Vitamin D’s primary function is to maintain healthy bones. It regulates the absorption of bone-healthy minerals, calcium and phosphorus. However, emerging studies and research suggest that Vitamin D could have a bigger, integral role in our health. It helps our brain, heart, lungs, hormones and immune system to function well. Simply put, Vitamin D is excellent for our overall health, and not just bone health.

Heavy workloads, meeting tight deadlines, care giving, financial worries. Stress has invaded our daily lives in many forms. We can withstand occasional bouts of extreme stress, which can actually be a good thing by motivating us to take meaningful action.

But what happens when we are frequently or continually exposed to such environmental stressors? It takes a toll on our health. Stress plunges the body towards poor health and premature aging.

Scientists warn us that it is important to find ways to manage and reduce chronic stress in our lives or else risk the onset of many age-related diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, depression and even cancer.

Our body is an amazing machine. Even when we are sleeping, it is working hard, doing amazing stuff at the backend to keep us healthy and rejuvenated. We all know how an all-nighter can make us feel all grumpy, tired and stressed. It is because sleep has a direct impact on the functioning of our central nervous system, the information highway of our body – affecting our mood, internal balance, cognitive and decision making abilities. Sleep deficiency is often cited as one of the biggest reasons for road and aviation accidents. In fact, two of the most tragic nuclear disasters in the recent history such as the 1979 Three Mile Island and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown have been linked to the lack of sleep.