The Sun Isn't The Enemy


For many years the pendulum seems to have swung from limited sun exposure having a benefit to your health to that of an unhealthy obsession with lounging for hours in the sun to get "crispy". 

I tend to stick to be in the middle and I have a belief that surely our body must have been designed to work with our natural environment, I don't believe that we somehow ended up on a planet where the environment doesn't benefit our existence and vice versa. 

Along with the PCD foods, I'd highly recommend you make it a necessary activity to spend time outside in the early hours of the sun coming up. If there's any fog or it's overcast, avoid going outside but once the sky is clear and there's no fog it should be okay to go out. You want to expose as much skin as possible so wearing shorts and a t-shirt is ideal to get your face, arms and legs exposed, even during wintertime. It's estimated that the ideal hours are between 10AM and 3PM depending on your location and season.

What benefits does one get from going outside in the sun?

* Vitamin D: Your body needs sun to naturally produce Vitamin D which is crucial for building strong bones and healthy teeth, supports healthy muscle function, and benefits your immune system.

* Improves Mood: Boosts your serotonin levels so that you feel less stress and anxiety. 

* Improves Sleep: We need natural lighting to support better sleep so forcing yourself outside each day helps reset your internal clock and help you fall asleep at dark hours. 

* Better Eye Health: Sun exposure has been linked to a reduction in nearsightedness, benefits eye muscle coordination, important for visual processing and focus. A guesstimation of the time needed for you to see eye health benefits from exposure is approximately 1 hour of outside time. 

How long do you need to sunbathe to get my Vitamin D production and the other benefits?

Light Skinned People: 10-15 minutes, 2-3X week, Early Morning/Mid-Day Sun

Tan or Dark Skinned People: 20-40 minutes, 2-3X week, Early Morning/Mid-Day Sun

* Be aware that age is a factor in the time you spend outside because teenagers and adults produce Vitamin D less efficiently than small children do. 

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