BEATING THE BLUES....

Sounds easier said than done am I right? Why does it feel easier to self care when we are feeling good? This will forever be my life long question. I always feel as though tending to my body continually is paired with how consistent I have been and how good I feel, it is a cumulative effect that builds on itself.

But as always, here is your reminder to look into your vitamin D levels. Canada is known to have the highest cases world wide in low vitamin D levels. Studies show between 70% to 97% insufficiency amongst Canadiana (and unrelated but we also have the highest rate of Multiple Sclerosis world wide!).

Why? While I don't have any data to form my conclusion, I believe that it's because we are primarily and indoor population? We tend to love the indoors! Whether it's escaping the heat or the cold.

In order for our skin to synthesize vitamin D from the sun, we must spend a good amount of time sunbathing (and revealing as much skin as possible to really have a profound impact).

I myself have darker skin, which adds to the equation - the more melanin we produce, the more challenging it is for our bodies to produce Vitamin D.

This doesn't mean that it's a hopeless situation - It only means that we must dig a little deeper and get creative on how to boost our levels...and what better way to do it then to increase out intake of foods - which are more bioavailable and easier for our body to absorb.

Which foods are these you ask?

Mushrooms - I mean, do I need to say more? All mushrooms are little miracles and should be a staple for in all of our homes! They carry so much medicine, the fall under the category of neuro-regeneratives, anti-virals, immune boosting, energy enhancers and on and on.

Liver - I know, I know - some of us have minor PTSD from childhood and eating our parent's boiled liver. But organ meets have made a come back in the last few years. Once known as peasant foods in different regions of the world, little did we know that they actually carry ALL of the nutrients and really the only meat that is actually healthy for us! There are many unique ways to prepare liver and it's renowned in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be a blood booster and deeply nourishing for people who are in postpartum recovery or healing from illnesses like anemia and low hemoglobin levels.

Eggs - Who doesn't love a good egg, it's the most dynamic food and can be used in many different ways and different recipes!

And get ready for this one....

Avocados contain the highest value of Vitamin D2!

I don't know a single person who doesn't love to indulge in an avocado every once in a while. Again, super diverse and easy to use in a variety of dishes!

A reminder to always check your D levels if you are looking to supplement with Vitamin D as too much can be harmful!

~ Alessadra de Oliveira

Managing Owner, RMT

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