Everything on this wonderful planet of ours needs sunlight, we need it for growth and for happiness.
The challenge most of us have in our Western, technological based lives is that our daily working routine means we spend most of the day in-doors, meaning we miss out on all of the amazing bright rays of sunlight that hit our planet.
Sunlight delivers so many benefits to our bodies.
Sunshine warms and reinvigorates each and every one of our cells; also aiding the secretion of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is responsible for the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus to maintain health bones. Vitamin D has other functions within our bodies including playing a pivotal role in the modulation of the immune system and may also aid in being protective against some cancers.
There are various types of vitamin D that are important for the human body, these being vitamin D2 which is synthesised by the plants that we eat and vitamin D3 which is made by the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. Both are beneficial for the human body however, just 10mins of sun exposure will provide us adequate daily amounts of vitamin D.
So why is Vitamin D3 important for us?
Vitamin D3 is a very unique micronutrient that may have an affect on maintaining a healthy weight. It acts as a hormone and may play a sweeping role in the proper regulation of several body processes including regulating the immune system and also controlling our metabolism. It has also been discovered that receptors in your brain need Vitamin D3 to keep hunger and cravings in check as well as to pump up those serotonin levels, which will elevate your mood. (Good thing, since dieting often comes with a side order of crankiness.)
Our bodies can only produce Vitamin D3 if we are exposed to sunlight or by taking a supplement. If you’re mostly working and relaxing in doors you may need to take a supplement of Vitamin D3 to keep your serotonin levels up and help prevent depression.
Vitamin D deficiency is a returning problem. People are visiting their local GPs daily with symptoms resulting from Vitamin D deficiency. Researchers suggest that approximately 50% of the UK adult population are vitamin D deficient, with a further 15% experiencing sever deficiency during the Winter months. This has caused a rise in Seasonal Affective Disorder, more commonly known as SAD. However the rise of vitamin D deficiencies has also led to the increasing rate of rickets disease. Rickets disease can be a result of an impaired metabolism lacking in Vitamin D, as well as the malabsorption of calcium and phosphorus.
Heavy D, Slimmer You
Numerous studies have shown Vitamin D’s crucial role in maintaining a healthy body weight. So, as the moment of truth with your bathing suit inches closer, don’t curse your sweet tooth for the belly bulge, as it may well be what you’re not eating enough of that’s actually responsible. By fuelling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs, to get out of a fat storage state and into a fat-burning one, you could potentially speed weight loss by up to 70 percent.
Vitamin D rich foods
A great way to up your Vitamin D level is to get more of the vitamin you need from your diet. We can absorb Vitamin D from some food types, including shiitake and button mushrooms, Mackerel and most oily fish, including Salmon. Apart from fabulous oily fish, you should also include shrimps and seafood in your diet and to keep your levels topped up, consider taking a supplement of fish oil, specifically cod liver oil or a Vitamin D3 supplement daily.
To boost your happiness and health, book yourself a holiday in the sun to start with, stick to using the sun screen though as this plays a vital part in protecting our skin from the damaging UV radiation that can cause cancer. And think about taking a vitamin D3 supplement to keep strong, happy and healthy and when everyone around is suffering the sniffles, you’ll have a big sunny smile on your face.
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