Winter is slowly approaching… Most of us have already said goodbye to summer by bringing down the winter clothing and boots from the top of the cupboard (not to mention the rain jackets/ wind breakers and umbrella’s that were a necessity about two weeks ago!). But now the SUN has appeared again and it looks like Autumn will last a little longer than we all thought…
Now, I am not just bringing up the weather to fill space on my blog 🙂 rather I am bringing it up because as Winter approaches the SUNSHINE that we all LOVE grows dimmer… and SUNSHINE is so important in SENSIBLE amounts as it provides us with a the very important vitamin… VITAMIN D!
Ask yourself the following questions…
“Do I get at least 5-10 minutes of exposure to the sun on your arms and legs OR
5-10 minutes of exposure to the sun on your hands, arms and face…
TWO to THREE times per week..”
The sensible sun exposure mentioned above is enough to provide sufficient vitamin D to last through the winter months EXCEPT in those who:
- Are unwilling to go outside
- Are wearing clothing over their arms and legs (i.e. clothing blocks UV rays required for vitamin D production)
- Are wearing sunblock everyday (i.e. sunblock also blocks the UV rays which are required for vitamin D production)
- Are receiving sunlight through glass (i.e. sitting in your office in the sun for a little while doesn’t count)
Other things that will affect the amount of vitamin D produced are:
- Time of day that the sunlight is received
- Season of the year (i.e. summer sun is better than winter sun)
- Latitude
- The amount of pigmentation in your skin
Now before we get too technical… The thought I would like to leave you with is the following…
“In South Africa – we have GREAT sunshine – make the most of it… BUT be sensible…Sunshine goes hand in hand with getting OUTDOORS and so does EXERCISE..
So get outdoors and kill two birds with one stone! Improve your fitness and get in your vitamin D!”
Always seek the advice and care from a registered health care professional.
Remember: Love Food. Eat Smart. Love Life.
Copyright: Catherine Day Dietetics 2015