A Drop of Sunshine (Vitamin D)

Vitamin D is the silent hero in our lives. Vitamin D is essential for bone health and it has also been suggested that it may also benefit in protecting us against colds and fighting depression.It can be found in fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines and tuna. However, the body receives most (80%-90%) of its vitamin D from exposure to sunlight which is absorbed through your skin.

Sunlight is the best way to get your vitamin D. However, because of the associated risk of skin cancer, there are no official recommendations from Doctors to go outside to catch some rays. A small amount of sun exposure without sunscreen can do the trick. Just 20 to 25 minutes of exposure is helpful. Unfortunately if you live at higher latitudes, its winter, or your skin has a darker pigment, you are unlikely to get your daily needs.

When you can’t get enough sunlight, fatty fish is a great substitute. Common options of fish containing vitamin D include salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, and eel. A 3-ounce sockeye salmon fillet contains about 450 international units (IUs) of vitamin D where 600 IUs is the recommended dietary allowance. A bonus to eating fatty fish is the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Canned tuna fish and canned sardines both contain vitamin D, and usually less expensive than fresh fish. They also have a longer shelf life, allowing you to stock up on vitamin D when they are on sale. Canned light tuna has the most vitamin D at about 150 IUs per 4 ounces. Canned albacore tuna has about 50 IUs per 4 ounces, while canned sardines have a little more than 40 IUs per two sardines.

Most types of cow’s milk sold in grocery stores are fortified with vitamin D. An 8 ounce glass of milk contains at least 100 IUs of vitamin D, while a 6 ounce serving of yogurt contains 80 IUs. You can also choose many orange juice brands that also fortify their juice with vitamin D. An 8 ounce glass of juice usually has around 100 IUs of vitamin D, but amounts can vary from brand to brand, so check the nutritional label.

And when all else fails, vitamin D supplements can help get your proper daily dose. The benefits of vitamin D supplements is you can take your dose all at one time. Too much vitamin D can be toxic so be careful not to consume too much. The IOM sets the upper limit at 4,000 IUs for people aged 9 and older (includes all sources – food, sun, and supplement). Talk to your doctor before choosing a dosage.

Breakfast can also help you get your daily intake of vitamin D. Eggs are a convenient way to get vitamin D. Vitamin D in an egg comes from its yolk, it’s important to use the whole egg, not just the whites. One egg yolk will give you about 40 IUs. But remember, one egg contains about 200 milligrams of cholesterol, and the American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 300 milligrams a day for heart health. Many cereals are also fortified with vitamin D, such as Multi Grain Cheerios. A 1 cup serving of Multi Grain Cheerios with one-half cup of fortified milk is about 90 IUs. Add your 8 ounce glass of fortified orange juice and you’re up to almost 200 IUs.

Vitamin D has many uses and is essential for the formation, growth, and repair of bones and for normal calcium absorption and immune function. With the options listed above, you’ll get your daily dose of vitamin D, even if it is the dead of winter.

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Let the Sun Shine In

Have you ever wondered why we feel better on sunny days and have unexplained headaches and fatigue when it’s grey and miserable outside? Pleasant weather has been proven to improve moods, memory, and broaden our cognitive thinking skills.

Rapid drops in atmospheric pressure may affect blood pH, blood pressure and tissue permeability. There are well-researched and known ways weather can affect human health, such as joint pain, during the cold front, and less researched, but quite common symptoms that affect cardiovascular system and cause headaches and fluctuations in blood pressure.

Another way that has proven how the weather impacts the mood is through a condition called SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) is a condition which is characterized by depression during the winter months. The main cause of this condition is lack of sunlight. What happens is your body’s internal clock goes out of sync and its upsets the body’s routine. Some of the symptoms of SAD include: depression, sadness, fatigue, sleeping too much, loss of appetite, increase in appetite (particularly carbohydrates), increase in weight, decrease in activity, apathy and irritability. The amount of sunlight people are exposed to can have a large impact on mood because it affects the amount of vitamin D people absorb. Vitamin D, which is produced in skin exposed to the hormone of sunlight, has been found to change serotonin levels in the brain, which could account for changes in mood.

If you’re in a good mood, chances are, bad weather will likely not bring you down. But, if you’re already feeling crummy, a cold, dreary day could easily make your mood go from bad to worse. A study published in 2008 found that climate-related factors like temperature, sunlight, wind and precipitation had no notable impact on positive mood, but that temperature, wind and sunlight did have an effect on negative mood, while increased wind and decreased sunlight had a mostly negative effect on negative mood, though these effects varied from one individual to another.

Temperature can also affect our mind and behavior, independently of sunshine. The more it departs from an ideal of around 20˚C the more discomfort we feel. The higher the temperature, the more people are likely to act aggressively. Rates of aggression are higher in hotter years, months, days and times of day. Heat may also increase verbal aggression. A recent study of new media coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics found that stories filed by American journalists contained more negative words on hotter days.

A study by psychology researcher Matthew Keller and colleagues showed that beneficial effects of warm and sunny conditions on mood were only seen in people who had spent more than 30 minutes outdoors that day. Good weather even had negative effects on mood for people confined indoors, who perhaps gazed enviously outside at the solar fun they were missing. So, get out and enjoy the weather when it’s beautiful, and stay positive on the days where the weather is not the greatest.

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