Vitamin D..... "Walking on Sunshine"

If gas and food prices haven’t altered your thinking to make a lifestyle change, then pathologies related to Vitamin D deficiencies may be the cherry on the cake to get you exercising and eating whole foods.

Vitamin D-3 is making big news! We need it for bone and organ health and it’s made when our skin is exposed to sun. In other words, if your body is covered with clothing, or has sunblock your skin will not actively produce Vitamin D. We only need about 15 minutes of sunshine per day. Others argue that 10-15 minutes to face, arms, hands and back twice a week is sufficient.

Aspects of Vitamin D reduction stem from:

Winter months November through February (north of the equator.)
Living in the northern hemisphere (North of Boston) have less exposure and on Cloudy days the UV rays only allow the individual to get 50-60% of needed Vitamin D.
Putting sunblock of SPF 8.
Pollution interferes with uptake of sunshine.
Lifestyle and occupation may interfere with Vitamin D production as well.

If you feel that any of these things may hinder your ability to manufacture Vitamin D, it would be important to take nutritional supplements. Amounts needed per person vary by age and gender.

Although foods contain vitamin D they are considered to be less effective in providing you with what your body needs and gets from sun exposure. Every bit helps. Dietary Vitamin D should be part of your daily meal plan, plus you benefit from the other vitamins and minerals that come from various types of nutrition.

Foods with Vitamin D 10-12: Pure cod liver oil (1 Tbsp), Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna Fish, Sardines, Milk, Fortified Cereals and Breads, Egg, Liver, Swiss Cheese (1 ounce or 28 grams).

In some capacity or another, we are exposed daily to the fact that, exercise and eating right is important for us. A twenty to thirty minute walk everyday will do a body good. Go out and walk in the sunshine for 20 minutes a day and get your Vitamin D too!

                                                                                                 Kimberly Crocker