My very favorite day of the year is that first warm sunny day after a long North Country winter. I love heading outside for my walk wearing short sleeves and shorts. There is something very special about this day. I’ve come to look forward to it as a yearly rite of passage. I love the feeling of my body soaking in the rays and the warmth of the sun. It feels like I’m coming alive and reenergizing when I didn’t even realize I was sleeping. It’s a most wonderful feeling.
And I am not alone. This is nature’s design. With intense spring and summer sun comes longer, warmer days. All of nature springs to life. Grass greens up, babies are born and raised, flowers bloom. People smile more and head outside. We flock to beaches like bees to honey, bare our bodies and revel in the sunshine.
I venture say this ‘sun worship’ is a hardwired instinct that spurs us outside, despite those expert warnings. It seems that the tide is shifting, and the word is clear. Wise sun exposure is healing and gives us energy for renewed life.
Sunshine and Health
Summer is a natural time to give your health a boost. And one of our greatest summertime healing allies is the sun.
Just like plankton and most animals exposed to sunlight, we have evolved to synthesize Vitamin D with the help of the sun. Vitamin D is actually a prohormone, a substance that can be converted to a hormone.
Prohormone D is a real powerhouse. It regulates over 2,000 genes and is needed by just about every cell in your body. It supports everything from heart health to proper digestion to healthy aging and hearing. Because it supports your immune system, Vitamin D is now being researched as a major protector against various cancers.
Enjoy the bright midday sun to help your body produce Vitamin D as it is designed to do. Expose your bare skin to the sun. Do not burn! Start with fifteen minutes. The fairer your skin, the less sunshine you need. The further away you live from the equator, the longer you may need to sun. Use your skin as a guide. Do not shower for several hours before or after sunning. Your skin needs natural oils and time to make Vitamin D.
Take advantage of sunny days to boost your serotonin levels too. Concentrations of serotonin drop to their lowest levels during short, cloudy winter days and rise to their highest levels in summer and fall. A half-hour of early morning sunlight each day helps your body produce mood-lifting serotonin. You’ll make melatonin for a good night sleep too. To benefit from the full-spectrum light of the sun, you need direct access. Windows, sunglasses, tanning lotion and clothes all block beneficial rays.
I remember reading stories about how years ago tuberculosis sufferers in sanatoriums were given daily sun treatments. All went well until glass was put in the windows. When the healing rays were blocked, so was the cure.
Remember, just like anything else, too much of a good thing definitely applies to sunning. Let your body and how you feel be your guide. Do not look directly at the sun. If you want to face the sun, close your eyes or shade them. Drink water to stay hydrated. Cover up or seek the shade when your sun treatments are done.
More Summer Health Boosters
The sun isn’t the only way to enjoy the health boosting benefits of summer. Get outside for lots of fresh air. Let your house air out daily. Indoor pollution is often several times more concentrated than outdoor pollution.
While you’re enjoying the fresh air, get some exercise. Your body is designed to move often. Any kind of movement counts – and summer makes it easy. Take a walk, ride your bicycle, go for a swim. Wash your windows, weed the garden, mow the lawn, play ball with the dog.
While you are outside, spend some time with your bare feet on the earth. Unsealed cement works too. Or touch a living tree. We spend much of our time ungrounded, which is unnatural. It never ceases to amaze me how good it feels walking barefoot in the grass. This is how nature intended for us to walk. Our feet are designed for it. Our rhythms are designed for harmony with the earth.
If at all possible, take a few beach days. There are reasons we feel so good after a day at the beach. Our bodies receive energy from the sun. We make Vitamin D. Our bare feet keep us grounded (and being in the water amplifies this). We breathe negative ion rich fresh air. And if you are lucky enough to bathe in the ocean, you get to soak up health promoting minerals, especially magnesium chloride. Talk about relaxation!
Next month we’ll talk about enjoying the summer bounty. Until then, take advantage of the wonderful outdoors. Enjoy it wisely to truly promote wellness by nature’s design.
http://www.holistic-mindbody-healing.com
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