How to get your vitamin D during winter
The clocks going back in later October is your signal to start supplementing your vitamin D, says Lisa Armitage. Here’s Lisa’s guide on to what to take, how much and for how long to keep you feeling your best year-round.
“When daylight hours shorten, getting that all-important vitamin D fix is a combination of sunlight, nutrition, skincare and supplements”, says Lisa Armitage. Often called the ‘sunshine vitamin’, vitamin D plays an integral role in skin protection and rejuvenation. In its active form as calcitriol, vitamin D contributes to skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism. It enhances the skin’s immune system and helps to destroy free radicals that can cause premature ageing.
“Sunlight can, of course, be damaging to the skin,” says Lisa. “However, there is simply no getting away from the fact that it’s the best way to top up your vitamin D levels.” So if you’re concerned about premature ageing but recognise the benefits of sunlight for our health, what’s the solution?
“I always try to get 15 minutes a day without sunscreen to get my vitamin D naturally,” says Lisa. “For my fair skin this is enough, but darker skins actually need more because their skin has increased levels of melanin, and therefore absorbs more UVB, which means that they need longer hours of sun exposure in order to produce adequate vitamin D levels.”
Lisa advises that considered skincare is also key to healthy winter skin, and recommends using her Antioxidant Facial Oil in the morning before heading outside, which helps to defend the skin from UV light whilst cleverly enabling the skin to soak up the vitamin D from sunshine.
High-performance supplements are also part of Lisa’s daily self-care routine and from October to March she adds a high-strength 4000iu vitamin D daily supplement, which is perfect for keeping bones healthy during menopause, and boosts the immune system. To purchase a 90-day supply of Lisa’s favourite high-strength, vegan vitamin D supplement with 15% off, simply use this unique link to visit Lily & Loaf, create an account, start shopping and the discount will automatically be applied to any full-priced items in your basket, no code needed. Lisa also loves the brand’s Vitamin C and Zinc supplements, so why not stock up for the winter? Delivery is free over £40.
Finally, as a former chef, Lisa understands the power of the nutrients in food, and suggests topping up levels of vitamin D with foods such as oily fish and egg yolks – the perfect excuse to treat yourself to salmon and hollandaise sauce.