As winter engulfs the northern hemisphere we can't wait to get back to Costa Rica, to our winter retreat in the sun! Many ancient traditions valued the healing power of the sun. Like all powers, the sun can heal or harm.
We've become a little paranoid about the sun but modern science is beginning to discover how moderate amounts of sun help prevent heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases as well as contribute to health in so many ways. Researchers have shown that when the skin is exposed to the sun's rays a compound, nitric oxide, is released in our blood vessels that helps lower blood pressure. The benefits of reducing blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke, far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer. Heart disease and stroke linked to high blood pressure are estimated to lead to around 80 times more deaths than those from skin cancer.
Many other forms of cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer may be preventable with optimum vitamin D levels. The further we live from the equator, the more prevalent cancer becomes. Many sunscreen themselves have been discovered to contain carcinogenic and other toxic ingredients. Some also block only the beneficial UVB rays that cause our body to produce vitamin D and allow the the more harmful UVA rays to penetrate. Everyone has heard about how vitamin D builds strong bones. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin but a sun hormone, a chemical we make on our skin from sun exposure that is essential for every cell in our body. In the winter, if you are living in latitudes north of Atlanta, it is impossible to make enough Vitamin D from sunshine, not enough of the sun's UVB rays penetrate the atmosphere. Vitamin D plays a part in regulating immunity, metabolism, mood, hormones, intestinal flora, and much more...
Vitamin D can be stored in the blood for several weeks and in the fat tissue for several months.
Come visit us this winter and stock up!