Nutrition - Our Green Health

Unexpected Vitamin D Deficiency despite a lot of Sun?

16/12/202123/11/2020 by Hannie Mommers

“How is that even possible? I just got back from 3 months at the South coast of Spain?”

At that time I was living in the Netherlands and had been travelling to the sun in wintertime. I was in the GP’s office to get the results of my general medical test and just didn’t understand how I could have a Vitamin D deficiency despite a lot of sun I had been in.

The doctor explained to me that ageing skin does not absorb as much Vitamin D as younger skin and suggested taking supplements. Until then, I was very reluctant to take any supplement at all. I thought that a healthy diet should be sufficient.

What is the Difference between Chocolate and Cacao, or is it Cocoa?

11/12/202119/10/2020 by Hannie Mommers

In Dutch we have the expression “I can’t make chocolate out of it”, which basically means I don’t get it. Well, I couldn’t make chocolate out of the difference between chocolate and cacao. And then I discovered there is also cocoa. Time for some investigation!

Women and chocolate are an infamous combination. It’s our favourite comfort food. And given all the rave articles in the women’s magazines in recent years, most of us no longer feel guilty about being addicted to chocolate.

Animal Collagen vs Plant Collagen – Is there a Significant Difference?

09/12/202112/10/2020 by Hannie Mommers

I always thought it was collagen, just that one word. I hadn’t the faintest idea there is a difference between animal collagen vs plant collagen.

Moreover, collagen had a bad reputation in my mind because of the ads. You might know which ads I mean: Look 20 years younger by using our product with Collagen XXL. I distrusted the claims and I hated the implication I didn’t look good the way I was.

The worst one was a promo on Dutch TV. Imagine the scene: a grandmother is happily playing with her grandson who is laughing and having fun as well. All of a sudden he stops in mid-play, points an accusing finger at her face and says: Gran, why does your skin look so awkward?

Natural Organic Essential Oils and How to Use Them

08/12/202105/10/2020 by Hannie Mommers

A minor ailment – not serious enough to attend a doctor for, but annoying enough to bother you – could benefit greatly from essential oil. In an article about the forms of supplements, I described essential oils because some are suitable for internal use. However, there are many more applications.

If you have visited this website before, then you know that I am a big believer in organic products. So you understand, only natural organic essential oils qualify for me.

Years ago I was looking into methods to sleep better and one of the things that improved my sleep hugely was a quality Lavender Oil. Since I found that one, I have extended the use of essential oils to other aspects of my life as well.

5 + 10 Successful Essential Supplements for Energy

06/01/202231/08/2020 by Hannie Mommers

Getting everything your body needs through food is the best way. Read my article about the food that gives you energy. Yet there can be all kinds of reasons why you need more energy than food can deliver. In that case, supplements are a practical and natural replacement for or an addition to food. What are the essential supplements for energy?

As with any advice – no matter in what area – for every wildly enthusiastic recommendation there are opinions that discourage or even deny it. I love coffee in the morning and had several warnings from friends that coffee is bad for me. And to some extent they were right. If I drink coffee after 1 pm, surely I will have problems getting to sleep that night.

How Healthy are Mushrooms? 7 Reasons to eat them

29/11/202124/08/2020 by Hannie Mommers

If there is one thing I miss about the Netherlands in autumn, it is the sight of the many mushrooms during our forest walks. Over here in the south of Spain, it is so dry, that seeing mushrooms is pretty rare.

We never picked them, by the way. We have heard too many stories of people who got sick from mushrooms, so we would rather not take any risks.

So how healthy are mushrooms, if you obviously have to be that careful?

Nuts for our Brain, and other Superior Health Benefits

19/11/202127/07/2020 by Hannie Mommers

In the Netherlands, we have a snack called Studentenhaver, which roughly translates as Student oats. This is a mix of walnuts, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, raisins, and sometimes other dried fruits. This mix is supposed to enhance intelligence, hence the name. So, nuts for our brain.

Tom and I supplement our food with lots of nuts, not because it would increase our intelligence, but because of all the benefits nuts contain. We rarely eat meat, which is another reason to eat nuts. Although the main reason is that they are delicious. We love nuts.

The Proven Benefits of Calcium for our Body

17/11/202122/06/2020 by Hannie Mommers

When my mother was 87 she broke her first hip, because she fell off her bike. Three years later she fell out of bed and broke the other one. Until her first hip fracture, my mother never used any medication or supplements.

I am not even sure her food was varied enough after my father passed away years earlier. Maybe she had a Calcium deficit, I don’t know.

It made me study the benefits of Calcium thoroughly because the healing process and the aftermath were difficult. And if I can prevent that happening to me, all the better. When you are aging, osteoporosis (bone loss or bone weakening) is a huge risk, especially for women.