The Sun and How It Affects Health
What more can you say that can bring happiness and bright and cheerful thoughts to even the worst day! No matter where you live in the world, no matter what culture or in what civilization you live; no matter what era or period of history you could study; no matter what your views on life and health, you would probably find the Sun a common factor in people's thoughts whatever you investigated throughout the world and history.
Truly there is no more universal common denominator for the thought of well being than the Sun. The radiance that the Sun constantly and dependably emits is more than just a light that we can be warned and cheered and illuminated by. In a day and age when Solar; Energy is fast becoming manifest reality in more ways than one, we should also update our understanding and perception of the Sun and its influence on our health and fitness, as a direct factor in producing optimum health. Together, let's explore the use of the Sun's energy with our physical body so that we can increase our general vitality; our potency; and our basic quantitative and qualitative life force to bring about as a result, Super health!
The use of the Sun's energy to aid in healing and in generating health and sanitary conditions extends as for back as recorded history. Throughout man's history, in every great civilization, much attention has been given to the proper use of sunlight to cure disease; to destroy harmful bacteria; to generate in many ways (which we will explore together in this article) total, and vibrant health.
A Short History of Sunlight
Most of us are aware of the use of sunlight in the famous solariums of ancient Greece and Rome' by the Incas and Aztecs; by the Egyptians; by the American Indians, and many other great civilizations in our ancient history to stimulate and in many various ways, produce races of people which have created civilizations of people that to this day serve as hallmarks of "Solar Cultures" or nations whose memory is somehow connected with the ritual or scientific use of the sun for daily life, what most people do not know, though, is that the doctors and healers; the athletes and warriors; the scientist and artists of all of these civilizations were not naively interested in the sun as a supplement to their various interests, but rather, were deeply aware of the sun as a central factor in their existence and in their well being physically & mentally Today, we are in a unique position as the result of our scientific and technological advances to analyze the effects of sunlight on ore health and development and to determine the specific ways in which sunlight actually contributes to our total health and happiness.
Never before in history has there been such an opportunity for the layman and the public in general to understand the many beneficial ways in which this free source of life giving energy helps us to create a healthy body and mind and to fill us in every way with its "life-giving" rays!
Modern Research vs. Modern Solar Fears
Since our homes and businesses and our methods of transportation in this present era all shield us quite effectively from the sun, and since there is such a wide use of limited spectrum artificial lighting instead of sunlight in offices; schools; and factories, it is evident that most people in this present industrial society spend almost all of their day in a light that is entirely different from the kind that comes from natural and full spectrum sunlight.
There seems to be conclusive evidence that sunlight produces a series of metabolic effects in the body that are similar to actual Physical training! For bodybuilders and athletes, this is an important fact. For example, tuberculosis patients being treated by sunbathing have been observed to have well developed muscles with little or no fat, even though they have not exercised for months! It appears that beneficial effects of sunlight exposure, which are apparently the same as those of an endurance exercise program can be achieved by a series of exposure to sunlight.
A study done at Tulane University on the effect of sunlight on blood pressure showed that men who had normal blood pressure had a slight lowering of their blood pressure that lasted one or two days after the exposure. At the same time, a group of men in this test who had high blood pressure, had a great reduction in their blood pressure that lasted five or six days! The heart's efficiency increases after an exposure to sunlight. Sunbathing has been shown in studies to increase the output of blood from the heart by an average of 29%! This output continued for a period of about five or six days after ultraviolet light exposure.
Back to the Future!
In an age where virus are developing at an alarming rate, beyond the chemical protection of current medicine, it would be wise to again incorporate that source of antiseptic prevention known as the Sun and solar therapy.
Hippocrates and Pythagoras wrote extensively on the use of sunlight in the processes of healing. another famous Greek who wrote much on the use of sun therapy was Antyllus, a physician who wrote of the Greek "sunbaths"… Persons expose themselves to the sun, come cover themselves with oil and others do not; some lie down and some are seated, while others stand or play. Those who lie down rest on sand or a cushion. This sunlight exposure prevents an increase in body weight and strengthens the muscles. It makes fat disappear. It reduces as well, hydropic swelling."
Herodotus was called the father of Heliotherapy as the result of his frequent reference to the healing properties of the sun and his use of this in his medical practice. One of his statements is…"Exposure to the sun is highly necessary for persons whose health is in need of restoring. In every season, the patient should permit the rays of the sun to strike full upon him. But, especially in the summer, this method should be lessened because of the heat."
The Greeks practiced "arenation" or the exposure of the nude body to sunlight specifically in the sand. The places where they practiced this were called "aerinaries" and this was usually by the seaside. The practice itself was called Heliiosis.
The Electromagnetics of Health
It would be important to begin with something of an understanding of the activity of sunlight. Sunlight is composed of many different levels of energy. This energy is transmitted in the for of electromagnetic waves. These electromagnetic waves vary in length from .00001 of a nanometer (for cosmic rays as they are called by science and a nanometer is 1/1,000,000,000 of a meter!!! ) to about 5,000 kilometers or 3,100 miles for electric waves! This is an incredibly wide range of energy radiation’s for one singular source to produce.
Not all of these energy rays from the sun reach the Earth's surface and our bodies. The atmosphere that surrounds the Earth protect it from absorbing all but a small and safe portion of these numerous wavelengths emitted by our sun. Of the waves that do reach the Earth's surface, only a very small portion can be seen by the human eye. It has been estimated the human eye can see only a fraction of 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum that does reach beyond the layers of atmospheric protection so well provided for our safety and protection. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation that do penetrate and come into our atmosphere are invisible to the human eye. It is the ultraviolet portion of sunlight that has been scientifically proven to be the most biologically active, and unfortunately it has also been ultraviolet light that is eliminated and filtered out by common window glass and supposedly solar transmitting glazes as are commonly used in our buildings today. Even sunglasses and clothing prevent the proper amount of sunlight and ultraviolet in particular form reaching our bodies and bringing its vibrant and healthful properties to full peak.
The amount of ultraviolet light from the sun that is available depends upon the location where you are on the earth, and the season. The more atmosphere that the ultraviolet light has to pass through, the less there will be to reach the Earth! This is why in the winter, when the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, and the sunlight must pass through the atmosphere, there is obviously less ultraviolet light available for our bodies, ( not to mention for planted and other living things that depend upon sunlight for proper development and growth!)
Sunlight emits all forms of electromagnetic rays including "cosmic rays"; gamma rays; X rays; ultraviolet rays; and near ultraviolet rays; (in the visible range that our eyes can see there is what can be seen as…) color; short wave ultraviolet, infrared; radio waves; electric waves; and the incredibly long waves which reach us as heat and warmth. The current medical concept of sunlight pictures for us incorrectly a "harmful" and dangerous Sun,…one which is responsible, or so it is said, for aging and capable of causing skin cancer. This concept, though, fortunately is responsible for the great amount of research done on the effects of sunlight on humans and animals (and plants of course!). This research provides an abundance of technical materials on the true effects of sunlight and its relation to human health and well being! Undeniably the sun plays a role in the development of skin cancer, but is not the main factor in such problems.
Sunlight : Your Friend and Ally!
What science has discovered is that the real cause of skin cancer in relation to sunlight is the highly refined Western diet which contributes most to the aging process and the development of cancer. Sunlight seems only to accelerate this basic cause, but is not the initial factor at all!
An exposure to sunlight can improve all of the various systems and activities of the body. Let us list a few of these as electrocardiogram improvement; lowering of blood pressure; decrease in the resting heart rate; an increase in the basic cardiac output and stamina; a lowering of the blood cholesterol levels; an increase in the storage of glycogen in the liver; a decrease therefore in blood sugar; an increase in the general energy; endurance, and muscular strength of the entire body.
The visual light of the sun as a full spectrum source of electromagnetic potential, that enters via the eye and the optic facility controls the melatonin production in the pineal gland, which in turn regulates the entire endocrine glandular system. It also penetrates quite deeply, directly into the tissue of the skin, and therefore effects the entire molecular structure of the body. Ultraviolet light striking the body increases the body's resistance to infections by increasing the body's production of lymphocytes and phagocytes, the basic components of the natural immunal system.
Ultraviolet light striking the body also increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and increases the adrenaline available to the tissues and overall tolerance to stress! Sunlight striking the body and absorbed increases the basic sex hormones, estrogen in the female and testosterone in the male. It also tans the skin and increases the resistance of the skin to infections in general.
The Immunal Response: The Facts!
The most important thing we should investigate is the Sun's amazing ability to naturally stimulate the body's disease fighting immunal system, which has been disregarded with the advent of chemical drugs and chemotherapy to deal with bacteria and viruses. In the medical practices of ancient civilizations, and even up until as recently as the late 1800's it is quite well understood that Sunlight possessed incredible and adaptable antiseptic and antibacterial qualities.
Sunlight has been throughout history, one of the main factors in healing disease of all types, and in regenerating the body. With the use of drugs came a subsequent lessening in the use of Solar Therapy and with this decrease in the use of sunlight daily and an increase in the indoor activity, away from this natural source of full spectrum lighting and radiation. Many degenerative diseases have developed as the result of this retreat from the Sun's healing rays, and many new strains of bacteria that are resistant to chemotherapy and drugs are developing at an alarming rate.
It is important to refer again here to the body's natural ability to fight disease if the immunal system is functioning properly and not suppressed or underdeveloped. There are many systems involved with the immunal system and we shall go more deeply into their functions later. Basically this immunal system is responsible for protecting our organism from invading bacteria and virus'. Not only do most chemical drugs and antibiotics suppress the natural immunal system, but they also foster a basic dependence on their presence. Their very nature is usually limited to their specific effects and protection against only limited numbers of bacteria and virus.
Immunal Musings The Red-White, and You of It
Studies have shown that exposure to natural sunlight increases the number of the white blood cells in the body. The main white blood cell increased the most is the Lymphocyte. It is the lymphocyte that plays the leading role in defending the body in an invasion by bacteria and foreign organisms. Because the lymphocytes increase in number after a sunlight, their products of defense, the antibodies like gamma globulins, also increase in the blood. This increase of lymphocytes and gamma globbins greatly increase a person's ability to fight infections. The lymphocyte is also capable of producing a substance called interferon. This substance has the ability to stop the reproduction of viruses. The treatment of many virile diseases such as hepatitis; herpes simplex; herpes zoster; chicken pox; and the common cold may be improved by the use of interferon. Our body's naturally product this wonderful interferon manufactured in the lymphocytes. Sunlight, increases this production of lymphocytes, again helps to produce interferon to aid the natural immunal system. Also in the bloodstream we have what is known as a phagocytic system which works in conjunction with the immunal system. "Phagocytosis" is a term which refers to the cell's ability to "eat" a foreign substance or invader. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell and are the most common of the phagocytes. When faced with a foreign material, be it bacteria or a fungus, the neutrophil will eat the foreign matter and destroy it. Neutrophils are present and circulating in the blood. They are found in large numbers at the site of any infection or injury. After an individual is exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light, the neutrophils in the bloodstream are stimulated to "eat" germs more rapidly and in some research they were shown to almost double their ability to consume bacterial after this sunlight exposure! The Russians are doing most of the recent research dealing with sunlight therapy. The results of their research is so convincing that in most Northern areas in Russia, there are mandatory laws that require the miners to have sunlight therapy, or ultraviolet therapy if sunlight is not available.
Russian scientists have also developed tests to check the ability of children's bodies to build immunity and resist infections. The scientists have found that exposure to sunlight especially in the winter months, greatly increases the ability of the children's bodies to resist disease and illness!
Diabetes: A Solar deficiency disease?
Exposure to sunlight has an insulin-like effect on the system in that it causes a lowering of the blood sugar. This is dramatic in diabetics! The Sun's stimulating enzymatic reactions in the body increase the body's ability to store sugars as glycogen and therefore to lower the blood sugar level through this natural storage process. Many bodybuilders and athletes report that up to 80% of their physical stamina; endurance; and strength is the result of their consistent exposure to sunlight together with proper diet.
University of the Sun – Original "Alma Mater"
In a study at the University of Illinois, the effects of sunlight treatments on physical fitness students was observed and it was noticed as a by product that the students who received the sunlight treatments showed a much greater interest in their class work; attended classes more regularly; and voted unanimously following the experiment! A typical comment from students who received sunlight treatment in this test was…"I think the light has kept me from feeling tired during my long hours of study at night and I have felt more wide awake since receiving the sunlight treatments during regular periods of the day in class."
It has been shown that sunlight treatments actually effect the brain and can aid in balancing the stimulating and depressing nerve impulses! Also, we must be aware of the effects of preventing the full spectrum light of the sun from entering our eyes via the optic pathway, as it has for millions of years. For example, though regular windowpane glass lets in what appears to be visually sunlight, it does not actually allow the full spectrum of sunlight, especially the beneficial ultraviolet rays, which so importantly affect bacterial growth and general feeling of well being.
Strong Solar Heart
Exposure to sunlight is important to prevent and/or in lowering the incidents and severity of heart disease. Sunlight markedly decreases cholesterol levels in the blood and in the linings of the blood vessels and arteries. A study was done using 30 patients who had hardening of the arteries. Each of these patient's blood cholesterol levels was taken before a single sunlight treatment. The results showed that there was at least a 13% decrease in blood cholesterol following the sunlight treatment.
Dramatic drops in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels following sunlight treatments is not uncommon. Athletes and body builders commonly use sunlight before performances or contests to not only increase their stamina; endurance; and performance, but also to reduce body weight and fats in the tissue.
Using animals in laboratories to produce simulated hardening of the arteries, and to test various effects of drugs on this condition, has been a practice common for some years. Feeding test animals cholesterol and fat has proven a very effective way to cause hardening of the arteries (or atherosclerosis). A fascinating study was done on rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet. Half of the rabbits were given sunlight treatments daily while the other half was given only standard room lighting. The rabbits that got the sunlight treatments did not increase their cholesterol levels, while the ones that received the standard indoor artificial room lighting, without the sunlight treatments or exposure had great increases in their serum cholesterol level. At the end of the studies, the animals' arteries were examined to see how much the high cholesterol diet and fats had damaged them. The rabbits that had received only the room lighting without sunlight had severe accumulations and deposits of cholesterol in their arteries while the ones that received the sunlight treatments regularly had arteries that were clean with little or no harm done to them by cholesterol.
Sunlight's ability to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is another of the major ways in which it aids the body to cleanse the blood stream and tissues and to destroy bacteria. A growing amount of evidence is accumulating to show that the that the lack of oxygen may be a contributing factor in the initial injury to the lining of the artery that occurs in hardening of the arteries or athero sclerosis.. A lack of oxygen in the bloodstream appears to weaken the lining of the artery and then make it more susceptible to injury. A lack of oxygen also aggravates the injury and prevents it from healing properly and quickly.
It is interesting to note from other studies that whenever there is an increased amount of cholesterol in the blood, the cholesterol is finally incorporated into the wall of the red blood cell, thickening it. This thickening of the wall makes it impossible to move oxygen from the blood cell to the tissues, In other words, cholesterol actually makes the skin of the red blood cell "tough" and the oxygen cannot readily pass through it to the artery. Red blood cells are the main carriers of oxygen to the body tissues and if they cannot release this oxygen, the lining of the artery becomes more susceptible to injury because of this lack, Also, this lack allows bacteria to proliferate unchecked by the antiseptic effects that oxygen provides.
It has been shown in tests that ultraviolet light in natural sunlight actually increases the oxygen in the blood and the oxygen carrying capabilities of the blood. It also increases the use of this available oxygen in the tissues which in turn can produce more available energy! The main explanation of how the sun increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is that it has a tremendous ability to actually "destroy" cholesterol. As the cholesterol is changed in the skin to Vitamin D, transformed through sunlight to this so called vitamin which is actually by definition a hormone in chemical structure, the cholesterol in the blood is transferred to the skin where it is transformed also. This decreases the cholesterol levels in the bloodstream while increasing natural Vitamin D storage in the body.
Cholesterol: The Culprit!
Though we should remember that the main cause of cancer is the high cholesterol diet which inhibits the natural immunal system of the body and the body's natural ability to destroy foreign and unwanted bacterial and cellular growths including cancer cells. Normal cells which have been removed from animals and placed in a culture where they will grow and divide will become malignant or cancerous if they are deprived of oxygen. If these cells are again placed in the animal's body, they will multiply and produce cancer in formerly healthy tissues. When the oxygen is cut off from normal cells, they are damaged to the extent that they are no longer able to burn foodstuffs down to carbon dioxide and water because oxygen is necessary for this important reaction. The cells then have to depend upon the energy obtained from metabolizing sugar to lactic acid, which does not supply adequate energy to maintain normal structure and function. As a result, the cell turns cancerous!
Any agent that inhibits or stops the supply of oxygen to the cells would be potentially cancer producing! any agent that inhibits any of the steps in the complex cellular reaction which ends with carbon dioxide and water could also be cancer producing. An interesting activity to note is the current use by the medical society, especially surgeons, of anti-immunal substances in the human body to prevent the rejection of foreign tissues and organs in heart and skin transplants, etc.. Doctors these days are not using so many chemicals as they used to help destroy this natural immunal system so that the foreign tissue can be integrated and thrive in the body, but rather, they are using foods that contain high cholesterol instead. In patients that receive this abnormally high cholesterol intake to prevent rejection of grafted tissue or organs, the cancer rate is 80 times that of a normal person or %8000 greater!
Solar Athletes?
In one study with college men at the University of Illinois, sunlight treatments were given to half the members of a physical education class. The experiment rant for ten weeks and at the end of the period, the group that was receiving ultraviolet light had increased their performance on a physical fitness test by almost 20%! On the other hand, the group that did not receive the light treatments improved by only 1%! There were only half as many colds and flues in those that were receiving sunlight, and their blood pressure showed a distinct decrease. Those receiving the light treatments showed also a greater interest in their class work and attended classes more regularly. They generally agreed that they received a great deal of help from the sunlight treatments.
It has been shown in other studies that a continuous, low intensity, ultraviolet exposure to school children, applied by the special means of a special ultraviolet illumination system markedly increased physical fitness scores among the children. This effect was most apparent during the winter and spring months. The children who did not receive the ultraviolet supplementation through the illumination system also increased their physical fitness scores during the summer months, when they too received extra amount of a natural ultraviolet light from the sun.
Sunlight is beneficial to athletes in training for it not only aids in the conditioning program, but also strengthens the athletes resistance to disease. Because an athlete in straining is stressing his body to it's maximum limits, his resources to fight infections such as colds and flus may at times be small. The ability to maintain strong immunal response to fight diseases naturally can be realized during training with consistent exposure to sunlight as shown in a study done at
Tulane in 1945.
The Fat Connection
The main culprits in the process of aging and cellular degeneration are called free radicals. The free radical formation is a commonly observed phenomena when fats or oils turn rancid when exposed to the air. This process is accelerated when such substances are exposed to sunlight as well. Free radicals may form in the oils themselves, when they are still on the grocery shelf or they may form in the tissues, once the oil is eaten. Both saturated and polyunsaturated fats seem to be the main contributors to the formation of free radicals Because of this, most of the investigators in the field of aging believe that a high fat diet is the major cause of aging!
A Dr. Pinkney, writing in the American Heart Journal states,…" It has been found that among those that used large quantities of hydrogenated oils in their diet, 78% showed marked clinical signs of premature aging, and in addition, they looked much, much older than their actual chronological age!
Sunlight; oxygen; and hydrogenated oils all seem to play a part in the aging process. Is the answer then that man should stay out of the sun; avoid hydrogenated oils; and avoid deep breathing to delay the aging process? There is a better answer! Only in the past few decades has the accelerated aging of the skin and skin cancer become so noticeable! Especially since the American public has increased their intake of hydrogenated oils has this been in evidence.
Refined foods with preservatives and foods which do not contain the natural antioxidants and the vitamins and minerals which actually prevent skin cancer are major causes of premature aging and skin cancer. The vitamins and minerals which protect one from free radical formation are called "anti-oxidants" Examples of anti-oxidants are vitamins C and E. Also, the mineral selenium has been demonstrated in clinical tests to be protective against free radical formation. Also, carotene, the precursor of vitamin A has been shown to be helpful in preventing skin cancer for the same reasons.
Sunlight & Softer Skin
Many people are afraid to use the sunlight to it's fullest potential as they are afraid that it will age them prematurely or produce the affects of aging in their skin, or in general in their body. Nothing could be further from the truth. To understand this properly, we must again understand some of the basic physics of what occurs to produce aging in the body.
Color in the Diet: More than Meets The Eye!
Where do you get carotene in your diet? Generally from foods that are orange or bright yellow in color such as carrots, yellow and orange melons; yellow squash, apricots; corn; peaches; pumpkins; and especially high in carotene are green leafy vegetables (sand algae’s such as spirulina and blue green algae to name a few!) that are all high in carotene even though they are not orange or yellow in color. Another source of carotene that is commonly overlooked is bee pollen, which is extremely high in carotene among other elements, and is estimated to have 20 times the carotene of carrots!
The Carrot Connection Continues!
Carotene in particular has been shown to prevent sunburn. It is even more effective for this purpose than is vitamin E. Not only does carotene help prevent burning, but it also delays the appearance of skin cancer produced by ultraviolet light. Carotene decreases the growth rate of skin cancer! this is important when one is considering cancer treatment as a decrease in the growth rate of cancer without chemotherapy is considered unusual.
Many people who complain about how easily they burn when they are out in the sunlight, find that after a program which includes a natural diet, high in carotene and vitamin E, that they are almost invariably surprised at the amount of time they can spend out in the direct sunlight without burning!
Skin cancers other than those produced by ultraviolet light are actually inhibited to a great extent by the use of carotene. Also, sarcomas and other types of cancers are affected by the use of carotene in the diet. In one study, sarcomas were induced in experimental animals. Half of these animals were given carotene. The group that was given carotene lived over %55 longer than the group not getting the carotene.
The fact that abnormally low levels of vitamin A and carotene were found in over %50 of patients that had cancer also gives evidence that increased amounts of carotene and vitamin A in the diet can protect against cancer formation.
Breaking the Cancer-Sunlight Myth!
An anti-oxidant functions in one of two ways: it prevent free radical formation or it inhibits the free radical once it is formed, thereby preventing damage. Are we getting enough of these valuable vitamins and minerals that protects us from premature aging and the harmful effects of sunlight? If we are eating a highly refined diet or a diet of junk foods and/or foods that are grown inorganically we are probably not getting enough of these specific vitamins and minerals to prevent skin cancer after over exposure to sunlight.
Have you ever wondered why plants can be in the sun all day long and not develop cancer? Well, plants can develop cancer if they are deficient in vitamin A in the form of carotene. Actually, vitamin A is not found in the plant kingdom, but carotene is. Carotene can be broken down in the body to form vitamin A or it can be stored as carotene in the tissues. Large amounts of carotene can be taken orally into the body and stored in the tissues, while vitamin A taken in large doses can be extremely toxic, a well known fact. Recently carotene has been shown to play a major role in preventing free radical damage to the body. This was first discovered by scientist studying plants who found that chlorophyll could undergo free radical formation without resulting damage to the plant tissues! Carotene was found to be the agent in plants that protected them against the free radical attacks. When there was a deficiency of carotene in the plants, cancer result in the plant tissues! So you can see that even plants can develop cancer if they are deficient in theses vital nutrients and minerals!
Dietary Addictions: Take Note!
A very interesting substance found in almost all cells including lymphocytes is called Cyclic Adenosine Mono-phosphate. In medical circles, this long term is shortened appropriately to Cyclic A.M.P. or C.A.M.P. for short. If high levels of C.A.M.P. build up in the lymphocytes they will be unable to function properly and will not be able to fight cancer cells. C.A.M.P. may also suppress other facets in the body's immunal system. This substance is increased in the body under stress and also when such foods as coffee; tea; and chocolate are used in the diet, among other things. These substances block the natural elimination of C.A.M.P. that would normally take place. Therefore, it is wise to eliminate these foods from the diet when allowing sunlight to be increased in the daily routine to avoid the possibility of cancer.
Sun as Friend
In actuality, sunlight in many cases inhibits cancer, rather than causing it! The total cancer deaths of the various American states and Canadian provinces are shown to fall with an increase of available sunlight and as people living in these areas have more sunlight exposure to the skin! Dr. Frank Apperly, the author of one cancer report, says that we may be able to reduce our cancer deaths by inducing a partial or complete immunity by exposure of suitable skin areas to sunlight!
Don't Blame The Sun! & Food For Thought
Thus we must begin to take into consideration that one of the major factors that contributes to and causes skin cancer is not sunlight, but rather sunlight's ability to increase the factors produced by a bad diet! A diet deficient in the proper vitamins and minerals, and high in cholesterol.
Most meats and dairy products are high in cholesterol and fats. These are the major culprits in one's diet if you are trying to avoid skin cancer while still enjoying the sunlight and it's benefits. A sunbather's diet should be void of most animal products for this reason. Also we should avoid an overly large consumption of vegetable fats such as we find on the health food store shelves which are usually rancid. Fresh nuts and seeds; avocados; coconuts; and other whole sources of fats generally also contain great contents of the anti-oxidant vitamins like E, C, and the trace mineral selenium which help to prevent any carcinogenic effects from these natural foods, (if they are fresh).
The greatest preventative measure for those wishing to stay in the sunlight and enjoy its healthful benefits, but who wish to avoid the possibility of skin cancer is the adoption of a diet which consists mainly of "whole" foods or foods in their unprocessed state, still complete. This insures all the bulk; fiber; and vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain healthy tissues and to prevent unhealthy tissue formations. Whenever a food is refined, it is devoid of the basic composition of unique nutrients components for its optimum absorption and utilization. for example, corn as a whole food, on the cob, has bulk,; fiber; vitamin E; carotene; and minerals. But, refined corn oil on the other hand, is virtually a pure chemical! It is a triglyceride robbed of its associated nutrients. In this state, it can easily be eaten in excess! For example, 12-18 ears of corn are used to produce on tablespoon of corn oil! When one eats mainly refined foods, the diet not only contains too much fat, but also contains much less of the vitamins and minerals and the bulk and fiber that are needed each day.
A diet that is high in refined fat is a depleted diet. A depleted diet cannot maintain healthy tissues! The vitamins usually associated with polyunsaturated fats as found in its natural state in the whole food are the very vitamins and minerals that offer striking results in skin cancer prevention!
When the sunlight strikes the skin, it forms a substance called cholesterol alpha-oxide, which is also a free radical and may contribute to skin cancer. The question is how to interfere with free radical formation. The formation of cholesterol alpha oxide formation has been shown to be stopped by the use of carotene; Vitamin E; Vitamin C; and the mineral selenium!
The " Eyes" have It: Hormones, Hormones, and More Hormones
Why is light through the eyes so important? First of all, the exposure of the eyes to sunlight affects our hormones! Sunlight affects the hormonal balance of the body in two major ways. First of all, it stimulates glandular production when light passes through the eye into the brain, …and also by treating production of hormones in the skin itself as with Vitamin D (a hormone). When sunlight enters the eye, it stimulates nerves in the back of the eye to send impulses to the spinal cord. From there, these impulses are sent back into the brain to a tiny organ called the pineal gland. The pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin. This hormone not only affects the brain, but other of the endocrine glands, such as the pituitary; the adrenals; the ovaries/testes. In fact, the pineal gland is a regulator of the whole endocrine system.
Sunlight Lowers Stress!
An individual's tolerance to stress is increased when sunlight is a part of the daily program. The sun not only relaxes, but also strengthens the nervous system as well. Many people have reported common results when using a sunlight program often. These results include an increase in self-confidence; a superior self-image; an ability to handle the stress of daily life better; an elevation of emotional feelings and mood in general; and the ability to sleep and relax much better. Introverts have turned into extroverts; personalities changed dramatically. With this change in basic personality traits came the ability to overcome faulty living habits such as alcoholism and cigarette smoking.
Those that have had experience with the beneficial effects of sunlight say that it not only improves the general health, but that it also stimulates the appetite; gives a feeling of overall well being; and enables one to sleep well at night even after continued bouts with insomnia!
Sunlight seems to have a soothing effect on the stomach and intestines, also. A research report from Russia showed that duodenal ulcers are greatly improved and can be prevented from recurring after sunlight treatments.
Sunlight The Final Frontier – Body-Mind and Soul
So, you see, you have at your disposal, an incredible amount of energy within your atoms and cells to make things happen in your world. With the aid of the sunlight from our sun, you can recharge these microscopic "atomic suns" when you are in low ebbs of energy, especially when biorhythmic lows dictate a necessary recharging and/or regeneration of your basic physical and emotional energy. It has been found that biorhythmic patterns almost identically duplicate the solar flare patterns of our sun. In fact, you can by certain methods, compute your biorhythmic periods through solar sunspot activity in relation to your
birth date.
Rhythm and You's
This science of biorhythmicality has developed consecutively with the sciences of biorhythm and astrophysics, but based almost totally on sun activity without inclusion of any other data! Since this is another article in length at minimum, I will not go into it at this time, but it serves as a stimulus to investigate the rhythmic potentials of understanding the influences of sunlight and solar cycles on the life of the cells of our bodies, and therefore out photobiophysical nature as creatures dependent on the light we assimilate from the sun as well as the food that we eat and the air that we breathe! Hopefully the next time that you look at the sun you will remember this dependence that we have on the rays of the solar orb, and that anyone interested in total and vibrant physical; mental; and emotional health, should add sunlight, pure and simple to their natural diet, for a health that is as radiant and welcome as the Sun. Ball's in your court now!
From Stimulation to Sleep
When melatonin is given, it induces sleep, and will actually change the brain wave patterns of the electroencephalogram! If you wear sunglasses, whether they are tinted or reflective, they will not allow the full spectrum of light to enter the eye, and there will be a lack in the intake optically of the proportion of full spectrum light necessary to nourish the glandular system. For example, a college psychology professor did a test to determine the effect of tinted eyeglass on the behavior of three hundred college students. Three of the students who wore "hot pink" sunglasses were rated generally by all of the faculty of the school as being the most psychologically upset students on the campus!
High Octane! Fuel of The Future: Solar Bodies and Solar Cars (Picture This Okay?)
As you watch the sun rising (or setting) try to imagine that each of the eight octrillion atoms in your body has a nucleus just like this sun as the center of our solo system in space. Visualize each of these nuclei of each atom in your body as a radiating and never ending source of energy just like the sun! Then see the electrons that rotate around this nucleus in each atom as the planets that rotate around that particular sun or atomic nucleus. What you have here is an accurate description of what is a physical fact…namely that your atomic structure is basically a microcosmic solar system. Any reputable physicist will verify this analogy!
Eat with Your Eyes Not Your Mouth
Tomorrow morning, upon arising early, try gazing at the rising sun. In a relaxed and receptive state of mind, there is a greater assimilation of the beneficial aspects of the sun's rays. As you do this, be aware of your heightened mental and emotional and physical state as the sun fills every atom; every electron; and every cell in your body! Feel every tissue filled with the regenerative and healing properties that the sunlight imparts to your body! You will notice an amazing increase in your potential energy and your actual physical stamina and positivity. Be aware of how the sunlight actually cleanses and rebuilds the whole of your being, your mind and thoughts; your feelings; and your physical body, all in one total rejuvenation!
Take a Good Look (for a Good Look!)
Just as we take food through our mouths for physical nourishment, we need to take in full spectrum light to nourish and feed the finer aspects of our endocrine system and this must be done in the open air, free from window glass, sunglass, and other impediments to the proper and full penetration of the sunlight. What we need is a diet of full spectrum, unprocessed, natural sunlight in our bodies! The spectrographic analysis of sunlight reveals that the sun is composed of all of the elements necessary to nourish our body, and as we take it into our organism through our eyes, we are consuming one of the most healthful "meals" that can be obtained! The best time to take in sunlight into the eyes is in the early morning and in the late afternoon, when the possibility of damage is reduced by the atmospheric penetration necessary at that time of day.
Don't Block the Good Stuff!
If you are wearing sunglasses, you are preventing the sunlight and total spectrum of light from entering the eyes and therefore filtering out many areas of this total spectrum of light. This is much like processing your food, where many things that are beneficial are taken out of the food in the process of convenience.
Wasting Away Midst a Sea of Light (or was that Life?)
It might be wise here to mention that you can actually suffer from malillumination the way that you can suffer from malnutrition. That is to say that the visual apparatus serves many functions and one of these is to bring in light as nourishment for the nervous system and the cells. If you are filtering out natural full spectrum light you are "processing" so to speak, the light that is nourishing your body, and therefore are risking the possibility of "light deficiencies."
Toxic Flush Rush
Experiments with various animals show that prior use of sunlight before exposure to poisons; toxins, and general pollution increased the animal's ability to eliminate poisonous materials markedly after such exposures. Quite a few poisonous materials have been tested, including cobalt; lead; mercury; cadmium; manganese; fluoride; benzine; carbon tetrachloride pesticides of all types; and even various polluting dusts as those from quartz and coal.
The animals given sunlight treatments eliminated toxic chemicals of some types 10-20 times as fast as the animals not receiving the sunlight treatments! Lead was removed from the body twice as fast as from those animals receiving sunlight exposure as from those that did not! The ultraviolet light in sunlight seemed to increase the enzymes that metabolize toxic chemicals and help to remove them (toxins). Sunlight not only aids in moving the poisonous materials out of the body, but it also has a wonderful effect on the trace minerals needed by the organism.
Sunlight's effects upon copper; molybdenum; manganese; nickel and other important trace minerals have been studied. For example, copper…Following multiple exposures to sunlight, copper levels in the liver to almost half while tripling in the blood. Copper also increases by about 100% in the bones; heart; skeletal muscles; and other tissues beneficially. Therefore we can deduce from this that sunlight can help us to metabolize and utilize the trace minerals that are necessary in our body.
Singing the Blues ( and reds and Yellows and oranges)
By singling out the use of particular colours, we can affect dramatically the behavior and growth patterns and various physical response of an organism be it plant or animal or human. For example, using the colour red solely for long periods of time we can cause very violent or aggressive or physically stimulating activity in a subject. In plants this colour causes fruition and seed production to be increased. By using the colour blue on the other and of the electromagnetic spectrum, we can induce relaxation and sleep, and in plants, increase the germination processes. It has been found that the melatonin that is produced when sunlight enters the optic pathway via the eyes and then the pineal gland, is an actual cancer preventative!
For example, when the melatonin producing pineal gland is destroyed in animals, they become greatly more prone to develop cancer (malignant melanomas grow larger and metastasize to moreareas of the body). When the pineal gland in humans becomes calcified, it cuts down its production of melatonin. This in turn allows an increase in the production of estrogen, especially in females, which is responsible for an increase in breast cancer. Over 60% of Americans tested had calcified pineal glands when they were over 50 years of age. This is mainly because of a bad diet, high in cholesterol and other "dense" foods and also because of an accumulation of waste products in the body that were not eliminated properly.
Some Creatures Don’t like Sunlight (from viruses to bacteria to vampires): Sunlight & Sterilization
The modern era of sun therapy began with the knowledge that pathogenic bacteria could be destroyed with the use of sunlight. Doctor Neils Flasen successfully used sunlight in the treatment of tuberculosis of the skin, thereby winning the Nobel prize in 1903. The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that has the most effective antibacterial effect is the ultraviolet. In fact, almost every form of bacteria that is detrimental to our health is destroyed by sunlight and ultraviolet light. Anthrax, the plague or coccobacillus, streptococcus, tuberculosis, cholera, staphylococcus, the colon bacillus, and dysentery are all destroyed in varying lengths of time with the use of sunlight.
From the turn of the century, until the 1930's, there was a progressive development in the use of ultraviolet light and sunbathing as the most effective treatment for a number of infectious diseases. In 1938, penicillin was discovered, and the era of antibiotics and other antimicrobial therapy began. To a large extent, the development of antibiotics caused the death of sun therapy. Fortunately, many investigators have kept information flowing on the beneficial effects of sun therapy and though it has been little used, there is much accumulated data on the beneficial effects of sunlight on the human organism. Despite the overwhelming use of antibiotics and drugs to eliminate infections and bacteria, sunlight has maintained credibility as a therapeutic measure of no small significance!
Almost all fungal infections and fungi are destroyed by the use of sunlight and ultraviolet light!
The problem with the exclusive use of drugs and antibiotics to destroy infections and microbial organisms is that the ability of these organisms to develop new and resistant strains is causing alarm in the scientific and medical community. Dr. Stanley Falkow, professor of Microbiology and Genetics at the University of Washington, School of Medicine states,…" All the available current data strongly suggests that perhaps in the nest decade we are going to see serious antibiotic resistance among all groups of medically important pathogens."
Sometimes the "Old Ways" are the Best methods: The Real Germ Warfare!!!
This points to the serious and possibly dangerous limitations inherent in drug and chemical therapy. We should maintain the balance between man and the ever present microbe, but not with methods which prove to be detrimental and ineffective in the long run. For centuries, the sun played the most important role in disease control. People throughout the centuries have intuitively known the importance of sunlight and fresh air in keeping their health and maintaining it as well. Not only are the rays of the sun a potent weapon against germs themselves, but, as we have mentioned before the sun helps to increase the immunal system and to develop preventative and salubrious conditions in general by keeping the body's immunal system most effective.
Germs are present in the air at all times, but sunlight destroys every form of airborne bacteria. There are germs in the water at all times, but sunlight destroys water born bacteria as well. Sunlight purifies sea water to a depth or 12 feet! Bacterial diseases that are transmitted by the water include cholera; typhoid; dysentery; and hepatitis.
The use of sunlight has throughout centuries been sufficient to purify the water systems. But with the crowding of urban areas it has become necessary not to use chlorination as much as the active antibacterial action of sunlight as ultraviolet light to destroy water born bacteria and produce a clean water supply without increasing the already chemical saturated levels of our water and foods.
Solar Pollution Solutions
Sunlight is also very important in helping to eliminate the characteristic problems from the over abundance of pollution that we all face every day.
Our air; water; and food are contaminated from the pesticides; heavy metals; and various other chemicals that are proliferated these days and since our bodies need to eliminate the poisonous elements as quickly as possible (because their presence will cause further damage) we must use every available natural method to aid in the eliminative processes. Sunlight has the specific ability to speed up the metabolism. Decontamination and elimination of the toxic agents in our atmosphere is increased through the exposure to sunlight of the human body.
Proper Dosages: Please Read The Labels!
The amount of sunlight receives appears to be very important in this consideration. Too much sunlight, an amount which will cause burning, may be as ineffective as no sunlight at all! The optimal amount necessary to eliminate poisonous materials is that quantity that occurs just before burning.
