My Happiness Project: D is for Vitamin D
The AtoZ Challenge means posting every day in April except Sundays, which leaves exactly 26 days – one day for each of the 26 letters of the alphabet.
See my Great and Powerful Theme Reveal – My Happiness Project – for a full list of the posts, updated throughout the month.
And be sure to check out My April AtoZ 2015 Posse, a Twitter list composed of individuals I have every intention of visiting during this year’s challenge.
No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
D is for Vitamin D
If you experience Depression, part of the problem may be Vitamin D deficiency. In addition to particular fortified foods like yogurt or tuna, Vitamin D comes from the sun.
For most adults, Vitamin D deficiency is not a concern. However, some people {LIKE ME} may not have enough Vitamin D in their diet or get enough sunlight.
You can find out if you are Vitamin D deficient by asking your doctor. When I mentioned my issues, I was sent for lab work to screen my blood for various deficiencies and abnormalities.
The normal range for Vitamin D levels within the human body is anywhere from 30.0 to 74.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
Most research indicates that the minimum level to aim for is 50 ng/mL.
I scored a big fat 4, which is considered severely Vitamin D deficient by every standard. If producing and taking in Vitamin D was a test, I seriously flunked out and had to repeat the grade.
My doctor recommended I start taking Vitamin D supplements pronto. She was amazed I was on my feet, and said it was perfectly understandable that I would feel so tired all the time with such a ridiculously low level of Vitamin D!
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults is 600 IU of Vitamin D a day. However, I was urged to begin taking 2000 IUs per day. My energy level has increased dramatically, but it’s still not where I believe it should be.
This August will be one year that I’ve been taking Vitamin D supplements, at which point I will see my doctor again for further consultation. It is recommended that patients with any vitamin deficiency check their levels at least twice per year to adjust dosages.
Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.
~Nelson Mandela
Every day this month I will share a book* about Happiness, or fighting Depression, or one that cracked me up good. Laughter is always the best medicine!
Try Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir), by Jenny Lawson, also known online as The Bloggess. This is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read, by one of the funniest bloggers I’ve ever followed, who writes some of the funniest material ever.
Obligatory disclaimer: Her humor isn’t for everyone. If you don’t like F-bombs, potty humor, or basically anything snigger-worthy, you should probably skip it.
Jenny Lawson is NSFW.
If you are easily offended or zealously religious or basically boring and judgmental and probably if you sell Mary Kay or Tupperware and go to church on Sundays and don’t get why a picture of Wil Wheaton collating paper is funny, then just give it a pass.
Seriously. You’ve been warned.
The tagline of her blog is “LIKE MOTHER TERESA, ONLY BETTER” so it’s not like you should be shocked at her irreverence.
And yet I’ve seen it happen.
She has a new book coming out in September called Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, and I can’t wait to read it!
It’s available for pre-order and you better believe I already have that puppy nailed down.
*Please see my post “B is for Books” for a full listing of all the books mentioned throughout this series.
Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day.
Every day this month I will share a song from my Happiness Song List.
Today’s song is, appropriately, “Pocketful Of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield.
*Please see my post “M is for Music” for a full listing of all the songs mentioned throughout this series.
- Have you ever been tested for vitamin deficiency?
- Do you suffer from SAD {Seasonal Affective Disorder}?
- How do you add sunshine into your life?
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