By Derek Henry, Holistic Health Coach for Healing the Body
Many people have a torrid relationship with the sun. Some days they just wish it would come out so they could bask in its beautiful glow, and on days they get sunburned, they curse its very existence. Regardless of where you stand with the sun, its important to remember the enormous consequences is has for life on this planet. It’s time to appreciate the healing benefits of the sun.
Unrivaled Source for Comprehensive Healing
Vitamin D is crucial due to its miracle-class ability to halt cancer (77% of ALL cancers are prevented by vitamin D alone), to ease depression, boost bone health, improve brain function, enhance heart health, and much more. Even though vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin, it is actually a neuro-regulatory hormone. This may explain why people experience mood swings, depression, and irritability when they are low on vitamin D exposure, such as the winter months or other areas which experience much less sunlight.
If a vitamin D supplement is required due to lack of sun exposure, the best form after the sun is vitamin D3 in liquid form, paired with a source of vitamin K. (Shaul Schwarz/Getty Images)Nothing beats vitamin D in terms of the number of important health benefits derived from a single substance, and throughout history, it has been used for the following:
- In Rome, the sun treated epilepsy, paralysis, asthma, jaundice, bladder and colon diseases, and obesity.
- In the 1700’s, it was used to relieve scurvy and rickets
- In the last 1800’s, it was used to treat bacterial infections, including anthrax, cholera, and dysentery
- In 1903 and 1905, Nobel prizes were given to sunlight therapists Finsen and Koch who used ultraviolet light to treat tuberculosis
- Florence Nightingale redesigned many hospitals in the 1900’s to allow in more therapeutic sunlight
- Dr. Oskar Bernhard used sun therapy during WWI to treat wounds and prevent tetanus and gangrene
- Sun therapy has also been used to treat diseases of the skin, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, circulatory system, respiration, ear, nose, and throat
It wasn’t until the late 1920’s that sun therapy lost popularity due to the discovery of penicillin, which was followed by the discovery of antibiotics.
To maximize the absorption and storage of vitamin D, (it can be stored for up to 3 months) get in the sun and allow it to penetrate the skin for 15 to 30 minutes in peak hours of the day (the further north, and the darker the skin, the longer the exposure required), of at least the arms and legs. Vitamin D is NOT absorbed through glass, so get directly into the sun outdoors.
This means NO sunscreen before going out as it will block Vitamin D uptake altogether. Take the time to soak up the suns rays, then get out of it or put on a non-toxic skin block or botanical formula.
If a vitamin D supplement is required due to lack of sun exposure, the best form after the sun is vitamin D3 in liquid form, paired with a source of vitamin K.
Maintain the Proper Relationship With the Sun
The sun is kind of a big deal. After all, without it life on this beautiful globe would cease to exist. It really is the life of the party we are having here on planet Earth.
However, just like plant life, we need to be careful about our consumption and ensure that we maintain a healthy relationship with it. For the most part its all good, but in some cases, improper exposure can cause health problems. However, we need to also understand that it’s not necessarily the sun to blame for those health problems, but rather, our bodies that are not in the proper state to handle the suns rays, even moderately.
You want to consume a highly antioxidant diet full of produce and super foods so that you can build up your internal sunscreen (Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty Images)For example, the antioxidant content of the food you eat on a consistent basis, which then translates into the antioxidant content of your body, will have a determining effect on your chances of burning while in the sun. The suns rays damage the skin through free radicals, which are responsible for premature ageing and some cancers. Countering these free radicals with antioxidants is important in preventing damage such as sunburn and any related diseases it may bring on.
This is why (among several other reasons) you want to consume a highly antioxidant diet full of produce and super foods so that you can build up your internal sunscreen to lower your chances of sunburn. Of course, if you have an intermittent relationship with the sun and overdo it on any given day, or simply spend excessive time in the sun during peak hours, you are highly susceptible to burning. Consuming foods high in antioxidants merely increases your internal SPF to resist burning as quickly and severely.
If you want to increase your internal SPF dramatically, check out this miracle nutrient and what it can do.
As for external sunscreen, check out the EWG and their approved lists of non-toxic sunscreens. Also consider light, sun blocking clothing and hats and staying out of the sun during the peak hours. This, combined with an antioxidant rich diet, will keep the “evils” of the sun to a minimum and allow you to fully enjoy the health benefits it has to offer.
