Hiding from the sun. Or not!

I found this article on sunscreens; many of them contain very hazardous chemicals that can harm us. A lot of
big name brands are the culprits, like Coppertone, Avon, Walgreen's. http://www.NaturalNews.com/021927.html

Also check out www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to get the ratings of all the various sunscreens out there. There are some healthy ones out there that pose little to no hazard to our well-being. and of course also some really toxic ones that make you wonder why they are allowed on the market!

I've been suspicious of commercial sunscreen for a while, and that is why i have been buying clothes with 50 SPF, to avoid slathering myself in chemicals if I'm going to be in the sun long enough to burn.

This goes counter to conventional thinking among lupus patient, but I think we need to get a little sun in order to be healthy. Not a lot- don't start sunbathing in the nude, or staying outside for hours and getting burnt just because I think we need a tad of sunshine in our lives. Just like a few minutes a day. I *have* to go out several times a day because we have a dog. Thanks to her I get a little dose of sunshine and fresh air (well as fresh as it gets in new jersey) and social interaction with the neighbors several times a day. Ever notice how a smiley face looks a lot like the sun?

I hear getting some sunshine helps the body create its own vitamin D, and calcium can’t be absorbed without that. A lot of lupus patients are told that sun exposure triggers lupus, so they cover themselves with toxic sunscreens, hide under an umbrella, wear long sleeves and floppy hats, or even adjust their schedule so they only go out at night. I think this is a bit extreme in most cases, unless you really do get a rash from the couple minutes of sun exposure while walking to the car.

But often we react this way because it's the *only* thing doctors give us any control over. The are ignorant about nutrition (almost no education about that in Med school, because it's *med*ical school, not *food*ical school, and these schools are funded by pharmaceutical companies who would much rather we depend on them for our well-being). They look down their noses at alternative medicine. The *only* bit of personal power we are given by these demi-gods is to stay out of the sun.

Now remember, I’m not a doctor, i just play one on myself.