Getting My Vitamin D

It is hard to believe that there can be sunshine and warmth in one part of the United States while the rest of the country seems to be bombarded with snow and ice. Having arrived in Florida yesterday, and sitting in a warm breeze as I write this, my mind is still trying to adjust to the fact that it is still winter.

Sitting in the sun yesterday for an hour, I could feel my battery regenerating. Maybe this was really my vitamin D levels going up.Typically in the winter months, my vitamin D levels have plummeted and I have had a lack of energy, depressed mood and difficulty staying warm.

This year, I decided to take vitamin D supplements more regularly and I have really seen a difference. I am not as cold, my thyroid is functioning better (vitamin D contributes to a healthy thyroid), and I don't seem to have the seasonal affective symptoms such as lower energy and depressed mood. I have been taking Young Living's OmegaGize supplement which has Omega 3 (fish oil), Vitamin D and CoQ10.

It seems vitamin D is a key nutrient for preventing cancer, absorption of other nutrients, thyroid balance and more. The best way to get vitamin D is by being in the sun, as the body will create the perfect amounts of this vitamin and necessary counterparts needed in the body, like vitamin K2. Dr. Mercola recommends safe tanning beds as a second alternative and if neither of these is possible, then he will suggest oral consumption of vitamin D. See his in-depth article on this subject.

Exposing 40% of our skin to the sun for 10-20 minutes a day is the recommended amount. That's fine while I'm in Florida, but is not so easy in the north when the only skin showing is my face and the sun is not visible for days on end. This is when an oral supplement can make a huge difference, but apparently you want to balance vitamin D with K2 for absorption and proper use by the body. Again, Dr. Mercola tackles this topic clearly and thoroughly on his website.

Have you discovered any good resources on this topic? Anything you've found to be helpful? Do tell.