The Healing Power of Sunshine: Beyond Vitamin D

With our hectic schedules, we wind up spending a significant portion of our days in front of computers at our homes and businesses. While remaining indoors is relaxing, we frequently miss out on one vital component for living a healthy and happy life: sunshine! Did you know that getting enough sunshine every day is vital for preventing a variety of ailments? Dr. Dixa Bhavsar, an Ayurveda doctor, said on Instagram that "25-30 minutes of sun exposure in the morning (right after sunrise and before 8 am) and evening (at the time of sunset) can do wonders to your health." While many people feel that natural light is merely a good source of vitamin D, it offers so much more.​​​​​​"Vitamin D is an immune and energy boosting hormone which has a profound effect on our health,” she wrote, sharing the other health benefits. Take a look. Remember that natural sunshine is much more than just vitamin D. So, don't expect vitamin D supplements to solve all of your health problems. Its Important Benifits ~  Sunlight's UVA rays contribute to the production of nitric oxide, a vasodilator, that prevent the muscles from tightening and the walls from narrowing.. Consequently, this leads to an improvement in blood flow, oxygenation, respiratory rate, and blood glucose levels. Red visible spectrum: According to Dr Bhavsar, sunlight is constantly present during the day, affects mitochondrial activity, gives us more energy, and improves our general health. Neurotransmitters: Getting daily sunshine exposure can also elevate your mood. We also produce the neurotransmitters dopamine, melatonin, and serotonin from natural light, which is essential for maintaining mental health by lowering anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. Sleep quality: Sunlight may improve your sleep quality if you have trouble falling asleep. It's been demonstrated that being outside enhances the quality of our sleep and balances our daily circadian cycle. Historical Significance~  The sun has been revered for its amazing healing properties throughout history in many different civilizations. Therefore, humanity has been aware of the sun's health advantages since prehistoric times. The Vedas, an old and revered Hindu text, acknowledges sun treatment as a potent natural remedy for several health issues. The sun is an essential element of Indian culture. In reality, people in India still use sacred sun salutations like Surya Namaskar, which are believed to have healing properties for the physical, psychological, and spiritual domains. According to the ancient Roman scholar Pliny, the sun is the most significant natural self-administered remedy. Hippocrates and other well-known medical professionals from Arabia and Rome lauded the inherent therapeutic benefits of heliotherapy, which is the use of sunshine for certain skin disorders. Sunlight treatment was utilized to treat epilepsy, asthma, obesity, jaundice, and disorders of the colon and bladder throughout the Roman Empire. Sunlight was thought to help treat rickets and scurvy in the 1700s. In the late 1800s, cholera, anthrax, and dysentery were among the bacterial illnesses for which the sun was known to be beneficial. The Nobel Prize was awarded to renowned solar therapists Finsen and Koch in 1903 and 1905, respectively, for their innovative use of UV light to treat TB. For more than 40 years, Dr. Auguste Rollier of Switzerland effectively treated TB using sun treatment. Of the 2,167 patients, 1,746 had effective treatment; the other patients' failures were limited to instances that were further advanced. Dr. Oskar Bernhard used sun therapy to heal wounds and prevent tetanus and gangrene during World War I. The sun's possible health advantages were eventually acknowledged. Sunlight treatment was utilized to cure a variety of illnesses affecting the respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, neurological system, skin, and circulatory system during the 1900s. Safe Sun Exposure Procedures Of the more than 1500 wavelengths found in natural sunshine, only UVB rays are known to have therapeutic properties. Since prolonged sun exposure can lead to more health issues including skin cancer, the two most important variables for successful sun treatment are the amount of time spent in the sun and its length.Knowing how much sun exposure is necessary is also crucial, particularly if you have severe adrenal fatigue. This is because quick bursts of sunshine can cause an adrenal crash and your body may struggle to regulate its temperature. Quickly remove yourself from the sun when your skin begins to become pale pink to prevent sunburn. If you have a sunburn, you should think about using an aloe vera gel and cold compress to treat your skin. Humanity has been aware of the incredible healing properties of natural sunshine for eons. Owing to the sun's enormous health advantages, sunlight therapy has been used historically to treat a variety of health problems. In addition to helping your body produce vitamin D, moderate sun exposure also helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus, increases serotonin, lowers stress, eases sleeplessness, supports weight loss, relieves rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, combats SAD, helps you maintain your circadian rhythm, controls body temperature, lowers mortality rates, relieves neonatal jaundice, heals wounds, and lessens chronic pain. By following appropriate sun precautions, you may get the most of the sun's health advantages without running the risk of developing any new health problems.

Incredible Benefits of Vitamin D Rich Diet

We all know that soaking in 20 minutes of sunshine daily is enough for our body’s requirement of vitamin D. However, for many, mornings are a mad rush to get to office and women are often held up with household chores which do not allow them to bask in the morning sun. In many countries like the UK, there is a serious lack of sunshine for days together. However, there is no need to worry as there is another way of getting Vitamin D - consume foods rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D is a very important vitamin that has incredible health benefits. It is linked to regulating cell growth. It is known for its essential role in bone health and the way it helps the body absorb calcium, other vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphate. As per the results of different studies, it has been found that Vitamin D may also have roles in preventing health problems such as cancers, heart disease, diabetes and viral infections. Apart from soaking the sunshine, including the following foods daily in your diet will help you get your daily dose of vitamin D. Eggs Eating two eggs daily can provide about one-eighth of your recommended dose of vitamin D. Egg is loaded with nutrients like zinc, iron, protein, Vitamin D, vitamin A and Vitamin K that helps in promoting healthy hair and nails. A large egg can provide you with 8% of the daily-recommended value of vitamin D. Fish  Fish like mackerel, salmon and tuna are one of the best dietary sources of Vitamin D. They are not only rich in Vitamin D but also rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is the best source of vitamin D. Just half a fillet of salmon gives you more than the daily recommended allowance for one person. Mushroom A large handful of mushrooms in your meal provides you with ample amount of vitamin D, especially if they have been exposed to sunlight. Shittake, button, and oyster mushrooms are rich in vitamin D, vitamins B1 and B2. By exposing mushrooms to sunlight, vitamin D level gets a boost and we can reap its benefits. Tofu Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a food cultivated by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks.  Tofu is becoming quite popular food nowadays due to its immense nutritional benefits. One-fifth of a block of raw tofu has lots of the essential vitamin D in it. Orange juice One cup of fortified orange juice has more Vitamin D than a cup of fortified milk. A glass of fresh orange juice is good for your taste as well as your health. Apart from vitamin D, it is a rich source of vitamin A as well, which is good for eyesight, skin and reduces the risk of cancer. Milk fortified with vitamin D is also good for the body. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is different from other vitamins because our bodies can make most of what we need with exposure to sunlight. Daily include two of the above foods in your diet to get the recommended dosage of vitamin D to ward off diseases and stay healthy and fit.