Sunny days are here at last, which means beach days, patio drinks and with all that comes greater exposure to Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. Living in Vancouver, we are deprived of sunlight during the winter months and become more susceptible to seasonal affective disorder, otherwise known as SAD. Just as the name suggests, yes, you get sad and often display symptoms of depression and moodiness. This is because the sun literally makes you happy, both emotionally and biologically.
Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, improve muscle function, lower blood pressure and boost immune systems as well as fight against infections. Deficiencies come with an array of symptoms like bone pain and muscles weakness, head sweating and gut troubles as well as the blues. These ailments may seem minor but can lead to more serious problems such as cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment in older adults.
Our body makes Vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet rays, so, yes, sunshine is good for you in moderation. But please don’t use tanning beds as an excuse to get your Vitamin D intake. According to the Melanoma Research Foundation, tanning beds are known to have negative effects on your health. A great alternative instead is light box therapy, which is a great way to get your fix during the winter months. Or you could also get your fix in supplement form, but not all are created equal. In fact, there are two types of Vit D; Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) – both are quite different from each other, and one will do more harm than good. What you want to look for is the Vit D3 on the label of your supplement, which is more absorbable for your body.
The more that you can do for your health the better, and getting your vitamins and nutrients through food is a preferable way to get your fill. Here are some yummy foods that are high in Vit D for your tasting pleasure.
Salmon: Not just a great source of essential fatty acids but also a great delicious source of Vitamin D. Wild salmon is always best so get to your local fishmonger and buy yourself a piece of the nutritional action.
Eggs: Make sure to eat the whole eggs not just the whites as Vitamin D is stored in the yolks. Remember that local and pasture raised is always best for both your health and our environment.
Shitake Mushrooms: This fungi actually is not only delicious but a good Vitamin D source to add to any meal. Although not as high in concentration as other foods mentioned here, it is still a great contributor to your overall health.
Beef Liver: Among other awesome nutrients and despite its not so appealing reputation, liver is a great source of Vitamin D, not to mention tons of iron.
Tomato & Basil Quiche
Ingredients:
1Tbsp Coconut oil
1 Onion diced
2 Cups fresh cut tomatoes*
2Tbsp fresh basil*
3 Garlic-crushed
2Tbsp Flour ( I used chickpea to make it Gluten free)
3eggs
1/cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/2 cup-One cup cheese ( I used raw cheese I got from farmer's market)
Sea salt to taste
* We will only be sautéing 1/2 the ingredients. then adding the rest later.
Methods:
1. In frying pan sauté Onions in Coconut oil, when Onions are brown add 1 Cup of tomato, flour and 1Tbsp basil and cook for 5 min and remove from heat.
2. Let cool down for 5 min and transfer to a bowl along with the rest of ingredients
3. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a pie pan
4. Bake at 400F for 10 min then turn down to 350F and bake for 15-25 minutes, or until mixture is no longer runny.
If you want you can add more veggies to this. I like adding Swiss chard. spinach or fresh herbs like cilantro.
