Give me a few minutes to show you why Sunlight is your new best friend!  

• Vitamin D Synthesis: Sunlight is the primary natural source of vitamin D, a nutrient crucial for bone health, immune function, and mood regulation. Adequate vitamin D levels have been linked to reduced risk of various diseases, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disorders, and certain cancers¹ .

• Mood Enhancement: Sunlight exposure triggers the release of serotonin in the brain (only if you’re not wearing sunglasses!), a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation and feelings of well-being. Insufficient sunlight exposure has been linked to mood disorders such as depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD)² .

• Regulated Circadian Rhythm: Exposure to natural light helps regulate the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which governs sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, and metabolism. Consistent exposure to natural light during the day promotes better sleep quality and overall health³ .

The sun is in my opinion the most powerful drug on earth for health and happiness. I’ve read a number of books on the topic and I hope you benefit from my summaries below.

Why is proper sun exposure so beneficial?

One of the most confusing things in the world of health and wellness seems to be the role of the sun. The longest-living people get plenty of it yet most of us are scared to death of it because of the fear of skin cancer. But the role of processed oils and fats and then burning in the sun - may be the real culprit of skin cancer.

Single exposure to a large area of the body to UV rays of sunlight has been found to lower elevated blood pressure, lower abnormally high blood sugar, decrease cholesterol, and increase white blood cells, particularly lymphocytes which are largely responsible for the bodies ability to resist disease. It’s a super drug that can often combat most of the problems Americans are taking drugs for. For your immune system through proper sun exposure - your lymphocytes are capable of producing a substance called interferon - a highly potent anti-cancer agent.

Sunlight has the unique ability to speed up the metabolism, assist with decontamination, and elimination of toxic agents - in other words - it helps you detoxify your body. Sunlight seems to also increase blood supply to deep internal organs and muscles.

Herodotus and Antyllus believed in the beneficial effect of sunlight in promoting physical fitness and that “the sun feeds the muscles”. The Romans made use of the sun in training their gladiators - who also were on a primarily plant-based nutrient-dense diet. They believed that the sunlight strengthened and enlarged the muscles. This may be due to the sun’s ability to stimulate testosterone production - especially in men.

Your Vitamin D Factory

The sun hits the skin, and converts cholesterol into Previtamin D. The heat of the body then converts a large portion of that into 25-HCC - the form of Vitamin D the body can use best. The body only converts it when it’s needed in your body. But soap and bathing too close to sun exposure will minimize the benefits. You’re not only lowering cholesterol, you’re also helping your body benefit from the most powerful hormone around - Vitamin D - which effects so many areas of your life - sleep, immune function, bone health, strength, libido and more. But the key is to let the sun hit your naked skin - in other words, don’t lather up from the first minute - get some exposure to the sun for as long as you can without burning. This is much easier in the early morning or later afternoon. Do not burn, that is what leads to trouble. If we lather up with sunscreen too soon, your body won’t get all the benefits of the sun.

Sunglasses - I’m the guinea pig

Ok so I’ve had this tradition about 24 summers in a row - where I go to the desert of Arizona where the golf is abundant, the courses are glorious and the rates are cheap. Why are they cheap? Oh well that’s because it’s 120 degrees outside and no one in their right mind would play 36 holes of golf all day for 5 days straight in this furnace. But sign me up!!

And for most of those years I have fried the back of my legs because I’ve never been much of a fan of sunscreen.

Until a few years ago. I heard a physician share about all the benefits of letting your eyes be exposed to the sun. Solomon says it best in Ecclesiastes 11:7 - “Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.” More on that below.

Well now that we know all the chemical processes happening with the pineal gland and serotonin/melatonin and how your mood and sleep etc etc are effected by sun exposure to the eyes, you’d think everyone would be doing it. Doing what you ask? Oh - allowing the rays of the sun to hit the eye. This means without sunglasses on because they filter out all the good UV rays. Now this doesn’t mean you can’t ever wear sunglasses. It just means that like sunscreen - get some decent sun exposure first and then later feel free to put the sunglasses on.

What are the benefits? The hormones produced by sun rays indirectly penetrating the eyes affect the pituitary, adrenals, ovaries, testes and more. Calcified pineal glands are common in so many of us because we don’t get enough sun exposure to our eyes. And melatonin is a super anticancer agent.

[Random fact - Male sex hormones increase by 120% with exposure to back or chest. But by 200% if genitals are exposed. Now we know why the Greeks believed in training their warriors on the sand - naked - called Arenation - to boost testosterone and strength.]

Back to Golf: So I figured I would hear this doctor out. He said if you can be outside all day - not easy for most of us in the day to day - but easier on vacation - he said if you can expose your eyes and skin to the morning rays of the sun (without sunglasses on)- your brain will tell your skin how to react and the morning rays will prepare you for the mid day rays which will then be ‘healed’ by the afternoon rays if you stay out all day.

I was like “Annette is this crazy or should I try it’? So the only time of year when this is possible for me is in the desert. We are up at 5am headed to the range and leaving the course after 36 at sunset. And guess what?! I usually have my shades on all day and this time I didn’t pull them out. I enjoyed the morning sun, the mid day sun was intense (120 degrees) and the afternoon sun was amazing again. And after 5 days - I didn’t burn.

I have tried this a few times at the beach and I think there is something to it. But I’ve also forgotten that key of all day and gone in and out and gotten fried. So needless to say - don’t burn and get some healthy sun exposure to your eyes - ideally in the morning or evening. And I’m not a doctor so we should get this guy on a podcast to break down the science. Here’s someone’s opinion with some more insight into the endocrine system and sunlight to the eyes.

Takeaways: How to get more sun exposure

• Morning Ritual: Start your day with a dose of sunlight by enjoying your breakfast outdoors or going for a short grounding walk. Basking in the morning sun not only boosts your mood but also sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. Those first rays of the sun are so good for your mood and will even influence your sleep the next night.

• Outdoor Activities: Incorporate outdoor activities into your daily routine, such as gardening, walking, or cycling or anything outside really. Not only do these activities provide ample sunlight exposure, but they also promote physical activity, which is essential for overall health and vitality.

• Skin Tone Matters: If you have lighter skin, you need to be careful to not burn with the same sun that some olive skinned person will be fine with. And if you have darker skin, you may need more sun exposure to get the same benefits that someone else gets with less. But remember - DO NOT BURN. Start slow to build up to what your skin can withstand. Contrary to popular belief, more and proper sun exposure makes your skin more resilient and doesn’t dry it out.

What I can say about the sun is that there is a reason we sleep so well when we have been in the sun all day. There is a reason our moods are lifted. It’s not just that we are on vacation. It’s the healing rays of the sun.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts. 👋

I’m always looking for feedback. What would you like for me to cover? Anything in the newsletter you like or want to see more or less of?

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How Self-Doubt Can Become Your Superpower 

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna

Forgiveness May Be Your Missing Ingredient

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

1. Holick, M. F. (2007). Vitamin D deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(3), 266-281. ↩

2. Lambert, G. W., Reid, C., Kaye, D. M., Jennings, G. L., & Esler, M. D. (2002). Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. The Lancet, 360(9348), 1840-1842. ↩

3. Wright Jr, K. P., McHill, A. W., Birks, B. R., Griffin, B. R., Rusterholz, T., & Chinoy, E. D. (2013). Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle. Current Biology, 23(16), 1554-1558.