How I Got Caught with My D Down
Did this title catch your attention?! Well, when I discovered my vitamin D level was deficient it really felt like I had been caught with my pants down.
Let me explain why.
We are closing in on the one year anniversary of COVID 19- or at least a year of having enormous changes to our society, our job, our education, and our personal lives. As a health coach, I was familiar with terms like inflammation and the immune system prior to 2020. But suddenly in a pandemic, it was ALL about IMMUNITY. To the point where articles and blogs were arguing over semantics like whether you should use the word “support” or “boost” with the immune system and which supplements and strategies if any we should be using in our daily lives to increase survival from this horrible virus.
When I think back to last March- and then fast-forward to where we are now- I realize that we have learned A LOT about COVID. We do know that COVID can hurt the young and the elderly - but favors the elderly. It can harm the well and the unwell - but it favors the “not so well”.
Those with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and those who use drugs and alcohol are considered “high risk”.
Since I carry a good variety of supplements at my shop, my interests and attention were definitely drawn to the studies researching specific supplements and their effect on COVID. Several came to the forefront: Vitamin C, Zinc, probiotic, NAC, Curcumin to name a few.
But Vitamin D came up A LOT.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin but it’s unique in that it is actually a hormone. It has many functions which include the prevention/treatment of cancer, hypertension, psychiatric disorders, and immune function. And you can drill into those categories even deeper. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to osteoporosis, rickets, diabetes, breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, multiple sclerosis, depression, stroke, and hospitalization death associated with COVID.
The best source of Vitamin D? The sun. Yes, vitamin D is produced in the skin in response to sunlight. But if you slather on sunscreen regularly, have darker skin with more melanin or live somewhere the sun doesn’t always shine (yes- Lexington, KY peeps- I am talking to you!) then you likely need to supplement.
With the water-soluble vitamins C and B (the complex group) you don’t have to worry about dosing quite as much. You will urinate out what your body cannot hold. Fat-soluble is different. These are stored in the liver, fat tissue, and skeletal muscle and if you take too much, can be toxic. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble.
Vitamin D is measured in IU’s and the recommended dose for the average American is 2000 IU. I began to talk to many of my clients about vitamin D. Have you ever had your levels tested? Do you currently take? Many had never had it tested. Many opted to start with 1-2,000 IU’s.
Here is where things get personal. As the winter months set in, I felt a significant drop in my energy level. This is pretty common and I try not to read into it too much. “Don’t be so weak” or “so sensitive” Just power through the grey days like everyone else. I always suspected I may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and even had genetic testing done years ago that showed an SNP on a gene or two that predisposes me to vitamin D deficiency. Still- I continued with my ‘recommended dose’ of 2,000 IU and told myself to put on my big girl panties and get through the day. So what if you feel distracted, and deflated, and just straight sad some days. EVERYONE feels that.
Right before Thanksgiving, I was ordering supplements on the Thorne site (I wholesale their products and have a dispensary site with them) and I noticed I could order a Thorne Vitamin D blood test*. I paid the $150 and sent away for it. Two days later I had it.
When I got the kit, I registered it on their site and did the finger stick. In the back of my head, I could hear my husband commenting what a waste of money it was. I am one of the healthiest people on the planet that he knows. But I did it anyway.
Two weeks later, I got my results.
YEP.
I was deficient.
My number came back at 28. And although the “reference range” for most labs is 32-80, most functional medicine doctors want to see the lower limit at 40.
I had been caught with my pants down. Or rather my D. And as a health coach, it was quite embarrassing. How did I let this happen?
It was time to change my strategy.
Beginning January 1st, I did two things.
▷ I adjusted my supplements. I increased my vitamin D intake to 10,000 IU’s a day, and added the Vitamin D co-factors K, Magnesium, and Calcium (3-K from Thorne, the powdered magnesium, Eliminate, and calcium came from the metric ton of dairy and leafy greens I eat in a day!
▷ I quit drinking (alcohol depletes a lot of vitamins and minerals in the body but inhibits the absorption and usage of B vitamins, D, and zinc. I could write a short book about this but I will leave it at that!
The results.
I feel BORN AGAIN. And I really mean that.
And I don’t think it’s the supplementation alone or the cessation of alcohol alone. I think there has been a synergistic effect of doing some really thoughtful things to lower inflammation in my body and balance a hormone (nutrient) that has put a pep into my step I haven’t felt in ages.
My vitamin D deficiency was creating depression, fatigue, lack of focus and attention, and mood swings. My daughter at one point in December said “mom is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get!” I am mortified looking back at that- and yet so thankful for where I am. I feel balanced, happy, and focused.
In addition to feeling better, I also feel like I have the proper armor to protect me from COVID until I have the opportunity to get the vaccine. This is also bringing me great peace of mind.
So in summary. GET YOUR VITAMIN D tested! Ask your medical doctor or health care professional to write the order OR click here* to order the very home kit I used. Results arrive in your email inbox in about two weeks.
Next, use good quality supplements and be sure you are using the co-factors in supplementing with D. Here are a few you can start with that are sure to make a difference:
If inflammation is something you are working on, I also suggest a buffered Vitamin C (linked here) and Curcumin (this brand is awesome and I take after especially hard workouts)
Last, consider taking a break from alcohol. Sadly not much attention has been placed on minimizing alcohol during this Pandemic (if anything we have seen rates of use SOAR). My 10-day program POWERSHIFT offers accountability to quit alcohol for 10 days so we can focus on high-quality nutrition, recovery, and sleep. It’s a great way to start a really healthy SHIFT (especially if you didn’t get on that healthy train in January.
Xoxo,
Beth
*denotes an affiliate link. By clicking through and purchasing, you are paying the same price, but are supporting Kitchen Shift through a small commission.
Thank you so much.