Vitamin D helps promote healthy bones by managing the absorption of calcium, as previously mentioned. However, there is an ever-increasing body of knowledge linking vitamin D to many other health benefits.

For instance, vitamin D has been linked to managing high blood pressure and normalizing hypertension symptoms. It can stimulate the pancreas and has a role in regulating the immune system. It reduces the risk of colon polyps, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin D can even help alleviate bone pain.

For women specifically, vitamin D lowers the levels of estradiol and progesterone in the body—two hormones of which high amounts can cause infertility. Another cause of infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, is also reduced by consuming proper levels of vitamin D. If the daily vitamin D intake is met, the handy nutrient can reduce the ability of genes linked to breast cancer to express themselves, thereby lowering breast cancer risk by up to 30%. When pregnant, proper vitamin D intake can help reduce the chance of the baby being born with skeletal malformations, brittle bone disease, or low bone density. With all of this in mind, it might be easier to list what vitamin D doesn’t help with!

You got lucky.  Me too.  I could practically chug liquids from day 1.  Protein fills me up fast.  Good way to be.  Easy to stay hydrated, but still limited on food intake.

Or vice-versa: add instant coffee (and milk, if you want a thinner consistency) to the vanilla protein drink. It took quite a bit of the instant coffee to get the taste to my liking.

I track everything on MyFitnessPal so that I can make sure to hit my minimum grams of protein and avoid hitting my maximum grams of carbohydrates every day. It's not going to be accurate to the exact calorie count, but it gets pretty close as long as I am weighing and measuring my food whenever possible. 

Ask your Dr, every surgeon and nutritionist are different. Mine is total carbs but I do not count veggie carbs.