Tips from Tracy... for Holiday Sun Health

We all hear about the harmful effects of the sun, but there’s also the importance of Vitamin D. How do we take advantage of the sun while managing the risks we may or may not be aware of?

Here are a few Tips from Tracy on how to minimize the harmful effects of the sun and capitalize on all the good:

• You may not know this, but when you fly, you receive a tremendous amount of radiation from space. This increases as you fly over the poles and fly at higher altitudes. In fact, airline crew members are classified by the CDC as radiation workers, receiving more radiation on average than even nuclear workers. Flying at night is a good way to help reduce the radiation from the sun, but this will not eliminate all of the cosmic radiation you are exposed to. To help reduce the negative effects of this, always increase your antioxidants while up in the air. My favorites are Curcumin (PhytoRad) and Astaxanthin. It is also beneficial to take Metabopath homeopathic remedy to help reduce damage to cellular DNA.

• PhytoRad and Astaxanthin are also helpful in protecting your skin against the damaging rays of the sun while you are on the ground. They can help you tan better and keep your tan longer, too!

• Some of us have lighter skin and need protection to prevent burns, especially at the start of summer. Think long and hard about what you slather on, as many of the chemicals in sunscreen are actually linked to skin cancer. When choosing sunscreen, look for all-natural products with a natural block like zinc oxide. Many blocks contain nano-particles (the screen that is colorless) which can penetrate deep within the cells and are potentially very harmful. You might look a little “whiter” with the natural stuff, but it is worth not exposing your largest organ to a slew of toxins (of the worst being oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate and/or and synthetic fragrances) …Watch later in the month for Holly’s Video about how to make your own natural and safe sunscreen.

• Keep up your levels of Essential Fatty Acids (like avocado, raw nuts, coconut oil, fatty fish…). They help protect the cell membranes from damage. We offer a great and easy test to determine your levels – easy, and important, for kids, too.

• Stay hydrated while out in the sun. Dry skin will likely burn faster. Great hydrating foods to eat while in the sun are cucumbers, fruits, tomatoes, celery. Our family always takes Ultima Electrolyte powder along when we are in the sun. We also use Ultima and fruit to make popsicles for the kids.

• Use coconut oil as a moisturizer. It can naturally protect us from about 20% of the sun’s damaging rays while adding healing fats and nutrients to the skin.

• Enjoy the sun daily, if possible, and even longer the darker your skin is. It can take up to 6 times longer to produce adequate Vitamin D in dark skin.

• Your body uses cholesterol (the “undesirable” HDL, actually!) to convert sunlight to Vitamin D. If your levels of HDL are too low, you cannot produce Vitamin D efficiently. With cholesterol, levels too low can be as harmful as extremely high levels.

• Get your Vitamin D levels checked regularly – the best time is in the spring after you have been out of the sun for the winter.

And don’t forget to enjoy your summer and our glorious sun!

#sunexposure #vacation #environmentaltoxins #vitamind