Spend more time in the Sun - Get a healthier you!

In Jamaica, we see around 12 hours of sunlight per day. However, high numbers of the population suffer from vitamin D deficiency, which is shocking due to the high amounts of natural sunlight we receive.

Vitamin D is very important for a lot of functions in our body. It is very important for the regulation of calcium and the maintenance and building of healthy teeth and bones. It can also protect our bodies from diseases such cancer, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.

In particular, for maintaining a good body composition, it is an important component for the development of testosterone in the body. Testosterone is one of the hormones responsible for building muscle and reducing body fat.

Women have 10 per cent of the amount of testosterone that males secrete, hence women naturally carries more body fat than males and less muscles. Therefore, if you want to create a toned appearance - which is having muscles with low body fat - you will need to ensure your testosterone levels are healthy, which means keeping your vitamin D levels at the optimum.

Though we can get vitamin D from foods, this isn't as effective as the sun. Exposure to the sun is the best way for the body to create vitamin D. This means exposure to sunlight in sleeveless attire is ideal for the body to absorb the UV rays from the sun.

We can also get vitamin D from supplements; however, being in a country where we have so much sunlight (free) for a day, it is a cost-effective option.