Who’s enjoyed the past few days of sunlight ?! Me for sure.
I get really down in the dumps with weather that does not create light and
shadows. I think that summer is often a
time where we feel happier and more optimistic about life – often a great initiator
to start a fitness programme, summer days and summer nights help us to improve
our overall health. We have a natural
suppressing of appetite and a tend to eat more fruit and veg which can often
result in us losing the weight we gained over the dark winter months. I’ve
already mentioned that sunlight, especially in the morning, can control
feelings of hunger, and to be honest, a 10-minute stroll outside just makes you
feel good.
And, whilst we must take care to how we expose ourselves to
sunlight, from time of day, length of time in the sun and the application of sun
cream as well as covering up etc, we should not discount the huge benefits that
sunshine brings to the body via Vitamin D. Vitamin D is key to bone density –
and remember, that this is a significant factor if you are also going through
the menopause – by keeps calcium within
its normal range to maintain cellular function and mineralise
the skeleton to keep it strong. Vit
D deficiency has also been
linked to increased chances of cancer, cardiovascular disease, MS,
arthritis and Type 1 Diabetes. So sensible sun exposure, along with a
diet that has fish, eggs, a small amount in meat and wild mushrooms, plus
taking a supplement if these are not part of your current diet.
As someone who suffered from chronic pain, I craved
sunlight, and it seems that Vit D also plays its part here too – in a study in
2017, by Helde-Franklin
they found that people with low levels of Vitamin D had increased pain and a
resulting increase in pain-relieving medicine to help. A simple 10 minutes in the sun can help
reduce pain and increase feelings of well-being.
And a walk on the sunny side of the street has been shown to
improve neurotransmitter health and reduce depression, so, get outside, enjoy
the sunlight xx
