21 MAY 2019: After what felt like 3 and a half years of nothing but cold, snow and ice storms, the May long weekend was a welcome reminder that summer really is on its way. The first sight of a sunny day brings out an eagerness in me to finally wear all of those nearly forgotten summer clothes and frolic in the sunny meadows with my bare arms and legs to soak up all the sun I’ve been missing.

Because the sun feels so energizing and healing and you feel instantly rejuvenated.

It’s easy to get carried away in your sun-fuelled bliss, but making up for lost time is risky when you’re talking about sun exposure (and maybe olives, there’s only so many you can eat in one sitting without ruining them forever).

Back to the sun, it’s like that blinding sensation you experience when the bright sun first hits your eyes after a dark and restful slumber. That same sort of uncomfortable aversion happens to your skin after being covered up for so long.

However, you don’t want to avoid the sun completely, nor is this even possible. The health benefits of vitamin D are staggering and the best way to get it is from the sun. It’s a huge part of the reason why everything feels better on the beach (sure no work and a mimosa or two definitely helps) but the secret really comes from this sunshine vitamin.

Unfortunately, the majority of us are missing out; especially those of us living north of 49.

Sure you can supplement, I would argue that when our sun exposure is limited (during winter months) we would all benefit from a helping hand in the vitamin D department. While liquid D drops are best, the absorption and utilization rate is still lower than whole food or other natural sources, so it’s hard to know how much you’re really getting.

It is also important to be mindful of your dosage, since Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin it is something your body stores, versus something like vitamin C which is water soluble and simply excreted in your urine. With nowhere for the fat soluble vitamins to go, we run the risk of toxic upper limits when supplemental dosages aren’t monitored.

The good news is, vitamin D from the sun is a totally different story, because you get exactly what you need, every time.

Even George Hamilton with his foil reflectors could never OD on Vitamin D.

This is because you don’t absorb Vitamin D from the sun directly. Instead, sunlight exposure (specifically UVB rays) on your skin, kickstarts a domino effect that results in activated Vitamin D at the end of the line. If your body’s Vitamin D levels are sufficient, the Vitamin D conversion pathway will be switched off, so that despite continued sun exposure, your Vitamin D factory is shut off waiting in the wings to be called upon once more.

The first sun of the season is not to be taken lightly. Without a chance to build up its natural sun resilience, being outside in the midday sun for just 20 minutes is enough to leave your cheeks a tender shade of pink. I hear often how the first burn is almost a right of passage into sun protection, after which they’re ready for the rest of the summer season. Or the famous, “it’s okay it will be a tan tomorrow”. It’s actually not okay so just start slow and use physical forms of sun block instead to regulate your early exposure. Because, if you’re wearing sunscreen, you’re blocking a sunburn and you’re also blocking your vitamin D factory. Without the UVB rays permeating your skin the domino effect doesn’t have a chance to get rolling.

There’s nothing like a brutal winter to really make you appreciate the beauty of the sunny summer months and all the benefits they have to offer. So embrace it, go for a walk, play a friendly game of softball, or simply sit on a bench at the public park and take in all the vitamin D you can get your…skin on.