The best healing and wellness support system we have is Nature. Yes, Mother Nature!
Here is the latest edition of 1 thing I’m doing, 2 things I’ve learnt and 3 things to explore lovingly created so you can live a happier, healthier and longer life. Much love, Sandy xx
1 THING I’M DOING
How to Best Make Vitamin D Naturally
Did you know that not all sun rays are created equal? It’s true! Just like our children, each type of sun ray—infra-red, UVA, UVB, UVC—has its own unique and special qualities. And we love them all right! Today, we’re focusing on UVB rays specifically and its amazing ability to help our bodies make Vitamin D. Remember Vitamin D is nature’s great immunity booster and gift to you.
Our ability to make Vitamin D fluctuates throughout the day as it requires a specific type of UV light. You know I’m a huge fan of Vitamin D, and I only want the best for you, so let’s dive into why you’ll usually find me outside during lunchtime. Spoiler alert: it’s the prime time to kickstart your Vitamin D production!
To generate Vitamin D, you need UVB rays, which accounts for about 5% of all UV radiation coming down to earth. Besides being essential for Vitamin D synthesis, exposure to UVB light helps build your natural sun protection (your solar callus) and boosts your mood. And yes, while UVB can be a stressor and cause sunburn if you stay out too long, well managed and informed exposure, especially during Winter and Spring, can help you build your natural sun tolerance.
UVB light appears when the sun is at least 30 degrees above the horizon, peaking at solar noon. Here in Melbourne, my UVB window is currently around 12 PM to 12:30 PM so that’s when I’m heading outdoors. With our shortest day approaching, our window to soak up Vitamin D is shrinking, so it’s really important to me, to schedule time outside when it’s most beneficial.
A Healthy Relationship with the Sun
Our body has evolved to cope with and utilise the UV light from our sun. And like all good relationships, our relationship with the sun takes time and work too. Things tend to go wrong when we start meddling with nature and our body’s natural mechanisms. Spending our days and nights indoors, wearing sunglasses all the time, using sunscreen, hiding ourselves from the sun by always covering up and a lack of gradual sun exposure all reduce our capacity to deal with the healthy exposure of UV light.
Only by showing up and greeting the sun will you get a boost in your mood, energy, sleep and overall health – all for free. I know this may be different to a lot of what we’ve been told and read over the year but as critical thinkers we need to question everything. We need to look back to our ancestors, do our own research and ask ourselves, if the sun was so harmful, why did Mother Nature make this our primary fuel for creating Vitamin D. See you outside!!
✔️ Action Item – Plan your day and lunchbreak to spend at least 10-15 minutes outside during solar noon. If you can, shed some layers and join me in enjoying the sun. Let’s re-wild ourselves together!
2 THINGS I’VE LEARNT
Vitamin D Deficiency Risks in Australia
Winter is here, and so is an increased risk of Vitamin D deficiency, especially depending on where you live in Australia. For those of us in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania, the chances are pretty damn high. Check out the map below.
In these regions, we simply get less sunlight due to our latitude and location, meaning fewer opportunities to make Vitamin D. The map above is from 2012. And whilst I don’t think Winter weather has changed much in the last 10 years I do think the Vitamin D deficiency problem is a lot worse.
These estimates are also likely based on a centralised medical view where adequate Vitamin D levels are considered to be ≥50 nmol/L. However, my natural health practitioner recommends levels closer to ≥100 nmol/L. So, if the map suggests 50% of Victorians are Vitamin D deficient during winter, it’s highly likely much worse—potentially 80% or more 😱😱.
The more I learn about Vitamin D and sunlight, and the more research I read, the greater my conviction that our bodies function better with optimal Vitamin D levels. Optimal Vitamin D increase our bodies immunity and can reduce your chances of catching colds, flu, or other viruses, and can also lessen the severity if you do get sick. This also applies to more serious chronic diseases and cancers including melanoma with studies suggesting “that vitamin D might inhibit carcinogenesis and slow tumor progression” and that there are “associations between low serum levels of 25(OH)D and increased risks of cancer incidence and death”.
Vitamin D is not to be taken lightly. And in fact, it’s actually a hormone. It’s time to put your Vitamin D making pants on (or get them off) and get making.
✔️ Action Item – Get outside during solar noon and eat Vitamin D-rich foods. If you think you’re at risk of low Vitamin D levels, consider getting your Vitamin D levels checked, and possibly good quality supplementation. ❤️Remember, this isn’t medical advice, so please check with your trusted health practitioner for personalized information ❤️.
The Vitamin D Rich Protein & Dairy Foods
Feeling inspired to boost your Vitamin D levels through your diet? Here’s a list of the top Vitamin D-packed foods. Full disclosure: I’m not a big fan of many of these proteins, and neither are my kids. Except for eggs, which I eat every day for breakfast. But I am trying new recipes and stepping out of my foodie comfort zone, and hope you can too! If you have some great recipes for these foods, please send them my way – especially your favourite ones using salmon.
Protein-Rich Vitamin D Foods
- Cold Liver Oil
- Salmon
- Trout
- Mackerel
- Tuna
- Sardines
- Swordfish
- Beef Liver
- Eggs (especially egg yolks)
Dairy-Rich in Vitamin D Foods
- Butter
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
For the fruit and veggie lovers, unfortunately, these don’t provide much Vitamin D, except for some mushrooms. These can be a good source as they absorb Vitamin D through exposure to UV radiation during growth.
Pro Tips for Maximizing Vitamin D Absorption
Want some tricks to increase your Vitamin D absorption? Coming right up. Combine your Vitamin D foods with Magnesium and Vitamin K-rich foods. This will enhance your absorption of Vitamin D. Also, include probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, and kombucha in your diet. Studies show that healthy gut bacteria recycle bile acids used during digestion back to the liver and gallbladder, aiding in the digestion of Vitamin D.
✔️ Action Item – Add some extra organic Vitamin D-rich foods to your weekly meal plan and diet.
3 THINGS TO EXPLORE
Sleep Fact of The Week – Sleep Your Way to Happiness
Adults worldwide are increasingly sleep deprived. A 2023 Australian study of young adults revealed some alarming sleep patterns:
- 30% of participants slept less than the optimal seven to nine hours a night
- 18% took more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
- 60% did not have regular sleep hours
These numbers are worrying, especially considering the QQRT sleep measurement tool we discussed recently, which highlighted the dangers of irregular sleep hours and their link to increased mortality rates.
For teenagers, the situation is similarly bleak. In America, about 70% of high school students don’t get enough sleep on school nights. Closer to home, an Aussie study found that while all teenagers will experience short-term sleep difficulties, 20-30% will have significant sleep problems.
The Impact on Mental Health
The effects of this widespread sleep deprivation are particularly concerning for mental health. An analysis of 19 studies found that sleep deprivation worsened cognitive function and task performance—but its greatest impact was on mood. According to a 2022 National Sleep Foundation survey, adults who slept less than seven hours per night on weekdays were three times as likely to experience moderate to severe depressive symptoms compared to those who got the recommended seven to nine hours per night.
✔️ Action Item – If you’re consistently getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, pat yourself on the back and do a little happy dance! If you’re getting less, it’s time to find your inner child, and hop into bed and go night, night a little earlier.
Time in Nature Equals Peak Performance
Did you know that exposure to nature improves cognition, emotional wellbeing, and mental health? Of course, you did! Who hasn’t felt the joy and peace of being at the beach and watching waves roll in? Or instantly felt happier whilst walking through a magical rainforest and inhaling those beautiful scents? Well, there is a good reason for this. Being close to nature makes us happier. And you don’t have to head to the bush or beach to get the full benefits. Pottering in your garden, enjoying a local park or just lying on the grass, making shapes from clouds will all work too
Benefits of Nature
Studies show that nature experiences are incredibly beneficial for us and are associated with:
- Psychological well-being
- Increased happiness
- Positive social interactions, cohesion, and engagement
- A sense of meaning and purpose in life
- Improved manageability of life tasks
- Decreases in mental distress
- Improved cognitive function
- Better memory and attention
- Increased imagination and creativity
We are from nature and connected to nature so it’s time to spend more time off screens and indoors and more time exploring the great outdoors.
PS: Apparently, there is no such thing as bad weather—just inappropriate clothing! So don’t let cooler months keep you away.
✔️ Action Item – Schedule some nature time! Whether it’s during the weekend, the next school holidays, or spending your lunch break in a park, being near nature is good for your mind, body, and soul.
A Life Well Lived
“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to live the width of it as well.” Poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman
Go and get ’em tiger xx
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