It's January and I am tired, among other things

 
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Contrary to popular blogging habit, this post will not be about dieting after the holidays but about a much bigger issue, without which, there is no diet to begin with: Vitamin D.
It is now January 2016. We are now saying goodbye to the crazy meals of the holidays and we are now facing the " aftermath" of it all. 
Some of you have already hit the gyms and maxed out your credit cards on diet supplements; stop right there. At what level is your Vitamin D? If it is low, I guarantee all those hours at the gym and all those weight loss supplements will not work.

Vitamin D is in fact part of our metabolism corridor, along with the Thyroid and others and a lack of it will slow down your metabolism.
A lack of vitamin D will manifest as following:

* Feeling tired and sluggish
* Feeling depressed
* Not losing weight despite effort and proper diet
*Lowered capacity of the boy to metabolize calcium which can lead to thin, brittle bones
And more

A lowered vitamin D level will impair your body capacity to lose weight because your metabolism is in "stall". Therefore this is the first action to care for, not the diet pills which will be ineffective in this scenario.

Food Sources: vitamin D is contained in cod liver oil, salmon, dairy, tuna, eggs. If you are vegan or vegeterian, mushrooms (maitake and portabella) will become your friends along with Vitamin D-fortified foods such as almond milk,cereal and orange juice.
The best source is however the sunlight.
Various sources debate the amount of sun exposure needed for adequate vitamin D, from 15 minutes to an hour and many argue the effects of sun exposure and skin cancer, a whole other topic. Ideal levels of Vitamin D range from 32 to 40ng/ml and all arguments aside, a walk in the sun for 20 minutes has been considered ideal in many studies, 

For those who live in northern latitude, they need to supplement, in most of the cases.
However even our folks all over the world are at risk,if they always stay indoors.
I have seen 1 out of 3 clients in my office practice in Florida have low levels of Vitamin D.
Yes, in Florida and the typical answer is " Oh it's always dark when I leave work". That is sufficient to deprive your body of this vitamin, just like with the Northern folks.

The best way to act is to test your Vitamin D levels with your MD. Then supplement. No buying and taking supplements like it's gum! 
Many people skip testing and do themselves the diagnosis with purchase of common supplements, without knowing if they actually need them. There are toxicity effects to all of those products, natural or not.
​Furthermore, taking a supplement without knowing your Vitamin D blood levels, may or may not be hitting the target because you may or may not need it. If you have low vitamin D level, the standard supplementation you find out there is not sufficient, so it will be a waste of money.
After testing, you may ask a MD or a Nutritionist  to dose the right amount for you and that will be an efficient approach.

If you already know your vitamin D levels are low, this is a link that provides a discounted virtual dispensary of wholesome supplements made without harmful ingredients, where you can purchase all you need at great prices.

​https://www.healthwavehq.com/welcome/mcurti