I just got diagnosed. Any brilliant solutions aside from more sun and synthetic vitamins?

shitake mushrooms? how deficient are you?
patty

Daily sun exposure should do the job.

I am not sure how deficient I am, as the doc is sending me the bloodwork now. But he called me three weeks ahead of our appointment saying that it was crucial for me to get on vitamin D - So I assume it is significant. I read that this can be the cause for schizophrenia. Not that I have this - But I am definitely unstable and experience drastic alterations in moods - Mostly depressed though.

if its that crucial that he would tell you 3 weeks ahead of time of your regular schedualed appointment.... i would go back to him (call him) right away and ask HIM for the prescription or solution?

and again what i suggest a few weeks ago .. that is .. IF you have daily access to internet

dancer youve said it yourself a few times here that you find it hard to be accountable to yourself

maybe start a journal here and actually come here everday instead of once every few weeks..that is if you have access to internet daily .. i dont know if you do or not so maybe you cant get on everday but if you come here daily there is alot of us here that will talk you through all this stuff

i think the main thing you need to do is heal your leaky gut ... this problem alone is enough to thwart just about everything you are trying to do to heal everything else in your body

also what parasites do you have? ther is as many cures for parasites as there are parasites . there is no real broad spectrum cure .. if you can name what you got it would be easier to tell you how to get rid of them

likewise with fungus .. what strain have you got? again there is as many cures for fungi as there is fungi

i really hope you have the ability to help yourself

i really really do ..

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2007 04:25AM by Jgunn.

I have a real Vitamin D deficiency as well.
I also have a holistic M.D. doctor.
She put me on prescription Vitamin D for 1 month and now I take 2,ooo IU of Vitamin D a day that I bought in Whole Foods. I debated for a r-e-a-l-l-y long time whether I should succumb to "modern medicine" and take the prescription she recommended. I initially tried getting more sun and eating differently but it didn't work. I took the prescription, and actually did 2 rounds of it as the first time my levels rose and then steeply dropped off again. It's still hard for me to keep my levels up even with the daily vitamins I take.
I take the deficiency very seriously. Vitamin D is also a precursor to many hormones that the body needs and also relates to immune response and your body's ability to fight infection. I can tell you that after I took my prescription I felt more energy in my body and I never would have believed anyone until I actually experienced it myself. The raw food diet is wonderful but many of us have nutritional needs that aren't always met by the fruits and vegetables we eat and sometimes it's wise to take what is needed from modern medicine to add to our health.

I never knew/heard about about Vitamin D deficiency and its links to schizophrenia...


peace
love
joy
i breathe in
i breathe out
Bikini

Literally, there is no other source of vitamin D as "brilliant" as the SUN!

Most doctors are saying that only 400 - 600 International Units (IU) per day of vitamin D are needed. Very little exposure to sun is necessary for maintaining that level.

This is from the July/August edition of Vegetarian Times (p.23):

"Ultraviolet B (UV rays in sunlight trigger the skin to produce vitamin D. Brief sun exposure can supply your daily needs with minimal risk of side effects and little worry about what's in your diet. You don't need to sunbathe - just exposing your face, arms and legs is enough. Your body can make up to 1,200 International Units (IU) of vitamin D with just 20 minutes of sun exposure...If you stay in the sun more than 15 minutes, rub in sunscreen or cover up with clothing and a hat; just remember sunscreens with SPF 8 or higher will block UVB rays that stimulate vitamin D production.

"Season, latitude, altitude, time of day, cloud cover and smog can affect UV ray exposure.....For instance, during the winter in Chicago or New York, the average amount of sunlight isn't sufficient for your skin to produce significant levels of the vitamin. Pollution and clouds also decrease the number of rays that reach you. But the higher you live above sea level, the greater exposure you have to UVB rays.

"Skin color and age also play a role in how much vitamin D a person's body can produce. The lighter your skin tone, the deeper the penetration by UVB rays. That means fair-skinned people need less time in the sun for adequate vitamin D production. The darker your skin tone, the longer it takes for your body to produce enough D..."

Vitamin D is needed for absorbing calcium, and extreme cases of deficiency can result in rickets.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2007 01:17PM by suncloud.

dancer ..from your pics you look like you have some irish or nordic genes in your background?

im really REALLY fair with red hair also , sometimes it seems just going outside i can burn in minutes .. to top it all off im sensitive to whatever it is they put in sunscreen and break out in hives so i have to avoid that as well

any sunbathing i do has to be in the early morning sun or very late sun , the rest of the day i have to be lightly covered and i almost always wear sunglasses

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I believe that in order to enhance your body's absorbtion of Vit D, you would not want to wash off your body oils, so maybe only take cool showers or baths for a week while at the same time doing sunbathing. Then have him do a retest and see if that works.

I also believe that you need some fat in your diet in order to help your body utilize and break down Vit D.

The above is remembered from Adelle Davis and her books, one called Let's Have Healthy Children, and Let's Be healthy. You might find sources online about the books.

Love,
Prism

haha wow prism that is so weird that u say that bc this whole summer ive been trying 2 get more sun and all ive been doing is laying out for a while and rinsing off in my outside hose, which is freezing!! and theni automatically must have sum avocado or i just dont feel right :p

i also have very fair/sensitive skin,,but it has now gotten fairly tan...when i used 2 compare it 2 my sister who is olive skinned it was like night and day..i thought i just didnt have the tan skin genes, but thats not true! for the past 3 months ive been gradually strengthening my skin 2 take exposure from the sun, at first i could only be fifteen minutes in the sun and then id burn...even early morning sun,, now i have 2 be in the sun AT LEAST 2-3 hours...im nice and dark now :]
i always thought of how it used 2 be wen i was a kid...how i would be in the sun maybe 5 hours a day,, and how it was only when i was at the beach all day that i would get burned...so i am trying 2 build my skin back up 2 that level...b4 this summer i religiously avoided the sun 100% of the time for about 2 1/2 years bc i just couldnt take it,,that was probably part of the cause of my mental ilnesses...but i have quickly healed from those because of raw and sunlight!!!
ALSO (lol srry this is soooo long) if u suffer from depression, u NEED 2 get sun exposure..i find that even wen i miss one day of getting sunshine i start 2 get very negative and gloomy....so soak it up its good for you!!!! :p

Jgunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
to top it all off im sensitive to
> whatever it is they put in sunscreen and break out
> in hives so i have to avoid that as well
>
> any sunbathing i do has to be in the early morning
> sun or very late sun , the rest of the day i have
> to be lightly covered and i almost always wear
> sunglasses

sunscreen inhibits the absorption of the vit d you get from the sun so what you do in the early morning is great!
patty

mesquite powder is supposedly very high in 5HTP which increases the uptake of serotonin

I take 5htp supplements for depression which comes from a griffonia bean. Previously I was on Zoloft (lots of side effects) and no side effects with the 5htp. I would love to not have to take any supplements at all, but it is necessary for me to be functional so for now, it is what works, along with my high raw diet!

I am part of this merry band and have tried supplements to no effect.

Raw food and sunshine is my new path!

In fact it was in talking to the sun that my raw food path started!!

Also I think sungazing is very important, any others here who do this? Does NH talk about this? I notice a couple of references to this here.

Sunny thoughts,
Wallace

Apparently Dr Shelton did it!

But Dr Graham frowns on it! I disagree!

From: Dr. Doug Graham (DrGraham.vegsource.com)
Subject: Re: Thoughts on sungazing?
Date: June 18, 2007 at 6:24 am PST


In Reply to: Thoughts on sungazing? posted by Possible Future Sungazer on June 17, 2007 at 6:44 am:


Do not force the issue.
Very early in the morning, literally as the sun rises, and as the sun
sets in the evening, there is no danger in looking at the sun. But if
you have to look away because of the brightness, or your eyes tear, or
it is uncomfortable in any way, do not gaze at the sun.

I personally do not believe that there is any magical or otherwise
direct benefit to doing something that goes against our natural
inclinations, btw.

Dr D

Wallace

Google sungazing for more info. Aivanhov is my favourite author on this.

>> The Electromagnetics of Health

Sunlight is composed of many different levels of energy. This energy is transmitted in the form of electromagnetic waves. These electromagnetic waves vary in length from .00001 of a nanometer (for cosmic rays, as they are called by science, and a nanometer is 1/1,000,000,000 of a meter) to about 5,000 kilometers, or 3,100 miles for electric waves. This is an incredibly wide range of energy radiations for one singular source to produce.

Not all of these energy rays from the sun reach the earth's surface and our bodies. The atmosphere that surrounds the earth protects it from absorbing all but a small and safe portion of these numerous wavelengths emitted by the sun. Of the waves that do reach the earth's surface, the human eye can only see a very small portion. It has been estimated that the human eye can see only a fraction of 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum that does reach beyond the layers of atmospheric protection so well provided for our safety. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation that does penetrate and come into our atmosphere is invisible to the human eye. It is the ultraviolet portion of sunlight that has been scientifically proven to be the most biologically active, and unfortunately, it has also been ultraviolet light that is eliminated and filtered out by common window glass and the supposedly solar transmitting glazes that are commonly used in our buildings today. Even sunglasses and clothing prevent the proper amount of sunlight and ultraviolet light from reaching our bodies and bringing vibrant and healthful properties to full peak.

The amount of ultraviolet light that is available from the sun depends upon the season and the location where you are on earth. The more atmospheres that the ultraviolet light has to pass through, the less there will be to reach the earth. In the winter, when the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun the sunlight must pass through more atmosphere, therefore less ultraviolet light is available for our bodies, not to mention for plants and other living things that depend upon sunlight for proper development and growth.

Sunlight emits all forms of electromagnetic rays, including cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays, and near-ultraviolet rays in the visible range that our eyes see as color, and short wave, ultraviolet, infrared, radio waves, electric waves, and the incredibly long waves which reach us as heat and warmth. Unfortunately the current medical concept of sunlight incorrectly preaches to us of a "harmful and dangerous" sun, one that is responsible for aging, and capable of causing skin cancer. Fortunately though, this concept is responsible for the great amount of research done on the effects of sunlight on humans, animals and plants. This research provides an abundance of technical materials on the true effects of sunlight and its relation to human health and longevity. Undeniably, the sun plays a role in the development of skin cancer but is not the main factor in such problems.

Past Wisdom, Present Sense

Viruses are developing beyond the chemical protection of current medicine at an alarming rate, it may be wise to re-visit the antiseptic prevention therapy known as sunlight.

Hippocrates and Pythagoras wrote extensively on the use of sunlight in the processes of healing. Another famous Greek who wrote much on the use of sun therapy was Antyllus, a physician who wrote of the Greek "sunbaths" -- "Persons expose themselves to the sun, some cover themselves with oil and others do not, some lie down and some are seated, while others stand or play. Sunlight exposure prevents an increase in body weight and strengthens the muscles. It makes fat disappear. It reduces as well, hydropic swelling."

Herodotus was called the father of Heliotherapy as the result of his frequent reference to the healing properties of the sun and his use of this in his medical practice. One of his statements is, "Exposure to the sun is highly necessary for persons whose health is in need of restoring. In every season, the patient should permit the rays of the sun to strike full upon him. But, in the summer, this method should be lessened because of the heat."

The Greeks practiced "aerination" or the exposure of the nude body to sunlight, specifically in the sand. The places where they practiced this were called "aerinaries" and this was usually by the seaside. The practice itself was called Heliosis.

Life

Humans are heliotropes -- we are electronically plugged into the sun's rays and when this connection is severed, disorder is soon to follow. Particular minerals and enzymes in the body's cells that could normally be activated will not receive the proper wavelengths and will remain in the dark. They do not catalyze normal, cellular metabolic reactions. This translates into less energy exchange, glandular insufficiencies, and reduced ability to burn fats and toxins.

The body is an electrical bio-system, collecting energy from the atmosphere. We feel more energetic on bright days and less so on dull days. The nerve ganglia all over the body may be reasonably likened to electric wires for conducting photons of light energy collected by the skin and eyes and distributed to the internal organs and cells. Skin health and vitality is essential for proper absorption of light. Without a balanced spectrum of light in our daily diet, we suffer from what Dr. John Ott aptly calls "malillumination syndrome." A quote from Dr. John Ott states, "My studies indicate that light is a nutrient, similar to all other nutrients we take in, we need the full spectrum range of natural daylight. Malillumination occurs when wavelengths are missing in various types of artificial light or are filtered from natural light passing through window glass, windshields, sunglasses, smog, and even suntan lotion. Those particular minerals in chemicals in the individual cells of our bodies that would normally be metabolized by the missing wavelengths remain in the equivalent of darkness." In other words, you can't extract the energy from food materials if you don't get the proper wavelengths to break them down chemically.

Matter of your body is defined by conventional science by three forms: gases, liquid, and solids. These three forms are defined in terms of atoms -- the smallest particles of matter capable of an independent existence. In 1913 Niels Bohr theorized that the structure of the atom is likened to a tiny solar system-sun (nucleus) surrounded by orbiting planets (electrons). Around the atomic nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons orbit one or more electrons. This follows the Hermetic Axiom (as above so below).

Elements and Electrons

Elements are individual atoms that go by the common terms we know as oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc. When elements bond together, they form molecules. Molecules are two or more atoms electrically bonded together forming compounds and go by the familiar names we know as water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc.

It is the electrons, which orbit at infinitesimal speeds that are responsible for chemical bonding or in more simple terms, chemical bonding is a result of electron sharing. The bonding of elements makes the molecules of matter, as we commonly know them to exist -- water, protein, fats, sugars, plastics, toxins, vitamins, etc. It was in 1910 that American physicist Robert Andrews Millikan proved the existence of electrons at the University of Chicago. In his words, "matter itself had finally been proven to be electrical in nature."

Electron sharing is responsible for element bonding; the movement of free electrons is called electricity. In this sense, it is an extremely small particle that has escaped matter and is traveling from point A to point B. The movement of electrons in a copper wire is defined as voltage. The movement of electrons within your body's cells is defined as metabolism. At every second, your body is in constant electrical movement. This fact has been relatively ignored in conventional science and medicine, however Lynne Mctaggart's recent book 'The Field' describes and proves how we are all electric beings.

Every metabolic process, every enzyme reaction, the very thoughts of your brain, your muscular movements, the digestion of food, and the burning of fat is an electrical process. Contra distinctly, a slowdown in these electrical processes leads to decreased metabolism, reduced burning of fat, reduced vitality and immunity. This reduced electrical activity is the harbinger of today's epidemical diseases. It is this generally unrecognized fact that led to the development of photobiotics and a new system of living for the new century. Einstein discovered photons in his famous experiment called the photoelectric effect, which later won him the Nobel Prize. He observed that by shining a light onto a metal surface, electrons were ejected. Max Planck had already shown that when electrons swarming around the nucleus jump orbit, light was emitted. Einstein assumed that light must be transmitted by extremely small particles that were not electrons but could integrate with electrons and cause displacement. So, he called them "photons."

Light is a wave-motion in space and carries particles with it called photons. Photons are considered the finest particles in the universe, according to conventional science. For each electron, some theorize that there are on the order of some ten billion photons.

Matter

Matter is condensed light, and that energy is all there is. An atom appears to have mass that is the smallest particle capable of existence. Yet on a cosmic level, prolonged existence is only a speck of time. Mass is but an illusion based on reactive forces of condensed light, namely, gravity, temperature, pressure, inertia, etc.

The central fact regarding living organisms is that they are transformers of energy and they operate by radiant and electrical energy. It is the sun's photonic radiance that builds up the carbon molecules in plant tissues to form sugars and fats. The sugar carbons from plant life oxidize within the protoplasm to generate photon and electron release and storage. In essence, the oxidation of sugar and fats are catalyzed by light. These swarming photons charge up the intricate networks of the optical guide paths of the meridians and nervous system as well as the infinitely thin membrane of the network within the cells. Radiant energy generates electric currents in protoplasm. Electricity is the energy that governs activity of protoplasm, not matter. Life is in constant motion, has intelligence, and has the ability to store and release energy at will.

In a 1967 study presented by three Russian scientists to the international committee on illumination, they stated, "If the human skin is not exposed to solar radiation 'direct or scattered' for long periods of time, disturbances will occur in the physiological equilibrium of the human system. The result will be functional disorders of the nervous system, a Vitamin D deficiency, a weakening of the body's defenses, and aggravation of chronic disease." How simple can it be? Several studies point to conclusive evidence that sunlight produces a metabolic affect on the body that is very similar to physical training and exercise. After sunbathing, lactic acid, the by-product of muscle metabolism that causes soreness and stiffness after strenuous exercise, is significantly reduced. Sunbathing also increases the ability of the lungs to absorb more vital oxygen, as well as the blood's capacity to carry and deliver it. Oxygen deficiency has been readily linked to a host of illnesses and discomforts ranging from chronic fatigue to cancer.

Sunlight also has profound affects on the body's endocrine glands. Recent evidence shows that sunlight stimulates the thyroid gland to increase its hormone levels, translating into an increased rate of metabolism and weight loss for the overweight, which means more energy to burn up fats, sugars and toxins.

Malillumination syndrome occurs from prolonged, reduced exposures of light. When certain spectral color rays are missing in artificial lighting, or when sunlight is filtered through window glass, contact lenses, eyeglasses, windshields, and smog, malillumination or hunger for color creeps in. Ordinary daylight is a biological caldron of energies pulsing at inconceivable speeds. The rays of light provide a rainbow shower of colors that change with seasonal variations. Ordinary incandescent light bulbs produce light in dark and yellowish ray bands. Rooms lit with these old light forms paint a drab, dingy, and devitalized spectrum of energy on your skin, nerves, and eyes. Color hunger occurs when much of one's time is spent indoors, behind these rays or light, or behind the wheel of a car, in front of a television or computer monitor, living and working in extreme northern climates, or in geopathic zones, inimical to life.

Energized Life

All corporal energy comes from the sun. This energy is stored in your food as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It is stored in your body as vitality, prana, qi and hormones. If you suffer from reduced vitality or illness, returning to natural daylight -- sunlight -- can literally save your life. Photobiotics is a spiritual exercise to help you regain your lost ability to photosynthesize directly the light energy of the sun. This translates into reducing your need for stimulants like coffee, dead flesh, and fast foods, and reducing your dependence on optical stimulation like television, violence, and other visions of human suffering. The utilization of direct light energy into your body from the sunlight provokes an amazing new spark of life and heightens your perceptions and contact with your soul.

Many believe sunlight carries intelligence factors or communicable knowledge. It was known to the ancients and practiced as various forms of "Sun worship." The sun priests would absorb sun intelligence in its natural state. The intake of solar energy through the eyes and nervous system has a revitalizing effect upon the organisms. The endocrine glands are affected via the pituitary, "the master gland," and thus the entire physical organism. Direct solar intake begins to transform you from a depleted, physical state to a more energized, spiritual state. In short, bringing in sunlight both through your body and your eyes gives you more energy.

Cells are bipolar. The work of the famous Dr. George W. Crile pointed out that a cell operates not unlike a battery, with the nucleus slightly acidic and the cytoplasm slightly alkaline. A cell must maintain this bipolarity to function. Neutralization of these charges results in cellular death. Enzymes do a large part of the work of the cell, such as assimilating nutrients and generating electrical charges through the mitochondria. These large molecules are light catalysts; they trigger reactions within the cell, not unlike miniature suns. They donate energy to reactions as in breaking down sugars and fats for electron energy, enzymes, or depositories of light-energy particles. As such, they bring molecules together and increase electro-chemical reactions in the body that generally would not occur without them. Free energy is released in the cell by the removal-oxidation of electrons from sugars and fats.

To the ancient sun priests, the whole secret of life is the absorption of light-energy, in its proper distribution in a balanced manner for vitalization of the organism.

Man is a photobiotic being, completely dependant on the absorption of solar energy in its various forms -- electromagnetic, etheric, and electrochemical. The health of the body is dependant upon our light body, which could be referred to as our aura, or higher self.

As certain teachers postulate, the atoms of conventional science are comprised of energy particles of light -- light is color, vibratory wave bands of photons; color is light at various frequencies. When pure light intermingles and integrates with the atoms of matter, colors, hues, and intensities are created. When an atomic bomb splits the atom, tremendous quantities of light photons are released.

Gases, liquids, and solids, although appearing solid and inert, are transformed when integrated into life forms. Light particles are constantly intermingling, interacting, integrating, and radiating within the particles of matter, at rates the mind can scarcely fathom, and for only adepts to see. When white lights strike atomic mass, the electron or orbiting bands gyrate resonance factors, setting up harmonic oscillations. Each molecule can be seen as a tiny electromagnetic oscillator, electively absorbing and vibrating color bands. Color is thus a signature of the molecule's resonance factors. This allows astronomers to view the stars, and through the spectroscope, view the elemental composition of the stars. Each element has each its own color signature.

Quantum inert theory states that the energy of atoms and molecules is radiated in definite units or packets of photons called quanta. Atoms and molecules have their own characteristic frequencies. Electrons set in the vibration will radiate light quanta with a frequency equal to its own osculation. Quanta means energy is absorbed in pulsations, photons integrate while the electrons spin, causing them to jump orbit into an excited state.

The excited state instantly returns with a release of color wave photons as the electrons return to ground/stable state. Biological life is constantly pulsing in colors of quanta. This pulsation of color movement of light confers elasticity, fluidity, and metabolism. The body is constantly recording and releasing quanta of energy -- the pulse of life. The body must store considerable quantities of photons for work, at night, sleep, periods of stress, etc. When loss of quanta occurs, less energy translates into reduced enzyme activity, and a host of illnesses begin, including decreased immunity, increased allergies, edema, autointoxication, and weight gain. In medicine, a loss of color is described as an ashen countenance that is seen in malignancy just before death. As the oriental masters state, "No color, no life."

Your Immune System

Also in the bloodstream we have what is known as a phagocytic system that works in conjunction with the immune system. "Phagocytosis" is a term that refers to the cell's ability to "eat" a foreign substance or invader. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell and are the most common of the phagocytes. When faced with a foreign material; a bacteria or a fungus, the neutrophil will eat the foreign matter and destroy it. Neutrophils are present and circulating in the blood. They are found in large numbers at the site of any infection or injury.

After an individual is exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light, the neutrophils in the blood stream are stimulated to "eat" germs more rapidly, and in some research they were shown to almost double their ability to consume bacteria after this sunlight exposure. The Russians are doing most of the recent research dealing with sunlight therapy. The results of their research is so convincing that in most northern areas in Russia, there are mandatory laws that require the miners to have sunlight therapy or ultraviolet therapy if sunlight is not available.

Studies have shown that exposure to natural sunlight increases the number of the white blood cells in the body. Lymphocytes are the main white blood cells increased with sunlight, and it is the lymphocyte that plays the leading role in defending the body in an invasion by bacteria and foreign organisms. Because the lymphocytes increase in number after a sunlight exposure, their products of defense, the antibodies like gamma globulins, also increase in the blood. This increase of lymphocytes and gamma globulins greatly increase a person's ability to fight infections. The lymphocyte is also capable of producing a substance called interferon. This substance has the ability to stop the reproduction of viruses. The treatment of many virile diseases such as hepatitis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, chicken pox, and the common cold may be improved by the use of interferon. Our bodies naturally produce this wonderful interferon, manufactured in the lymphocytes.

There seems to be conclusive evidence that sunlight produces a series of metabolic effects in the body that are similar to actual physical training. For bodybuilders and athletes, this is an important fact. For example, tuberculosis patients being treated by sunbathing have been observed to have well-developed muscles with little or no fat, even though they had not exercised for months. It appears that beneficial effects of sunlight exposure, which are apparently the same as those of an endurance exercise program, can be achieved by a series of exposures to sunlight.

A study done at Tulane University on the effect of sunlight on blood pressure showed that men who had normal blood pressure had a slight lowering of their blood pressure that lasted one or two days after the exposure. At the same time, a group of men in this test who had high blood pressure had a great reduction in their blood pressure that lasted five or six days. The heart's efficiency increases after an exposure to sunlight. Sunbathing has been shown in studies to increase the output of blood from the heart by an average of 29%. This output continued for a period of about five or six days after ultraviolet light exposure.

Russian scientists have also developed tests to check the ability of children's bodies to build immunity and resist infections. The scientists have found that exposure to sunlight, especially in the winter months, greatly increases the ability of the children's bodies to resist disease and illness.

Your Heart

Dramatic drops in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels following sunlight treatments are not uncommon. Athletes and bodybuilders commonly use sunlight before performances or contests not only increase their stamina, endurance, and performance, but also to reduce body weight and fats in the tissues.

Sunlight's ability to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is another of the major ways in which it aids the body to cleanse the blood stream and tissues and to destroy bacteria. A growing amount of evidence is accumulating to show that the lack of oxygen may be a contributing factor in the initial injury to the lining of the artery that occurs in hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. A lack of oxygen in the blood stream appears to weaken the lining of the artery making it more susceptible to injury. A lack of oxygen also aggravates the injury and prevents it from healing properly and quickly.

It is interesting to note from other studies that whenever there is an increased amount of cholesterol in the blood, the cholesterol is finally incorporated into the wall of the red blood cell, thickening it. This thickening of the wall makes it impossible to move oxygen from the blood cell to the tissues, in other words, cholesterol actually makes the skin of the red blood cell "tough" and the oxygen cannot readily pass through it to the artery. Red blood cells are the main carriers of oxygen to the body tissues and if they cannot release this oxygen, the lining of the artery becomes more susceptible to injury.

It has been shown in tests that ultraviolet light in natural sunlight actually increases the oxygen in the blood and the oxygen carrying capabilities of the blood. It also increases the use of this available oxygen in the tissues that in turn can produce more available energy. The main explanation of how the sun increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is that it has a tremendous ability to actually "destroy" cholesterol. As the cholesterol is changed in the skin to Vitamin D, transformed through sunlight to this so-called vitamin that is actually by definition a hormone in chemical structure, the cholesterol in the blood is transferred to the skin where it is transformed also. This decreases the cholesterol levels in the bloodstream while increasing natural Vitamin D storage in the body.

Color

By singling out the use of particular colors, we can affect the behavior and growth patterns and various physical responses of an organism, be it plant, animal or human. For example, by using the color red solely for long periods of time we can cause very violent, aggressive or physically stimulating activity in a subject. In plants, this color causes fruition and seed production to be increased. By using the color blue (the other end of the electromagnetic spectrum), we can induce relaxation and sleep, and in plants, increase the germination processes.

Melatonin is produced when sunlight enters the optic pathway via the eyes and which in turn causes the pineal gland to be an actual cancer preventative. This in turn allows an increase in the production of estrogen, especially in females, which is responsible for an increase in breast cancer. Over 60% of Americans tested had calcified pineal glands when they were over 50 years of age. This is mainly because of a diet, high in cholesterol and other "dense" foods and also because of an accumulation of waste products in the body that were not eliminated properly.

Hopefully, the next time that you look at the sun, you will remember this dependence that we have on the rays of the solar orb. Anyone interested in total and vibrant physical, mental, and emotional well being, should add sunlight to his or her natural diet for a health that is as radiant and welcome as the sun.

Carotene

Carotene in particular has been shown to prevent sunburn. It is even more effective for this purpose than is Vitamin E. Not only does carotene help prevent burning, but it also delays the appearance of skin cancer produced by ultraviolet light. Carotene decreases the growth rate of skin cancer.

Many people who complain about how easily they burn when they are out in the sunlight find that after a program which includes a natural diet, high in carotene and Vitamin E, that they are almost invariably surprised at the amount of time they can spend out in the direct sunlight without burning.

Where do you get carotene in your diet? Generally, from foods that are orange or bright yellow in color such as carrots, yellow and orange melons, yellow squash, apricots, corn, peaches, and pumpkins. Also especially high in carotene are green leafy vegetables and algae, such as spirulina and blue green algae. Another source of carotene that is commonly overlooked is bee pollen, which is extremely high in carotene among other elements, and is estimated to have 20 times the carotene of carrots.

Skin cancers other than those produced by ultraviolet light are actually inhibited to a great extent by the use of carotene. Also, sarcomas and other types of cancers are affected by the use of carotene in the diet.

The fact that abnormally low levels of Vitamin A and carotene were found in over 50% of patients that had cancer also gives evidence that increased amounts of carotene and Vitamin A in the diet can protect against cancer formation.

A very interesting substance found in almost all cells including lymphocytes is called Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate. In medical circles, this long term is shortened appropriately to Cyclic AMP or CAMP for short. If high levels of CAMP build up in the lymphocytes, they will be unable to function properly and will not be able to fight cancer cells. CAMP may also suppress other features in the body's immune system. This substance is increased in the body under stress and also when such foods as coffee, tea, and chocolate are used in the diet, among other things. These substances block the natural elimination of CAMP that would normally take place. Therefore, it is wise to eliminate these foods from the diet when allowing sunlight to be increased in the daily routine to avoid the possibility of cancer.

In actuality, sunlight in many cases inhibits cancer, rather than causing it. The total cancer deaths of the various American states and Canadian provinces are shown to fall with an increase of available sunlight and as people living in these areas have more sunlight exposure to the skin.

Sunlight and Sterilization

The modern era of sun therapy began with the knowledge that pathogenic bacteria could be destroyed with the use of sunlight. Dr. Neils Flasen successfully used sunlight in the treatment of tuberculosis of the skin, thereby winning the Nobel Prize in 1903. The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that has the most effective antibacterial effect is the ultraviolet. In fact, almost every form of bacteria that is detrimental to our health is destroyed by sunlight and ultraviolet light. Anthrax, the plague or coccobacillus, streptococcus, tuberculosis, cholera, staphylococcus, the colon bacillus, and dysentery are all destroyed in varying lengths of time with the use of sunlight.

From the turn of the century until the 1930s, there was a progressive development in the use of ultraviolet light and sunbathing as the most effective treatment for a number of infectious diseases. In 1938, penicillin was discovered, and the era of antibiotics and other antimicrobial therapy began. To a large extent, the development of antibiotics caused the death of sun therapy. Fortunately, many investigators have kept information flowing on the beneficial effects of sun therapy and though it has been little used, there is much accumulated data on the beneficial effects of sunlight on the human organism. Despite the overwhelming use of antibiotics and drugs to eliminate infections and bacteria, sunlight has maintained credibility as a therapeutic measure of no small significance.

Almost all fungal infections and fungi are destroyed by the use of sunlight and ultraviolet light. The problem with the exclusive use of drugs and antibiotics to destroy infections and microbial organisms is that the ability of these organisms to develop new and resistant strains is causing alarm in the scientific and medical communities. Dr. Stanley Falkow, Professor of Microbiology and Genetics at the University of Washington, School of Medicine states, "All the available current data strongly suggests that perhaps in the next decade we are going to see serious antibiotic resistance among all groups of medically important pathogens."

Biorhythmic science has developed consecutively with the sciences of biorhythm and astrophysics, but is based almost totally on sun activity without inclusion of any other data. This serves as a stimulus to investigate the rhythmic potentials of understanding the influences of sunlight and solar cycles on the life of the cells of our bodies, and therefore, our photo biophysical nature as creatures dependent on the light we assimilate from the sun as well as the food that we eat and the air that we breathe.



Source: [www.sungazing.com]

Hey Folks,

I don't normally post--since I find that work keeps me super-busy--but I just had to post in response to this.

Sun exposure is the superior source of vitamin D. Medical research shows that it is far and away better than any kind of supplement or food source. It is actually almost impossible to get enough vitamin D from food (unless you're taking high doses of fish oil or some such), so the world's top experts in vitamin D research rank vitamin D from the sun as the superior source; followed by a vitamin D3 supplement (animal source), which seems to be the next best utilized by the body; and followed by a vitamin D2 (plant source). However, they say supplements are an inferior second choice that should be used only when it is not possible to get enough vitamin D from the sun (which they contend that virtually everyone can). Also, vitamin D inhibits cell growth and encourages cell differentiation, which has been tied to its ability to decrease the risk of 13 internal cancers, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer. This explains the paradox that men who sunburn frequently have lower risk of prostate cancer, for example (but of course, higher rates of skin cancer). If you get vitamin D from the sun, you also get the extra benefits of beta-endorphins (pleasure molecules) and lower blood pressure, whereas supplemental vitamin D does not do this.

Vitamin D is an incredible vitamin (well, technically, it's actually a hormone)! It is far more important for bone health than calcium intake. Why? Because vitamin D regulates calcium (and other mineral) uptake. Studies have found that those who are deficient in vitamin D have to consume THREE times the calcium for their bodies to absorb as much calcium as people who are not deficient in calcium. For someone on SAD, that would mean that a vitamin D individual would have to drink 9 glasses of milk a day (~1700 cal), instead of 3!!! Egads!!!

Also, although the current RDA for vitamin D is 400 IU, a number of the world's top experts believe that the RDA should be raised to 1000 IU, and a couple of them predict that it will be raised in the next decade. Research has strongly suggested for quite some time that 400 IU is inadequate.

If you tell me your lattitude (or your city) and your skin color/ethic background, I can look up the exact amount of sun exposure (by time of day and time of year) you need to maintain adequate vitamin D levels all year round. I'd be happy to post that information here. The skin color descriptions are listed below. It's likely that anyone who tried to get vitamin D from the sun, but didn't feel immediate results that either not enough time was spent in the time (the amount you need varies dramatically by skin color, latitude, and time of day, so it's really unfortunate that everyone says "oh, 15 minutes is fine", because that's not true for a lot of people), or not enough skin was exposed, or some other minor problem that can be fixed.

According to Dr. Michael Holick (one of the worlds experts on vitamin D), as long as you don't live above 70 degrees latitude--which means roughly the Artic circle--you CAN get get adequate vitamin D from the sun to sustain you year round. Despite this, a large fraction (30-50%) of our population in deficient in vitamin D, because people don't go outside much. He says that there is no need for average people (meaning those who don't have excess needs for vitamin D) to supplement.

Here are the skin color descriptions:

Type 1: "I always burn, never tan, and am fair with red of blond hair and freckles (albinos, some redheads)."

Type 2: "I easily burn, hardly tan, and am fair skinned (people of northern European origin, such as Scandinavians or Celts)."

Type 3: "I occasionally burn and graduatlly tan (people of Mediterranean and Middle East origin)."

Type 4: "I rarely burn and always tan (people of East Asian origin and some Indians and Pakistanis)."

Type 5: "I seldom burn, always tan, and have medium-to-dark skin (people of African origin, South East Asians, and some Indians and Pakistanis)."

Type 6: "I never burn and tan darkly (people with "blue-black" skin, of African origin, and dark-skinned Asians such as Tamils.)"


As an example, let's say you live in the mid-latitudes (approx. 35-50 degrees; includes Boston, New York, and San Francisco).

You need 2-3 sun exposure sessions each week, during which 25% or more of your body must be exposed. This could mean your face, hands, and arms are exposed, or your arms and legs are exposed.

For someone with TYPE 2 skin color living in the mid-latitudes, one sun exposure session would be:

MARCH-MAY
20-30 minutes of sun if between 8 AM-11 AM
15-20 minutes of sun if between 11 AM-3 PM
20-30 minutes of sun if between 3 PM-6 PM

JUNE-AUGUST
15-20 minutes of sun if between 8 AM-11 AM
5-10 minutes of sun if between 11 AM-3 PM
15-20 minutes of sun if between 3 PM-6 PM

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER
20-30 minutes of sun if between 8 AM-11 AM
15-20 minutes of sun if between 11 AM-3 PM
20-30 minutes of sun if between 3 PM-6 PM


Dr. Holick says that for the mid-latitudes, it's not possible to produce vitamin D from November through February (aka "vitamin D winter". However, he says that if you follow his above regime and are neither underweight, nor overweight, then your body will store extra vitamin D in your fat, which will be released when the winter comes. Dr. Holick says:

"You cannot make vitamin D in high latitudes during the winter months. However, if you live in the northeastern United States and follow this guideline between May and October, you will make enough vitamin D to last you through the winter. Vitamin D is stored in your body fat and released in the winter when you need it. (However, if you are obese, this this process is much less efficient, as the body tenaciously holds onto the vitamin D.) If you don't get this amount of sunlight between May and October, then during the winter months consider alternate forms of vitamin D, such as pill supplements and indoor tanning facilities..."

Of course, if you are worried or simply just want ensure that you have enough vitamin D, you could go outside for longer than Dr. Holick recommends. That's what I do: I try to go outside for about 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week, and I wear a bikini. (I live in the mid-latitudes and have light skin, so this is more than adequate for me.) Or, during the "vitamin D winter" for your latitude, you could take a vitamin D supplement during the winter only--this would at least save you the expense of using one during the spring, summer, and early fall--if you want to be triple sure that you get enough.

To add a personal note, I lived in England a few years ago, and became very vitamin D deficient. I spent so much time indoors, that when I went outside my eyes were so sensitive to the light that I had to wear sunglasses even when it rained. It was bad! I also developed holes in my teeth at that time, which I thought was strange because I was taking calcium supplements. Fortunately, I eventually figured out what had happened, and re-trained my eyes. After sunbathing in a bikini for 20-30 minutes, I noticed that my sensitive teeth started going away. After doing this for *only* 2 weeks, I was able to double my consumption of fruit, yet end up with less tooth sensitivity. Eventually, the combination of sunlight plus me getting better at identifying ripe fruits did away with my tooth sensitivity altogether. So it is possible and it isn't that hard to get enough vitamin D from the sun, and it makes a HUGE difference.

Finally, I can't recommend the book "The UV Advantage" highly enough. If you are a science-type like me, it is a wealth of information on how vitamin D and sunlight affect everything from MS, to cancer, to depression. The back of the book has sunbathing tables that are fabulous and estimate how much sun you need, based on your skin color, latitude, time of year, and time of day. If anyone wants this information, just let me know your information, and I'll post the answer here.

Best Wishes.

I have the Hollick book and agree it is very useful but it doesnt deal with the spiritual issues around sunlight/sungazing etc/

wallace++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have Type 1 Diabetes and my holistic MD tested me and found that I am very low on Vitamin D. There is also a strong correlation between low Vitamin D levels and Diabetes. She recommended I take 2,000 units a day so I am. I know I should get more sunshine, but it doesn't fit into my daily life right now unfortunately. I picked the most natural supplement I could find made from cholecalciferol not ergocalciferol.

"Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is synthesized by plants, and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized by humans when skin is exposed to ultraviolet-B (UV rays from sunlight."

I have said no to statins and beta blockers, but once my doctor recommended a vitamin I thought I should probably say yes to that and just get the most natural kind I could find.

Just my 2 cents.

I have read from two separate sources in the past few days that if you live north of the line that connects LA to Atlanta, that it's impossible to synthesize *any* Vitamin D from the sun from October 1 to April 15 -- even if you sit outside all day naked (this was the actual quote from both sources). So it's possible that we're storing it in our fat from the summer, but I would definitely not rely on the sunshine from this time of year to late spring, and would instead take supplements. (And do.)

On the sun by Aivanhov

meditate on the power of the sun which penetrates the earth with its rays.thanks to these rays the earth is covered with leaves,flowers and fruits.the entire world is nourished by this penetration of the earth by the sun's rays.and there is a great work you yourself can do by means of meditation and concentration which will allow the sun's rays to penetrate you,just as food,air and water penetrate you.yes,this is possible: by becoming conscious that the sun communicates its life to you with its rays ,you prepare to receive them.you open thousands of doors,within yourself by which these rays can enter and not only will you improve your health,you will purify your feelings and illuminate your thoughts."

Wallace

Also see this raw food blog on the sun.

[inspiringlivinglove.blogspot.com]

I was also diagnosed this summer with extreme Vit D deficiency, my doctor said I had the lowest number he'd ever seen in a patient! He put me on a high vit D supplement dose and told me to get out in the sun. Because of where I live, Saudi Arabia, sunbathing is difficult even though we have sun every day. I'm planning on joining a health club that has an outdoor pool so I can get in the sun again but for now am taking my supplements. I was surprised to be so deficient but seeing as how I've avoided the sun for 9 years it shouldn't be so shocking. I am really looking forward to getting in the sun again because honestly the sun feels so good!

olivianewtonjohn,

I live 600 miles north of LA, and I am doing just fine. And I don't even spend much time naked in the sun, and I do spend majority of my time inside rather than outside. Perhaps people living on the standard western diet are so sick that their bodies are no longer able to sit in the sun long enough without other harmful consequences, things like sunburn, heat stroke, skin cancer, skin reactions, etc. On a raw diet, these kinds of symptoms all disappear with moderate time in the sun.

I remember during my first year of being raw (and only 100% raw for 6 months) I was in the tropics, on the beach, on a hot sunny day, and all the westerers there were heavily guarded against the sun: suntan lotion, head gear, sunglasses, and lots of drinking water nearby. And there I was, without the sunscreen, unprotected, and without any water or liquids or foods, and I was very comfortable, yet everyone else seemed like they were hot and burning. Part of this I attribute to westerners have a layer of fat around their bodies, acting as extra insulation from all the fat they eat. And of course, this insulation of theirs is loaded with toxins, so when the sun hits that toxic fat, it start to fry and nasty symptoms start appearing.

In Reply to: Thoughts on sungazing? posted by Possible Future Sungazer on June 17, 2007 at 6:44 am:

Do not force the issue. Very early in the morning, literally as the sun rises, and as the sun sets in the evening, there is no danger in looking at the sun. But if you have to look away because of the brightness, or your eyes tear, or it is uncomfortable in any way, do not gaze at the sun.

I personally do not believe that there is any magical or otherwise direct benefit to doing something that goes against our natural inclinations, btw.

Dr D


**Yes, I totally agree. This thread is a good example of how complicated we can make things if we choose to. Listen to your bodies, people!

Kindly,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

Believe me the more sungazing you do the more you like it, you need to build up slowly but there is never any discomfort, if done with love.



There is something very magical about the Sun and people since the beginning of time have recognised this.

Bryan,
Toxic fat! I am continously amazed at the things i never thought of, and I am sure most people never think of. Its pretty weird to think that its 'normal' to need a lot of sunscreen. I used to use it thinking its going to prevent my skin from aging.

Isn't sunscreen itself toxic?

yes

. like anything, you can make any kind of positive symptoms disappear by adding any kind of chemical internally or to the skin. as the sun is a great detoxifier, no wonder people will run like hell from it. AND many people SHOULD be mindful of how much 'exposure' is right for them and use clothing, hats, etc...if needed as opposed to chemicals.

. I don't know about 'toxic fat' but toxins can get pushed closer to the skin by the sun..you can see this in toxic folks that have healthier lifestyles more then in toxic folks that stay inside in northern climates. It isn't because of all the 'damaging rays', just that people arn't making the dietary changes, that will prevent the sun from creating acute symptoms like 'skin cancer'

. I think getting sun on the eyes is a good thing..seems right to me, and not at all 'naturally repulsive'.

Anaken,
I never really thought of the sun as being a detoxifier, but it sounds right. Like how pure air and water are detoxifiers. I've really only sunburnt two times in my life, and those times were actually from using sometype of oil, one with a light sunscreen. All the other times I go right to tanning.

I wear glasses, but I haven't used the clip on shades in years. I usually forget to use them, I find them unnecessary. My eyes are great for adjusting to bright sunlight. Its interesting that you mention that. My housemate is always asking me, "don't you find the glare too bright?" I say no. Its interesting that my night vision is also much better than his. Is there some connection between the two? I think that over reliance on techno stuff can make the body weak.