I didn’t get burned on some business deal or by a friend or family member who owed me money. No, instead I really got burnt!
You see spring is officially here but Mother Nature isn’t necessarily cooperating just yet with delivering warm and beautiful days.
However, despite the cold weather lingering around please don’t underestimate the power of the sun and get burnt like I did. I certainly want you to get out and soak up some Vitamin D but do so cautiously.
After 3 weeks of weather related delays my older son and I were able to start our soccer seasons this past weekend (yes I am still a big kid who plays what I so fondly call “old man” soccer on Sundays).
This past cold and windy Sunday, between playing my soccer game and coaching my son’s soccer team, I spent 5 hours outside. Now it was a balmy 40 some degrees and the wind was whipping so the last thing on my mind was getting sunburn.
Well after those 5 chilly hours spent outdoors I made my way home, took a seat to take inventory of my aches and pains from playing my first game of the season and then IT hit me. I could feel my face throbbing! I took a look in the mirror and my face was as red as a tomato. As the night went on my face got redder and by the next morning my face was beat red, sensitive to the touch and my right eye was swollen (that was the side that got the most sun.).
I got fried on a cold windy day at the end of March!
So for those of you that I saw in the office over the past week no I didn’t go on vacation as many of you had asked. I wish I had a better story. But who would have thought that on a cold, windy day you could get burnt to a crisp. Not this guy!
Please take my advice and don’t get burned like I did. My pale, winterized and sensitive skin got an unwanted mega dose of Vitamin Din a short period of time. I don’t recommend it!
As spring slowly comes rolling in and the sun is out doing its thing be sure to ease your way into the season.
If you are like me then you probably spent most of the winter indoors or covered up when you were outdoors. If this is the case then your skin has not been exposed to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. As a result your skin gets a little lighter (much lighter in my case) because the sun light has not been stimulating the melanin in your skin to darken it up. It’s the darkening of your skin from cells called melanocytes which produce melanin that helps to protect your skin from getting too much ultraviolet radiation.
Because your skin hasn’t been exposed to the sun all winter you have a higher likely hood of burning if you’re not careful, like me, with little sun exposure.
Enjoy the sun safely
To help you safely get the necessary vitamin d and avoid burning here are a few tips for enjoying the early season sun:
- Get outdoors and only expose your skin to short periods of direct sun exposure (10-15 mins. on avg. if you are fair skinned and longer if you are darker skinned) in the beginning without burning.
- Have jackets, hats, pants, sunglasses etc. readily available to provide cover for your skin.
- Keep sun screen with you at all times to help avoid burning. It’s wise to get a little direct sun exposure without burning but like anything in life too much of a good thing can become bad.
- Have your vitamin D levels checked early in the season. Keeping your blood levels of Vitamin D between the 50-80 ng/ml level will help provide protection against sun damage. Not to mention all of the other benefits of adequate vitamin d levels like better immune system function, less muscle aches/pains, stronger bones, decreased risk of heart disease, improved mental sharpness, protection against certain cancers and the list goes on. If you have not had your vitamin d checked recently let me know and I can help you get the necessary blood work ordered.
- Supplement with a good quality vitamin d at the right dose if your levels are low. Here’s a short video I previously shared discussing supplement quality and dosing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYf-Td23Of8 .
If you are well below the minimal lab limit of 30 ng/ml then you should consider using a good quality vitamin D supplement to boost your levels into the target range. Most times using the minimal amount suggested on the bottle will not get you into the target range. You will likely have to use higher dosing and monitor your blood levels. Be sure to do this under the guidance of a trained practitioner to ensure that you are not taking too much. Again too much of a good thing can become bad. Let me know and I can assist you with your dosing based off of your labs.
For more information about the importance of vitamin d be sure to check out this video I previously shared as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-MNuxDv5tk .
Well there you have it! Take a lesson from me and don’t get burnt by the early spring season sun.
As always I hope this information has served you and will take you one step closer to your desired health goals.
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Until we chat again remember:
Eat Well, Move Often and Stay Healthy!