Have you been caught in the recent cold blast that's sweeping the nation? It's pretty bitter where I live, and considering I work from home, I have to make efforts to get outside and fight the doldrums. Divine Caroline has some healthful ways to beat the winter blues. Here are the top three tips:

• Exercise. When you're feeling down, you may be tempted to just plop on the couch and stare at the TV. But that's the last thing you should do. Exercise helps to energize you, release stress, and it elevates your mood.
• Eat right. Healthy eating habits can boost your mood. Include plenty of complex carbs (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) in your diet for a long-lasting energy boost; and avoid refined and processed foods, which can cause your blood sugar to spike and drop and can sap your energy.
• Step outside. I know it's cold outside, but a little daylight will do you a world of good. Bundle up and go for a short walk. Even simply opening the blinds and letting the sunlight in your living room or office can help, too.

Check out the full article on Divine Caroline for more healthful ways to beat the winter blues.

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It's a well-known fact that vitamin D is important for bone health. But it's important for other reasons as well.

Low levels of vitamin D can increase the risk of heart-health issues, including heart attacks and strokes. While you do obtain some vitamin D through diet, the best source is sunlight. So now, while the evenings are short, it's important to make a concentrated effort to get some exposure to the sun.

Ten minutes of sun exposure is enough for people with light skin -- those with darker skin will need a little extra time. Try going for a walk during your lunch hour -- it's a perfect way to get your daily dose of sunlight while getting a little extra exercise as well.

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The days are so short now. By the time I've helped my son complete his homework and get dinner on the stove, it's pitch black outside. When it's dark out when you start your workday and dark when you get home, it can take a toll on your well-being. There are things you can do, though, to keep your energy running high during the darker days of winter. Here they are:

• Sun exposure. This time of year, it's important to get outside and spend some time in the sun. Even if it's just a 10-minute walk during your lunch hour, the sunlight will do you good.
• Exercise. An active lifestyle helps to keep you energized. Commit to exercising every day. That doesn't mean you have to have an intense hour-long workout every day. You can vary your workout doing short 10-minute bursts one day, a moderate 30-minute workout the next, and an intense, longer session on other days.
• Nutrition. Certain foods can help boost your energy. Healthcastle has tips on foods that will help increase energy. AOL Health also has a list of fatigue-fighting foods.

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I have a total love/hate relationship with medicine. Although I value science and medicine, quite often I can't stand the affects they have on me. I simply can't stand to be drowsy, foggy or affected in any way. Prescriptions are great if they fix what's wrong with you, but all of the side effects are for the birds. I suppose if we all took each drug correctly, we may have less. So, I was particularly intrigued when Women's Health posted a study regarding drug labels.

According to a survey in the Annals of Internal Medicine, almost half of the participants misunderstood drug warning labels, and most ignored the directions altogether. This gallery provides some of the most common instructions you'll find on those little stickers slapped on each bottle and what they really mean.

Vitamin D is critical for bone health and also plays a role in immunity. But many US infants and toddlers aren't getting enough vitamin D. According to research from the Children's Hospital in Boston, a full 40% aren't getting the appropriate amount of vitamin D.

Breast milk doesn't contain high quantities of vitamin D, so if you're breastfeeding your infant ask your doctor if supplementing the vitamin is a good idea. Toddlers can benefit from vitamin D-fortified milk. Perhaps the best source of vitamin D is sunlight. While it's, of course, important to protect your child's skin, some exposure to sunlight is healthful as it triggers the production of vitamin D in the body.

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Here at That's Fit, we've talked a bit about the merits of sunlight and Vitamin D, but a recent article at Prevention really sums up a number of reasons to "light up your life." You'll likely be well aware of some of the benefits of getting the right amount of light, but I think some of them will surprise you -- at least, they surprised me!

For example, did you know that you can use sunglasses to prevent jet lag? Or that using bright lights at night can affect your sleep?

Check out the gallery to see how light can help you improve your health.

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Japanese researchers have determined that the softening of the skull bones in newborns to due to a vitamin D deficiency in the womb. Otherwise referred to as craniotabes, the softening of the skull bones is largely considered a normal condition in newborns, particularly in premature births. It occurs in roughly 1/3 of all newborns. The researchers of the current study suggest that it shouldn't be treated so lightly, however. They point to evidence that craniotabes can be associated with type 1 diabetes, reduced bone mass, and lowered immunity.

Vitamin D production is stimulated by sunlight; the recent research uncovered that the majority of the newborns with craniotabes were born in April and May. The lowest number were born in November. Researchers surmise that the mother's exposure to sunlight approximately 4 months prior to delivery influences the condition. High incidence of craniotabes was also present in breast-fed infants.

Researchers suggest that infants with craniotabes be treated with vitamin D and that pregnant women should be sure to get healthy amounts of vitamin D. If you're pregnant, don't take any supplements without your physician's advice. But there are plenty of natural sources of vitamin D. Go for a walk during peak sunlight hours and drink milk or orange juice that's fortified with vitamin D. Also many types of fish are rich in vitamin D (but be careful of mercury which can be harmful during pregnancy) and some cereals are fortified with vitamin D.

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Bad news for myself and other women who live in Canada, the land of 10-month winters: Recent studies show that those who live closest to the equator are less likely to develop endometrial cancer. It's believed that it all comes down to the amount of sunlight and the vitamin D that exposure to sun can produce. This sounds like a very good reason to spend winters in the tropics, don't you think? I might just have to check out some flights now ...
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Sun exposure isn't the only factor in endometrial cancer though -- those who eat red meat or are overweight are also more likely to develop the disease.

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Ehh -- here we go again. A study released this week stated that vitamin D does not lower the risk of cancer, save those with colorectal cancer.

I'm still a huge proponent of daily sun exposure (10-15 minutes) to allow your body to create its own vitamin D, but too much exposure to the sun's rays can actually contribute to skin cancer if you overdo it.

But, vitamin D not being good as helping ward off cancer? This issue is still not even close to being settled, although the government study released this week did conclude that the vitamin played no role in cancer development within the 17,000-participant group that was included a decade of observation.

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Sleep deprivation is unhealthy. Get four hours of sleep or less per night for 12 consecutive nights, and you're more likely to suffer lack of coordination, judgment, and reaction time; experience crummy moods; feel body pain; and even gain weight.

For all you sleepy heads who can't seem to get a wink of slumber, these tips are for you.

• Sip on some chamomile tea. It contains glycine, a chemical that acts as a mild sedative and muscle relaxant. Drink this potion an hour or more before bedtime if nighttime trips to the bathroom are a problem.

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The sun has the power to fade your furniture and make your house unbearably hot. It also has the power to uplift you, to make your day, to turn your bad mood into a good one. Sunlight is necessary for health, and if you ask me, it's also necessary for creating a good mood. So at your home or office of wherever else you spend your day, instead of hiding away behind your curtains, let the sun shine in and uplift you. And while you're at it, go for a walk and enjoy the sunlight. We don't get sunlight everyday of the year, so when you've got it, use it.

And while you're at it, open a window and allow some fresh air into your life. It's refreshing, especially now that the days are a bit cooler.

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Want to have the freshest best tasting organic tomatoes to put on your sandwiches, salads or to make your sauces? Tomatoes are full of vitamins and nutrients as well as being a lycopene rich food. You don't have to have a big plot of land to garden and grow these delectable vegetables. All you need is a 5 gallon bucket, a stake and some string, some garden soil, and one healthy tomato plant. Planting your own is a sure fire way to know you are eating organic. When purchasing tomato plants at your local garden center, select stocky, dark green plants. One plant per bucket will produce a lot of tomatoes. Planting tomatoes should be done before the end of June so hurry and get yours planted.

You can use the bucket method to plant tomatoes year round inside. Save your egg containers and use them as seed starters. Fill each cavity with potting soil and put one seed per cavity. Then as the sprouts get 4 inches tall, transfer them to their own bucket. Set plants into the soil up to their first true leaves.

Tomatoes need 6 hours of sunlight a day so if you are starting them inside, be sure to have them near a window that gets a lot of sunlight.