Hello everyone!
As a nutritionist, I wanted to talk to you today about the importance of supplementing with Vitamin D during the winter months, here in the UK.

Vitamin D is often referred to as the "sunshine vitamin" because it is produced in our bodies when our skin is exposed to sunlight. However, even on the sunniest of days in the UK, it is impossible to get enough Vitamin D from the sun alone.
This is due to the latitude of the UK, which means that the sun is not strong enough for our bodies to produce Vitamin D for much of the year. During the winter months, the shorter days and limited sun exposure only compound this issue. This is why supplementing with Vitamin D during these months is so important.

Some food sources of Vitamin D include fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, egg yolks, and fortified foods such as milk and orange juice. However, it can be difficult to get enough Vitamin D from food alone, especially for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Low levels of Vitamin D can result in symptoms such as fatigue, weak immune system, hormonal imbalances, and even a low mood. In addition, scientific studies have shown a relationship between low Vitamin D levels and an increased risk of cancer. This is why it's so important to make sure that you're getting enough of this essential nutrient.

As a nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner, I offer Vitamin D testing and injections to help my clients ensure that they're getting optimal levels of Vitamin D. It's important to note that the acceptable range for Vitamin D set by doctors is not necessarily the optimal range, and many people report feeling better and having improved health when they have optimal levels of Vitamin D.

For those following a vegetarian or vegan diet, it's especially important to pay attention to your Vitamin D levels. As part of my vegetarian and vegan health check, I can check your Vitamin D levels and make recommendations for supplements or fortified foods to help ensure that you're getting enough of this essential nutrient.

So, if you're feeling tired and run down this winter, consider supplementing with Vitamin D and make sure that you're getting enough of this essential nutrient for immune health, hormone balance, better energy and a balanced mood.

It is the Autumn Equinox, here in the Northern hemisphere.  
The sun lies briefly over the equator creating a moment of perfect balance where night and day are of equal length.
After today, the North Pole will tilt on its axis slightly forward, away from the sun, favouring the south pole for the better, warmer weather. Autumn will begin.

Today the astrological calendar moves from Virgo to Libra, the weighing scales, also representative of perfect balance.

If ever there was a period of time that could be represented with the image of Yin and Yang, it would be now. This time of year, also known as Mabon in the pagan calendar is a time of meloncholly and duality.  There is perfect balance between positive and negative... The fields are bare, but the larders are stocked. Harvest festivities are tinged with the sadness of the coming winter.  Animals are stocking up their food stores, ready for their big sleep, and many, like the female honey bee have reached the end of their life cycle and wither away.

In Greek mythology, this was the point where Persephone had to go down to the underworld for her three month stint with her husband Hades, much to her mother, Demeter`s dispair.  Demeter was the Goddess of the harvest and crop growing and in her anguish, she refused to use her powers over the winter until Persephone was returned to her.
​

The image above shows Persephone and her pomegranate, for they were the food of the underworld.  They are also in season right now and are so good for male health, especially prostate care.  Unsweetened pomegranate juice makes a great tonic for keeping the prostate gland healthy.

Autumn comes with a noticeable energetic shift.  Not only do we see the shadows changing around us as the sun`s position alters over the forthcoming weeks, but mentally, Autumn can be a challenge as we adjust to the amount of seratonin that we make in response to the altered light levels.
​For this reason it is important to slow down and take care of ourselves.

It is a time to nourish ourselves not only with hearty soups and foods but mentally prepare and support ourselves with self care rituals that make us feel comforted. 
It is a time to adopt the scandanavian way of life and take great pleasure in all things cosy... candles, blankets, cosy pyjamas, wood burning stoves, favourite jumpers or whatever makes you rub your feet together with contentment.
​

Physically, it is so important to start thinking about building and maintaining a healthy immune system.  One of the best and most effective ways of doing this is to supplement with Vitamin D.  
Here in the UK,our national health service recommends that every person supplements with Vitamin D, although this is not widely known.
During the winter, from around the 14th of October, the way that the earth tilts makes it physically impossible for the UVA rays to enter our skin in order to synthesise Vitamin D.  Hence the reason that coughs and colds begin through this time.  This period of lack of vitamin D will last until the spring solstice (roughly) so it is a long stretch.  
Please look into supplementing with vitamin D, especially if you are a person of colour as you are more vulnerable to having lower vitamin D levels.
​

Other ways that you can really nourish your immune system are to look into reishi mushsrooms, which are available in capsule and tincture form as well as dried mushrooms.  They are an amazing immunostimulating tonic and are well worth using over the winter months.  Elderberry is also available in many forms and has an affinity for caring for the lungs in particular.  Garlic is a go - to supplement for our family at this time of year and Vitamin C is now more important than ever.
Eating wholesome, home cooked foods and soups will nourish you and your families, as will tasty teas.  I particularly like to use berries, citrus peel, thyme, calendula and ginger in my teas at this time of year.

There`s so much to enjoy during this first part of Autumn, that I call Libra Autumn, before the wet and windy Scorpio Autumn comes and knocks us sideways.  The weather is generally still mild and mother nature really puts on a show in the hedgerows.  Walk as much as you can and notice the small changes around you.  I have a holly tree at the bottom of my garden and I have watched the tiny buds turn to white flowers, to green berries and now they are a lovely orange colour before their deep ruby display over winter.  It is lovely to watch these small changes and really gives you a sense of belonging to the earth in a cyclical way.
Feasting with friends where everyone brings a dish is a great thing to do at this time of year and if you can do it outside before the weather turns, all the better... light a bonfire or a BBQ and enjoy these Libra evenings.
Planting bulbs is best at this time of year.  Maybe you could plant some miniature iris or daffs and have them inside to monitor their progress.  Hopefully they will bless you with a beautiful display over winter.
Eat pomegranates, make hedgerow jam, autumn wreaths and corn dollies.  Drink apple cider, donate food and plant a tree or a bush.
Children can enjoy leaf rubbing, nature crowns and all sorts of autumnal activities.
I`ve just brought our Libra Autumn books down out of the loft for my little girl to enjoy tonight.  Our particular favourites are:
Bramley Hedge - Autumn by Jill Barklem
Foggy Friday by Phyllis root
Harvest by Kris Waldherr
and my absolute favourite .... Wild Child by Lyn Plourde


So, a couple of questions for you to think about or journal over...
Is there anything that you would like to complete by the winter solstice?   
and
How can you practice self care over the darker months?

Stay well and happy,
Eve x
​
​