🌞 In last week’s post, I mentioned the importance of sunshine for building resilience.
Research has also proven that sunshine can improve our mood and general feeling of well-being – something I imagine many of us have experienced.
Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the release of serotonin, our happiness and status chemical, which enhances our mood and helps us feel calm and focused.
And the benefits of sunshine go even further....
📉 Research shows that sunlight may help reduce blood pressure.
Skin that is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays releases nitric oxide, a compound that helps lower blood pressure and improves physical endurance.
💂🏽♀️ Sun can actually guard against cancer:
While it’s important to protect our skin from too much unprotected exposure to the sun, getting enough sun in the right way has been proven to help prevent certain cancers, including colon, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate.
💤 Sunshine also helps our Circadian Rhythm:
Our physical, mental, and behavioral changes follow a daily cycle and respond primarily to light and darkness in our environment. Circadian rhythms influence hormone release, eating habits, digestion, body temperature, and other important bodily functions.
To help keep your body clock in sync, spend some time in sunlight when you wake up – or simply turn on the lights, signaling your body that it’s day time. In fact, the less exposure you have to morning light, the more difficult it may be for you to fall asleep and wake up at the intended time. Conversely, darker light triggers the release of melatonin – the hormone that helps us sleep.
⚠️ Caution: Don’t go overboard! ⚠️
While some sunshine does provide all of these benefits, as we all know, too much can be harmful.
The World Health Organization recommends that five to 15 minutes of casual sun exposure on our hands, face and arms two to three times a week during the summer months is sufficient to keep our vitamin D levels high!
How will you soak up more sun (safely) this summer?
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