Issue #50: Here comes the summer

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Hey Radical Health Seekers 👋

Coming up in your newsletter this week:

• Why you are not a vampire and shouldn’t fear the sun
• Our thoughts on sunscreen
• And how to safely tan

Are we humans? Or are we vampires?

When it comes to the sun, the mainstream authorities must think we are vampires. 

Because the advice is essentially to avoid it at all costs or perish 🧛

They say

“Stay indoors or in the shade!”

And

“There’s no such thing as a healthy tan!”

They’ve even begun advising us to wear sunscreen indoors. 

Because you can’t be too careful with windows!

Well hold up a minute now, Dracula! Something seems a little “shady” with that advice.

I mean is it really true that something as life-giving as the sun, something that all life on earth depends on, could really be as dangerous as we’re told? 🤔

Were our ancestors walking around with sunburn before succumbing to skin cancer?

And how did we ever survive before the invention of sunscreen and dermatologists?

Sorry, not sorry mainstream, but we disagree with your advice. 

It is lowest common denominator advice. 

It’s like yes, cars are dangerous. They can definitely kill you. But does that mean we should ignore their benefits and NEVER drive one?!?

The sun can burn, and too much sun is definitely a bad thing. 

But the sun is also amazing. 

And we believe getting a healthy tan and regular sunlight on your skin is one of the BEST things you can do for radical health.

Because the sun gifts us with an absolute TON of benefits including: a stronger immune system, better sleep, reduced (yes, reduced) cancer risk, boosted libidos, and healthier hormones (including higher testosterone). 

Pretty neat!

So what does the science actually say about the sun?

Despite mainstream advice claiming there’s “no safe level of sun exposure”, the actual science says different. 

For example this 2016 study concludes:

“avoidance of sun exposure was a risk factor for all-cause death of the same magnitude as smoking” 

That means a lack of sunlight is potentially as dangerous as smoking, okay?

And this 2016 review concludes that the benefits of sun exposure outweigh the negatives. 

Particularly in terms cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, myopia and macular degeneration, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Even the World Health Organization seems to agree, because according to them, excessive sun exposure accounts for 0.1% of the total global burden of disease in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). 

But in contrast, the same WHO reports that a markedly larger annual disease burden of 3.3 billion DALYs worldwide might result from very low levels of UVR exposure! 

Sunlight is nature’s true antidepressant

You may have noticed that being in the sun puts you in a better mood than when you’re stuck indoors. 

Well it’s more than just the sunny weather that’s brightening up your day. 

Because sunlight boosts your serotonin (aka the “feel good” hormone), the same hormone that many antidepressants act upon.

And it’s interesting that rates of depression and SAD (seasonal affective disorder) have been increasing in recent decades while levels of Vitamin D and the time we spend out in the sun has been decreasing.

It’s not controversial to draw this link, and we strongly believe that declining mental health is linked with a lack of sunshine and vitamin D. 

This is backed up by the fact that vitamin D supplementation and UV light therapy have been shown to help treat SAD.

If you struggle with SAD, the winter blues or depression we strongly suggest getting as much sun as possible this summer to top up your Vitamin D stores. 

We’re not fans of sunscreen

Sunscreens prevent our skin from making use of it’s natural protection – melanin and tanning. 

They also prevent us from synthesizing Vitamin D, which is needed to protect against cancer. 

Many chemicals in sunscreen are also proven carcinogens (yikes). 

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to scare you, sunscreens also contain endocrine disrupters—ingredients like avobenzone, oxybenzone, homosalate, and octinoxate, which disrupt your hormones.

If you are going to use sunscreen we suggest finding a brand that is zinc-based and has as few ingredients as possible (this one is good)!

How to safely tan

✅ Start slow!

Don’t go from 0 to 100. Instead, gradually build up your tolerance and tan. 

✅ Eat an animal-based diet!

Foods like liver and steak are rich in many nutrients your body requires in order to safely process UV light from the sun, including Vitamin A, cholesterol, saturated fats and copper.  

✅ Eliminate seed oils!

It is amazing how many people report no longer burning once they remove seed oils from their diet. This is because excess linoleic acid causes mitochondrial damage in our cells, greatly increase our skins susceptibility to burning.  

✅ Don’t wear sunglasses!

UV light entering our eyes triggers a bunch of positive hormonal responses including melatonin and serotonin production. Sunglasses interfere with this!

Radical Health Hero Of The Week 👊

Meet Keely!

She told us:

“I’ve been taking Mood, Memory & Brain and Skin, Hair & Nails for two weeks and the improvements in my health and well-being are already astounding!

These supplements (plus an animal-based diet) make me feel beautiful again.

I have reduced my acne significantly, grown and strengthened my nails (which used to splinter off before they even got past my finger bed), and strengthened my hair, which is now so shiny.

It’s truly like I’ve recovered a healthy body and brain I didn’t know had been taken away from me and had come to accept as possible only through medication and cosmetics.”

We are STOKED for Keely’s success in transforming her health!!! 🙌

That’s all from us this weekend! Have a radical weekend with plenty of sunshine 🌞 

The Heart & Soil Team