Fraternal Focus

Put Health and Wellness on Your 2022 Calendar

Editor’s Note: SPJST’s emphasis on health and wellness complements the “fiscal fitness” aspect of SPJST. The goal is to support, motivate and encourage the physical and emotional wellbeing of our SPJST members and employees. In the February 14 issue, we announced that Gallagher – the nationwide health and risk management –was making available to SPJST and its members a wealth of health and wellbeing information. Last month we focused on the importance of creating a more active lifestyle. This time, our focus is on explaining how making some simple dietary choices that can go a long way towards helping you build a stronger immune system.

On Building a Stronger Immune System

The old saying “You are what you eat” ties into the notion that to be fit and healthy, you need to eat good food. It is well-known that having a strong immune system makes it easier for the body to ward off harmful organisms like bacteria and viruses. Since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a lot of focus on how to strengthen immune function.

A 2021 systematic review and metaanalysis identified vitamin D as being associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Conversely, people who were deficient in vitamin D saw a heightened immune response and poorer recovery rates.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is mostly known for its role in bone health and calcium metabolism, but it has other functions as well.

A deficiency of vitamin D has been linked to a higher incidence of autoimmunity as well as a higher susceptibility to infection. Similarly, there appears to be an inverse relationship between vitamin D and the rate of infections. What this means is, maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may offer some additional protection.

Some of the most common symptoms associated with low vitamin D levels include fatigue, muscle weakness, and mood changes.

The biggest source of vitamin D is through sun exposure. Sunlight triggers a series of chemical reactions in your skin that lead to the production of vitamin D. Spending as little as 10 to 15 minutes in the sun a few times a week is enough to saturate blood levels.

Few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D. The best sources are the flesh of fatty fish and fish liver oils. Smaller amounts are found in egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver. Vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms are the only non-animal food product with substantial amounts of bioavailable vitamin D and, as such, have the potential to be a primary source of dietary vitamin D for vegans and vegetarians.

One of the best ways to get enough Vitamin D in your diet is to eat a variety of healthy foods from all of the food groups, including some fortified foods, including cereals, milk, and yogurt.

The topic of our first SPJST Fraternal Focus Online webcast on January 24 was all about putting health and wellness on your 2022 calendar. We build on that theme with the March 29 Fraternal Focus online webcast with the emphasis on healthy eating and what we can all do in order to sustain healthy eating habits. Be sure to join online for the presentation! Based on your posi-

tive feedback, once again, our guest presenter will be Joan Vanicek, who is the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention program manager at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple. The online programs are approximately an hour in length and include a wealth of information relating to SPJST activities as well as our regular focus topics.

Top Benefits of Vitamin D

● Bone Health

● Boosts Immunity ● Cuts Cancer Risk

● Maintains Body Weight ● Reduces Inflammation

● Blood Sugar Regulation ● Reduces Autoimmunity ● Boosts Cognition, Mood, Sleep ● Improves Heart and Muscle Function

Photo Credits: Sunshine: everydayhealth.com Foods: womansday.com

To participate in the Tuesday, March 29 Fraternal Focus online webcast, visit spjst.org to register. The webcast begins at 7 p.m. —SPJST—