Soak Up The Sunshine

Here in Australia, it's that time of the year where the days continue to get shorter, and the nights continue to get longer. As we head deep into April, and the middle of Autumn, the warmth from the sun begins to soften, and the crispness of the cool air swirling up from the Antarctic starts to take over. Due to the location of where I live here in Tasmania, and it's distance away from the Equator, the nights start to become considerably longer than the days, leaving us with just 9 hours of daylight, and 15 hours of nighttime, come the middle of the approaching Winter. Those in such countries as Alaska have even significantly less daylight again, during their Winter. Personally, I love Winter. Other than the difficulty of prying myself out from inside the warm sheets of my bed, on a freezing cold morning, I just love the beauty of the surrounding snow capped mountains, and the pleasantness of the cool Winter days. I always like the fact you can at least rug up and get warm in the Winter, but there's only so many layers you can take off in the scorching Summer heat, hence my love for Winter. I'm not a fan of sweating, although I do love daylight savings that comes with the whole Summer package. There's one troubling thing though about this time of the year though, and for the following six months ahead, and that is the fact that we do obviously lose the luxury of having that ample sunlight that we are treated to in the Summer months. It means we also lose the opportunity to get some much needed vitamin D for our body to absorb. Because of daylight savings in the Summer months, we can get outdoors before and after work, even on our lunch breaks, and soak up that sun on our skin, but it's a different story in Winter.

Despite the cool temperatures, here in Hobart, we still get many pleasant sunny days throughout Winter, in the midst of all the passing cold fronts. The problem for many people here though is that because it's only around 12c outside, and not the balmy 25c as it is in Summer, they would rather stay inside next to a heater, than sit outside in the cool, yet sunny skies. It is no wonder that come the start of Spring, no less than two thirds of Tasmanians are vitamin D deficient. What's even more concerning is that even come the start of Autumn, one third of Tasmanians are vitamin D deficient. So what's the story my fellow Tasmanians? Firstly, what even is Vitamin D though? Vitamin D is a hormone that controls calcium levels in the blood. It is essential for our body in order to develop strength within our bones and muscles, whilst enhancing other areas of our general health. As much as the likes of food products such as fish, milk, eggs, and mushrooms, contain a certain amount of vitamin D, they are not sufficient enough to provide us with the amount of vitamin D our body requires to be at a healthy level. That's where sunshine comes in of course, as it is the best natural source of vitamin D. But what happens when we don't get enough sunshine and vitamin D? It's not surprising that without sufficient vitamin D, our bones our severely weakened, increasing the risk of bone fractures and the likes of osteoporosis. Studies have even revealed connections to the likes of high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis, off the back of ongoing vitamin D deficiency. As far as children are concerned, a lack of vitamin D can lead to rare disease called rickets, which causes the bones to become brittle, and they can even bend. None of this is what we really want to hear, yet we indeed need to hear it!

Okay, so we've looked at the negatives, and we've gained awareness as to the risks of not getting enough vitamin D and sunlight on our skin, but now let's look at the health benefits. As I mentioned above, the main benefit to vitamin D, and receiving that lovely sunshine on our skin, is that it increases our bone density, and provides them with that much needed strength. Sunshine also helps boost our immune system, which is vital in helping ward off illness and disease. Then we have the sleep benefits. The need for sunlight assists in setting our internal body clock, helping us better to distinguish when we should be asleep, and when we should be awake. Although any sunlight is beneficial to help us sleep better, it is said that early morning sunlight in particular is best, as it contributes in getting us to sleep faster at night. Scientists even believe that the sun's rays may contribute to shrinking fat cells below the skin's surface, which means weight loss. For the fact we would even be spending time outdoors in the sunshine, would also suggest that we are moving about, and getting in some vital exercise. We all know the benefits of exercise, being that it reduces our risk of heart attack, helps us reduce weight, lowers our blood cholesterol level, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, it lowers our blood pressure, and it strengthens our body. A moderate and regular intake of sunshine also helps our eye health, reducing the risk of nearsightedness, whilst it is also said to be beneficial for our skin, in reducing conditions such as eczema and vitiligo. Finally, let's not forget about the benefits of what sunshine can do for our mental health. Sunlight actually helps boost a chemical in our brain called serotonin, which contributes to providing us with more energy, whilst helping us keep more calm, focused, and even positive minded. For anyone who has depression, they would well know of the frequent advice giving by their medical practitioner, to get outside in the sunlight more, and perhaps exercise or do some other outdoor activity, because it's been proven that sunshine improves our wellbeing.

There are plenty of positives when it comes to getting outdoors and soaking up some sunshine, no matter what time of the year that may be. Let's not overlook the fact that we shouldn't over do it either, especially in the Summer months where UV levels are at their highest, as we then expose ourselves to the likes of sunburn, which could lead to skin cancer. Anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes of sunlight per day, preferably in the morning and early afternoon, and also depending on the time of the year, is what has been recommended by medical experts to be a healthy amount for us. Medical experts, medical practitioners, myself, and anyone else for that matter, can recommend we get out and soak up the sunshine as much as we want, but neither they nor I can force you to do so. The onus to get off your backside and get out in the sunshine lies totally with you. As we dive further into Autumn, and then ultimately into Winter, the days are going to get shorter and colder, placing a huge test on our willpower to pry ourselves away from the comfort of our couch, and being snuggled up next to the heater, to get ourselves outside on the sunny days. Sure, we may need a jumper and long pants, but even just allowing the sunshine to beam on our faces and hands, we are at least taking in some of that gold dust that is vitamin D. Get out and start running, or do some fast walking, then perhaps you can shed the jumper, or maybe roll up the sleeves, and soak up some sunshine on the arms as well. As we don't have the luxury of sunshine before or after work during Winter, it then places the emphasis on our lunch breaks, during the week. Rather than sitting inside in the warmth of the staff room, get out of the building, find a local park or bench that's bathed in sunshine, throw on the earphones, and kick back with a nice sandwich and a hot coffee. Use those weekend days where the forecast is sunny, and spend some quality time with the family outdoors.

So it may not be 25c or 30c outside, but if the sun is shining, then bathe in that glorious sunshine as much as possible. During Winter, ensure your diet includes foods as I mentioned above, that are rich in vitamin D, and even take some supplements if need be, to boost those vitamin D levels. Over the next few months though, resist that temptation to stay indoors by the heater, and make use of any days that we are blessed with sunshine, because we know full well, there will be plenty of cloudy and rainy days among them. Get outside, get active, keep yourself healthy, indulge in that vitamin D, and soak up the sunshine! It's an easy way to become more happy and healthy.

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