Defy Age Naturally

At the moment I am in California, where I am happy to be getting plenty of sun. But I have spent these last years in England where I feel sun deprived every winter. More and more we are hearing about the dangers of vitamin D deficiency, a vitamin necessary for preventing cancer and disease.

I know that I feel better when I am in the sun, but what about when it isn’t possible. What about all of those people around the world who simply cannot enjoy regular sunshine?

For years we have been hearing about the dangers of too much sun, but research is mounting that short amounts of sunshine is extremely beneficial to our health and wellbeing. For many people across the globe, wintertime means a lack of sunshine, resulting in various symptoms from pasty white skin, a low mood, and even increased risk of cancer from vitamin D deficiency. But are tanning beds the answer to wintertime gloom?

The tanning salon is certainly a cure for pasty white skin, although some might say the tan is slightly orangey. But do tanning beds nourish us with the vital, health giving properties of the sun? The answer is no, tanning beds do not offer us the same benefits as the sunlight.

The sun and tanning beds both emit UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are longer and pierce deep inside the skin to the very deepest layers. UVB rays on the other hand are short, and therefore reach only the superficial layers of skin. Both types are associated with the premature aging and skin cancer that we have been hearing about and trying to protect ourselves from. However, the UVB are the healing rays that activate the vitamin D production in the body. 20 minutes per day in bright sunshine offers enough UVB to avoid vitamin D deficiency and all associated health risks.

On the other hand, tanning beds emit 95% UVA rays because these rays are more likely to tan the skin rather than burn the skin, hence the orange tan. Further, the UVA rays that are emitted from tanning salons are two to three times more powerful than the UVA rays which occur naturally from the sun. A recent study discovered that tanning beds caused severe DNA damage in skin cells. According to the Center for Disease Control, tanning beds also cause eye damage including retinal damage and corneal infections.
The sun is actually the source of all life on the planet rather than a manmade machine. While too much of it is known to cause problems, it is essential for more than a day at the beach. It provides the body with the Vitamin D, which is necessary for growing healthy teeth and bones and for maintaining a healthy immune system. The sun is vital for humans to feel good and thrive. Tanning beds do not offer any of the benefits, and should be avoided by everyone who desires optimum health.

So what to do? For those people who are not able to enjoy the sun this winter, you might want to consider

a… taking a holiday

b…. taking a vitamin D supplement

Make sure you get outside when the sun is out and avoid sunglasses!

There has been a lot of research on the positive effects of music on the mind. It has been scientifically proven to calm the mind and offer a whole range of benefits to those who listen with the intention of listening to it for healing. It has also been shown to ease pain in those with fibromyalgia and arthritis.

I am obsessed with listening to music. I have been travelling in Asia for the last few months and have had some issues with my music. I lost my ipod and then got an mp3 player which broke. I finally got internet access and am back to my music craze.

I wrote recently about my experience with ibogaine and how my mind is far more silent than ever. I have been listening to internet music, and am happy to say that the combination of my silent mind and music is a good one.

At the moment, my favorite song is Black Tables by Other Lives. I am finding so much joy in Other Lives’ music that I am sure that my spirit is getting younger and younger.

Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ssd6ScO638