If I have your phone number, I probably owe you an apology. Instead, I made you this card.

Email me. If I don’t answer in 48 hours, text me.

If I don’t answer then I probably just don’t want to talk to you. Go away.

(Just kidding. Sort of. Ok, not really. Stop calling me.)

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers,
but for the wide world’s joy.

Henry Ward Beecher

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, afflicting one in five Americans (one in three Caucasians) and accounting for nearly half of all cancer cases in the US.

It only takes one blistering burn to increase your risk of skin cancer.

And kids and teens are especially at risk, as they’re more likely to seek out sunshine year round.

That being said, it’s also important that we don’t overreact and keep them indoors any more than strictly necessary. The average American kid spends just 4-7 minutes daily in unstructured outdoor play, a factor that has been tied to childhood obesity, stress, falling fitness levels and decreasing learning ability.

In addition, the sun and the vitamin D it supplies contain their own health benefits.

Top 10 Health Benefits of Sunshine

1. Reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes. Once considered an adult-onset disease, type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in our kids. It’s a lifelong disease, and harder to treat in the young.  Some studies suggest that vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing it (one study found that those with high levels were 40% less likely than those with low levels).

2. Reduce cancer risk. There are lessened mortality rates for 15-20 types of cancer in regions of higher solar UVB exposure, particularly for breast, colon, and rectal cancer. Those patients who had higher vitamin D blood levels when diagnosed had nearly twice the survival rate of those with the lowest levels.

3. Strong bones for better bone health. Vitamin D boosts calcium absorption for strong bones, which means you’re less likely to develop bone diseases, fractures and osteoporosis.

4. Protect eye health. Vitamin D has been tentatively linked to lower incidence of cataracts, and studies indicate good D levels correlate to a lowered risk of macular degeneration as you age.

5. Boost immunity. Researchers believe that vitamin D is integral to proper function of the body’s T cells— the immune system’s first line of defense.

6. Improve metabolism; fight obesity. Several studies show correlation between sun exposure and an increase in metabolism, although the reasoning isn’t cut and dry. One hypothesis that makes a lot of sense to me is that decreased time in the sun leads the body to believe it’s winter, causing the body’s metabolic processes to shift into a winter fat-storing mode. More about that here.

7. Lower blood pressure. The warmth of the sun can improve circulation, and heightened vitamin D levels have been shown to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive subjects— perhaps as effectively as medication.

8. Reduce stroke risk. There are likely a lot of factors at work here, but in one survey people who lived in areas with less sun exposure had a stroke risk that was 60% higher than those who lived in sunshine-y regions.

9. Sleep better. Daily time in the sun helps to regulate circadian rhythms for a better night’s sleep. And sleep has its own host of health benefits.

10. Feel better. Sunshine has been shown time and again to improve mood, fight Seasonal Affective Disorder and lessen stress. Not to mention, we’re more likely to MOVE when we’re outside basking in the sun. And physical activity is definitely good for you!

Vitamin D deficiency is also implicated in a lot of other health complaints, from muscle pain to the resurgence of rickets (!) in children.

Is vitamin D from sunlight better than taking supplements?

Well, it’s complicated. Current health recommendations lean toward limiting sun exposure, a logical conclusion when you take into account the incidence of skin cancer.

However, given that vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies (some say the most common, while others give that distinction to iron) and the many ways D is beneficial for the body and mind, I’m championing sunshine, enjoyed responsibly, supplemented by diet.

Here’s why:

• 400 IU of vitamin D per day for infants and between 600 IU and 800 IU for adults is recommended, depending on age. Your body can produce that in minutes with sun exposure.
• We evolve slowly over time. Our bodies are made to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight, forming D3, which has hormonal advantages over other forms of vitamin D.
• D3 is also better absorbed than other forms. More evidence that our bodies optimize what we receive from the sun, because we have evolved that way.
• You can overdose on D in supplement form (D2). It’s nearly impossible to do that from sun exposure and diet— your body can tolerate enormous amounts of D3, probably because the body is capable of producing so much when allowed to. Chalk up another one for all-natural.

The solution? It’s so easy.

GET OUTSIDE MORE.

Wear your sunscreen— no sunscreen blocks 100% of the sun’s rays— but make a point of frequently getting out there to get short doses of golden sun.

Take frequent breaks to stretch your legs and breathe in some fresh air.

Go for walks.

Play at the park with the kids.

Garden.

Whatever. You’ll get more vitamin D. You’ll be moving more and sitting less. You’ll be pumping fresh air into your lungs instead of the still, chemical-laden air of our sealed-up buildings. You’ll enjoy the mental benefits of communing with nature and taking a break.

It’s win-win-win-win. And then win some more.

I’m gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up

I’m gonna tell ‘em that

I’ve got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I’m looking up

I’m gonna soak up the sun

-Sheryl Crow

These are my very favorite days of the year, when the air is still somewhat cool but the sun is deliciously warm on my bared shoulders. It feels new and luxurious, and the promise of an entire summer basking in the sunshine unfurls ahead of me.

Of course, we’re past the days where we could just bask. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US, affecting one in five (one in three Caucasians). More than 90% of all skin cancers occur due to sun exposure.

Just five lifetime sunburns or one blistering burn doubles your chance of melanoma, and kids, with their tender skin and tendency to seek out the sunshine, are especially at risk.

Complicating things is the recent revelation that some sunscreens may actually CONTRIBUTE to your cancer risk, as they chemically change your skin, break down in sunlight and throw off free radicals.

It’s really important to make sure you and the kids are fully protected whenever you are outdoors for an extended period of time (which you should do a lot! Getting outside in the sunlight and MOVING is healthy in so many ways!).

Our favorite ways to get outside and soak up the sun:

• Soccer! Football! We’re on the fields 3 afternoons a week (sometimes 4) and alllllll day Saturday.
• Basketball. I love me some hoopin’.
• Playtime at the park. Cass and Mav hit the playground while Jake skateboards and I run, 3 times a week.
• Hiking to the creek and skipping stones.
• Break out the bikes!
• Backyard picnics
• The pool and the beach
• Frisbee (you know how I love my Frisbee baseball)
• Hanging out at the farmer’s market
• Outdoor concerts
• Just lying in the grass. And nothing-doing.

I’m veddy veddy picky about the sunscreens we use. It’s an ongoing struggle to find something that Cass can wear without burning, that won’t cause my hands to break out in hives or anger Jake’s eczema, is relatively sweatproof (we are sweaty people), doesn’t cost a small fortune and isn’t a huge pain in the arse to apply.

Not asking much, right?

I have a very short list of sunscreens that make the cut that maybe I’ll make into its own blog post, but today I’m talking about the latest one that made the grade: Beyond Coastal.

Beyond Coastal Sunscreens are:

• gluten free
• cruelty free
• fragrance free
• oxybenzone free
• nanoparticle free
• paraben free
• oil free
• reef safe and biodegradable
• full of moisturizers and antioxidants
• made with the outdoor athlete in mind
• manufactured in the USA with renewable energy
• top rated by the Environmental Working Guide and rated well for health on the Good Guide

And effective. Cass wore the Kids Natural sunscreen on the (shadeless and hot as hades on a cloudless day) athletic fields all day, through playing a sweaty 8:30am soccer game and watching her brother’s game in the midday sun, then running around with her toddler cousin in the yard, without a hint of pink on her fair skin.

With my sensitivity to fragrance and tendency to break out in hives, I was most concerned with those factors, and the Active sunscreen suited just fine. The scent is light and I kinda like it. No irritation, no hives, none of that really heavy sticky feel— I wore it running and I didn’t feel totally disgusting afterwards (well, no more so than usual).

Best feature from a mom standpoint, aside from the skin safety? Cass didn’t mind putting it on her face (usually a bitter battle). The deoderant-stick-tube made it easy for her to put it on herself, and she actually commented on how it didn’t hurt when she put it on her eyelids (good girl! I tend to forget eyelids, but she remembered because it’s her least favorite part).

Giveaway!

We’ve got a Beyond Coastal prize pack to give to one reader, to help keep their family sun safe as they get outside. Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter widget to enter: there are up to 12 possible entries, use as many as you like

Be sure to check out the Beyond Coastal website; they’re offering 25% off your order when you sign up for their newsletter, and free shipping for the month of May (it’s Skin Cancer Awareness Month). Keep up with future deals by “liking” the Beyond Coastal page on Facebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received Beyond Coastal sunscreen products through Global Influence to try out for review purposes, and the company is providing another set for giveaway. I received no other compensation and as always, all opinions are entirely my own ramblings, based on thorough and repeated use.