Sunshine and "self abuse"

Outside is awesome. I have a sunshine high.

It's 80 degrees out, breezy and sunny. We filled up the kiddie pool, put the vegkids in our beast of a double stroller and took a mile walk, I got some laundry hung, then we hopped in the pool. I glanced over my shoulder at my "garden" and figured that was enough gardening for today.

Ahhh. There is just something about sunshine. I don't believe in sunscreen, so we are all sailing on a nice Vitamin D high right now. Now don't go killing my buzz with talk of skin cancer. We are all fair skinned at the VegHouse, and I know our limits. Plus, the sun is good for you. Did you know that there is just as much (if not more) cancer now as before the giant push for sun-saftey by the sunscreen industry in the 80s? You wanna know why? Sunshine is a (free!) and ultra natural source of Vitamin D. You've read the medical findings lately. Vitamin D deficiencies are thought to be the cause of all kinds of cancer and countless other ailments, and a moderate amount of D helps prevent all sorts of yuckiness. So now not only to we have to slather chemical sunscreen on every speck of exposed skin, it is now recommended we take an artificial Vitamin D suppliment every day. Huh. Makes sense. How about we skip the chemical sunscreen, spend a moderate amount of time in the sun, and soak up all that sun-shiny goodness? Don't believe me? Google it. This isn't high school so I'm not including a bibliography.

Up until the 1960s or so, a daily sunbath was recommended for good health. Check out this illustration from Vitalogy, "An encyclopedia of health and home; adapted for the home, the layman, the family" by E.H. Ruddock, MD, published 1899. (I collect vintage health books because they are awesome.)
(I figured I'd better bibliograph that bitch since it's copyrighted.)

See, they knew something about health back then. Of course the same book also warns against the dangers of masturbation, saying "self abuse" caused, "sore eyes, blindness, stupidity, consumption, spinal affection, emaciation, involuntary seminal emissions, loss of all energy or spirit, insanity and idiocy-the hopeless ruin of both body and mind," among many other symptoms. But then goes on to say, "These latter results do not always follow." Uh huh. Because they never do. It's a hilarious read, and if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. I also have a Better Homes and Gardens baby book my grandmother read while my mother was a baby in from 1956, and it has a picture of a baby bassinet out in the sun. I wouldn't really recommend putting an infant in direct sunlight, but for you an me, I'm sure it's fine. I'm too lazy to get a pic of it, so just trust me.

Getting back to the original subject... After you read my blog in it's awesome entirety, get off your lazy butt and go outside and enjoy the sun!