To Tan or Not To Tan

To Tan or Not To Tan

Disclaimer:  The information provided in this article has not been reviewed nor approved by the FDA.  It is for informational purposes only.  These are the steps I take or would take in my life to become healthier and disease free.  This is based upon my years of research, writing, and living this lifestyle. 

For approximately the last 20 years we have been strictly warned to avoid the sun.  Our heads have been filled with fear of skin cancer and even blindness. 

The reality, of course, is quite different. Since our creation or through our evolution, we have been outside, working and playing in the sunlight.  Our bodies need sunlight to function optimally. 

Have you ever wondered why Cold and Flu season is in the fall and winter months and not usually during the spring and summer months?  Why these two illnesses suddenly seem to “disappear” for about 5 months a year?   They don’t, they are still around, but our immune systems are better prepared to fight them primarily because of our increased time in the sunlight and that we tend to expose more skin to that light. 

From sunlight, our body’s makes the hormone called Vitamin D.  This is one of the most effective nutrients in arming our immune system.  Not only does it fight colds and flu, it also fights cancer cells.  Interesting, isn’t it?  The very thing that we are told causes cancer actually kills cancer. 

A friend of mine in California has chronic skin cancer.  Despite all of his best precautions, following the advice of his dermatologist, he still goes in monthly to have new cancer spots removed.  So, what is the likely cause?  His immune system is weak from the lack of sunlight and he is always slathering sun screen on his skin.  Sun screen products, by the way, are not safe on your skin, they are actually toxic and likely cause skin cancer.    

Of course, laying in the sun for hours and burning is not good for you.  But there is a big difference between getting some sun daily and getting far too much.   It is best to avoid the noon-day sun and better to find time in the morning or late afternoon to be outside. 

A twenty-year Swedish study of 30,000 women showed the benefits of daily sun exposure.  Half of the women avoided the sun and the other half spent 30 minutes daily outside with skin exposed and wearing no sun screen.  The results?  The group of women exposed to daily sunlight were far healthier, by every measure and test, than the group who avoided the sun.

Vitamin D is essential for proper absorption of calcium.  Generally, the problem in osteoporosis is not the lack of calcium, it is a lack of vitamin D and magnesium. 

Other chronic illnesses related to low levels of vitamin D include depression, multiple sclerosis, leukemia, dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases.  Vitamin D is also vital in wound healing. 

Regardless of your chronic illness, I strongly recommend FIRST increasing your level of Vitamin D.  My first suggestion is to get out into the sun every day.  The vitamin D produced by your body from sunlight is the most effective. But most of us do not live in climates that permit year-round sunbathing.  To increase our Vitamin D levels in the off months, I recommend the following trio of nutrients that helps provide proper vitamin D absorption and leads to optimal health:

1.      Vitamin D3 (take only D3, the other forms such as D2 are synthetic and not effective).  I recommend taking 1,000 to 5,000 IUs daily.

2.     Vitamin K2.  Vitamin K2 deficiency leads to osteoporosis, varicose veins, arterial calcification, cardiovascular disease, as well as prostate, lung and liver cancers.  Along with Vitamin D3, low levels of K2 can also lead to Parkinson’s disease.  Take at least 1,000 micrograms (mcgs) of Vitamin K2 per day.  If you suffer from Parkinson’s disease, I would probably double that amount.

3.     Magnesium chloride.  This is also known as magnesium oil, although it is not a true oil, it merely has that feel when applied to the skin.  It is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of Americans are deficient in magnesium, primarily because of our high carbohydrate diets.  Magnesium oil is sprayed onto the skin and gently rubbed in.  I highly recommend the brand Ancient Minerals (available on the internet).  Spray 10 to 15 shots onto your skin after a shower and rub it in.  Should you experience a burning sensation, you may wash it off after 20 minutes. 

So, in conclusion, the sun really is your friend.  There is a reason we instinctively see people with tans as being “healthy.”  They actually are healthier than those who avoid the sun. 

Please visit my website www.OnePercentHealth.com (spelled out, no numbers or symbols) and for more detailed information and references, you can there purchase my book Just Do This One Thing: A Guide to Chronic Good Health which covers this information in greater detail.   This podcast and the associated article are also available on my site as well as ClinesRunningCorner.com