Sunshine Just Puts a Smile on My Face
Now that our little groundhog friend has formally declared an end to winter in frozen Canada we can all begin to look forward to longer and brighter days. The first signs that spring is just around the corner have begun to appear with primulas and other flowering plants arriving daily at the local nurseries. I actually heard a couple of ladies in the gym talking about having worked in their garden this week.
There’s something about a sunny spring day that just makes the world a better place to live in. We seem happier and I, for one, am more productive when there is more light in the day.
Did you know that spending as little as 20 minutes out of doors in the sunlight is beneficial for our overall health? Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D works with calcium to strengthen our bones and help prevent osteoporosis. Having the correct levels of Vitamin D in our system is important for other reasons as well. These “dis-eases” as the body is at dis-ease when the levels of Vitamin D are not sufficient, have been associated with insufficient levels of this precious vitamin: multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, autism, rheumatoid arthritis and seasonal affective disorder (SAD disease)
A Vitamin D deficiency is fairly common. Some studies suggest that 36% of healthy young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are deficient in Vitamin D and one billion people worldwide have a Vitamin D deficiency.
Unlike most vitamins, the dietary sources of Vitamin D are very limited. Fatty fish and the omega oils are a good source but most of us don’t eat fatty fish on a regular basis. Most milk and some cereals and yogurts are fortified with Vitamin D but not enough to prevent the deficiency. The current RDA for Vitamin D is about 400IU. The upper limit for Vitamin D is 2000IU. Most studies indicate that between 1000 and 2000IY per day is optimum. Enter a daily vitamin D supplement. Because we all want to be responsible about our exposure to the sun and because we are deficient in our dietary sources of Vitamin D it may be a good alternative to check out a daily supplement for Vitamin D.
Here are some factors that suggest a Vitamin D deficiency—the more that apply to you the more you might want to consider taking a Vitamin D supplement:
You are dark skinned;
You don’t expose your skin to much sunlight
You are indoors most of the day
You have celiac or Crohn’s disease
You eat very little salmon or other fatty fish
You wear sunscreen of SPF 8 or more when you are outdoors
You live farther than 35 degrees latitude
You are over 70
You are overweight or obese
You rely on foods you eat as your main sources of Vitamin D
There are several great products on the market but it’s always buyer be ware. Because the supplementation industry is unregulated you have to do your homework on which Vitamin D is right for you.
My preferences include the Vitamin D product sold by Curves and a Vitamin D product from Shaklee.
In the meantime, while you do your homework, get out for a walk at lunch break on those sunny days, take the dog for a stroll as the days get longer and, if all else fails, book a trip to Mexico for a week.
