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30 Mar 2006 09:20 AM

Why Is Sunshine Good For You?

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

I don't know about you, but I can't resist a bright, sunny day. The last few days here in New Jersey have been just lovely -- spring has sprung with mild weather, light breezes, and glorious sunshine! So if you've got a gorgeous day going on outside your window, you should try to make time to soak up some sun!

Sunshine is physically good for you.

1. Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D! Vitamin D helps strengthen our bones and muscles and immune system! You can get all the Vitamin D your body needs daily in just ten minutes outside in the sun. I'd rather take a dose of ten minutes of sunshine than swallow a huge multivitamin on days like today!
2. Sunlight helps stimulate the pineal gland in the brain. The pineal gland produces feel-good chemicals that help boost your moods. Have you been gloomy all winter? You may be suffering Seasonal Affective Disorder, in which the lack of sunlight holds back your brain's production of serotonin. The return of sunshine and longer days will have you feeling better!
3. Recent studies indicate that sunshine can help combat the development and spread of cancer! Part of this is thanks to all the Vitamin D we get from sunshine.

But... don't get too excited and overdo the sunshine. You can get a sunburn at ANY time of year, not just the summer months. If you are heading out to soak up some early rays, protect your skin with a light sunscreen, like SPF 15 -- especially if you are fair skinned or burn easily! Otherwise, exposing yourself to too much sun can lead you down the road to skin cancer.

And as nice as the warm sun is, you may want to use a moisturizer after you're done in the sun. Too much sun can leave you with dry, itchy skin.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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