The NHS recommends taking supplements in winter (Image: Getty Images)

If you dream of sunny days, al fresco dining and long evenings, you are not alone.

But summer is still far away and in winter it is important to keep your body and mind healthy.

In Great Britain, the NHS recommends everyone take a daily vitamin D supplement in autumn and winter.

Vitamin D – necessary for bone, teeth and muscle health – is produced in the body by direct sunlight on the skin when we spend time outdoors.

“Vitamin D is an important vitamin that should be consumed all year round, but deficiency is more common in winter,” private nutritionist Reema Patel tells Metro.co.uk

“This is because sunlight is the body’s best source of vitamin D and UV rays in Britain are not strong enough to produce vitamin D between October and April.”

This means we are in pain more often, catch colds more often, and generally feel crappy.

So even if it’s not possible to get vitamin D from sunlight, what else can you do?

Three simple ways to boost vitamin D in winter

Don’t be afraid to take supplements (Photo: Getty Images)

Eliminate it from your diet

It is important to eat a diet rich in all vitamins and minerals, but especially in winter it is important to include some extra vitamin D in your meals.

Reema recommends eating fatty and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel at least once or twice a week.

“If you don’t eat fish, other foods like eggs and mushrooms provide vitamin D, as do fortified foods and drinks like plant-based milk alternatives and some grains,” she adds.



Sources of Vitamin D in Your Diet:

  • oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
  • Red meat
  • liver
  • egg yolk
  • Fortified foods – such as some fatty spreads and breakfast cereals

Supplements are your friend

There is no harm in taking supplements, especially when it comes to vitamin D.

However, Reema recommends that you consult your doctor to determine which dose is right for you.

To go outside

Yes, we know that’s the last thing we want to do when it’s raining, but Reema recommends 15 minutes of sunlight per day, so be stricter.

Put on a hat and a raincoat and go for a short walk. Grab some snacks from the store or a nice hot coffee to motivate yourself.