Summer Sun: Protecting your body Before, During, and After Sun Exposure
The Natural benefits of the summer sun can improve our mood and provide us with the important D vitamin that supports overall wellness. On the other hand, overexposure of too much sun can lead to sunburn and create a fiery energy in the body.
Health is a matter of balance, so our relationship with the sun should be too. It is recommended to take extra measures to protect your skin and balance your energy. Below are strategies that you can incorporate before, during and after sun exposure. The goal is to enjoy the best summer physically, emotionally, and spiritually in good health.
Protect Your Skin
Avoid long exposure to the sun, especially between 10 AM and 2 PM.
Wearing polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes is essential.
If you spend a lot of time in the sun, you can apply coconut oil under your sunscreen. Use a natural SPF sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection.
1- Use mineral-based sunscreen and wear appropriate sun protective clothing when outdoors, and a wide-brimmed hat to protect yourself from harmful effects of sun on both your skin and internal system.
2- Looking for a walk or run outdoors? Schedule your outdoor activities before 10:00 AM and later in the day. These are the cooliest times of day. BTW, the moon rays in the evening are very cooling and have the least UV radiation, which is important for avoiding skin damage.
3- Coconut - even after you step inside after a day in the sun your body is still working to cool and rebalance itself. Therefore, it’s important to drink, drink, drink after sun exposure. Coconut water is highly recommended as it energizes your body with electrolytes.
4- Coconut oil applied on the skin and a rose water spray all over your face can help cool your body.
Balance Your Energy
Try to stay out of the sun between hours 10 AM and 2 PM to prevent your mental and emotional energy from overheating. If you are outside in the scorching heat you can try cooling breathing exercises (cooling breath aka sitali pranayama) and specific yoga postures - see below. These poses help dissipate internal heat.
1- Too much direct heat from the sun can easily throw us out of balance, which can cause excess heat and stress in our body. This is why these practices are so important to maintain your balance and energy.
Melt into each posture for 3-5 breaths.
Legs Up The Wall - One of my favorite poses that stimulates the thyroid gland, improves blood flow, regulates body temperature, reduces hot flashes, and is a great way to relax your nervous system.
Butterfly Pose - Lie down and enjoy (you can use two blocks or pillows under your knees for comfort). This pose stretches and contracts the hip flexors, lower back and groin, and cools overworked muscles.
Wide Child Pose - This is a restorative yoga pose that cools the body, and relaxes the mind.
Downward Dog - This pose can be cooling and relaxing, although, if you are not comfortable in a down dog please practice child’s pose instead.
Low Lunge - This is a standing pose that lengthens muscles and opens the heart. A blanket under the knees makes this pose comfortable on your knees as you breathe 5 long inhalations and exhalations.
Camel Pose - This back bend pose lifts the heart and chest, which improves breathing and energy levels. It also stretches the spine and shoulders, and relieves tension in the neck and back. There are two options with the arms and modified extension of the back.
Shavasana - Corpse Pose releases tension in the body and reduces body temperature. You can stay in this lying down pose for as long as you wish. Close your eyes, focus on your calming breath, preferably breathing through your nostrils with lips sealed. A few exhalations through an opened mouth at the start is very calming. Think of ‘letting go’ and surrendering into the pose.
Eat Cooling Foods
Fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, and herbs like mint and cilantro are very refreshing for the body. I love drinking coconut water for the cool and refreshing feeling, and the electrolytes that coconut offers. Foods: zucchini, greens, fennel, watermelon, apples, bananas, and cucumbers are great for cooling your body from the inside and out. Try to avoid salty, sour, oily, fried and spicy foods.
1- summer is a time to focus on cooling foods and practices that support open and balanced channels - such as breathwork, yoga postures, and stretches.
2- Kitchari- Is an ayurvedic dish - recipe is on my blog www.geniataub.com (search Kitchuri) is a delicious balanced summer dish.
Coconut in any form is incredibly balancing in summer.
3- Summer heat might decrease your appetite. Adjust your meal time and have breakfast at 10 AM, lunch 4 with a delicious fruit snack (watermelon, apple…), and a light dinner 4 to 5 hours later.
Hydration
It’s super important to be well hydrated before, during, and after sun exposure. Fresh coconut water is a great hydrating drink, as well.
Sun Burn
Apply coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter), or aloe vera gel daily until the sun burn has healed. They all remove excess heat and damage, and reduce peeling of the skin. A moderately warm shower can reduce heat out of the body, too.
Source:
Divya Alter and Vaidya Mishra - Ayurvedic Practitioners - Science of Medicine
Dr. Joshua Axe - ancientnutrition,com
PubMed - National Institute of Health
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips
On a very hot sunny day being in water or near a body of water feels so good and cools the body. But, don’t let the breeze of the ocean air fool you - the sun is pretty powerful. Protect yourself with sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat. Walking barefoot on green grass is very cooling and energizing, as well.
I highly recommend a short nap in the middle of the day. Ten to twenty minutes is the perfect amount of time to boost your energy for the second part of your day. Legs up the wall is a great idea and a pose I practice often to relax and energize me for the second part of my day.
I’m not promoting perfume but using essential oils is a fave of mine. Wear cooling scents like sandalwood rose, vetiver, jasmine, peppermint. You can also diffuse these essential oils at work and in your home.
I love using rose water spray. In the summer you can keep a bottle in the fridge and when you return home from a hot summer day spritz rose water all over your face - it feels so cool on the skin. You gotta try it out! Close your eyes and spray - rose water is actually good for your eyes.
Enjoy your summer,
Much Love, Genia