Info you can use - Vitamin D

I've done a lot of posts about heart healing... about finding our truths and living from them.  That's great... and that kind of work takes time.  I've spent all summer in a bit of an airy space, being contemplative about greater truths and all... but I feel the indian summer in the air.  There's a thread of coolness in the warm air... something that portends of change... of turning within.  In the Chinese Five Element System this time of late summer and early autumn (indian summer) corresponds to the Earth Element.  So, for this season (from now, until early October) I thought I'd throw out some address-it-now options for dealing with some common physical (particularly perimenopausal) complaints on Fridays.  If you have special requests let me know, I'll post what I know.

I've recently had some bloodwork done and found out, that like many, I'm extremely deficient in Vitamin D. While I do take my vitamins (sporadically...) I admit that I have my doubts as to their efficacy.  I mean, how much of any particular substance can your body absorb at once?  I imagine that's at least part of why we have taste buds and enjoy variety in our food... to get a variety of vitamins and minerals little bits at a time!

While sunlight is something of an obvious answer... I actually spend more time outside than the average person given that I have a flexible work schedule and I have children that keep me on the move.  I'm also fair skinned, so I'm not the perfect candidate for a bunch of sunlight.  So... with that out... I'm wondering how to get a good dose of D.  Do you know what foods contain Vitamin D?  Here's a short list:

• Fish oils, particularly fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines
  
• Liver (no way for me!)
  
• Egg yolks 
  
• Fortified milk and orange juice
• Fortified dairy and cereal products

It's becoming obvious to me that I'm not going to eat my way through enough Vitamin D.  So... what other options do I have?  Well... I've been looking into herbal support and here's what I've found:

• It is widely claimed that Stinging Nettle is an excellent source of Vitamin D, but I can't seem to verify that scientifically.  I'll continue to look for a reference for that.  I can vouch for a lot of other reasons to take stinging nettle infusion.  Nettles contain lots of Vitamin A, C, calcium, and iron.
  
• Rose hips may also contain a significant amount of Vitamin D, along with C, A, and E.  They're also purported to lower cholesterol, improve diabetes, and alleviate osteoarthritis. (http://www.naturalnews.com/034794_rose_hips_vitamin_C_osteoarthritis.html)
• Alfalfa.  Yeah.  I'll have to figure out how to get alfalfa in my diet.  Anyone with recipes please contact me. (Nutrition Research Center, Alfalfa Nutritional Value.  nutritionresearchcenter.org)

---

I think my approach is along these lines: I'm going to make sure I get some sun, and I'm going to start making an herbal infusion of the above herbs each day, and see if I can't get my Vitamin D up.  I like starting with herbs... if they don't do the trick then I'll move on to a supplement... but from what I understand most supplements are not able to be fully absorbed.   I'll let you know how it goes.  

Herbal infusion: combine equal parts of the herbs, enough to make a full cup.  Place in a quart jar, cover with boiling water.  Let steep at least four hours, ideally overnight, and drink over the course of the next day.  It's a good way to remember your fluids, especially since they're doubling as your vitamins!

Last, I'll just throw out there that I likely need to do some work asking my body wisdom about why I'm not making enough Vitamin D in the sunlight.  I imagine there's a block in the manufacture process there somewhere.  But, until I get to the research to figure out how Vitamin D is synthesized in the body and find some quiet time to work on myself or get a session with one of my colleagues, I will try the infusions.  If you try them, let me know about your results!

---

Things to keep in mind: 
1.  I'm not a medical doctor... so... well, keep that in mind.  
2.  Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means that you can get too much.  Never consume more than 4,000 IU per day (recommended is 600 IU per day, I believe).  Too much Vitamin D can be toxic.  Please consult a physician if you have any questions or concerns about your vitamin intake.
3.  If you are on cholesterol lowering medications, steroids, or some anti-seizure meds these can block Vitamin D absorption.