Soak up in the sun for mood and metabolism
Despite the menacing free radicals, causing our skin to age fast and wrinkles to show up like an unwanted guest, soaking up in the sun for just 20 minutes has many positive sides. For example, it’s beneficial for good mood. Aside from the pleasure of our skin being caressed by the warm rays it is also critical to regulate the circadian rhythm. Have you ever watched the movie Insomnia? As soon as the main character (played by Al Pacino) moves to Alaska, where, for many months, the sun never sets, his circadian rhythm goes haywire.
Our body knows that daylight, after darkness, means jumping off the bed and living the day. It’s part of the body's natural clock. The light/dark dynamic is critical for your pineal gland to naturally regulate the production of the hormone that affects sleeping: melatonin. Yes! This dietary supplement which you can easily find on the shelves of pharmacies and grocery stores is a synthetic version of a hormone that the brain produces naturally.
Day light is critical to the production of sleep regulating hormone melatonin.
What is circadian rhythm and how does it affect our body?
Circadian rhythm is our own natural body clock and it is controlled by what sleep experts call the circadian pacemaker located in the brain pineal gland. It is greatly affected by light and more so by exposure to natural sunlight. It works in a very simple way: as the light reaches the retina it sends a signal to the brain that it is time to wake up and it activates all the organs.
While dark triggers the brain production of melatonin, exposure to sunlight causes the brain to the release another hormone which is more commonly associated with a sense of happiness, calm and also focus: serotonin. That’s why during the winter season, the lack of sunlight, can cause what is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or seasonal depression which can be solved with red light therapy.
When we are exposed to natural light our body automatically synchronizes to the natural rhythm of the sunrise/sunset, but, since we are often exposed to artificial light, we often face sleep deprivation. Furthermore, watching TV or other screens two hours before sleeping is going to create a vicious cycle, which can affect mood and overall health.
When our day/night schedule is misaligned because of lack of natural light and too much artificial light our whole body suffers: we start gaining weight because we crave more sugar, our metabolism slows down and our mood gets deeply affected. We feel more irritable and more lethargic.
With all this in mind, aside from the fresh air, I never miss a chance to go outdoors, at least for 20 minutes, and get some sun (with my cap and SPF 40 on). It completely changes my mood and sets the tone for the rest of the day.
If you have trouble falling asleep you can try doing some meditation which can rebalance your brain or drink an herbal tea like chamomile or a calming latte with ashawgandha, cocoa and reishi.
Try it and let us know what you think!
