We all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays. After all, who wants leathery skin and wrinkles earlier? Oh, and there’s the risk of skin cancer also. But did you know that not getting enough sunlight is just as harmful? …. I KNOW, RIGHT?!
Vitamin D and its sources
Basically, Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones that aids our body in absorbing calcium thereby strengthening our bones. According to studies lack of Vitamin D can result in:
- breast cancer
- colorectal cancer
- rickets
- heart disease
- autoimmune diseases (ie. multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, etc.)
The question now is, how exactly do we get Vitamin D and how much of it do we really need? Well, acccording to several studies, we need anywhere from 200 IU (International Unit) to 1000 IU. Though the suggestions vary, there is one major consensus: many lack sufficient amounts of Vitamin D to ward off health risks associated with Vitamin D deficiency.
Naturally, we first think of the sun as a source of Vitamin D. However, Vitamin D is also present in some foods:
- Cod liver oil
- Fatty fish (salmon, herring, tuna, eel…mmMMm UNAGI!)
- eggs
- liver
- radiated mushrooms (whaa?? mushrooms can be radiated?)
If you find none of those appealing, then you can take Vitamin D supplements which are widely available. As far as sun exposure goes those with lighter skin need at least 15 minutes per day while those with much darker skin should get 1 hour without SPF. To keep on the safe side, try to avoid getting your sunlight from 11-4 pm during which the sun is at its strongest. This, of course, changes during the winter time with shorter days and daylight savings time (which I absolutely dread!).
-Mary
I guess I wear short shorts!
As mentioned in my previous post, I have recently taken up hot yoga to spice up my fitness routine because god knows I’m still lugging around all those cheeseburgers from exam time last term. TMI!
Bikram or Hot Yoga is set in a studio heated up to at least 40 ° C which converts to about 100 ° F. Yeah, it’s like working out in a sauna room so you can imagine just how much one can sweat after a 60 minute or even a 75 minute session! I get really bothered by pants sticking to my legs, so I caved in and bought these shorts from Lululemon, a Canadian brand that makes wicked athletic wear for yoga, among other things.
One word: LOVE. I initially bought their Hot Hot Short created specifically for use in Hot Yoga classes, but I really don’t want to wear glorified undies to class, thank you very much.
What I like about their products is that they are just so versatile — you can work out in ‘em and go for coffee afterward and still look well put together!
source
Okay, this one’s a no-brainer: We all want clearer, brighter, glowing skin. Am I right or am I right? We’re willing to part with our cash in order to buy the latest creams and specialized serums; make expensive appointments for facials and peels, but did you know that you can get clearer skin with exercise?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before: you are scared of any type of physical exertion that goes beyond walking in your heels, or the idea of sweating up buckets is as glamorous as, well, sweating up buckets. But, exercise is truly amazing for the skin! I myself run and, only recently, have also taken up Hot/Bikram Yoga and all that sweating (yum!) has helped my skin stay clear. Well, I do get that occasional pimple smack dab in between my eyebrows. I very rarely get pimples, but when I get them, they’re of the in-YO-face kind. Sheesh!
Circulation is the flow of your blood around your body. Blood circulates around your body carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells and removing waste products. Without blood flow, your cells die… Poor circulation restricts the blood and oxygen flow and thus reduces the nutrients your skin is getting and increases the risk of breakouts.
Makes perfect sense right? Think of the effects of hot steam on your face — the oil glands deep in your pores become active and release all the toxins from your skin, thus making the extraction of such things as black heads and pimples all the easier. On top of the cleansing effect on your skin, exercise can boost the skin’s radiance by improving your blood circulation, as mentioned above.
Here are some more benefits of exercise:
Continue…
