Sunlight, it seems, may have the ability to help protect us from a number of internal cancers. According to researchers, it is essential to our bodies' production of vitamin D (food provides some vitamin D, but up to 90 percent comes from exposure to sunlight). The research claims that vitamin D production in the skin can decrease the risk of several cancers, and women stand to benefit big time. Stanford University cancer specialists measured 4,000 women, aged 35 to 79 - half of them diagnosed with breast cancer - for the effects of long-term sun exposure. The results, they said, "support the idea that sunlight exposure reduces risk of advanced breast cancer among women with light skin pigmentation.''
Of course, we don't want to broil ourselves - skin cancer is still a valid concern. So how much sunlight do we need in order to get enough vitamin D? Based on these latest studies, experts now recommend a minimum of 1,000 units of vitamin D per day. We can scrounge up about 600 from food and supplements. But we can easily get 1,000 units of vitamin D in one shot by spending just 10 minutes out in the midday sun with arms and face exposed. And don't let clouds discourage you! The rays that your body needs for vitamin D production will still find their way through to your skin.
Just that little pinch of fresh air and sunshine can make us feel so much better throughout the day - and it also helps us rest easier at night. I know that I need to spend time outdoors in order to shake the stress that causes a restless night's sleep.
But getting outside, even for a few minutes, is often easier said than done. There's always so much to do that spending time outside often falls by the wayside. Well, it doesn't have to be so.
A great way to make our "vitamin D break" a priority - and a habit - is to actually pencil it into our daily schedules. Slip 10 minutes of sunshine in just after you finish the morning's e-mails - or chat with a friend in the parking lot before you head out to lunch. Better yet, get in the habit of hanging your laundry outside to dry.
Another way to maximize your outside time is to take "portable" tasks out the door. The beauty of newfangled technological devices is that they travel with you, so tote your cell, BlackBerry or laptop out to a picnic table and get your sun while you work. For those days when you just can't find time to get outdoors, bask beside a window when the sun is shining through.
It's simple: Sunshine is good for the body and good for the spirit. So go on outside and claim yours!
MaryJane Butters, a Utah native who now lives in northern Idaho, is an organic lifestyle expert. Write to her care of United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or e-mail everydayorganic@maryjanes farm.org.
