As we move into summer here in Rockin, I want to talk about some ways to keep you and your family healthy. Summertime is a great time to get out, to enjoy the outdoors, to do more activities with the family.
You get a lot of health benefits from being in the sun, especially vitamin D. This is one of the most important essential nutrients in the body and the primary source for that is the sun.
It is important to get sun exposure every day, at least 20 to 30 minutes at 70% exposure or more. That’s where you get your ideal vitamin D levels. And this needs to be done on a daily basis. Four hours on the weekend doesn’t make up for no sun all week!
So either you’re getting out in the sun every day and you’re getting your vitamin D or you’re supplementing with a natural wholefood based vitamin D like the vitamin D3 with probiotic that we use here in the office. You can buy it online here or in the office itself.
Too much sun exposure can be dangerous though and a lot of people are concerned especially about sun cancer.
Did you know that more skin cancer is caused by sunscreens and lotions and things that you’re putting on the skin versus the sun itself?
How Can I Safely Protect My Skin From Too Much Sun Exposure?
The most important thing to understand about being protected from the sun is that you must use the right type of sunscreens. The stuff you usually see on TV, like Banana Boat and some of these other really commonly advertised ones are not the best.
Some toxic ingredients that you want to look for are:
- any type of parabens
- Palmitate-A
- any type of benzone or anything that ends with o-n-e like oxybenzone.
These are all very, very toxic ingredients that get into your body, disrupt your health, and can contribute to cancer. When you use those toxin loaded sunscreens you’re actually causing more damage to your skin and your body than you would be going out in the sun, even getting a mild sunburn!
The best alternative to toxic laden sunscreens is zinc oxide. Zinc oxide protects you from the natural rays of the sun and it also has some nutrients and minerals that are good for your body.
You can also use coconut oil to protect your skin. And there’s certain types of sun protective clothing, hats and sunglasses that you can wear. You especially want to protect the eyes on a regular basis. Always wear sunglasses when you’re going out in the sun to keep your vision healthy and strong.
Besides Sunscreen, Hydration is Key
Hydration is always important and when you go outside, make sure that you’re drinking plenty of water. You should be getting at least half your body weight in ounces every single day. So that means if you’re 200 pounds you’re drinking 100 ounces of water every single day. If you’re 100 pounds – 50 ounces of water every single day.
If you follow just these few simple rules it’s going to help you and your family stay safe through the summer months, to be able to enjoy the outside, to not have the negative effects of sun exposure, to get the benefits from the sun, to stay well hydrated and stay healthy.
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Have Questions on Chiropractic Treatment?
Have you had the opportunity to join us at one of our community education events yet? During the community education events, Dr. Tim sifts through all of the knowledge out there to bring you key information about how to get healthy and stay that way and shares answers to frequently asked questions on chiropractic care.