A Magical Pill for 2020

My good friend just visited her primary care doctor for some lab work and found out her levels of vitamin D were super low. Being empathic (with perhaps a touch of hypochondria), I immediately made the declaration to her that I must have the same diagnosis. “I’m probably deficient in vitamin D too!” It’s not enough we share the same taste in music, men, shoes, food …

Jumping onto Amazon to buy supplements with the attitude that ‘it can’t hurt,’ I couldn’t help but wonder (cue Carrie Bradshaw), is this the magic that I’m missing? Could it help with the feeling of sluggishness and fatigue? Is that what I need to turn 2020 around??

Like many, I’ve been responsible in quarantining but noted changes to not only my diet but a decreased physical activity and time outside. I’ve noted increased stress and anxiety along with changes to my sleeping patterns along with the following:

Depression and Anxiety

A depressed mood may be a sign of vitamin D deficiency and studies support that supplementing improves mood.

Hair Loss

Check. Check. I have shed (ask my apartment maintenance crew). After my shower drain slowed, they came, saw, and conquered a hairball that resembled a NYC rodent! My hairdresser assured me it was due to stress. But… hair loss in women has been linked to low vitamin D levels.

Weight Gain

People have chalked it up to Quarantine-15, but perhaps there’s another explanation. There’s an association between lower levels of vitamin D and increased belly fat and waist circumference. 

With the notification that my vitamins are on their way already made me feel a bit lighter. Acting felt great! Maybe it’s the snowball effect but now I’m choosing additional actions like adding fish to my diet and gamifying my dog walks to see how much sun we can catch – both naturally increase vitamin D. I’m choosing to meditate more with the help of my new subscription to Shine. The Shine app is a daily self-care game-changer. The two founders are women of color and taking the wellness industry by storm. You’ve got to try it!

What’s your action plan to be optimistic about 2021?

•            If you’d like to try Hungryroot to fuel your body with healthy meals, use this code to take $40 off your first grocery delivery: https://www.hungryroot.com/r/S573VZ9U

•            Don’t forget to check out Shine. This daily self-care app is a game-changer. 

Sources:

Healthline

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