When we share healthy diet tips with you, we’re aiming our advice at more than just weight loss. A well-balanced diet, rich in the nutrients you need, helps to prevent disease and promotes longevity. Solid nutrition helps us all to live our best lives, whether or not we follow a weight loss plan.

Having said that, did you know that many people in the US are deficient in vitamin D? That’s a shame, considering the numerous benefits…

• Helps with calcium absorption and promotes bone growth
• Protects against osteoporosis
• Helps to regulate the immune system and neuromuscular system
• Contributes to the healthy life cycle of cells

In addition to the above known functions of the nutrient, research has linked lower levels of vitamin D to increased risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression, weight gain, and other health problems. It’s important to note that a correlation does not necessarily equal causation, but knowing these facts, avoiding a vitamin D deficiency still appears to be a good idea.

Scientists also believe that vitamin D could be found helpful in treating a variety of maladies such as depression, autoimmune disease, chronic pain, high blood pressure, and more. However, the jury is still out on those conclusions. For now we just know that a well-balanced diet definitely won’t hurt!

So, how do you get more vitamin D in your diet? For one thing, spending more time outdoors will help your body to generate its own vitamin D (via exposure to sunlight). But since most of us spend a good bit of time in offices these days, you might want to add the following foods to your diet:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Fortified milk
• Eggs
• Maitake mushrooms

These foods contain some of the highest levels of vitamin D. Plus, they will fit well into your weight loss plan, if you’re following one.

For more information on balancing your diet, preventing disease, or a weight loss plan, please give us a call. We can help you understand the right foods that you should be eating for good health, portion sizes, micro-nutrients, and more.