Things I Think About

Lately, I've been thinking about vitamin D. Yeah, weird, right? Any-who, I'm thinking about it weird or not.

There are all sorts of conflicting information about vitamin D. The theories go from 10 minutes a day of unfiltered sunlight will do you to it's impossible to get enough vitamin D from the sun if you live in northerly climates, which most of North America does and various theories that cover the space in between.

I've also heard that we'd get enough from the sun if we're out in it enough, even though we're northerly, but we don't do it "right." We put on sunblock. We wash too often. Yup - apparently it needs time to "settle in" before you wash your skin, according to one theory I've heard.

It's also important to note that if you're darker complected, you'll have a harder time making adequate vitamin D away from the equator. Does that mean, though, that if you're particularly fair, you can get enough even in week winter light?

Okay, so say that you want to hedge your bets and take a vitamin D supplement. Not so fast! Not all vitamin D supplements are engineered in such a way that your body can make use of them. In fact, it may be harmful to take a vitamin D supplement.

So what's a body to do? Well, so far, I sporadically give Davan and I some vitamin D supplements and we try to spend time outdoors regularly - walking rather than driving to her orthodontist appointment today, for example. Is it enough? I don't know. Perhaps I should have my vitamin D level tested. Or is that too obsessive?