After years of dire warnings in regards to sun exposure, there are increasing reports coming from the scientific community that sunshine is really very good for us. The Vitamin D Council has been publishing some tremendously exciting information about the sunshine vitamin and its benefit for fighting infection, cancer and depression. It appears that the zealous use of sun blocks is a factor in vitamin D deficiency. Also old people and the mentally ill don't go out much and thus are frequently seriously lacking this essential vitamin. Just getting people outside in the sun can be extremely therapeutic.
And how nice was to have a really excellent reason to bask in the spring sunshine over the weekend! I took several long walks in the woods and enjoyed sitting out on the deck reading Anne Lamott's latest book. I also drove my Jeep up a rocky cow path (now that was cool!), parked and hiked with the Hubster through a swampy woods to check out a heron rookery. He said he's counted seventy nests in the area. We must have seen thirty nesting great blue herons. It was a thrilling sight. We walked back to the car through a field thinking it would be easier going than the swampy woods but the field was marshy too. Still it was a wonderful outing. And we got a big dose of vitamin D.
I do still use sun screen if I'm at risk of getting seriously sunburned, like when I went for a three hour afternoon sail on Lake Michigan last summer. But I now avoid using moisturizer and any makeup with sun screen, so I can soak up all the beneficial rays I can on a daily basis.
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