Get Some Sun & Lose Some Weight

Yes, you heard correctly! Get some sun and lose weight.

As a holistic health coach, there are so many aspects of life to tweak to find extraordinary wellbeing. I often promote boosting Vitamin D by way of sunshine for three reasons. Plus there is the big bonus of losing weight.

1. Americans are highly deficient in Vitamin D. We need to boost it.

2. It’s free.

3. When I broke my leg a couple years ago, my surgeon even recommended sunshine as the best source of boosting Vitamin D to heal my broken bones.

Dr. Amen, Brain Expert and Founder of Amen Clinics, says that living in sunny Southern California, his own Vitamin D levels were unusually low because he works so many hours indoors. Once he boosted his Vitamin D levels, he lost his appetite, boosted his mood, and shed some pounds.

Why? Because when we are deficient in Vitamin D, the hormone leptin that tells your brain to stop eating doesn’t work. A little sunshine curbs the appetite.

Take Vitamin D supplements, but go outside. We have more recently been scared off of soaking up the sun, but it is critical. Learn how much time is best for you. 

Kids are also highly affected by this deficiency which has been proven to greatly affect their behavior. Take care not to burn. But commit to healthy doses of sunshine to improve moods and lose weight.

5 Moves from Winter Blues to Good Moods

Feeling blue? Employ the following five quick moves to reach a better mood:

1. Boost Vitamin D

2. Mood Follows Food

3. Move Your Body

4. Adventure Big and Small

5. Digital Detox

1. Sunshine. Good old sunshine is our #1 source of Vitamin D. When the sun shines, get outside and leave the sunscreen behind. Be sure not to burn, but gain a healthy dose based on skin tone to promote bone health, enhance muscle strength, reduce inflammation and boost immunity - a necessity with the current uptick in flu viruses.

When Mr. Sun is much more elusive, natural Vitamin D3 production within our own bodies becomes less efficient leaving many folks feeling moody, restless, fatigued, and sometimes downright grumpy. Solution: Vitamin D3 supplement.

2. Mood Follows Food. Highly refined carbohydrates and sugar affect blood sugar levels which can lead to crankiness. Other comfort foods can double as healthy pick-me-ups when they contain mood-boosting nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, good carbohydrates and protein. Consuming foods with natural probiotics such as kefir, yogurt, miso soup and sauerkraut may also improve mood by supporting gut health. Not to mention a favorite, raw cacao, which due to the “feel-good” mineral components will serve you well. An absolute necessity is to know you are choosing correct versions of these foods. Reach out for help.

3. Prioritize Movement. Earlier in the day is the best time to exercise and move your body for better focus throughout the day. It will also equate to a better night’s sleep.

4. Plan an Adventure. Big and small adventures add up. Spend a couple hours at the local natural hot springs. Take a long weekend in a brand new destination. And once a year plan a trip that will bring equal parts challenge, transformation, and rest and relaxation. All three of these types of adventures are equally important and add up to great moods. Let’s talk about how to calendar them, look forward to them, and make them happen.

5. Digital Detox. We could speak on this one for days. Start with turning off all digital devices and wifi for an hour before you go to sleep. Do not turn them on until after an hour of being up and moving through your morning rituals. 30 minutes would do. How’s that for a small challenge? We offer many tools and techniques in this arena. For additional motivation, read more on Safe Tech.

Questions? Stories? Talk to me today.