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:

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

Can I Get Too Much Calcium or Should I drink more Milk?

We are all taught to drink milk for calcium. We hear it on the radio, at school, from our parents, and all of the milk advertisements. After years of hearing the same thing over and over again, you’d think we get the hint right? But the latest research raises the question Can I get too much calcium or do I need more?

It turns out, cow’s milk isn’t all that great for us after all. Tons of people have stopped buying milk and are now getting almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, and other dairy-free alternatives. You may have noticed this trend the past few years is that more and more people are going dairy-free. I’ve written about how drinking cows milk weakens bones, and consuming more than 600mg of Calcium has NO benefit to bone health. Even more interesting, dairy products don’t seem to improve bone health in children, prevent stress fractures in adolescents or women. Osteoporosis is, in fact, best prevented by reducing sodium intake and consuming more plant-based sources of calcium like leafy greens, beans, fruits, and vegetables (NOT milk). So by asking the question can I get too much calcium, the answer is yes.

Unfortunately, milk is in many of our processed foods, put in our meals at restaurants, and even slipped into some of our multi-vitamins and protein shakes. How will we ever manage to go completely dairy-free? Luckily I am a fully committed vegan who knows about all the cool vegan options! Just contact me below if you need more ideas or guidance on your journey to a plant-based or dairy-free lifestyle.

Here are 3 dairy-free alternatives to standard cow’s milk products:

Tofutti: Cream Cheese

Follow your Heart: Vegan Gourmet Sour Cream

Earth Balance: Organic Whipped Buttery Spread

For more dairy-free or plant-based ideas, Contact Me:

Written by Kelly Gibson on 3/8/2017

Tag: vitamin d