Vitamin D—The Dynamo of Daily Living

Did you know that Vitamin D can keep you trim, uplift your mood, stifle your sniffles and drastically cut down your risk of cancer. We all know about its ability to build strong bones and teeth, that’s why vitamin D is so important to our health and everyday life.

Sadly, nearly a third of all women fail to get enough vitamin D for their bones and even a greater number of women are missing out on the disease fighting abilities of this miracle nutrient.

Drinking a glass of milk is a great way to get your body’s requirement of D but there are other sources of vitamin D as well. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna are naturally rich in D. Other foods are fortified with vitamin D, such as orange juice, soy milk, butter substitutes and some yogurts and cereals.

A wonderful source of vitamin D that is important not to ignore, is the sun. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes a day of sunshine without using sunscreen. If you have very fair skin, you may need to limit yourself to 5 minutes in the sun. The reason I stress getting in the sun without sunscreen is that for every minute you spend in the sunlight, your body can produce about 1000 IU of vitamin D, you would have to drink about ten 8-oz glasses of milk to achieve that same benefit. Spending time in the sun means not adding all those extra calories to your diet too.

Vitamin D really is a dynamic vitamin, adding health benefits for nearly every phase of our life. Some of these include:

• Lowers your risk of cancer
• Fights off winter weight gain
• Protects your heart
• Lifts your mood
• Provides a natural defense from colds and flu
• Prevents autoimmune disorders
• Builds stronger bones
• Helps protect teeth

Fitness4Her recommends drinking low fat milk and eating foods that are naturally dense in vitamin D. Get outside each day and lift your spirits with plenty of warm sunshine, a natural source of the dynamic D.

Is Vitamin D helping you?  Tell us about it in the comment space below: