Over the last few months or so, I’ve been… how do I put it gently… Chrystal Crabby Pants! I’ve been feeling a little low, losing my temper quicker than normal, not my normal happy self, and I HATED it! “What is wrong with me?” I asked myself every night as I had the normal mom guilt for getting frustrated with my kids at bedtime, or thinking back on the feeling of just over all just blue in general.
I am generally a happy, upbeat, and sometimes overly optimistic person. So feeling this way was not normal and I seriously did not like it! Now, I should also mention here, I do have an autoimmune disease called Hashimotos, that can also lend a hand in the symptoms of feeling down, irritated, etc (so that’s fun…not!). I take a lot of supplements to help with the Hashimotos and continue to eat healthy because I’m trying VERY hard to avoid starting thyroid medications – anyway, that’s for another blog post.
I meet with my functional med Dr. regularly. At our last appointment I told her about my symptoms and how I was feeling. Important thing to note here, I talked to someone about how I was feeling! If you are having these feelings, or ever feeling down or just not right, TALK TO SOMEONE! Do not be ashamed! It is ok and better to talk to someone then to continue feeling unlike yourself. Ok, stepping off my soap box. As I was saying, I talked to my Dr., she knows how much I want to put off getting on prescription meds until absolutely necessary, and she does an amazing job supporting me with that intention. So she asks, “are you taking Vitamin D?”
I knew I should have been, but I wasn’t. My super smart Doc told me to start taking a high dose of vitamin D, like 5,000 IUs a day for a few weeks and then reduce to 2-3,000. So I stopped at my local pharmacy, and bought a bottle of liquid vitamin D! You can also get vitamin D in good ol’ pill form, it does not have to be liquid. I just prefer the liquid because it’s easy, tasteless, and I heard that liquid is absorbed more easily. The point is, I got some Vitamin D!
Guess what, I feel 100 times better! From 1 little vitamin! None of us get the amount of Vitamin D our bodies crave, but here in the Midwest we get even less and therefore need to supplement! Wow, 1 little addition to my day and I am happy again, less easily irritated, and have more energy. I am not a doctor and therefore have no medical background, so this is all just a suggestion from a friend. Take your Vitamin D! Or better yet, take your Vitamin D… but also take a trip to a warm, sunny place in our long winter months – it’s for your mental health!
Stay Wild my friends! And get your Vitamin D however you can! xoxo – Chrystal
