Vitamin D

Good Evening.

Today I wanted to talk about my favorite vitamin to take. I don't take many, but this is a must in my cabinet. Vitamin D. Not only is this helpful for bone health, but there are many other great benefits to taking Vitamin D.

• Decreases your risk for certain types of cancers.
• Decreases inflammation in your body.
• It can increase mental clarity.
• Decreases fatigue.
• It can help to relieve body aches and pains.
• It helps to increase serotonin (happy hormone).
• It can help with weight loss. Your brain needs Vitamin D to decrease hunger cravings. D is also needed in each cell of your body. Including fat cells. There are certain receptors that Vitamin D attach to that lets your body know it needs to burn fat. Therefore increasing your metabolism. 
• Vitamin D is also very important for your heart health. It can help lower your blood pressure and decrease your risk for heart disease

You need about 15 minutes of sun exposure 2 times weekly (without sunscreen) to absorb enough natural Vitamin D. However, if you live in the United States above the level of Atlanta, during the winter you will not get enough Vitamin D even from the sun. And since sunscreen is very important, it is recommended to take an over the counter supplement. So here is how I get my Vitamin D. I take 2,000 units daily during the spring and summer and 5,000 units during the fall and winter. You can get it over the counter, pretty much anywhere. I certainly am not a doctor, but this is what is recommended by the Cardiologists I work for. I do notice I feel a lot better when I am taking Vitamin D. I tend to have more energy and feel more alert. When I haven't taken it, I tend to feel sluggish. I am not big on taking too many supplements, but I do think Vitamin D is important. The majority of us have a very low Vitamin D level for it is very hard to get what we need from sunlight and foods. 

So if you need a little pep in your step, I encourage you to add Vitamin D to your regimen. You will feel more energized!

Today's Workout: 

20 minutes on the elliptical

http://goo.gl/8UJ1Y 10 minute upper body toning routine from fitsugar

Have a good rest of your evening...

Stay Active

~Mandi