Sun Exposure

Now for the last fundamental of health in our series; exposure to the sun. Yes I know, we have been told for about 30 years now to stay out of the sun, cover up, use sunscreen because of course the sun is damaging to us. Well the reality is, sun exposure is a necessary nutrient to the body and we all must have this to be in our optimal health and wellness.

The best time of the day to achieve this needed exposure is unprotected exposure to the largest area of bare skin accessible and unprotected. This in no way means to stay out in the sun until you are beet red, swollen, and blistering though. It is also very important to pay attention to your individual needs for sun exposure based on your skin tone. If you have very fair skin, you may only need about 10 minutes per day for all the benefits needed but if your skin tone is very dark, you many need hours to achieve the same benefits the lighter toned individual enjoys in a very short time period. Just be sure to not overdo this exposure as the over exposure can create damage. The other aspect to recognize is that as your skin darkens you will need to increase your exposure time.

So get out outside on a regular basis and enjoy the benefits of natural sun exposure…it is fundamental.