How To Get More Vitamin D Without The Sun
•Health hacks
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Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is vital to our health. It helps with hormone function, bone development and strength, and maintaining a healthy immune system. While the ultimate source of vitamin D is sun exposure, the Aussie sun is no joke! Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives.
So, with excessive sun exposure being a no-go, how can we get enough Vitamin D?
Diet
Luckily, Mother Nature provided elsewhere! Incorporate foods rich in vitamin D into your diet.
Fatty Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Salmon, Eel.
Fortified Cereals: Oats, Weet-Bix, All-Bran, any cereals that advertise themselves as fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
Fortified Milks: Specifically cow’s milk as its high in calcium — these two nutrients work well together because vitamin D helps with calcium absorption into your bones to strengthen them.
Fortified Juice: Orange juice, multivitamin juices and breakfast jucies advertised as fortified will help contribute to your vitamin D intake.
Egg yolks have also been shown to be a good source of vitamin D too — most of the protein in an egg is found in the white, but the fat, vitamins and minerals are mostly in the yolk. A few factors weigh into how much vitamin D an egg will contain! The sun exposure for the chicken is factored in, so choosing free-range eggs is a better option to meet your daily requirements.
Supplements
Like most vitamins and minerals, you can buy vitamin D supplements either in tablet or powder form. There are two main kinds of vitamin D found in supplements — vitamin D2 and vitamin D3.
Both D2 and D3 can be effective in raising vitamin D levels, but D2 is sourced from plants whereas D3 is derived from animals.
Cod liver oil is also a rich source of vitamin D and can be taken as a supplement!
How Much Sun Should I Get?
Spending time in the sun is still healthy, and it benefits both your mental and physical health, so don’t shy away from it completely! Aim to get 10-30 minutes of sun around 4-5 times per week. Spend time in the sun during midday, so going for a walk on your lunch break is an easy way to get your sun time in!
P.S: Women need around 5.0μg vitamin D per day, and The Lady Shake contains 2.3μg per serving! So, we’ve got almost half of your recommended intake in just one shake.
