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ENERGY! |
We all need energy. The human body runs on 100W. But where does this energy come from? From our food - yes. But how does energy get into our food?
Day-by-day the sun beams onto the earth a steady stream of light rays. These light rays have frequencies. There are the invisible infra red rays that give us warmth, then on other wave lengths there is a spectrum of beautiful colours. But next to this, is an important band of very short, invisible frequencies called ultraviolet rays. These produce Vitamin D which gives us health and well being.
This daily stream of ‘solar energy’ from the sun shines on to the green cells of plants too, causing tiny particles in the leaves called chloroplasts to change the ‘light energy’ into ‘food energy’. This process is called photosynthesis. So the plants capture the sunlight and grow to become food for us. We eat them and our body cells process the plants into ‘life energy’ for us. This life energy in turn provides the power for our working brain, heart, and muscles.
When this energy reaches our brains, it is transformed and refined into something special - ‘mental energy’. |
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Have you ever woken up and said - I feel short of energy this morning. Or, I cannot seem to think straight. Well, now you know how you can get more energy. If you eat meals of fresh fruits and vegetables that are full of the rays of the sun - apples, oranges, bananas, and carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and others, you will be giving your body the energy straight from the sunshine. Of course, we can have some cooked foods like wholemeal breads, cereals, potatoes and vegetables, but more raw foods will give us new sunshine energy. |
SUN LIGHT AND WELLNESS Recent studies have shown that there is a distinct relationship between how well we feel and the sunshine we get. When we go on holiday or away for a day we head for the sun instinctively. Lying in the sun is relaxing and helps us feel better and our skin looks healthier. The outer layer of our skin is called the epidermis. There is pigment in this layer which becomes melanin when we are in the sun. In light skins we call it sun tan. Those whose skins are black, though, have a natural protection in strong sunshine.
When we go out in the sun the warmth on the skin brings out more natural oils and in the presence of ultraviolet rays some of this fatty material is changed into Vitamin D. This is a much better source than taking capsules, and pills and dairy products. There is another advantage too. The fat material that is changed into Vitamin D is cholesterol from the body, so a potentially harmful substance in the body is changed into something beneficial. Vitamin D is sometimes called the ‘Sunshine Vitamin’.
There are other chemical changes which involve the sunshine vitamin. The protein we eat, is affected by sunshine and is changed chemically in the liver to help us absorb calcium. In turn the bones are benefitted by becoming harder and so do not break so easily. If we do not get enough sun then calcium absorption is deficient. People with black skins actually need more sunshine that |
fair skins. It has been shown that black children living among the high rise buildings of New York had a greater tendency to rickets (this is where the word ‘rickety’ comes from) - the childhood deficiency of calcium - than did fairer skinned children. The sun only reaches down between the buildings for short periods each day and it was the black children who were most affected. Similar health problems have been seen in the Alps, where the sun only shines down to the bottoms of valleys for a few hours. However, once sick people are brought up the slopes into the sunshine, recovery is good. We need sunshine!
But sunshine does more things for our body. It helps the body |
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use oxygen. This has been noted in people who are regularly out in the sunshine. After being in the sun there a slight reduction to our heart rate at rest, to our blood pressure and our breathing rate. The sun also has a stabilising effect on blood sugar levels. This is due to an increase of an enzyme called phosphorylase. It is worth having a few moments to relax in the sun even on the seat by the shops. The good effect can last for several hours after we come in again.
Sunshine is something that we do not really think about and yet it provides increased strength and physical endurance day-by-day. We immediately think of diet and exercise, but we do not think of the benefits from sunshine in providing our health.
THE FORGOTTEN USES OF SUNSHINE. |
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