We are now in the midst of Winter, the time of year when vitamin D deficiencies are most likely to be at their highest. People with Fibromyalgia are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, and people who take corticosteroids are more likely to be deficient as well. For those with Rheumatoid Arthritis, there is some evidence that disease severity may be worse for those with low vitamin D levels.
So how do you fix vitamin D deficiency? Here are my top four tips:
1. Eat mushrooms. Mushrooms are like our skin, they actually develop vitamin D when placed in the sun. When you buy mushrooms, put them in the sun for an hour. When you eat them, 100g will then provide approximately 20% of your daily vitamin D needs.
2. Get in the sun. In Winter, people with fair skin need 7-30 minutes of sun exposure, whilst those with darker skin need much more, 20 minutes - 3 hours! For more info about this, see here.
3. Include other vitamin D rich foods, such as fortified eggs and some types of fish. Some milks are also fortified with vitamin D.
4. If you need to, take your supplement! Aim to get in a routine so you remember to take it daily.
I'd love to hear if you have any other tips!
