The right foods can prevent you from getting sick and help you recover quicker if you do fall ill. Here's how to build a strong immune system and help your body fight off the bad guys.
You got sneezed on in the subway. Coughed on in the coffee shop. Your colleagues keep coming to work when they should be calling in sick. And your kids are bringing home illnesses you never even heard of. How the heck are you supposed to stay healthy?
It might seem like seasonal illness is out of your control. And, yeah, sometimes, sick happens. But you have more power than you think.

Your immune system is an incredible thing. The bacteria in your gut is actually a powerful army willing to fight on your behalf, but only if you feed them properly. And if you do get sick, certain foods can help you recover quicker. What you eat today can determine whether or not you get sick tomorrow.

Here's how to build a strong immune system and help your body fight off the bad guys.

The immune system is your best line of defense.OK, gang, it's time to layer on the armor and bolster our defenses. (And I'm not just talking about scarves and winter coats, though those are probably good to have around too.) To stay healthy, energetic and sick-day-free, we have to strengthen our immune systems.
Here's how the immune system works: Our body's battle for immunity begins in the mouth. Bet you didn't know that your saliva contains powerful antimicrobials like lysozyme, alpha-amylase and lactoferrin.
Any germs that sneak past those will confront our stomach's hydrochloric acid.
Then, should they survive, they'll go up against the proteins and chemical compounds in our digestive system that break down bad bacteria.
Finally, our own personal good bacterial population goes to work. They prevent bad bacteria from entering our bloodstream or taking root in our small intestine and colon. Those good bacteria are called probiotics. Think of them as an army against illness.
Feed your bacteria army.The GI tract comprises over 70 percent of the immune system. That's home to our good gut bacteria, which fight off a whole lot of yucky stuff.
If you want those bacteria to work for you, you've got to feed 'em. They love to chow down on nutrient-dense, fiber-rich whole foods. But processed foods, fats and sugars? Not so much. That's why a balanced whole-foods diet is your best insurance against all kinds of viruses and infections.

In other words, if your diet is lousy, you'll get sick more often and stay sick for longer. Eating poorly while you're sick will only make you sicker. Good nutrition, on the other hand, enables your body to deliver a swift roundhouse kick straight to those germy invaders.
Prebiotics and probiotics.Want a ready-to-roll squadron of healthy bacteria? Here's how to keep the soldiers well fed.
Prebiotics (aka bacteria food) help nourish our good microbial friends. Essentially, prebiotics are a form of semi-digestible fiber. You should get at least two to three servings of prebiotic-rich foods each day (more if you're unhealthy and need extra support from your gut flora).
Some of the best whole-food sources of prebiotics are:
* Vegetables: asparagus, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks and onions
* Carbs: barley, beans, oats, quinoa, rye, wheat, potatoes and yams
* Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, citrus fruits, kiwifruit
* Fats: flaxseed and chia seeds
You can also take a prebiotic supplement. Just remember, supplements are exactly that -- an addition to the real foods you're eating, not a replacement for them.
Meanwhile, probiotics (the bacteria themselves) help us stay healthy and recover faster once we get sick.
If you're healthy, aim for one to two servings of probiotic-rich foods each day (more if you are trying to prevent or alleviate a medical problem).
Some of the best whole-food sources of probiotics are:
* Dairy: yogurt, cheese and kefir with live and active cultures
* Fermented vegetables: pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi
* Fermented soy: miso, tempeh
* Miscellaneous: soy sauce, wine, kombucha
You can also take a probiotic supplement to give your healthy gut bacteria an extra helping hand -- just check with your doctor first. Eating lots of prebiotics and probiotics will help you fight off viruses and bacterial infections. But even the healthiest diet can't protect you from every invader. Sometimes we just get sick.
How to get un-sick.We've been told a million times there's no cure for the common cold. But is there a way to at least speed up recovery when we're sick? As a matter of fact, there is. Certain foods can help you kick that crummy feeling quicker. For example:
* Garlic: It acts as an antibiotic and lessens the severity of colds and other infections.
* Chicken soup: Yep, chicken soup actually works. It provides fluids and electrolytes and may contain anti-inflammatory properties that decrease cold symptoms. You have to eat real chicken soup though -- the kind you make from simmering a chicken carcass -- not the kind from a can.
* Green tea: It boosts the production of B cell antibodies, helping us rid ourselves of invading pathogens.
* Honey: It has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and helps suppress coughs. A few teaspoons in a cup of green tea are all you need.
* Elderberries: These have antiviral properties and are loaded with phytonutrients. Elderberry extract may reduce the duration of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections.
What about "feed a cold, starve a fever"?Should we really fast while feverish? While there could be a degree of truth to the old saying, our bodies are complicated. Science hasn't given us a firm, one-size-fits-all answer yet.
Here's all you really need to know: Listen to your body. Our own appetite cues probably give us the clearest picture of what we should eat (or avoid eating) when we're sick.
For example, very few of us want to eat when suffering from influenza or gastroenteritis. That's because flu-like bugs and bacterial infections create inflammation that leads to appetite suppression. So, if your body's telling you not to eat, you should probably listen.
What are you eating most of the time?It's cool to think about the power of specific foods, but if you really want to give your immune system a boost, consider how you eat most of the time. For example:
* How much are you eating? Consistently over- or undereating could compromise how the immune system responds to invaders. If your diet is broken, it's time to fix it.
* What's your fat intake like? Chowing down on an abundance of fats (especially saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids) could harm your gut and compromise your immune system. On the other hand, a moderate intake of healthy fats, such as nuts, olive oil and avocados, can supply a good source of vitamin E, which may help minimize your risk of influenza and respiratory infections.
* Hooked on sugar? Added sugars and high-glycemic-load diets may reduce white blood cell function and encourage inflammation, damaging your overall immune system.
* Getting enough protein? On the other hand, dietary protein insufficiencies and/or depletions in iron and zinc may lower overall immunity. In general, one palm-size portion of protein for women and two palm-size portions for men should be included at each meal.
* Are you eating the rainbow? Lots of fruit and vegetables are needed to get the vitamins and minerals your immune system needs. That includes iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium, copper, folic acid and vitamins A, C, D, E, B6 and B12. So, boys and girls, do what your mother told you and eat your veggies.
Remember: An overall, healthy balanced diet that supports your immune system is your best bet to avoid getting sick in the first place.

Want to lose weight and improve your health? More healthy fat may help. While fat, specifically saturated fat, has been blamed for increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease, research shows that carbs may actually be the culprit.
A controlled-diet study published in the journal PLOS challenges the theory that dietary saturated fat is bad or a contributor to heart disease. With that being said, there is an association between saturated fat in the blood and heart disease.


During the study, participants were put on six three-week diets that progressively increased carbs while simultaneously reducing total fat and saturated fat. Calories and protein remained the same. As carbohydrate levels increased, blood levels of a fatty acid (palmitoleic acid) known to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes also rose steadily.
When palmitoleic acid increases, it's a signal that an increasing proportion of carbs are being converted to fat instead of being burned as fuel. In other words, the amount of carbohydrates you consume may determine how you process saturated fat -- whether it is burned for fuel or stored as fat.

How Much Fat Should You Eat?
A recent study in the journal Open Heart indicates that research does not support the original dietary-fat-consumption guidelines created in 1977 and 1983. These guidelines recommended that we cut fat to about 30 percent of our total daily calories and reduce saturated fat -- from red meat and dairy products like milk, eggs and cheese -- down to no more than 10 percent of total calories.
Suddenly people were avoiding fat and replacing it with sugars and refined carbohydrates -- often in the form of fat-free and low-fat packaged foods.
But these guidelines, intended to make Americans healthier, have done anything but. Adult obesity rates have doubled since 1980, and they're projected to increase by another 50 percent by 2030. Meanwhile, childhood obesity and diabetes diagnoses have tripled.
It's time to stop thinking of dietary fat as the enemy. In fact, fat is a key source of energy and essential nutrients. You can't live without it, and it might help you lose weight.
Fat, like protein, helps keep you full longer. And since it carries flavor, it makes food more satisfying. In other words, you could probably consume fewer calories of fat and feel more full and satisfied than twice the calories of refined carbs. Even better, when you eat fat, it slows the entry of glucose into the bloodstream, helping to moderate your blood sugar. So instead of that "crash and burn" after eating carbs, along with feelings of hunger soon after, fat helps control your appetite and your cravings. When more than half of Americans show some type of carb intolerance, it may make more sense to choose a diet that controls carbohydrates instead of restricts fat.
Here are the types of fat you should consume and one you should avoid:

Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) are found in olive oil, canola oil, walnuts and most other nuts as well as avocados. MUFAs are usually liquid at room temperature.
Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are always liquid both at room temperature and in the refrigerator. They're found mostly in oils from vegetables, seeds and some nuts. Sunflower, safflower, flaxseed, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grape-seed and sesame oils are high in PUFAs. So are the oils in fatty fish, such as sardines, herring and salmon.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are dietary fats that your body can't produce. Both omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs are PUFAs essential to your health and well-being. Omega-3s are found in the fat of shellfish and cold-water fish. Omega-6s are found primarily in seeds and grains, as well as in chickens and pigs. Unless you're eating a very low-fat diet, you are most likely getting more than the recommended amount of omega-6s.
Eat foods or take supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as shellfish, cold-water ocean fish and fish oil (salmon, tuna, sardines, herring and anchovies, along with non-fish sources like flaxseed, almonds, walnuts and canola oil). Avoid corn, soybean, cottonseed and peanut oils, which are all high in omega-6s.

Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) tend to remain solid at room temperature. Butter, lard, suet and palm and coconut oils are relatively rich in saturated fats. This type of fat is fine to consume on a low-carb diet, because when carbs are restricted, your body burns primarily fat for fuel.

Trans fats should be avoided at all costs. Trans fats have been associated with an increased heart-attack risk, and they have been shown to increase the body's level of inflammation. They are typically found in foods you should be avoiding already, including fried foods, baked goods, cookies, crackers, candies, snack foods, icings and vegetable shortenings.

Gymnastics puts such an incredible demand on the body, it's important to plan your workouts in accordance with your gymnastic goals. Strength training is vital -- Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone devotes an hour each day to outside practice. Cardio is important to keep your body fat down, but gymnastics is more of a strength than endurance event, and too much cardio can start to break down muscle tissue. The good news is that using weights can give gymnasts muscular proportions that can hinder their abilities, so the only equipment you need to work out is the weight of your body.

Step 1

Do as many pushups as you can, then rest and repeat. Experiment with hand placement -- try placing them far apart or side by side to work different muscles. To make them harder, put your feet on a chair.

Step 2

Stand in a face-down pike position, as tight as you can. Bracing your hands on the floor, bend your elbows to lower the top of your head to the floor, then push back up. Do as many as you can, then repeat. To make it harder, stand on your tip toes.

Step 3

Arrange yourself into table position, with your hands and feet on the ground and your pelvis toward the ceiling. Squeeze your butt to get your pelvis as high as you can, then bend your elbows until they are bent at a 90-degree angle and push back up. Repeat to failure for two sets.

Step 4

Lie on your back with your arms straight over your head. Straighten your legs together and raise them about 4 inches from the floor. Quickly pike until you are touching your toes while balanced on your tailbone, then lower back down. Keep your body hollow, and repeat to failure for two sets.

Step 5

Get into plank position -- the top of a pushup -- and hold for 30 seconds. Tilt your body to the right, maintaining your straight body, until you are balanced on one hand with your feet stacked. Hold the position for 30 seconds, then return to plank for 30 seconds. Repeat to the other side, then return to plank for another 30 seconds.

Step 6

Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your legs straight and together, pointing at the ceiling. Lower your legs toward the floor until your lower back begins to lift off the floor, then raise them back up. Do as many as you can, rest, then repeat.

Step 7

Sit up straight with your legs straight and together in front of you, hands on the ground next to your hips. Hollow your body and push through the ground to lift your body into the air, maintaining straight legs. Hold as long as you can, rest and repeat.

Step 8

Stand with your legs together and take a giant step forward into a lunge. Spring back to the starting position, and repeat to failure. Do the same thing on the other side, rest and repeat the set.

Step 9

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees to lower your butt toward the ground, then rise back up. Repeat 30 times. For the next 10, jump into the air instead of raising slowly. Rest, then repeat the set.

Step 10

Stand in second position with your toes pointed out. Bend your knees to sink into a grand plie, making sure to keep your back straight and your butt tucked in. Slowly rise back up, and repeat 30 times. Perform the same move on your tiptoes for another 20 reps, rest, then repeat.

Step 11

Finish every workout with a 30-minute cardio session. Running burns the most calories, but cycling or swimming will give your joints a much-needed rest. Keep a pace that allows you to talk without gasping.

Despite what most men's fitness magazines sell, you do not need to spend hours working out in the weight room to get a fit physique. Rather, you can work out from the comfort of your own home to build muscle, lose weight and maintain fitness. A few pieces of equipment combined with an efficient workout can get you and keep you in shape.

Step 1

Invest in a few pieces of basic equipment for an effective, varied workout. Dumbbells are available in most fitness stores and take up little space at home. Choose a weight that will cause you to fatigue after 12 repetitions. Exercises for the larger muscle groups, such as chest presses, require a heavier weight versus exercises for smaller muscles, such as triceps extensions. Exercise major muscle groups with shoulder presses, biceps curls, dumbbell squats and one-armed rows for the back. A mat will be useful for core work and stretching; use a medicine ball for med-ball throws, standing rotations and crunches with a twist; finally, skipping rope will get your heart pumping for cardiovascular benefits.

Step 2

Set up a circuit routine in which you alternate eight to 12 work stations back-to-back. Incorporate upper-body, lower-body, core and cardio exercise into your circuit. A sample workout might be biceps curls, burpees, weighted lunges, shoulder presses, reverse crunches, triceps extensions, skipping rope and upright rows. Do each exercise for one minute and complete the circuit three times with a short rest between each set. Do circuits three times per week on alternate days.

Step 3

Make use of the outdoors for cardiovascular exercise. Cardio increases your heart rate and burns calories for weight loss all over the body. Aim to do three to five cardio sessions per week for 30 to 45 minutes each. Running, cycling, hiking and rollerblading all work the major muscle groups in the lower body and have muscle-toning effects. If you have a pool, swim a few laps or use your skipping rope in the house for a high-intensity interval workout. For the skipping rope workout, aim to skip for two minutes, followed by a 30-second to one-minute recovery rest and repeat 10 times.

Step 4

Include a five to 10-minute warm-up before all exercise sessions to increase blood flow to the muscles and decrease the risk of injury followed by a similar cooldown to decrease the heart rate and aid in recovery. Light cardio such as marching in place, jogging or walking will increase the heart rate and warm up muscles.

Things You'll Need

• Dumbbells
• Mat
• Medicine ball
• Skipping rope

In the past 35 years, no one in my home state of Texas has achieved what I have. I won the Mr. Universe title in 2011 and the World Championship in 2009, 2012 and 2013. How did I make it happen? Consistency was the key. I have been successful only because I have been consistent. I took basic movements and exercises, basic nutrition and basic cardio and made it into a lifestyle. There is no magic pill, there is no magic book, there is no secret to natural competitive bodybuilding. I just stayed consistent with simple, risk-free exercises and kept to my cardio and nutrition every day. This is where the show is won. Having the mental strength to get up every day and repeat the same thing over and over. Year after year, month after month, day after day: It truly is that simple. When you’re prepping for competition, there’s no off-season—it’s a 365-day-per-year job.

How to Use This Workout

Want to train like Mr. Universe? Start with this workout and keep at it day after day. These are basic exercises, but what makes them so unique and beneficial is contracting the main muscle being worked in the exercise before making the movement. That way, you’re not just going through the motions and moving the weight; you’re breaking down as many fibers as possible with proper posture and range of motion. For all five of the following exercises, perform four sets of 15 reps at a medium tempo, taking 30 seconds of rest in between sets.

1. Lunges

Lunges are a unique exercise that may seem easy and ordinary, but they provide great results in both toning the glutes and achieving great balance when using weights. Lunges also help you focus and prepare you to work on harder and more specific muscle sets afterward. Even when doing other exercises, in between sets you can use lunges to continually increase your heart rate to get in the optimal fat-burning zone. HOW TO DO THEM: Right before you do your first rep, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Inhale and lunge forward, keeping the torso as straight, tight and upright as possible, making sure that the front knee does not pass in front of your toes. Keep your back straight, your core tight, don’t lean forward and make sure to breathe! You can perform a complete set on one side and then the other, or you can alternate legs during the same set. If you have the space, you can also try walking lunges. This exercise mainly works the gluteus maximus and quadriceps, but the bigger the step, the more the gluteus maximus of the forward leg is recruited and the iliopsoas and the rectus femoris of the back leg are stretched. Smaller steps isolate the quadriceps of the forward leg.

2. Leg Extensions

Leg extensions are a great warm-up for the quads—the primary muscle group judges see when a competitor walks out to a competition. If the quads aren’t split and separated, then kiss your competition goodbye. Make sure to tighten your core while doing leg extensions to help maintain proper form and protect your lower back. Focus on drawing your belly button in and pulling up through the pelvis. Ultimately, tightening helps to control not only the muscles in the leg that are being used, but also the weight that they are moving. HOW TO DO THEM: Sit at the machine and grasp the handles or the seat to hold the torso immobile. Keep just enough weight on the machine that your quads are challenged without the plates slamming down at the end. Make sure the pad at the bottom meets your leg where the ankle starts, not the top of the foot. Bend the knees and place the ankles under the ankle pads. Inhale and raise the legs to as close to horizontal as possible without arching the lower back. Exhale as you lower the weight back down. Avoid hyperextension of the hamstrings by keeping your glutes on the seat.

3. Leg Press

This exercise will definitely push you to your limits because it isolates your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Start with the leg press machine for a safer workout. Freestanding machines can be less effective for novices not as familiar with proper form. The machine also puts less pressure on your knees as long as you don’t lock them out and keep your feet as high up on the foot plate as possible. People with back pain who are unable to perform squats can do this exercise, however, they must never lift their back off the back pad. HOW TO DO IT: Position the back properly against the backrest on the machine with the feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale and release the safety bar, then bend the knees completely inward toward the chest, slightly past a 90-degree angle, so that the thighs touch or nearly touch the torso. Return to the initial position without locking your knees, exhaling as the legs are extended. Placing the feet low on the foot plate isolates the quadriceps. Placing the feet higher on the foot plate calls on the gluteal muscles and the hamstrings. Positioning the feet wider apart focuses effort on the abductors.

4. Lat Pulldown

In our busy day and age, we all sit at a computer (or at least sit down) most of the day. This exercise helps correct bad posture. Also, when competing, my back, hamstrings and glutes totally separated me from my competition. Lat pulldowns focus on the primary muscles of the back (latissimus dorsi, trapezius and rhomboids) while also helping engage the secondary muscles of the biceps. This creates sexy definition and that V shape for both males and females. Make sure you squeeze the rhomboids before you pull down, which will truly engage the muscle before the rep. HOW TO DO IT: Sit facing the lat pulldown machine with a straight back and legs positioned under the pads, grasping the bar with the wide overhand grip (have your hands right where the bar curves downward). Going too wide or too narrow will make it less effective or open you up to an injury. Exhale and pull the bar down to the sternal notch while pushing out the chest and pulling the elbows back. Feel the squeeze in your rhomboids as you pull down. (This is specifically helpful for scoring well when posing in competition.) Inhale at the end of the movement right before the elbows lock out.

5. Biceps Curl

Doing biceps curls after the lat pulldown targets the secondary muscle group of the biceps and allows you to attack the biceps at different angles. When you work out, all you do is tear down muscle fibers and then rebuild them. This helps get the most definition in your biceps, because it targets both the long head and the short head. Most men have skinny arms, and this exercise accentuates the male upper body and shows strength. HOW TO DO IT: Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. As a modification, you can put one foot behind you (more stable) or lift one foot with the thigh parallel to the floor (less stable). Grasp the dumbbell or a band handle with an underhand grip (palm facing up). Contract the biceps head and forearm before curling the weight up. Exhale and bend the elbows to raise the forearm. On the way up, stop the rep before the knuckles hit the shoulder. On the way down, stop before the elbow locks. Keep the muscles engaged to continually tear down more fibers. Maintain constant tension and make sure to isolate the muscle. Inhale at the end of the movement, but don’t get light-headed. Avoid swinging your elbows and rocking; it deters you from having a tight core.

5. Biceps Curl

Doing biceps curls after the lat pulldown targets the secondary muscle group of the biceps and allows you to attack the biceps at different angles. When you work out, all you do is tear down muscle fibers and then rebuild them. This helps get the most definition in your biceps, because it targets both the long head and the short head. Most men have skinny arms, and this exercise accentuates the male upper body and shows strength. HOW TO DO IT: Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. As a modification, you can put one foot behind you (more stable) or lift one foot with the thigh parallel to the floor (less stable). Grasp the dumbbell or a band handle with an underhand grip (palm facing up). Contract the biceps head and forearm before curling the weight up. Exhale and bend the elbows to raise the forearm. On the way up, stop the rep before the knuckles hit the shoulder. On the way down, stop before the elbow locks. Keep the muscles engaged to continually tear down more fibers. Maintain constant tension and make sure to isolate the muscle. Inhale at the end of the movement, but don’t get light-headed. Avoid swinging your elbows and rocking; it deters you from having a tight core.

What Do YOU Think?

Have you tried this workout yet? Will you? Why or why not? Remember, the key is consistency. How consistent have you been with your workouts? How do you plan to stay on track? Even if you don’t plan on competing, are you inspired by professional bodybuilders? Who else inspires you to work out? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Research conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA) published earlier this month has highlighted the high level of saturated fat content in coconut oil.
Over the past few years, the tropical oil has been endorsed and recommended by lots and lots of people – dieticians, nutritionists, and celebrities alike.
We know coconut oil plays a star role in Gwyneth’s Goop recipes, and that it’s the main ingredient in Gisele Bundchen's organic skin care line, Sejaa Pure Skincare. Emma Stone and Kourtney Kardashian use it as an all-natural make up remover.
Coconut oil is also a big part of Angelina Jolie’s breakfast routine, and Jennifer Anniston was once a devotee of the Coconut Diet – a low carb, coconut rich plan that is supposed to hurry up your metabolism and ignite weight loss.
Then there’s the celebrity-hyped practice of ‘oil pulling’ – where you swish coconut oil around in your mouth for white teeth and, apparently, supple skin.

The super oil has been said to have tonnes of beneficial uses – though the AHA is specifically interested in cardiovascular health, and therefore the truth about eating a spoonful rather than applying a slick as part of your beauty routine.
The report pools coconut oil alongside known baddies like “dairy fat (butter), lard (pork), beef tallow, and palm oil” as the main sources of saturated fat to be avoided to lower cholesterol and maintain heart health. The report also begins by stating that cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death, “accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year.”
“Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, and has no known offsetting favourable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil,” the report states.
There are lots of studies which have suggested that consuming coconut oil can boost metabolism, support immunity, ease digestion, and control weight. And while jars and jars of the stuff appear in the health food isles of most supermarkets - for the AHA, this evidence is yet to prove conclusive.
Like lots of other ‘super food’ fads, to absorb the superhero nutrients coconut oil claims you’d have to chow down on a pretty unfathomable amount.  And, in the case of the coconut, the saturated fat content would vastly outweigh any other chemical benefits.
For the AHA, the best oils and fats to include in your diet are found in “sunflower oil, olive oil, avocados, and tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, and pecans.”
But don't throw away that pricey jar of organic coconut oil just yet - here are some great ways to use it in your everyday beauty regimine. It's also a great, natural cleaning product.

One in three Australians are deficient in vitamin D. Getting enough vitamin D through safe sun exposure, diet and/or supplements is imperative for general good health and to help fight off chronic diseases.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a range of health conditions from multiple sclerosis to polycystic ovary disease.
You may be at risk of low vitamin D levels if you:

• Don't get out much in the sun
• Are obese (vitamin D is stored in fat, but doesn’t get out again until the fat is broken down, i.e. with when weight is lost).
• Have naturally dark skin (darker skin tones contain more melanin, which blocks the absorption of ultraviolet light) and/or cover up with clothing.
• Have very fair skin. Some research suggests that people with fair skin may be lacking in vitamin D partly due to sun avoidance because of the fear of sunburn.

Nutritionist at USANA Health Sciences, Ravinder Lilly, encourages taking some simple steps and introducing minor adjustments to daily routines and diet in order to improve your vitamin D levels. According to her, there are three key ways to boost vitamin D levels:

1. Go out for a quick afternoon walk

In winter, the sun exposure to arms or equivalent needs to be around noon and for seven minutes (Cairns) to 30-40mins (Hobart) most days spread over a week to maintain adequate vitamin D levels.
During winter the energetic UV that produces vitamin D is not around in early morning or late afternoon so it is important to get out in the sunshine during the afternoon. Take a stroll during your lunch break and roll up your sleeves or take your jacket off to allow the sun to reach the skin.

2. Eat Vitamin D-containing foods

Ravinder says  the vast majority of our vitamin D intake is made by sun exposure on the skin; eating vitamin D-rich foods contributes around 10 per cent of your requirements.
These foods include:
• Liver (this isn’t suitable if you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy as it can contain very high levels of vitamin A which can be toxic in large doses).
• Oily fish – like salmon, sardines and fresh tuna.
• Fortified foods including breakfast cereals, eggs and milk. Full-fat milk contains the most vitamin D and that is one reason that whole milk is best for toddlers and young children.

3. Try a good quality supplement

Even low levels of vitamin D have been linked with health problems. Supplements can raise your blood levels of vitamin D if the deficiency is moderate but if levels are very low, you may need injections of vitamin D to raise blood levels rapidly. Although the sun is the major source of vitamin D, if you have a diagnosed deficiency, exposing yourself to the amount of sun needed to raise your D levels could pose a health risk.