Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

We have all heard about the benefits and importance of getting enough of this important vitamin. Some of the many ways we are all familiar with of doing this are diet, supplements, and exposure to sunlight.

Researchers are finding out that diet and Vitamin D supplements go hand in hand. According to a new Pfizer-funded study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eating a meal with fat can actually enhance Vitamin D absorption. They found that Vitamin D is fat soluble and the absorption process is similar to that of dietary fats; so try including nuts, avocados, walnuts, flaxseeds, trout, herring, and salmon into a meal taken with Vitamin D supplements. Cooking with vegetable, canola, olive, or sunflower oil will also help you get the essential fats you need to give your supplements a boost in your system

Exposure to sunlight can be tricky and not as easy to do as one may think. Even though the days are getting longer, a lot of people leave for work early in the morning before the sun rises, stay indoors for lunch, and come home after the sun has set allowing them no time to "catch a few rays". Using sunscreen and deeply pigmented skin also limits the amount of Vitamin D your skin can absorb from sunlight. 

Another way of getting enough of this important vitamin is by using a Vitamin D Bed which utilizes UVB rays to stimulate natural Vitamin D production in your body. It's made even better because it has three more beneficial types of light which are red, blue, and infrared light. A lot of day spas now have these beds so call or stop in to your local spa and check to see if they have one...and book an appointment! This way you can be sure of getting enough of this most important vitamin!