This winter the sun is going away and the winter blues start setting in.
This is actually a real problem for some people who have Season Affected Disorder.
There are many causes, and I want to talk about just one today, Vitamin D deficiency.
We can produce all of our own Vitamin D.
All it takes is a little bit sun and some of our leisure time.
In the summer, this is rather easy, but in the winter, especially here in the northern parts of the country, it's a little more difficult.
Now I'm not saying we need to run out and buy vitamin D supplements, that's a bit overkill.
I would much rather see people eat their way to healthy the vitamin D levels.
And it's actually very easy.
The best food source for vitamin D is a plant that doesn't much like the sun at all, mushrooms.
The darker variety of mushrooms, like shiitake and Portobello, have incredibly high levels of vitamin D.
We can get most of the vitamin D from one or two servings of mushrooms.
We also get a very high dose of the B vitamins.
Mushrooms not to your taste? Then try some fish.
Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines and mackerel can give you about 90% of your daily value of vitamin D in a 4 ounce serving.
Not only that, but they provide a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which are keeping our brains healthy.
You can top that last little bit of vitamin D by making an omelet.
A single egg, with some mushrooms, can provide the last little bit of vitamin D you need for your day.
One has about 10% of your daily dose of vitamin D in a single egg.
Remember, processed foods, even ones that say they're fortified with vitamin D, will not provide you the amount or type of vitamin D you need.
There are many types of vitamin D.
And when they are supplemented in food you are only getting one type.
This means our bodies are deficient in the other types of vitamin D, and this can cause depression.
The only healthy way of getting vitamin D is pure food and from the sun.
Even in the winter, taking some brisk walks will help you create your own vitamin D.
Making sure you include fish and mushrooms in your diet will also help keep your vitamin D levels high.
It's also true that walking and eating healthy foods will also help keep away many diseases, like diabetes and heart disease.