Episode 19- Sunlight & Health

First, let’s break down the possible benefits of getting adequate sunlight:

  1. Relieves Pressure on your kidneys!
  1. Promotes Good Sleep
  1. Speeds up Your Metabolism 
  1. Promotes Fat Oxidation

5.Of course I have to mention our friend, Vitamin D aka The Sunshine Vitamin

According to a PubMed article, Vitamin D Deficiency can lead to abnormalities in calcium, phosphorus, and bone metabolism.

In addition there are tons of studies that show a connection between Vitamin D deficiency and obesity .

Now, correlation does not mean causation. 

Getting adequate Vitamin D by itself will not lead to fatloss, but it plays vital roles along with other nutrients for a properly functioning metabolism.

Now that we know all this, what’s next? 

Just go outside. We live in a society where we are told so many things that we are afraid of nature.

Just like anything, too much of a good thing can end up being bad.

For example, if you drink too much water you can drown your body.

Yes, that is a thing. 

Some things to be mindful of:

  1. Try to get sun early in the morning and later in the evening where it is not so hot.

Tip on this. Early morning sun safely raises your cortisol levels in the morning as nature intends. This, combined with the right diet approach can lead to more effective fat oxidation. 

  1. If you live in a highly polluted area, the pollution can make the sunlight harsh on your eyes and skin
  2. Be mindful of how much sunblock you wear. If you are always wearing sunblock, you can diminish your body’s ability to create adequate melanin. If you wear sunblock, please get a natural sunblock that does not have a ton of harmful chemicals. Remember that our skin is out #1 detox organ and those chemicals do seep into our bloodstream. 
  3. Once a day try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of redlight from the rising or setting sun. Research shows us that redlight has tons of benefits i.e reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. In fact, harnessing the power of redlight is becoming a common practice for health and medical professionals
  4. Unless medically necessary or if you are in a location that is highly polluted or the sun rays are extremely damaging, minimize the use of sunglasses to help your body properly synthesize Vitamin D from natural sunlight. 
  5. If you can, workout outside from time to time to increase energy expenditure and calorie burn.
  6. Make sure to stay hydrated. I usually have to drink twice as much water on the days I spend more time in the sun. Dehydration can lead to dry skin and wrinkles, fyi. 

A word of warning, gradually make changes. If you decide to get out in the sun, which I highly recommend for most people, gradually allow your body and eyes to adjust.

Don’t move from barely getting sunlight to immediately getting hours.

You would put yourself at a higher risk for sunburn, skin cancer and excess again, just to name a few. 

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