Last week I spoke about the sunshine and whether or not it is healthy.  I expanded upon the topic in my newsletter.  Now I’d like to discuss vitamin D.  Research is finding that Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins to our overall health and yet most of us who live in North America are deficient in it.  First, the only way to know your Vitamin D level is to have it checked by your doctor.  It is done through a simple blood test.  Normal levels are between 40 and 60 for a healthy individual.  Below 40 is considered low and anything near or over 100 is considered toxic (yes, you can have too much of a good thing). 

In order to get more Vitamin D there are two things you can do.  First, you can spend a limited amount of time in the sun without sunscreen.  When I say “limited” I mean not more than 10-15 minutes three times a week between the hours of 10:00am – 2:00pm.  The second way to increase your Vitamin D is through taking a supplement.  Ask your doctor how many IUs (international units) you should take based on your current Vitamin D level.  Each person is different so consulting your doctor is a wise choice.

To your wellness!