Have you had your Vitamin D levels tested lately? How were they? If they were low, don’t feel bad… Most people are deficient in Vitamin D. Even people that work diligently to keep their Vitamin D levels at a normal range have a hard time achieving that. But why?

As a society, we spend more time indoors. Imagine times when people had to work the land outside all day, when we herded livestock and fished and grew our own food. Back then, people were soaking up the sunshine most of the day. Today, a lot of us work indoors and we protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays. So, it is a catch 22: protect yourself from harmful UV rays but be Vitamin D deficient. How can we be healthy on both ends of that spectrum, especially during the winter time when our days are shorter? Easy, eat healthy!

We are what we eat. We’ve mentioned this before. You can increase your Vitamin D levels by consuming foods that are higher in Vitamin D. 

Here is a handy list of foods that are rich in Vitamin D:

• Eggs: 1 large egg contains about 40 IU of vitamin D

• Yogurt: 6 oz. contains about 20% of your necessary daily intake of Vitamin D.

• Seafood: Fresh fish, caviar/roe, eel, and cod liver oil are all good sources Vitamin D.

• Meats & Fats: Beef liver, pork, pork fat, and duck fat are all good sources of Vitamin D. 

Vegan Options:

• Fortified Tofu: Check labeling to see if it is fortified. 

• Mushrooms: This one is tricky and interesting. When grown under UV lights, mushrooms can absorb that UV and that will make them high in Vitamin D. So, in order to ensure you are getting the Vitamin D benefits, you need to know how the mushrooms were grown. If grown under UV lights, 3 oz. of mushrooms can contain about 400 IU of Vitamin D.

• Orange Juice: Fortified orange juice (must check the label) can give you about 20% of your necessary daily intake of Vitamin D. One cup of fortified orange juice contains about 100 IU of vitamin D.

If you have a hard time adding these foods to your diet, modern science has also been kind enough to make Vitamin D supplements that are easy to take. 

As with any dietary or lifestyle change, you should always consult your primary physician before altering your diet or taking any supplements. They will be able to test your Vitamin D levels and recommend the appropriate path for you. And hey, maybe you are one of those few lucky people that have normal levels of Vitamin D!

This month, we have focused on men’s health, and the best way to stay healthy is to be proactive in our health! Our current world is one that is very stressful, high paced, and very unforgiving when it comes to taking time for ourselves. Slowly, people have realized that adding self care to one's routine is essential in preserving your health and sanity. That goes for you guys!

Most of us have read articles and seen videos of how women can practice self care. There are pre-made mail order boxes you can send to someone or simply buy a subscription for yourself in order to ‘pamper yourself’. But what about men? Is it different? Do they need a different set of ‘self care’ routines? 

Well…. It depends! We are not a gender but a person - not all girls like pink and dolls, not all boys love contact sports and muscle cars, so, it’s not a one size fits all for anyone. That said, we have some ideas that we think you might enjoy doing!

1. Take a hike! Yes! Take a hike! The outdoors is a wonderful way to reconnect with yourself and to take time out of a fast paced society to breathe! Pack a lunch and eat out while you’re surrounded by nature!

2. Go fishing. Whether you’re sitting on a boat enjoying the silence all around you or you’re in the middle of a river fly fishing, it is another great way to connect with nature.

3. Take a long shower or a hot bath. Most human beings can benefit from this self care ritual. Get bubbles, a bath bomb, or simply some epsom salts to help your muscles relax.

4. Go through your closet and purge. Getting rid of clothes you don’t wear is a great way to feel great. Clutter is never a good thing and the feelings that come when you have decluttered and reorganized are peaceful and fulfilling ones. 

5. Do some physical exercise. Yoga is a great way to exercise while still being mindful and experiencing your breath in a different way. Weight lifting, running, biking, or boxing is another great way to release endorphins. 

6. Read a book. Put down your phone… better yet, put it away for a whole day, take a book, and read. Devour a book in a day! Keep all screens off and just go print for a day!

Whatever you decide to do, take the time and do it. It is easy for us to put off self care, but self care and taking that time off is what keeps us healthy, in mind, spirit, and body. 

As we near the end of a year, we want to reflect on a topic that sometimes falls between the cracks. Although there is a lot of awareness regarding women’s health and diseases particular to women like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc., conditions and diseases that are particular to men have long been addressed very quietly.

Our society is used to portraying men as strong and silent and frowning on anything that may indicate ‘weakness’. That is how their health was handled many times, and wrongly so. Being sick is not being weak. We put way too much pressure on ourselves and others for things that for the most part are out of our control.

Fortunately, through the years, we have learned how important it is for men to speak up about their health. Instead of seeing that as a sign of weakness, We applaud men for the awareness they bring to health problems faced by many but not addressed by some.

“Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com.” 

Some places call it Movember, others No-Shave-November. Personally I see men loving this time of year because many of them love the change in facial hair. Some end up keeping the facial hair afterwards! 

YOSEP is not just about women and their skin care. Men need to take care of their skin as well. Many young men go through some rough years with acne. A good facial cleanser is a must for anyone. Most men enjoy having less wrinkles and less signs of aging. The same way that women take care of their skin, so should men. It is the largest organ in your body and requires attention and love. 

This month, head on over to Movember and read a little about men’s health and the amazing things Movember is doing to contribute to research!