A Little Bit 'O Sunshine

Parenthood.  Not for the weak of mind, nor weak of heart.  I was going to say something about parenthood being like one continuous Herculean effort, but come to find out Hercules killed all his children.  Oops, scrap that idea!

After what seems to be the longest and darkest winter of all in my house (particularly when it comes to being hijacked by some form of bacteria, virus, etc.), I'm hoping we're coming out of the "dark" and into the "light" of spring.  My sanity needs it!  Thank goodness the sun is shining in all it's glory today - luxuriously warm sunshine, no less.  Abundant sunshine can make anything better - I'm not yet sure if it's psychological, or my ol' Vitamin D deficiency, but the mere fact I am only wearing a fleece as a jacket today makes me ridiculously happy.

Speaking of Vitamin D (the "sunshine") vitamin, I've been hearing more and more about Vit. D deficiencies.  We've been bombarded with messages imploring us to slather the kids up the minute their precious skin sees the light of day - we as adults see how much damage we've done to ourselves: better cover up!  The days of baking outside with baby oil and foil are OVER.  Big brimmed, floppy hats, SPF 100, full coverage even during the hottest days...I'm too afraid to go outside lest I walk back in with a melanoma!

(I bet this guy gets plenty of "D")

A little extreme, to be sure.  However, since I'm not aging from here on out, wrinkles just won't do.  I'm not adverse to some sun exposure to my limbs (in fact, if I don't get any exposure on my lower extremities during shorts-season, you'd better have your sunglasses on), but I protect my face like it's nobody's business.  Unfortunately, even this isn't enough because my Dr. diagnosed me with a Vit. D deficiency a few years back and recommended I take a supplement.  In all seriousness, after taking it regularly for a few weeks, I could really feel a difference - I felt more clear-headed, did not suffer from post-long run headaches, and actually felt a bit happier.  I would recommend anyone suspicious of a deficiency (you can find a symptom list here) get checked out by their Dr.  You can even request it during your yearly physical blood workup.  Easy!

Of course, there are plenty of ways to get your daily dose in your diet - fortified milk and OJ, fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), fortified yogurt, margarine & cereal, cod liver oil, and beef liver (source).  However, if you are vegetarian, vegan, or are allergic to milk products (or you can't fathom eating cod liver oil or beef liver), getting the proper amount is much harder.

Salmon is one of the best natural sources of Vitamin D, so even though I already posted a salmon recipe, here's another one which is perfect for when you want to fire up the grill (yahoo!).  Perfect with a big, giant tossed salad:

Grilled Salmon - 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
• lemon pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• salt to taste
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.