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We women have been on quite the roller-coaster relationship with the sun, haven’t we? Way back when (I’m talking turn of the twentieth century), the well-bred woman was supposed to have a demure look, which was as pale as could be. Contrast that with the hard-working lower classes who spent a lot of time in the sun and sported a hearty tan. Fast forward a few decades, and it became popular to get as dark as possible, so women learned all kinds of tricks to attract the sun’s rays to their skin, and spent hours burning in the sun. Then we realized how terrible that was for us when the incidence of skin cancer started to rise, so we went to the opposite extreme and started wearing sunscreen every time we stepped out the door.
Like most things in life, I think the true answer lies somewhere in the middle between either extreme. Too much sun is bad for you. So is too little.
Case in point: the current “epidemic” of Vitamin D deficiency. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency increased along with the increased use of sunscreens and higher SPFs. What does vitamin D have to do with the sun and sunscreen?
Everything.
Our main source of vitamin D is from the sun! The above referenced article states that 50-90% of usable vitamin D comes from exposure to the sun, and the remaining amount is procured from the diet. (Very few foods have any amount of vitamin D at all, and those that do, don’t have a lot of it.)
Why is vitamin D so important? It seems like every new scientific study reveals a new purpose that vitamin D fills in the body, preventing all kinds of diseases and conditions. Many of these are of particular interest to women. For example:
- Vitamin D helps the body make use of calcium, which strengthens the bones and helps prevent breaks and falls.
- It reduces the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women.
- It has been linked to maintaining a healthy body weight.
- People with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing cancer (including breast cancer).
Enjoy 15-20 minutes in the sun several times a week, making sure to expose as much of your face, arms, and hands as you can. After that, go back inside or cover your skin with clothing and wear a hat.
My relationship is fairly non existent. I am fair. Very very fair. I burn almost as soon as the sun hits my skin. I try to get outside, but out of direct sunlight as much as possible. I’ve had some crazy bad burns in my life and I simply don’t risk it at this point.
I can totally understand that! Burning is no good. Do you take a vit D supplement?
P.S. I stumbled across some really interesting sour cream alternatives while I was looking at different recipes a while back. Let me know if you are interested and I’ll link you to them. Not all of them were made from nuts.
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Sure, I’d love to have them!
I tend to still embrace the “pale” philosophy. LOL
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I’m not such a huge fan of tanning either, lol. But I have to b/c if I don’t develop a good tan I get an itchy rash any time I’m out in the sun
So do you take a vit D supplement? (I think some cod liver oil has it, too, altho I’ve never tried CLO!)
I’m fair skinned and burn easily, but I don’t put on sunscreen unless I’m going to be out in the sun for extended periods of time. I live in a climate where half of the days are overcast or foggy, but I do try to spend the 15-20 minutes outside when it is sunny.
My daughter has the same fair skin as I and I limit her to sunshine-time. I had a few bad burns when I was a child and I don’t want that to happen to her. We keep sunscreen in the car for unexpected lengthy sun exposure.
In regards to a Vitamin D supplement, we don’t take one. Instead, we each take a gummy multi-vitamin daily.
I think if you spend 15-20 minutes outside when it’s sunny, you shouldn’t need an additional supplement.
I checked the vitamin stats on the bottles today and they both have vitamin D, specifically mine has more than 100% of the daily value. I guess I’m covered even on the cloudy days!
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