15 Nov Your frienemy: the sun

It gets dark so early now. I miss long evenings, maybe enjoying a sunset after dinner. Sunset is much earlier now that daylight savings time is over. Even without the time change, days are much shorter and the sun is less intense.

That means I miss my friend the sun.

Yes, the sun is a friend. But not always. Lately we seem to focus on how the sun is our enemy. We are constantly being reminded to wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and cover up. I even see babies with sunglasses. I’m not sure who thought that up but I don’t like it

The sun helps your vision. Bright sunlight in the eyes helps prevent nearsightedness. The Buddhist tradition even has an ancient way to heal loss of vision, and it involves gazing at the sun, when it’s low in the sky, through closed eyelids.

This is the perfect example of how sun is your frienenemy. It helps your vision, but you would certainly harm your vision if you stared straight at the sun. Think of how you can’t look directly at the eclipse. Some sun can be good, and too much is bad.

The benefits of just enough sunlight

Vision. Nearsightedness is epidemic among youth these days. Could it be genetic if there’s a sudden spike in number of children wearing glasses? More likely it’s something in our modern environment. That something could easily be time spent in front of electronic screens. At the same time, children play outdoors less as PE classes are cut and the school day is lengthened.

Skin cancer. There is actually research finding that some sun exposure prevents skin cancer. Wow. That is not what we are told at all. But if you look more closely, it’s actually sunburn that is linked with skin cancer. So again, the frienemy thing. Some is good, but too much is bad.

Vitamin D. Sunlight is a fabulous source of Vitamin D. And most people are vitamin D deficient. We spend a lot of time indoors (me too; I’m indoors writing this for you) but also glyphosate is known to deplete vitamin D. Glyphosate is that bug killer that conventional wheat is treated with. Supposedly it’s harmless, but not if you become low in vitamin D. Benefits of high vitamin D include: protection from cancer, strong immune system, lower death rate, bone health, and more. You might be tempted to take a supplement instead but I find supplements usually aren’t as effective as the natural source. But I do take D supplements anyway as well as try to get in the sun.

Sleep. If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep (like me), than one of the best sleep hacks you can try is getting early morning sun in your eyes. Short days make this difficult as some of you may head to work in the dark. But you can sneak a peek out of windows when you can, or skip sunglasses when you head out. And, keep things dark as you approach bedtime.

Blood pressure. Studies have shown that sunlight reduces blood pressure. The sun stimulates nitric oxide in the skin, and nitric oxide relaxes the arteries, allowing blood to flow more freely. High blood pressure is linked to heart attacks and stroke, so this is a worthwhile benefit.

Mood. Who doesn’t feel good on a beautiful, sunny day? When it’s dark and rainy, people can feel down. And, many people love to sunbathe on a beach (especially me). Sunlight can affect mood, such as seen with seasonal affective disorder, when someone gets depressed because of less sunlight during the winter months. The treatment is more light.

Healing. Sunlight is healing. Florence Nightingale put sick and wounded patients outdoors and they healed better than those kept inside the hospital. Sunlight can heal jaundice in babies. My middle child had jaundice and she was treated with light therapy. So when I had my third baby, I kept him in the sun and near a window as much as possible so we wouldn’t have to go through that again.

Need I go on? Obviously, the friendly sun has many benefits. Just don’t overdo your exposure and turn him into your enemy.

What about sunscreen? I use it only when I’m out in intense sun for a while, and especially on my face. Who wants wrinkles. But I definitely don’t like absorbing all those chemicals through my skin.

Need help dealing with other frienemies? That’s what I do. I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach who specializes in functional medicine. That means we get to the most basic things to improve your health, like getting some friendly sunlight. And we do it all at your pace and according to your inclinations. Contact me and we can have a free phone call to get to know each other.

Comments: Tell how you like your sunlight.

Doidge, Norman. The Brain’s Way of Healing (pp. 207-208). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Smithsonian Magazine: Causing Nearsightedness

Mark Sisson: Sun Protects from Skin Cancer

Chris Kresser: Avoiding the Sun

Lifespa: Sun Exposure and Sleep

Dr. Kelly Brogan: Seasonal Depression

The Day Light Site: Life from the Sun

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