There are people in the world of nutrition and food who are pioneers, trailblazers, rebels.  My friend Anna’s dad was one of these people, and all in a good way.  As the owner of Natural Ovens Bakery, Paul Stitt was putting flax seed meal into his products long before it was trendy.  His reason?  Flax seeds provide omega-3 fatty acids.  He made whole grain breads and bagels (the real deal, here, folks) long before anyone else.

His latest passion?  For the past several years and prior to his death last year, Paul was all about vitamin D.  Not only for its known impact on maintaining healthy bones, but in light of emerging research that suggest vitamin D may have a role in heart disease prevention, immune disorders and inflammation.  He also knew that experts now believe the original recommendations on the amount of vitamin D we all need weren’t high enough.

What has always fascinated me about vitamin D is how we get it – through our skin.  Yes, that’s right, through our skin.  Ultraviolet rays hit the skin, which triggers vitamin D synthesis.  Pretty cool, right?  Your skin makes vitamin D.  This isn’t, of course, the only way we get vitamin D.  We also get it in foods we eat.

But the trick is that today, many of us aren’t getting enough vitamin D, which is needed for the body to adsorb calcium.   Public health announcements have worked so effectively that parents now slather their kids with sunscreen every time they walk out the door.  (Sunscreen prevents the UV rays from trigger vitamin D synthesis.)  Many urban areas are no longer safe enough for kids to go outside and play, limiting the amount of sun they get.  Other beverages are being chosen instead of milk (which has vitamin D).

So what can you do?  Simple things.  Drink milk.  Skip the sunscreen if you’re outside for short bursts of time.  Focus on getting a variety of foods to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs, including vitamin D.

Visit www.nuval.com to see a food scoring system which factors in many nutrients that have an impact on your health, including vitamin D.