My take on it is we have to think of our body as our boss (our real boss) and our ‘job’ is to keep moving. It doesn’t matter what we do, whether it is walking, running, biking, fitness class, tennis – but whatever it is, it is important to find something you really enjoy doing, something that is fun. That’s why I do Nia.

Just how Important is Exercise? is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

When it comes right down to it, do we really need so much? Ask yourself what you would take with you if you had to vacate your home in an emergency. (Beyond the necessary - important documents that would be difficult to replace, medications, etc – what personal things would give you comfort?) Those are probably the things which are closest to your heart. Would it give you peace of mind to know you could gather them quickly?

When I saw a systetm called GRID-IT™ in a magazine, my organizer antenna went up. GRID-IT™ (as I gather from the photograph) has overlapping horizontal and vertical elastic straps that you slot your stuff into. The one I saw one in a magazine held art supplies – pencils, tubes of paint, brushes and paper. On the website, they show them holding all your computer paraphernalia (no more searching in the bottom of the bag for the power supply). I thought about the emergency question. I know (usually) where my iPhone is, but finding the accessories that go with it (power adapter, cables, earphones) - all those bits and pieces that I seem to forever be hunting for – I would probably end up not having because they aren’t well organized.

It is a neat idea! I am wondering what other things I could use it for. It would definitely be handy for the purse — no more worrying about my cell phone falling out of my bag, And there is one made for a suitcase which would be great for traveling!

Does anyone have any favourite organization systems they’d like to share?

© Deborah Redfern 2011. All rights reserved.

Organization System Love is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

It is interesting that most of us don’t know what proper posture really is. We habitually round our shoulders and collapse our chest; when we stand in line, we one let one hip jut out or slump against the nearest available surface. We carry heavy bags that pull our shoulders out of alignment or have the telephone pinched between our neck and shoulder. And, let’s not get started with how we sleep! (I have wondered if the way I sleep contributes to my back problem – almost always on my ‘sore’ hip with my spine twisted. I go to sleep with my spine aligned, wake up in a twist, sort of a modified fetal position.)

Proper posture or “alignment” is largely forgotten or was never known by many people. The spine has a natural curve in it, designed to help us move and bend and flex. Muscles support the spine, allowing us to do all that moving and bending and flexing with ease. If you are having pain in your back on a consistent basis, take stock of how you stand, sit, lay and bend throughout the day. These movements could be contributing to the pain in your back, neck, shoulders, hips, and legs.

Here’s what happens when the body is out of alignment. The muscles are stretched and contorted to accommodate an unnatural position; unnatural to your body, that is.  It is that stretching and contortion that causes the first signs of back pain.  Over time, your muscles start to knot up, or even spasm, under the strain.  Long term muscle stretching and contortions can result in long term muscle disfigurement, meaning long term pain.

So, is ‘finishing school’ posture worth a second look?  I think so. I always feel that getting back to the basics is a good idea. Here is your Finishing School posture lesson: a few ways to improve your posture and perhaps even alleviate back pain before it becomes a more serious problem.

Becoming aware of how you are walking, standing, and sitting will be a start in correcting your posture:

• When standing, pull in your abdomen.  This not only makes you look better, but the abdomen helps support the back, reducing back pain almost immediately and training the abdomen to give the back a little assist.
• At the same time, pull your shoulders back and lift your chest. (Can you do that and still keep your belly pulled in?)
• Practice walking with a book on top of your head when you’re walking.  Chin up, level steps, uplifted chest, and straight back will carry that book beautifully.
• As you sit at your desk, set a timer to remind yourself every three to five minutes to sit up straight.  Many of us round our shoulders over the keyboard.  This timer going off will, over time, make us more aware of our proper posture.
• Check your shoes – Many of us wear our shoes unevenly and don’t even know it. If we were to try and stand level on a board we would be listing to one side or the other. Our bodies are out of alignment. Choose shoes that have built in arches and a shock-absorbing sole.
• Revamp your workspace (also for good feng shui!) Systems of office furniture have been developed to deal with posture and alignment. These systems are often referred to as ergonomic designs. There are chairs, computer keyboards, phone attachments, and more, that are designed to keep your posture aligned perfectly.  Invest in these systems for a healthy back – and increased efficiency, as it’s hard to be productive when you’re in pain. I know for certain that I have solved ‘mystery aches and pains’ simply by changing my chair, the height of my work surface, and adjusting my monitor.
• Change your mattress – Do you wake up with back pain?  It could be a lumpy, uneven, or worn out mattress at fault. Some of the new “adjustable” mattresses allow you to tailor it to your needs and body type. There are others that are made with memory foam to conform to your body shape. Don’t forget the pillow. There are pillows that are specially designed to cradle the head in such a way that the spine is kept perfectly aligned throughout the night.

Even though these suggestions are simple, you will probably find it tiring in the beginning to stand and sit correctly. You will need some time to retrain your muscles. Evaluate your body alignment and use these “perfect posture” recommendations to help you improve your posture, you could resolve your back pain issues and enjoy better all around health.

© Deborah Redfern, 2011. All rights reserved.

Posture And Back Pain – Lessons Learned From Finishing School is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

At first I thought that teaching Nia would be like any other new teaching credential I’ve taken – a lot of preparation time involved to be sure – but it soon became apparent that my new ‘credential’ was offering me much more than a new teaching gig.

I could write pages about the insights teaching Nia has given me; Let me just say it is deep and it is all good. It seems to just keep giving me back more as I continue to open and trust the process. 

In  a Nia workshop I recently took with Nia trainer Loretta Milo, we discussed the teaching fears – the gremlins - around teaching. They happen with teaching other classes as well, and now I know it isn’t just me! They are things like: ”They won’t like me; I’ll forget everything”; No one will come back.”

So, this week in class (the 2nd week for new students) everyone was late arriving and that thought did cross my mind, that maybe they didn’t like Nia or me, and maybe they aren’t coming back. Well, everyone did come to class, but as I was waiting, I remembered what Loretta said: if one – or even all – of those things happen – I still get to dance. That is one amazing benefit of teaching a class like Nia!

This weekend I will be celebrating my one-year anniversary by auditing this year’s White Belt class with Martha Randall, making new friends, re-connecting with my classmates from last year, and most of all, dancing!

And I have a wonderful fall teaching line up to look forward to, with two new classes and locations, and workshops to plan.  How I love my job!

© Deborah Redfern 2011. All rights reserved.

Nia White Belt Anniversary is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

In India and the Orient, touch was practiced to release chi (or energy) that was trapped in parts of the body through some sort of injury or stress, so the body was free to heal itself.

I learned massage as part of a Aromatherapy Practitioner’s course I took and offered aromatherapy and Swedish massage on people as well as Therapeutic Touch and Reiki treatments. To me these treatments are about promoting the flow of chi. They include scent, touch and colour – all of which can shift blockages in chi flow that are brought on by trauma (whether physical or emotional) and stress. These treatments are very relaxing and at the same time, healing. It can feel like there is nothing happening but there is a lot going on. It is just – usually – ‘quieter’.

But here I am getting caught up in my own story! Usually when people think of massage they are thinking about swedish massage. This article talks about the different types of massage therapy, but first let’s learn what massage therapy can do for us.

Benefits of Massage Therapy

• Reduce stress
• Increase flexibility
• Reduce blood pressure
• Alleviate many types of back pain
• Increase range of motion
• Reduce cramps and spasms
• Improved blood circulation in muscles

What is Massage Therapy?

In all types of massage pressure is applied to the body in various ways (hands, fingers,- and sometimes knuckles, forearms and elbows). The goal is manipulation of the soft tissues to promote better health and pain relief.

Generally speaking, the deeper the therapist goes into the soft tissue, the more intense it can be – meaning it can be uncomfortable. This is particularly true for a sports-type massage which is what I am getting for my back and hip pain. It is a deep tissue treatment. And although the problem started with my hip and thigh, it appears that the hip itself is causing problems in my thoracic spine. It makes sense. Since all the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments are connected, if one joint is misaligned, or a muscle tight and contracted, it exerts pressure on other areas.

When I was taking a yoga teacher training intensive, the instructor demonstrated scoliosis using her own body, showing how a tightness or rotation in one joint produced a curve and rotation – a weakness on the opposite side. It was quite an impressive demonstration, so that I am quite able to accept that first my hip hurt and now, to treat it, my upper back is quite unhappy at being disturbed. But the question is, which came first: the hip pain or the tight muscles in my thoracic area? This is one of the main reasons why we cannot self-diagnose back pain. A massage therapist has the training to figure out what is going on with your back.

Choosing your Massage Therapy Type

There are many different types of massage therapy. Choosing the right one will take a bit of experimenting, but any reputable massage professional will walk you through the proper method for your particular back pain.

Swedish Massage
Swedish massage involves long strokes with the hands. Ideal for increasing blood flow to the muscles, increasing circulation, reducing toxins in the muscles and increasing flexibility. I love this style of massage and you will find this basic technique goes by different names. As I mentioned above, aromatherapy massage is often a Swedish massage. I had a Hawaiian style massage when I was in Mexico this spring. It is called Lomilomi - which means massage in the Hawaiian language and while the actual technique varies by region, it is basically Swedish massage. When I had it in Mexico, there was a Mexican spin by using coconut oil and tequila on my skin (I smelled like a tropical drink when it was over) and it was one of the most exquisite  massage treatments I’ve ever experienced. Now, was it the Lomilomi massage technique or the therapist? Who can say, but I do know I would have Lomilomi again.

Hot Stone massage
Hot Stone is a pretty close contender for my favourite massage – ever. I had one aboard a cruise ship. It only pales in comparison to my recent Lomilomi experience because it was so long ago. It was deeply relaxing and well, mystical. I’ve experienced altered states while in meditation, but it was the first time I had gone into such a deeply relaxed state in massage. My body and energy field was so greatly expanded I felt as large as the sky and I was just sort of floating. All entirely appropriate to having a massage while at sea, I thought! 

Hot Stone massage uses heated stones to relax the muscles and balance the energy centers of the body, and the stones themselves are used in a couple of different ways. Instead of hands, the stones make contact with your skin. The stones vary in size to fit the area they are working on such as large ones for the back and thighs and smaller ones for the neck, arms and feet. The massage is carried out using light pressure.

Heated stones may also be placed on chakra points on your spine, or on your hands and feet while the massage is done on your back or thighs. Sometimes when I am getting a massage and I am deeply relaxed it can feel like there are more than one set on hands massaging me: The ‘spirit’ hands come in. This is what it feels like when the hot stones are placed on my body. I assume other people have experience this ‘spirit hands’ phenomenon though I haven’t actually discussed it with anyone. If you have, let me know. I’d be curious to hear your stories!

Deep Tissue Massage
This is basically a Swedish massage technique that focuses on a particular set of muscles to break down adhesions or knots in the muscle tissue and increase the range in motion. The movements can be trigger point therapy (pressing deeply into ‘spots’ that hurt) or massage is conducted against the muscle grain to get deep into the tissues. There are quite a few different brands of deep tissue work out there. What I get is generally called sports massage which as I understand it, incorporates Myofascial Release, Active Release and TriggerPoint Therapy.

In my experience, the massage therapist will check with you to see how much pressure you can take — and will back the pressure off it is too uncomfortable. My massage therapist uses progressive pressure. It starts out as quite light and as my muscles loosen up and relax, she begins to work more deeply on them. As it gets more intense, I focus on actively breathing and releasing that tight muscle. Although it is uncomfortable, my approach is that it is taking my consciousness into places I was unaware of. If I can be taken to the muscles that are tight and contracted, I can actively use my breath and intention to let go of it. You of course, have the final say on how deeply any massage technique is done, however a sports massage – or any massage that works on deep tissue can make you feel sore for a few days. However, it may be no worse than what you are already experiencing and I believe that it speeds up the healing.

Thai Massage
This massage technique is designed to lengthen and strengthen the body. It improves range of motion, flexibility and improves posture. Poor posture is one of the causes of back pain. It is done fully clothed with the client and therapist on a mat. I haven’t actually had Thai massage yet but it is on my list and I’ve heard it described as supported yoga poses.

Aromatherapy Massage
This is a massage using specific essential oils that have therapeutic properties in and of themselves – such as pain relief or increasing blood circulation. The primary way the essential oils work is through inhaling the scents where they enter the blood stream fairly rapidly, but some of the essential oil does become absorbed by the skin as well. Although they can be used with any type of massage, many therapists use Swedish massage or effleurage.

Aromatherapy massage can also be a mystical experience, bringing on an altered state of very deep relaxation. When the massage therapist gets the blend of essential oils to be used for your massage just right, the combination of the smell and the touch is just exquisite. However, I have had aromatherapy massage where the oils used have not been to my liking and I’ve actually had an unpleasant experience as a result. Oftentimes I find that the therapist uses pre-made bottled scents and this is just massage with scents. It isn’t aromatherapy where the oils are selected and mixed for each individual client and appointment. Of course, being a trained aromatherapist, I am biased.

To conclude…

Massage therapy is a whole body therapy, but especially when you have aching muscles or a sore back because then your whole body is likely to be tense. Even if the therapist doesn’t work especially deeply on your back muscles, the treatment will relieve tension and increase blood circulation. If you are more relaxed it stands to reason you will feel better. In and of itself, relaxation is deeply therapeutic — touch is therapeutic and healing.

One of the reasons I have had so many massage experiences is because every massage therapist and the techniques they use is different.  Conventional wisdom would say to find a massage professional who is  a licensed and registered massage professional and well-versed in the type of massage that you choose. My experience is that registered massage therapists are extremely well trained in anatomy and health in general, and they continue their training throughout their careers. All those I have experience with were caring and dedicated individuals.

As a Certified Aromatherpist but not a Registered Massage Therapist I can’t agree that all good massage therapists are licensed and registered. The treatments I  gave when I was practicing Aromatherapy were  beneficial to my clients and as a healer I was often told that I had ‘good hands’.

There is also ‘a something more’ to look for that goes beyond qualifications, which is the energy of the therapist. It is not always easy to define, but what I look for in a massage therapist is someone who is a healer as well. To me a healer is someone who creates the energetic space for self healing to occur because I believe all healing is initiated from within, so there needs to be an energy match between the practitioner and client. For some people, perhaps this will be too ‘airy-fairy’ but I feel quite confident that all people recognize when they feel comfortable with one care-provider and uncomfortable with another. It doesn’t meant that one therapist is good and the other isn’t, just that there a good energy match between one but not the other. 

© Deborah Redfern, 2011. All rights reserved.

Massage Therapy for your Back is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

One of the main reasons to consult a professional  about your back pain is because it can be caused by things other than the run-of-the-mill suspects like injury, strain, exercise, or excess weight. As an example, your kidneys lie against your back outside of the abdominal cavity. Kidney stones and kidney infections can cause pain in the back.

When your back first begins to hurt, it is a good idea to put ice packs on to reduce inflammation and/or heat packs to relax the muscles, but if the discomfort lingers it is a really good idea to get medical help. A visit with your doctor, and by ‘doctor’ I mean a Chiropractor or a General Physician. 

What will your doctor do to diagnose your back pain?

Do  you remember the old joke, “Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I raise my arm like this. Doctor: Don’t raise your arm like that.” Well, hopefully your doctor will give you more experienced help! An examination will ideally begin with questions meant to zero in on the cause of your back pain:

• How long have you had your pain?
• What does it feel like? Is it sharp or dull?
• When does the pain occur? Sitting? Standing? Lying down?
• How have you managed the pain so far?

Now, the detective work begins. Your doctor will perform various tests, based on your answers, to diagnose the cause of your back pain. There will almost certainly be a visual examination, in which the doctor will have you stand and look at your back. He can evaluate your posture, feel for any bulges in the back or areas that are sensitive to pain. This can be done during your initial visit.

X-rays may be orderedl. This is the only way to see your bones. The doctor can check the bones of the vertebrae and the surrounding supporting tissue. If there are any misalignments or fractures, you will have a better idea of what you will be dealing with in the way of treatments.

An MRI may be ordered. This is the magnetic tube which allows the doctor and technicians to see the soft tissue. If there is a herniated disc or a degenerative disc problem, the doctor will know.

If nerve damage is suspected a Myelograms may be ordered. When a disc is herniated, nerves can become pinched. By injecting dye into the spinal cord, doctors can see if and where nerve damage is occurring.

I have to admit that I am more likely to see a massage therapist as a first step – then possibly a chiropractor. Self-diagnosing back pain is not always the wisest choice, and a visit with your doctor will put you on the right track to self-care – either by reassuring you that rest and exercise will help your back, or by giving you a set of exercises to do at home, or in the case of a chiropractor, a spinal adjusment.  In any case, seeing a professional when you back hurts and nothing seems to help can put your mind at ease and let you get on with your day. 

© Deborah Redfern 2011. All rights reserved.

Diagnosing Back Pain – Why We Need A Professional is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

And when your back hurts it affects everything that you do from that point on. You can put a broken arm in a sling. You can’t put your back in a sling and continue with your day.

What Is Causing Your Back Pain?

Let’s begin with the simplest and most common form of back pain which is back strain. This occurs when you strain the muscles that run along the spine.

What does it feel like? Think of a “charley horse” in your leg. The muscle knots up because it was stretched the wrong way or over extended. The pain is immediate and continues until you can work out the kinks.

With back strain, you have essentially done the same thing. That muscle is out of sorts and needs to relax and heal. Let’s consider what could be the cause of your back strain:

• Sudden jerky movements
• Improper lifting posture
• Poor sitting posture (slouching or hunching over)
• Injury
• Obesity
• Stress
• Shoes that are wearing unevenly
• Dehydration (your back needs water too)

When the muscles of the back are constantly strained, strengthening them may be the key to helping with back strain and inevitable pain.

Herniated Disc = Back Injury

Back pain can also be the result of a structural problem. This occurs when an injury to the back involves the vertebrae, nerves, and discs. This injury may be a trauma to the back, known as “an acute” injury, or an injury over time, known as “a chronic” injury. One of the most common injuries involves the discs.

The discs are located between the vertebrae of the back. They serve to cushion the nerves and the bones. When a disc is herniated, the inner spongy matter squeezes out through the outer layer. This puts pressure on the root of the nerve that arises from that spot on the spinal cord. Usually, herniated discs are found in the lumbar region of the spinal column which corresponds to the lower back.

Herniated discs can be the result of an acute injury, a chronic injury such as a repeated motion that wears down the disc over time, or as a result of what is known as degenerative disc disease.

The worn disc spills its spongy material out and the disc “herniates.”  The material can begin to rub against nerves causing further pain.

Sciatica

Sciatica is caused by an injury to or compression of the lumbar or sacral nerves, or the sciatic nerve itself. It is a set of symptoms that cause pain in the low back, and hips, often traveling down the leg. It can cause a loss of feeling in the legs from time to time. Your leg could have the sensation of “giving out” which is disconcerting as you are actually unable to move your leg for a time.

There are a number of different root causes of sciatica. A compromised or herniated disc is one cause. Another cause is piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle rotates the hip and runs deeply through the pelvis and hip joint and through to the front of the sacrum.

In most people the piriformis muscle lies on top of the sciatic nerve, but in about 15% of the population the sciatic nerve goes through the pirformis muscle making it more susceptible to injury. And this is what I have - at least part of it – a shortened piriformis muscle that is going into spasm due to trauma or overuse, and it compresses the sciatic nerve beneath the muscle. It is not definitely not fun!

The only way to know if your back pain is more than the occasional pain from overuse, from say raking the leaves or shovelling snow is to look for patterns. Ongoing pain, or even short-lived pain in your back or down your legs, repeatedly or over a period of time requires investigation. 

© Deborah Redfern, 2011

Causes of Back Pain is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

At times the choices can seem overwhelming and the concept of eating well means different things to different people. It can be taken to mean gourmet food or the slow food revolution; it can mean eating to promote health  and the idea of food as medicine. Another way of looking at eating well is making choices that support the environment.

Although my vegetarian (mostly vegan) diet is for health reasons I recently picked up a book called The Everything Vegan Cookbook by Jolinda Hacket that gave me some additional  insights on the effects of a vegan diet. She says,

As a vegan, you personally save the lives of approximately eighty-three animals a year, reduce your carbon output by an average of 3,000 pounds, and conserve 1.4 million gallons of water a year.

Eighty-three animals a year! That really grabbed me. Switching to a vegan diet has, Hacket says, a greater impact that eating locally grown food and driving a hybrid rather than a SUV. A vegan diet can also be slow food. Even when my meal is a green smoothie I find I tend to savour the different flavours that emerge. I’ve been noticing that the slow-food and vegan/raw food worlds are colliding with interesting recipe books and combinations I would never have thought to put together. Although cooking is not my passion, I love looking at recipe books and especially pictures of food. One website I really enjoy is by the Alkaline Sisters. Great recipes and great photographs! I’ve tried quite a few of the recipes and love their vegan pancake recipe!

© Deborah Redfern, 2011. All rights reserved.

On Eating Well is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

Then I said, “I thought I was done”. I thought I would never become an athlete again.

Well, I was wrong – I wasn’t done. What began as a way to ‘stay in shape’ has instead shaped me, changed me, cell by cell.

I found a path I love through Nia, motivated myself to keep going by taking teacher training and licensing. Through Nia I am a ‘Sacred Athlete’. Becoming a Sacred Athlete is a choice which leads to discovering your purpose and exploring your potential. I encourage you to find your path – or find a new path – or stay on your path.

In this poem by Rumi he says, ‘we made the body’. Yes, you made your body, but you can change the way you are right now, cell by cell. You only have to decide to do it.

When Grapes Turn to Wine
Rumi

When grapes turn
to wine, they long for our ability to change.

When stars wheel
around the North Pole,
they are longing for our growing consciousness.

Wine got drunk with us,
not the other way.
The body developed out of us, not we from it.

We are bees,
and our body is a honeycomb.
We made
the body, cell by cell we made it.

- – - – - – - – -
Translated by Robert Bly

© Deborah Redfern 2011. All rights reserved.

We Make Our Bodies is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.

When I found out my blood glucose levels were high, my Vitamin D levels were, at the same time ‘insufficient’. That got me curious and I began to do some research. It turns out there is indeed a link between low Vitamin D levels and Diabetes type 2: 61% of people with diabetes are deficient in Vitamin D:

Lack of vitamin D is related to impaired cells that produce insulin; activated vitamin D can naturally increase insulin production (possibly preventing diabetes). 

~ Dina Aronson, MS, RD and Julieanne Hever, MS, RD, CPT, Demystifying D in Volume 32 of Vegetarian Voice.

That got my attention! But on doing further research I found out that Vitamin D does even more. Here are 6 more reasons why you might want to pay attention and ensure you have optimal blood levels of Vitamin D:

1. With optimal levels of Vitamin D you’ll be gaining muscle and losing weight. Research has shown that the higher the blood levels of Vitamin D, the stronger the muscles you will have with less fat in the muscles.
2. You will have stronger bones. Vitamin D increases calcium absorption, and bone mineralization (what we want) while preventing bone breakdown (which we don’t want!)
3. It has a protective effect on  your heart. There is a link between low Vitamin D blood levels and calcium buildup in the arteries. With sufficient levels of Vitamin D, the uptake of cholesterol is inhibited.
4. It helps protect against cancer. It seems that having sufficient levels of Vitamin D in your body stimulates your natural tumour-suppression genes which means cancer cells do not have the tools to grow and divide. Research shows an especially strong role in cancer prevention for breast, ovarian, lung lymphoma, bladder, renal cell and malignant melanoma with optimal blood levels of Vitamin D.
5. It can control the symptoms of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoraisis, lupus and type 1 Diabetes.
6. Optimal levels of Vitamin D activates your immune system. A study found that the immune systems’ killer cells — T Cells – rely on Vitamin D to become active. Low Vitamin D levels mean you are less effective in fighting infection.

Vitamin D receptor cells are found in every cell of your body and Vitamin D is created naturally when your skin is exposed to the sun. We can even ‘store up’ sun exposure in those receptor cells for a time. But when we stay indoors or go through prolonged grey days of winter as we often get in the North Pacific, many of us become deficient. Even in the summer, if we are too vigilant about covering our skin with clothing and sunblock, we can rob ourselves of the Vitamin D we need. Some studies estimate that almost half of the world’s population have lower than optimal levels of Vitamin D.

How much is enough?

“Normal” blood levels for vitamin day are between 25 - 135 nmol/L (nmol/L = nanomoles per liter) according to my local Lab. That is a pretty large range. To break that down:

Optimal - greater than 100 nmol/L
Insufficient - between 25-50 nmol/L
Deficient – below 25 nmol/L

Can you get too much Vitamin D? The evidence seems to suggest that it is unlikely, having said that, the best way to get Vitamin D is through being in the sun. For example if you expose your skin to the sun 2-3 times a week, your body produces 2000 – 4000 IU of Vitamin D, depending on the time of year, the time of day and your location.

Skin pigmentation also plays a role. Me, a fair skinned individual, might need only 3 minutes of direct sun exposure during 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. several times a week during the summer, while my husband who has a darker complexion would need a little more time to absorb his weekly dose. This explains why people with more pigment in their skins can be deficient.

We need the sun but of course we also need to avoid sun damage. I try to get my sun exposure either in the morning or early evening (and in the summer, before I cover up or put sunscreen on.) In the winter, I have to admit I get whatever I can get and I supplement with Vitamin D tablets. There are dietary sources of Vitamin D as well: in fish liver oil, fatty fish and dairy products, including eggs. 

If you think you might need to supplement with Vitamin D I do recommend that you consult your doctor and request a test for 25(OH)D level to make sure you are getting the correct dosage and that your system is balanced.

For further reading, this article is quite imformative. It is from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist and this article is the result of my personal research and experience.

© Deborah Redfern 2011. All rights reserved.

6 Reasons to Dance in the Sun is a post from: Copyright Deborah Redfern and Cre8ive 2011. All rights reserved.