I hope you are having a great week! There was horrible weather today in NY, with slushy snow and rain, but I’m just happy I have great new, cool snow/rain boots. That makes it a little happier for me to get from place to place. :)
Many of you write to me and ask me what I recommend as far as supplements. Besides probiotics, another one I recommend wholeheartedly across the board is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important for our optimal health! It is estimated that a shocking upwards of 85% of Americans are deficient in this important nutrient.
Vitamin D is not readily available in our food supply. The natural and ideal way to get vitamin D is by exposing our skin to appropriate sunlight. Unfortunately for most of us there simply isn’t enough sun exposure for nearly half of the year. Um, that would include me here in ‘ol NYC, and particularly on snowy days like today! However, even when I’m in sunny places like LA, where I’d like to get some more sun time, I’m often so busy that it doesn’t happen. And that is true for most of us! We would need to be in the sun about 15 minutes a day, exposing about half of our body. People with darker skin would need more sun time. Also, if we are in areas of heavy air pollution and acid haze, much of the sun’s rays would be blocked anyways.
Now we all know that the mainstream media likes to ram it down our throats that the sun is evil and that we must wear sunscreen every day! What they don’t like to point out is that since the excessive rise of sunscreen has come into play in the 1980’s, the rise of skin cancer has also risen (though there are only an estimated 1,500 fatalities from skin cancer a year). Most sunscreens are absolutely TOXIC! Their harmful ingredients are absorbed into our skin and bloodstream, and bake in the sun on the surface of our skin. But that is another topic altogether…The main issue with sunscreen as far as it relates to Vitamin D is that it blocks UVB exposure, which we need to produce Vitamin D in our body.
Why is Vitamin D important? It is related to many issues within our body, including heart and pancreatic health, cell formation, reproductive health, immunity, general well-being, healthy bones, eye health, warding off many numerous diseases….and many more benefits! It can even help prevent the spread and reproduction of cancer cells.
How do we get it and how much do we need? First off, it is important to choose a supplement that is the form of D3, which is what our body naturally produces. Vitamin D2 is synthetic and probably won’t absorb as well. In fact it might actually keep the natural D3 in our bodies from working properly.
The general recommendation for adults is 4000- 5000 units per day. However the big issue is that the actual amount that each individual specifically needs can vary significantly. That means that you might actually need much more than that dosage, especially if you are very heavy, and children may need far less. When you get regular exposure to sunlight your body self administers the correct amount. But when we are supplementing, monitoring our vitamin D levels by routine blood testing is recommended, to make sure you are getting appropriate levels that are therapeutic and not toxic, so you don’t overdose. Do not worry about getting so granular like a diet by blood type, instead do what your body says.
We can’t assume that the same amount is okay for everyone! So be sure to take care of yourself and your family with the right kind of supplementation of this important nutrient. Remember to get the D3 and not the D2!
Stay warm and dry. Lots of love to you!! See you here soon. :)
Kimberly
