Vitamin D: the light at the end of the tunnel

It’s been a long winter (and year) and we’ve just gotten our first taste of Spring- where we can shed our layers and let our skin be kissed by the warmth of the sun.

And letting ourselves soak up the sun’s glow is as important as ever this time of year. After a season that offers less light and more time inside it is common that our levels of Vitamin D are low. Vitamin D is a unique nutrient, is key to our keeping our immunity, energy and mood high (and our bones and muscles healthy).

Many opt for a vitamin D supplement (feel free to consult with your healthcare provider) and here we share a few ways to elevate you vitamin D levels with and without the sun (other than from fortified foods)

Get outside!

A simple way to get your dose of vitamin D? Soak up the sun! Experts say that getting outside 2-3/week for 5-15min is a great help. Whether that’s bringing your lunch outside to enjoy, taking a walk, bringing your meditation practice outside- all great options. Being mindful to lather up with sunscreen and or get your dose of sun in the morning hours or late afternoon.

Eat your Vitamin D…From the SEa?

Certain cold-water fish have high level of vitamin D- tuna, sardines, trout and salmon are a few, so find your local fly fisherperson and see if they’d be kind enough to share their local catch of brown trout.

If you’re not into fish, consider taking a tablespoonful of cod-liver oil each morning. Don’t eat meat? There are now flax seed oils that also have vitamin-D (Spectrum is one). Please not that Vitamin D-2 is found in plants while D3 is in animals and both allow us to function optimally_

D is from Dairy

Yes, that’s right vitamin D can be found in the yolk of an egg and in cheese- specifically swiss— scrambled egg with swiss anyone?

Vitamin D from trees?

Or a fungus that like to grow on trees- yes mushrooms are another great source fo not only Vitamin D but Vitamin B and potassium- which link directly to mood and the nervous system, respectively.

You can get creative- whether it’s shitake, morel added to a dish or a portabello used as a “burger” - enjoy! Better yet let your mushrooms sit in the sun as you get your daily does of UV rays- UV exposed mushrooms have higher levels of vitamin D.

Here’s to hoping you (and your mushrooms) get your daily solar dose!!\