Everyone knows that the sun is bad. The sun gives you cancer and you need to stay out of it. Or, if you’re going in the sun, make sure you SLIP, SLOP, SLAP. The problem with all of these messages is that they’ve made everyone believe that sunlight is detrimental to wellbeing and health, but the truth is that without sunlight the world would be dead.

For eons humans and animals have lived their lives by the rhythm of the night and day. The human body has a circadian cycle that registers the comings and goings of the sun and the moon. That’s why your biochemistry is dependent on these rhythms and cycles for survival.

The sun has the ability to block the hormone melatonin from being produced in the body. This is a sleep hormone that’s produced at night, and when your skin is exposed to direct sunlight your body stops producing the hormone, thus awakening the mind and the senses for the day. Then when the sun goes down, melatonin is produced again, getting you ready for sleep.

Outside of its ability to literally 'wake up your body', direct sunlight and outdoor living are the best ways to obtain vitamin D - a fat soluble vitamin that’s stored in the body for a very short period of time. This vitamin is vital for the regulation of vitamin and mineral metabolism, especially the minerals calcium and phosphorus.

Vitamin D controls calcium levels in the body to help prevent osteoporosis and it’s also essential for the functioning of the brain and nervous system. It’s important for the growth, maintenance and repair of bones and teeth, and is essential to keeping the integrity of the epithelial (inner most) lining of the gut intact, thereby reducing the chance of leaky gut. The thing with Vitamin D is that it acts both as a vitamin and a hormone. This means that it can directly affect your mental and emotional wellbeing as well as your physical vitality. Unfortunately, many people are deficient in Vitamin D these days, even those people living in tropical, warm climates.

The question is, if the sun causes the skin to produce vitamin D with the help of cholesterol, why are between 20-45% of the people in sunny Australia and other Western countries deficient in this vitamin? The Mayo clinic claims that the body only needs around 10-15 minutes of sunshine every few days to produce healthy amounts of vitamin D.

So why are so many people deficient? It all seems to come back to the rhythm of dark and light, not just the amount of sun you get every day.

LOOKING INTO THE PAST FOR ANSWERS

Less than 100 years ago the only light people had at night were candles, fires and the moonlight. There was no electricity, no computer screens, no Kindle-type devices, no lit mobile devices, and no televisions. The day came to an end soon after the sun went down or the fire burnt low – and throughout it all the human body was regulated by the forces of nature.

But today nature has little to do with the modern lifestyle, which is evolving much faster than the biology of the human body. This creates a conflict between the modern lifestyle and the evolutionary and biological needs of the human body. And this conflict has important implications for your health and wellbeing.

It means you’re probably not sleeping enough (the body shouldn’t be dictated to by an alarm clock), and you probably don’t spend enough time in the dark or in direct sunlight. Every day you probably cover yourself with sunscreen, protective glasses and clothing, which causes a disruption to the natural rhythms of your body. And on top of all that the modern diet is trying to force you to eat less real food and more fake, created foods.

Baking yourself in the sun for hours can be dangerous, that’s true. But not getting any sun at all is just as dangerous for your health. The key is to find a balance, and to adjust your lifestyle so that your health and your body are strong and resistant to illness or disease.

A good immune system and a vitalistic lifestyle will ensure that your body is strong and not at a heightened risk of disease. And as with all health woes, the quality of your diet is pivotal when it comes to the prevalence of any 'sickness symptoms'.

Everything you put into your mouth becomes the re-building blocks for your body. Put good stuff in and you’ll have good results. Put bad stuff in and you’ll have bad results, including early aging, skin issues and vitamin D deficiency.

The foods you eat also drastically impact how your skin reacts to sunlight. Processed and refined foods, which lack many vitamins especially B6, increase the skin’s sensitivity to light, as will certain types of fats. Manipulated man-made fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oils and margarine significantly change the fat deposit composition beneath the surface of the skin, leading to increased sensitivity.

There are also 100s of other chemicals that impact the skin's tolerance levels for sunlight including prescription medication (antihypertensives, tranquillisers, hormonal drugs and antibiotics). And then there’s sunscreen.

In today’s modern society people have become obsessed with living a heavily unbalanced lifestyle. Many people spend their days indoors, working in an office under artificial lights, and then turn around and become sun worshipers on the weekend! People falsely believe that wearing sunscreen will stop the burning ultra violet rays, but what many people don’t know is that there is more than one type of ray. This includes two ultra violet rays that cause damage to the skin in other ways, and can’t be screened out by sunscreen.

If your skin is burning, it means you’ve had enough sun. This is the body’s wisdom trying to warn you. However, sunscreens mask that indicator, which means people tend to stay out in the sun too long, and this is what causes the damage!

The key to sun and sleep is simple really. Like with most things in life, all you need to do is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

From day to day and season to season, your body will tell you what it needs. In summer, live it up. Enjoy being in the sun, stay out later and sleep a little less. And in winter make sure you hibernate a little more. Go to bed at least 2 to 3 hours before midnight and don’t get up until the sun comes up, which is usually around 6.30am or even later.

Your body is designed to sleep more during the cooler months and less in the summer. Being faithful to this natural rhythm will make you feel healthier, happier and more awake during the day.

SOME KEY POINTS FOR WINTER:

1. Dinner should be around 6pm or 7pm, no later
2. Once you’ve cleaned up the kitchen, dim your lights
3. Make sure that you sit as far away from the TV as possible
4. Stop using lit screens at around 9pm
5. Be in bed no later than 10pm
6. 8 hours’ sleep is a must in the winter
7. A 6am wake up is civilised

With regards to the summer, you adjust this schedule according to the light levels. If you live in a region where the sun hardly sleeps in the summer, make sure you get some great black out curtains so you get at least 6 to 7 hours sleep no matter how bright it gets outside.

And finally, it’s important to spend some time in the sun on a daily basis. Make a concerted effort to have outside time every day and just breathe in the nature around you. Spending time in natural sunlight daily will increase the strength of your immune system, and give your skin some healthy colour. And remember that the more you sleep, the less sunlight you’ll need, as your biochemistry will naturally function more efficiently, including in the production and use of vitamin D.

The body is an intelligent unit. So stop ignoring what your body tells you and enjoy some sun and some sleep. When you do, you’ll be on your way to living longer and feeling happier before you know it!

Top Tips

1. The rhythm of dark and light is vital for improving your vitamin D levels.
2. Eat whole foods and build up a slow tan for skin immunity.
3. The conflict between your modern lifestyle and your evolutionary body is the cause of so many health problems.

Action Steps

Create a new bed time ritual:

> Turn the TV off by 9pm

> Dim your lights

> Burn some calming essential oils like lavender

> Be in bed by 9.30pm

> Do this for a week and see how much better you feel physically, mentally and emotionally!

Now it’s time to move from inside your body to outside your body...

The skin is your largest organ and is responsible for eliminating and expelling toxins from your body. It’s also a direct reflection of your internal health, so as you get healthier, you’ll probably notice that your skin looks clearer and healthier before you see any other changes.

Did you know that on a hot day the skin excretes up to 10 litres of water and 5 teaspoons of salt? It also excretes all the toxins that your body can’t process, and in the same way easily absorbs products and toxins from the creams and lotions you use.

This means that anything you put onto your skin is absorbed through the pores. Chemicals and other toxins seep into the blood stream and from there into your cells. If you’re using skin care or cosmetics that contain chemicals from the petro-chemical industry, it means you’re dousing yourself in chemicals every day and setting your cells up for crisis!

The cosmetics industry is a multi-billion-dollar business promising eternal youthful looking skin. However, the reality is a little different and many products, when used regularly, will cause damage to the skin and compromise your health.

You almost need to be a qualified chemist to understand the ingredient labels on moisturisers, face creams, toothpastes, shampoos, and the plethora of cosmetics available on shelves today. With ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol common across many products, people who use these products are actually shortening their lifespan under the belief that they’re “increasing longevity and youth”.

Examples of the Wrong Ingredients

Propylene glycol is a common ingredient in moisturisers, make-up, deodorants, shampoos, antifreeze, paints, laundry detergents, floor wax, hydraulic fluids and wet wipes. It’s also found in some foods such as desiccated coconuts, natural food colours, and baked goods. Yes, you read that right - the same chemical is in your laundry detergent and your favourite biscuits.

Propylene glycol is a humectant. That means that it retains water content to stop products from drying out. Extensive testing has shown that propylene glycol contributes to contact dermatitis, and retardation of skin cell and membrane growth. It also causes rashes, dry skin and ongoing damage if used repeatedly.

Severe effects include eye irritation, gastro intestinal disturbances, nausea, headaches, vomiting and nervous system disruption. And when ingested it can cause liver and kidney damage.

The USA has banned the use of this chemical in medications, but countries like the UK and Australia still put it in their medications, food and skin care!

Just to ensure you understand the danger, consider sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - chemicals found in shampoos, toothpastes, soft soap, concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers and car wash detergents. The research world has known for many years that these chemicals can irritate the skin, corrode hair follicles, denature (disrupt) protein and may even cause cancer. But they’re still used in products. This means that people put these chemicals in their mouths and on their skins every day!

Reading the labels on skin creams and personal care products is not something many people do, but it’s extremely important. Just be aware that once you start doing it, you’ll discover a whole new world of hidden nasties!

What are the alternatives?

Firstly, remember that the quality and health of your skin is a direct representation of your internal health. So if you eat real food and get the right amounts of minerals and nutrients, your skin will glow from the inside out.

Secondly, the natural skincare industry continues to grow worldwide, dedicated to the development and provision of products made of all natural ingredients such as essential oils, herbs, and foods.

This is an important lifestyle change to make because research shows that people can expose themselves to over 200 chemicals a day through personal care products. This creates a massive build-up of chemicals for the body to deal with. So as part of your program, try to take some time to assess your skincare products until you understand just how many chemicals you’re exposing yourself to. And then start to look at how you can reduce that chemical load.

Top Tips

1. The skin not only eliminates water, salt and toxins, but also absorbs products in the same way.
2. The cosmetics industry exposes you to 200+ chemicals a day.
3. Find a food and skin care range that nourishes your whole body.

Action Steps

Take some time today to become more informed about the ingredients in your skincare and hygiene products. There’s an abundance of information online about this, or you can read the book ‘Like Chocolate for Women’ by Kim Morrison and Fleur Whelligan. This is a great place to start.

Then make a commitment to replace each of your personal care products with products that support your health and wellbeing!

Movement is important!

Your body needs to move every day to stay young and vital. As much as food is and will always be the most powerful tool in optimising your health and wellness, the modern sedentary lifestyle is as detrimental to your health as eating the wrong foods.

HAVING SAID THAT, YOU DON’T NEED TO PUMP IRON.

Humans have always been laborious creatures, beginning in the days of the hunter-gatherer, and continuing forward into the agricultural era, the herding society, and the industrial revolution. However, when the information era began around the 1950s, most people suddenly stopped moving and became obsessed with sitting and with using technology. Machines started to do all the manual labour and humans moved less and less.

Movement is important for the circulatory system, it keeps your bowels moving and it helps your lymphatic system drain waste away. It’s good for your heart, brain, and mood and helps with total body integrity by keeping your muscles toned and supple. If you don’t move these systems, the body becomes sluggish.

If you have a job that’s fairly active your body is probably healthier for it. But if you have a sedentary job, sitting at a desk all day for example, it’s important to start moving daily as soon as possible. Walking is the best exercise to start with, and is a safe and easy form of exercise that you can do anywhere.

You should plan to walk every morning (3-5 mornings a week), for 40-60 minutes. If you don’t think you have enough time, get up an hour earlier than usual. That way you’ll be all done with your exercise before you even head to work or have the chance to get “too busy”.

If you can, find a buddy to walk with you. This will give you accountability because you’ll be much more likely to get out of bed if you know they’re waiting. It also turns the walk into a more social exercise. You get to chat and catch up and perhaps even stop for a refreshing smoothie afterwards. This might be difficult at first, but once you’re in the habit it will get easier. In fact, after you’ve been doing it for a while, when you do have to skip your workout you’ll probably feel out of sorts and eager to get back to it.

The other type of movement that’s really important is called 'incidental exercise.' This is the exercise you do just going about your day. It takes no extra time and can make a real difference to your overall health and fitness.

There are so many easy ways to increase your incidental exercise. It can be as simple as parking further away from the shopping centre when you go to get your groceries. The good thing about this idea is that there’s always a parking spot that far out because no one wants to walk! Also, get into the habit of looking for the stairs when you see a lift or escalator. And when you’re cleaning your house, put some motivating music on and use it as a workout - wash the floor, walls, windows and bathrooms with vigour. Walk down to the corner store when you need something, or get a bike and use it for shopping trips and as a fun weekend activity. Run up the stairs in your home instead of walking. All of these ideas will make you use your body more, in ways that feel natural and healthy.

Both incidental and planned exercise are important aspects of living a vitalistic life. This doesn’t mean that you should quit going to the gym or to that Pilates or yoga class. If you love them, keep going to them for as long as you enjoy it. In fact, if you enjoy any type of exercise or sport this is a great way to stay fit and have some fun at the same time. This can include ten pin bowling, night tennis, netball, basketball, badminton or even horse-riding. Whatever takes your fancy, the key is just to move more!

Make it a priority to move your body every day. Your body and your mind will love you for it!

Top Tips

1. Movement (not necessarily exercise) is important for many systems in the body to function at 100 per cent.
2. There are two types of movement, planned exercise and incidental – do both of these often.
3. Try something new and constantly challenge your body.

Action Steps

Research something active you’ve always wanted to try – maybe it’s a new sport, pole dancing or yoga – and make an appointment to give it a go!

How You feel Today

After each step in this program, make sure you evaluate how you’re feeling and write down any general observations about the program or your condition. That way you can look back when you’re further along in the program and clearly see how far you’ve come.

Go to your Health Tracker and click on the How I feel Chart and fill it out