Despite common fears sunshine is a good thing when taken in moderation. Vitamin D is produced by our skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight. For centuries doctors and natural healers relied on medical treatment by sunlight, called Heliotherapy, to help heal many common illnesses. Scientific research shows sunshine to be an effective treatment for rickets, osteoporosis, acne, eczema, psoriasis, neonatal jaundice, and depression. Solar energy has been found to prolong the life of people who have the most common forms of cancer. Vitamin D also helps our body better absorb bone-strengthening calcium.

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D and we would have to consume 10 glasses of vitamin D fortified orange juice a day or eat salmon 3-5 times a week in order to get the vitamin D our system requires. Or we can just walk outside, breathe in the sunshine and enjoy our most natural source of vitamin D - sunlight! It is important to note that tanning is not what we mean by breathing in the sun - only 5 minutes of exposure a day is enough. Plus it’s free!

Optimize your vitamin D production:

• Because they cannot penetrate glass, sitting by a sunny window or in a car will not expose you to the healing sun rays which generate vitamin D. 
• People with dark pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times more exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. 
• Even weak sunscreen (SPF 8) inhibits your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. When you go outside for your daily dose of vitamin D apply sun protection after a few minutes. 
• The kidneys and liver convert vitamin D to a form that can be used by the body. Kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body’s ability to activate vitamin D. Take care of your kidneys and liver because vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body.
• Adequate storage levels of vitamin D help keep bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in people who have difficulty walking and exercising, and in older adults including post-menopausal women. 
• Vitamin D is fat soluble, meaning it is stored in the body’s fatty tissues where it acts as a “sunshine battery” for use during winter’s darker days. That's why it is important to safely breathe in as much as sunshine and vitamin D as you can during sunny days of summer.
• The safest way to benefit from the healing powers of sunlight is to build your exposure slowly throughout the year and to avoid intense exposures. Try to enjoy the benefits of sunshine and vitamin D during less harmful hours of the day. Especially if you are fair skinned, you may need to wear protective clothing, avoid sun exposure during peak hours and use sunscreen. 
• Sun protection is a must for areas that have already been damaged such as your face, neck, shoulders, and hands. Instead, you can expose undamaged areas of skin such as your legs, abdomen and back in order to obtain the health benefits of this radiant energy.