Welcome to the vitamin D craze. It seems to be all over the health news in recent weeks. In the last week I’ve seen articles touting how Vitamin D helps mobility in older adults,  can aid in stroke prevention, reduce birth defects, stave off seasonal flu and colds, and may be another component in childhood obesity.  Vitamin D aids muscles and bone strength, stuff that everyone needs.

Many people look to supplements, but you might not need to. Vitamin D is available free of charge, just step outside. Yep, the sunlight is giving it away for free. Your skin can soak up the sun, and its nutrition without swallowing a thing.  But wait, there is a catch. Sunscreen, and clothing blocks it out. So, while sunscreen is important; really important if you have a child with this sort of skin tone.

I don’t use it all the time. Shock! Horrors! We need some of the best kind of Vitamin D. Not the stuff fortified into food, but the natural sort. For us, that means when the sun’s rays aren’t so damaging or harmful and we are going out for only a short while, like our daily bike ride to and from my son’s school, I don’t sun screen. I soak it up. Yes, of course I slather her down most of the time, plop a sun hat on her, but I don’t do it as soon as she wakes up. There are benefits to the sun, some glories, if you will. I am always amazed at the good, full world God has made for us. I love being outside in it, it is good for me: body and soul.

If you want a good primer on Vitamin D, and some lovely fun, British verbiage, check out this article.

Are you getting enough Vitamin D? How do you do it?