Feeling Bleh? Check Out Vitamin D!

I don't know about you, but lately I've been just feeling lousy. Not enough to be sick, just enough to feel like all I want to do is curl up and sleep. Yet, when I try to sleep at night, I toss and turn and twitch until it's time to get up in the morning feeling groggy and disconnected. And I think I know why!

Everybody gets a little low and irritable this time of year... I mean, c'mon, we want summer and we want it NOW! It's because in all the gray skies and muddy ground, the damp air, we just want to see the sun. Our bodies crave the sunlight, because it offers us the purest form of pick-me-up... vitamin D!

Right now, since it is near impossible to find a ray of sun, we have to be satisfied with taking in our vitamin D through supplements or food. But the main point is: we need to be taking it!! Most people are unaware that they are incredibly deficient in this vitamin. Unless you have been tested and told you are AOK on the "D" list, you are probably in need of it. 

Let me share with you a few of the dangers of not getting enough vitamin D:

• Bone weakness
• Dental problems
• Gout
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Weight gain
• Psoriasis

That last one was my special plague last year, and I'm pretty sure it was because I hadn't been eating very healthy, I was stressed, and my vitamin D was low. No fun! Now I am still dealing with the side effects, and I could have prevented it with one simple supplement.

There aren't a whole lot of foods high in vitamin D, but some of the good ones are:

• Mushrooms
• Salmon (all kinds of fish are good, too)
• Beef
• Milk
• Eggs
• Sardines

The best way, however, is to get the real thing. If you can see the sun, go out and soak it up! You can't get too much vitamin D from the sun - your body naturally regulates your intake. Aren't we just awesome?

*As you know, I am not a doctor. If you think you might be vitamin D deficient, check it out. Make sure it is ok with your healthcare provider before taking more than 2000 IU a day.