Leo,theLion

TheconstellationofLeo,likeall ancientzodiacalconstellations, followtheEcliptic;animaginary lineintheskythatshowstheplane ofourSolarSystem.Inother words,itistheapparenttrackof ourSuntogetherwiththepathof ourplanetaryneighboursMercury, Venus,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn, UranusandNeptune.

Atthistimeofyear,Leo iseasyto spoton aclearnightfor anumber ofreasons.Itissurprisinglyone ofthefewconstellationsactually similarinshapetowhatitdepicts. Littleimaginationisneededtosee alionrecliningin apositionalmost identical totheEgyptianSphinx. Viewingin aSoutherlydirection abouthalfwaybetweenthe horizonanddirectlyaboveyour headyouwillsee abackwards facingquestion markorsickle with abrightstaratit’sbasethat marksthelionsheadandchest. Regulus,thebrighteststarinLeo, representshisfrontpawandis inthetop15brightestNorthern Hemispherestars.Facingtoour righthisbodyextendstotheEast, endingwiththestarDenebolahis tail.

TheancientGreeksbelievedLeo was acavedwellinglionwhose skinwasimpenetrablebyany weapon.EventuallyHercules strangledLeoandthenusedone ofthelionsclawstomake acloak fromhispelttoprotecthimselfin theHeavens.

VitaminD hasreceiveda lotof ‘exposure’ overthe past year,excuse thepun , but what hasmadeitsucha ‘hot’ topicof conversation?

DidYou Know?

VitaminD,despite itsname, is notevena vitaminat all; it’s ahormone!Itis synthesisedfromcholesterolinyour skin when your skin is exposedto strong summer sunlight.

Whyisit Important?

VitaminD actually hasa number of functionsinthebody, whichinclude: boostingthe immune system’sresponse to infections, reducingtheriskof developingdiabetes, reducing theriskof osteoporosis andfractures,easingthe symptoms of severe depression,and more recently hasbeenfoundtoreduce therisk of cancersfromspreading.

WhatMakes ThisRelevanttoMe?

Although nicknamedthe ‘sunshine vitamin’,mostofuswon’tbeexposedto enoughstrong sunlight to keep our blood serumlevelsup. Especiallyas we live so farintothe typicallysun-deprivednorthern hemisphere. Arecentstudyfoundthat1 in 5ofthe UK populationis deficient duringthe winter months, with an increased prevalence forthose with darker skinasthe increasedpigmentation decreasestheskins efficiencyin synthesising thevitamin.

HowCan IHelpMyself?

VitaminD canbedelivered to ourbody throughthe foodthatweeat in twoforms. Themostimportant onetofocus onis D3 (cholecalciferol),asitisnearlytwiceas effective at increasingourblood serum levels.D3can be foundinoilyfish,red meat andegg yolks. Here area few examples of vitaminD contentinfoods:

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140gofbaked salmon =10.2µg

140gcannedsardines= 4.6µg

100gleanbeefmince= 0.6µg

1boiledegg= 1.6µg

Can Itakea Supplement?

Oneofthe best ways to topuponvitamin D, especiallyif youarerestricted in food choices, is totake asupplement.Current governmentguidelines forUKadults suggesta supplement containing10µg (400 IU) of vitamin Dtobetaken daily.If this is something youare considering, checkwithyour GP firstatyournextvisit before youmakeitpart of your wellness plan.

ChiropracticToday

Many don’t realiseit, but aches andpains canbethe reason youhavestopped doing somethingthatyou once enjoyed. We specialiseinhelping:

Back pain

Neckpain

Jointpain/stiffness

Sciatica

Headachesand migraines

Muscle spasms

Osteoarthritis

Tensionand inability to relax

Poor posture