We need Sun for our Health. While consuming 80% or more raw foods in our diets makes a significant difference in our health, daily sunshine is also very important to maximizing our health. Whether you live in a state with sunshine all year, have seasonal summer sun, or take trips to warm climates, learning to condition yourself to sunshine exposure will help protect you from sun damage and assist you in maintaining a healthier body! UVB radiation from natural pure sunshine converts cholesterol into vitamin D in your body. Vitamin D is a very potent anti-cancer vitamin. In fact, some research studies show people who do not get enough sunshine have higher occurrences of skin cancer. Even though they were outside, the cancers on their bodies were located where there was no exposure to the sun! Have you noticed animals in the wild do not get skin cancer! Virtually all plant and animal life on earth needs some sunshine! There would be no life without the sun.

Tips for Great Health in the Sun

Avoid Chemicals
Although the medical establishment would have you bathing in sunscreen, it is one of the last things you want to put on your body. Sunscreen is a toxic chemical that can cause problems in your liver and blood. A better alternative is wearing clothing to protect you against the sun, or using a natural sun block of which there are only a few acceptable brands. Make-up, lotions, and most personal care products are loaded with harmful chemicals that not only disrupt hormones, but are toxic! What you put on your skin enters your blood stream in minutes! Pure, natural skin care products are available and avoid exposure to unnecessary harmful chemicals. Suntan lotions actually block vitamin D production, the very reason we are out in the sun. If you have to stay out for long time and are not conditioned to the sun, then I recommend natural sun tan lotions for occasional use.

Condition Your Skin for Sun
Whether hitting the ski slopes or the sandy beaches of the world, the most important factor is to avoid getting sunburned. Constant burning of your skin dramatically increases your chances of getting skin cancer. Exposing yourself to the sun no more than 20 minutes for the first 3 days, then increasing exposure by 15 minutes a day every 3 days for 2 weeks, allows your body to become accustomed to the sun, and you avoid burning. Use plenty of natural aloe vera gel to help re-moisturize your skin. It penetrates 7 layers deep to sooth and protect. If you do burn, I recommend a pure aloe vera gel or juice, pure noni juice, and essential oil of lavender. The aforementioned are the top 3 first aid treatments for burned skin. Pure Raw Honey can also be useful to soothe and heal sunburn.

Protect yourself with a Healthy Diet
Eating bad trans fats is the worst food of all! Avoid fried foods, poor quality oils, roasted nuts and seeds, and the fake fats such as margarine, lard and most cooked fats. Eating junk foods, bad trans fats, and over eating all contribute to a weakened immune system. Cooked fats clog our blood and can cause tumors. Overeating bad fats is, in my opinion, the single worst and most damaging food to our health. In addition, avoid over eating processed foods like white flour and white sugar because they are all very acidic. Eating too much acidic food leaches minerals from our body and weakens our immune system. However, please remember to eat a proper amount of healthy fats such as: fresh pressed oils, raw nuts and seeds, avocado, and coconuts. Consuming plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables also keeps your immune system strong. Natural beta carotene and vitamin A are both very protective to the skin.

Eat Cod Liver Oil, Spirulina, & Sunflower Seeds
Cod liver oil, spirulina, & sunflower seeds are a great source of beta carotene and vitamin A. If you are not a vegetarian, a quality source of Cod Liver Oil also has other benefits.

Forget about Suntan Beds…
So far man has yet to duplicate nature, and sun tan beds are an example! While you might be able to get some vitamin D production from sun bed tanning, it is still not a balanced light equivalent to the sun’s rays. Just like a synthetic vitamin is not food, manmade lamps are not the sun!

Go Outside!
Walking outside just 20 minutes a day, with some skin exposed, will help you produce vitamin D. During your 20 minute sunshine exposure, please avoid sunglasses and contact lenses, since much of the vitamin D is produced by exposure through the pupils of our eyes. Exposure to the sun provides many other benefits in addition to promoting the conversion of vitamin D. The right balance of natural sunlight actually prevents cancer. There is also strong evidence that sunlight is protective against MS and breast cancer, and contributes towards an overall strong immune system.

Even in the winter please try to go outside, when the weather is tolerable, at least 3 days a week. There is no better source of vitamin D than exposure to natural sunshine! Ever wonder why laundry dried in the sun smells fresher than clothes from a dryer? Sunshine kills bacteria and mold! Sunbathing safely can be good for you.

Beware of the Ozone Layer
In some parts of the world there is a thinner ozone layer which lowers the earth’s natural protection from the sun. Avoid prolonged exposure at peak times of the day, around 12 noon to 2 pm, to minimize UVB damage.

Eat healthy, avoid getting burned and use natural skin care products for healthy glowing skin and to maximize your fun in the sun!

Wayne Gendel