It’s the weekend and the sun is out, which is a perfect excuse to catch some rays and focus on your vitamin D intake for the next few days. But don’t leave behind your sunglasses and protective gear…Today, you’ll learn the perfect combination for protecting your skin while still allowing vitamin D to make your body glow.

Also known as “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is a fat-soluble hormone that the body can create naturally when triggered by sunlight. Hormone doctor Sara Gottfried advises, “Make it a priority to protect the areas on your body most sensitive to sun damage and vulnerable to skin cancer. That includes your face, ears, neck, back and shoulders.

But when it’s shorts and swimsuit time, leave the sunscreen off your legs and arms. Let them soak up some of that natural vitamin D for about 15 to 30 minutes. Keep in mind that sunlight striking your skin that prompts your body to produce its own vitamin D supply.  Once it’s got enough, it won’t make anymore. So although, you may get sunburned, you can’t overdose on vitamin D from sunshine. So try walking on sunshine, it’ll make you feel good.” (Read more from Dr. Sara Gottfried)

If there’s no sun in your area, you’re still in luck! Vitamin D deficiencies are common, and you can use Vitamin D supplements to assure you’re getting an adequate amount. Based on recent research, many doctors recommend that adults intake 2,000 IU daily.

Foods high in Vitamin D:

• Cod liver oil – 1360 IU /  tablespoon ( Look for supplements like cod liver oil that provide D3 (cholecalciferol) rather than D2 (ergocalciferol).
• Herring, cooked – 1382 / 3 oz
• Wild salmon, cooked – 981 IU / 3.5 oz
• Tuna – 200 IU / 3.5 oz

Vitamin D-elicious Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white or yellow miso (soybean paste)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
Nonstick coconut oil cooking spray
4 salmon fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)
Chopped scallions

Preheat broiler. Stir together miso, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, and water in a small bowl, mixing until well combined. Line a baking sheet with foil and mist with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange fish on baking sheet, skin sides down. Coat each piece with the miso mixture. Broil fish 6 inches from heat for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Sprinkle with scallions. Serves 4.

3 Fun Ways To Soak Up Vitamin D

1 – Sunshine Circuit Walk

Catching some sun rays can be as simple as lacing up your running shoes and going for a sunshine walk! Taking a walk around your neighborhood or a local park can not only blast calories, but also help you torch fat and tone up!  The sunshine walking routine below is a circuit workout with absolutely no boredom factor. If you do it regularly, it will also help you quickly develop toned buns and legs while sizzling away fat.

2 minute moderate-intensity walk
15 calf raises on a sidewalk curb
2 minute moderate-intensity  walk
20 tricep dips on a park bench
2 minute moderate-intensity walk
10 pushups facing a park bench

Repeat cycle 4 times

Don’t miss my WalkFit MP3 Superbundle, a power-packed outdoor walking set.

2 – Stand-Up Paddleboarding

The peaceful nature of paddleboarding is a perfect way let the stresses of life wash off your shoulders while burning a few extra calories and improving your balance. Tuning into the patterns of the water with warm sun rays on your back brings a calm awareness to your body and mind.If you don’t have a paddleboard or a lake nearby, try doing yoga in the park!

One of my favorite places to paddleboard is right in my backyard at the Jordanelle Reservoir in Park City, Utah. I always aim to find a new yoga pose I can do on my board without falling in!

3 – Go Exploring

A few years ago, my daughter Perrie and I explored the beautiful red rocks of Southern Utah while hiking and splashing through The Subway at Zion National Park. It was an incredible, life-changing  experience!

Even if you’re not a Utah native, I’m positive that you can find a scenic spot in your surrounding area to discover. Instead of viewing your adventure as an exercise on a chore chart of items to check off, approach it as a challenge to complete. I love to explore my surroundings as way to learn more about my body, test its limits, and flush out my emotions.