easy to follow and less than $3 a meal.  I lost 10 pounds and 1% body fat in just 4 weeks.  I was trying to fine tune.  One lady who we've worked with lost nearly 100 pounds.  How much do you have to lose?

That's what is amazing with this weight loss system - it is affordable and works for everyone.

Once you start losing, others are going to ask you how you did it.  That is when you start making the dough.  Lots of it too if you like.  You can refer people via a link online and earn product credit or you can reap all the rewards of a home business and earn trips, cars, money and more if you wish.  What do you want?

 

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Holiday Wish

We at Health and Harmony LLC hope each and everyone of our readers had a wonderful Christmas plus  a Happy New Year.  New Year is a wonderful time to make resolutions and to start fresh so this year when you are thinking of losing weight or just to be healthier, give us a call or look us up so we can help you maintain that "Happy You!".  You deserve it:  you deserve success and good health.

 

Happy New Year!

Stay Healthy Even During the Holiday: Yummy Healthy Tricks

Healthier Holiday Snacks and Desserts

Anne Kolker, MS, Registered Dietitian

Visit:  http://www.nourishinteractive.com/parents_area/healthy_family_nutrition_newsl...

 

Healthy Holiday Snacks and Desserts High in Fiber

Adding fiber to holiday treats is a great way to add a healthy blast to your recipes. Fiber has a variety of health benefits for the whole family. It keeps your digestive tract working good and it is good for your heart! It also makes you feel full and less likely to overeat.

Here are some tips on how to add fiber to your seasonal snacks and desserts:

  • ✰ You can substitute white flour for 100% whole wheat baking flour. If you think your kids might not like it, then start with using half white flour and half whole wheat flour. Your kids won’t even notice and you have instantly made it more healthy!

  • ✰ Crackers and cheese are a tasty snacks. Replace white crackers with whole wheat, multi-grain, or sprouted wheat and you have added a ton of healthy fiber to the snack. (Replace the cheese for low fat and double the healthiness!)

  • ✰ Making cupcakes from a boxed recipe (me too!) just pour a cup of bran or oatmeal in the mix and you have added fiber easily. It's filled with vitamins, minerals and fiber. You may need to experiment with the amount.

  • ✰ Fruits and veggies are great sources of fiber. Add sliced pear to salads, offer pomegranates as after-school snacks, and bring in a tray of grapes and sliced persimmons to a class party.

  • ✰ Bring in bean dip (check the label to make sure it is low in fat) and salsa with some 100% whole grain chips or baked chips. Beans are a great source of fiber!

 

Healthy Appetizers for Holiday Parties

Holiday celebrations are often centered around high fat appetizers. We often don’t have time for trying to find alternatives so we grab the nearest party tray from the grocery store or make a platter of fatty treats. Who has time to try to juggle holiday shopping and preparations with thinking of healthier alternatives? Maybe your thinking that kids won’t eat anything else or the family will be disappointed.. We are here to help.

Here is a list of some healthy snacks and appetizers tips and ideas that are sure to be party favorites and be healthier!

  • ✰ It sounds simple, but include at least one healthy food item in your appetizer like fruit, vegetables or 100% whole grains.

  • ✰ Cut the fat in half! Switch from whole fat to lower fat versions for your creams, mayonnaise, cheeses, meats and milk products.

  • ✰ Change dips from cream, fat or mayonnaise to dips made from low fat yogurt, beans or hummus.

  • ✰ Have the kids help find red and green fruits and vegetables that you can shape into a holiday scene!

  • ✰ Make healthy sandwiches with lean turkey and low fat cheese and use cookie cutters to make holiday shapes.

  • ✰ Try using fruit butters to jazz up your crackers or whole wheat bread. Natural fruit butters are lower in calories (as low as 20 calories for 1 tablespoon) but tasty and sweet.

  • ✰ Recipes that call for deep frying, try baking it instead. You will lower the amount of fat and still have all the flavor.

 

Healthier holiday Cookies, cakes and dessert ideas

Kids (and parents) love desserts. Who doesn’t? It’s one of the foods we all look forward to and make room for. But it doesn’t have to be only sugar and fat! There are plenty of little ways you can modify your recipe to make it healthier without losing the sweet taste.

Here are some tips for creating healthier holiday desserts:

  • ✰ Sugar is one of the key ingredients in most desserts. (Okay, it is the key ingredient in desserts). But you can keep your desserts sweet with some healthier options. Agave is a natural sweetner and stevia is a low calorie natural sweetner from plants. Also, you can usually reduce your sugar by about 1/3 and no one will notice, just experiment a little.

  • ✰ Some sites may recommend substituting sugar with “sugar substitutes” like saccharin, aspartame, or sucralose, (the pink, the blue, the yellow). But these sugar substitutes are not natural, have chemicals and there are plenty of research questioning the safety of some of these sugars. These are not good options for kids. It is better to use real sugar and lessen the amount (start with ¼ less than the recipe calls for) instead of substituting unnatural chemical sweetners. Avoid these sugar substitutes.

  • ✰ Some recipes call for lard or shortening to make the dough or crust. These fats can be full of saturated fats or trans fats, neither of these are good for the heart. Look for unsalted low fat butter or low fat margarine. Check the food label to be sure it says “no trans fats” and is low in saturated fats. Yes, they are still fats but much healthier option for the heart.

  • ✰ Try using lessening the amount of butter or margarine. You can often get away with ¼ less then recommended amount without changing the taste of the recipe. But of course, you will have to try it and see.

  • ✰ Try adding some fresh fruit to your cakes and cupcake recipes. You can mix it into the mix or decorate the top of it. Now it has some vitamins and nutrients!

  • ✰ You can also add some walnuts or almonds to spice up your holiday recipe and some healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

We know that holiday snacks and desserts are a normal part of the celebration. We don’t say “Don’t eat that” because we know that is not realistic or practical. Instead, try some of our suggestions so that kids will enjoy the holiday treats with a healthier option.

From the staff at Nourish Interactive, have a healthy, happy holiday with many magical moments. May 2010 be full of laughter, hope, and daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Written on: December 2009
Last updated: December 2010

Try adding some healthy protein or fiber to add extra nutrients to your cooking.

 

Best Multi Vtiamins: Finding the Best and Knowing what You are Buying

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What is the real cost of deteriorating health? If your health were to fail tomorrow... would you and your family be able to handle the financial burden?

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How to take charge of your health... starting today!

According to a Harvard University study published by the journal Health Affairs, and reported in ConsumerAffairs.com, “Illness and medical bills caused half of the 1,458,000 personal bankruptcies filed in 2001.”

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Are You Deficient in Vit D3?

3/4 of the US teen and adult population are deficient in Vit D3. Now with the cold and winter months upon many of us, this number is even higher. Get your Vit D3 from a safe source where you know it is pure and bioavailble (ie your body can absorb it): Buy Vit D3 Now. Vitamin D deficiency soars in the U.S., study says

New research suggests that most Americans are lacking a crucial vitamin.


Read more by visiting:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=vitamin-d-deficiency-united-...

By Jordan Lite | March 23, 2009 | 10

Three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D, the so-called "sunshine vitamin" whose deficits are increasingly blamed for everything from cancer and heart disease to diabetes, according to new research.

The trend marks a dramatic increase in the amount of vitamin D deficiency in the U.S., according to findings set to be published tomorrow in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Between 1988 and 1994, 45 percent of 18,883 people (who were examined as part of the federal government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) had 30 nanograms per milliliter or more of vitamin D, the blood level a growing number of doctors consider sufficient for overall health; a decade later, just 23 percent of 13,369 of those surveyed had at least that amount.

The slide was particularly striking among African Americans: just 3 percent of 3,149 blacks sampled in 2004 were found to have the recommended levels compared with 12 percent of 5,362 sampled two decades ago.

"We were anticipating that there would be some decline in overall vitamin D levels, but the magnitude of the decline in a relatively short time period was surprising," says study co-author Adit Ginde, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Lack of vitamin D is linked to rickets (soft, weak bones) in children and thinning bones in the elderly, but scientists also believe it may play a role in heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

"We're just starting to scratch the surface of what the health effects of vitamin D are," Ginde tells ScientificAmerican.com. "There's reason to pay attention for sure."

But Mary France Picciano, a senior nutrition scientist in the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, is skeptical that the dip is as deep or widespread as suggested, noting that there's disagreement on how much vitamin D is needed. She notes that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines insufficiency as less than11 nanograms per milliliter. Using that as a threshold, some 10 percent of U.S. adults are vitamin D deficient, according to a study published in November in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

That earlier study, co-authored by Picciano, also found that vitamin D deficiency had become more common between the late 1980s and 2004, but that between half and 75 percent of that difference was due to changes in the test used to measure those blood levels and therefore wasn’t a true gauge. "The results are far overstated and their findings are not as accurate as ours," Picciano says. "There is some deficiency — I don't want to minimize that — but it's not as high as they're saying."

Ginde insists the results are reliable. "There's potential for methodology contributing to some of what we found," he says, but the magnitude of the change and other research "argue that this is the reality in the U.S. right now."

Ginde, who last month linked vitamin D deficiency to catching more colds, blames increasing use of sunscreen and long sleeves following skin cancer-prevention campaigns for the change. Using a sunscreen with as little as a 15-factor protection cuts the skin's vitamin D production by 99 percent, the study notes, and there are few sources of the vitamin in our diets. Some food sources are salmon, tuna, mackerel and vitamin D-fortified dairy products, such as milk.

IOM recommends that people get 200-600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily, but it's reviewing whether to increase that recommendation in the wake of new studies. An update is expected in May 2010. Ginde believes that whatever those recommendations turn out to be, blacks should take double the amount of vitamin D supplements, because they have more melanin or pigment in their skin that makes it harder for the body to absorb and use the sun's ultraviolet rays to synthesize vitamin D. He adds that people should also take greater amounts of vitamin D in the winter when there's less sunlight.

Jim Fleet, a professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University who wasn’t involved in the study, agrees with Picciano that failing to consider differences in the vitamin D testing methods (used during the two survey periods) was "a fatal mistake." But he tells ScientificAmerican.com that real deficiencies in vitamin D exist, even when they're defined by the lower cutoff, and that some 40 percent of African Americans are vitamin D deficient according to that threshold.

"If you look at people in the categories that we worry about," he says, "that’s still a lot of people."