Issue 12 – Sunlight and Gardening

Sunlight – Letter from the Editor

Sunlight and Vitamin D

Sunscreen Dangers

Keeping Your New Year Resolutions

Carebags Reusable Produce Bags

Sun Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Why Grow Your Own Organic Food?

Urban Gardening

Planning Your Organic Garden

Raw Food Diet

Health or Pills

Spices

MJ’s Herbals Salves Review




Sunlight – Letter from the Editor

I don’t tend to wear sunglasses, and I never wear sunscreen. I do burn easily if I have not taken the time to acclimate myself to the sun, so I will either wear long sleeve shirts and a hat, limit my exposure until my skin builds tolerance, or, more often than not, I’ll just burn.

I’m not recommending you go out and get sunburned, but I don’t think people should be so afraid of it. Sunlight is so important. It’s better to get burned a few times a year than to not get enough sunlight.

I work at my computer a lot. Sometimes I realize that I have gone more than a week without any significant sun exposure. Other times, I notice I am feeling depressed or I’m having trouble sleeping, or I’m irritable. My prescription: light sunbathing. I feel so much better after I spend some time soaking in the rays.

Dr. Holick wants us to get some sunlight and then put on sunscreen. I respectfully disagree. I don’t want to put toxic creams on my skin only to cook the ingredients in the sun. This seems like a recipe for skin cancer to me.

Sunlight is natural. When in doubt, go with what’s natural. It’s what we humans are programmed for. Almost every time, the natural choice is the healthy choice.

 

Michael Edwards

Signature

Editor in Chief




Sunlight and Vitamin D

For years we’ve been told to stop sunbathing, to stay out of the sun. We slather sunscreen on our children. We buy make-up, lip balm, and hair care products that contain SPF 15 protection. And what is the result of this anti UV ray vigilance? Skin cancer is on the rise.

SPF 15 works very well. It blocks 99% of the UV rays. The problem is that we need UV rays in order to make vitamin D. Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, strengthens and builds bones, wards off multiple sclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and periodontal disease. It regulates cell growth, and protects against lymphomas and cancers of the colon, prostate, lung, and skin.

Yes, Vitamin D, gained through exposure to the sun, helps prevent skin cancer!

“There are two types of skin cancer,” says Dr. Michael Holick, one of the world’s leading authorities on vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency. “There’s what’s called non-melanoma skin cancer and there is no question that excessive exposure to sunlight and sunburns will damage the DNA and induce skin cells to become cancerous. That is non-melanoma squamous and basal cell cancers. They are typically easy to detect, easy to treat. They’re not lethal, for the most part.

Melanoma is a different story. Most melanomas occur on the least sun exposed areas. Occupational sun exposure decreases your risk of malignant melanoma. We believe that if you have a large number of moles, a number of sun burning experiences, bad genetics, and red hair color—that is very light skin—they will markedly increase your risk of malignant melanoma, and that’s deadly. About 8,000 people die a year of malignant melanoma. But there is no evidence in my opinion that sensible sun exposure increases your risk of that deadly disease. In fact there is good evidence that it decreases your risk.”

Where you live and the color of your skin are significant factors in determining your risk for Vitamin D deficiency and correlating diseases. So is your weight. Though vitamin D is stored in fat cells, obesity inhibits its release. If you live at a latitude above 33 degrees (north of Atlanta, Georgia), you cannot get enough UV rays in the winter months to make vitamin D. And the darker your skin, the more sun exposure you require, no matter the season. Geographical and racial statistics do correlate to higher incidences of all diseases linked to Vitamin D deficiencies.

Unfortunately, not all medical doctors are aware of these links. Dr. Holick is finding many of his patients who come to him with a prior diagnosis of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome with symptoms of muscle weakness and throbbing, aching bone pain are actually suffering from osteomalacia, a bone disease directly caused by vitamin D deficiency. The good news is treatment with vitamin D supplements and/or sunlight exposure quickly reverses this disease.

Vitamin D is not, in fact, a vitamin. It’s a hormone. “By definition a vitamin means that it has to come from an external source,” Dr. Holick explains, “but when you’re exposed to sunlight, you make it. So by definition, it’s not a vitamin. And more importantly, once vitamin D is made in your skin it goes to your liver and kidneys to get activated. And so again by definition, it’s being generated in one organ system and going to a different place to have a biologic effect and by definition, that’s a hormone.” Dr. Holick suggests using sunscreen in moderation. “People need to be aware that a sunscreen SPF of 15 reduces your ability to make vitamin D in your skin by 99%. So if you’re putting a sunscreen on all the time before going outside, you are definitely going to put yourself at risk forVitamin D deficiency.”

He suggests you start with 5 or 10 or 15 minutes of sun exposure depending upon time of day, season of the year and the latitude, 3 to 4 times a week. Remember, the darker your skin, the more exposure you need. The opposite is also true. The lighter your skin, and redheads know this from experience, the more likely you are to burn.

Sunburn can damage your skin, and does put you at higher risk of skin cancer. So Dr. Holick suggests that if you go to the beach for an hour or two, put on sunscreen after 15 or 20 minutes. “Take advantage of the beneficial effect,” he says. “Then prevent the damaging effects due to excessive exposure.”

Start off slow and don’t expose your skin for too long. Our bodies do have built in protection; we tan. Most of us do, anyway. When it’s time to get out of the sun, put on a hat, get under an umbrella, find some shade, or cover up if you want to avoid sunscreen all together. But don’t avoid the sun. It’s summertime. Go out and make some Vitamin D.




Sunscreen Dangers

Many companies make “organic” sunscreens that contain synthetic chemicals. But that’s not the worst of it. According to our research, sunscreens give users a false sense of security in that while they effectively prevent sunburn, they do little or nothing to prevent skin cancer or the accelerated aging of the skin caused by sunlight.

There is a substantial body of evidence that shows there is an increase in cancer when sunscreen products are used. We’ve done a lot of research into sunscreens. The bottom line is this: we have found no sunscreen ingredients which we consider to be safe. So now you’re thinking that the chemicals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are natural and might be “safe” sunblocks, right? Isn’t that what “natural” personal care products manufacturers have suggested?

The shocking truth is the fact that both petrochemical sunscreens (avobenzone, methoxycinnamate, padimate-o and the like) and physical sunblocks (chemically-reacted synthetics titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) are not natural and have been found to generate free radicals when exposed to sunlight, which then can attack the nuclei of your skin cells and cause mutations. That’s right, they can cause skin cancer. Furthermore, sunscreen chemicals have been found to pass through the skin and mimic the effects of estrogen, which may disrupt the delicate balance of the body’s natural hormones.

The following excerpt is taken from a book called Sunscreen Photobiology—Molecular, Cellular and Physiological Aspects:

Illumination of titanium dioxide suspensions with sunlight can degrade organic materials and purify drinking water, while illumination with short wave UV kills human cells. This work shows that the distinction between “chemical” sunscreens and “physical” sunscreens, attractive though it may be to those who market them, is not based on any significant difference. Both varieties have the potential to produce reactive species that can attack biological materials (human skin cells) when they are exposed to normal sunlight…

What is established is that particles of titanium dioxide as large as 220 nm can enter human cells in culture, and so it seems entirely plausible that if titanium dioxide does pass through skin it could enter cells under the skin (carrying with it the absorbed UVA and UVB radiation and hydroxyl radicals).”

Titanium dioxide is now being used as a new treatment for window glass because it attacks and degrades anything that touches it, thereby helping to keep windows clean. You probably don’t want to have anything attacking your skin! Small amounts of sun are healthy; overexposure is not. Instead of using sunscreens to prevent sunburn, we recommend loose fitting clothing, shady trees, and big floppy hats. Organic cotton is a good way to go!




Keeping Your New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!  I know New Year’s Day was a while ago, which is precisely why I’m writing now. We usually start the year full of enthusiasm to achieve our new goals and New Year’s resolutions, but it’s about this time, shortly after the New Year, that we start to falter a bit and sometimes even give up on our goals completely. I recently wrote a few books all about your personal best; that, in fact, is the title of one of them. I’m a firm believer that we can be extraordinary any time of year if we find meaning in what we’re doing and have reasons to give the extra effort that it takes to excel. I don’t write just about motivation. I’m a health and fitness guy, too. In fact, my book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness comes out in late February. I’ve learned over the years that your personal best can be achieved in anything as long as you care enough to make it happen. To borrow a quote from my book:

It is my experience that if you truly love something, you will be willing to spend a lot of time doing it, will be willing to work harder than others to achieve it, and will have so much fun throughout the process that you will excel naturally.  The joy and fulfillment you get from being regularly engaged in the activity you love will propel you to stand out in your field adapting and improving at rapid rates. You will look forward to practice, rehearsal, application, and action in whatever it is that moves you. Through your discipline and dedication, you will thrive in an environment you created that is perfect for you to succeed in. Because you’re doing what you love, you’ll be in a positive mood on a regular basis, will find the good in every situation, will get back up when you’re knocked down, and will time and time again overcome adversity when others with less passion will give in and give up.”

What should be understood is that we all have the power to change something in our lives at anytime, no matter what time of year. As always, now is the best time to start something new. What do you really want to get out of life? What does it really mean to you and how hard are you willing to work to achieve it? What steps need to be taken and when are you ready to say, “Today is the day I’m going to make it happen?”

To help yourself actually stick to the “New Year’s Resolutions” that you create , make sure you’ve answered the following questions:

  1. What are the activities I am most passionate about and that bring me the most joy?
  2. What makes me wake up every day excited to do what I get to do for my job?
  3. What can I do every day to bring about the most fulfillment in my life?
  4. What makes me smile more than anything else?
  5. What would I do if money and time weren’t limiting obstacles in my life?
  6. What does my dream life look like?
  7. What steps do I need to take in order to achieve what I really want in life?

Answer those questions honestly and sincerely.

Your personal best isn’t just about motivation and doing what you love to do. It’s about being healthy, happy, and well, too. My inspirational partner and personal wellness coach, Julia Abbott, has some helpful and healthful tips for being at your best this year:

Health & Fitness for the New Year – by Julia Abbott

I know winter is far from over, but it’s not too early to start getting your beach body back. I know; it’s tough to fight the hibernation impulse. A little hibernation is therapeutic, but make it your goal right now to take action, alter stagnating behaviors, and implement a few new tools toward shaping up for the new year. Here are 5 simple steps to get healthier, to be more fit, and to increase energy. What better way to start the new decade?

Step 1

Eat fruit for breakfast. Fruit contains all the components needed to digest itself and requires little assistance from the body. Fruit for breakfast awakens the body and stimulates elimination channels. Proper elimination is the most important factor for improved health and weight loss. Breakfast is easy–just grab a piece of delicious, juicy fruit and bite in!

Step 2: Eat at least one green salad every day. Greens are so important because they contain an array of nutrients in perfect proportion to nourish the body’s tissues and cells. They even contain plenty of amino acids to help you build muscle! It can be difficult to eat that green salad every day. I love greens, but I get tired of them, too! The solution to getting your greens every day and loving it is the green smoothie. By making my green smoothie every morning, I knock out steps 1 and 2 at the same time: fruit first and greens every day! This is what my green smoothie was this morning:

  • 1/4 cup of purified water
  • Half organic cucumber
  • 1 peeled lime
  • 1 ripe banana
  • Big handful of spinach
  • Handful of baby lettuces and herbs
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground flax seed or a carefully cold-pressed flax oil
  • 1 cup of frozen pineapple

I just toss it all into my Vitamix and blend. Making breakfast and eating my greens takes 10 minutes tops. Fantastic! Note that it is important to rotate your greens and get creative with your smoothie ingredients.

Step 3: Find an enjoyable form of physical activity and schedule it into your day. Exercise doesn’t have to take a long time. I do enjoy going to the gym for an hour-long workout, but very often, I just don’t have that kind of time. I solve this problem by waking up 15 minutes early to perform a quick, high-intensity workout that gets my blood and lymph moving. If you haven’t discovered CrossFit yet, check it out because that is exactly what you need if you are short on time. By 9a.m., you can have 3 steps knocked out.
Try this quick and simple workout tomorrow morning:

  • 5 push-ups
  • 10 sit-ups
  • 15 squats

Perform this set as many times as you can for 10 intense minutes. No money or equipment necessary.

Step 4

Quit drinking sodas and bottled beverages. These drinks are full of highly refined sugar or toxic sugar substitutes that do nothing but subtract from your overall health.

If you are attached to the fizz factor, try drinking sparkling water with fresh lime. If you are attached to the sugar factor, replace the soda with kombucha, a fermented beverage containing beneficial organisms that aid in digestion and detoxification. When I get post-lunch sugar cravings, drinking kombucha knocks the craving out.

Feel a caffeine headache coming on? Sip Yerba Maté tea, an infusion similar to green tea. When I drink Yerba Maté for an energy boost, I do not experience negative side effects such as jitteriness, headaches, or nausea that come from drinking coffee.

Step 5: Eliminate fried foods. Fried foods are detrimental for two reasons: they contain trans fat and they are usually fried in polyunsaturated vegetable oil.

Trans fat is an artery-clogging fat formed when vegetable oil is made to be solid at room temperature. Read the labels on any packaged food and look for “hydrogenated”, “partially hydrogenated”, and “shortening”. Strictly avoid these foods to avoid gradual health decline.

Polyunsaturated oils (canola and soybean, for example) are highly susceptible to heat damage. Heat causes oxidative damage creating free radicals. Translation: after heat exposure these oils become cancer causing.
The bottom line is, there is absolutely no reason your body would want you to eat french fries or doughnuts. There is plenty of healthful, natural food to eat instead. For a mid-morning snack, try a slice of toasted sprouted-grain bread topped with nut butter.

If you start the new year by following these 5 steps, you will be feeling better and looking better in no time. Cheers to your beach body 2010!

Julia Abbott is a competitive runner, avid weight lifter and Author of  The Lemon Letter – A wellness blog dedicated to a holistic approach to ultimate health.




Carebags Reusable Produce Bags

People who live an organic lifestyle tend to care about our environment.  People who live an organic lifestyle also purchase a lot of fresh produce. That’s where Carebags Re-useable Produce bags come in.  One Carebags pouch contains 4 reusable drawstring produce bags for $12.49CDN. The bags we tested were see-through, strong, and plenty large enough for us to stuff as much produce into each bag as we desired. We will not go grocery shopping without them. www.carebagsonline.com.




Sun Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression linked to lack of sunlight. Onset of symptoms occurs annually during winter months with more cases occurring in areas with longer and more severe winters.

Symptoms include low mood, feeling abnormally sad and weepy, hopeless, worthless and guilty, often with a preoccupation of death and dying. Concentration is poor and motivation is low with agitation, irritability, and restlessness. Sleep is difficult with delayed onset, early waking, and/or sleeping too much. Weight loss or weight gain is common. Physical symptoms are also prevalent and include headaches, generalized aches, pains, and lethargy. All symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

Light therapy, UVB light, has been used successfully to reverse or diminish symptoms of SAD and to increase vitamin D levels. (Remember vitamin D is actually a hormone produced by the body after exposure to the sun).

Light therapy can be provided through artificial light—light boxes—or by the sun itself. Weather and work permitting, an hour or two in the winter sun, even on an overcast day, can produce benefits.

If you suffer from annual winter blues or from full-blown SAD, consider a move closer to the equator.

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading: