The Happy Valley Nutrition Blog

ONGOING THOUGHTS ON INTUITIVE EATING, BODY IMAGE, LIVING THE ANTI-DIET LIFE, AND GENERAL AWESOMENESS.

Functional Nutrition, Wellness Amanda Mittman, MS, RDN, LDN Functional Nutrition, Wellness Amanda Mittman, MS, RDN, LDN

What is the "Sunshine vitamin" (and why do you need it?)

When it comes to supplements, there are usually two nutritionist camps: 

  • Those who say supplements aren’t necessary because we get all we need from food

  • Those who believe that they are needed for specific reasons.

I fall into the latter—I definitely think that supplementation has its place and purpose. Personally, I have benefitted from taking certain herbs, vitamins and minerals and noticed a difference, for example when taking vitamin B12 when deficient or taking herbs to support my Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis (read: managing stress levels).

One of the biggies I recommend is vitamin D3, especially during the colder months and for those of us who live far from the equator (most of us). I would say that around 90% of the women I see in my practice have very low vitamin D status, myself included (I just found out my D is low, too)! 

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