Vitamin D

This one required some research. I know every doctor is advising us to up our Vitamin D intake. May even help battle COVID….I have not jumped on this bandwagon due to the fact that in my opinion I get enough Vitamin D the natural way….but do I?

During cold winter months I love to sit by the window on the sunny days, close my eyes, soak up the rays and pretend my feet are in a pool. Does this contribute to my Vitamin D production? The answer is no. It’s the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays that produce Vitamin D. Unfortunately these rays will not penetrate through the window.

My confusion then lies in the reasoning why you should wear sunblock indoors when working near a window for example. This is because there is another type of ray in sunlight that could damage your skin, the UVA kind. That also seems counterproductive because in the same breath it is mentioned that you can not get a tan from sitting by a window….Nevertheless there are other benefits from wearing sunscreen indoors, it also protects your skin from blue light for smart devices, computers and televisions. And over time reduce wrinkles! Sunscreen

One of my favorite foods in the world, the banana, actually helps activate Vitamin D. Therefore if you do take Vitamin D capsules, as I will now myself, it will benefit the absorption of it. That seemed like a random transition, but I was researching foods containing the vitamin, hoping I sill won’t have to resort to the capsule. Turns out there are very limited Vitamin D fruits. Oranges or orange juice seems to be your best bet.

Other foods that provide Vitamin D:

• Fatty fishes like tuna and salmon. (Check!)
• Beef liver. (Nope)
• Egg yolks (Check)
• Cheese ( CHECK)
• And of course everything fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk and cereals.

As we age, I believe, supplements may be beneficial. But I am by no means an expert! I am always a firm believer that if you maintain a certain life style and eat right you should be ok. Although now I do think we my need some help in certain areas. I am going back to my sunny window, if anything, it benefits my internal spirit and that is worth more than anything!