| The question of whether sun exposure is beneficial or harmful invokes many “heated” discussions in the medical field. Most medical doctors will advise you to block the sun’s rays by slathering your skin with chemical-filled sunscreens on a daily basis. We are inundated with massive advertising campaigns that tell us we should be terrified of sun exposure.
While excessive sun exposure can certainly be detrimental to your health, moderate and sensible exposure offers an array of wellness benefits. Sunshine should be enjoyed and cherished as it fuels the world we live in, helps aid us in decreasing depression, improving skin issues, and supports Vitamin D function. It is the oldest and most powerful source of energy that we have on Earth. Let us embrace its goodness for health benefits, many of which will prevent costly trips to the doctor. Let’s go to the beach, take a walk, or play outside with our kids. But, be smart! Try to avoid direct sunshine between 11 AM and 3 PM. If that is not possible, wear a hat to protect your face and a rash guard to protect your skin. If you still need sunscreen to keep from burning, try a natural sunscreen such as, SkinShade from Pronounce Skincare, or LureLux on Amazon. These brands contain zinc oxide which does not disrupt hormone balance or attribute to cancer. When choosing a sunscreen for you and your family, look for sunscreen that only contains zinc oxide. Since your skin is your largest organ on the body and what you put on it is absorbed, using a healthy sunscreen is a top priority.
|
All the wonderful benefits of the sun
|
| 1. Improved sleep patterns. Sun exposure during the day raises your serotonin levels, which in turn helps you sleep deeper, fall asleep easier, and wake up feeling rested in the morning.
|
| 2. Sunshine reduces your susceptibility to cancers. This might sound counterintuitive, given that various cancers are a result of overexposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. However, research has indicated that consistent exposure to moderate levels of sunshine is capable of putting breast cancer in a phase of remission.
|
| 3. Sunshine prevents and kills off various skin conditions. It aids with fungal infections, psoriasis, eczema, and acne. All of these can be dealt with simply by exposing yourself to the sun on a consistent basis over a sustained period of time. As little as 10 minutes a day can provide many benefits to the skin.
|
| 4. Reduces cholesterol levels. Sunshine is responsible for converting cholesterol in our system into hormones the body can use. So you get the double boost, using the cholesterol in our body to help prevent high cholesterol levels and you get the hormones that our body needs to function.
|
| 5. Clarifies blood vessels. Light from the sun is capable of making its way into deep-seated blood vessels. It cleanses them and clears the path for blood circulation. This is wonderful if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and plaque formation in your arteries and veins because all of these will be lowered. All from enjoying nature’s beautiful sunshine.
|
| 6. Sunshine reduces blood pressure levels. While clarifying the blood helps decrease blood pressure, nitric oxide does as well. Nitric oxide signals the blood vessels to relax and our blood pressure is lowered. Nitrate is very abundant in the body, but the body cannot use it in this form. The body must convert nitrate to nitric oxide for it to be useful. The way this is done is through our radiant sun, so get out in the sun and lower your blood pressure!
|
| 7. Sunshine boosts immunity. White blood cells are important for your body as they are the main defense mechanism. Exposure to the sun increases the number of white blood cells in your body, which means a strengthened immune system.
|
| 8. Quells depression. Sunshine helps to decrease feelings of depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder by increasing the serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin modulates mood. Low serotonin levels can cause depression, anxiety, and increased anger.
|
| 9. Improved bone strength. Sunlight on the body helps to produce the hormone, vitamin D. Yes, vitamin D is a hormone. Vitamin D is rare in the foods we eat. We need sunshine for our bodies to produce vitamin D, which then helps us to absorb calcium. Calcium absorption strengthens our bones and helps to prevent osteoporosis.
|
| 10. Weight loss. Nitric oxide productions increases metabolism which aids in weight loss.
All these wonderful benefits make me want to go for a bike ride, enjoy nature, get some exercise in, improve my mood, boost my metabolism, and keep my blood pressure normalized. I cannot think of a reason not to enjoy the luscious sunshine, in moderation, as often as I can! So, grab your sneakers and go take a walk! Better yet, walk barefoot in the grass or at the beach and find out how grounding your body to nature can boost your health!
|
Nature’s Sunshine Goodness
