Give your body a little sunshine everyday
Sunglasses, sun umbrellas, sun hats, sunblock, sunscreen...sun sun sun! We’re all pretty excited that winter is over and summer might actually be on it’s way—especially in this northern Minnesota climate!
Now’s the time to prepare for the sun. Did you know that our bodies crave nutrients that only the sun can give us? Dr. Brad suggests it’s a good idea to give the body a little sunshine everyday if possible. A half hour of sunbeams daily can positively affect your whole body—particularly your brain chemistry.
Efficient brain functioning can greatly improve our moods. Sunshine can assist your brain to function at it’s very best. When the glutamate—a neurotransmitter in your brain—gets too high, it’s like having an inflamed brain. This can cause a person to be irritable, depressed, or moody. But good ol’ Mr. Sun reduces the glutamate in the brain while helping the body to feel calm, relaxed, and more balanced.
Get some sun, but not too much
Now now, hold on, not too fast. How can you ensure your family captures a healthy amount of sun each day without sizzling the skin?
Good question. First, we must know that sunshine is nothing new. So why are we often so afraid of it? After all, humans have been exposed to rays of sun since the beginning of time. Why do we have such a fear of sun radiation?
Let’s think about it. What has changed so drastically in human lives in the past 100 years? Our environment, right? From the food we eat to the electronics we carry around, our daily lives are quite different from our great-grandparent’s everyday realities.
Our diets now consist of more trans-fat, sugars, and heated-plant oils than ever before. These things have a negative affect on how our bodies absorb sunlight.
So what can we do to support our bodies during a long summer of sunshine? You’ve probably heard Dr. Brad say it before, but here it is again:
"Your diet matters. Choose your food wisely."
To keep your family’s skin and immune system healthy this summer, create meals high in nutrients! Before heading into the sun consider this:
Embrace the oils. Get your fish oils whether its tuna omega, cod liver, or flaxseed oils, you can be taking two to three tablespoons a day!
Eat your green. Specially the leafy, cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage.
Stay hydrated. Water, water and more water. And this doesn’t mean just sitting by it or swimming in it—get a straw and drink it down!
Natural sunscreen that works
Feeling like you might need some extra help from sunblock? Normal, brand-name sunscreens have tons of chemicals you might be interested in avoiding, while natural sunscreens often don’t work well.
Give Sun Shades™ Mineral Plus SPF 30+ Sunscreen a try! It’s a natural sunblock that is water and sweat resistant while simultaneously working to improve your immune system because it contains zinc oxide. Even Dr. Brad uses it! It's available for purchase at the clinic.
So why not grab some broccoli, slug down a room-temp glass of water, spoon in some oils, lather up with sunscreen, and get out there! Don’t be afraid of a little sun this summer, just notice how you can best assist your body to soak up the sunshine.