10 Ways to Eat Your Sunscreen

By Rupina Meer • August 8th, 2012 • 12983 Views

With summer in full force, many of you are setting your sights to frolicking on an exotic Caribbean beach, sinking your toes in the powdery white sand and soaking up some rays. Or you're already indulging in some sun bathing at your local beach, park or pool. But along with that pleasure of experiencing the warming rays of the sun, we also have the fear perpetuated by the medical establishment and the media to shun the sun and most of us have a case of "sun-o-phobia."

What’s gotten lost in the shuffle is the fact that there are a plethora of benefits to sun exposure in limited doses. Recent studies have shown that optimizing your Vitamin D levels may actually help prevent as many as 16 different types of cancers. And how do you get your Vitamin D? From safe exposure to the sun for 10-20 minutes sans those chemical-laden, greasy sunblocks that imbue a very unbecoming pallor to your skin (not to mention that most commercial sunscreens contain toxins and endocrine disrupters that actually promote skin cancers!)

Here's the kicker: The sun rays strike your skin and react with the cholesterol to help you metabolize vitamin D, which in turn protects you from too much sun. Nature has provided such an elegant model to harness the healing power of the sun. The key is to find a healthy balance between getting enough natural sunlight to maximize your vitamin D production while at the same time protecting yourself from damage that occurs from overexposure to the sun. Always use common sense and if you notice your skin turning pink, then throw on a cover up, get in some shade and cool it.

What can you do to use the sun to your advantage? Mother Nature has provided us with sunscreens that don't come in plastic bottles, but rather sport their own yummy, colorful and biodegradable packages. Below are my top ten nutrition/supplement strategies to boost your internal sunscreen by eating antioxidant dense foods that fortify the skin and increase its ability to become more tolerant to ultraviolet (UV) exposure:

10 Ways to Eat Your Sunscreen

1. Go Ga-Ga for Greens: Leafy greens such as leeks, artichokes, broccoli, kale, romaine, spinach, cilantro, celery and parsley are optimal for preventing and repairing sun damage. A recent study indicates that eating spinach, kale and swiss chard...

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Location:  Orange County, US

Rupina Meer, Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach received her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). Health Coaches from Integrative Nutrition’s world-class training program learn from luminaries in the field of health and wellness including Drs....