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Getting Your Vitamin D: A Little Sunlight Goes a Long Way

sunshineNews flash: exposure to the sun can actually be good for you. Just 15 minutes of daily exposure stimulates the skin to help supply all of the Vitamin D you need.

Unfortunately, almost one-half of Americans and two-thirds of Canadians don’t get enough Vitamin D. Almost 1 billion people worldwide fail to get enough of this vital nutrient, according to Science Daily, a U.S. website. That makes it among the most common nutritional deficiencies.

Exposure to sunlight is important because Vitamin D is relatively hard to obtain in many diets. Egg yolks, mushrooms and oily fish are among the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D, which is vital for strong teeth and bones and a healthy immune system. Do your kids eat mushrooms and sardines on a regular basis? Probably not. That’s why MadeGood minis, bars and squares are fortified to ensure your kids get their daily dose. Just one package of any MadeGood organic granola snack contains 20% of the average daily requirement.

The body’s ability to produce Vitamin D is affected by factors such as distance from the sun, season, time of day, cloud cover, smog, clothing cover and skin pigmentation (light skins are better at producing Vitamin D than dark skins).  And wearing sunscreen will inhibit your skin’s ability to produce Vitamin D but don’t spend too much time with your skin exposed in the sun!

To ensure your children get the nutrients they need, MadeGood has added a proprietary blend of six vegetables including spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, beets and shiitake mushrooms that provide not just vitamin D but also a serving of vegetables.  You’re welcome!

Gently processed to maintain nutrients, the snacks are free from the eight common allergens – soy, wheat, fish and shellfish, dairy, eggs, sesame and nuts. Organic and non GMO project verified you can be assured they are safe and nutritious for your whole family.

For peace of mind with Vitamin D here are a few tips:

  1. Make sure to get your children outside so they can expose themselves to the sun, without sunscreen, for a few minutes each day. Encourage them to walk to or from school or play outside after dinner.
  2. Vitamin D is often added to breakfast cereals, milk, non-dairy beverages and fruit juices to ensure that children get adequate amounts. Read packaging labels and choose these products accordingly.
  3. Make eggs a few times a week, pulse mushrooms in a food processor until ground and add to hamburgers or meatloaf. Or, add them chopped to stir fries and omelets.
  4. Pack MadeGood snacks in your children’s lunch. Or get the whole family outdoors and plan a weekend picnic with your favorite finger foods and some MadeGood treats.
  5. Talk to your healthcare provider about supplementation during the winter months, especially if you have dark skin, are over 50 and live in the northern half of the U.S. or Canada.

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Author: Karen Gilman is a Registered Holistic NutritionistTM and the founder of www.nutrilicious.ca. When not working with families with vegetarian children, you can find her blogging about food or in the kitchen baking up healthy treats for her family.