Summer Solstice was on Saturday and It’s officially SUMMER!
I hope you got out this weekend to enjoy the start of summer and the beautiful weather! More importantly, I hope you were able to soak up some vitamin D. How adorable is this pic of my niece and sister soaking up their daily dose?!
Some facts you may not know about Vita D
- You can take an oral supplement but your body doesn’t absorb this the same as collecting it straight from the source-the SUN. 🙂
- It’s estimated that 3/4 of Americans are vitamin D deficient!
- Vitamin D is essential to bone health. Your body can’t absorb calcium without it.
- Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of illnesses including colon cancer, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, seasonal disorders and depression.
- Vitamin D helps with balance.
- The use of sunscreen lowers your absorption of vitamin D.
- Your body can NOT produce vitamin D if your sun exposure is through a window. The sun needs to hit your skin directly.
What’s a health conscious person to do?
Everyone seems to be a afraid of the sun these days. With skin cancer rates on the rise, it’s no wonder. You definitely need to protect yourself from the sun and avoid getting burnt but it’s also important to get a little unprotected exposure as well. You only need about 15 a day in order to get your daily recommended dose. And it’s probably best not to go out when the sun is at it’s strongest for those 15 min. Be smart about your exposure.
Now stop reading this and GO OUTSIDE!
Love and nutritional knowledge,
Joanie Johnson, CHC,CPT
JoanieJohnson.com