NATURE CALLS

With March on our doorstep, a good majority of us have long since had it with this winter-baloney. Winter has a way of sucking the life out of many of us, and most of us have to make an effort to stay on track. It is well known that the lack of sunshine not only gives us seasonal blues, but it also does a number on our vitamin D intake. Why is this important you might ask? Because vitamin D is critical for maintaining good health and strong immune systems, that’s why! Ever notice the majority of flu cases and other illnesses are at their peak in January and February? By that point of the winter, most of us are unknowingly deficient in vitamin D, and as a result can become ill. While it’s easy to blame an illness on a coworker or our children, building up one’s immune system is the best defense. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D can also help to ward off a whole host of health problems including osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes and depression. If that’s not enough to convince you of how important this vitamin is, feast your winter eyes on this list:
1 Heart health
2 The protection and lubrication of your bones, teeth and hair.
3 The regulation of cellular growth and healthy cell activity.
4 Overall reduction of systemic redness and swelling.
5 Skeletal health.
6 Postmenopausal women and African-American men may benefit the most.
Even during these cold months we can absorb snippets of the winter sun and still get a dose of vitamin D. There’s almost always a nook outside that’s warm enough – look around your house or yard and take that chair out of storage. Fifteen minutes is all you need for a daily dose of D, and while it won’t be the dose you’d get with summer sun, it all adds up. If the sun just won’t shine, the next best choice is diet. While the subject on vitamin D supplements remains highly debatable, there are those among us who do benefit from it. It depends largely on an individual’s current state of health and genetic disposition. But while we’re on the subject, liquid vitamin D is best as it is far easier for the body to absorb. And truth be told, most of us here in the good old USA subject ourselves to a polluted food chain on a daily basis. As far as deriving vitamin D from a whole food source, which is always best by the way, salmon tops the chart. Don’t just grab any old salmon either–be sure it is ‘wild’ and not farmed-raised. Farm raised salmon has dye added to it to give it that nice little pinkish hue, but don’t be fooled–the dye is downright nasty. Know the source of your salmon–always read labels. There are some organic farmed salmon out there as well that do not add the dangerous dyes. And don’t worry about the FDA not regulating organic farms, organic farms regulate themselves. Their practices are health-conscious ones, geared towards whole foods free of chemicals. The blistering list of additives that the FDA allows in countless food items is scary, so again, read labels and know your source. If you can’t ‘stomach’ salmon or tuna, you can always go for shitake or button mushroom –these guys are a great source of vitamin D as well. Just don’t cook them, however, add them raw to your salad. Once you cook something, you essentially kill off most of the nutritional benefit. So with a bit of winter still ahead of us, grab a chair and kick those pasty winter legs up outside in the sunshine–your happy pill awaits you.
Amy Beaumont is a portrait photographer and a freelance writer. She can be reached at abeaumontphotography@gmail.com