WALKING IN SUNSHINE

Here comes the sun...

With all the hype over recent years about staying out of the sun, and with justifiable concerns about skin cancer and over-exposure to the sun's rays, many people have chosen to don sun-resistant clothing and to run from the sun.  Unfortunately, while this may be good for the skin, it has taken a radical toll on natural vitamin D production.

Our amazing bodies have been designed to synthesize the sun's rays into much needed vitamin D, most valued for its role in boosting calcium absorption into the body, important for strong bones, teeth, hair and nails.  Not only is vitamin D vital for calcium absorption, it has been shown over recent years that this nutrient fights cancers as well as diabetes. It feeds a hormone that protects muscle tissue, and inhibits autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and IBD, irritable bowel disease. According to Science News, it also helps to eliminate osteoporosis.

Get outdoors for a little while

Typically, people do not receive the necessary amounts of vitamin D from their daily diets, even though the required amounts are not considered to be mega doses.   We can accomplish receipt of the necessary amounts of vitamin D by simply spending more time outdoors. However, with modern habits and work routines such as they are, few of us create the higher doses of vitamin D in our bodies by outdoor exposure.

We have come to rely on our rather inadequate diets to fill in the deficit for us. However, there are not many foods that are naturally rich sources of vitamin D, other than perhaps milk which is supplemented.

A little dab will do ya good

You'd think that with all the good vitamin D does, its source would receive some sort of acclamation.  Not so.  To date, people are still afraid to go out into the sun for fear of cancer.  One need not be in the sun a long time, or at the peak times of sun's strength, to gain benefit from the healthy rays.  A mere ten minutes daily, in mid- morning or late afternoon, will accomplish the task without putting a person in any danger of disease.

It's important to remember that calcium cannot be properly synthesized by our bodies without vitamin D, and the best way to get it is to get outside into the sun for a little while each day.  The rate of osteoporosis, hair loss and many other calcium/bone related problems will likely decrease as we increase our daily intake of natural vitamin D - it comes from the sun!