People trapped by pounds of fat feel like hiding in the dark. (Been there!)  But one of the best things you can do to speed up that dragging metabolism is to get out in the sunshine.

I know, we’ve been told for years that the sun is our enemy and will give us skin cancer.  That’s true, and you definitely don’t want to overdo and burn your skin.  However, now scientists are discovering that moderate time in the sun is good for you.

One reason you need the sun is to get Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin.  Your can get it from some foods and from supplements, but studies show that you get more useable Vitamin D from the sun.  Studies also show that there is a connection between sufficient Vitamin D levels and weight loss.  There’s so much info on that, it will take a blog on its own to cover.  Here I’ll just say that several studies show there is a strong correlation between the amount of Vitamin D in your system and your fat loss.  About 15 minutes in the sun (without sunscreen) around mid-day will give most folks the amount they need.  The farther north you live, the more difficult it is to get enough of the “good” rays, though, and darker skinned people need more time outside.

Sunshine does other things for your metabolism.  It lifts your mood.  When your mood is  up, your activity level starts to rise, too.  You are more optimistic about your weight loss results and feel energized.

When it is dark, your autopilot (the part of your brain that regulates your body functions while you go about conscious life) thinks it is winter and keeps you in hibernation stage. It slows you down and stores up the fat in case spring is late.  If you stay indoors away from natural sunlight most of the time, your autopilot will think you live in perpetual winter and will do its best to keep the fat stored up so you won’t starve.  When you are in the sunshine, it feels free to let it go.

So go for a walk in the sunshine on your lunch break.  Take up gardening for a hobby.  Get out your old tennis racket and start playing again. Do whatever works for you and fits in your lifestyle.  I would love to have comments from my readers on your successful strategies for catching some rays.

As for me — I’m going out to weed my flower bed!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown