.SOMETIMES RAW.

There are people and there are people when it comes to getting a cold. Some are toughening it out. Some take a cold like a pro. Some cry in the corner if they have a mild flu. Some act like they have Ebola. Usually, and B.C. (before Corona), when I had a cold, I would bring my son to school, go to work, avoid close contact with colleagues, take tons of Vitamin C, B, D, do laundry, go shopping, meal-prep for the next few days, and prepare dinner. For some reason, things just kept going and I was usually fine after one day of rest thanks to my amazing immune system.

I would also lay in bed and rest for a couple of hours when I really feel horrible but this rarely happened (knock on wood). So, that time, last year in November, I caught a cold like never before. And guess what? It was NOT Covid. I got Covid in April and it felt like a cold with a bit more coughing (glad I quit smoking). But this monster of a cold hit me right after I came back from visiting my parents in Germany. And it knocked me off my feet. It was a cold mixed with hilarious amounts of please-take-care-of-me-and-feel-so-sorry-for-me dramatics. I needed constant attention and care, I was vocal about my concerns about not pulling through, and any ache or pain was a reason to stay in bed. Does this sound familiar? Below are my stages through the worst cold I have ever had. Obviously, with a grain of sarcasm, irony, and exaggeration because this is just me.

• The pain was unbearable. I talk about sore muscles! You could never imagine the way MY MUSCLES ACHE! Nobody’s muscles EVER ached that way!
• The Dramatic Moans Begin. You can hear me loud and clear from the other side of the house. The moans, groans, and whining are a symphony of drama.
• I Swear that I am Burning Up. If I had to check if I have a fever one more time, I might go insane.
• My Speaking Ability Gets Compromised. The raspy voice set in early on and progressed rapidly. Thankfully, someone loved me and made lemon/ginger/honey tea.
• The Nose Gets Extra Sensitive. All that nose blowing sure irritated my delicate skin even though I had a year-supply on soft tissues. Try to find the ones with moisturising lotion or my nose might just fall off! Get those stupid soft tissues in a huge bulk.
• The Demands Multiply. Sick me is massively needy. I couldn’t reach the remote that was one meter away from me, and I did decide I want that homemade chicken soup after my friend had finally sat down on the couch. Don’t you dare give me a bell to ring, because I will sure overuse it!
• At the Pharmacy. Pharmacy list that someone needed to get for me: Cough drops, daytime and nighttime cold medicine, tea, anything and everything herbal, and nose spray. Actually, everything they sell in there. Just in case.
• Paralysis May Set In. At some point, muscle aches may turn to paralysis. I said, “Ugh, I can’t move!” It took me forever to get my blood flowing by walking from the couch to the bed.
• I Insisted that I am Dying. As if the dramatisation hasn’t been enough at this point, at the height of the cold, I swore I am dying. But I was surprised how quickly I came back to life when my friend said he will meet me for a kitchen session and the white wine is chilled.

This is the time when we all should take extra care of ourselves. Curl and cosy up inside, drink tea, eat warm soups, read, watch good movies, and light a candle while the snow begins to fall down silently covering the world in white.

Stay healthy, peepz.

Although I love cozy fall and winter evenings, I do reach a point where I eventually begin to feel a little deprived of some bright, warm sunlight, and rightly so, we need it! Vitamin D carries out some pretty big roles in our body. Today, I want to share why this vitamin is so integral to your health and why it can be extra important to supplement during the fall and winter. Especially now in this crazy pandemic which makes me wonder why nobody mentions supplements and healthy food choices to boost your immune system but to rather receive a 100 Euro gift certificate and a sausage if you get the vaccine? Just wondering…. but this is me.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It actually acts more like a hormone in our body than a vitamin and has countless important roles because nearly every tissue type in our body has a vitamin D receptor. This means having adequate vitamin D levels is crucial for good health and the function of many different systems in our body.

Sunshine is what enables our body to manufacture Vitamin D. It is made from the cholesterol in our skin when we’re exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately, these upcoming months, we don’t get a whole ton of sun. Let’s explore what some good old vitamin D does for us!

Health benefits of Vitamin D

Bone Health

It’s well known that vitamin D is essential for bone health. One of its main roles is stimulating and controlling the absorption of calcium. It helps draw calcium into the bloodstream and increase its absorption from our intestines.

Vitamin D also works synergistically alongside magnesium and vitamin K2 for optimal bone health. Vitamin K delivers calcium from the bloodstream to bones and teeth and helps remove calcium deposits found in soft tissue.

Immune Health

The sunshine vitamin supports our immune system and actually helps activate the T cells in our body. These cells seek out and destroy different bacteria and viruses that can cause colds and flu. In fact, a study in 2010 found that vitamin D3 supplementation during winter may help reduce your chances of catching the flu.

Mental Health

Vitamin D helps to activate our “feel good” neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine. This can be especially helpful for those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) where a lack of sunlight has an adverse effect on mental health. It also helps maintain our nervous system and may help boost mood in those with depression.

Blood Sugar & Diabetes Management

Vitamin D can help support insulin levels and even diabetes management, including Type 1 and Type 2. According to research, 2000IU of vitamin D may help reduce the risk of Type 1 Diabetes. There was also a that study found low levels may increase risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Cardiovascular Health

Vitamin D can even support your heart and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Cancer

There was a study that found participants’ cancer risk cut by 60% in those getting 1100IU per day, alongside calcium. How amazing is that?! Sufficient vitamin D levels in the body may also help reduce the risk of total rates of rates, including colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer

How to boost your Vitamin D Levels

Food & Lifestyle

Get sunshine on your skin (being nude outside in the sun is the best, obviously not now!) and enjoy dark coloured mushrooms, eggs, and fish like sardines, herring and mackerel, or a cod liver oil.

Those of you living in cooler climates with limited sun exposure during parts of the year usually need a bit of a boost. Many people can benefit greatly from supplementing with this sunshine vitamin during the fall and winter months.

Supplementation

There are two kinds of vitamin D you can take as a supplement: vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).

D3 is derived from lanolin—the oil found in sheep’s wool—while D2 is a plant-based source. D2 is a popular choice amongst vegans and vegetarians, however if possible, I recommend opting for D3 as it’s easier for the body to absorb.

You can take vitamin D in a liquid, soft gel, or tablet form. Vitamin D is fat-soluble and is therefore better absorbed when taken as liquid or encapsulated in an oil, as opposed to a hard, chalky tablet. Vitamin D absorption is best when taken with food.

Dosages vary depending on individual needs, but a safe amount to start with is 1,000IU, although many people require much more than that. Be sure to speak with your health care practitioner for the appropriate dose. Below you see the Vitamin D3 I currently take. My personal dosage in the cold, dark fall and winter months is about 5-10 drops daily. Sometimes 15 drops a day for 3 days in a row if I my throat is achy or itchy. With this dosage I feel awesome, awake, and haven’t had the flu this season (knock on wood). My current Vitamin D Level is at 89% which is pretty good. Most people are deprived of Vitamin D and have Levels of 7-8 % or even below.

Are You Low in Vitamin D?

Low levels of vitamin D are more common than people would think. Dry skin, depression, osteoporosis, and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer, can be signs of low deficiency. A lowered immune function—such as frequent colds or flu—can also be implicated in vitamin D deficiency. Be sure to get your levels checked if you are concerned.

Stay healthy and let me know if you have questions.

As a holistic nutritionist with a picky-eater son, I know how hard it can be to provide us with nutritious dinners that are also tasty, eco-conscious, cookbook-cover-worthy, and affordable. That is why I like to meal-plan and set myself up for success each week.

Disclaimer: Success varies greatly and typically manifests as a failure. I know you are wondering now: Are we supposed to just go about our everyday crazy lives and pretend that the collective trauma of a seemingly endless pandemic, the near-overthrow of our “democracy”, and irreversible damage to our climate isn’t real? Also, are there vegan, Keto, raw-food, or vegetarian options? Or, besides working full-time, I need more time and more healthy food options. This is how I meal-prep with a grain of sarcasm of course.

Grocery list: First things first. Is it safe to shop in person, or should I still get groceries delivered? What a great, unanswerable question! Luckily, all these meals can be made with basics from your pantry, unless, of course, your definition of “basics” is boxed wine, a pallet of family-sized hand sanitiser, and masks.

Monday: Start the week off strong with an easy, vegetarian three-bean chilli. All you’ll need is one pot, eight ingredients, thirty minutes, and a health insurance plan that at least partially covers cognitive-behavioural therapy. Eco-tip! Use reusable bowls, utensils, and straws, but somehow never wash them because that wastes water. It’s a real Catch-22, which is a book you know well since it was a mandatory read when you were in school.

Tuesday: Normally, Tuesday would be burger night, but there was an anti-mask rally outside the grocery store today, so you couldn’t pick up buns. Then, on the way home, you listened to a podcast about how the industrial meat industry is destroying the Amazon rain forest. Serve veggie burgers wrapped in lettuce, call the French fries “Pommes Frites,” and boom! You’ve got yourself a healthy, classy dinner. Fruit for dessert.

Wednesday: O.K., my son is still pretty mad about the whole fruit-for-dessert thing. No better way to rebound than with a tuna yoghurt sauce and zoodles (zucchini noodles). Tuna because it is high in mercury, and you can’t afford to damage your kids’ brains any more than constant exposure to screens already has. Reality: sub zoodles for real noodles, sub yoghurt for mayo, and then sub the whole thing for pizza.

Thursday: You know those videos in which perfectly manicured moms use the multicoloured batter to make fun cartoon-character pancakes for their delighted children? You don’t know how to do that. Sandwiches.

Friday: T.G.I.F.! Which in this house stands for “Thank God I (bought) Frozen dinners!” Did you know that you can eat frozen dinners for breakfast and lunch, too? It’s true! Plus, your kid(s) will get a decade’s supply of sodium. Chocolate and movie night.

Saturday: Pull out some cereal and sniff the milk. Since time is meaningless, it’s the breakfast-for-dinner night! This one requires almost zero prep, which gives you a few minutes to reflect on how the labour of creating a meal plan and doing all the budgeting, shopping, and cooking takes away from your ability to do other things, like staring at a wall. Hmm, that wall needs some fresh paint! Better just clean it while remembering the birthdays of every member of your immediate and extended family.

Sunday: Time to start planning for next week! Because the weeks never end! They just roll on, oblivious of our attempts at stackable food-storage solutions or our efforts to eat the whole rainbow every day. Yet we continue the strange performance of “planning,” as if playing a sonata on the deck of the Titanic can make people a bit more comfortable while the damn ship is sinking. A futile attempt at control as we slip through chaos into darkness and maybe, finally, into peace. Taco night! With lots of cheese.