Dear Mark,
We’re heading into the winter months (it’s chilly even here in Atlanta!) and the days are getting shorter. As “Lights out: sleep, sugar, survival” taught us, we’re wired to handle seasonal patterns of sunlight exposure. What are your thoughts on maintaining a tan year round? Would you be better off letting your tan wane in the winter and switching from regular fish oil to cod liver oil to compensate for the vitamin D? To maintain a tan in the winter months would probably require a tanning booth, and I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on using those, even very occasionally. I’d love to see an article discussing this topic if you can get around to it. If you’ve already written one, could you point me in the direction of it?
Posted By: Mark Sisson
Remember how we’re always going off about the importance of getting enough vitamin D in your life? How outdoor activity – and vitamin D producing sunlight – is important for any Primal Blueprinter? It seems some recent scientific research is again making this point for us.
Posted By: Worker Bee
I get emails every day from people who are changing their lives for the better by following the guidelines I outline on this site. But many are looking for more of what the Primal Blueprint has to offer. That is to say, they want a comprehensive break down of the elements that make up the Blueprint; a Primal primer if you will. In coming weeks I will be going into detail – anthropological evidence, modern research, etc. – regarding this health philosophy, but I first want to offer up this summary of the Blueprint. I think it is a good starting point for what is to come.
In this extended article you will find the basic building blocks needed to discover the Primal side of your life. What does this mean? It means learning and understanding what it means to be human. It means using this knowledge to help you make important lifestyle choices. It means modeling your life after your ancestors in order to promote optimal health and wellness. And, most importantly, it means taking control of your body and mind.
If this article intrigues you be on the look out for a much more thorough explanation of how we can learn from our past to shape and mold our future.
My basic premise is this: The Primal Blueprint is a set of simple instructions (the blueprint) that allows you to control how your genes express themselves in order to build the strongest, leanest, healthiest body possible, taking clues from evolutionary biology (that’s the primal part).
Posted By: Mark Sisson
It’s probably of little surprise that we take issue with some of the Recommended Daily Allowance values and how they’re often determined. Case in point: New research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests that the current children’s RDA for Vitamin D (200 IUs) does not sufficiently support the “bone growth and musculoskeletal health of children and adolescents.”
The RDA value for children was set at 200 IUs because, unlike testing for adults’ dosage, there wasn’t adequate research into the benefits of higher amounts.
Vitamin D deficiency is a growing problem around the world, including in developed countries where children spend little time outside. Questions have existed for some time regarding the adequacy of the current RDA, particularly for older children and adolescents, who undergo a great deal of bone growth. As the researchers of this study note, Vitamin D levels during adolescence have bearing on a child’s future bone density and risk for other diseases.
Posted By: Worker Bee
Here’s what we’re talking about this morning, gang. We want your two cents’ worth on:
Sun
Though you only need a few minutes’ exposure, here’s yet another compelling reason to get a little sunshine daily if you are able to take advantage of it. Vitamin D appears to help prevent both breast and colon cancer, and doctors say the best source is natural sunlight. Experts disagree about ideal exposure times. Fair-skinned recommendations range from 3 minutes to 15 minutes, while darker-skinned individuals may be fine with up to an hour of sunlight daily. Don’t fry to a crisp, though – and a tanning bed is not the same thing.
Posted By: Sara
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