Studies show that almost 3 out of 4 women are deficient in Vitamin D. The benefits of Vitamin D go far beyond energized muscles and strong bones. Vitamin D also helps reduce the risk of

• MS
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Colon Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Type 2 Diabetes

So how can you get more Vitamin D into your life?

Get 10-15 minutes each day of sun between the hours of 10 am - 3pm… without sunscreen. Your body will create plenty of vitamin D as a result of the sun exposure.

On cloudy days, eat fish. Salmon, halibut, trout and tuna are all rich in Vitamin D. However, fish can lose up to 1/2 of its Vitamin D when its deep friend, so choose to broil or grill your fish instead. For an added Vitamin D boost, drizzle your fish with olive oil… which will help your body digest the fat soluble Vitamin D.

If you can’t do fish or sun, then you definitely need to find a high quality Vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D works best when ingested with Calcium AND Magnesium…. so a good Vitamin D supplement to try is
Natrol Coral Calcium w/Magnesium & Vitamin D - 90 caps

Natrol Coral Calcium w/Magnesium & Vitamin Dprovide Vitamin D while supporting healthy bone structure with Calcium. Natrol’s Coral Calcium provides pure, natural calcium plus a balanced ratio of magnesium and other essential trace minerals. Natrol’s Coral Calcium is environment-safe and above-sea-level sourced. No yeast, wheat, corn, milk, egg, soy, glutens, artificial colors or flavors, added sugar, starch or preservatives.

Feeling run down?  Chances are you need more iron in your diet, but the solution isn’t as easy as popping a pill.  The critical combination is iron + vitamin C for maximum energy impact.

You already know how good vitamin C is for you.  This powerful antioxidant gets plenty of great press coverage.  However, you might not know that pairing iron rich foods with vitamin C can boost your iron absorption up to six times.  (Vitamin C also reduces the absorption of copper!)

Asparagus is one of the best plant based sources for iron and to get the most from this healthy plant you should pair your asparagus with lemon!  The vitamin C helps boost iron absorption.  Here’s a recipe you might want to try:  Grilled Asparagus With Lemon and Garlic.

Other healthy and tasty iron rich/vitamin c rich combinations include:

• Spinach and Mandarin Oranges
• Kidney Beans with Roasted Red Peppers
• Broccoli with lemon juice and olive oil

It’s mid-afternoon and you’re hearing those sweet treats calling to you… promising you a quick burst of energy to get you through the rest of the day.  It’s a trick!  Popping those sweet treats into your mouth is like throwing a boomerang…. before you know it, your energy is lower than it was BEFORE your mid-afternoon snack.

According to Cynthia Sass, R.D., M.P.H in the October 16th, 2007 issue of Woman’s World Magazine, carrots and hummus makes a winning combination. 

"Together, they’ll boost your blood-sugar level and keep it relatively constant for the rest of the afternoon."

The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen has a GREAT recipe for Shiny Happy Carrot Hummus which was inspired by 28 Cooks’ Moroccan Carrot Hummus.  Two positively inspiring recipes to help you create a healthy snack that won’t leave you sugar crashing and feeling flat after 30 minutes.

Want a recipe for a super charged hummus?  Try Spinach-Carrot-Garbonzo Hummus from Cooking at the Pacific Outpost! 

If you’re ready to spice it up a notch (and use store bought hummus) , try this recipe from Tabasco Food’s web site:  ROASTED CARROT AND HUMMUS SANDWICH