Study The Sun And Make It Your Friend
It is the height of summer and making the most of the sun is crucial. Did you know that your best form of Vitamin D is direct sunlight through the eye and on the skin without protection? Well, it’s true, and other forms of exposure like sunrise & sunset are full blown therapy.
Over the last decade, we have been led to believe that the sun is dangerous and to avoid it all costs. Well, I’m here to tell you this is false. It’s how and when you expose yourself that matters.
You cannot get a sunburn during sunrise and sunset hours.
And, you have twenty minutes of exposure before a sunburn will begin. If you experience sunburn, poisoning or other negative effects within the twenty minute time frame, you have inflammation and toxicities.
So, look into your diet and emotional health rather than the go-to remedy of sunscreen. And, I’m not saying don’t use sunscreen, either. After being diagnosed with melanoma, I feared the sun and wouldn’t/couldn’t go out without super negative effects. I kept out of the sun and only experienced exposure with a heavy duty, toxic sunscreen. Well, staying out of the sun and using toxic sunscreens didn’t help regain my health. Today is a different story. Now I can stay out in the sun for longer periods of time without protection and my skin coloring and tone is completely different. I do use a less toxic sunscreen if I am expecting to be exposed for more than an hour at a time during heightened UV timeframes.
Another tool I have discovered to manage the sun is an app for your phone called dminder. It tracks the sun and your exposure according to where you are. It will notify you of sunrise and sunset, as well as the hours you are most likely to get a sunburn, according to your skin type.
You can choose when you go out to receive your greatest benefits with the least amount of adversity. If you are going out for long periods, it can help you plan when to apply sunscreen and protective clothing.
And, remember, not all sun exposure is the same and you do not receive the quality Vitamin D necessary for mental and gut wellbeing during all times of day. Winter months offer less opportunity to get that nutrient fortified sun exposure, so get familiar with the app to maximize each and every day. Study the sun and make it your friend.
Check out the dminder app. It’s a wellness game-changer!
