DEAR HARRIETTE: My 13-year-old daughter was just diagnosed with extremely low vitamin D. Her pediatrician told me to give her a daily dose of vitamin D to help balance her body, but this has me worried. My daughter eats well, and I just don’t understand why she would be so deficient. She is lactose intolerant, so she doesn’t drink much milk. The doctor said the sun helps -- except he doesn’t really want her hanging out in the sun because of the negative effects of sun on the skin. I’m giving her the vitamins, but I feel like a horrible mother that my daughter is in the predicament in the first place. -- Unbalanced, Dallas
DEAR UNBALANCED: Stop beating yourself up. Your doctor’s prescription for daily vitamin D is a common solution and one that should alleviate her problem. You should follow up with the doctor about what foods you can add to her diet to fortify her vitamin D intake as well. Look for alternatives to milk that contain vitamin D, including soy, rice and almond milk. Lactaid is an option that many lactose-intolerant people use.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)