Basking under the sun may not be enough to get all the vitamin D you need to avoid debilitating diseases as you age. Statistically speaking, over 40% of Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency, consequently increasing their vulnerability of contracting diseases such as depression, obesity, osteoporosis and varying types of cancers.

The problem is, a lot of adults don’t realize that they are suffering from this condition, making early prevention of diseases far from being easy. With high blood pressure and sleepiness being a common symptom, nobody really suspects that they need to load up on their vitamin D intake. Therefore, if you are experiencing some of these symptoms, you should not take it too lightly. Below are some tips that can help you source out this very important vitamin:

Cheese Up

If cheese is your comfort food, you can definitely find delight in the idea that ricotta cheese, unlike other types of cheese, is rich in vitamin D. Pair it up with strawberries and blueberries and you will absolutely be able to take your health level up a notch.

Drink Milk

Rich in calcium and fortified with up to 400 IUs in a 400-ounce glass, milk is essential in any diet. So if you think your baby is the only one who deserves a cup, you might have to rethink raising a toast to good health.

Savor the Yolk

Afraid of egg yolks? You don’t have to be. In contrary to popular belief, eggs are not only a rich source of vitamin as the fats found in it will not make your cholesterol levels peak up.

Buy Canned Tuna

Canned tuna is the go-to food of people who have no time to cook. Delicious and healthy, it can surely satisfy your cravings. Plus, about 8 ounces of tuna contains 300 IUs of vitamin D. How cool is that?

Be a Liver Lover

We’re not talking about just any kind of liver. Beef liver is a must in every meal plan as it is rich in so many vitamins (vitamin D included) and it has a mild taste that will leave you begging for more.

Grow Some Mushroom

If you love eating pasta, it may be wiser to add in more mushroom the next time you cook. Not only are mushrooms tasty, but they are also jam-packed with vitamin D. Not to mention, some canned mushroom brands have higher levels of this vitamin because of the mushroom’s exposure to sunlight.

Include Salmon in Your Diet

Popular for its omega 3 content, salmon is not only a good source of this heart-friendly nutrient. In fact, it is also rich in vitamin D and lean protein, which are both essential for your body to function optimally. So if you think fish should be out of your menu, think again. Serving this once a week is actually enough to keep you loaded with vitamin D.

Lastly, Read Labels

Not fond of reading labels? Well, you are not alone in committing one of the most major mistakes most consumers make. But the next time you are out for grocery, make sure that you are vigilant in reading the nutritional content of the goods you buy. Most cereals, yogurts and juices are now fortified with vitamin D, and the IU level you get can vary from one brand to another.

Based on the thousands of survey answers that I have read regarding how we feel about ourselves, I can say with confidence that your answer to question number one was similar to one of the following typical answers: depressed, angry, I want to lose weight, I wish I were thinner, fat, bored, lonely, happy…except for my fat.

I base my prediction on a few factors. For starters, you are reading an article in the weight loss “Diet Plans” section. That tells me that you are thinking about weight loss. More specifically you are reading my article and seeking some motivation. So, let’s get busy!

• How do you feel right now?
• Are you happy with the way you feel?
• How can you improve or change the way you feel?

Now ask yourself, Are you happy with the way you feel? Are you happy about being depressed, angry, wanting to lose weight, wishing you were thinner? I would imagine not. Can you see what this causes? Suddenly you are going around in circles. You are unhappy and then you become unhappy about being unhappy. What’s a dieter to do? I think this best illustrates dieting’s “Big Bang Theory.”

The beginning, the infamous, and elusive “getting started” concept. We are so dizzy from the self-created circles that our mind is busy spinning around in, that we have no idea what to do next or how to stop and actually get started. This is the point where many people are when the read one of my articles and then email me and say something like “your article really motivated me. I am ready to do this. Please tell me how to get started.”

Let’s do just that, get started. To do that you must ask yourself another question, “How can you improve or change the way you feel?”

If you are unhappy about being overweight, then you must change from being overweight to being at a healthy weight. If you are angry, then you must resolve what is causing you to be angry. If you are lonely, then you must open yourself up and allow others to befriend you. To do that, you must first be a friend to yourself!

It all starts with YOU. This is your life. I have said before that this is not a dress rehearsal, but the live production, the main stage, the big time. If you don’t like the way things are going, you can rewrite it and change it, but it is up to you to start.

I suggest that you make a plan and follow it. The plan needs to include all of the things that you do not feel good about right now and how you are going to go about improving them. For the purposes of this article, let’s focus on your weight.

If you are unhappy with the present condition of your body, design a plan to go about improving it. Realize that if you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting the same results. That means you must change in order to realize different results.

Do you log on to this newsletter week after week, pick up a few great pointers but don’t apply them as you should and therefore aren’t losing weight? Take the next step and actually try following the very sound nutritional plan offered herein. I lost 130 pounds. I didn’t do it by wishing that I could lose weight.

I didn’t do it by being angry all of the time. I didn’t do it by disliking myself. Those things only kept me obese for eight years. It was when I changed that the weight loss I so desperately wanted was realized. I changed how I felt about myself along with what I ate. The eating plan at eDiets is just about exactly how I ate as I lost my 130 pounds. They weren’t around yet or I would have used them. Now I follow the same basic guidelines they recommend for my maintenance.

There are many low-carb diets circulating today in the forms of cookbooks, how-to guides, and consumable products, each one echoing the same basic rules for weight loss and long-term healthy living.

Although there is speculation as to whether or not this type of diet is healthy or safe for everyone to use, scientific evidence shows reducing the daily intake of Carbohydrates is an effective and rapid way to shed extra pounds.

When food is consumed, the first nutrients our body absorbs are the Carbohydrates. Carbs produce Glucose, which is used for energy and once the liver has had its fill, the excess is turned into fat for later use. The average person consumes 50 to 60 percent of their daily diet in Carbohydrates. While each individual’s tolerance and intake are different, this amount most often leads to weight gain, regardless of how active a person may be.

Low-Carb diets seek to first reduce the individual’s intake of Carbohydrates to as low as 0 to 5 percent for the beginning of the program. This portion of the diet forces the body to rely on its stored fat for energy instead of from daily consumption.

The result is rapid weight loss as the body burns through fat. As the program progresses, the amount allowed for daily Carbohydrates increases in increments, slowing the weight loss slightly but still continuing to burn fat. As more “good carbs” are allowed into the diet, the range of allowable foods increases, giving dieters more choices for meals.

The final stage of these diets is a complete, regular meal plan full of healthy and filling meals without the constant consumption of foods that eventually become stored in fat. The goal is to become educated eaters, making right choices in regards to food, and keeping excess weight off permanently.

Foods that are high in sugar and Carbohydrates are cheap and easily accessible and combined with our eating-on-the-go habits, this is a receipt for obesity. Popular low-Carb diets such as the “Atkins” diet, state that in order to lose weight, we should avoid “danger foods”. These include candy bars, chips, and cookies which are products many commuters chose to grab when hunger strikes on the road. Also listed in foods to avoid are “White foods” such as sugars, flour, potatoes and white rice.

Many low-Carb diet guides suggest alternatives to these products both for meal time and on-the-go snacks and even produce lines of products that can be purchased at grocery stores. These products include low-carb candy bars, cookies, chocolates and chips made from products other than potatoes. Carrying one of these snacks in the car, bag or backpack will help reduce the consumption of road snacking, high sugared products.

Regardless of whether a person chooses to use one these pre-made low-carb diets or simply to reduce the amount of “bad carbs” they consume daily, the choice of a healthier way of living can lead to weight loss and overall increased health. Reducing obesity can prevent many health problems, such as a risk of heart-attack or stroke. Each low-carb diet follows the basic belief that reducing the amount of carbohydrates and sugars consumed each day combined with exercise can help many people to lose the weight and feel physically better.

The low-carb diet is not for everyone. Talk with your doctor before beginning this or any diet to determine if it is right for you.