It’s Official, British Summer Washout

Following hot on the heels of the wettest ever April, we have now endured a June that delivered double the average rainfall and has now been officially declared the soggiest since records began in 1910.

Storms, flooding and a mud ridden Glastonbury…it just hasn’t been cricket and I don’t know how July is going in your neck of the woods, but for us here on the Welsh border it’s not been great so far. Apart from the fact all this rubbish weather puts a dampener on our spirits, it also stops us venturing outside and topping up our store of vitamin D.

Vitamin D has long been known to promote healthy bones, as it helps our body absorb calcium and phosphorous which are easy to obtain from a balanced diet, unlike Vitamin D.  And it’s not just aching bones that you’ll be suffering from if you are deficient in vitamin D, as it has quite recently been found to help our bodies to fight infection and to reduce the risk of a whole slew of life threatening nasties (including many types of cancer, heart disease and strokes) by up to 50%. However, unless you are eating vast quantities of oily fish or far more red meat than is good for you, you are highly unlikely to get a sufficient dose of Vitamin D from diet alone. Instead, our bodies are designed to get most of our stores from direct exposure to sunlight.

It doesn’t take much to generate enough Vitamin D in the summer months to tide us through the autumn and winter when the sun’s rays are too weak to catalyse vitamin production. Just 10-15 minutes a day, with your face, hands and lower arms or legs uncovered and without sun screen, should do it for the average pale skinned Brit. But when the weather forecast is unrelentingly gloomy and the view through the window is grim, it is easy to make plans to stay indoors.

So, unless you have the powerful impetus of a highly energetic pooch (prone to utilise said energy in highly imaginative and irritating ways unless he gets at least 3 miles of walk a day) to propel you outdoors, the chances are your Vitamin D levels are on the low side at the moment. Obviously, a dog is not for everyone, as (despite all the upside) they are pretty high maintenance on a daily basis. A much simpler option to incentivise a regular jaunt outside, could be a beautiful, tranquil haven in your back yard.

A Garden Escape will provide ample motivation to get out into your garden and, once ensconced inside, the floor to ceiling windows and glass doors will heighten your awareness of when the sun gets its hat on. Time for a quick break from work, working out or whatever else you choose to use your garden room for, and head out to soak up a few rays and start up your Vitamin D motor.