Sunlight, a REAL vitamin!
But this month’s vitamin is actually a real vitamin. It’s sunshine!
That’s right, sunshine is one of the 13 essential vitamins. It’s Vitamin D. Summer technically hasn’t begun yet, but out here in Cali, it’s as hot as ever in the valley and the canyons (thank God I live near the beach!) and there’s plenty of hot sun to be had by all.
Just fifteen minutes in the sun each day, gives a person a potent dose of vitamin D, more than you could ever get in an average multivitamin, not that you shouldn’t be taking a multivitamin as well! Just don’t take an average one.
Anyway, there can be too much of a good thing, so its a pretty good idea to use some sunscreen if you plan on spending more than an hour in the hot, hot sun. When choosing sunscreens, make sure to pick one that protects your skin from both UVB and UVA rays. Many lotions only protect UVB rays, which prevents the burn but does not stop the sun from doing DNA damage and causing cancer!
Most of what I’m spewing I learned at Mark Sisson’s health blog, the Daily Apple. He’s got some great stuff on the Primal Blueprint, which is similar to the paleo diet, except a little more extensive– and I believe– better.
