It’s the mighty cold and flu season sinking in around us and our gathering of Vitamin D opportunities outside are close to nothing here in Wisconsin. So we eat healthy to ward off the bugs floating around. The season does lend itself to research opportunities on how to get more Vitamin D. And to look for better ways to support our bodies to utilize the Vitamin D properly, aka, supplement to boost the key vitamin (hormone).
If you’ve never researched the benefits of Vitamin D, it’s worth the time and effort to do so. It’s a tiny and very important icing on the cake for healthy body functions. And has been a key part of our low-carb journey.
Two years ago, when Mr. and I first started our journey of low-carb eating, I caught the flu the first week into it. Not because of what we were eating, but from the flushing out of the bad toxins from what we had been eating. I think, anyhow. The symptoms started the week following my annual physical where I visited the clinic where sick people go during the flu season. My doctor reminded me that I should be taking Vitamin D. I really wasn’t a supplement taking person, except for probiotics. I arrogantly thought I got enough Vitamin D by my time in the sun.
In January, I guess I was overly optimistic that I had stored plenty from the summer months. So I decided to think about it. Little did I know that Vitamin D is very important in helping our immune systems fight off viruses. I started supplementing it that year.
The flu I had was the strangest flu ever. It was probably the you-know-what virus, but that was before the world was testing for it and before we really knew what it was, so I don’t really know or care now. Anyhoo…ever since I recovered from it, I’ve been flu-bug-free. Will that trend last? I hope so. So far so good, and I do believe, in part, it is how we eat now that is our saving grace. Skipping any sugary form of icing has helped us keep inflammation at bay.
Vitamin D from exposure to the sun is my preferred way to get it. I love being out in the sun. But, dang – not so much in January. It may look nice and sunny outside from my current window view, but that wind and the snow blowing into drifts is a clear indicator it feels more like the picture below. And there’s no way I’m getting into my bikini and laying out in the snow to shock my body into creating more Vitamin D from the sunny winter day. Brrr. Even the rabbits have taken cover.
Therefore, I do supplement Vitamin D3 and K2. Faithfully. Along with a few other supplements and our low-carb eating style.
For the most part, we eat clean keto. Occasionally, though, we crave some bread with home-cooked chili. With noodles. We don’t do the noodles. Instead, we eat this fun version of chili in the winter? Turkey Pumpkin Chili, that’s a favorite of ours! This recipe by Low Carb Yum is Paleo/Keto, so even though we’ve mostly eaten a Keto style for two years, it’s nice to throw in some meals that seem like the old way of eating without the guilt. Plus this chili is loaded with other vitamins like A and C.
These Keto Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits are a great side with the chili. We go all out on the cheddar factor. True Wisconsinites we are. Who are sad, by the way, about the Packers’ loss, but there’s always next year! I think we’ve said that for a couple of years… 🤔
Back to the chili bubbling in the Instant Pot. Mr. graciously let me photograph a few steps along the way.
While the Instant Pot cooked the chili, we rocked the wait away by listening to the sounds of decades of good music.
It’s fun to reminisce about the music we grew up on. We talked about Gene Krupa (still hoping to discover that we are really related to him), Meatloaf and Paradise by the Dashboard Light (I sang along, off-key), our wedding song Angel Eyes by Jeff Healey, Red Red Wine by UB40, etc. Oh, and, we tossed in a little Frank Sinatra – I Did it My Way!
And John Denver and Cass Elliot…listen to the beginning for some words of wisdom from Cass before they start singing. 50 years ago, folks, 50 years ago…
Good cheers to fun games and musical moments to keep us cozy on a Big Chill kind of day in January! I loved the movie. Did you?
Mr., “UM…no, couldn’t stand it, never watched the whole thing!”
Okay, then, moving on to GREASE (and more off-key singalongs). Mr. can sing, he was in a band, so he lends me his not-so-good ear when I sing.
The other part of our low-carb eating has been to incorporate intermittent fasting. I had gone 19.5 hours in between meals and was slightly hungry. If you’ve never tried doing intermittent fasting (IF), the benefits of doing IF are wonderful.
Back to the chili meal, after a slight battle with the Instant Pot, the aroma filled the room and the bowls were filled and presented to the table. I ate way more than one serving. It was SO delicious!
So were the biscuits. I only ate two. They are very filling, so is the chili.
I stirred in the yogurt and grabbed a biscuit too.
For dessert, we shared a tiny bowl of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey on it. That was the icing on the cake for this meal. We have leftovers of biscuits and chili to eat today too!
Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – It was Linda’s Birthday – stop by to see all the fun birthday wishes! Your prompt for #JusJoJan and my very first birthday-Stream-of-Consciousness-Saturday is: “icing on the cake.” Write about the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the phrase “icing on the cake.” Enjoy!
PS – Have you tried Greek yogurt and honey? Don’t you go telling me that you don’t like pumpkin in chili until you’ve tried it 😉 What is your favorite winter meal? What are you eating to stay cool if it’s summer where you live? What decade of music is your favorite?
Love the song and the words from Cass are surely timely. Sad to have lost both of those singers so young. I heard of the benefits of Vitamin D and started taking a supplement when the pandemic started. Fortunately, vaccines, boosters and vitamins may have been helping me as we’ve had two cases of covid in our house of four and I’ve been spared both times. The biscuits and chili look yummy! I do some intermittent fasting as well, usually eating dinner before 7 PM and then nothing until after noon the next day. Glad that things are working so well for you! Have a great week.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Janet. I agree that those two singers are gone too soon.
Glad to hear you implemented Vitamin D into your plan against the pandemic! I hope you’re able to keep it up.
The intermittent fasting comes easily with the keto, don’t you think?
I hope you and your family are well – sending hugs your way as you miss your mom and as you head into the next month of sales on your Etsy store!
The chili recipes looks like a winner. Your photo of it makes it look irresistible, of course. I know that lack of Vitamin D can be a problem. I also know that by wearing sunblock all the time when I go outside, like the dermatologist recommends, I may not be getting all the Vit D I need according to my PCP. Mixed messages, anyone?
Hi Ally, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hope you get to try the recipe. I don’t think I’d go back to the old family recipe I have. I loved that growing up, but have since moved on from the noodles.
Yes, I agree, the mixed messages are maddening. We are all deficient if we are tested. Which is sad. I did some research and the time of day you are exposed, the amount of skin exposed, and the ability to absorb it without damage are doable. I don’t wear sunscreen unless I’m out in the middle of the day. I try to avoid adding any toxins to my skin. Sunscreen has some scary sh*t in it.
Since we changed our diet, I also don’t burn when I’m in the sun. Except when I was in FL last spring, the 3 hours in the middle of the day walking the beach without reapply sunscreen proved to be a burning experience. I wouldn’t trade it though – Vitamin Sea is well worth it to me.
The food looks so good, Shelley! The pumpkin chili sounds good, I should try making it! The music of the 1980s was so good, it’s great to hear it today on my memory card in the truck and on the radio here at 97.1 FM. Stay warm!
Thanks, John! Yes, make the chili and see if you like it – your recipe always looks yummy too.
Yay for the 80s music! It’s so easy to sing off-key to. LOL – PS – I’m not saying that you sing off-key. ;-)! Enjoy your week!
So many good things here, Shelley! Your chili looks yummy, although I’m not a big fan of pumpkin. Love the Denver/Cass duet and her wise words… it’s very disheartening that some states are doing their best to make it harder for people to vote. Once again, I’m grateful to live in California. Yes! I loved The Big Chill… one of my favorite movies. And, yes! I’m also a big fan of intermittent fasting, although I find the 5/2 version works best for me. Now, the sun is shining and it’s about 72 degrees outside, so I’m going out to collect some vitamin D! Have a fantastic day!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Janis!
I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin either, and the spices in this chili do hide it well. It’s mostly the thickener for the chili.
I was so surprised to hear Cass’s comments – you’d think after 50 years we’d have made progress in solving the issues at hand. Sigh.
The Big Chill rocks! I keep trying to convince Mr. of it – we end up agreeing on Grease instead.
Yes – we did the 5/2 IF the year before and found it to be a great option too. Glad it works for you.
I’m super jealous that you’ve got 72 degrees and sunshine…it’s cloudy, windy, and cold here. Enjoy your Vitamin D collection, I’m smiling knowing you’re happy and having a fantastic day!
I’ve never done pumpkin in chili but I bet it adds a nice touch of sweetness. Will have to try in my Cincinnati chili recipe! Too bad about your Packers. We will be watching the Bills game (I’ve got family in Buffalo, so they’re my second choice after the Browns). I had to get on a megadose of Vitamin D for a while (prescription)–because mine was low, and it helps to absorb calcium. Evidently, unless you live in Fla. or further toward the equator you really need to supplement. The sun just doesn’t cut it. No need to tell you that with your -20 degree weather!
Hi Rebecca, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Yes, the pumpkin sweetens up the tomatoes like sugar does, but without the nasty sugar effects. We do think that green peppers taste
a bit better than the red pepper, but that’s what we had in the fridge. Let me know if you try the pumpkin with your chili and if it works!
I didn’t see if the Bills won or not? Or even if they played yet or not…I’m so out of the loop, in fact we only watched the last two Packer games and only for one quarter each.
Yes, on the Vitamin D. In our area, the doctors don’t even test unless they have to as ‘everybody’ is deficient. We’re also deficient in iodine because of our diets. So there’s that too. Glad you’ve found a way to get your levels back to normal!
That recipe looks great! And it’s the kind of thing we eat in winter. (I love pumpkin, and this looks like a good way to sneak some into DH.) As for Vitamin D, we have both been taking a good hit of it daily for years. When you live on this side of the lake, the gray days abound in winter. And there are studies that show a lot of benefits for older folks (which we hate to admit we are, but you can’t fight Mother Nature…ha!). I think it also helps DH absorb the calcium he needs since his parathyroids left the building. 🤪
Yes, it is surprisingly good recipe, I hope you get to try it. My youngest is not a fan of pumpkin and she could barely taste it. May DH won’t either!
Glad you’ve discovered the Vit D supplements. Yes, many studies about it have proven the need for it. Sorry to hear about DH’s parathyroids. Calcium absorption is important. Have you looked at the link with iodine too – we’re supposedly lacking that as well in our neck of the woods.
Vitamin D is a crucial one, as is Vitamin C, when fighting off colds and viruses. Zinc is key, too. My guess is that the Vitamin D supplement helped you over the flu, or whatever it is…
Yes, they all are important vitamins. I do believe they did contribute to a quick recovery. We recently had what was probably omicron, and I took a few extras like Quercetin and NAC, and we were over it in a few days. Made it wildly mild.
I admire you, Shelley, and your hubby, for sticking to a low-carb lifestyle. Carbs and sugar are the bane of my existence and what I crave most, so the holidays were not a healthy eating time for me. I’m back at trying to eat healthy again and will be making a bean and root veggie stew today. I still supplement my diet with rice, gluten-free pasta and sweet potatoes, but in moderation. If the weather ever warms up, I’ll get back to regular walks outside so I can work on the weight I gained the last few months. It’s going to be spring soon…right? :-p
Thank you, Mary. Great to hear from you! In Wisconsin, the low carb diet is easier than we thought – meat and cheese is plentiful. It’s not a diet everyone can stick to, but we’ve found it has been easy and fun to learn what works and doesn’t. We don’t miss the carbs at all. Before we started, I was thinking that I had some gluten intolerance, it turned out that all went away on this diet.
I hope your yummy stew turned out. It sounds delicious.
Yes – as soon as this cold goes away, we’ll be springing into the fun out-of-doors!
Shelley – Mr.’s chili and biscuits look wonderful! I want to reach out and grab a biscuit. I like Greek yogurt but have never put honey in it – will have to try it. As for the Vitamin D, I have taken cod liver oil since I was a child – back then it was cod liver malt which had the consistency of honey and my mom gave me a spoon of it every morning with my breakfast. Now I order it from Amazon as only the health food store carries it and not many bottles. I take two per day. I never finished “The Big Chill” either but would like to try it again one day.
Thanks, Linda. I wish we could’ve tossed a biscuit over the state lines to you. They were yummy.
You’re smart to take cod liver oil. We’ve been thinking about starting that too. That’s dedication to be taking it as long as you have.
Add the movie to your some day when I retire list. 🙂
They looked delicious. I order mine from Amazon – they are large gel pills, but no aftertaste thankfully. Yes, it’s good for you – think about it. I will do that Shelley – I have many movies I’ve never seen to catch up on.
Hi – enjoyed your post so much and have a few thoughts
first – the biscuits look amazing and it is awesome to have keto options for biscuits and bread ( I now make biscotti with almond and coconut flour and stevia and they come out great – keto biscotti – who knew??)
__
cheers to more and more people taking D3 (smiling with you because it is hard for me to sit in the sun in winter – on a warmer day last week I did sneak outside and uncovered my calves to get more exposure – but it is just too hard to get all the D needs met and so we have been supplementing for years.
and Dr Kelly Brogan – an amazing doctor and depression specialist – always has her clients supplement with D3 and it makes a huge difference (and coffee enemas are on their protocol too)
— recently a blogger I follow was prescribed “prescriptions strength D3” from her doctor and tsk, tsk, – makes me sad that so many folks are not told of this supplement sooner – because so many folks need it during the winter and if they wait until they go to the doctor and have health I issues that is so delayed! ugh
and Shelley – do you remember when I said I wanted to share more about health and nutrition on my blog?? well I remembered another reason why I do not (partly just because I don’t want to – I would rather share photos or do flash fiction) but I realized that sometimes when I did share about stuff it was not received well – and in 2017 (or 2016) there was a blogger who “jumped on me” when I was suggesting taking D3 in winter (and for some they need it in summer as so many folks are int he house)
– well she refereed to fetal injuries from vitamin d supplementing and when I asked for the article – it was D2 that was used – anyhow, the evidence is in full support for the safe use of D3 and sadly that blogger left the blogosphere – and I really liked her.
—
one last thing on the D3 – if anyone wants a low dose to start with – Costco has an award winning mineral formula – huge bottle for around 11$
“Calcium citrate, magnesium, and zinc with D3”
and many folks suggest taking the minerals together because the body absorbs them ore.
—
either way – enjoyed your post and thanks again fr sharing what is working for you and the hubs – oh and the
John Denver and Cass Elliot song was nice –
that Cass Elliot Sur can harmonize!!
Yvette, I found this comment in my spam folder! I rescued it and am tickled to read what you shared. You’re correct, the right kind of Vit D is important and what you take along with it matters too. We’ve been experimenting and think we’ve come upon a good mix of supplements. We even just started investigating Iodine. I did an experiment with it that I’ll write about soon. It is sad when people jump on you for what you share. I struggle with wanting to share stuff and stuffing it away in my thoughts for other times because of any potential backlash. Sorry, your blogging friend disappeared. I don’t have a Costco around here, I appreciate you sharing the tip for those who can go there to find it. Yes, John and Cass – beautiful music.