Sunlight is Your Natural Insulin

Now, we all know that without sunlight there would be no life on earth. It breaks my heart that many of us fear the sun and its link with cancer instead of its link with life. I am here to tell you that your fears may not all be true. The media of science and industry? as it is in many situations? has not given the whole story. Here I will offer another side of the reality.

Some of us may be familiar with the idea that sunshine on our skin converts cholesterol to Vitamin D. Vitamin D makes us happier and helps keep our bones growing strong among its many important bodily functions. People in more polar latitudes have been known to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is caused by inadequate exposure to sunlight. This is treated, of course, with sunlight, artificial or real, depending on the situation. Light therapy is also used to treat psoriasis, fungal infections and was also discovered to help heal wounds, bruises and lacerations in hospitals and camps in WWII.

Sunlight Is Like Natural Insulin

Ok, how about this: sunlight is like natural insulin. What? It helps lower blood sugar. When fruit sugars are eaten, the sun helps the storage of the sugar as glycogen in the liver and muscle tissues. In fact, when the recovery time of athletes who received different amounts of sunlight was studied, it was found that those who receive regular sunlight both recovered and built muscle faster than those who did not.
If that isn’t enough, sunlight is also detoxifying as it helps draw out toxins from the skin, it stimulates AGNI (the digestive fire), improves eyesight, and regulates hormones such as melatonin and the pineal gland, known as the master clock. How can we afford not to get our sun?
Moderation, as always, is key. As is strengthening the system that we wish to keep healthy.

The Ideal Diet for Sun Enjoyment

The ideal diet for sun enjoyment; meaning the way to eat that will keep you healthy enough to have the ability to protect your cells while you enjoy the sun (and the rest of your life), is one that has:

1. Lots of EFAs from nuts, seeds, algae’s, legumes, and whole grains
2. Lots of antioxidant from fruits, veggies, greens, berries, teas and especially beta carotene rich foods such as yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables.

Sounds yummy to me. If it doesn’t to you, maybe we need to talk recipes next time?
30 minutes of sunlight per day, ideally mid-morning and later-afternoon/evening sun is a healthy intake. No sunglasses and as much skin exposed as possible is also highly recommended. For any longer exposure, especially during midday, it is best to cover up, get some shade and find a hammock, or if necessary use a natural sunblock.
I have been told that cacao butter is the best natural sunblock and skin treatment for sun kissed skin, however, I met some really neat people living in Hawaii who used honey. Sounds like a sticky situation but if it worked, why not?
Many of the commercial sunblock's have toxic chemicals and unstable oils that can poison you and your loved ones through your skin and contribute to the problem of skin damage.

It is best to visit the informational website by the Environmental Working Group that has a database of information on common brands and ingredients to educate yourself about the products you use.