Vitamin D is so essential for optimal health, but many individuals are simply not getting enough and are considered deficient.
The only way to know if you actually are deficient is to get a blood test. You can get too much, so make sure to get a test before you start supplementing. If you are low, it can take a lot of supplementation to get you back to a healthy level.
You can get vitamin D via food, supplements and the sun.
The best type of food where vitamin D is found naturally is oily fish (canned tuna, sardines, salmon, halibut).
Fortified cereals, milk, and juice can also provide the nutrient.
Vitamin D supplements are measured in IUs (International Units). If you have normal levels of vitamin D, you need approximately 600-800 IUs daily. However, if you're severely deficient, you may need to take thousands of IUs each day.
Make sure to take your vitamin D supplements with some sort of fat.
To get enough D from the sun, you need to be exposed to direct sunlight (no sunscreen) for 15-20 minutes twice per week.
Listen in as Michelle Dudash, Chef & Clean Eating Expert, joins host Lisa Davis to explain the benefits of vitamin D and the best ways to get the nutrient.
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Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?
Featured Speaker:
Michelle Dudash is the creator of CleanEatingCookingSchool.com and a writer whose “Dish with Dudash” column is published in the Arizona Republic. It reaches over 1.5 million readers per week.
She is also a featured monthly guest on KPNX-TV’s Arizona Midday show, and a regular contributor to the Food Network’s Healthy Eats blog, one of the most heavily read columns on the television network’s site.
Michelle Dudash, Chef & Clean Eating Expert
Michelle Dudash is the creator of CleanEatingCookingSchool.com and a writer whose “Dish with Dudash” column is published in the Arizona Republic. It reaches over 1.5 million readers per week. She is also a featured monthly guest on KPNX-TV’s Arizona Midday show, and a regular contributor to the Food Network’s Healthy Eats blog, one of the most heavily read columns on the television network’s site.