HELLO, SUNSHINE! A Vitamin D Story
nutrition
Vitamin D3 - The Sunshine Vitamin
Especially for those of us living in the Midwest, Vitamin D (D1, D2, D3) is a necessary supplement during the winter months. The fact of the matter is we all need vitamin D throughout all stages of our lives, but do you really know why? There are so many benefits. I will do my best to explain a little bit here.
You may have heard that vitamin D helps to absorb calcium which helps in building stronger bones. You may even think of vitamin D as just a vitamin, sort of like vitamin B or C. Did you know that vitamin D also functions like a hormone?
Why do we need vitamin D?
Read here for the basics.
Pregnancy – Supports and develops immune system, promotes a healthier, full-term baby, and supports a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy.
Infants – Supports strong, healthy bones, prevents rickets (a bone disease that produces weak bones), and supports a strong, healthy immune system.
Children – Supports strong, healthy growing bones and teeth, develops a strong immune system and protects against infections, and protects against sore throats.
Adults and Menopausal Women – Supports the brain and mental health which lends a positive effect against depression, helps to regulate blood pressure and supports a healthy heart, decreases insulin resistance and seems to prevent type 2 diabetes, helps to protect against cancers (especially colon, prostate, skin and breast cancer) and supports a strong, healthy immune system. Vitamin D also supports healthy, strong bones and is a frontline treatment against osteoporosis.
Elderly – Vitamin D is harder to absorb from the sun as we age so this puts us at risk for weaker bones, especially hip fractures (in postmenopausal women). Vitamin D helps us to maintain balance as we age, which reduces the risks of falls, thus decreases the risks of getting fractures. It also maintains cognitive function.
Here’s how it works.
This sunshine vitamin is called this because our bodies produce this vitamin naturally, in our skin, as a response when we are exposed to the sunlight. This is when vitamin D acts as a hormone. A big problem these days is that everyone is slathering on so much toxic sunscreen, it’s blocking all the beneficial rays.
The sun is so important to our natural health. I know this might go against some of the mainstream information that’s out in the media these days. It is my job as a health coach, and my passion to find the truth beyond what the media tells us. The fact is the sun provides everything from healing to hormones for all, humans, plants, and animals.
I come from a family of twelve and we know all too well things were definitely different in those times. When my mother delivered my brother Jim, her third child, he was very sick and small. She was very sick as well. She weighed all of 98 pounds. I can’t even imagine! Okay, this isn’t the real story. What I find so amazing, even to this day, was her prescription for health. The doctor wrote out his script pad like all doctors did back then, and this is what he wrote. She was to hold my brother Jim, outside in the sunshine, exposing as much skin as possible (for the both of them), for twenty minutes every day. Twenty minutes every day, exposed to the sun! Don’t you see, it is the excess sun, depending on our skin types and nutrition levels (yes, what we eat matters) that can cause damage. I still recommend good ole sunshine as part of any natural health routine to get natural vitamin D as a hormone and a vitamin, heal skin conditions, heal anxiety and depression, especially for those of us that are living in the Midwest states. (Always use an organic-type sunblock if you will be out in the sun for longer periods of time to protect against sunburn.)
Vitamin D functions as a hormone that is first metabolized by the liver and then moves to the kidneys, where it is converted and then regulates the blood calcium levels and impacts the immune system, put simply. (There is a lot more scientific information and big words here, of course. This is just how I think of it.) No other vitamin in the body goes through this type of process. Michael Holick, MD, PhD, of Boston University explains, "By definition, vitamin D is a hormone," Holick told MedPage Today. "The body synthesizes it after sun exposure, and it's activated by the liver and kidneys. That activated form again acts like a hormone to regulate calcium metabolism." He also stated that 15 minutes per day should do the trick for vitamin D sufficiency. I have read an easy way to determine the amount of time needed to spend in the sunlight to achieve optimal vitamin D is by your skin, literally. When your skin begins to turn pink, then that should be enough. If you are very fair-skinned, this may only take about 10 minutes. Darker skinned folks may take much longer. I personally usually take about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how strong the sun is that day.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it dissolves in fats, not water. For this reason, it’s better metabolized and absorbed into your bloodstream when taken with food[1]. Vitamin D foods include fatty fish like salmon, sardines and tuna, cod liver oil, beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, and mushrooms. There are also fortified foods like cow’s milk, soy milk, cereals, and oatmeal, as well as orange juice.
It is reported that 40% of the US population are vitamin D deficient and this is partly because we are spending much more time indoors. We are wearing too much sunblock and sunglasses when we are outside, not allowing any of the sun’s rays to touch us. Finally, we simply are not eating the best food sources for this nutrient. Here are the recommendations: The recommended daily value (DV) is 800 IU (20 mcg) of vitamin D per day from foods. If you don’t get enough sunlight, your intake should likely be closer to 1,000 IU (25 mcg) per day. I, myself, living in the Midwest, take 10,000 IU’s every day, eat vitamin D-rich foods, and try to get out in the sun every chance I can get. I have my levels tested frequently and I am always between 80 and 100. This, by functional medicine M.D.’s and practitioners, is a good place to be for optimal health and disease fighting benefits.
Here’s the Bottom Line
Spend a few minutes outdoors every day, especially when it’s sunny out. Get out and play! Eat a well-balanced diet that includes vitamin D-rich foods and check with your doctor about what your vitamin D levels look like and at least get the recommended daily supplementation.
exercise
Body Weight Exercises for Bone/Muscle Strength
Body weight exercises are my favorite exercises to do. They’re perfectly designed for any level and any age.
As previously mentioned, vitamin D is important to bone health, and body weight exercises are critical to bone strength. These types of exercises force you to go against gravity, using your own body weight. Check out this excerpt from my book, “Changing the Generations”. ”Getting back to basics here, I always suggest three very simple exercises to start with, that take up no space hardly at all, they’re done quickly and require no equipment. It was my grandfather who taught me this routine, an old, retired Navy man who has long since passed away. It’s just simple squats, simple push-ups, and regular ab crunches (or whatever you prefer to do as an abs exercise).
Start off with 10-20 reps, for 1-3 sets. Work your way up to doing 25 reps for 4 sets. Try to add in a one-minute plank if you can. Do whatever your fitness level allows at first and always take care of your joints. (Also check with your doctor if you need. Do not injure yourself by doing an exercise routine that may not be right for you at this time.) Feel free to add weights and resistance bands.
Ladies, weights are your friend; don’t be afraid to use them. I love doing this basic routine because it essentially works the entire body. It even gets a little cardio action going there. You can always add other exercises to this routine. Switching things up is good, as our bodies become really efficient when we have the same routine. It’s very easy to switch up the technique used for push-ups, squats and crunches as there are a variety of ways of doing them.”
I have read that we lose a pound of muscle every year after the age of 30. This is significant information as we age. We can easily combat this by adding in these simple exercises to our daily routine. Challenge yourself to do weight bearing exercises at least three times per week.
natural techniques and tools
Tips for Getting in Your Vitamin D Daily
There are many natural things we can do to support our need for this vital nutrient, vitamin D. Many of which, have been named in the first part of this newsletter. Let’s list them here.
· Eat vitamin D-rich foods.
· Eat vitamin D-fortified foods.
· Eat fatty fishes and seafoods.
· Eat eggs, including the yolks!
· Eat more mushrooms.
· Take a good supplement.
· Invest in a UV lamp.
· Get out in the sun more! Not enough sun during the winter months? Plan a vacation during this time!
Maintaining healthy bones, strong immune system and balanced hormones is just that easy!
recipe sharing
Chicken (or Beef) Stroganoff
Stroganoff! A great recipe to add a little or a lot of this vitamin D-rich vegetable! Not a fan of mushrooms? You will love this recipe anyway. Even your kids will eat it up! Give a try!
Ingredients:
2 lbs. grass-fed round steak or organic chicken breast (boneless, skinless), cut up into bite-size pieces
3 14 oz cans Amy's Mushroom Bisque soup
1 16oz container organic sour cream
4 vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 stick grass-fed butter (can go up to 1 stick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow sweet onion, chopped
Directions:
Begin by browning meat in large skillet or sauté pan with butter, garlic, and onions. Do not drain! When butter is melted, add in bouillon cubes. Meanwhile, mix soup with sour cream in a bowl until smooth. Pour meat mixture into 2-quart casserole dish or 13" x 9" pan. Cover meat mixture with soup mixture and do not mix together!
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 2 hours for beef or 1 hour for chicken. Serve over noodles (egg noodles are my family’s favorite for this) or rice.
*For a really fast version, I have omitted using the oven part in this recipe when I was pressed for time. It still came out well and tasted just as good.
*I have also added noodles to while baking, in a layered fashion. I added the noodles (half way boiled or really al dente) to the pan first, then the meat mixture, and finally, topped it with the soup mixture. I mixed the layers only slightly to ensure the mixture got around and into all the noodles. Then, I baked as directed. This turns out more like a casserole.
Check out the recipe here on the blog.
Sources:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/vitamin-d-your-prevention-ally-2322660
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1240026/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/dietnutrition/47012
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-vitamin-d#9
[1] Fat-soluble vitamins means this vitamin is better metabolized with fats, or food. Take when eating a meal or with food. Water-soluble vitamins means it doesn’t need to be taken with food. This means it is better metabolized with water or liquid.