The sun is shining somewhere...

It's overcast today, but I know that sun is up there shining brightly, probably smiling. I just read a most revealing statement on a health website. "Vitamin D is increasingly viewed as important." Really? Vitamin D important? It is amazing to me how bureaucrats, corporate and government gurus and "expert" medical personnel have changed their minds over the years about what is "good" for us. A point in case is calcium. I watched with amusement as their opinion as to the "appropriate" amount morphed over time; quietly increasing in size like my fikus tree until the recommended daily amount was many times more than their original claim.
The same holds true for most vitamins/minerals. Now vitamin D is in the limelight. It's somewhat gratifying to see the "professionals" up their ante. It's now up to 400 IU for under 70 years of age and 600 IU for 70+ years. Other health professionals suggest more, which is what I recommend: 1000 IU for under 60 years and 1200 IU for 60+ years. Vitamin D works in tandem with calcium to keep our bones healthy and also fights inflammation. My herb teacher (hi Kayla) taught us that inflammation is the root of all health evil, so the more we can do to keep it under control, the fewer complaints we'll have and the quicker we can move to hit the snooze button in the mornings.

Now, back to the sun. A sister herb student, who was also a nurse, has a habit I fell in love with. Every day, rain or shine, she spends some time outside. In the sun. Whether you can see the sun or not, it's there. It's like a Christmas present. You see the box, you can't see the gift, but you know it's there. I recommend 20 minutes a day. Every day. Not opening presents (unless you're very fortunate), sitting in the sun. Whether it's shining above or below the clouds. Now, I won't pretend to know how may IUs you get when you spend time in the great outdoors, but you get some. And, who knows, you may end up with warm fuzzy feelings for nature.

Who said this: "The truth is like the sun. You can shut it our for a time, but it ain't goin' away."