Happy Memorial Day! The “official/unofficial” start to our summer season! Oh how I love summer! It’s easy to motivate when I feel the warmth of the sun. It’s like instant happiness! That’s why it’s important to get your dose of Vitamin D. Did you know that it’s produced in your skin in response to the sunlight (many call Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin!). Naturally, your body produces vitamin D when it’s directly exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, and facilitating normal immune system function. Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance against certain diseases.
Besides getting vitamin D through sunlight, you can also get it through certain foods and supplements to ensure adequate levels of the vitamin in your blood. And, it’s easy to eat fresh fruits and vegetables in the summer time mainly because they just taste better when the sun is out! Some sources of Vitamin D are salmon, sardines, egg (the yolk), shrimp, milk (almond if you don’t do cows milk), yogurt, green leafy veggies, orange juice, whole grain oats (including oatmeal) and nuts.
So now that summer is here- get your dose of sunshine and eat right too! Get happy- it’s easy!