Celebrate The Sun

We want to celebrate the sun. The ancients knew that there was power in the sun, and spent a lot of time and effort celebrating it. The beautiful Gothic cathedral at Chartres, in France, contains a single window through which the sun shines one day a year—the summer solstice—at noon to illuminate a monument to Saint Appolinaire. At Stonehenge, in England, the sun rises directly above the Heel Stone on the solstice, as it has every year since the monument was constructed sometime between 3,000 and 2,000 BC. What does this have to do with losing weight and feeling better? Everything.

The ancients knew that light brought magic and warmth and power. And we know it too. Have you noticed that maybe there’s a little more spring in your step the last few months? You’re probably more active, and your mood is probably much improved from where it was over the winter, the dark days where we felt stuck inside, maybe glued to the couch.

Sunlight can get a bad rap because of the damage UV rays can do to your skin. But there’s a lot of good that comes from sunlight, and that’s why we say you should celebrate. Consider what the sun can do for you:

• Sunlight is the only natural source of Vitamin D, low levels of which have been linked to colorectal cancer.
• It has been shown to fight the effects of depression and stress.
• Exposure to sunlight is vital for maintaining your circadian rhythm, which aids in getting a good night’s sleep.
• Sunlight boosts your serotonin levels, which can improve your mood and help you avoid seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

So go ahead, get some sun. You’ll be glad you did.