Times flies, doesn't it.  It is already the end of March!  Since we “sprung forward” 1 hour, we should all be spending more time outside.  I love that.  I love the sun.  Yes, I do!  I want to talk about the sun and Vitamin D because it is so important for our bodies.  Most people are scared of being in the sun because they are told that it causes skin cancer.  That is a misnomer and a fallacy that has been placed in our head by people who don't know.  The fact is that most sunscreens can cause cancer because they actually block the UV rays that are good for the body and expose you to those that are harmful.  Also, sunscreens can create xenoestrogens, which are false estrogens.  Here is a great website on this topic: www.terressentials.com/truthaboutsunscreens.html

The sun is our friend and not our enemy.  If we use it with care, it will only make us healthier and actually take care of many ailments we may have.  People who are toxic inside their bodies can get skin cancer because something is trying to come out of the body and one of the channels for elimination is the skin.  I have listened to some brilliant information on this subject by 2 prominent doctors, one who is connected with the medical field, Dr. Holick:  Importance of Vitamin D by Dr Holick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0 – this is a 1 hour video - please listen and watch, as it is visually stimulating with his funny caricatures and well worth your time.  The other is, Dr. Mercola who has some excellent videos on the subject, as well.  Dr Mercola Resource Page for Vitamin D
http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm

HEALTH TIP ~ March 2010

My recommendation for this month is to get outside in the sun at least 20-30 minutes a day.  I will give you the regimen that I do, based on watching and listening to the videos I mentioned above.  I usually go outside in the late morning for at least 30 minutes a day.  In order to get the sun that will do the body the most benefit, you will need to be out during the hours of 10-3.  You will need to expose at least 40% of your body to the sun.  Expose those areas of your body that don't get much sun gradually and you will not burn.  Protect your face, as it can burn easily.  If you live in a private residence, being fully unclothed is the best (again, be careful with sensitive areas of your body as you may want to keep them covered). I usually stand when I do my (what I call) “sunning.”  If I start to feel like my front side has had enough, I will turn and have my back facing the sun.  Some other important information, the best time to be out for your sun exposure, is when you are taller than your shadow.  If you start to sweat, then you have had enough because then the sun is too hot and the UV rays can be harmful to you.  Also, after being in the sun, do not wash off your skin with soap when you shower as it takes up to 48 hours for the body to absorb the vitamin D from the sun (it is a fat soluble vitamin).  On a personal note, my vitamin D levels were tested for a research study and I could not participate, at first because I was below the baseline levels.  On my own, I started “sunning” and came back to get re-tested and my levels increased and were much closer to the normal levels (still not quite there yet).  Don't take my word for it.  Get yourself tested and then go ahead and experiment with sun exposure and then get re-checked in 6 months and I believe you will see a difference.  I don't recommend supplements (that is a whole topic in itself and Dr. Mercola talks more about it in his videos).  Why bother, when the sun is free and you also don't know if you are really getting what is in the pill, anyway!

HEALTHY RECIPE

This is not so much a recipe, but suggestion for adding foods to your regimen that go along the lines with getting vitamin D from the sun.  Foods that are rich in antioxidants will benefit and protect your body from free radicals (the sun is an immune booster, no less).  Fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and grapes are antioxidant rich super-foods and are also delicious.  You can eat them right out of the container, blend them as a smoothie or even as a fruit sauce on your salad (if you don't have any fats in it, like oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, etc).  It gives a different flavor to your salad that is unexpectedly delicious and satisfying (YUM!  It is making me hungry just writing about it).  As the weather is getting warmer more berries, grapes and other fruits will be available fresh in the stores (as opposed to the frozen variety, which is not the optimal choice). 

You can visit my blog www.rawsomegal.wordpress.com and read about my 42 day cleanse using coconut water and stevia which I completed mid-January.  I have also written about my transition back to food.  I continue to write about health related topics and post twice a week.  
 

I would like to end this post with one of my poems, again, taken from an upcoming book I will be self-publishing, entitled: “My Inspirations: Short and Sweet/Heart Notes”

LIFE, isn't a bowl of cherries

                 unless,

                      you are

                   ONE (of them)   Copyright  2001                                   

Chef Mindy aka Ageless Raw Beauty tm