Soak Up the Vitamin D

Even though it’s only January, many people are done with winter. Bundling up to head outside was fun and exciting in December. Now, it seems like too much work. Spring is weeks away, and warmer days are only a dream.

Around this time of year, you may find yourself craving sunshine and with good reason. The sun produces the vitamin D our bodies need to keep our cardiovascular and immune systems going strong. It's also great for bone health. When you get enough vitamin D, you feel more energized, get sick less and reduce your risk for bone fractures.

Here's another interesting fact: If you’re going through menopause, you need this nutrient more than ever.

Fortunately, there’s more than one way to get this energizing essential. While you wait for warmer weather and the opportunity to soak up some vitamin D the natural way, try some of these vitamin D-rich foods:

• Cheese
• Egg yolks
• Mackerel
• Milk
• Orange juice
• Salmon
• Trout
• Tuna

There are fortified cereals and other foods that are high in vitamin D, and you can buy supplements at your local drugstore, too. Regardless of where you get your vitamin D, shoot for 600-800 units each day.