Our perception of the sun has become a negative one. While we are told to stay out of the sun’s rays and wear more sunscreen (hint hint, we have our version here), the instances of skin cancer are on the rise. I would like to challenge our thinking here. Without the sun, we have no life. Without the sun, we have no Vitamin D, which could be arguably one of, if not the most important vitamin that we need. Over 80% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. This can lead to a number of health issues including fatigue, frequent infections, poor eyesight, depression, general achiness, brain fog, irritable bowel syndrome, not getting well from a cold/flu, and many more. In fact, those who stay out of the sun are actually more likely to get melanoma.
In order to get more sun (Vitamin D), there are many things we can do. Depending on what latitude you live at, the sun’s angle determines whether or not we are getting UVB rays. There is a great app called “DMinder” that you may want to check out...it will show you when you can optimize Vitamin D exposure depending on where you live.
To challenge you even further, if you burn in the sun, you actually need to be getting more sun! Now, don’t do this right away as you will not be a happy camper. Slowly, over time, start exposing yourself to more and more sun -- no matter what your skin tone is, we all equally need the sun!
Vitamin D -- the sun -- get it on ya!
Here’s a fantastic article on Vitamin D and the sun. (*Full disclosure, I personally do not agree 100% with this article, such as eating an Epi-Paleo diet. However, the rest of the article is spot on.). Looking to add more sun in your life? Be prepared with our Sunshield Salve! Just another reason to #lovecurate!
