This month sees the shortest day of the year – 21 December. On that day, in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands, there will be only five hours 49 minutes of sunlight. Experts say Brits – and that especially applies to our hardworking installers – need to up their vitamin D and K intake by eating the right foods and taking supplements.
Brits are being urged to take a supplement of ‘sunshine’ Vitamin D – especially those north of the border in Scotland.
The Department of Health recommends taking a supplement during autumn and winter when sunlight hours are limited and our bodies are unable to make enough of the vitamin which is essential for healthy bones and general wellbeing.
With average sunlight dropping to less than six hours in some parts of UK experts at Innopure.com say that upping your dose of vitamins D and K can give you the boost you need to get you through the dark winter.
A lack of vitamin D can leave you feeling tired, unable to think clearly and it can cause bone pain and muscle weakness. A severe deficiency in children can lead to rickets.
The best source of vitamin D is direct sunlight, but from October to March, when the average hours of sunlight drops, levels of the vitamin in your body fall. It can be found in some foods, among them oily fish, red meat, liver, eggs and some fortified foods including breakfast cereal.
A spokesperson for Innopure.co.uk, said: “A lot of people hate the winter and dread the long, cold, dark days. Vitamin D is important for our general well-being and when you’re not getting enough it can leave you feeling tired and groggy, as well as having the potential to cause some long-term problems.
“There are things you can do to boost your vitamin D naturally. Eating the right foods is a good place to start as is making the most of any sunny days and hours there are.
“It’s still unlikely you’ll get the required dose during the winter so taking a supplement daily is the obvious solution. If it goes someway to helping beat the winter blues and improving overall health during the chilly months, then that has to be a good thing.”
Innopure.com
Superfoods for your lunch-box
Online healthy retailer Musclefood.com has researched six superfoods brimming with vital vitamins and minerals that can each be bought for pennies.
Grab a bag of lentils, a dozen eggs and plenty of broccoli and you’ll be stocking up on foods packed with goodness without shelling out a fortune.
Among the superfoods that won’t put a dent in your wallet are eggs, lentils, avocados and oranges.
Compare them with unhealthy alternatives like crisps, cereals, fizzy drinks and donuts and it becomes clear that they offer great value for money.
See from the table below just how little you need to spend to eat well.
| Superfood | Superfood price | Unhealthy food | Unhealthy food price |
| Lentils | 69p for 500g | Jam donuts | 65p for 5 |
| Eggs | £1.65 for 12 | Breakfast bars | £1.99 for 6 |
| Avocado | £1.80 for 4 | Chocolate cereal | £2 for 510g box |
| Broccoli | 43p for 350g | Chocolate cream biscuits | 45p for 296g |
| Oranges | 95p for 6 | Orange fizzy drink | £1.25 for 420ml |
| Almonds | £1.70 for 200g | Multipack of crisps | £1.50 for 6 packets |
Darren Beale, of Musclefood.com, said: “Most consumers have heard the argument that junk food is popular because eating healthily is expensive.
“But as these foods prove, that is simply not the case. There are plenty of affordable options available that are as nutritional as they are cheap.”
