We all believe that sunscreen, especially the high SPF30 lotions, protects our skin from cancer. Discover some of the natural alternatives to sunscreen and why you don’t need to buy fake tanning lotions. Should we stay out of the sun, or embrace the rays? Discover the answer to these important questions and the connection between the fat we eat and sun light.
I used to think I needed to heavily protect myself with sunscreen year round, because of fear of aging faster or getting skin cancer. I’ve learned since, when your body is truly healthy on the inside, the sun’s rays will not effect your health in the same way.
One day it occurred to me that being out in the sun is natural, my body craves the warmth of the sun. It just feels good and can be healing for the body. This has been true for me personally since healing from severe adrenal fatigue one summer.
The sun provides vitamin D, which many of us are highly deficient in. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin with can only be absorbed in the body by eating high quality saturated fat. Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to diseases such as heart disease, cancer and chronic fatigue, to name a few.
Most people who get burned by the sun or develop skin cancer because of the way they eat not because of the sun. Ray Peat’s research says that its because of the high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids people are eating. Processed foods and fried foods contain a high amount of PUFAs. These are veggie oils like soybean oil and canola oil and are extremely unstable. This instability causes damage to the skin when you add sun.
You ever noticed you people who drink alcohol on the beach always get burned? That’s because alcohol contains a high percentage of PUFAs. These fats can create free radicals in the body when oxidized.
The best way to avoid sunburn in the summer is to significantly reduce or eliminate all together your intake of toxic foods and drinks. Stick with high quality organic foods and saturated fats and drink lots of high quality water with a few pinches of white sea salt.
While you can’t eliminate PUFAs all together you can significantly lower your intake percentage by avoiding, nuts, seeds, veggie oils, and raw dark green leafy veggies. Saturated fats are actually protective against the negative effects of PUFAs.
Gradually build up exposure time depending on how sensitive your skin is to the sun. Use an organic sunscreen without out parabens and other harsh chemicals – http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/. I recommend Badgers.
A great natural alternative to sunscreen, which I’ve tried myself, is organic coconut oil. It acts as a natural sunscreen that protects your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Coconut oil is by far my top choice and it’s great for your skin too.
The bottom line is, we need sun exposure coupled with a healthy saturated fat intake, in order to absorb vitamin D. Consider how healthy you are from the inside out, instead of the outside in.
References:
Weston A. Price
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