Healthy Doses of Vitamin D*

We have been warned about skin cancer and harmful exposure to the sun. I remember the day we put baby oil all over our bodies and baked in the sun for hours. Oh the wrinkles! Come on now, who remembers that? I think we even put a little iodine in it to help with the color. 

We do need vitamin D from the sun, is there a safe way to get it? We have been told to put on sunscreen. Most sunscreens are loaded with chemicals that are also harmful. And if we put sunscreen on every day and never actually get ANY exposure to the UV rays we need, then what?

Once again, we go back to nature. If we are eating healthy foods that have lots of lycopene that protects our skin from sun damage, we can safely get the vitamin D we need. Common sense has to come into play here. Staying out in the sun long enough to burn is never wise. So how long is long enough? When the skin just starts to turn pink you have gotten the dose of vitamin D needed. Obviously the time will vary for each individual and skin type. My friend, Steve, has much darker skin than I do and will need to stay out longer to get enough vitamin D, but he can still burn, so he has to be careful too. Anytime, year round, if you are getting a pink glow to your skin from sun exposure, you are getting Vitamin D. 

How about Vitamin D supplements? Supplements might help if you are severely depleted, but can never give you the healthy levels you can get from the sun. So forgo the makeup with sunscreen in it, roll up those sleeves and get some sun! After you have your D fix for the day, then slather on some natural (chemical free) sunscreen. Vitamin D will store well in your cells to carry you through cloudy days.

It continues to amaze me at how our bodies work. Did you know the eyes receive a signal from the sun and the pores then close to protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun? If we wear sunglasses when going out into the sun, the signal is missed and the skin is not naturally protected. (Don't you just love trivia?)

Get your Vitamin D fix as often as possible. Let those eyes receive and send signals to the skin. A healthy pink is what you are after, not a burn. Use lightweight clothing to cover up after you have had enough sun. Then put on those sexy sunglasses and enjoy your day.