Boosting Your Vitamin D Levels This Winter: Diet and Lifestyle Tips

I hope you had a great holiday! 
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Vitamin D lately. While most of my clients are local, I have clients throughout the country (and even a few international), and sunshine levels can vary a lot! So today, I want to share some tips to help you navigate your vitamin D over the winter.

Why Is Vitamin D Important?

Vitamin D is essential for bone health, immune function, blood sugar regulation, and mood regulation.
Vitamin D isn’t exactly a vitamin: it more closely resembles a steroid hormone and the body makes hormones from cholesterol. Like other hormones, vitamin D is regulated in the body by feedback loops on receptors. When levels reach a high enough point, the body sends a signal to make less. When levels get too low, the body sends a signal to make more.
Vitamin D production requires cholesterol for production and is a fat-soluble nutrient meaning that it needs dietary fat to be absorbed properly.

Tips For Boosting Vitamin D Levels

Let’s look at some diet and lifestyle choices that can help support your body to maintain healthy Vitamin D levels.

• Animal foods such as cod liver oil, tuna, halibut, herring, raw butter, raw milk, mackerel, sardines, lard from pastured pigs, and egg yolk are the richest dietary sources of vitamin D (D3).
• Your body needs healthy fats and cholesterol for optimal levels and functioning of Vitamin D.
• Plant based vitamin D is D2 and mushrooms are the best source (when exposed to UV light).
• Foods fortified with vitamin D are similar to taking a supplement since the Vitamin D is not naturally occurring–I recommend eating foods that naturally contain Vitamin D over eating foods fortified with it. Commonly fortified foods include dairy such as milk and yogurt, orange juice, and cereals.
• Your body needs both some sunlight during the day and darkness at night for heathy Vitamin D levels…and healthy Vitamin D levels also positively influence sleep, so for the sake of good sleep and healthy vitamin D levels, get to bed on time.
• Wake up with the sun and aim to get at least 10 minutes of sunshine on as much of your body as you can (daily if possible). Even on a cold, sunny day, stepping outside briefly—especially around midday—can help maintain Vit D levels. 
• Regular moderate-intensity exercise has been shown to protect against the common decline in vitamin D levels that occur in the winter.
• Some people may benefit from high quality Vitamin D supplements. I recommend testing before supplementing. It is normal that your Vitamin D levels will be lower in the winter with less sun exposure. As long as your levels are still in range and you’re feeling good, supplementing may be unnecessary.

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca

P.S. Are you or someone you know struggling with weight, digestion/gut, or energy?
I’m here to help!  You/they can set up a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me here.