3 Ways to Get Vitamin D When the Sun is Hiding

By Sara Novak, Planet Green

It’s been one of the worst winters that I can remember. In fact, last week my native Columbia, S.C. got 4 inches of snow. For the rest of the country that may seem minimal, but for Southerners that have never seen snow in their lives, it was memorable. But even when it hasn’t snowed, the weather has been gloomy at best. The sun has rarely shown us its gorgeous face and when it has, the shine has been short lived.

According to an article in US News, in the winter, it’s impossible to produce Vitamin D from the sun if you live north of Atlanta because the sun never gets high enough in the sky for its ultraviolet B rays to penetrate the atmosphere.

Vitamin D is critical to a healthy functioning body because deficiencies are linked to a host of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer. While this is sort of scary stuff, it can be prevented by including certain foods in your diet.

Eco-Conscious Foods With Vitamin D
Cow’s milk is often fortified with Vitamin D, but if you don’t drink cow’s milk, soy milk is often fortified as well. It’s always best to choose local and sustainable dairy. Look for organic soy milk because much of the soy produced in this county isn’t organic but rather, comes from a genetically modified seed produced mainly by Monsanto. Salmon and eggs are also sources of Vitamin D. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program, the most sustainable choices when it comes to salmon are wild coho, sockeye, king, pink, red, and sake salmon caught in Alaska and Washington. When choosing sustainable eggs, consult Planet Green’s Guide to Humanely Raised Eggs. Then make these simple and delicious recipes stacked with the nutrient.

Next: Recipes loaded with vitamin D