Sunny days are perfect weather for frolicking and adventure. The vitamin D benefits of 15 minutes of early-morning sun exposure (6:30-7:30 a.m.) is a plus.
The sun also lifts the mood by stimulating the brain to release feel-good hormones.
Statistics show that countries which have more night than day have higher depression and suicide rates.
The downside of sun exposure includes:
Skin damage—Powerful UVA/UVB rays can destroy collagen, causing wrinkling of the skin and inhibit skin elasticity.
Skin cancer—Overexposure to the sun on a daily basis may lead to this deadly disease.
Sunbathing four to six hours daily for two weeks will certainly damage your skin.
Beware of sun exposure from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (most especially 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the sun is at its hottest).
No sun protection—Not using sunblock is the surest way to develop skin problems. UV protection from 30 SPF (sun protection factor) to 75/90 is best.
You need to reapply sunblock every two hours or each time you swim and dry up using a towel. Unless, of course, your sunblock is waterproof.
Please read the ingredients. Some super sunblock are loaded with chemicals. Lavishing yourself with these could cause health problems in the long run.
Pigmentation—If you think you’re not prone to freckles, think again. Try sunbathing unprotected at noon. Within two days, freckles will appear.
Hypopigmentation—Take a closer look at your arms and legs. If you see small white spots/dots, it means that you lack the melamine to give you an even tan. Instead of dark spots, you get the white ones. To prevent this, avoid the sun or cover up with long-sleeved shirts, hats, sunglasses, towels, beach covers that are not see-through.
Dehydration—Any activity under the sun requires you to increase your body’s defense with two full glasses of purified water before you step out of the house.
Also, increase your water intake from eight to 10 glasses daily to 12-15, because the summer heat can dehydrate you faster than expected.
Sunburn—When the redness on your shoulder is evident, prepare for the stingy pain of sunburn to set in.
Remedies:
Vinegar wash—Native vinegar mixed with cool water will release the heat from your skin.
Recipe: Mix 5 tbsp of native vinegar (not the commercial-grocery variety) with 2 cups of cool water. Apply on the affected area two to three times daily.
Aloe Vera—Get one branch fresh from the plant, peel the skin, remove the yellow sticky gel. Apply the transparent gel directly on the skin. The result is instantly soothing.
Remember that aloe vera is excellent for minor wounds and hemorrhoids, too. An aloe vera scalp massage will likewise remove dandruff, allergies and stimulate hair growth when applied daily for one month.
Cucumber salvo—Thinly sliced fresh, raw cucumber, when applied to the sunburn, will provide a cooling effect on the skin.
Cabbage—Finely shredded green cabbage can be applied to damaged skin for 10-15 minutes. If you wish to increase its cooling effect, put the cabbage in the ref for 20 minutes before applying.
Cooling Tonics:
Cucumber Cool—Mix one whole peeled and seeded cucumber in a juicer together with a sprig of mint and one whole seeded and peeled green apple. Add honey to sweeten. Optional: chill in ref for 15 minutes.
Aloe Relief—In a juicer or blender, mix one branch of peeled and washed aloe vera with one singkamas (turnip) and four chunks of fresh ripe pineapple.
Guyabano/Soursop Aid—Peel and seed one medium-sized soursop, add a tbsp of virgin coconut oil and a tsp coconut syrup or coconut sugar. Mix in a blender.
Coco Revive—Drink the juice fresh from the nut. It acts like dextrose to your body.
And if you’re on a diet, eat the fresh coconut meat. It will fill you up quickly.
Skin Defense: The best skin defense is vitamin C. The higher the dosage of vitamin C, the greater the sun protection factor by the body. So take 1,000-3,000 mg of vitamin C daily.
“I am radiant as the sun!”