ALUNA TEMPLE MAGAZINE Edition No2 'HONOURING LIFE' | Page 29

In addition, when we look at the cultures that consume natural foods rich in carotenoids, we see that they are generally very healthy and experience a lower mortality rate because of chronic illness. Adding variety of brightly coloured vegetables from your local fresh food market such as carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, red paprika, sweet potatoes, beetroot, broccoli, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, asparagus and herbs such as parsley, dill, thyme, coriander and basil to your plate are a good & beneficial choice. Fruits that are abundant in carotenoids include apricots, mangoes, cherries, strawberries, other berries, citrus fruits and cantaloupe. All fruit should be consumed raw, when it is at its ripest – this is when it will contain the highest levels of antioxidants and vitamin C. The best option is to buy naturally ripened fruit from your local farmers market or organic grocery store. Some of the vegetables mentioned above may need to be cooked to make them easier to digest. When you do this, add some butter from grass-fed animals, which is also abundant in antioxidants such as vitamins A, D, E and K2. In salads, you can use extra virgin olive oil, which contains vitamins E and K. To maximise the bioavailability of the antioxidants in vegetables, don’t forget to mix them with ‘good’ fats, such as those found in unprocessed vegetable oils such as olive oil, or animal-sourced fats such as butter. The brighter, more intense is the colour of a plant, the richer is its antioxidant content! KEEP DISEASE AWAY: with Vitamin D. Northern Hemisphere is approaching winter months and also the risk of vitamin D shortage due to the fact that we spend lots of time indoors. But you can still make sure you are getting enough vitamin D through diet and supplementation. Why do you need Vitamin D? Vitamin D is essential to building and maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. Vitamin D is important in regulating the levels of minerals such as phosphorous and calcium. Vitamin D is used for treating weak bones, bone pain, and bone loss. Vitamin D improves skin conditions including vitiligo, scleroderma, psoriasis, actinic keratosis, and lupus vulgaris. It is also used for boosting the immune system, preventing autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with increased mortality. It is also used to help diabetes, obesity, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchitis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and tooth and gum disease. In general, it is easy to prevent vitamin D deficiency if you make sure you get plenty of sun exposure, wherever it is possible, eat oily fish at last 2 times a week and have butter and ghee daily. You can also supplement it with cod liver oil. 29