I Live in One of the Sunniest Places on Earth
A few years ago, I was shocked to learn I had a Vitamin D deficiency. I live in India, where the sun practically never takes a day off. I went out for morning walks, ate relatively healthy, and still felt unusually tired and sluggish. When my test results came in, I was confused — how could I be lacking something that's literally shining on me every single day?
Turns out, I’m not alone. It’s surprisingly common in India, even though we have no shortage of sunlight. What I’ve learned since then has changed the way I approach my health — and hopefully, this post can help others connect the dots too.
Most of us think any time spent outside is enough, but the science says otherwise. According to a solid guide I found on AskDocDoc, our bodies can only make Vitamin D from sunlight during specific hours — usually between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Here’s the full article if you’re curious:
https://askdocdoc.com/articles/704-how-to-get-vitamin-d-naturally-and-effectively-in-india
That early morning jog? Not doing much for your Vitamin D levels. And layering up or sitting behind glass? Also ineffective. A doctor made a similar point in a tweet I saw a while back, noting how many of his patients think they’re getting sun but actually aren’t:
https://twitter.com/AskDoctors24/status/1943332168228384846
The more I dug, the more I realized this issue isn’t about access to sunlight — it’s about how we use it. There’s a great Facebook post that breaks it down in simple terms: getting sun at the right time, exposing enough skin, and balancing it with some dietary support makes all the difference. You can read it here:
https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122132413148743210
Food-wise, options are limited for vegetarians, but you can still make it work. Fortified dairy, mushrooms exposed to sunlight, and egg yolks can help. There’s even a nice visual summary on Instagram showing how a bit of smart sun and movement can uplift your mood too:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DL7rBeoK_Rv/
It’s crazy to think that a country like India, which practically bakes in sunlight, still has people battling deficiencies in silence. This LinkedIn post really nailed it — sunlight isn’t the issue, it’s how disconnected we are from natural exposure in our daily routines:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_india-has-no-shortage-of-sunlightbut-a-staggering-activity-7349097948502269955-E2CQ?
If you’re more visual like me, I found a Pinterest post that maps out when and how to get sunlight in a super easy-to-follow chart:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279435824112
Learning how to sync up with sunlight — the real way — was eye-opening. I’ve shifted my outdoor time to late mornings, added fortified milk to my breakfast, and I’ve honestly felt the difference. It’s a small change, but it has a big ripple effect on how I feel.