We live in an era where fairness matters even in our food – double refined white sugar, maida, polished rice – all bleached and blanched. The net result is juvenile diabetes, cardiac problems and latest is the dreaded colon cancer, all coming through junk foods and improper eating habits and unhealthy lifestyle.

Zero size with a fair complexion being the ideal perception, people resort to oil-free foods, depriving the system of even the minimal required fat. They refrain from exposure to sunlight fearing tanning. The ultimate product is a physically and mentally strained person.

Vitamin D, the free of cost vitamin or the sunshine vitamin, is got from the UVB rays of the midday sun. Mere exposure to sunlight through a window does not meet the requirements. Instead the glass absorbs the UVA rays that cause skin cancer. No wonder this cancer is on the rise along with colon cancer.

The difficulty in thinking clearly, muscle weakness, bone pain, frequent bone fractures, soft bones that may result in deformities and unexplained fatigue are some of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. Living in a tropical country, it is pathetic to see our people suffer from deficiency of this freely available vitamin and seek medical supplements to compensate that.

What we generally do is lock ourselves up indoors and do workouts in home gyms or floor exercises in front of the TV eating either zero fat or oily junk foods and either burn out more than required or never burn what we consume, or go out with sunblocks and anti UV protective gloves and scarfs. Our parents and ancestors never did this and had a healthy life outdoors. Office-goers and working women, once on the job premises get involved in their work and hardly get exposed to the sun. More pathetic is the lifestyle of children who spend hours in front of gadgets draining batteries and not their energy; juvenile diabetes and aggressive behaviour is an outlet of this saved energy!

The best time to absorb this golden vitamin is midday when the sun is high up in the sky. Being a fat soluble vitamin, some foods essential to absorb vitamin D are fatty fish like tuna, salmons, cheese, egg yolks,dairy products, soy milk, orange juice etc. They help in replacing the essential vitamin.

Osteoporosis is on the increase among womenfolk mainly because of this vitamin deficiency. They prefer to stay indoors and consume zero fat diet to maintain complexion and figure, ignorant that actually they are actually heading towards health hazards.

Drying clothes on the terrace during midday instead of balconies can supply the body with the required amount of this healthy vitamin sweating more than from a workout on a home gym. Ten minutes under midday sun without sunscreen can provide ample units of this golden vitamin. But what do we do; Surya namaskar inside centralised AC yoga studios!

So say no to zero fat and zero tan and get out and enjoy the warmth. Happy tanning!! Healthy living!!!

( The author of the column is Uma Ram, freelance writer from Coimbatore )

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own