Every time I look at our shelves I see an endless to do list, not only for us but for our industry and our broader society. Gluten free products that substitute gluten for a calamity of salt, sugar and numbers, certified organic products touting sustainability credentials regardless of their international origins & non-degradable packaging as far as the eye can see. The wonderful thing about to do lists though, is they provide a great deal of satisfaction every time you tick something off and that is why today was so important to the long term vision for not only our store but our lives in general.

The last time I travelled on the Bell’s Line of Road I was on a motorcycle, it was deathly cold and I couldn’t see a thing due to the think pea soup fog. A distinctly different experience greeted us as we rose into the mountains this time. The clouds parted and allowed the warm sunlight in, proudly showing off the grand sandstone cliffs of the Great Dividing Range – a nice change from the cold grey morning we left behind in Orange. We zipped through to Bilpin in comfort.

Greeting us at our destination was Claudia Kindler of Wirraninna Ridge Apple Cider Vinegar. We had been introduced to Claudia by our friend Tim Malfroy – a leading progressive bee keeper. We sell a lot of Apple Cider Vinegar and most of it travels half way around the planet to get to us. Bottled in glass this vinegar is heavy and I would hate to think how much energy is wasted getting it to the various stockists around the world. Claudia, thankfully, gave us an opportunity to short circuit this process.

The first thing you notice when entering an Apple Cider Vinegar making facility is the thick fragrance of apple pie. The large room was packed with storage tanks and all the equipment needed from the pressing of the apples to the bottling of the final product. Thousands of litres of living, breathing vinegar filled the tanks representing the next 9 years of Claudia’s stock.

Wirraninna Ridge started back in 1986 when Claudia was growing enough apples in her own orchard to meet her vinegar making needs. As the years have bubbled on apples have had to be sourced from other local orchards but not just any orchards. Claudia specifically sources from smaller operators who have less need for undesirable interventions inherent in large scale agriculture where her apples are ripened on the tree, providing maximum flavour and sugar for the fermentation process.

Wirraninna Ridge started its life as an organic producer, but as Claudia explained, the business of Organics became inhospitable and the product suffered. Interestingly, this is not the first time we’ve come across this phenomenon – perhaps just another example of the impost of business and bureaucracy on our food?

There are 3 basic steps in the production of any vinegar. The first, the extraction of the juice, being the most labour intensive. Two beautiful apple presses sat quietly in the corner of the room waiting patiently for their next great effort, potentially years away. The second and third part of the process match the silence of the presses in waiting but beneath the surface a far more dramatic life and death struggle occurs. As the name suggests, Apple Cider Vinegar begins its life as the production of Apple Cider or fermented apple juice. Claudia spent many years experimenting with different protagonists in this part of the story, working her way through many commercially produced wine yeasts and on to the wild yeasts native to the Bilpin air. We were delighted to hear the wild yeasts won out. Like some kind of Easter Island re-enactment the population grows feeding on the abundance of sugars created by sun and apple converting it to alcohol until the local resources are exhausted and the population collapses. This provides an ideal environment for a new civilisation to emerge. Anaerobic bacteria with a penchant for the drink takes hold converting the alcohol into acetic acid, the defining moment in the production of vinegar.

The only real visible indication that this process is occurring is the grown of a white rubbery skin on the surface of the vinegar. This cellulose based disc is known as the mother and is the focus of the vast majority of the health claims made about apple cider vinegar. Interestingly, industrialised vinegar manufacturing considers the presence of the mother in the vinegar a result of a lack of control of the process. Claudia presented an opinion somewhere in the middle ground. Traditional vinegar making often sees the mother as part of the process, an indicator of the story going on underneath.

When asked about the therapeutic claims made about apple cider vinegar, Claudia was hesitant to suggest any explicit benefits. Instead she presented a list of what her customers are using the vinegar for, a list familiar to us and our customers. One new and interesting idea was the use of vinegar to aid with labouring sows in pig farming. Whilst the  list of claims is long and well known, we think its best think of vinegar as a culinary ingredient rather than some kind of miracle cure. If you are interested in the very little research that has been done, Google Apple Cider Vinegar and blood sugar.

We came back to the store armed with a much more complete understanding of how the vinegar is made and nourished by the experience of making contact with its origins. Our customers now have the choice of 6 year old local vinegar and vinegar blended with honey (from the Malfroy’s family business) dispensed from a traditional ceramic pots. We are now one step further along in the process of engaging with the local food economy and unravelling the tangle of modern food distribution.

Einkorn is the first wheat man domesticated. Some have said it’s the purest form of wheat- before any hybridisation took place. It’s highly nutritious and very easy on the digestive system.

We’re extremely privileged to have a personal relationship with the only grower of Einkorn in Australia. We have, therefore, become the only miller of fresh, stoneground Einkorn flour in Australia. Because we’re milling the whole grain, and not just the endosperm part of the grain, on the stoneground mill we can retain a high nutrient level. Einkorn is high in B Group Vitamins, protein, natural oils & tocopherols, fibre, the antioxidant Lutein, carotenoids & iron.

Einkorn has a distinctly different protein structure to modern wheat making it suitable for people who have had trouble digesting wheat products. Einkorn is actually higher in gluten however the gluten structure is very fragile and breaks down easily. There has been some promising studies done into Einkorn wheat for people with wheat intolerances. The following excerpt is from the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. It was a study done in 2006 using Einkorn as a possible alternative for people who suffer from celiac disease.

http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00365520600699983?journalCode=gas

Objective. The treatment of celiac disease is based on lifelong withdrawal of foods containing gluten. Unfortunately, compliance with a gluten-free diet has proved poor in many patients (mainly due to its low palatability), emphasizing the need for cereal varieties that are not toxic for celiac patients. In evolutionary terms, Triticum monococcum is the oldest and most primitive cultivated wheat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of T. monococcum on small intestinal mucosa, using an in vitro organ culture system.

Material and methods. Distal duodenum biopsies of 12 treated celiac patients and 17 control subjects were cultured for 24 h with T. aestivum (bread) gliadin (1 mg/ml) or with T. monococcum gliadin (1 mg/ml). Biopsies cultured with medium alone served as controls. Each biopsy was used for conventional histological examination and for immunohistochemical detection of CD3 + intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and HLA-DR. Secreted cytokine protein interferon-γ (IFN–γ) was measured in the culture supernatant using an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay.

Results. Significant morphological changes, HLA-DR overexpression in the crypt epithelium and an increased number of CD3 + IELs, found after bread gliadin exposure, were not observed in celiac biopsies cultured with T. monococcum gliadin. In contrast, with bread gliadin, there was no significant IFN-γ response after culture with monococcum gliadin. Similarly, biopsies from normal controls did not respond to bread or monococcum gliadin stimulation.

Conclusions. These data show a lack of toxicity of T. monococcum gliadin in an in vitro organ culture system, suggesting new dietary opportunities for celiac patients.

Before you get too excited, keep in mind that research in this area is continuing and Einkorn has not yet been established as being suitable for celiacs, but that it only has the potential to be.

In the meantime I’ve been having fun trying out lots of new recipes with this new kind of flour. I’m particularly enjoying the nutty flavour of Einkorn bread.

If you’d like to try Einkorn, pop in store and we can mill some flour fresh for you. Or, if you don’t live in Orange we’re milling flour fresh at the Marrickville Organic Farmers Markets every Sunday.

So what is BPA? BPA is a compound used to make plastics. It has become controversial due to it’s ability to disrupt the endocrine system and mimic the body’s own hormones. There have also been studies done on the effects of BPA exposure with regards to obesity, thyroid function, neurological issues, a variety of cancers, and the reproductive system.

What does this have to do with your tinned tomatoes? Currently all but one brand in Australia lines its tins with lining containing BPA. This is not only tinned tomatoes but extends to all tinned products including beans & legumes. Tomatoes are of most significance however, due to their acidity. The acidity tends to draw BPA out of the lining and into your food which is they ingested by you!

Choice Magazine conducted tests on a variety of tinned foods & have recommended that BPA be eliminated from all tin cans.

The Choice Magazine verdict was “We would like to see the food industry take more urgent action to phase out food packaging materials that release toxic chemicals into food. This includes plasticisers such as phthalates, used in some food containers and PVC cling wrap, as well as BPA-based polycarbonate bottles and epoxyresins for lining cans.”

The Choice Magazine review can be seen here.

It was interesting to note the Coles ORGANIC branded tomatoes scored quite poorly when it came to BPA contamination. So much for organic!

For more results, visit the Choice Magazine review I linked too earlier.

We have sourced the ONLY BPA FREE tinned tomatoes, beans & legumes available in Australia (short of bottling your own in glass jars!).

Spiral Organic Whole Tomatoes & Eden Organics are the only brand to not contain BPA in their tin lining. Eden Organics range includes kidney beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, navy beans, aduki beans, lentils, black beans & baked beans.

You can’t miss them- there’s a big stand full of Spiral tomatoes & Eden beans out the front of the shop. Prices are comparable to the supermarket- minus the BPA.

First of the season Blackberries from our own bushes,  sweetened with raw honey from our own hive. Samples of organic milk and cream we are trying out for the store and wonderful Happy Chook Company Free Range Eggs (also available in store).

Ingredients:

5 Free Range Eggs Yolks
130gm Raw Honey (Malfroy’s Gold  is the next best thing after bees of your own..)
250ml Unhomoginised Organic Milk
500ml Organic Cream
1 x Pure Earth Naturally Pollinated Vanilla Bean
350gm Fresh Blackberries – half smooshed

Instructions:

Spilt and scrape vanilla bean – add to milk and cream. Heat mixture until just before simmering. Don’t let boil!
Whisk egg yolks and honey togeather until creamy in colour and texture.
Slowly pour milk mixture into egg mixture whisking constantly. Careful not to let eggs scramble from the heat.
Return to a clean pan and over a low heat stir with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens sticks to the back of the spoon.

We added the blackberries along the way while cooking the custard to get the flavours going with the heat. You could add whole blackberries later when the icream is in the machine instead – or as well.

Let mixture cool in the fridge for as long as you can bear it before pouring into icecream machine. Our batch took about 40mins unitl it was ready to pull out and eat.

Enjoy!
 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Lucas & I, not only this year, but for the past 7 odd years. We have built some lovely friendships over this time and it’s that “human” aspect of our work that keeps us coming back for more.

Enough soppy stuff… onto some delicious New Year’s recipes. I’m going to cheat slightly and pop a link in for a Quinoa Pilaf recipe that I did earlier in the year. An excellent accompaniment for meat and fish or a great protein source for a vegetarian feast.

Continuing on the vegetarian feast idea:

Honey Baked Lentils

2 Tblspns olive oil

1 medium brown onion, diced

2 big cloves of garlic, crushed

1 cup dried green/brown lentils

1 tsp each cumin & chilli powder (or more if you love spices)

2 tblspns tamari

2 tblspns honey

2.5 cups stock

Add the olive oil to a covered baking dish (something with a heavy base that can be used on the stove top and in the oven). Dice the onion & sautee on the stove until onion becomes translucent. Add the crushed garlic, ginger & spices & give a quick fry. Add the lentils and stir through the spice mixture. Add the tamari or soy sauce and honey. Stir through. Add the stock. Bring to the boil then pop the lid on and place in the oven. Bake at 160 degrees in a covered dish until lentils are cooked… approx. 1.5hrs.

Sometimes I’ll chop carrot & celery and add that to the mix. Serve with rice.

For the omnivores…. a Paella is a great way to feed a lot of people with minimum washing up. My kids also love this as they can pick through the rice and find their favourite things. I’ll do my best to write down the recipe but I usually just cook it off the top of my head.

Danielle’s Paella

1 spicy chorizo sausage, sliced

500gm free range chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 chilli, chopped (optional)

1 red capsicum, cut into chunks

1 yellow capsicum, cut into chunks

a good handful of green beans, topped, tailed & halved

a good handful of mushrooms, sliced

1 tblspn of rosemary, chopped

the zest of one lemon

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 cup arborio rice

2 cups chicken stock

500gms green prawns, peeled

A paella pan is not necessary. A large frying pan will suffice but it has to be a large one! Cook chorizo first. Remove from pan. Cook chicken thighs. Remove from pan. Saute onions, garlic & chilli gently. Add the rest of the vegies & stir through. Add chorizo, chicken, chopped rosemary & lemon zest. Add the rice and mix everything gently through. Add the tin of tomatoes. Stir gently. Lastly, add the stock. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a low heat and let simmer gently until rice is cooked. 10 minutes before hand pop the prawns on top so they gently cook on the heat.

Chop some fresh parsley to sprinkle over the top. Add some fresh lemon wedges (use the one you zested earlier) so people can squeeze a little onto their meal to put a bit of zing into it!

Lucas and I would like to wish you and your family a Happy New Year filled with love, happiness & health. See you next year!

Later research focused on food preparation techniques. These communities allow grains, milk products and often vegetables, fruits and meats to ferment or pickle by a process called lacto-fermentation. These pickling techniques preserve food so that they are available during periods of scarcity but lacto-fermentation makes nutrients in these foods more available and supplies the intestinal tract with health promoting lactic acid and lactic acid producing bacteria.

So I’m going to talk a bit about cultured dairy products. Cultured dairy products have been used for generations, in fact drinking milk in an unfermented state is only a relatively new practise. The following in an excerpt from Nourishing Traditions on the benefits of cultured dairy:

“Like the process of sprouting grains, fermentation of milk results in numerous beneficial changes. Fermentation breaks down casein, or milk protein, one of the most difficult proteins to digest. Culturing restores many of the enzymes destroyed during pasturisation including lactase, which helps digest lactose or milk sugar, and numerous enzymes, which help the body absorb calcium and other minerals. Lactase produced during the culturing process allows many people who are sensitive to fresh milk to tolerate fermented milk products. Both vitamin B and vitamin C content of milk increase during fermentation.

Research has shown that regular consumption of cultured dairy products lowers cholesterol and protects against bone loss. In addition, cultured dairy products provide beneficial bacteria and lactic acid to the digestive tract. These friendly creatures and their by-products keep pathogens at bay, guard against infectious illness and aid in the fullest possible digestion of all food we consume. Perhaps this is why so many traditional societies value fermented milk products for their health promoting properties and insist on giving them to the sick, the aged and nursing mothers.”

Cultured dairy products are still used extensively in Europe in the form of creme fraiche (a soured cream), cultured butter, cultured cream cheese, cottage cheese and quark, yoghurt and kefir. They are also found in the Middle East and India in the forms of Laban and Dahi, which is consumed with every meal.

For years we’ve been told that full fat dairy products, rich in saturated fats contribute to higher cholesterol and heart disease.  The Lancet Medical Journal (344:1195) reported the fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated fats (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated. Saturated fats play an important part in our chemistry.

• Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of the cell membranes, giving them the necessary stiffness and integrity so they can function properly.
• They play a vital role in the absorption of calcium, essential for bone health.
• They enhance the immune system.
• They are needed for the proper utilisation of essential fatty acids (Omega 3,6 & 9).
• Short & Medium chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties, protecting us from harmful micro organisms in the digestive tract.

We stock a range of organic & cultured dairy products including cultured butter, cows, sheeps and goats milk yoghurts all made to traditional recipes, quark, and kefir.

It takes only 5% energy to produce recycled aluminum foil compared with regular aluminum foil. The energy equivalent of 1 gallon of fuel produces 2.78 lbs virgin aluminum, while only 0.05 gallons is required to produce 2.78 lbs recycled aluminum. Expressed in terms of rolls of aluminum foil, 1.39 cups of fuel produces one roll of traditional foil, while only 0.07 cups is used for each If You Care roll.

And these energy savings don’t even take into account the financial and environmental benefits of lower transportation weights and fuel costs. The primary component of aluminum is bauxite, typically mined in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Which means in addition to the tremendous energy expenditures and environmental costs in the mining of the mineral, there are very significant added transportation and fuel costs in moving it around the globe. Most of these energy costs are saved in the recycling process, so If You Care Recycled Aluminum foil uses even less than 5% that of regular aluminum foil. And, it doesn’t cost the earth!

Recycling 1kg aluminum can save up to:

• 8kg bauxite

• 4kg chemical products

• 14,000 watts electricity

There’s also unbleached, chlorine free baking paper, baking cups for muffins/cupcakes & sandwich bags.

These premium quality FSC certified unbleached, greaseproof papers are perfect for a wide variety of baking and cooking needs. While some baking papers are coated with Quilon, which contains heavy metals like chromium that can be toxic when incinerated, If You Care Parchment Paper uses Silicone, derived from a natural element. It’s a much more expensive process, but one we feel is worth it for everyone. But perhaps most importantly, our baking papers use no chlorine in their production. And that means no chlorine is dumped into our lakes and streams.

INDUSTRIAL

Pollan follows the industrial food chain, from farm to fork.  An intimate relationship with Iowa corn farmer, George Naylor, is formed and George gives us an insight into how both the Government and the food industry have American farmers bent over the corn barrel. In America, corn rules & it’s rare to find a processed food that doesn’t contain a highly refined form of the plant in it. But it’s not just America. Take a look around our own supermarket shelves and the presence of corn reigns supreme. Corn comes under the names of citric and lactic acid, glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, ethanol, sorbitol, mannitol,  xanthum gum, modified starch and unmodified starch, as well as dextrins, cyclodextrins and MSG (to name a few!). Pollan discusses the health implications of consuming so much corn as well as the environmental damage of monocultures.

The book then follows corn through the processed food chain and into the cattle feed lots where one feedlot can house up to 37,000 head of cattle. Here cattle are fed a mixture of corn meal (corn again!), animal meal, antibiotics & liquid vitamins. The conditions under which these animals are raised are, put simply, barbaric and inhumane. 400 head of cattle are “processed” per hour and sent to feed the insatiable American appetite.

Each chapter ends with a meal based on the food chain that has been followed. The epitome of the industrialised meal would have to be a meal at Macca’s, which is exactly what Michael Pollan indulged in.

PASTORAL

In Pastoral, Pollan again follows the food chain of one of the fastest growing industries in agriculture…. Organic. Pollan spends time with Joel Salatin at Polyface Farm learning not only a variety of alternative farming techniques, but Joel’s philosophies on life and farming. In fact it’s easy to see that Pollan, while trying to remain impartial to the different forms of agriculture, it’s Joel’s method that he seems most comfortable with and it’s not hard to see why. Polyface farm produces chicken, beef, turkeys, eggs, rabbits & pigs, plus tomatoes, sweet corn and berries on 100 acres of pasture. Joel is a self confessed “grass farmer” as it is the cycle of energy from the sun to grass to animal that ensures he has an income. All produce is sold locally and buyers are welcome on his farm at any time so he is 100% accountable at all times.

Joel’s personality is almost larger than life with one particular quote sticking with me… “You know what the best kind of organic certification would be? Make an unannounced visit to a farm and take a good look at the farmer’s bookshelf. Because what you’re feeding your emotions and thoughts is what it’s really all about. The way I produce a chicken is an extension of my world view. You can learn more about that by seeing what’s sitting on my bookshelf than having me fill out a bunch of forms.”

Pollan then takes on “Big Organic”….  a world where organics is booming and demand outstrips supply. We see the big players in the food industry capitalising on the desire for a more wholesome and ethical product. When something is certified organic is it actually better for us, or more environmentally sustainable? Pollan tackles these questions in depth as he visits some of the USA’s largest organic producers. This was particularly eye opening and confirmed what we had suspected… particularly since Woolworths bought the Macro Wholefoods line of products.

PERSONAL

In the final section of the book, Pollan looks at the hunter gatherer food chain. He explores the ethics of eating animals and plays “hunter” with Angelo Garro. This chapter is quite humerous as Pollan summons the courage to shoot a pig, the adrenalin filled elation after the deed is done and the days of guilt that followed. The “gatherer” side of things sees Pollan foraging for wild mushrooms. Who knew mushroom foragers were so secretive about their mushroom spots! But then, one can understand why they would be as there is a lucrative restaurant market awaiting the arrival of said mushrooms. Mushrooms are such an amazing organism and the new concept of “lunar calories”, as opposed to calories in food developed from the sun’s energy, is fun.

Pollan admits that the hunter gatherer food chain is a totally unrealistic way to feed a world’s population but thought it necessary to once again, burrow into the philosophies of the forager.

With so many questions put towards consumers these days it’s easy to understand why there’s so much confusion surrounding what to buy. Do we buy organic or non organic? If organic, local or imported? Wild fish or farmed? Low carb or low cal?

The Omnivores Dilemma is a fantastic read from farm to plate.

These naturally fermented artisan breads feature grains such as spelt & kamut and include a range of yeast & gluten free breads. There’s also a variety of stoneground sourdough wheat breads, including the Walnut bread which we’re enjoying as part of dinner tonight.

There’s so many different breads on the market these days. It can make it difficult to choose. Here’s a bit about the different types of breads available commercially from the Sol Breads website…..

White Yeasted Bread

In the Western world, bread with its excellent source of complex carbohydrates forms part of basic nutrition. In ancient times bread was manufactured using grains such as emmer and einkorn resulting in a dark, coarse and heavy consistency. These days baking has evolved to such an extent that one could be forgiven for being confused by the varieties of bread available today and their respective health benefits.

The most common bread available in your local superparket is undoubtedly White Yeasted Bread made from wheat.

Wheat is the ideal grain for baking, its high starch content combined with gluten gives it the elasticity we have grown to expect from white, soft bread. In terms of nutritional value, whilst it is true that wheat it is fairly high in B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and copper, the extensive processing and genetic modification adopted in the production of white yeasted bread strips the grain of some of its nutritional value.

Further, highly refined bleached flour is used in the manufacture of such breads, so the milling and bleaching process also removes or at the very least partially removes most of the goodness naturally found in the grain such as the germ, bran, vitamins and minerals.

This would explain why many white yeasted breads make claims such as ‘added thiamin’. Ironically, to make up for this depletion bakeries add back some of the nutrients – it is then sold as “enriched” bread! Doesn’t it just make much more sense to just eat the whole grain in the first place?

White yeasted bread is leavened using baker’s yeast. This is largely due to mass production and the need to keep costs low and profits high.

Wholegrain or Wholemeal Yeasted Bread

Wholegrain or Wholemeal Yeasted Bread is generally made from refined flour to which the bulk of the bran and wheat germ removed by the milling process has been put back in. Look out for “Stoneground” varieties, as this indicates that the grain has been ground on a traditional millstone. This carries health benefits as it means that the wheat germ has not been exposed to excessive temperatures which cause oxidisation and loss of nutrients.

The bran in wheat grain contains a substance called phytic acid which can reduce the absorption of some minerals including calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium. When wholemeal flour is combined with bakers yeast and quickly baked into bread, the rapid fermentation process hinders the conversion of phytic acid thus preventing the nutritional value of the grain from being ‘unlocked’.

The parts of the grain like wheat germ and bran that have the health benefits are taken out to create white flour and then partially added back in to make whole wheat. The best way to get  nutritional value is through a whole grain bread, not whole wheat.

Yeasted “Sourdough” Bread

Many bakeries promote sourdough bread. Be aware, unless the bread is naturally leavened it is little more than slightly improved white-yeasted bread.

The process is not dissimilar to the white yeasted loaf described above, the only distinction being that the baker will add some fermented dough from the previous bake.  This fermented dough will have the slightly sour tang of a traditional sourdough, but apart from a potentially better flavour yeasted sourdough is no better for you that regular white yeasted bread.

If you want to get the best nutritional value out of your bread eat 100% genuine wholegrain sourdough. The natural fermentation of the sourdough changes the nature of the starches in the bread, creating a more beneficial bread.

More of the Sol Breads range:

Spelt Megagrain

Pumpkin & Pepita Sourdough

Spelt Fruit Loaf

According to recent research from Boston Univeristy Medical Centre the “Slip Slop Slap” sun smart message HAS been too successful. In fact, Boston Uni has gone so far as to say it’s the most common medical condition worldwide. It seems that even in a sunny country such as Australia we’re seeing rising levels of Vitamin D deficiency. In fact, one quarter of the population is Vitamin D deficient and 43% of that is young women. When studying dermatologists and Vitamin D levels it was shown that a whopping 87% were Vitamin D deficient, and this study was conducted in Australia at the peak of summer! Take note if you’re a dermatologist! This is a wonderful podcast from the Radio National “Life Matters” program which goes into more detail but I’ll summarize for you here…

• Vitamin D isn’t really a vitamin at all, but rather a hormone because it is synthesised in the body. Vitamin D is “activated” in the liver & kidneys and plays a role in regulating calcium, bone health, and metabolism.

• Vitamin D deficiency has always been seen to be a deficiency in the elderly (osteoporosis) or in children (rickets) however it is increasingly affecting middle aged people with symptoms being missed or not associated with Vitamin D deficiency. Osteomalacia is one such condition. Symptoms include muscle weakness, bone pain (particularly the hips), bone fractures, tiredness and spasms of the hands & feet.

• Wearing a sunscreen with an SPF 30 rating decreases your Vitamin D absorption by 96%.

• A Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risks of Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and some cancers.

• In young women Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with infertility, pre eclampsia during pregnancy.

• Vitamin D absorption happens between the hours of 10am and 2-3pm (not so great for sunburn!).

So how do we manage Vitamin D and sun exposure? Well we certainly don’t advocate going and sitting in the summer sun between the hours of 10 and 2 without sunscreen. That’s a recipe for disaster.

In terms of sun exposure and Vitamin D it is recommended that you spend no more than 3 – 5 minutes during the middle of the day in the sun for Vitamin D absorption. This ensures that damage from ultraviolet rays (which are also the rays we need for Vitamin D) do minimal skin damage.

Cover your face and expose your arms and legs.

In terms of natural food sources, there’s actually not many choices. Oily fish are your highest sources of Vitamin D as well as sunflower seeds (come in and try our Australian grown sunflower seeds!). Small amounts are found in beef liver, egg yolks & cheese.

If for some reason your Vitamin D intake is not adequate from the sun and food sources you might need to take a Vitamin D supplement. We recommend Herbs of Gold Vitamin D3 1000.

For more information come in and chat to us. Alternatively, there are some useful resources online:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/vitamin_d

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind