How to be truly Sun Smart. The benefits of sun, there is no supplement that can help like the sun. Sun = TINA There is NO alternative
We are going to go little deeper that I did on the video with some of the more
critical functions that sunlight provides. Always remember we are designed to
sync with Nature and her laws and not work against them.
Getting your Sun Exposure right and mitigating artificial light is foundational to
any improvement or issue reversal you want. If you miss
these steps you have next to little chance in of improving your mitochondrial
function for long-term wellness. The week is about Sun….next week we
will look at Artificial light. Your biological design evolved from your ancestors
being in the Sun. Over time humans have reduced the amount of fur/hair we
have to absorb more sun.
Mitochondria are the energy and information organelles that cells have. All
cells have them except for red blood cells. There are approximately 500-5000
mitochondria per cell depending on where they are in the body. High energy
requirement area’s like the brain and heart have larger numbers of mitochondria.
They also act as antenna’s to our environment, so in other words they
are the software and energy source to run your cells. This allows you to adapt
to your environment quickly (relatively)
Once your brain has fully developed (25-28 Years) you will start to loose
around 1% of mitochondrial function per year.
Setting your circadian rhythm by seeing the sun come up EVERYDAY is THE
MOST CRITICAL PART of your wellness plan. Sunrise contains no UVA/B
light, only red, blue and green spectrum, the blue light is stimulatory to waking
you up. When the visible spectrum of sunlight enters the retina, it causes
the oscillation of retinal pigmented epithelium that sends a signal to the master
clock of the brain that controls all metabolic programs it’s called the
SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus). All cells have what is called a peripheral
gene clock that runs slightly behind the SCN so in effect the SCN is the conductor
of the symphony that is YOU. Still go outside as if the sun is coming up
if it is cloudy or raining.
Gonadotropic hormones (releasing factors for the sex hormones) and the thyroid
hormones are activated when the sun stimulates the pituitary gland.
”
Seeing the sun come up for a least 3 minutes is mandatory for setting
your body clock. No glasses or contacts. Building your solar callas (tolerance
to the sun) is done by being in early AM light. This early sun primes the
skin for the harsher UVA and B Light. The optimal is, to have as few clothes on as
possible from just before sunrise for 1.5 hours.
As the day progresses UVA light arrives approx. 40 minutes after sunrise, this
shuts down the wake-up process. Sunlight goes into the retina to activate
precursor molecules to build one of the feel-good drugs dopamine, an important
neurotransmitter and melatonin, the hormone that protects our mitochondria
and puts us to sleep. Make sure you get 3-5 minutes minimum of
sunlight between 8am-11am No glasses, contacts or sunglasses and not behind
windows as it cuts out UVA light. This enhances the production of melatonin.
UVA/B only penetrates into the skin around 1mm, it acts on the omega-3 fatty
acid DHA in our cell membranes and, through the photoelectric effect, creates
a direct electric current that directs regeneration programs in our cells and mitochondria.
UVB light becomes available when the sun is above 30% in the sky (see notelater on DMINDER) and is needed to create vitamin D. This is important
because many studies have linked low Vitamin D levels to chronic diseases including
cancer. Your skin colour (ethnic background) will determine the
amount of time needed in the sun to achieve desired levels of Vitamin D. The
darker skin the more melanin it contains, making it harder to make vitamin D
at the same time offering more protection. This is a real issue for some living
outside the latitudes they were designed for ie Equatorial Africans say living
in Melbourne. I would highly recommend you get a vitamin D test from your
doctor to know where you are at. I get one annually and you can’t manage
what you don’t measure.
A tremendous indicator for UVB light is when your shadow is longer than you
are tall UVB light is not available.
It is also important to note that recent meta-studies (large numbers of people)
on supplementing Vitamin D have shown it to be ineffective.
Neurosurgeon Dr Jack Kruse believes anybody with that Vitamin D levels any
less than 30nmol/L is on the shortlist for a chronic disease. The wording which I
quote below from my D tests is somewhat softer.
”
SEE balance of this in the comments
source
This is the follow on from the description please read that before this.
ANZBMS Position Statement “Vitamin D and adult bone health in Australia
and New Zealand” MJA, 182 (6) : 281-285, 2005.
Vitamin D status defined as :
Mild Deficiency 25 – 50 nmol/L
Moderate Deficiency 12.5 – 25 nmol/L
Servere Deficiency <12.5 nmol/L
Blood flow to the skin increases when absorbed UV light releases nitric oxide.
The red blood cells brought to the skin's surface are then irradiated
by UV light, collecting more energy and information via their porphyrin ring
structures.
We all know we feel better when we have been in the sun, this is because
UV light also transforms a precursor molecule in the blood plasma called proopiomelanocortin
or POMC for short.
The UV light splits POMC into alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH),
beta-endorphin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Alpha MSH stimulates the production of melanin which provides protection
from the harmful effects of UV radiation.
Feel-good comes from Beta-endorphin as it acts on the mu~opioid receptor.
Yes, that's, right we create our own opioids.
The adrenal gland is activated by ACTH to produce hormones that allow us to
be active and to do physical tasks.
UV Light also breaks down sex hormones, cortisol and adrenaline in the
blood through a process called photolysis. This is a good thing as it reduces
hormone stimulus that can result in cancer and reduces the stress hormones
which can lead to illness via overactivity of the fight or flight nervous system.
Visible and infrared Red Light can penetrate 20cm into your body and is absorbed
by the water in your blood. This energised water turbocharges our mitochondria
and cellular function. Afternoon sun with the red spectrums of light
are great for getting UV light as they work to reduce inflammation.
"
Please remember, we are all entirely unique, as is where we are on our
health journey, where we live on the planet and what our genetic background
is.. Health is dynamic. Your goals and actions are to always to optimise what
your biology is designed for – syncing with Nature. You are either working with
or against the LAWS of Nature, there is no neutral.
So the takeaway form all of this is to get in the Sun. The sun is powerful on
two fronts, powerful enough to drastically improve your health when used
wisely and powerful enough to be toxic if you overdo it, so start slowly and
build your way up. Consistency is key.
If it is cloudy/rainy get out there anyway as you will get a minimum of 30% of the
UV light available.
If you have workmates that take smoke breaks, take 5 mins to equilibrate
your internal clock with natural light. Eat your lunch outside if possible. Keep
stacking the odds in your favour.
I would also recommend that you go back to wearing glasses if you wear contacts.
Glasses allow some light in the side, contact lenses do not. Whenever
you can take the glasses off outside, do it! It may improve your eyesight or
slow the deterioration.
Ween yourself off sunglasses, you are short-circuiting the system, distorting
your reality and reducing the amount of energy you can make the RPE
(retinal pigmented epithelium). Sunglasses do not let you sync properly with
your environment. (Exception for the snow maybe)
There is a great app called DMINDER – you input your skin type and tell it
what the cloud cover is and it will tell you how Vitamin D you are making
wherever you are on the planet