profile

Intentional Living Newsletter

If We’re Going to Be Friends… Let’s Talk Vitamin D

Published 5 months ago • 2 min read

I’ll just say it upfront: If you want to be my friend, you need to know your vitamin D levels and they need to be toward the top.

Vitamin D gets nicknamed the sunshine vitamin, but for most of us, sunshine alone doesn’t cut it. Geography plays a huge role here, especially if you live north of the 37th parallel (which includes most of the United States).

Here’s the science-y but important part: above the 37th parallel, the sun’s angle from fall through early spring is too low for your skin to make meaningful vitamin D (even on bright, sunny days). Translation? From about October to March, vitamin D production from sunlight is essentially turned off.

Add in sunscreen (important!), time indoors, skin tone, aging, and busy lives and deficiency becomes incredibly common. In fact, an estimated 40% of adults in the U.S. are vitamin D deficient or insufficient, with even higher rates during the winter months and among people living north of the 37th parallel.

Why Vitamin D Matters: Bone Health and So Much More

Vitamin D is essential for strong, healthy bones, playing a critical role in calcium absorption and long-term bone integrity. But its impact doesn’t stop there. Adequate vitamin D levels also support:

  • Immune function and the body’s ability to fight infection
  • Muscle strength and balance, helping reduce fall risk
  • Mood and cognitive health
  • Inflammation regulation throughout the body

This makes vitamin D a foundational nutrient, one that supports structural health while also influencing how we feel, move, and function every day.

Low levels can show up as fatigue, frequent illness, muscle aches, low mood, or bone loss. These are symptoms many people live with without realizing vitamin D may be part of the picture.

Why Supplementation Is Necessary

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and even fortified foods rarely provide enough to maintain optimal levels. For those of us living north of the 37th parallel, supplementation isn’t optional, it’s practical.

For many people, vitamin D supplementation is the most reliable way to:

  • Maintain healthy levels year-round
  • Support immune resilience
  • Protect bones and muscles long-term

The goal isn’t just “normal”, (30-100ng/ml) it’s optimal above 70ng/ml. And that’s where testing and intentional dosing matter.
video preview​

Want more on vitamin D? Listen to the podcast this week.

In this episode of Intentional Living with Emlah, I dive into why vitamin D isn’t just a vitamin, it’s a hormone-like regulator that plays a role in immunity, mood, bone strength, and cardiometabolic health. I walk you through how to take it correctly (timing matters, fat matters, and yes, magnesium matters), why K2 is a key part of the conversation, and why “within range” isn’t the same as optimal.

This week, I was reminded that intentional living often shows up in the quiet, inconvenient moments. I started developing a cough, and with a podcast recording scheduled, I felt hesitant and honestly a little sad about the idea of canceling. I was sitting in that space of pushing through versus pausing when my son Timchia looked at me and said, in the most respectful way, “Let me think… what would Dr. Emlah, the intentional living coach, recommend if I were in that position? She usually tells me to listen to my body when it whispers. I wonder what her body is trying to tell her.” In that moment, clarity arrived. I stopped negotiating with myself, honored what my body was asking for, and hit send on the message to reschedule. It was a small decision but a powerful reminder that integrity means living the lessons we teach, even when it’s uncomfortable.

4004 Presidential Parkway, Powell, OH 43065
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Intentional Living Newsletter

Dr. Emlah Tubuo's

This newsletter will offer periodic health updates, suggestions and research alongside my own challenges, joys and struggles. I will offer advice regarding fun practical ideas for lifestyle changes, proper nutrition, supplementation and mindful living as we seek to live our precious lives as healthfully as possible.

Read more from Intentional Living Newsletter

A recent study found that individuals with higher vitamin D levels during midlife had lower amounts of tau protein buildup in the brain years later (one of the key markers associated with Alzheimer’s disease). Do you now understand why I say you have to have a vitamin D above 70ng/mL to be my friend? Researchers believe midlife may be one of the most important windows for prevention and long-term brain health support. Healthy aging starts with intentional living and focusing on the...

2 days ago • 1 min read

Low Dose Naltrexone (often called LDN) has become one of the most talked-about compounded therapies in the wellness and chronic illness space. But what makes it so different? Originally developed in much higher doses for addiction treatment, LDN uses a much smaller dose, typically around 1.5–4.5 mg, and is being explored for its potential role in supporting inflammation balance, immune function, discomfort, fatigue, and overall wellness. What’s especially interesting is that researchers...

10 days ago • 1 min read

We often think about health as the supplements we take, the foods we eat, or how much we exercise but our everyday environment matters too. New research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society found that exposure to PFAS (“forever chemicals”) during childhood may negatively impact bone development during adolescence. These chemicals are commonly found in drinking water, food packaging, nonstick cookware, stain-resistant materials, and many everyday products. The study is another...

17 days ago • 1 min read