The best way to get vitamin D

When your skin is exposed to sunlight (without sunscreen), your body produces vitamin D. Just 10-15 minutes of exposure to sunlight on your face and arms each day should be adequate to ensure that you are not deficient in this essential vitamin. Keep in mind that sunscreen blocks UV rays and thus this process of vitamin D creation. So wait 10-15 minutes to apply your sunscreen if you are planning to spend more time outside. This short amount of non-blocked and non-burning time in the sun is not damaging to the skin- it is actually very healthy!

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D plays many different roles in our health, including:

• Greatly improving absorption of calcium for strong bones
• Boosting the immune system
• Protecting against some forms of cancer (colon, prostate, and breast)

Vitamin D-rich foods

If you live in a northern area or the weather is not currently conducive to catching a few rays, you can get vitamin D from dietary sources. The best food sources of vitamin D include fortified foods such as non-dairy milk products and cereals (non-vegan: dairy products, salmon, mackerel, egg yolks, and fish liver oils).

Try these combos for a vitamin D-rich breakfast or snack:

• Yogurt (dairy or fortified non-dairy) sprinkled with a fortified cereal, walnuts, and fresh fruit
• Fortified cereal with milk (dairy or fortified non-dairy) topped with fruit and slivered almonds

Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup water
4-5 ice cubes
1 large handful of raw spinach
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 orange, peeled
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 heaping teaspoons of Vega Tropical Shake and Go Smoothie mix
1 inch piece of vanilla bean (optional)

2 Tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, cereal, raisins (and/or cranberries), nuts, cinnamon, hemp seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. To the flax mixture add nut butter, vanilla, brown sugar, applesauce, molasses, oil, and milk and mix well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Don't over-mix.
5. Scoop the dough about 2-3 Tbsp at a time and, using your hands, roll it into balls. As you place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, flatten them out into cookie shapes.
6. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.