I absolutely love spring! Something about fresh chartreuse green, young bulbs poking out of the ground and the busy chatter of the birds that sends my head spinning. As a daydreaming little girl, I would get myself into trouble in school when I couldn't stay focused on the lesson because I was so enraptured with the budding trees. Trees of all things! It's my favorite season again and time to get back outside. My family and I spent a lot of time in the sun this past weekend. After such a brutal winter, we were eager to peal off layers and expose our skin to the sun. We joined friends and headed toward the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms in D.C. My friend Don is just as obsessed as I am about living healthfully. Of course, our conversation naturally gravitated to the topic of the sun and vitamin D.
Did you know that one of the reasons people do not get sick as frequently during the summer is because of increased sun exposure? Vitamin D boosts immunity and is a must for anyone who is fighting cancer or any other sickness where the immune system is compromised. The sun is also excellent for treating depression and sleep disorders. I am a very light sleeper, believe me -it can be miserable! However, I can sleep like a log after several hours of being outdoors.
You can imagine why I go stir crazy when I see so many articles about increased risk of cancer from the sun. Burning plus a body that is sick from poor lifestyle habits equals a risk for skin cancer. However, if you change the variables of the equation, you can completely change the outcome. Sun exposure at appropriate times and duration on a body that is saturated with phytonutrients, will boost immunity and help to increase health in the individual. Supplementation is necessary during the winter months but nothing beats the quality of Vitamin D that is only obtainable by sun exposure. Vitamin D from sun exposure is water soluble which makes it much more usable by the body than vitamin D which comes from other sources. I wanted to share an excellent article with you from Dr. Mercola. Here is one of my posts on sun exposure where I take the time to explain how to obtain appropriate sun exposure.
I just got word that the temperature is supposed to drop tonight below freezing. Old man winter just won't let up!
Have a great day!
