Be Very Scared of the Sun

Every year when summer rolls around there seems to be an increased push to stay out of the direct sun, apply sunscreen every couple of hours, make sure your covered properly, and pretty much stay inside in the middle of the day.  Yet, at the same time, especially in the United States, there is also an enormous push for children to "get out and play" simply meaning that our youth need to get more exercise instead of sitting in front of the TV playing video games.  So what should children, and for that fact, the rest of us do in the summer?  Should we all get covered head to toe in clothing before going outside in the heat to play, or maybe lather ourselves up with sunscreen, some of which contain chemicals that can cause birth defects in pregnant women and others which may actually cause skin cancer in addition to the UV rays bombarding us.   The choices don't seem that appealing.   In addition, according to some research, the amount of sunscreen that the average person applies, regardless of the rated SPF, is far less than recommended and equates to an effectiveness of around SPF 2.5-7.5.   Despite wrinkling and melanoma, the sun, for everyone under it, is perhaps the best source of Vitamin D available.  Vitamin D is vital in maintaining our health and keeping illness at bay.  Ever wonder why there are more sicknesses during the winter?  It is mostly because of our lack of vitamin D.  If we had a steady source of Vitamin D throughout the year, the rate at which we caught the common cold would greatly decrease. 

So how is the public supposed to make sense of all of this?  We are told we need vitamin D to stay healthy, yet we also need to protect our skin with sunscreen (which blocks Vitamin D) and we also need to get more exercise outside in the sun.   What about natural supplements?   Everyone is different, but most of the time, we get a sunburn because of nutritional deficiencies.   There has been some research done that says an increase in Vitamin B will actually help the body tan instead of burn.  There are other natural supplements in the form of amino acids that will help your body tan instead of burn.  Both of these will help in the production of Vitamin D and in addition to providing us with a nice tan, will help stave off skin cancer and the "ugly" side effects of the sun.   So what is the logical thing to do?  I would say, start by eating healthier foods that provide all the necessary nutrients that your body needs.  Even by starting to eat healthier, you can start to put off the effects of the sun.  Many of us will still need supplements to fully protect ourselves from the sun, but it is much more worth it to take a few supplements that to lather ourselves completely up with chemicals that are questionable in their efficacy.   One of the inactive ingredients most often found in sunscreens, retinyl palmitate once absorbed into the skin, actually converts into a compound that can cause birth defects in babies. 

So, despite the amount of criticism I may receive for my actions, I am going to do my best to go sunscreens free this summer and see if I can't find some natural supplements to aid in the tanning process which will consequently provide me with more vitamin D to keep me healthy.   I do not currently know what supplements I will need to take, but research time it is, and when I figure it out, I will let you know.    The message we receive about the outdoors is so convoluted that it is impossible to make heads or tails of it.   It seems to me the ultimate goal is to stay as healthy as possible, meaning more exercise, more sun exposure, and healthier eating styles.   Many people have a long way to go, but it is not impossible and the rewards are immense including perhaps the best reward, living a longer life.  We, as humans, were not meant to be stuck indoors, hidden out of the sun.  Nor were we meant to be completely covered from head to toe in the middle of summer outside, it just does not make sense.   Before lathering yourself with sunscreen from head to toe, at least check out the ingredients in what your putting on yourself, you will probably be amazed at what is in there.  Sunscreens are not the only culprits of chemical infusion into our lives.  Chemicals surround us in almost everything we use and can have an effect on us regardless of how careful we are.   We should all do our best to limit the amount of chemicals in our lives, it will only help us out in the long run.  Today, think twice about sunscreen, think about the chemicals they contain and how much extra harm they can do versus the actual sun.