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Nutrition Tips: The Importance of Vitamin D

Kindred Nutrition is so excited that Dawn Frick RD, LDN joined us in the Fall of 2015.  Our clients just love her and our thriving! Dawn's specialties include Gastrointestinal Health, Weight Management, Picky Eating and more.  Dawn really enjoys assessing our clients' essential vitamins, minerals, and gut health and practices what she preaches. Starting today Dawn will be tag teaming with me, Amy to bring you more of the blogs you love and request. Have ideas or questions you want answered? Comment here and we'll put it in the queue for the coming months! As always, we hope you enjoy our blog!


Just heard the weather forecast for tomorrow – a high of 22° F with30 mph winds.  Winter is definitely here.  I spent this weekend making sure our family is geared up to stay warm and healthy these next few months:  Hats? Check.  Gloves?  Check.  Boots?  Check. Vitamin D?
Well, that’s a work in progress for all of us.

            With many of our winter days spent inside hiding from Mother Nature’s wrath, we lose opportunities to get adequate vitamin D from the sun.  And we definitely need this important nutrient – and not just in the summer.  Vitamin D is responsible for keeping our bones and teeth strong by aiding in absorbing calcium.  Our muscles and nervous system need vitamin D to function properly.  While our immune system is working overtime to keep us healthy, vitamin D is a critical component in fighting off viruses and bacteria.  There’s been a lot of recent research indicating a link between autoimmune disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis) and vitamin D insufficiency.  Also, I recently read a very interesting study that showed there may a relationship between vitamin D and IBS – particularly for those with IBS-D (diarrhea dominant).
         When we aren’t getting enough of this “sunshine vitamin” because it’s Antartica-cold outside, we need to look at our diet.  Some foods have been supplemented with vitamin D such as cereals, milk, or orange juice.  Other foods such as egg yolk and salmon contain vitamin D naturally.  When you visit your primary care physician, ask to have a vitamin D check during your next round of lab work.  If your results are low, schedule an appointment with one of us to discuss diet changes and possible supplements to bring your levels to the normal range. 

In Good Health, Dawn

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January 29, 2016 at 7:22 AM
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