The Supplement We All Need
February 26, 2010
Guys,
I hope you are having a great week! There was horrible weather today in NY, with slushy snow and rain, but I’m just happy I have great new, cool snow/rain boots. That makes it a little happier for me to get from place to place. 
Many of you write to me and ask me what I recommend as far as supplements. Besides probiotics, another one I recommend wholeheartedly across the board is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important for our optimal health! It is estimated that a shocking upwards of 85% of Americans are deficient in this important nutrient.
Vitamin D is not readily available in our food supply. The natural and ideal way to get vitamin D is by exposing our skin to appropriate sunlight. Unfortunately for most of us there simply isn’t enough sun exposure for nearly half of the year. Um, that would include me here in ‘ol NYC, and particularly on snowy days like today! However, even when I’m in sunny places like LA, where I’d like to get some more sun time, I’m often so busy that it doesn’t happen. And that is true for most of us! We would need to be in the sun about 15 minutes a day, exposing about half of our body. People with darker skin would need more sun time. Also, if we are in areas of heavy air pollution and acid haze, much of the sun’s rays would be blocked anyways.
Now we all know that the mainstream media likes to ram it down our throats that the sun is evil and that we must wear sunscreen every day! What they don’t like to point out is that since the excessive rise of sunscreen has come into play in the 1980’s, the rise of skin cancer has also risen (though there are only an estimated 1,500 fatalities from skin cancer a year). Most sunscreens are absolutely TOXIC! Their harmful ingredients are absorbed into our skin and bloodstream, and bake in the sun on the surface of our skin. But that is another topic altogether…The main issue with sunscreen as far as it relates to Vitamin D is that it blocks UVB exposure, which we need to produce Vitamin D in our body.
Why is Vitamin D important? It is related to many issues within our body, including heart and pancreatic health, cell formation, reproductive health, immunity, general well-being, healthy bones, eye health, warding off many numerous diseases….and many more benefits! It can even help prevent the spread and reproduction of cancer cells.
How do we get it and how much do we need? First off, it is important to choose a supplement that is the form of D3, which is what our body naturally produces. Vitamin D2 is synthetic and probably won’t absorb as well. In fact it might actually keep the natural D3 in our bodies from working properly.
The general recommendation for adults is 5000 units per day. However the big issue is that the actual amount that each individual specifically needs can vary significantly. That means that you might actually need much more than that dosage, especially if you are very heavy, and children may need far less. When you get regular exposure to sunlight your body self administers the correct amount. But when we are supplementing, monitoring our vitamin D levels by routine blood testing is recommended, to make sure you are getting appropriate levels that are therapeutic and not toxic, so you don’t overdose. We can’t assume that the same amount is okay for everyone!
Be sure to take care of yourself and your family with the right kind of supplementation of this important nutrient. Remember to get the D3 and not the D2!
Stay warm and dry. Lots of love to you!! See you here soon.
Kimberly
These are my favorite jammy pants, since they are so soft. I think comfortable sleep wear you love getting into at the end of the day is so important!!!
Hey kimberly,
thank you as always. I know you suggest avoiding fresh ground flax seed and omega oils in the Green Smoothie if possible, so that the green smoothie is not slowed down, and is more cleansing. Given that, what do you suggest if I want to incorporate flax seed and the omega fatty acids daily in another “separate” smoothie? What are good food combinations to get those two ingredients in each day, separate from the green smoothie.
Secondly, only curious, are the leaves of celery any more or less nutritious then the stalks for the smoothies? Since I get organic celery at the Farmers Mkt, it usually comes with a great deal of extensions.
Hi Kimberly,
love reading your blog!
I am wondering what you think about all those commercial vegetable drinks out there, like V8 for example? are they a good substitute for days when you don’t get much veggies in the diet?
thanks!
Roxana from NJ
NO!!!!!!!!! V8 and other bottled drinks are pasteurized and USELESS!! They are acidic.
If you can’t make a Green Smoothie your next best option is fresh fruit or some veggie sticks. Or even just water! But no pasteurized drinks, ever!!
xx Kimberly
I was just wondering about sunscreen! I’m about ready to head to the beach for vacation. What do you recommend? I have fair skin and tend to burn without sunscreen!
Hi Sarah! Get one that is paraben-free and doesn’t have any oxy benzone. I think the Burt’s Bee’s one is decent!
Hi Kimberly!
You are so great. I found your blog about a week ago & have been reading it like crazy haha. I was wondering if you could suggest another blogger like yourself who writes about nutrition, yoga, or beauty? I’m so interested now!!
Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Thank you.
Check out my blog roll. Also, http://www.westofpersia.com is a great blog!
Thanks so much for commenting me back! I will check out those blogs too. I saw you on E tonight- your so cute & good job!!!
Hi Kim, Do you have to take D3 in conjunction with Calcium for opium absorption? I’ve read that a few places and the D3 supplement I have has some calcium in it for that purpose. Just wondering if it’s true!
Hugs,
Leslie
Hi Leslie! Ugghh…calcium supplements. That is a whole separate blog topic in itself, which I’ve been meaning to do. But in a word No! I don’t recommend calcium supplements!
Love you. xx
Thanks for the reminder, Kim. I ran out of D3 recently myself. Gotta get some more
[...] talks about the important supplement we all need, Vitamin D! I just love her blog and isn’t she so pretty? Kimberly always provides excellent info on [...]
My doctor told me that we need 2,000 IU. I’ve never heard 5,000 IU!
I know – it seems high. Some people may need upwards of 20,000 iu a day to get their correct dosage, depending on their blood work. It is really individual, and overdosing on it is unlikely. Several prominent sources I consulted recommended 5,000 iu.
Hi Kimberly,
I’m writing to verify the amount of D3 you’ve indicated is the general recommendation per day… You said 5000IU, I’ve never heard such a high figure for the general recommendation (I don’t know if its different in the states as opposed to Canada?).
Thanks,
Ashley
There may be differences Internationally. Look into it! Many prominent natural doctors, including Dr. Mercola, do recommend 5,000 iu.
sunscreen is part of my morning routine…..I guess I have been conditioned that lack of sun protection will result in wrinkles, age spots..etc.
what about tom’s or jason’s brand?
I think the Burt’s Bee sunscreen is decent. But every day?? I know that is what the popular magazines and derms tell us, but it seems extreme to me. I also don’t think it is that great for our skin. Also, age spots are related to the liver, and the better our diet is, the less “harmful” the sun is for us. xx Kimberly
Thanks, Kim–I like the D3 supplements from Dr. Weil–they’re micro-tabs (really tiny) so it’s not like trying to swallow a big old horse pill.
Wow! I haven’t tried his yet.
Garden of Life just sent me some raw vegan vitamin D3, so glad to read this post!!
Bring on the sun please!!!
Yes, the sun in moderation is such a healer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Kimberly!
Can you suggest a good brand of D3?
Thanks!!
I haven’t found an awesome one yet (I’m VERY picky with supplements) but I will report back when I do!
I was wondering this myself. As much as I do not like taking blood tests, I recognize that they are very helpful in determining what areas we may be lacking or overcompensating in.
Everybody is different in their body chemistry, lifestyle, & genetic factors, that’s why these types of tests are important. I will never forget the time I realized I had too much protein. It was a shock for my father since he always thought you could never have enough of it. It’s a popular mindset about food intake that we need way more protein than carbs. Also that we need to get our protein from animal sources. After that, it was much easier for my doctor to see that going on a vegetarian diet was not such a bad idea after all.
THANK YOU!! TOO much protein is incredibly toxic. The digestion of protein leaves lots of acidic, toxic residue in the body, including ammonia, purines, and uric acid. Having too much concentrated protein puts a huge strain on the detoxification systems of the body. Protein is in all plant food- and we don’t need to seek it out from animal products!!
The largest, strongest animals on earth, such as the gorilla, elephant, hippo, etc. build huge muscles from plant food!!!!!!!!!!
This is great. I have run out of vitamin D and there has been some sun here in San Francisco. I like Megafood Vitamin D-3. I will pick up some tomorrow. Also I saw my Uncle yesterday and even he was talking about getting his Vitamin D levels tested.