Why I Went Quiet (And What Vitamin D Had to Do With It)

Let’s just call it like it is—I’ve been a little too quiet the last few months. While I wish I could say I was off paddle boarding with dolphins or hiking magical mountain trails… the truth? I was exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, physically dragging my butt through the days.

And as a practitioner who tells people every single day to listen to their body, I had to check myself. Because if a patient walked into my office saying, “I’m tired all the time, my hair’s falling out, I feel down and not like myself,” you know what I’d say?“Let’s run your bloodwork! And not just the basic stuff—my panel. The functional medicine deep-dive that looks under the hood.”

I really thought it was my thyroid. I was showing all the classic signs—fatigue, hair loss, feeling like I was dragging myself through the day. I know this picture. But you know what came back low? NOT my thyroid. It was myVitamin D.

Yep. The sunshine vitamin. The “oh yeah I think I take that” supplement that most people underestimate. And here’s the kicker—I tell my own patients to get their Vitamin D checked all the time. But I hadn’t checked in on myself.

So here’s your loving nudge from someone who learned the hard way:Get Your Vitamin D CHECKED!

Low Vitamin D can look like:

• Fatigue and low energy

  
  

• Hair loss

  
  

• Low mood or depression

  
  

• Poor immune function

  
  

• Hormonal imbalances

  
  

• Joint or bone aches

  
  

• Muscle weakness and or pain (I really had this!)

  
  

• Trouble concentrating (“brain fog”)

  
  

Basically, if you’re feeling meh in every way, this might be your red flag.

Supporting Your Vitamin D Levels (Beyond Just Supplements)

While yes, taking a good-quality D3 supplement is a solid step, here’s what else I recommend:

1. Get outside (even in winter) – Aim for 15-30 minutes of direct sun exposure on your skin, without sunscreen, especially in the middle of the day. (Obviously don’t burn yourself—just be intentional.)

   
   

2. Pair D3 with K2 – If you’re supplementing, make sure you’re taking D3 with K2. They work together to make sure calcium goes to your bones instead of your arteries.

   
   

3. Eat your D – Fatty fish (like salmon), pasture-raised egg yolks, and mushrooms exposed to UV light are solid sources. Still, most people don’t get enough through diet alone.

   
   

4. Support your gut – If your gut is inflamed or you’ve got malabsorption issues, you might not be absorbing your Vitamin D well, even if you’re taking it.

   
   

5. Check your magnesium – Magnesium helps activate Vitamin D in the body. If you're deficient (and most people are), your D may not be doing its job even if the numbers look decent.

   
   

6.  Check to see if you have the MTHFR gene - this gene helps you absorb nutrients. If it is not working correctly with can not absorb out nutrients correctly. This will also make us not absorb our vitamin D correctly. (guess what, I can test you for this!!!!

   
   
   
   

So that’s where I’ve been. In the quiet. In the stillness. In the healing. And now, with my D levels up and my spark coming back, I’m walking proof of what happens when you get to the root instead of guessing.

Don’t guess. Don’t wait. You deserve to feel good.

And if you need help finding your “why do I feel like crap” answer—I'm right here when you're ready. Contact me if you want more information on getting your blood work done or testing for the MTHFR gene by me.

In amazing health,

Dr. Jess