Maybe My Vitamin D is Low...

What is vitamin D?  It's a fat-soluble vitamin (as opposed to water soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C) that's either absorbed from foods or from sun triggering its synthesis when you're outside. Why is it important? Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium and phosphate that have a role in bone growth. That's why, if you take calcium as a supplement, it probably is combined with vitamin D! It also has other functions, as we'll get to below. Where can I find it? You can take a supplement but it's best to get it from food. I often munch on some cod liver... yuck! Just kidding! Not so fast, liver is certainly NOT making it onto my plate! Instead, I prefer to drink some orange juice (that is usually fortified with vitamin D), eat scrambled eggs and chase it down with a glass of milk. Yogurt, tuna fish or some cheeses are not too bad of choices, either! What's all this talk about vitamin D and depression? There are many reasons that cause our mood to

When they say "an apple a day keeps a doctor away" they may also mean "keeps psychiatrist away"! Of course, jokes aside, I wish it were this simple and we could cure our mood disorders by simply changing what we consume. It is important to note, however, that while changing your dietary intake may not "cure" you, it may contribute to the success of your therapy. Some studies have found that people who are eating a diet rich in processed foods and high in sugar, may feel more "blue" than those who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish. Get that tilapia on my plate! One of the reasons for this may be that Mediterranean-type diet is simply healthier, which means that people who consume above mentioned foods may be at a lower risk for other diseases, such as diabetes. American Diabetes Association reports that people with diabetes may have a higher risk for depression than those not suffering from diabetes; reasons aren't clear but e