Happy Summer! Get a Healthy Dose of Vitamin D

Today marks the first official day of summer! And while we admit to being the “sunscreen police,” we also want you to look at the bright side of getting enough sunshine in your life. After all, sunlight is your BEST source of Vitamin D.  And Vitamin D has a great deal of health benefits…It helps promote calcium absorption, acts as an antioxidant, and helps protect the body from cellular damage.

Plus, when you don’t get enough Vitamin D, you’re more vulnerable to getting:
• 16 types of cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Hypertension
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Osteoporosis
• Psoriasis
• Ricketts
• Schizophrenia
• Tuberculosis
• Myopathy
• Depression

Unfortunately, Vitamin D deficiency is a silent killer and a growing epidemic in the U.S.  This is largely due to the fact that many of us spend our days indoors.  According to the National Institutes of Health, you should get 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure twice a week on your face, arms, back or legs without sunscreen. Keep in mind that getting too much sun can increase your risk for sunburn and skin cancer, so balance the need for sun exposure with the risks of overexposure. You can also get Vitamin D from your diet in products like milk, eggs, fish and cod liver oil.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/404505-vitamins-from-the-sun/