I love fall, but I didn’t realize that with the days getting shorter there’s an increased health risk for a dangerous medical condition most of us have. Here to explain is Dr. Fred Pescatore. "Vitamin D deficiency," he explains, "Seventy-five percent of us do not have enough vitamin D in our bodies, and it's a really important problem. The main way our bodies give us vitamin D is by exposure to the sunlight, so as the days get shorter, we're exposed to less sunlight. The other problem is that most of us tend to live too far north, and the further north you live, there are fewer months during which the sun can actually convert the vitamin D in your body."

What are the physical consequences of vitamin D deficiency? "It could lead to hypertension," Dr. Pescatore says, "and hypertension could lead to strokes. Studies are coming out every day from the vitamin D council that look at prevention of breast cancer, colon cancer for men, prevention of prostate cancer. And then things like osteopenia where your bones start to fall apart — but you have to remember that your bone destruction starts at age 20, so it's important for people to learn to get more vitamin D. And then there are things like fracture risk, and depression, which is important because people can get suicidal — seasonal affective disorder — and when does that happen? During the fall months."

Watch the video above for Dr. Pescatore's breakfast, lunch and dinner recommendations that are full of vitamin D!

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Dr. Fred Pescatore