Why Is Sunny Vitamin D So Important?

I am absolutely in love with vitamin D!  This amazing vitamin makes me happy… literally.  Like many of you, I used to struggle through the winter, battling depression and fatigue.  I had all the symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and couldn’t wait until the first signs of spring.  It was as if I bloomed into a new person when warm weather returned.

Vitamin D Deficiency

What I didn’t know through those dark winters was that I was vitamin D deficient.  I just assumed I got the Vitamin D I needed because it was in my daily multi-vitamin.  Little did I know, people need much more than 400 IU of vitamin D a day to avoid deficiency: 400 IU is the daily minimum amount needed to prevent rickets, but not to keep us in optimal health.

Having now been in the natural health industry for over 10 years, I’ve literally seen vitamin D change people’s lives.  People who spent their winters hibernating, constantly battling colds and flu, now live life with a renewed vigor.  The key to their transformation is adequate amounts of vitamin D!

Free Vitamin D Available Now!

Yes, you heard right: free vitamin D!  How do you cash in on this deal?  It’s easy!  Step outside!

There is all the vitamin D you can imagine right outside your door.  With summer in full bloom, it is the absolute PERFECT time to get your fill of this wonderful vitamin.

Unfortunately, many of you are scared of exposing yourself to the sun.  I’m here to tell you that sunlight is good for you!  No, I’m not encouraging you to bake your skin to leather, but I do think 30 minutes a day is crucial for health and well-being.  In just 30 minutes a day, your body will convert sunlight to around 25,000 IU of vitamin D.  That is a lot more than the 400 IU in your multi-vitamin!

Our bodies were designed to create vitamin D out of sunlight, so don’t shy away from the sun. But, please, don’t overdo it.  Too much sun exposure can still be unhealthy; 30 minutes a day is all that you need.

Lack of D Causes Illness

My own battle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was a result of a nutritional shortcoming of vitamin D as it’s contributing factor. Below is a partial list of illnesses and disorders that can be prevented with sufficient vitamin D:

  1. Fibromyalgia
  2. Cancer
  3. Osteoporosis
  4. Depression
  5. Diabetes
  6. M.S. (multiple sclerosis)
  7. Psoriasis

With hundreds of thousands of people dealing with these illnesses and other autoimmune disorders, it is no shock that 40% of the United States population is vitamin D deficient. Even worse, a whopping 70% of seniors lack adequate vitamin D!  Just think how health care prices could drop if we would just get out in the sun on a regular basis!

Vitamin D can make such a difference because it is directly connected to your immune system.  New research is showing that it is even more effective at preventing the flu than the flu shot!

Stuck Indoors: How to Get Enough

Some of you are in a position where you are either unable to go outside or maybe live much further from the equator.  The first thing I would recommend if you suspect vitamin D deficiency is to get some lab work run.  Your physician can request a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test for you. Then, if you find your levels are below 50 ng/ml, you should work on building up your vitamin D.  Your doctor will most likely prescribe an appropriate dosage of vitamin D for you.

If you opt to not have blood work done, then you can still supplement – but with more than your daily multi-vitamin.  Please be sure to purchase D3, not synthetic D2.  I personally take 10,000 IU each day through the winter to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and fight depression, but most adults would benefit from just 5,000-8,000 IU a day.

30 minutes for Renewed Health

Let me restate that the best and easiest way to get vitamin D is still good ol’ sunshine.  In just 30 minutes a day, the sun can literally transform your life. Free and completely natural, vitamin D does wonders for your both your health and happiness.  So, put on your shorts and tank top and go have some fun in the sun!  Your body and your mind will thank you.

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