With summer approaching fast, many of you are getting ready for those long awaited summer vacations.  So, what can you do to stay healthy so you can enjoy your summer vacation?

The first thing I advise is to make sure you get enough sun every day.

I imagine you may be a bit surprised by my answer.

“I thought I was supposed to stay out of the sun, or use as much sun screen as possible to avoid getting skin cancer” said Jody at patient of mine.

While spending hours in the sun can cause damage, here is the ONE reason you NEED to get 15 to 30 minutes full body sun exposure daily and here is why:

The sun gives your body the energy to synthesize Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is essential for optimal health. It is made into a hormone that targets over 2000 genes in the human body and research is clear that vitamin D is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body, from gestation until death. The fact is that sunlight is essential in the synthesis of Vitamin D.

The research shows that the benefits of Vitamin D include:

1.       Enhanced Immunity to specific invaders like bacteria and viruses

2.        Controls your inflammatory response

3.       Reduces the chance of multiple sclerosis and some cancers.

4.       Prevents High Blood Pressure

5.       Prevents some muscle pain

“Now, this doesn’t give you the go ahead to spend hours sunbathing without protection” I told Jody. “But it is vital to get the sun you need in order to get the Vitamin D your body requires to keep you healthy.”

Then Jody asked a great question.

“If I don’t get Vitamin D from the sun, what foods can I eat to supplement?”

The answer is Cod Liver, which I am sure probably makes some of you gag as it did Jody!

“Yuck! Is there any other way I can get it besides that?” said Jody.

Yes there is. You can supplement with Vitamin D3.

Since the amount of Vitamin D that is synthesized from the 30 minutes of sun exposure is 10,000 international units(IU), it makes sense to me to supplement with Vitamin D on the days you don’t get the power of the sun!

Remember that your body is the only one you have and will ever have - the more you give it exactly what it needs to function at 100%, the closer to 100% it will function.

Now, go out and sensibly enjoy the power of the sun!