Holy cow! It seems like it's rained every day since I sent out the last newsletter in February. Chinese medicine explains that a long cool Spring like we have had will create illness in the Autumn, the beginning of the cold and flu season. One explanation is that the lack of sunshine, and lack of exposure to sunshine, will create a deficit in vitamin D. You may think that I sound like a broken record when it comes to vitamin D, but until the entire Mohawk Valley is taking this critical nutrient, I'm not going to be quiet. Here are three steps you can take to ward off illness this Fall.
 

1. Get 20 minutes of high noon sunscreen-free sun exposure on your face and arms, every day. Even the small amount of sunscreen in many cosmetics will block production of vitamin D.
2. Get your vitamin D levels checked by your doctor (25-Hydroxy D to be precise). You want your level to be in the 65-70 range. Your doctor will be happy if you are in the 40's, but the full immunity benefits of vitamin D are not realized until your body is fully stocked.
3. Take 5,000 iu per day until your levels approach 70. If your levels plateau, take 10,000 iu per day. (iu stands for international unit, a more precise measurement that weight, especially in small amounts)

Sunshine exposure and vitamin D levels have been shown to influence, pain, heart disease, diabetes, parkinson's, cancer, infections, weight gain, mental health and many other conditions. Now that Spring has sprung, and the midday sun has enough power to activate your body's production of vitamin D, it's time to review your vitamin D supplementation.

1) Get your 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels tested. If you are lower than 65 you need to supplement and/or get out in the sun.

2) Get 15 minutes of midday (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) sunshine on your face and arms each day. Any type of sunscreen or UV coating on glass will stop your body from making the vitamin D. Many face creams and even make-up now has sunscreen added.

3) Take at least 2,000 i.u of vitamin D3 a day even during the summer.

4) If you cannot get out in the sun regularly you need to take at least 5,000 iu of D3 a day.

5) If your test shows your vitamin D levels are low, you can take as much as 10,000 i.u a day to recover from your deficiency.