Where has the summer gone? It is Halloween time and then November, and turkey time will be upon us.
It is heard a lot “You tell me one day something is bad for me and then suddenly it is good” and vise versa. What are we suppose to believe? Example: “Stay out of the sun – it promotes skin cancer.” We are being bombarded with ads, news articles, etc. telling us to use sun screen for protection. However, now, it is now being said that when the sun’s rays (unfiltered by lotion) strike our skin, our bodies produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical for good health. Science now confirms that people with low Vitamin D levels have higher levels of several common types of cancer – particularly skin cancer, and now they include colon and breast cancer. This leaves the question of how much Vitamin D do we need? The scientific recommendation is 1,000 units a day. We usually get about 200 units from food, and about 400 units from supplements. That is where the sun comes into play. One doesn’t need to get sun burned or even tan, as you can get 1,000 units of Vitamin D by spending 10-20 minutes in the sun in the middle of the day with your arms and face exposed. As you can see, science is back to the age-old wisdom that sunlight is essential and beneficial to all living things.
When you live here in Florida, you reap the benefits from the sunshine and fresh air on a daily basis – at the beach, on the golf course, at the pool, by walking for an hour a day and etc. Add to that the eating of whole foods and drinking lots of water, and you will experience a life changing event. Bottom line: Everyone needs to know how much sun their body can take, do not over expose yourself to the sun, and still protect your body with the use of a good natural sun screen and/or clothing.
Did you Know: “chemicals found in grape seeds (GSP – grape seed proanthocyanidins) may help ward off skin cancer due to regular exposure to the sun? (reported in Chicago at the 223rd annual meeting of the American Chemical Society).
I love my grapes: the black one with the seeds in – can’t get enough of them.
STAY SAFE, EAT WISELY, STAY HEALTHY and ENJOY A GOOD LIFE!
FYI-HEALTH TALK 