Day 40 of My 40 Day Fast: The Sun Is Healing and Not the Enemy

The finish line! I am ecstatic to have made it to the end, and tomorrow the re-feeding begins. I’m looking forward to the electrolytes alone.

The main cause of skin cancer is prolonged sun exposure. The sun’s UV rays damage cells in our skin. When we head out for a day in the glorious sunshine, we lather up on sunscreen to protect ourselves. If we plan on wearing minimal clothing and spend a prolonged amount of time in the sun, it makes sense to guard against UV rays with sunscreen. Particularly in countries where the climate is typically cold the majority of the year, and the citizens are not used too much sun.

Sunscreen lowers vitamin D absorption, and vitamin D is vital for our overall health. We don’t need hot summers for vitamin D absorption as daylight itself is sufficient. However, the common trend among women is to wear sunscreen on a daily basis to protect the face and neck from the aging effects of the sun. Contact lenses wearers don't even get vitamin D through their eyeballs. The face, neck, and eyeballs are the best methods for vitamin D absorption.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is becoming a global issue, though we are not at alarming rates. Vitamin D is essential for our guts, and our guts are responsible for our overall health. When the gut is lacking the nutrients it needs to function, it doesn’t just cause digestion issues. Insufficient gut health can manifest health issues throughout the body.

The gut microbiome is linked to the other concentrations of microbes in the body, which include ears, nose, and throat, skin, vagina, and lungs. Issues in the gut can manifest health problems in these areas. Researcher are linking the reduction of certain strains of good gut bacteria to other health issues, such as autoimmune diseases.

During pregnancy a reduction in a proteobacteria in the gut occurs, which is a good bacteria, and if they there aren't sufficient amounts to begin with then this results in temporary diabetes. The reduction of this good bacteria can be linked to diabetes.

An imbalance in the gut microbiome will cause an inability for the gut to properly absorb vitamin D, which is where the vitamin D gets absorbed into the body. Vitamin D is vital for our gut health, therefor or overall health, and it's important to get as much of it as possible.

We spend a lot of our time indoors. We leave the house, get into our cars, and drive to work, gym, or store. A lot of women have sunscreen on their faces limiting vitamin D absorption with the little daylight they already get in their day.

Isn’t health more important than a few wrinkles? If we are not healthy on the inside, it will show on the outside and no amount of sunscreen will help. Good health shows up on the skin, and in our mood, and in the light in our eyes, and some wrinkles won't take away from that. We have become so averse to aging, that we're shielding ourselves from the healing rays of the sun.

As for the sun's cancerous effects, this requires being smart about prolonged sun exposure. I have visited rural areas in underdeveloped countries and watched labourers in rice paddies, and farms. It is blistering hot in these countries, particularly for a girl raised in a cold country. As hot as it is, these labourers cover themselves. They wear long sleeves, pants, and hats. They are well aware the effects of the sun. If you're out surfing for our hours in the sun wearing little, this kind of exposure can be problematic.

In Hindu culture, the sun is a God who we worship. The sun yields life on this planet, and without it there would be no existence. I won't block myself from something that is considered a God. God does not cause illness, rather God is healing.