There’s a reason why your momma always told you to “drink your milk” when you were a child. You’ve seen the milk commercials – it builds strong bones. Then, when you started becoming the sunbathing god or goddess on the beach, your mother’s mantra changed to “wear your sunblock”. Both good for you, right?
Well, yes and no! Who would have thought that sunblock would also inhibit our body’s ability to produce Vitamin D? The good news is if you use sunblock, you are protecting yourself from the negatives associated with sun exposure – skin cancer, wrinkly skin, unwanted aging and sunburn. The question is, is your body getting enough exposure to produce a sufficient amount of Vitamin D?
It sounds silly to get a Vitamin D test in the summer when you’ve got a great tan going on; however, it may be the smartest thing to do to ensure you are not deficient if you are taking care of your skin through sunblock protection. Who wants Vitamin D deficiency when you are older? Now we have to deal with osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension – whew! The list goes on.
Lucky for us, if we just get tested periodically, we will know if we have a deficiency, then can take care of it in a number of ways, from combining a Vitamin D rich diet with supplements, or seeking guidance from our physician or nutritionist. So, I’m not going to end this with “break a leg” (caused from Vitamin D deficiency); take control of your health, even in the summer.
