3 super potent vitamins that are crucial for our health and wellness yet we often overlook them… Can you guess what they are?
I’ll give you a clue:
- They are all around you,
- Don’t cost a penny
- Are accessible at any time of day…
That’s right! I’m talking about nature, fresh air and sunshine! But first, why am I talking nature, fresh air and sunshine as vitamins?
Let me explain…We are so conditioned to think that vitamins are something manufactured in a lab and labelled that we need to purchase in a bottle at a store that we forget to open our eyes and look all around us. Vitamins are everywhere! Nature itself is a multi-vitamin world but it’s often the last thing we turn to for our vitamin fix simply because we are not conditioned to think of it as… nutritious.
So, what are my 3 most underrated yet most potent vitamins?
1. Vitamin N (Nature)
2. Vitamin FA (Fresh Air)
3. Vitamin S (Sunshine)
Never thought of these as a vitamin before? Yeah, neither had I until I realised their potency!
Did you know that instead of exploring the great outdoors the average member of the western population spends most of their time stuck inside? And, working in the hospitality industry, we don’t often get blessed with being able to go outside. From grafting in kitchens with no windows, working on reception without a break and long-haul flights as cabin crew, not many of us actually get much time to enjoy these beautiful (and free!) nutrients.
And all this indoor living/working is at detriment to our health!
Research shows that children who get more “vitamins N, FA and S” have lower stress levels, more success in school, and fewer ADHD symptoms. And adults who exercise and socialize more in nature are happier people all round.
We all know that simply being in sunlight triggers our skin to make vitamin D. Research has linked low vitamin D levels with depression, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis and cancer.
To make sure you have enough Vitamin D, be sure to get at least 15-20 minutes outside WITHOUT sunscreen. Why? Because sunscreen (high and low SPF factors) prohibits the body from making vitamin D by 95 %.
So in light of all this, it is important to get outside and get lots of nature (vitam N), fresh air (vitamin FA) and sunshine (vitamin S)—super potent forms of food for our bodies and minds!
How can I get more vitamin N, vitamin FA and vitamin S?
- Make sure your off time includes being outside. Go camping and sleep under the stars, park further away from work to get an additional 15 minutes of fresh air or make sure you spend your break times walking or chilling with a book while soaking up some sunshine.
- To avoid the typical mid-afternoon slump, take a 10-15min walk outside and drink in fresh air instead of coffee. This can be incorporated to your working day by talking a stroll on your break time too. Separate from your work by re-zoning and re-grounding outside.
- Try gardening! Getting your hands in the dirt is actually good for you—there’s a strain of bacterium in soil (Mycobacterium vaccae) that has been found to trigger the release of serotonin, which in turn elevates mood and decreases anxiety. No wonder the grandparents seem to enjoy giving their gardens a daily dose of love!
- Move your kitchen outside—fire up a BBQ and make some nutritious creations such as grilled smoked tofu skewers, or make rainbows with vegetable slices.
Awesome, but what do I do now?
I help my clients discover what it is they want to add to their daily routines and we work out how to incorporate more of these incredibly potent vitamins within their busy schedules.
If you would like to find out about fun ways to get more of these natural, abundant and potent vitamins in your life, float me a message and I can show you just how easy it is.
Here’s to your Health Overhaul!
