Let There Be (Smart Decisions about) Light! Part 3
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Summary:
Anyone can use sunshine for better health outcomes if it’s done in a smart, deliberate manner.
One must determine how to get the right amount of sun exposure based on: skin type, location, and time of year.
General recommendations for getting the right amount of sunlight in a typical day, and how to work up to getting more!
Today’s post about light will focus on how to use sunlight responsibly for optimal health by prepping your body and skin ahead of time. I know you’ve probably heard some terrible advice out there about “a safe tan is no tan” or articles about how to get no sun during the summer. I fundamentally disagree with this type of advice, unless you have extenuating circumstances, a medical condition, or on medication that prevents you from getting safe sunlight or can cause you to have an allergic reaction to the sun. This article does not cover strategies for folks like that, this article will cover strategies for those that can safely obtain sunlight to optimize their health. Up until recently, humans lived and existed out in the sun and thrived! One could argue that sunlight is THE most important nutrient that modern people are lacking in their wellness journey. Well, today we’ll discuss how to smartly get sun, and a general look at how you could get more sun throughout your day. Ok, onto the info!
Getting Sun Based on Time and Location: If you live in the Northern Hemisphere right now, you will know that spring is here! That means warmer, longer days, and for many of us, opportunities to make Vitamin D are finally back! Here in Colorado Springs, we’ve been able to take advantage of the UVB to make Vitamin D since January. If you’re wondering, “How do I know if I can get Vitamin D where I live?” then let me tell you about this free app called Dminder. Download it, plug in your location and what your Fitzpatrick Skin Type is (more on that below), then the app will let you know the status of the sun and Vitamin D opportunities available to you. Here’s a picture of what it looks like for me during a typical spring day in Colorado:
There are other apps that can tell you this info, like Circadian Life, but I like the Dminder app because it’s not fussy, it’s free, and very easy to use!
Getting Sun Based on Skin Type: As mentioned above, an important piece of data to know about yourself when it comes to Vitamin D and the sun is your Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST): “The Fitzpatrick skin type (or phototype) describes a way to classify the skin by its reaction to exposure to sunlight.” (1) Essentially, each skin type is based on what color your skin is naturally, and how easily you burn and/or tan when exposed to UV radiation. If you’re a lighter FST like a Type I or II, then you have less melanin in your skin, and thus you more easily burn and don’t need as much solar radiation exposure to make a lot of Vitamin D. Those with a darker FST (III – V) are basically the opposite: they have more melanin in their skin (and also in their eyes and hair, but not always), and need more solar radiation to make more Vitamin D because their skin is much more tolerant of solar exposure.
As an example, I’m more of a FST II, so I have to be careful with my sun exposure until I build up adequate time in the sun! Melanin in your skin is what helps you to get a tan, and a tan can actually be protective when developed the right way: “Melanin is a term used to describe a large group of related molecules responsible for many biological functions, including pigmentation of skin and hair and photoprotection of skin and eye.” (2) Now that we’ve figured out skin type, we need to find out about UVB exposure and when that starts for you!
Getting Sun Matters Regardless of Time: Using the Dminder app or similar app, look up to see what the solar radiation exposure opportunities are in your specific area. As stated above, we’ve had opportunities in the Springs for Vitamin D since January! In other locations, like northern Michigan, Vitamin D opportunities didn’t start until February. As a side note: regardless of when Vitamin D opportunities start to occur, you should still strive to get adequate sunlight exposure signaling to your face and eyes. Then, once the sun starts to rise to 30 degrees+ above the horizon, it’s time to make an effort to get sun exposure during UVB. Start as early in the season as possible, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time and it’s still chilly outside. As it warms up, try to get more skin exposed! Remember that while getting good sun signaling in your eyes is important, getting exposure on your skin is very important for Vitamin D production. So how should you start and what would that look like in a general sense?: Start with sunrise, then mid morning, then midday, then sunset. To make it easier to visualize, here’s a neat graph showing the various types of light available to you from sunrise to sunset:
Graphic sourced from: https://www.evergreen-life.co.uk/health-wellbeing-library/natural-light-health-benefits/
Getting Sun in a Typical Day: Here’s a generalized list of what specific actions you can take depending on when you go outside in the sun. Please note these are GENERAL guidelines, and will be different based on the various factors discussed before:
Sunrise: start with at least 5 minutes of watching the sunrise, longer if possible, especially if you’re trying to use the sun to optimize and get your circadian rhythms on track. Some folks recommend at least 30 minutes if you’re using the sun for more extensive improvements or healing purposes.
Please remember to not use sunglasses and to go outside (or at least crack open a window) to face east when you look towards sunrise. Also, doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy or rainy, you’re still getting the appropriate signaling to your body at that time.
Mid-morning: at least 5-10 minutes, longer if possible.
Make sure it’s before the sun rises 30 degrees above the horizon, while you’re still in that sweet spot of getting more reddish light instead of blue (the Dminder app should tell you when the sun is above or below 30 deg).
Lots of great visible light and IR light, and maybe some UVA at this point!
Mid-day: start with 5-10 minutes, then slowly work up to more over time.
Oh yeah, time for some Vitamin D, baby! Remember, in order to make Vitamin D, you need to have your skin exposed, UVB must be available (sun over 30 degrees), you need to be eating healthy fats/cholesterol, and your gut microbiome needs to be in good shape.
If you’re just starting out, and again depending on your skin type, you need to be smart and careful about how much sun you get during UVB time. Don’t be like the typical Westerner, where you avoid the sun like the plague, then go outside on a nice weekend and sit outside at midday and turn lobster red. That is NOT a good example of how to get sun!
Mid-afternoon: similar to midmorning, go outside for another 5-10 minutes.
Head outside, take a short walk, take some deep breaths and try to relax a bit! It’ll help with stress levels too. UVB might still be available depending on where you live, right now I have access to UVB until 5pm.
If you’re still limiting your UVB and already got about 5-10 minutes from your midday dose, then just getting outside and sitting in the shade would be great. You’re still getting a lot of signaling and some photons, and it’s always great to get outside for a few minutes :) .
Sunset: 5-10 minutes (but not as important as the other sun breaks).
Getting to watch the sunset is another great opportunity to get more light signaling, and some more IR/red/purple light. But if you’ve got evening plans or you’re busy taking care of the family and miss the sunset, no big deal! From what Dr Jack Kruse and others have said, sunrise is more important to watch then sunset, so if you have to prioritize, then choose sunrise!
I’ll be honest, I miss sunset a lot, but I haven’t missed a sunrise in months...I crave getting morning light way more than sunset, and normally I can’t see much of it due to the mountains getting in the way haha.
Don’t forget to slap on some blue blockers once the sun goes down! Especially if you’re watching TV, on your phone, or on your laptop. You don’t want your precious melatonin to degrade or not start signaling when it should!
For me, as a Fitzpatrick skin type II, I started with 5-10 minutes of UVB exposure as soon as UVB was available for me here in Colorado Springs back in January...but that’s also because I’ve been doing the sunrise and midmorning sun exposure too! I’ve been slowly increasing my UVB sun exposure over past couple months, and recently I was able to be outside during morning to midday UVB for over 2 hours (fun hike out at Castle Rock, CO) and only got slightly pink! But, and I can’t keep emphasizing this enough: I’ve been working on my sun exposure since January, and I never miss a sunrise.
Next week, I’ll continue this article in a part 4 by examining some additional scenarios pertaining to work/commuting, traveling for work, and going on vacation, and how you can get some optimal light signaling and photons no matter what you’re doing and where you’re at. Hopefully the info provided above will help you feel better about getting some sunshine in your life (and on your skin!) and make some changes both now and into the future to optimize your health and vitality! Thanks for stopping by my blog, and if you know you want health coaching to help you achieve your goals, then apply to work with me! Click the Apply Now button at the top of the page, answer the questions, then I will get back to you within 48 hours to see if we’re a good fit!
References:
Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype https://dermnetnz.org/topics/skin-phototype
Biochemistry, Melanin https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459156/
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