No Sun Intended

Living in Nova Scotia means acknowledging a harsh reality: We are solar-powered creatures, but for six months of the year, someone unplugs the sun.

The "Halifax Grey", especially in the winter months isn't just a weather pattern; it’s a physiological state. We go to work in the dark, we come home in the dark, and in between, we see a lot of fog. While we joke about the weather, the biological toll is real. We aren't just missing out on a tan; we are starving our bodies of a critical hormone.

It’s Not a Vitamin, It’s a Key

First, let’s clear up a misconception. Vitamin D isn't really a "vitamin" in the way Vitamin C is. It is actually a pro-hormone - a building block your body uses to manufacture essential hormones.

Think of it like a master key. It unlocks receptors in almost every tissue in your body, from your immune system to your brain.

• Immune Defense: It arms your T-cells to fight off viruses (crucial during flu season).

• Mood Regulation: Low levels are directly linked to Dysthymia (persistent low mood) and Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you feel "blah" from November to April, you might not be sad; you might just be chemically depleted.

The "D" is for Distinction: Why We Only Want D3

Before we go further, we need to clear up the alphabet soup. When people say "Vitamin D," they are usually using it as a catch-all term for a group of fat-soluble secosteroids.

Historically, scientists identified five forms, numbered D1 through D5.

• Vitamin D1: This turned out to be a mistake - it was actually a mixture of compounds, not a pure vitamin, and the term is no longer used.

• Vitamins D4 & D5: These are minor analogues (found in mushrooms or synthesized chemically) with lower biological activity. You can safely ignore them.

The real battle is between Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol) and Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol).

• D2 (The Plant Form): Derived from yeast and mushrooms exposed to UV light. This is often what you find in fortified cereals or cheaper multivitamins.

• D3 (The Animal Form): Derived from animal sources (like lanolin or fish oil) and - crucially - this is the exact form your skin creates when exposed to sunlight.

For this discussion, I am exclusively talking about Vitamin D3. It is the bio-identical form. Studies suggest that D3 is significantly more effective at raising and maintaining adequate levels in the blood compared to D2. Your body speaks D3 fluently; D2 is a foreign dialect it has to work harder to translate. D2 may, however, be a more preferable form for individuals following a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

The Heart Connection: D3 needs K2

When I started my clean keto lifestyle, I knew I needed to supplement Vitamin D. But I learned that taking Vitamin D3 alone can actually be dangerous if you ignore its partner: Vitamin K2 (menaquinone).

Here is the simple breakdown:

• Vitamin D3 is the "Doorman." It opens the door to let Calcium into your bloodstream from the food you eat.

• Vitamin K2 is the "Traffic Cop." It tells that Calcium where to go.

If you have a lot of D3 opening the doors, you get a flood of calcium. Without K2, that calcium gets confused. Instead of going into your bones and teeth where it belongs, it can settle in your soft tissues—specifically, your arteries.

This is called arterial calcification, and it is a major risk factor for heart disease. You do not want calcium turning your arteries into rock.

By taking D3 and K2 together, the D3 ensures you have enough calcium, and the K2 ensures it ends up in your bones, keeping your heart safe.

The Math Doesn't Add Up: Why You Can't Eat Your Way to D3

If you look at the official guidelines, you might think a glass of milk and an egg will cover your bases. But once you look at the actual numbers, the "food-first" approach falls apart - especially if you are aiming for optimal levels rather than just "bare minimum survival."

While Vitamin D3 is present in animal foods, it exists in relatively tiny quantities. Let's look at the best natural sources:

• Wild-Caught Salmon (3.5 oz): ~600–1,000 IU

• Farmed Salmon (3.5 oz): ~100–250 IU

• Canned Sardines (3.5 oz): ~300 IU

• Egg Yolk (1 large): ~40 IU

• Beef Liver (3.5 oz): ~50 IU

The Problem: If your target is a therapeutic dose to drive immunity and metabolic repair (often cited as 4,000 to 10,000 IU daily in functional medicine circles), the math becomes absurd. To hit just 5,000 IU, you would need to eat:

• 5 to 8 servings of wild salmon every single day.

• 125 egg yolks every single day.

• 100 servings of beef liver every single day.

I mean, I like eggs, but...

The Geography Factor: Since we cannot eat enough D3, nature intended us to synthesize it from the sun. But here in Halifax (and anywhere north of the 37th parallel), the sun is biologically useless for D3 production from November to May. The UVB rays simply bounce off the atmosphere at this angle.

The Verdict: You cannot eat your way to optimal D3, and for half the year, you cannot sunbathe your way there either. Unless you are a lifeguard at the equator, supplementation is not optional; it is a requirement.

Sidebar: What exactly is an "IU"?

You will see Vitamin D measured in IU (International Units). This often confuses people because we are used to seeing nutrients measured in weight, like milligrams (mg) or grams (g).

An IU does not measure mass (how heavy it is); it measures potency (biological effect).

Think of it like a car engine:

• Milligrams is the weight of the engine block.

• IU is the Horsepower.

Because D3 is so potent, the physical amount is microscopic.

• 1 IU of Vitamin D3 = 0.025 micrograms (µg).

• 40 IU = 1 microgram.

This is why the numbers look so scary. A dose of 5,000 IU sounds like a massive overdose, but physically, it is only 0.125 milligrams—a speck of dust so small you could barely see it with the naked eye. Do not let the big number scare you; it is a measure of "punch," not volume.

The Strategy

Since I can’t rely on the Nova Scotia sky to provide what I need, I have to take matters into my own hands. I view supplementation not as "taking pills," but as environmental compensation.

I am essentially artificially creating "summer" in my bloodstream. It’s a small adjustment that keeps the immune system alert, the mood stable, and—thanks to K2—the arteries clear.

The grey might not lift until May, but I don't have to wait that long to feel human again.