Dealing with Depression Naturally

Foods that help with depression - Broccoli and ginger help me.

I was reading about using it for depression. I think it said it can cause sensitivity to sun exposure like some drugs also cause. Glad it works . Sun bathing works amazing for me for depression but it 's winter so I have to wait for the right season to soak up the vitamin D and whatever else the sun is giving me.

My sister likes to use graviola for various ailments including depression. Graviola leaf infusion of 1 cup 3 times a day is the recommended dosage that she follows. It has helped her a lot, it may help you also.

Well said, Mama, well said. You are a truly compassionate being.

Dear Mama to Many - Those were the best "two cents" I have heard in a very, very long time!

While I always enjoy your posts, your heartfelt thoughts about Robin Williams were truly inspiring. Everyone can benefit from kindness and compassion - both giving and receiving. So thank you, once again, for sharing with us. Take care, Bess

Famous folks are often isolated for fear of so many who want a piece of them. I have all out remedies for Phil Mickelson, , , Tiger Woods etc but hard to get to them. Robin did not get the natural care because he was isolated and because his depression told him to use maladaptive substances such as cocaine and alcohol instead of something valid like St John's wort, fish oil, 5 HTP, cannabis and proper cleansing and nutrition. Peace, , J

Great recommends Jeff!! One more item --Transcendental Meditation. Ringo Starr has been and remains a great advocate of T.M. along w/ former Beatles Paul McCartney and the late great George Harrison.

T.M. provides a direct method of centering the mind into deeper levels of the subconscious thereby preventing the fragmentation that occurs in an hectic, stressful, modern lifestyle or workplace. Michael Jackson fell into the same trap taking increasing amounts of dangerous pharmaceuticals until he collapse altogether.

After doing T.M. daily and w/ half an education the light of the fact that one is, during this practice, in the center of the universe. John Lennon revealed some of this type awareness in "I Am The Walrus" song.

Trade the destructive fragmentation of the self for creative Unity thru T.M.

Hello Lilac,

Depression issues ...

You're a wealth of information. I've experienced a recent family death and have taken it worse than the loss of mother and father five years ago (one lost five years ago and the other 6 and a half).

I found "colloidal gold" seemed to even me out a lot. It is a calmer and kept the feelings of "desolation" from being too extreme. And I more easily emerged from those moments of "melt down" faster. I also found simple reading from Scripture is helpful...from the Book of John in the NT and the Psalms.

I wonder if you have read about Colloidal Gold's effect. Also have you tried valerian?

Based on your post I'll try to get off computer at night...ha...I'll try anyway...

dave

Dave, I'm sorry about your loss. Thank you for the tip to read Psalms and John. I will try that. Those books are elevating.

It also helps me to feel in touch with God when I contemplate the immensity of the cosmos. When your blues come knocking, contemplate the famous photo called "Pale Blue Dot." You can find it online. It puts your issues in perspective.

I'm not familiar with using gold. I never ran across any information on it. I do have much experience with Valerian. It works excellently for sleep. However if used regularly, Valerian can bring on depression. So I use it only as needed.

If you want to use your computer at night, just block the blue light waves that emanate from the screen. You can do that by wearing amber-lens glasses or covering your screen with an amber lens. (I got cheap amber goggles on Amazon, but pricier glasses are also sold for this purpose.) If you google "blue light waves and sleep, " you should find out much about this topic. I read an excellent book on the topic that you can get on Amazon: GREAT SLEEP! REDUCED CANCER! By Richard L. Hansler, Ph.D. The new energy-saver light bulbs that are everywhere now have more of these blue waves than the older incandescent bulbs, so they too are a problem, as is the light from cell phones. If you look up "Insomnia" here on the earthclinic site, there is an entry called "Block Blue Light, " that will tell you what you need to know.

Recently I came across information that Vitamin C is needed for the body to make neurotransmitters that are important for overcoming depression. Consequently I am now also trying a high dose of Vitamin C. Here is the quote which I found for Vitamin C made from tapioca:

"Vitamin C inhibits candida and promotes wound and gut healing. This vitamin is also important in the biosynthesis of carnitine, serotonin, and certain neurotransmitters, including norephinephrine."

I regret those feelings of desolation you have, and I will think about you. I hope that, day by day, your desolation will fade and joy and wellbeing will visit. Your new beginning may be just around the corner, and something of great value may replace your loss.

Thank you for this post. It was so very touching. You also gave some very good advice for compassionate thoughts for others.

Dear Dave - I am so sorry for the loss of your wife. You were truly blessed to have each other for 29 years. Your strength and love must have been such a comfort to her during her illness. Both my husband and I were moved to tears when we read your post. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Dealing with the death of your wife, along with the stress of being a caregiver, has taken its toll on your physical, mental and emotional health. Take as much time as necessary for your healing. Be kind to yourself - there is no schedule to follow because grieving is such an individual process. I hope you find peace in the days ahead.

I just want you to know that I always found your posts on Earth Clinic to be generous, enlightening and uplifting. You write with warmth, sincerity and empathy. It's obvious that you put a lot of thought behind those words before you hit the “Submit” button.

Take care, Dave, my thoughts are prayers are with you. Bess

“Within our hearts and memories, those we love remain with us always.”

Hello Bess, I'm pleased that you found the information on blue light waves and sleep helpful. Thank you for letting me know. Because the blue--and to a lesser extent green--waves are small, they more easily penetrate our eyes and disrupt the melatonin that is crucial to good sleep. People are generally not aware that the energy-saver light bulbs we now use have more of these blue waves than the older-style bulbs ("incandescent"), and thus are not good to be around near bedtime. Even stronger are the blue waves from TV screens, computer screens, cell- phone screens. An amber or red lens will block these waves, either by putting such a lens on the screen or wearing the glasses or goggles for an hour or a few hours before bed. (I got inexpensive red and amber goggles on Amazon.)

One can spend thousands of dollars on supplements, but health still comes down to these basics: good sleep, the right food, and exercise. That is the golden trinity of good health.

Here are a few more things I have found helpful for depression: Vitamin D, either from the sun on one's skin or from taking D3. (Avoid synthetic D2) Vitamn C--as I said before, it is needed by the brain. Eating lots of raw vegetables, alone or in a salad. Raw vegetables rarely fail to give me a boost.

Also, pay special attention to your digestion. A happy gut = a happy head. If you have digestive issues, look into cures, like the low FODMAP diet.

I got off all my psychiatric meds for Anxiety and depression. Not by what my doctor said to do but what I thought was a better idea by my brother. If you are taking tablets it is a lot easier. I used my finger nail and took off a tiny bit that would not make much difference to me. I did this for about a month and then took of a little more until I was done with them. This worked so well that I did not go through any withdrawls. Mean time I drank tea Passion Fruit tea. It really calmed me down. I hope this helps you.

Blessings, Mary

WARNING!

I bought Sam-e for the depression I have had for so 30 years. I got a little headache from it and then I became dizzy. I thought because it was working on my brain already. I read the ingredients and was surprised to see it had Tosylate disulfate. Which is connected to sulpha or sulphur.

I am very allergic to Sulpha drugs and about a half hour later I started to itch. I called the pharmacist where I live and explained to her what it had. She said it would only have a minute amount in it but to get benadryl if I had any side effects. I started to feel needle like picks all over my body and took care of it with the benadryl. Maybe it won't happen to you but be careful.

Mary: I think Tosylate disulfate is the generic name for SAM-e, which is a derivative of the sulfur amino acid Methionine.

As for the reaction, it is ether a problem of Molybdenum deficiency or genetic defect. It's what called a dysfunctional Sulfoxidation mechanism. You should try 500mcg MolyB daily w/ B complex or B-50-100. After 1 wk of this try the SAM-e again as you should have no more reaction and maybe start feeling up and better.

Also for depression, try 500mg Tyrosine in the AM and 100mg 5HTP before retiring.

I have a relative who was so depressed, he tried to hurt himself badly. I had read that magnesium is amazing for depression and works rather quickly. I convinced him to try it. One tablet each day of the daily recommended dosage and he was unbelievably back to his old happy self in two days! However, when he forgets to take this, he sinks back into depression very quickly.

I truly truly believe that depression is a chemical imbalance and not necessarily a psychological problem. I really hope this helps others out there who are suffering with this!

How much did you take and how often. Great to hear you feel so good and so soon!

I agree, I always feel great when I exercise. Article in today's New York Times about researchers at Princeton recently discovering that exercise creates new neuropathways in the brain. See - http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/how-exercise-can-calm-anxiety/

I took it for a year in the 90's. I would say get down slowly to the lowest dose and then take it every other day and then every third day untll you are off the stuff. Your neck and shoulders can start to tense as your emotions return.... Ice and heat and massage. Hand held vibration massager. Don't let them get damaged like mine did. I went off prozak too and my shoulder, neck , spine really got hit hard and I was on a low dose.... Walking is good and drink water to deal with detox. Don't try to diet at the same time, too much stress all at once. Love, JOY

I take several anti-depressants, but because of the weight gaining side effect of these drugs, I take Topamax. It is a thyroid medication which is also used off label as an antidepressant. The benefit of this drug is that it has good anti-depressant qualities and is definately weight neutral and seems to counter the side-effect of any other drugs which may cause weight gain. Doctors should understand that unwanted weight gain is a depressant in itself.

Have you tried natural remedies to replace the Topomax. Topomax has a lot of side effects associated with it.

Lou from Falmouth--Ginger contains an antidepressant ingredient. I sprinkle that and turmeric on just about all vegetables I eat. Sometimes I put a little in warm water to drink. I put it on my eggs (it kills salmonella). I add it to my oatmeal. At this time it is just too cold to sit here and provide all benefits of this wonderful spice.

Blue from Cape Cod

Let me tell you my own personal story in getting off anti-depressant meds. I started taking both an anxiety and depression medications last year. They were doing me basically no good. I decided I was going to take this into my own hands. I came up with a plan along with the kind help of Bill here on the boards.

This plan involved mainly magnesium & niacin. I added a couple of other things myself. Those things have been 5-HTP and GABA. Let me say straight up that this isn't a quick fix like any medication is supposed to provide. It takes a while for this protocol to start working. Especially if you've suffered from long-term depression.

I will also say that NIACIN(B3) has probably been the biggest help. I take 500mg of niacin 3X daily w/meals. I take magnesium 250mg 3X daily w/meals. I take the GABA at 750mg(one dose) daily on an empty stomach normally first thing in the morning.

I take the 5-THP(100mg) once during the day and once at night(also 100mg) about one hour before bed. 5-HTP can be taken with or without food. I take it most of the time with food. The brand names to use are not really that critical. However, try to avoid any supplement with magnesium stearate added as a filler or any other fillers for that matter.

I personally use Doctor's Best and NOW Foods for most of these recommended supplements. It took me over 1 month before I started seeing any major changes. Now, it's been almost 5 months now and NO MORE ANTI-DEDRESSANTS! I had to wean off them slowly. I just cut back gradually. I cut back about every 2 weeks in dosage. I'm no longer depressed but I do still have some anxiety at times.

I'm allowing zapping & parasite cleansing to help with all the other leftover health issues I have going on. Hope this helps you out! Depression is tough! However, adding prescription meds only makes it worse in most cases. I'm thankful to God that I'm now no longer taking them! God Bless!

Methylfolate is especially helpful if someone has mutations on the MTHFR gene. You can find out by getting your DNA sequenced by 23andMe, and then uploading your results to a number of good online apps, like geneticgenie or nutrahacker. See the work of Amy Yasko. SNPedia is also helpful...search for MTHFR.

It's important to confirm the MTHFR mutation for many reasons including the methylation process. GeneSight is a company that offers reasonably priced testing for both MTHFR mutations. (https://assurexhealth.com) I've been taking Thorne Research Methyl-Guard after testing positive for both mutations and I am starting to feel better after about 2 weeks. It's been a long road of fatigue, anxiety, and frustration for not understanding my symptoms and being dismissed by my PCP.

For severe depression, you might need b50 or 100 or at least b3. You could get a hair mineral test and see exactly what you are deficient in.

Desmond, you are right, plain water in large amounts do NOT help, at least did not help me for any issue and only made my mouth strangely dry... Then I read to have a lick of salt - I take grey sea salt - with each cup of water. I now drink much less with much better results.

Lin, how does one then increase serotonin levels if medication does not work?

I watched a documentary on nutrition and a Dr. said that niacin totally erases depression. Of course you have to stay on it. He sited an example of a woman that was so depressed that she stayed in her room. When she took niacin, as much as she needed to get her acting like herself again, it worked, she became her old self. They told the Dr. and he said to take her off the niacin, they listened and she reverted back to a depressed state. The documentary may have been called "a beautiful world".

hi! could be that 5htp isnt the amino acid for you. GABA might be calming it works on a different part of the brain than 5htp. Really mellows me out! Can get at WF. Pretty cheap too! If that doesnt work mabye an adaptogen like ashwaganda or tulsi? check it out good luck! <3

I can attest to the benefits of the 'green' diet or green juices. I too suffered with deep depressions until I diversified my diet by adding or blending lots of greens. I am saving to buy a masticating juicer soon. My depression has gone after a 20yr battle, energy levels are up, lost weight, sleep better, skin clearer and smoother, had no flu for 2 yrs. Life's better and I have more time since I cook less now.

Google "Lithium Orotate" for depression. It is helping my husband in a major way. It is sold at health food stores and online, no prescription needed. Worth looking at.

Hi Seekthetruth ; I'm an example of a person that's had depression long term. I remember it as far back as pre-school. I remember feeling an utter sadness even watching children's programs on television. It was particularly confusing as a child, but it remained throughout my teens and adulthood. It didn't seem to follow any pattern or even a situation, although negative stressors certainly worsened it. I did feel it throughout my body, though, especially in my chest and gut, along with my psyche. I agree that depression needs to be treated with the full gamut of procedures including, mind, body, and spirit.

But, I have found that the most effective treatment for me has been B12 therapy. I know that it doesn't work alone, but it does work! The rest of the B-complex is just as important for treating depression as well, of course, as amino acids and minerals in good proportion. B12 even aids in making certain amino acids available to the body. Now I feel that my gloomy times are more a part of the natural waves rather than the endless downward spirals. Even the medical community understands depression as a symptom of B12 deficiency, but only to a degree, and they assume that it's only true for elder folks. But it occurs in all ages, even infancy, and it does run in families. I see it my family, both sides. I have responded very well with sublingual lozenges of methylcobalamin, an active form of B12. Some people may respond better to injections. Also, with the other B's, some people respond better by varying the amounts of some of them. Some people increase B3, B5, B6, and Folate for depression. I recommend trying a low dose B-complex daily with extra subs. Of B12 for a few months or less, then try small increases of other B's to find a good proportion. I generally recommend between 1000-5000 mcg. Daily. The other B's may be felt more quickly, but B12 may take a while to be felt, so there could be some frustration with the healing process time.

I would like to share my wonderful discovery of the power of simple magnesium to alleviate depression. I had been taking a powdered form of magnesium every night before bed, which made me feel Calm and relaxed. Then I stopped taking it. I began to suffer a lot of mood problems when stopping it, and when I resumed the powdered magnesium citrate, I couldn't believe how much better I felt the next day.

I also use a combination herbal therapy for Mood Support, which works well. And every day I take vitamin D at 4000 mg, fish oil, and something called lithium orotate, a safe, commonly found supplement for brain and mood health. (Don't let the word lithium scare you. Unlike the drug lithium, lithium orotate is safe to take and you don't need to have your blood tested. Please look up lithium orotate online for more info.)

But to me, the most important missing link in the puzzle was magnesium. You can buy it at the drugstore, but I do suggest taking at least 700 mg a day to begin to see results. I stagger the dose, taking 200 mg magnesium citrate tablets twice a day at work, and then taking the wonderful fizzy magnesium drink at night as a hot tea, which makes me feel very sleepy and Calm.

Hi Celia - I like your message about being calm while taking... Calm! I, too, use it nightly - although I only take a teaspoon (about 200 mg) so I probably should increase it. I use it to help me with restless legs and it works. I do get rather vivid dreams, though. I'll gradually up my dose and see what happens. Cheers, Bess

I read yesterday that the best way to get magnesium into you is to take it transdermally... Through the skin. A great way is to use magnesium oil and rub it on the skin but the best way is to swin in the ocean.. it is a veritable magnesium bath. The reason racehorses swim in the ocean after a race to relieve their muscles.

So if you live near the ocean go for a swim every day to relieve your depression or aches and pains. Or grab a bucket of sea water and soak your feet!

I have heard so many helpful hints to help you heal. I use to listen to Louise Hay a very well known woman who helped to heal many people. Ms Hay had been abused by her father as a small child. I didn't pay for her tapes as I found them in the library and made copies for myself.

I listened to her tapes every night for 9 years and they helped alot. Another woman who became a doctor after being Agoraphobic for years has a hospital but sorry to say she charges too much for her programs and that's a terrible shame after knowing how bad these panic attacks and depression feel and most people I know who have it bad can not work. She geta a big lump of coal from me!!

I did a lot of research to help myself. GABA is a very important supplement to take because it relaxes your mind enough to let you sleep and find therapy to help you get through it. Magnesium for me is 700 mg daily but check for your size and weight this helps to keep your muscles loose and not tight. Exercise for depression is very important. Don't eat too many foods that contain MSG this spice can actually bring on anxiety attacks. If you can go and swim in the beach the salt water takes away many negative energies and relaxes you. If you cannot, take epsom salt baths. Laughter is very good for your overall health. I have bought movies that make me laugh or I look up jokes and keep them in a folder. When I am down I go for these things to cheer me up. God bless you all and may you heal and have very wonderful lives. Please don't forget to "pay it forward" and help others who are in a difficult place in their lives.

Blessings to all, Mary

I, too, suffer from these. I have been doing a ton of research, and I will share with you the three best supplements for women with PMS/depression/anxiety. From what I have read, they are safe, with few negative side effects, unlike St. John's wort, which can cause sun sensitivity, and interacts with some medications. #1 & 3 have been found in studies to work as well as SJW or even SSRI's.

1. Chasteberry aka chinese vitex - helps balance hormones. People with PMS usually are progesterone deficient, and this helps balance that out.
2. L-Theanine - found in green tea, but can be found in supplemental form. Very calming, takes the edge off. Does not make drowsy. Safe.
3. Inositol - found to be particularly helpful with depression, bi-polar disorder, and OCD.

I would also highly recommend taking an Omega 3 supplement in conjunction with, specifically B-12, Folic Acid, B-6 and including a B vitamins complex.

When I do these, as well as avoid too much sugar and get regular sleep, I feel like a new person. If I slip and don't do these things, the monster comes out.

Important note: Anything involving balancing hormones or deficiencies usually takes at least three cycles to notice the positive effect. It's not usually a try for a day or two thing. Also, trying one at a time helps you to see which one is actually helping or not. It's not an overnight solution. This kind of thing takes time and patience, but I believe there is natural help out there with these things.

Good Luck. Sorry this didn't have to do with Rhodiola, but I had to share.

The Bach Flower Remedies have worked wonders on my depression. I have been in and out of depression for the last 3-4 years, and only a few months ago I discovered the flower remedies and was amazed by the results. I use them still, whenever I feel I need to. Deciding which remedies to take is not easy. It takes alot of looking into yourself and understanding yourself and your emotions. You need to think about what you feel at that specific time, not what you might have felt at previous phases in your life. I hope this helps.

Aroma Therapy & Depression

I am on Citalopram 20 mg. a day. I exercise and eat mostly organic & avoid sugar & other no nos. Also, I take tons of supplements like magnesium & fish oil. Still, the depression has not all gone away. I heard that rose oil was an antidote for depression & decided to try it. All I did was put 1 or 2 tiny drops of rose absolut (the real stuff) on my upper lip, well massaged in, under my nostrils at my "droop time" at night. About an hour later I would also do a bit more aroma therapy by burning just one stick of good incense (not the kind that is made from cow dung, really healthy kind, any "flavor".) I waited an hour for the incense because I wanted my olfactory sense to get the full benefit of the rose oil by itself. (I also rubbed the left over bit on my finger onto my wrists.) The effect has been wonderful. Boy does it put me in a happy, even joyful mood. And this lasts about 24 hours! Also, I noticed it was helping me with attention deficit order, definitely. Well, at first I could find no one else saying that it helped A.D.D. But since then, I have found on the net that yes, people say it helps with A.D.H.D. (A.D.D. is sometimes lumped into that category.) per empirical studies. Now A.D.D. & depression go together commonly. No way I believe this was placebo effect. I didn't dream it would help with A.D.D. for example.

Rose absolut is pricey. However, I get it at a major discount vitamin site that sells everything for about 40% off. It could last me several months at the rate I'm using it, personally.

For depression that gets worse at that time of month, Milk Thistle works great for me. I usually start feeling better within 20 minutes. It works great for the kind of depression where you just feel bad. It also works for guys' depression (I give it to my son). Try not to take it every day. I've read, and found from my own experience, that taking it daily lessens its effects.

oh yes!!! I too am feeling something, not a depression but an underlying GLUM feeling. I too am eating holiday junk to excess, it is everywhere!!! I went to a holiday party last night and ate a late supper, eating foods i rarely eat at an hour I never eat, slept very poorly and had odd dreams all night. I made the connection this morning, it must be it!!! Let us know how it goes.

Dysthymic Depression

I've suffered from a moderate constant form of depression called Dysthymia since I was 14 (I am now 43). I've been on several different antidepressants over the years. The last one I took was Paxil CR (which I was forced to quit cold-turkey in 2005 after production of it was briefly stopped after a problem at the pharmaceutical lab). It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It was a hellish experience and though I did get an appointment with my Dr. a week into the cold-turkey and could have taken regular Paxil to ease my distress, at that point I wanted NOTHING to do with these medications. The withdrawal symptoms showed me just how much they mess with your brain chemistry. I was getting all sorts of electrical "zappy" sensations, dizziness, tremors, and neuralgic pain that traveled all over my body. It took about 3 months for me to get over the hardest part of it. After that I joined a gym and started a simple EXERCISE program. Just 20 minutes of cardio (pick the machine of your choice) and another 20 minutes or so of weight training and stretching. Yoga classes are super helpful as well. Not only did this help me detox from the residual symptoms but my mood improved dramatically. I still have some 'down' days, but who doesn't? Overall I feel much more energized and balanced than I ever did on the antidepressants.

I've since made incremental changes in the quality of my DIET over the years and this has boosted my mood even more. I no longer eat any overly packaged/refined foods. I eat whole grain breads (sprouted & hemp mostly), and try to cook from 'scratch' as much as possible. Extra virgin olive oil is my cooking oil of choice (except when I am sauteing or using a relatively high heat, in which case I use sesame oil). I still eat meat, but not at every meal or even every day, and when I do it is no longer the "star" on my plate, it is about a 3-4 oz serving and the rest of the plate is filled with vegetables and whole grains. I've learned to love leafy green vegetables (so much so I pile them on my plate). I still 'allow' myself to have guilty pleasures, but after awhile you find you don't really want them because your body has everything it needs nutritionally (so you don't get carb cravings) and your mood is so good you don't cave in to the emotional eating binges. The only 'difficult' time is around that time of the month...I get a little hungrier and may have a slice of cinnamon toast or a little ice cream, but nothing like the pig-outs of the past :) For any emotional irritation during that time there is nothing like a good cup of tea (sweetened with agave so as not to spike your blood sugar...I've come to prefer it over sugar).

Finally, SUPPLEMENTS can be the icing on the good mood cake. I take a whole food multivitamin to fill in any nutritional gaps, a good Omega blend oil (something with borage oil in it is excellent too) and vitamin D drops in the wintertime (along with plenty of time under a sunlight simulator bulb - I keep one in my reading lamp).

Record numbers of people are suffering from depression because of the standard American lifestyle & diet. It doesn't have to be that way...you can feel good again without dependency on pharmaceuticals and by only making a few simple lifestyle changes (no need to go vegan or raw, though go for it if that makes you even happier).

Yeah. This is a no brainer for depression. If you are depressed, and not getting sunshine (10 minutes a day) get at least 1,000 mg per day of Vitamin D. Double that in the winter. Some people may need more. Generally, if you live in an area known for sunshine (in the States that would be California, Hawaii, Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc.) 1000 mg per day might be enough, unless you live in a house with the windows closed and rarely go outside.

If you live in the north, where there is less sunshine, at least 2,000 mg supplement is needed; doubled in the winter.

This helps enormously with depression, much more successful than any anti depressant prescription medication.

Give it a few weeks to see how you feel.

Don't take it if you are a surfer, outdoorsy type, or don't wear sunblock.

I had good Vitamin D levels per the doctor before supplementing it because I drank milk with Vitamin D. That is not enough, however, to help with depression. San Diego is known for its sunshine, but that didn't help me because I was depressed, rarely left my house, and would apply sunblock to my face and wear a hat in the sun for wrinkle prevention. (The one year I didn't do this, hoping to get more vitamin D, I got lots of new wrinkles on my fair skin.)

Vitamin D is CHEAP, especially at Costco where you can get 250 USP pills for $9.