Vitamin D
Let’s talk about Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. The best way to get Vitamin D is through natural sunlight. It’s in a few foods such as mushrooms, cod liver oil, beef liver, egg yolks, etc. Supplementing, even though not as effective, can still help boost your Vitamin D profile (paired with K2 for best absorption). Vitamin D helps to absorb and regulate calcium levels in the body, which is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy bones. It’s also involved in the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps to regulate the body’s natural sleep cycles. Ever go to the beach all day and sleep like a baby at night? Good stuff.
I have become completely passionate about getting unfiltered sunlight and understanding what it is and what it does for the body. Over the past two years, I have spent most of my summer mornings sitting outside, sipping coffee, and allowing my skin to soak up the sunlight (it has to be bare skin to absorb). I noticed so many changes…in my mood, sleep, skin, energy, etc. The best part: it’s free!
One thing I did NOT know until this past year is that we can’t absorb Vitamin D at certain times of the year depending on where you live. I thought sunshine is sunshine no matter what and if you got sun, you got Vitamin D. Unfortunately, no. Which makes sense as to why so many people have a Vitamin D deficiency. Despite what you hear about the sun being bad for you, it is just not true. Natural sunlight is essential and does wonders for overall health. Is it good to burn? NO. Definitely take precaution if you’re prone to burning from the sun. Start small and apply some sunscreen if needed (I love the Cocokind brand).
Vitamin D is good for SO many other things: immune function, ATP production (ATP is your body’s energy currency), antioxidant levels, and more. Sunlight makes your body and mind feel GOOD. This can really help with your overall mental well-being. If you’re interested in tracking Vitamin D, the dminder app is awesome. You can put in your location, the time of sun exposure, what you’re wearing (bikini, pants, t-shirt, etc) and it will tell you the amount of IU you are getting.