How to get your D? Not the grade but your vitamin.

Do you have the winter blues??

It is winter time, and depending on where you live, you may get very little to lots of sun exposure. But most people do not get nearly enough sunshine in fall and winter time.

Sunshine is not only good for you mood, but it is an essential source of a super antioxidant, fat soluble vitamin: D. many people experience seasonal affective disorder in winter time, yes winter blues.

But in reality, it does not have to happen. The main reason is that, in the past 15-20 years we’ve been led to believe that the sun is our enemy and sun exposure causes cancer.  How did our ancestors work under extreme sun exposure performing their daily chores of farming, hunting, gathering, making homes, tools and everything they needed? 

Myths:

Sun and sun exposure causes cancer.

Sunscreen saves your life.

You can get all your daily requirements of Vitamin D from supplements and food.

The higher the SPF, the better protection you get against skin cancer.

Seasonal affective disorder is inevitable for some people.

Facts:

The best source of Vitamin D is the sunlight without protection- YES without protection.

Vitamin D is a hormone manufactured by your skin, using the sun.  It is then activated in the liver and kidneys.

More than 85 % of the vitamin D we need comes from the sun. 

Our body needs vitamin D to fight diseases, infections, cancer, anxiety and depression just to name a few.

You should spend at least 15 to 30 minutes, or about half the time it takes your skin to turn pink, in direct sunlight.

Conventional sunscreen not only contains very dangerous ingredients, but more importantly, they block production of vitamin D and other beneficial photoproducts produced in the skin in response to UVB.

Supplementation helps some but it is not the long-term answer

Most Doctors recommend the wrong type and dosage of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D2 comes from plant sources and is not effective in our bodies because it is the inactive form that our kidneys and liver cannot utilize.

 Vitamin D3 comes from animal sources, and is the active form, like the vitamin D obtained from sunlight. 

Vitamin D2 is ineffective as it cannot be manufactured by the human body even when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

All products enriched with Vitamin D contain the chemically-synthesized vitamin D not the natural form.

 A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that synthetic vitamin D2 “should no longer be regarded as a nutrient appropriate for supplementation or fortification of foods,” because of it’s ineffectiveness and even toxicity to our health.

So how do you get your vitamin D and eat it TOO?

• Cod liver oil is the best source of Vitamin D second to sunlight.
• Fatty WILD fish salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines, as well as whole eggs.

Some types of mushrooms; Reishi Mushroom also contain Vitamin D

Mushrooms are one of the only good dietary sources of Vitamin D, because they can convert ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D.

Bottom line:

The sun is NOT your enemy, it is your friend. So get outside every day and get some sun even if it is cold, it works.

DO NOT wear conventional sunscreen; it is worse for you. You can make your own:

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup coconut oil for face:

http://bit.ly/3mRu5Gc

-1/4 cup shea butter for face:

http://bit.ly/3yDgbKh

-1-2 tbsp. zinc oxide powder

https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Organics-Non-Nano-Sunscreen-protection/dp/B01I8G5WUU

- Essential oil of your choice- I love lavender.

https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/category/singles

Directions:

1. Melt the oils in a double boiler.
2. Once the mixture is melted, let it cool to room temperature.
3. Add in zinc oxide
4. Place the mixture to the fridge for at 20-25 minutes.
5. Take the mixture out and mix with a hand mixer.
6. If desired, add lavender or other essential oil to it.
7. Store in a glass jar.

Go Fish: It seems that some fish have it all figured out so use food as your 2^nd sources of Vitamin D, and count on cod liver oil as the best “supplement” for Vitamin D. You don’t have to like it, but think about it as medicine without the side effects.

After all, “Food is my medicine” should be our mantra.

To your health and happiness.