Sunshine means Vitamin D – good for health in measured dose

#VitaminD #sunshine #melanoma #skincancer #health Research has found that sunlight in measured dose is good for health because of the amount of Vitamin D in it. This is because Vitamin D is available in only a few foods like fatty fish and mushrooms. Hence, sunlight is important for our health because we get most of Vitamin D from sunlight. This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 February 2015.
Insufficient exposure to the sun, or pigmentation of the skin (which diminishes the production of vitamin D precursors), usually gives rise to low levels of Vitamin D.
Of course, one needs to ensure that excess may be harmful because of the presence of the UV rays. Sunlight consists of two types of solar radiation UVA and UVB. The former results in reddening and burning of the skin, while the latter increases the production of an inactive form or precursor of vitamin D by the skin. This, in turn, is activated by the liver and kidneys.
Moreover, both UVA and UVB increase the risk of skin cancer. This could take the form of the most deadly type of cancer called melanoma.
Hence, one must invariably take a balanced approach to sunlight exposure.
Incidentally, deficiency of vitamin D deficiency could give rise to complications like low bone density, broken bones due to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer with fears of premature death.

A few simple ways to keep fit

#coconutoil #healthbenefit #lifestyle #VitaminD #ghrelin #leptin In today’s world, all of us want to keep fighting fit and towards this end, we go in for diet restrictions, exercises apart from changes in lifestyles. Health occupies a large portion of our activities, whether we admit it or not. And – all of us want to live our lives free from health complications – as far as possible. The medical profession is a noble one, no doubt, but the general tendency is to avoid doctors as far as possible unless the situation is a complicated one.
Go out minus sunglasses – this is one way to keep fit. In the opinion of Dr Kathleen Wills, a holistic practitioner with an American doctorate degree in Integrative Medicine, just 10 to 15 minutes in the sun with your sunglasses off every day can give you tremendous health benefits. Exposure to the rays of the sun means better absorption. This, in turn, increases intake of Vitamin D and helps to boost the mood and immunity apart from maintaining strong bones, and reducing the risk of cancer and other inflammatory diseases.
Break monotony and take a walk – continuous work is not good for health and, hence, forcible breaks are important. The break, even for five minutes, helps you to come out of the sedentary position, simultaneously increasing blood flow so that more nutrients and oxygen can enter your body and improve lymphatic and venous return of used blood. Moreover, the movement helps to keep the joints lubricated which maintains the health of the joints and improves mobility.
Enjoy a good night’s sleep – it is believed that less than 7-and-a-half hours sleep can lead to weight gain over a period of time because of its reaction on two important hormones namely ghrelin and leptin.
Ghrelin is known as the 'start eating' hormone – this tells you when it is time to eat. And, once one is starved of sleep, it means more ghrelin which can increase appetite by up to 25 per cent. Leptin, on the other hand, is called the 'stop eating' hormone – it causes you to feel full and, once one is not getting adequate sleep, this reduces. And - more of ghrelin coupled with less leptin translates into weight gain.
Go in for coconuts – change cooking medium to coconut oil since it boosts energy without causing spikes in blood sugar levels and also has strong antiviral, bacterial and anti-fungal properties. A study carried out by Garvan Insitute in Australia has revealed that a diet rich in coconut oil protects against 'insulin resistance' and accumulation of body fat caused by other high fat diets.