Health Benefits of Sunshine

I'm writing from my cold house in the middle of winter in the UK. My three top layers consisting of a T-shirt, jumper and a very thick cardigan are not stopping my nose from running and my fingers from going numb.

I live in a eco friendly house that is fully insulated, yet still the heat is no where to be felt. This was until I popped outside and stood in the full sunshine. Wow what a lovely day, it may be cold outside but the feeling of the Sun's warmth just makes me feel good. Ok you might be thinking I'm a SAD sufferrer, I don't think so I just like the Sun, who doesn't?

The Sun has so many benefits to your health, it makes the body produce Vitamin D which in turn helps the absorbtion of calcium, essential for healthy bones. Sunshine is great for your eyes, having them closed and looking directly at the sun has supposedly great benefits for eyesight; I have personally noticed that my vision appears much clearer after spending a day sunbathing. Sunshine gives us a feeling a general well being. Spending an entire Summer's day outdoors just makes everything seem great.

It is a shame that we live in a society where work has taken over our lives and having those couple of hours outdoors each day is difficult to come by. Stuck in an office, most people are lucky enough to get 30 mins of direct sunlight per day, no wonder more and more people are suffering from depression. Being outdoors is such a natural thing for our bodies and the need for sunlight should be adhered to. Try and make time in the day for your daily dose of sunshine and I can guarantee you will feel better for it.