​Michael Holick, a biochemist and endocrinologist at Boston University, is a pioneer in vitamin D research and believes that the role of vitamin D in the body is so profound that much higher doses than those currently recommended are required for optimal functioning. While humans can make vitamin D in their bodies, most of us require additional amounts from the sun, our diet, or from supplements in order to maintain adequate levels. Vitamin D from sun exposure is the best way to optimize your vitamin D levels, however the majority of Americans do not get enough sun exposure.

As far as diet is concerned, it is very difficult to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone, as very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. The whole foods that do contain vitamin D (fatty fish, egg yolks, tuna, & mushrooms) will not contain enough to optimize your levels. And since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, a diet that is extremely low in fat may cause vitamin D deficiency (yet another reason to eat healthy fats). Therefore, supplements may be the answer to achieving optimal vitamin D levels.

Taking vitamin D3 is very safe. Even the conservative Institute of Medicine has concluded that taking up to 10,000 IU per day poses no risk for adverse effects. Remember that if you take oral vitamin D, you also need to boost your vitamin K2, either through your food choices or a supplement. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. If you are looking for a high quality supplement that includes both vitamin D and vitamin K, check out Vitamin D Supreme. This is a highly bioavailable capsule that includes 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 along with vitamins K1 and K2. If you have trouble swallowing capsules, you can take a liquid form of vitamin D. This is the supplement that I take. It is a highly bioavailable emulsion formula that contains 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 along with vitamins K1 and K2. Vitamin K works synergistically with vitamin D for optimal bone and arterial health and for maintaining proper immune balance.

​​There are two vitamin D tests -- 1,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D -- but 25(OH)D is the better marker of overall D status. It is this marker that is most strongly associated with overall health, and it is the one you should ask your physician for.

CASSEROLE:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, minced
• 3 cups riced cauliflower
• 8 ounces broccoli florets, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ​2 cups shredded cooked chicken

What defines the type of fatty acid is their chemical structure. The most stable are saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature. These fats include coconut and palm oils. Coconut oil has been demonized because we have been told that the saturated fats we eat become saturated fats in our blood. But the shocking counterintuitive fact is that dietary saturated fats do not raise blood saturated fats. Dr. Mark Hyman in his book Eat Fat, Get Thin reminds us that it is refined “carbohydrates and sugar that cause the liver to produce the saturated fats found in the blood." Coconut oil actually has powerful medicinal properties and it is a medium-chain fatty acid that is easily digested and absorbed by the cells and used for energy.  Oils from saturated fats do not normally go rancid and they are great for both cooking and baking.

​Monounsaturated oils are liquid at room temperature, but become solid if refrigerated. These include olive oil, peanut oil, and avocado oil. These are relatively stable. They do not go rancid easily and can be used in cooking. Olive oil, known for its heart-healthy effects, is ideal for salads and can also be used for cooking at moderate temperatures. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants and is one of the safest oils that you can use. Peanut oil is relatively stable and is ideal for stir-frying. Avocado oil is similar to olive oil and can be used in cooking at high temperatures or in salads. 

Polyunsaturated oils are always liquid, even when refrigerated. These oils include corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower. They go rancid easily and should not be heated or used in cooking, frying, or baking.  These oils are known as vegetable oils, but this does not mean that they equate to a serving of greens in any way, shape, or form. The refining of these oils ultimately destroys both the healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids and their antioxidants and converts them into distorted, unhealthy molecules. Dr. Shanahan in her book Deep Nutrition explains that vegetable oils are processed much like motor oil. She explains that the tiny seeds are pressed with intense pressure and heat and that one of the initial steps involves the use of hexane, a component of gasoline. This produces a nasty smelling oil, so it takes another 20 or so additional steps to bleach and deodorize this “dark muck."

Although canola oil is a monounsaturated oil, it is in a category of its own due to the harsh processing method it entails. Although canola oil is still considered “healthy” by the media and certain organizations, it is a highly refined product. The health claim comes from the fact that canola is rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids – and it is, in the seed form (canola comes from the rapeseed). The omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated and are easily distorted when exposed to heat; and during the deodorizing process, these omega-3 fats are transformed into trans fatty acids. Dr. Shanahan posits, “factory processed canola, even organic expeller pressed, contains mutated, oxidized, heat-damaged versions of once-healthy fats." What was once healthy in the seed is no longer healthy in the liquid form.

​One of the greatest frustrations I experience is trying to reassure people that eating eggs will not harm their health, but rather improve it. Most people I talk with are afraid that eggs – specifically the yolks – will raise their cholesterol. Many dietary guidelines are either directly or indirectly related to cholesterol phobia. The standard guidelines warn us to limit the amount of cholesterol we eat despite the fact that for at least 95% of the population, cholesterol in the diet has no effect on cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a basic raw material made by your liver, brain, and almost every cell in your body. Enzymes convert cholesterol into vitamin D, sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone), stress hormones, and bile salts for digesting and absorbing fats. It makes up a major part of the membranes surrounding cells and the structures within them. The brain is particularly rich in cholesterol.

​Since fat in the diet and cholesterol in the blood were believed to be linked, this led another scientist to misinterpret his own flawed experiment. In 1955 Ancel Keys set out to investigate fat in the diet and its connection to heart disease. Ancel Keys was not a doctor or a cardiologist. He was an ambitious biologist and his study would be the first of its kind. It examined the connection between lifestyle, diet, and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in men from different world populations. He started by analyzing 22 countries. However, all his data was not supportive of his theory, so he hand-selected the 7 countries that supported his preconceived hypothesis. In this way, he was able to make a convincing case that there was a direct connection between dietary fat and heart disease. The fact that Keys had chosen to include 7 countries and ignore the other 15 did not go unnoticed. A British doctor by the name of John Yudkin questioned Keys’ research and performed a far more extensive analysis of dietary factors on his own. Yudkin’s more comprehensive data showed that the single dietary factor that has the strongest association with coronary heart disease was…sugar! In other words, it was back in the 50s that we had this information. If you are interested in learning more about cholesterol, The Great Cholesterol Myth by cardiologist Stephen Sinatra delves deeply into this matter. 

Ingredients:

• 14 medjool dates
• ½ cup coconut butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ¼ cup finely shredded dried coconut, plus more for rolling
• optional: zest of a lemon - gives it a bright flavor

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, process the dates for a minute or so. They should be processed into a chunky paste.
2. Add the coconut butter (and optional zest if using) and pulse a few times until the ingredients are mixed.
3. Melt one tablespoon of coconut oil in a very small pan. Then start the processor and pour the melted oil in through the top while the processor is running. Add the ¼ cup dried coconut and process for 5-10 seconds more.
4. To roll the balls, pick up a very small handful of paste and press it in your hand. It should stick together. Then take the paste and press and roll it into a little ball, about one inch in diameter. Put the balls on a plate as you roll them.
5. Take the balls and immerse them in the dried coconut so that they get covered with coconut. Store in a cool place (I keep mine in the refrigerator) and eat as desired!