Welcome back to the second part of our enlightening series on sunbathing. We are more than happy to share with you Do´s & Don´ts related to safely enjoying the sun, protecting your skin, and maximizing the benefits of sun exposure.

Before we get into practical applications and advanced insights of this series, let's recall some of the fundamental aspects of sunlight ☀️ and its health benefits in part 1:👇

- Light has three different frequencies: visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light, and we should not expose ourselves in the same way to each of them.

- Sunlight can increase the efficiency of enzymes and hormones that help us with our digestion.

- Sunlight activates the pituitary gland which in turn boosts our metabolism.

- UV light, in just the right amount and balance, is necessary for the optimal functioning of our body.

Now let’s talk about some of the tremendous health benefits of Ultraviolet light:

UV light and its impact on cholesterol levels

UV light plays a fundamental role in breaking down cholesterol and helping the body to maintain and healthy cholesterol level. When cholesterol is broken down by UV light, it allows us to make all the molecules that are derived from cholesterol such as sex hormones and Vitamin D3. Yes, the sun is the best source of vitamin D. This is how we are meant to produce vitamin D which actually acts as a hormone and is related to thousands of bodily functions. Simply put, Vitamin D is crucial to optimal health.

Q: Why don't we just take supplements if our body needs Vitamin D?

The vitamin D supplements that you buy from the store is very different from the vitamin D that we make from sunlight. We make vitamin D when UVB from sunlight hits our skin. This instantly breaks down the cholesterol under the skin producing vitamin D1. The D1 absorbs infrared light from sunlight and turns into cholecalciferol which then gets transferred to the liver and turns into vitamin D2 and then to the kidney to become vitamin D3 in its most bioavailable form to be absorbed in the bloodstream and transferred to other parts of the body. So vitamin D supplements are far away from being an optimal choice to achieve great health and cannot replace sunlight and UV light.

Other Benefits of UV light you may not have heard about:

UV light makes you lose weight. It stimulates the thyroid gland and increases metabolism and fat burning. Swiss sun therapists found that their clients started developing more muscles and less fat even though they had not exercised for months.

UV light is also a highly effective treatment for skin diseases. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, 80% of skin disease patients improve with UV light exposure. Additionally, patients with severe asthma have experienced significant relief, and UV light has been proven effective in killing infectious bacteria.

UV light has been shown to lower blood pressure. One study demonstrated that a single treatment of UV light significantly reduced elevated blood pressure, with the effects lasting for 5 to 6 days.

UV light increases the efficiency of the heart. One study showed how people exposed to UV light experienced an average of 39% increase in cardiac output. In other words, their heart became stronger and was pumping more blood to the rest of the cells and organs. UV Light decreases the resting heart rate and made people much calmer and much less anxious.

UV light increases the level of sex hormones. One study found that it increased male and female sexual hormones by 120%. Another study shows that estrogen is most efficient when a woman is exposed to UV wavelengths.

Dr. John Ott discovered that retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in the eye contain melanin granules that absorb UV light and create a direct current (DC) electric current. According to Robert Becker, a pioneer in the field of healing and regeneration, this DC electric current is crucial for all regeneration and healing processes, helping you regenerate tissues and cells, and stay young and strong.

Now here’s how you might have been living:

In a house with no UV light. You leave your house and you put on your glasses, contacts, or sunglasses which block 100% of the UV. You drive in cars that are made of windows that block 100% of the UV. You work in an office, under artificial deficient light and receive no UV there either. Then at night, you’re surrounded by the distorted artificial bright lights. When you finally go on vacation and get out in the sun, you put your sunglasses on and cover your skin with sunscreens?

TIME TO CHANGE.... 👇

UV light has driven our biological evolution for millions of years and eliminating it from our lives is, unfortunately, causing us to de-volve rather than evolve.

So now that you’re aware let’s talk about

1)How to maximize your sunlight exposure safely

2)How to build up your solar callus,

3)When is the best time to expose yourself to UVA and UVB,

4)How much exposure is enough, how to absorb more sunlight without burning.

Timing your sun exposure- The DO's produce vitamin D and get the best tan this summer without burning

🌞Start by exposing yourself to the early rising sunlight when the UVA and UVB are not present yet. If the sun is rising at 6:00 am and depending on your geographical location and latitude, UVA may start rising at 8:00 am and UVB at 10 AM for instance.

As a rule of thumb, Infrared light (IR) and visible light will be present first as the sun is still low on the horizon. During this time, your shadow will be much longer than you and that’s a great sign that UV is not present yet.

This early morning sunlight, rich in infrared light, prepares your skin and eyes to absorb more UV when the sun is higher.

🌞 Get UVA/UVB rays. If UVA becomes present in your environment at 9:00 AM, go outside and expose your eyes and as much of your skin to the light. This exposure to rising UVA is non-negotiable and extremely important if you want to achieve optimal health.

To best know when UVA and UVB are present in your environment, I recommend using the circadian app. You can enter your location and it will inform you about the time of the sunrise, and sunset as well as when UVA and UVB start rising.

Time exposure: Track UVA rise times using a circadian app and expose yourself for 5 to 10 minutes.

Benefits: UV light energy helps convert important amino acids in your eyes to serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine, making you feel happy, calm, and enhancing your sleep at night.  It enhances nitric oxide production, improves blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, and clears your mind. UVA also helps you tan, making your skin look better and more attractive.

🌞Get UV light exposure from the sun during the noon to produce vitamin D, and to gain massive other benefits. Also, The best way to find out whether vitamin D is available at your current location is the "D Minder" App. This app will also help you understand how to time your exposure based on your environment, age, and skin type. People with darker skin need to spend more time in sunlight to produce the needed amounts of vitamin D compared to lighter-skinned people. Also, younger people can produce vitamin D much faster than older people.

🌞Expose yourself to the sunset. The IR light at that time acts as nature’s natural sunscreen, designed to activate all the biological processes in your cells to repair any damage that might have occurred during the day from overexposure to UV.

In order to absorb UV light better, you need certain nutrients like cholesterol, magnesium sulfur, vitamin A, vitamin K, and DHA. Eat a diet that is high in quality fatty acids, grass-fed meats, fatty fish, shellfish, and vegetables.  If you’re vegetarian, you might want to look into Algae, which is the only plant-based source that has DHA.

Develop your sun intuition and know yourself.

When you start building your solar callus, it is important to go slow and to work on developing your sun intuition.

Unfortunately, many people have lost the natural sun intuition that enables them to know when is enough because of the wide usage of sunscreens. The more often you're out in the sun, the more you'll develop an intuition about when you've had enough sun exposure.

If you've had enough sunlight, seek the shade. Cover up with clothing. Wait until the next day. However, if you have to spend all day in the sun, such as on a cruise, then wearing some natural sunscreen (with mostly zinc oxide, for instance), is much better than getting sunburned.

The Don'ts for Harnessing the Power of Sunlight This Summer

 🙅‍♀️Avoid wearing sunglasses when exposed to sunlight.  When we cover our eyes with sunglasses, we prevent our brain from detecting UV light. As a result, our skin doesn't produce the necessary melanin to protect us from burning.

🙅‍♀️Avoid all artificial lights after the sunset. This is a very important, yet overlooked step that often prevents people from properly absorbing sunlight and leads them to burn.

🙅‍♀️ Avoid washing your skin thoroughly after sun exposure around noon. Washing can destroy the vitamin D created in your skin. If you need to wash, focus on your armpits and groin. The benefit of ultraviolet light is that it naturally destroys bacteria, so sunlight will help keep your skin clean.

​​Conclusion

As we wrap up our comprehensive exploration of the art of sunbathing for boosting your health, it becomes evident that the sun’s energy offers far more than just light and warmth.

By understanding and properly engaging with different types of sunlight—especially UV light—you can unlock a host of health benefits leading to a more vibrant, energized, and healthy life.

Whether you aim to enhance your cardiovascular health, improve metabolic efficiency, or boost your mood and cognitive functions, the right exposure to sunlight is key.

Here's everything for today, thank you for taking the time to read💜🧡

Cheers to a brighter, healthier you! If you have any questions please drop them in the comments and we will answer them as soon as we can