That Amazing Ball Of Fire

This month I’ve paid tribute to glorious sunshine on Thirsty Thursday. That amazing ball of fire in the sky partners with our bare skin to create a necessary nutrient. Vitamin D.  

Did you take the Vitamin D quiz and learn just how crucial this nutrient is to our health? I challenge you to give yourself a dose of sunshine today. Consider these neat-o benefits that sunshine, in moderate doses of course, provides:

  • Improved Sleep: Sunshine enhances a normal circadian rhythm.
  • Feel Better: Sunlight boosts serotonin levels and increases alertness.
  • Lowers Blood Pressure: UV rays release nitric oxide, lowering blood pressure.
  • Protects Against Melanoma: Indoor UV light breaks down Vitamin D3 which can result in Vitamin D deficiency, increasing the risk of melanoma. Safe sun exposure from outdoor UVB rays is protective. (Melanoma Research Foundation) 

Be Well!

Tiffany

*I am a Health Coach and Certified Health Education Specialist.  This advice is not meant to replace medical care.

3 Key Concepts to Live Well and Be Well

Thirsty Thursday’s is the wellness blog for Anderson Therapeutics. If you‘ve spent time on my website you’ve read my 3 Key Concepts to Live Well and Be Well, they are to Soothe – Nourish – Rest.

Consider the second concept: Nourish. In regards to our monthly topic, we get Vitamin D in our food…right? Tricky answer. Yes, and no.

Most foods don’t contain Vitamin D and those that do often won’t provide you with enough to meet your daily recommendations. Realize that low Vitamin D levels can harm our bones, reduce our mobility, and contribute to feelings of fatigue. Too much Vitamin D on the other hand (over 4000 IU daily) sends us to the bathroom more often with excessive urine output, and may lead to kidney stones. 

Too much is not a good thing in regards to Vitamin D supplementation. Sunlight is my personal preference to gain my Vitamin D. I take a sunshine break in the morning or while walking at lunch to get my 10-20 minutes of sunshine. This mini sunshine break also improves my mood. I feel better and maintain a healthy Vitamin D level in my bloodstream. Pay attention to your body and know your Vitamin D levels, this is an important nutrient that you can modify with daily behavior.  Take charge!

Be Well!

Tiffany

*I am a Health Coach and Certified Health Education Specialist.  This advice is not meant to replace medical care.

Embrace The Summer Sun

Thirsty Thursday embraces the summer sun. If you read last week’s message, the topic for July is sunshine and Vitamin D. For those who are sun sensitive, whether due to medication – environment – lack of time – or skin conditions, are you getting sufficient Vitamin D? Remember…see your doctor on this topic – blood tests are the only way to check your levels.  

Since you are an expert and know your body as no other person could – let’s check your Vitamin D knowledge. Take this quiz and see what you know about this important supplement:  http://www.medicinenet.com/Vitamin_d_quiz/quiz.htm

My wish is that you learn something new and find something useful.  

Be Well!

Tiffany

*I am a Health Coach and Certified Health Education Specialist.  This advice is not meant to replace medical care.

Sunshine & Vitamin D

Welcome to the wellness blog of Anderson Therapeutics…health tips and resources arrive here on Thirsty Thursday .

Quench topic for July is the importance of sunshine & Vitamin D.  In Utah we have dark winters, high altitudes, and valley’s that experience poor air quality.  Utahans refer to these dirty air days as inversion.  This lack of light, being female, and my Danish ancestry places me at high risk for Vitamin D deficiency.  Do you know your risk levels? 

Low levels of Vitamin D can lead to poor bone health, contribute to muscle weakness, skin conditions like psoriasis, and even feelings of depression.  Discuss your levels with your doctor – blood tests are the way that you learn if you are deficient.  Many medications interfere with Vitamin D levels including steroids, weight loss drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs, Statins, diuretics, and even some fat-soluble Vitamins. 

Vitamin D is the sunshine Vitamin – our skin is the largest organ of the body, it regulates the amount of Vitamin D that we produce.  We cannot overdose on Vitamin D from sun exposure.  Moderate exposure time of about 10-20 minutes per day is ample for our skin to provide needed Vitamin D.  Play it safe, listen to your body, and learn what is best for you.  

Be Well!

Tiffany

*I am a Health Coach and Certified Health Education Specialist.  This advice is not meant to replace medical care.