We have been waiting impatiently for months… The sun is indeed back for our greatest happiness. As soon as the first rays appear, the parks, beaches and restaurant terraces fill up because from the first minutes of exposure, you feel better. Why ? Because the sun is the source of many benefits, provided you adopt the right gestures. So why deprive yourself of it?
Why is the sun good for morale?
No need to read scientific studies to know that the sun is good for morale. We all know this feeling of happiness when we have spent a day outdoors, in the sun, for a meal, a sports session, a walk or a sunbathing session on the beach. However, the sun has other benefits for our health and morale:
- The sun limits nibbling:this is a little-known virtue of the sun. However, sunlight affects the production of serotonin and dopamine, responsible for our mood and our pleasure. When we are in lack of sun, especially in winter, our morale is in our socks and we tend to snack to compensate. With regular sun exposure, our mood is lifted, and our snacking reflexes diminish.
- The sun helps restore quality sleep:sunlight promotes the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. This hormone makes it easier to fall asleep. It is advisable to focus on exposure at the beginning of the day for the effects to be even more effective.
- The sun is a source of vitamin D:if this vitamin is present in certain foods such as fatty fish, cod liver oil, dark chocolate, milk or eggs, the sun allows our body to metabolize vitamin D. In fact, it is the skin that synthesizes the vitamin thanks to UVB rays. Vitamin D is essential because it allows us to fix calcium and phosphorus to strengthen the bones.
- The sun is good for morale:the link between lack of light and seasonal depression is well established. In people with depression, the level of this serotonin, the mood hormone, is usually not very high. Daylight boosts serotonin production and can ease the blues.
Light therapy to counter seasonal depression
Are you feeling tired? Anguish ? Is your morale low? Maybe you suffer from seasonal depression, partly due to the lack of natural light. To compensate for the lack of sun, especially in winter, people suffering from depression can use medical light therapy. To do this, simply expose yourself to the light therapy lamp for about thirty minutes as soon as you wake up.
Sun:our advice for safe exposure
If natural light is essential for our physical and moral health, exposure to the sun is not without danger. In order to enjoy all the benefits of the sun in the best conditions, you must take a few precautions:
- Avoid exposure during the hottest hours (between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.). In the morning and in the evening, the sun is less harmful because the UV rays are less powerful.
- Remember to hydrate yourself as often as possible. Consume foods full of water such as cucumber, tomato, lettuce or watermelon.
- Protect yourself from UV rays with clothing, a hat or cap, sunglasses.
- Apply sunscreen regularly all over your body and face. This operation must be repeated after each swim.
- Do not expose children under 3 to direct sunlight.
What are the risks if we abuse the sun?
Overexposure to the sun causes many inconveniences, sometimes very serious. Here are the risks you expose yourself to by basking in the sun without protection:
- Premature skin aging:appearance of wrinkles and brown spots.
- Sunburn:the burn can be 1st or 2nd degree.
- Sunstroke:headache, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, malaise.
- Skin cancer:frequent and prolonged exposure without protection can cause skin cancer.
The sun can be both our best friend and our worst enemy. To derive only the benefits, good exposure practices must be respected and not abused. Know that good protection will not prevent you from tanning. So enjoy the sun (in moderation) for the good of your physical and moral health.
