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The Vitamin D Deficiency Problem

The Vitamin D Deficiency Problem

Video Transcript:  Do you take a multivitamin to ensure that you cover your bases? Or maybe your doctor already diagnosed you with a Vitamin D deficiency and put you on a high dose? 

You’re not alone. The Vitamin D Deficiency Problem affects up to 75% of the population in the U.S. There are 3 main reasons why it’s so common today – 1. the overuse of sunscreen, people treat the sun like it’s full of germs and they’re afraid to get sunlight for a few minutes they’ll catch cancer. It’s beneficial to use sunscreen for longer duration of sunlight, but it’s ok to use spf 8 on occasion to get more vit d. 2. the American lifestyle of having desk jobs, playing on our computers or smartphones all day and spending less time outdoors, and 3. Eating a diet high in processed foods or fast foods. Does this sound familiar? Well If you suffer from any of the following symptoms – keep watching:

  • Weight Gain or Inability to Lose Weight
  • Severe asthma
  • Depression or gloomy moods
  • Weak, Brittle Bones or Bone Pain
  • Cognitive issues or poor mental function
  • Skin rashes like Psoriasis or Dermatitis

If you suffer from any of these symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency the first thing I’d recommend is getting sunshine 15 minutes a day 3 times a week – minimum. An easy way to do this is to do a cardio warmup and stretch outside for your workout. Your body produces vitamin D through skin exposure to UV rays  – so you have to be in direct sunlight (not through a window or in the shade) to boost your D levels. Your improved vitamin D levels can help release norepinephrine and dopamine (similar to an anti-depressant), AND you’ll release endorphins from the exercise which also improves your mood. Win-win.   If you live in a climate where that’s just not possible, then try to get your vit D from whole food sources of fat such as nuts, seeds, and oils.  The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for the average adult is 600IU (international units) or higher.

The benefits of having healthy levels of Vitamin D is:

  • Lower risk of getting type II diabetes
  • Weight Loss or lower body fat
  • Helps with the absorption of calcium into your bones which is why you’ll notice that calcium supplements also contain vitamin D

Before you start going overboard with getting rays of sun every day let me just warn you that there are some side effects from having an overdose of Vitamin D: Here’s what to watch out for:

  •  Increased risk of skin cancer or sunburn by getting too much sun
  • Obtaining more than 4000IU per day can be a health risk, increasing your blood calcium levels which can lead to kidney stones.
  • Foods fortified with Vit D  – typically means the natural source of Vit D has been stripped from the food in processing and they needed to reapply the vitamin to the food to make you think its healthy and compete for your business.

Remember – spend about 15 minutes a day 3 days a week to get sufficient vitamin D levels, avoid fortified foods, only supplement if you are allergic to the sun or suffer from a severe Vitamin D deficiency, and make sure you don’t overdo it. Too much of anything can be bad!

Want to learn more about where to get vitamins in food? Try Nutrition Coaching or Contact Me for More Info:

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    Resources/Credit:

    www.webmd.com

    http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/#h4

    Video by Kelly Gibson on July 30, 2014

    Vegan Nutrition Coach | Plant Based Nutrtition | Vegan Personal Trainer for Women