With the holidays well under way and winter officially here it’s a great time to do a “C check.” Vitamin C that is: your best friend in helping the body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system.

Vitamin C also aids in iron absorption which helps keep energy levels stoked. Vitamin C is considered a powerful ally if you’re trying to avoid or heal a cold or other illness and it’s getting more and more attention in the realm of cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90 mg and for adult women it’s 75 mg, but many believe, and some science is starting to support, benefits of higher doses. I think most people can safely do 500-2000 mg per day. Your gut will tell you quickly and certainly if you’ve gone to far. Consult your doctor or dietitian to help you find the right level for you. Food is always best but you can use a good buffered C supplement to help get that extra kick especially during the winter.

More than oranges can get you on your way. Enjoy a variety of fruits and veggies to keep your C up. You can do fresh or frozen, cooked or raw. I always recommend organic and as local as possible. Here’re my top picks and tips!

> Cantaloupe, 1 cup (8 ounces): 59mg
> Orange juice, 1 cup: 97mg
> Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup: 74mg
> Red cabbage, raw, 1/2 cup: 40mg
> Green pepper, raw, 1/2 cup, 60mg
> Red pepper, raw, 1/2 cup, 142mg
> Kiwi, 1 medium: 70mg
> Guava:188mg
> Tomato juice, 1 cup: 45mg
> Grapefruit, 1 whole: 44mg

May you enjoy peace and health this holiday and always!

Julie Norman, nicknamed "The Body Image Guru" by clients, guides women to live authentically healthy lives through peaceful body image, intuitive eating and mindful movement. She blends professional nutrition guidance with the wisdom of yoga to help women transform the ways in which they care for and experience their bodies. She maintains a private practice, REAL Nutrition, LLC, and is the creator of Body Karma Healing, a yoga-based program intended to help women transform body image from painful to peaceful. Julie believes healing individual body image pain helps us heal the world! Get started with her guiding DVD.