Sun Exposure For Good Health

Getting out into the sun is so beneficial for your overall health. It helps your mitochondria health and function. Vitamin D which we get naturally from the sun helps improve our mood, improve our sleep, and lower blood pressure. Getting out in the sun can also help strengthen our bones, lower stress, help with weight loss, helps protect against colds and the flu, boosts our immune system. The sun can also help our bodies protect against chronic illnesses like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart attacks, and multiple sclerosis. All of this can be benefited from with just moderate sun exposure. Excessive sun exposure may contribute to dermatological issues like burning and damaging your skin. Is lathering yourself with sunscreen the right way to get the benefits from the sun?

The skin is your biggest organ. It covers your whole body, and can absorb up to 60% of what is put on it. This means if you are putting an unsafe sunscreen all over your skin to protect from the sun your skin is absorbing that right into you body and into your system. Non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen is a good option that is natural and usually does not have harmful chemicals in it if you still want to opt for a sunscreen option. Some people use coconut oil as a sunscreen as well. Slathering on sunscreen can block your natural absorption of vitamin D from the sun.

One thing that is important to know is your skin type. There are different charts to help you figure out what skin type you have. One shows six different skin types on a chart that then allows you to figure out your optimal sun exposure times per day.

Skin type one is pale white skin, blond or red hair; does not tan and always burns.
Type two is fair skin, blue eyes; burns easily, tans poorly.
Type three, dark caucasian; tans after initial burn.
Type four, light brown skin; burns minimally, tans easily.
Type five, brown skin; rarely burns, tans dark and easily.
Type six, dark brown or black skin; never burns.

Your skin type will help you distinguish your sun exposure. An example of this is if you have type one skin you may only need 10-15 minutes a day out in the sun to get your daily dose of Vitamin D. While someone who has type three skin may need around 40 minutes of sun exposure to get their daily dose of vitamin D. Over time and as you tan you will be able to lengthen your exposure because your skin will start to move up the chart. This can help you increase your tolerance to the sun.

Vitamin D is important for our health. It helps with many systems in the body. Three fourths of the teens and adults in the United States are vitamin D deficient. You can get vitamin D from foods but it is normally better for your overall health to get it directly from the sun. This can be tricky especially in the winter months. Making sure you have adequate vitamin D levels can actually help you protect from getting a sunburn and skin cancer. So increasing the foods you eat that contain vitamin D can help your sun tolerance. Foods high in vitamin D are mushrooms, cheese, eggs, and salmon.

Once you know your skin type you can start building up your tolerance to the sun. In other words, start working on that base tan. This can be achieved by going out in the sun in small increments. This can be 10-15 minutes a day. The best time to build your tolerance is in the morning or in the evening when the sun is not at its strongest. This will allow you to stay outside longer without fear of ending up with a sunburn. Building up your blood levels of vitamin D will help you become more resistant to sunburns. When you are outside in the heat of the day be mindful of staying in the shade, or covering your body up with protective clothing. You cannot always avoid the middle of the day sun.

Making sure you are eating the right foods can also help you build up your sun tolerance. You can protect your skin from the inside. Omega 3 fatty acids are a great sun protection that can help prevent sunburns. Instead of hot dogs and hamburgers all summer long, try grilling a salmon or other types of fish you enjoy. Make sure you are eating your antioxidants, like dark chocolate, berries, kale and fish. A sunburn is an inflammatory response of the body. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet and anti-inflammatory foods can help reduce the risk of a sunburn. Foods like dark leafy greens, bell peppers, berries, and citrus fruits. Avoid foods that are inflammatory like processed foods, sugars, and vegetable oils. Switch your vegetable oils out for something like butter, ghee, lard, or coconut oil. Making sure you are hydrated is also essential.

Before you spend hours on the beach or outside it is important to make sure you are taking care of your biggest organ. Your skin! Your skin absorbs about 60% of what is put on it. Using a chemical sunscreen allows your skin to absorb those chemicals into your body. Building up your sun tolerance in small increments, covering up with a hat, clothing, taking shade breaks, and learning to protect yourself from sunburns from the inside out may help you stay sunburn free, but allow you to not have to use sunscreens if you don’t want to. There are some clean options of sunscreens on the market, but clean is relative. Make sure to do your own research on what is safe.