Things You'll Need:
- 10-20 minutes
- Access to Sunshine
- Vitamin D rich foods
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Step 1
Vitamin D is important for reducing inflammation in the body and for modulating our immune and neuromuscular systems. It regulates the calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood and helps to absorp these minerals from food in the intestines. This is a topic I have much personal experience with. As someone who was tested and found to be low in Vitamin D, I took supplements but never felt well until I moved to a sunnier climate. I realize that this is not an option for everyone, but I can tell you from first hand experience how important the sun is for your health.
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Step 2
When I lived in the mid-south I struggled with S.A.D. and would become depressed from October Until March every year. I tried sun lamps which helped to some degree, but ended up needing an anti-depressant. My experience with supplements tells me something that I can share with you now. My intuition tells me that supplements are not the way to go. Mother's milk contains very little Vitamin D, something I read on Dr. Mercola's website. This is because too much vitamin D can feel as bad as too little. An overdose can lead to abnormal calcium metabolism with symptoms such as nausea, costipation, weakness and bone pain. Deficiency can lead to soft bones, deformity in children, and bone pain as well. According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health, Excessive sun exposure does not result in vitamin D toxicity because the sustained heat on the skin is thought to photodegrade previtamin D3 and vitamin D3 as it is formed. High intakes of dietary vitamin D are very unlikely to result in toxicity unless large amounts of cod liver oil are consumed; toxicity is more likely to occur from high intakes of supplements. So the greatest thing about getting it from the sun and that you can not overdose!
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Step 3
In answer to the question about Vitamin D, the best sources are through the sun and the food you eat. CLICK ON CHART TO SEE. Just 10 - 20 minutes of sun gives you all you need depending on the pigment of the skin, darker shades need longer to absorb the sun's vitamin. It is also important to know that the sun's rays are least harmful before 10am and after 3pm. However, if your just getting your daily dose you should be okay. The best foods for the other natural source of vitamin D include fish liver oils (cod liver oil), fatty fish (catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, eel), eggs, and shiitake mushrooms. According to the World's Healthiest Food's Chart for Vitamin D, Salmon, shrimp, Cow's Milk, cod, and eggs are the cat's meow. Now go out and get in the sun already!!!
Comments
kllmomof2 said
on 9/22/2008 Great info!
slphilbrick said
on 8/24/2008 Thanks for posting necessary info. I remind my massage clients of this all the time, especially in the winter time. We've been "sold" that the sun is something to steer clear of at all costs, and it's just not true ! It's the OVER EXPOSURE, time and time again, that can be the real issue.