A lack of natural light in your life can be disastrous. Here are some reasons to get outside, even when it’s cold.

For the past two days, the winter wind has been howling outside my door. This is not a metaphor. My home is tucked up against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and when the wind comes zooming down over the mountains, there’s only a wide open field between it and my front door. It sounds like a hurricane and always brings a chill.

Needless to say, my motivation to get outside in the natural light has been slim to none. But when I spend too many consecutive days holed up inside, I start to feel a very special type of crazy. Although we’re scared of what excessive sun exposure can do to our skin, natural light is pretty important to our health. When we don’t get enough, bad things can happen.

If the howling wind (or snow, ice, and freezing rain) has been keeping you indoors lately, here are nine compelling reasons to get outside in the natural light. Even if it’s only for a minute or two.

Natural Light: 9 Reasons Your Life Needs More Of It

1. Cancer Prevention – Let’s start with the jaw-dropper. That’s right, all of this time we’ve been thinking the sun = cancer when in fact regular exposure to natural light can actually help prevent this disease. In 2012, “a groundbreaking new meta-analysis on the sunlight – vitamin D connection, published in the journal Anticancer Research and based on data from over 100 countries, found ‘a strong inverse correlations with solar UVB for 15 types of cancer,’ with weaker, though still significant evidence for the protective role of sunlight in 9 other cancers,” reports GreenMedInfo. (Note: prolonged, unprotected exposure to sunlight is STILL correlated with skin cancer, however).

2. Healthier Skin – If you suffer from certain skin conditions, more exposure to natural light could be the key to gaining some relief. In one study, an outdoor four-week sunbathing therapy was shown to promote significant clearance of psoriasis symptoms in 84 percent of subjects.

3. Improved Mental Health – Natural light “…tends to elevate people’s mood, and there’s usually more light available outside than in. Physical activity has been shown to help people relax and cheer up, so if being outside replaces inactive pursuits with active ones, it might also mean more smiles,” reports the Harvard Health Letter. “One solid study found that sunlight actually increases levels of a natural antidepressant in the brain. On sunny days, the brain produces more of the mood-lifting chemical serotonin than on darker days,” writes Dr. Michael Murray for Care2.com.

4. Stronger Bones – “In building bone, calcium has an indispensable assistant: vitamin D. This vitamin helps the body absorb calcium, and some researchers think that increasing vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis,” reports the Harvard Medical School.

5. Better Concentration – A recent study found an association between the amount of natural light exposure and the severity of ADHD symptoms in some children. Researchers found that “sunny” regions with high solar intensity, such as the U.S. states of California, Arizona, and Colorado, and countries like Spain and Mexico have lower prevalence of ADHD. The authors speculate that this may be related to sunlight’s effects on our biological clock and sleep patterns.

6. Sharper Vision – While you should never look directly at the sun, and always wear sunglasses in extremely bright situations (the beach, or a sunny winter day), some research suggests that natural light is a great optometrist. Scientists have found a correlation between lack of sun exposure and nearsightedness–the more time spent outdoors, the less likely children were to develop poor eyesight.

7. Faster Healing – Some research shows that the sun plays a key role in recovery from injury or illness. “People recovering from spinal surgery experienced less pain and stress and took fewer pain medications when they were exposed to natural light. An older study showed that the view out the window (trees vs. a brick wall) helped recovery in the hospital,” reports the Harvard Health Letter.

8. Sounder Sleep – Our bodies take cues from the natural environment. The amount of natural light we’re exposed to during the day helps tell our internal clock when it’s time to rest. If you’re having trouble sleeping, the answer could be to spend more time outdoors on sunny days.

9. Healthier Weight – If the sun is shining, we’re more likely to get up from the couch and move around outdoors. But the connection between natural light and a healthy weight goes even deeper. Sunlight is known to encourage production of vitamin D and serotonin, both of which play a role in weight management.

How To Safely Reap The Benefits Of Natural Light

The key to enjoying the benefits of natural light is to be careful “A small amount of sun exposure can help your body manufacture its own vitamin D — about five to 30 minutes of sunlight between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. twice a week to your face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen will enable you to make enough of the vitamin. People with fair skin that burns easily should protect themselves from skin cancer by limiting sun exposure to 10 minutes or less,” explains the Harvard Medical School. Food and sun exposure should suffice, but if not, some experts advise getting 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily from a supplement.

Related on Ecosalon

The Truth About Sun Exposure And Your Health

10 Benefits Of Sunshine You May Not Know

How To Capture The Sun In A Jar

Images: geralt, giuliamar, marcygallery

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Knowledge bomb: the sun may actually help prevent skin cancer.

Sun exposure may be one of the most misunderstood myths of all time, but not without good reason. It is marketed as a danger, not far from drunk driving, running with a knife, or unprotected sex – you’d be a fool not to protect yourself, and the consequences could be dramatic (read: cancer). However, there is more to sunlight’s affect on your body than meets the eye, and prescribing to mass marketing campaigns for sunscreens may do more harm than good.

The hullabaloo is well deserved. According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the U.S. More than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year and it is estimated that the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma, will account for 76,600 cases in 2013. And with UV radiation linked to skin cancer, it’s no wonder people are skirting the sun.

But the silver lining is this: proper exposure to the sun is the number one way can quickly and effectively ensure we are producing enough vitamin D to support our body’s systems. There are a limited number of food sources that provide vitamin D, and these include fatty fish, eggs, milk, and supplements. These food sources are incomplete, as we derive 90 percent of vitamin D from the sun.

Despite the sun’s association with skin cancer, according to studies published by the British Journal of Cancer and Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers found that higher vitamin D levels actually improve survival for skin cancer patients. An Italian study found that melanoma patients with intermittent exposure to the sun prior to diagnosis were associated with improved survival in the long-term.

Vitamin D is also extremely healing for other purposes and is necessary for the proper absorption, utilization and preservation of calcium in the body and bones. A vitamin D deficiency, which is prevalent in three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults, can lead to bone loss, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. It is especially essential in preventing and fighting all kinds of cancer and it has been estimated that higher levels of it could prevent some 30 percent of worldwide cancer deaths each year. Women with light skin color can cut their risk of developing breast cancer in half with sun exposure.

So how much sunlight should you get? To maximize vitamin D production, expose your face, hands, back, and however much skin as possible, to the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for between 10 and 20 minutes. Lighter skin requires less time than darker skin. If you can’t get under the sun, consider a supplement, but it is not the dosage but your blood level of vitamin D that matters. The optimal value is 50-70 nanograms per millimeter (ng/ml), but be sure to consult a doctor to measure and determine your personal level.

Keep in mind that excessive supplementation of vitamin D can be harmful, whereas your body knows to how control vitamin D production that is incited via sun exposure. If you are planning on staying out in the sun longer than a half hour, avoid applying toxin-laden sunscreens and embrace green alternatives.

Photo Credit: Vincent Boiteau

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Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen every two hours.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body—the one that keeps all your other organs inside, where they belong. But by virtue of constant exposure to the elements, your skin also requires a lot of maintenance. Stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day, drink plenty of water, and scan these ten infographics for some data, tips and tricks on keeping your skin as healthy as possible.

The Best and Worst Cities for Your Skin: Your climate has just as much effect on your skin as your genes.

Get Enough Vitamin D?: A useful guide for untangling the myths and preconceptions of sun exposure and vitamin D production.

What’s Your Skin Eating?: How many substances do you slather on your skin a day? And what’s in them?

Skin Care: A History: Cleopatra bathed in sour milk to exfoliate, which doesn’t sound that dissimilar to modern-day skin care practices.

Guide to Summer Sun: How to protect yourself from sun exposure.

Tattoo Infographics: A tattoo infographic on tattoos.

Cosmetic Surgery in the U.S.: Eyelid surgeries were one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in 2010.

Important Facts about Natural Skin Care: Expensive creams are worth a lot less than drinking water and eating omega-3s.

The Skin Care Bad Experience: Find out the difference between an allergy and an irritation.

Skin Cancer Facts: A collection of information and tips on how to prevent skin cancer.

Image: Horia Varlan

The post 10 Infographics on Skin Care appeared first on EcoSalon.

Oh, sunscreen, the bane of my summer existence. For me it’s like using condoms: annoying and inconvenient, but by golly, it has to be done.

And unless you like your skin done up like chicken-fried steak, you’d better pay attention to sunscreens that work. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested over 1,600 different sunscreens and found that only about 5% of those had safe, non-toxic ingredients and actually protected your skin.

Almost half of the sunscreens tested contain oxybenzone, an endocrine disruptor that may actually contribute to skin cancer. Yikes. Again, check those labels and know what you’re putting on your skin!

I highly recommend perusing EWG’s detailed studies. The information is very accessible and you can enter your favorite brands to see how they rate.

Image: lanuiop

The post You Wear Sunscreen, But Does It Actually Work? appeared first on EcoSalon.

You’re a kid again. Now, imagine sitting at your cramped classroom desk, your brain already stuffed full of letters and numbers, and the sunlight and fresh breeze beckoning you from outside. All you can think about is recess, and rightfully so! Although any kid can explain the importance of recess, studies now show that school kids with daily recess breaks show better classroom behavior than kids who go without.

The scientific explanation for this is that the brain needs a break. I’d like to add that humans evolved in the outdoors and we have an innate need for natural light, fresh air and physical activity. So I say, give the kids a break! And give “Ëœem more, when possible. The educational system ought to include more outdoor activities like plant identification walks and organic gardening. This way kids can get both their brains and bodies stimulated, and gain environmental awareness to boot.

Image: Mike Baird

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