With beautiful sunny days and lots of time spent by lakes and pools it’s hard to imagine that in a few short weeks kids will be back in school, the weather will start to cool down and we will start to move into “cold and flu season” before you know it. With that thought, it can be so beneficial to you and your family to get a jumpstart on making sure your immune health is ready and what better time than now?
There is so much information out there; what to eat, what to supplement, exercise, etc. in order to get your immune system into great shape….all of that information can be too much and it’s hard to know where to start. I wanted to bring to you all what I consider the most important step in building a great immune system…this step alone can make a big difference over the colder months…..are you ready?
Get your Vitamin D levels checked. Did you know that Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for immune health? Studies show that being in the optimal range of vitamin D is MORE EFFECTIVE than a flu vaccine. Many people don’t realize this and most of the population (young and old) are deficient or not in the optimal range (something I can help you with if you book a consultation). Right now we are nearing the end of summer so most people will say “I get some sun every day so I’m good” but while getting sun is a great way to get vitamin D, there can be many obstacles that get in your way to absorb it and acquire enough to put you in the optimal range:
- Wearing sunscreen
- Wearing clothing (long sleeves, pants, long skirts, etc.)
- Washing with soap/body wash after exposure (it takes 24-48 hours to absorb all of that vitamin D)
- You are in need of a liver cleanse so your liver isn’t able to properly convert vitamin D into it’s active form D3
- You are not getting enough Boron in your diet which you need to convert vitamin D in the liver to your kidneys to form Calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol)
- Everyone absorbs vitamin D differently so you may need more time outside exposed to the sun than you realize
- If your gut health isn’t optimal you may not be properly absorbing nutrients needed to convert Vitamin D into it’s active form, leaving you deficient
There are many obstacles that might interfere with you and your children getting enough vitamin D from the sun alone. The only way to know what your level is is to get it tested.
The only way to know is to get tested. It’s recommended to test every 3-6 months and the goal should be getting into the optimal range in order to reap all the benefits of vitamin D which include:
- Rickets
- Allergies
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular Disease
Cod Liver Oil provides vitamin D that is easily absorbed.
- Autism
- Chronic Pain
- Cold & Flu
- Dental Cavities
- Eczema
- Gestational Diabetes
- Diabetes – Type 1
- Prenatal Infections
- Preterm Birth
- Fetal Growth Impairment
I love this chart and show it to my clients to explain the importance of optimal vitamin D levels.
So with all of this information, I hope that you take the time to get your vitamin D levels tested and please feel free to contact me with any questions. I hope you all enjoy the rest of this beautiful summer!
~Angelina
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