All about your sunshine vitamin

Are you as stressed out about having missed your summer sunshine as I am? My daily routine was the same everyday – soaking up the sun rays in the park but due to the pandemic I missed out on all the vitamin D exposure. In fact, as a nutritionist I am concerned about the Vitamin D status of all my clients who have barely stepped out in the sun due to the imposed lockdown. Be a responsible citizen and stay at home.

I am sharing with you the essential need of Vitamin D. It supports bone formation and maintenance. Now you will argue that its calcium's job to give us strong bones but let me tell you calcium absorption is only possible in the presence of Vitamin D.

This means that you could have a ton of calcium in your body but without Vitamin D it cannot be metabolised and being a fat soluble vitamin you will need to ensure you are eating enough good quality fat like nuts, seeds, coconut and cows ghee preferably desi cow through your diet.

Unlike other vitamins, Vitamin D is actually a hormone which interacts with various systems in our body allowing it to play an integral role in Insulin production and parathyroid hormone secretion. Low Vitamin D levels are linked with diabetes, PCOS, malfunctioning thyroid, obesity and cancer too.

I can vouch for the immune- protective nature of Vitamin D, playing a crucial role in synthesis of the various soldier cells that hold up a strong fight against encroaching immune-suppressants.

I am going to share with you the foods that contain Vitamin D.

1. Cow's milk and its products preferably desi cow's milk and paneer

2. Mushrooms

3. Egg yolks

4. Indian fish such as Black Pomfret, Hilsa, Bommeralu and Shrimp.

Fear not, add the above food and if you are vegan, definitely supplement after asking your physician.

MUSHROOM PANEER KABAB

♦ 300 g button mushrooms

♦ 200 Gms Cottage cheese (paneer), chopped to one inch pieces

♦ 3 medium sized onions, chopped to one inch pieces

♦ 2 large sized Capsicum, chopped into inch pieces

♦ 200 g Cherry tomatoes

♦ 2-3 Green chilies, roughly chopped

♦ 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

♦ 2 tsps Cow's Ghee

♦ 1 tsp Red chili flakes

♦ 1 tsp Cumin powder

♦ 1 tsp Garam masala

♦ Rock Salt to taste

♦ 2 tsp lemon juice

♦ 1 tsp Chaat masala

METHOD

♦ In a bowl mix together cow's ghee, ginger – garlic – green chili paste, red chili flakes, cumin powder, garam masala, rock salt, lemon juice and chaat masala.

♦ Marinate for an hour - paneer, button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, onion

♦ Skewer vegetables and paneer and sticks.

♦ Cook over gas flame for five minutes, rotating the stick or in a preheated oven at 180degree for fifteen minutes.