I write about a lot of different thing on here…using coupons, finding coupons, cooking at home, product reviews…I could go on. One of the things I have not written about much though is my personal health and wellness. It isn’t that I don’t want folks to know about my health issues, I just don’t generally talk about it much.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m not sick or anything like that! But, I used to be very, very overweight…which had the potential to make me very sick. In 2005 I changed the course of my health history forever when I had gastric bypass surgery. I won’t get into the hows or why, but what I do want to talk about today is the need for me to monitor my health for the rest of my life.
Why does this matter to you? Because anything you can do to keep yourself healthy is important! If you have a family, and children, it’s even more important! Our health is as important as our attempts to save money and change our family budgets!
When I heard that Collective Bias was looking for bloggers to go shopping for Nature Made Vitamin D, I jumped at the chance. I prefer Nature Made for many of my vitamins, and Vitamin D is a big need for me, both as a gastric bypass patient, but also as an aging woman. *GASP* Did I just call myself an aging woman? Oh, dear…
Anyway, Vitamin D is serious business. For everyone, not just me. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for our bodies, and is critical to the absorption of calcium. Gastric Bypass patients do not absorb anything well after surgery, so getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals into our diet is crucial.
Normally we can get Vitamin D from food, and our bodies make it when exposed to sunshine, but our declining food system, lack of sun exposure and many other factors cause a lot of us to miss out on proper levels of Vitamin D.
Every year I get a full metabolic panel done to test my blood and make sure I get enough of all my vitamins. On more than one occasion my lab results showed a moderate and also a severe deficiency for Vitamin D. So, I had to up my dosages for a while and get re-tested.
Being deficient in Vitamin D can cause a lot of problems, especially as we age. Vitamin D helps support your bones and teeth, and like I said, is critical to calcium absorption. Some studies also seem to indicate immune health and your mood can get a boost from Vitamin D!
So, long story short…I jumped at the chance to go shopping for Nature Made Vitamin D. I went to Walmart and had a blast checking out several departments in the store. You can see all of the pictures I took on Google+! You don’t need an account, just click here to view the album.
On a personal note, I take 5000 IU of Vitamin D, because of my absorption issues. You should consult your doctor before taking doses that high.
Here are some other tips when buying Vitamin D:
- First, consult your doctor so you know the IU to buy. Nature Made makes low dose (400 IU) and also 1000, 2000 and 5000 IU.
- Make sure you are buying Vitamin D3. This is the recommended form of Vitamin D, and best absorbed for our bodies.
- Check the % Daily Value (DV) on the bottle to gauge how strong the vitamin is you’re considering (the IU also tells you this, but I like to look at % DV personally)
- Check serving size. You want to be able to take one pill a day, not 4 or 5. Nature Made pills are one pill for a serving, so you only take it once a day.
- Pill form. I like soft gel pills over traditional tablets, because they are easier for me to digest and absorb. Check for different options. Nature Made has both!
- Package size. Always check to see how many pills you are getting for the amount you are paying. When I was shopping for Nature Made Vitamin D, I found some twin packs that cost less than simply buying two regular bottles, or one bigger bottle. Always do the math!
You really should check out all the photos I took on my trip. I found lots of other goodies along the way, and of course…a great bottle of Nature Made Vitamin D!
Do you take Vitamin D? Have you noticed a difference in your health? I’d love to know!
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.
#CBias #VitaminD
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