"The Benefits of Sunshine" article discussion Topic


We would love to hear from you about "The Benefits of Sunshine" article published at http://www.mynetdiary.com/the-benefits-of-sunshine.html. Thank you in advance for expressing your thoughts, questions and comments.
MyNetDiary Team


An interesting article. I do think sunlight has some great benefits - I just have to weigh them against damage to skin. I've had one basal cell carcinoma spot removed from my jaw line and I have light skin, so I have to be somewhat cautious. Stil, I think getting some sunlight is a good idea.


Yes, I live at high altitude and have to be concerned too about UV radiation/skin cancer risk. But I do get out and enjoy the sun almost daily - I just go out early or much later in the afternoon. If I go out during the peak midday, I use SPF 30 sunscreen.

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD, CDE


Ps for the mobile version the link doesn't work to read your article.


When I think about it, I guess that I think about food and eating much less when I enjoy the sun and stay outside. Sunlight surely has a positive effect on my mood - maybe that is related to being less focused on food. Interesting article!


Hello Dieticians!

I found this thread by searching "Sunlight" -- one reason I discovered MyNetDiary years ago, returned to it last year (set my tracking to refresh recently) and LOVE MyNetDiary is because my approach to health is "additive" not "deprivation". I love looking at my daily intake for missing nutrients.

It's hard to get Vitamin D from food. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if we had a way to have a Sunlight event count toward our Vitamin D tracking. I know it would not be perfect, but it would be AMAZING!!


Hey there Kristl-
Thanks for reaching out.
What a creative idea! I passed along this feedback to our developers.
Have a bright and sunny day! Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)


Love the sunlight article! Ok — I got Covid at the very beginning just when everything shut down and medical care was impossible to get. We both had it and had to do self care to get through it. Worst sick in my life. Do you know what healed me the most?? Sunlight! We got it right when the sun starts creating quality vitamin D in the early spring (you’ll know when it is by when the trees begin to bud leaves and flowers) and I happened to lay out in a hammock and doze several hours around midday and that healed me up like crazy. Nothing else did anything. All I could do was sleep for three weeks, but wow that sunlight was an incredible healer. Everyone should get tested for D deficiency asap — because good levels of D3 or better yet just straight up sunshine can do miracles!

PS: you can be taking 400IU per day of D3 and still be chronically deficient — I was.


So sorry want to add one more thing about the sun producing vitamin D — it’s only capable of relaying the UV rays D we need when its zenith reaches about 50 degrees above the horizon. So for me in my location that’s between the first week of March and the second week of October. It’s different in every location and according to the time of day. For example on, say, October 10th, the sun only reaches on or above 50 degrees above the horizon between 12:30pm and 12:40 pm. So, like ten minutes where you can receive beneficial D producing UVB rays. In July, it’d be a lot longer. In December, it’d be none. You can still get sunburned with UVA rays and not receive any vitamin D.

So the point is, a sunlight meter in the app would be challenging to make as an accurate measurement of what you’re getting as far as D from the sunlight. You have to have a decent understanding of when those UV rays are available according to your location and time of day and it’s also dependent on how much of your skin is exposed to absorb it as well as your particular body’s ability to produce D from the sun’s rays, which does vary significantly.

"The Benefits of Sunshine" article discussion