As summer arrives and people turn to the outdoors, I wanted to put some important thoughts out into the steemit world about sun health.

We rely on the sun to sustain life on this planet and yet we are being taught to fear and avoid it. On one hand we can all agree that plants, trees and many creatures require the sun for health and vitality. On the other we are easily convinced to lather on man made chemical products and avoid the sun in fear of things like cancer and wrinkles. This system is not making us healthier. It could be argued that it's actually making us sicker. Like all other living things, we need the sun for health and vitality. The good news is that there are ways to achieve sun health without man made interventions.

The fact is, yes, we are vulnerable to sunburn and skin damage when we get too much sun. On the other hand we need good doses of unfiltered sunshine on our skin for health and vitality.

Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun ~.jpg

I'm going to talk about the key methods of natural sun protection including: Ingesting internal sunscreens with powerful foods that are scientifically proven to help us, building up melanin, our bodies natural sunscreen, and protecting skin safely.

The Power of Melanin

We were born with the power to protect our own skin. Imagine that?

Melanin, the tanned-skin pigment that we all enjoy, helps to prevent sunburn. It's our own internal sun protection system. We spend too much time indoors so we generally lose this protection over the winter and we need to begin the process of preparing for the sun by building up the melanin in early spring.

Melanin is powerful. It is capable of transforming damaging ultraviolet light energy into heat in a process known as ultrafast internal conversion. More than 99.9% of the absorbed UV radiation is transformed from potentially DNA-damaging ultraviolet light into harmless heat. source

When you skin starts to feel too warm, seek shade. Wear wide brimmed hats and long sleeved shirts and allow your skin to cool. Avoid the high noon sun and most of all introduce yourself gradually to the sun because sunburn is not good for the skin.

Internal Sunscreen

Eat your sunscreen? Why not! Before there was modern medicine, there was healthy sun grown food and it should not be overlooked when it comes to skincare.

We can create an internal SPF by consuming an antioxidant-rich rainbow diet of sun-grown foods. This paired with the gradual build up of melanin is vital to a healthy relationship with the sun.

Here are some of the foods and the benefits they provide when it comes to building up an internal sunscreen. source

Carotenoids

A group of antioxidants collectively called carotenoids are commonly found in colourful and vegetables and are excellent internal sunscreens and natural anti-aging compounds. Foods with the highest levels include: tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, watermelon and canteloupe

Of all edible plants, goji berries have been indicated to contain the highest levels of carotenoids including
ß-carotene. Used for centuries in Tibet and Mongolia as a longevity and strength-building food, goji berries are
attributed to both long life and a good quality of life source

Isothiocyanates

Isothiocyanates are sulfur-containing phytochemicals found in vegetables including: broccoli, cabbage,
brussels sprouts, watercress, turnips, cauliflower & radishes. Isothiocyanates are known for their anti-carcinogenic and cancer fighting properties.

Antioxidants

Studies have show that some antioxidants have been documented to have more sun protection qualities than others. Vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid are three antioxidants that have proven to be strong sun protectors.

Vitamin C is found in foods such as: citrus fruits, mangos, strawberries, cauliflower, broccoli and potatoes.
Coenzyme Q10 id found primarily in meat products. Botanical sources include spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ and whole grains.
Alpha lipoic acid is found in: spinach, broccoli and brewer’s yeast.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are found in fruits, herbs and vegetables. Our major dietary source of polyphenols is beverages such as juices, teas and wines. Pomegranates and grapes (specifically the seeds) are a key supplier of Polyphenols as are green * black teas along with curcumin.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids enhance the immune system as they strengthen the skin’s barrier function. They include omega-6, omega-3 and omega-9. Essential fatty acids and can be found in “fatty” cold-water fish (omega-3s) and some plant-based sources such as papaya, broccoli and kale.

Kids & Alternatives

I know it's impossible to keep kids out of the sun until their melanin builds up suitably. Those quick sprays seem so awesome and convenient but when you look up the ingredients (seriously look them up) you might change your mind. I also know sometimes we need some extra protection when we must be outside and can't shelter ourselves from the sun.

If you want a safe alternative you need a lotion that sits on top of the skin rather than those that are absorbed into the skin. Look for a product that uses natural botanicals and Non-nanoparticle uncoated pharmaceutical-grade zinc oxide. This means the particles of the zinc powder are large enough to sit on the skin instead of being absorbed into the blood stream. There are DIY recipes and you can purchase this zinc oxide on-line should you find a suitable product hard to find.

There are many, many reasons to avoid synthetic sunscreens.

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the "evils" of chemical sunscreens in this post. My position on it is that we do not use them and we never will. We live an agrarian lifestyle and often spend from dawn until dusk outdoors. We practice what I've shared in this post and it works for us.

Here are just a few things that concern me about sunscreens.

Many sunscreens contain chemical ingredients that our skin absorbs. Some of the chemicals in sunscreen are carcinogenic and harmful to us. According to a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists found that oxybenzone absorbs into the skin. It is present in urine long after sunscreen has been applied. IT acts like estrogen in the body; alters sperm production in animals and has been associated with endometriosis in women. They have also stated that itanium dioxide was shown to cause hormone-like activity; reproductive system, thyroid and behavioural alterations in animals. None of this sounds good and the lesser harmful chemicals are also concerning. You can read more here
UVB rays blocked by sunscreens are the rays we depend on for vitamin D. In North American over 75% of people are deficient in vitamin D. We need to spend time with pure clean skin and the sun. source

Sun kissed food and skin, sounds quite natural doesn't it?

I think it's time we stopped fearing the sun and instead start trying to understand how to harness its power for our health and vitality. I know that sunshine make me feel vibrant and alive. It does not matter if it's in the depth of winter or on a hot day - It feels good. It's a lot easier to apply creams to our skin and to allow others to dictate what's best for us than it is to take a mindful approach and be personally accountable for our well-being.

I just want to stress the importance of taking care of yourself. I really don't think we can trust anyone who profits outrageously from selling us things to "protect our skin". Give it some serious thought and do some extensive research. It's a very interesting subject and I've only covered a fraction of what studies and researchers know.

The benefits of taking control of your own health and vitality are immeasurable. It's its very difficult to argue against the fact that good nutrition, time in nature, and sunlight is a solid foundation for good health.

Additional Sources:
source1 | source 2 | source 3 | source 4

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Let the Sunshine Down Upon You: Practical Healthy Sun Protection