Winter time blues

[blueduckxx]

Winter is right around the corner, and I am concerned about my vitamin D [sunshine!] intake.

should I invest in a supplement? or what should I add to my diet to help out?

 

thanks!

[Cellar Yeti]

You live in California, what's the worry? Haha.

[blueduckxx]

lol, well it DOES get cold here believe it or not

[VeganEssentials]

I'd suggest either a high-potency D2, or one of the new vegan D3 supplements that are coming on the market shortly. As someone who has recently been diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency recently, I now know how important it is to make sure you get what you need. Let's just say that the depression, aches, and slow skin healing from cuts and scrapes was no fun, I'm just glad that testing helped figure out why my body felt like it was falling apart!

 

Some people just don't get enough D from their regular diet and sunshine alone, unfortunately, I'm one of those people. Even taking a multi-vitamin every few days didn't do it, so now I get to go on a mega-dose of D for the next 6 months to try and keep things balanced out (50,000iu tablet once per week, that's a LOT of D!) Took a few weeks to see things improve, but I'm finally feeling back to normal again. Wouldn't want anyone to go through feeling as crappy as I did from all this!

[blueduckxx]

I'd suggest either a high-potency D2, or one of the new vegan D3 supplements that are coming on the market shortly. As someone who has recently been diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency recently, I now know how important it is to make sure you get what you need. Let's just say that the depression, aches, and slow skin healing from cuts and scrapes was no fun, I'm just glad that testing helped figure out why my body felt like it was falling apart!

 

Some people just don't get enough D from their regular diet and sunshine alone, unfortunately, I'm one of those people. Even taking a multi-vitamin every few days didn't do it, so now I get to go on a mega-dose of D for the next 6 months to try and keep things balanced out (50,000iu tablet once per week, that's a LOT of D!) Took a few weeks to see things improve, but I'm finally feeling back to normal again. Wouldn't want anyone to go through feeling as crappy as I did from all this!

 

what kind of pill did you take? i mean what was it called, manufacturer?

[VeganEssentials]

I was just taking the DEVA 1-a-day twice weekly on avearge (figuring it was just added insurance for what my diet wasn't providing), but apparently, my body stinks at absorbing and making proper use of D in low doses as are common in most multi-vitamins. This isn't a slam against DEVA's vitamins, they make great products, my doc said it's likely that I'd have had this problem with pretty well any D2 taken in the usual 400iu dosage a few times per week. Now I have to go with a prescription formula for the next 5 months and re-test to make sure that my levels stay normal.

[AlexNLP]

I can send your way all the sun you want cause we have plenty of it !!

It's gonna be summer here till November. After that we might get a lil rain here and there, nothing too serious.

[VeganEssentials]

I wish sun were enough for me as well at this point, AlexNLP - I've spent more time outdoors since April than I have in the past decade, that wasn't even enough! And, of course, the long Wisconsin fall/winter season is just around the corner....

[AlexNLP]

So I've heard sun is not enough for some people. I am wondering though, did you became Vitamin D deficient after becoming Vegan

[VeganEssentials]

AlexNLP - For me, I'd been vegan for about 8 years before it's likely that the deficiency came to be. This may or may not be related to the drugs I need injected into my left eye twice yearly to prevent blindness - I've had other issues due to my body's dislike for the medication that have arisen since starting those treatments 4 years ago (minor double-vision due to a neurological impairment in that eye post-treatment, slower skin healing from cuts and scrapes), so it won't ever be completely clear as to whether the drugs had a hand in my lack of proper vitamin D absorption from supplementing. What I do know is, I thought much of what I was experiencing in symptoms was merely depression and all the wear and tear on my body, but taking a high dose D for the past 6 weeks now has made major improvements on my mind and body. No more depression, no more anxiety attacks, better sleep, skin healing time improving slightly, no more aching joints.

 

Whatever the case, it's definitely a good idea to get your D levels checked yearly via simple bloodwork - had I not told my physician of the symptoms and gotten tested, I'd probably still be feeling like utter crap right now, wondering why I felt like an 80-year-old trapped in a 37-year-old body and being worried that I was losing my mind. Never hurts to get a test with an annual physical, a little checking could prevent a whole lot of misery for those who need to consider additional supplementation!