Doesn’t it feel great to wake up to a beautiful, warm, sunny day? Most people say their days are always better when they start with sunshine, no matter what the weather is like later.

There’s are good reasons why they feel better with more sunshine–as well as lifting one’s spirits, the sun’s rays are actually good for you and can add healthy years to your life!

The physical benefits of the sun are something that the media has downplayed in recent years. In fact, we have been taught that the sun’s rays are deadlier than the strongest poison and will lead to cancer as well as prematurely aging our skin, destroying some cells and causing others to turn cancerous.

While there is some truth to this when we overexpose our skin to the sun, denying our bodies any sunlight is equally as fatal. Without sunlight our bodies cannot produce the vitamin D that is necessary for good health. Sunscreen, a multibillion dollar industry, relies on the myth that sunlight will shorten our lives.

A German study of 3,000 people with the average age of 62 showed that those with healthy levels of D are half as less likely to die as those who are deficient. Heart related deaths are more prevalent in those with low levels of vitamin D.

Allowing your bare skin to be exposed to the sun’s rays for ten to twenty minutes a day gives your body the natural light it needs to manufacture vitamin D.

The “sunshine vitamin” is necessary for organ health and is especially beneficial to your heart; cardiologists routinely test for D and carefully monitor its levels in their patients, prescribing supplements and even recommending brief exposure to daily sunlight.

It is a good idea to protect yourself if you intend to be outside all day but unless your body gets some unfiltered sunlight you could well be shortening your life by as much as a decade.

Sunlight also improves your mood and attitude. A good attitude has been proven to affect physical health and makes life much more enjoyable. It’s hard to be unhappy when your days are filled with sunshine and fresh air!

Sunshine boosts your levels of serotonin, the hormone that the body produces when you are happy. Serotonin also depresses the appetite so people who get more sunlight are less likely to be overweight or have trouble losing weight.

The rays of the sun on your body have also been proven to reduce the pain caused by inflammatory conditions like arthritis. They also encourage the body to make more white blood cells which strengthens your immune system.

There is enough variety in the weather of Costa Rica to keep it from being boring so don’t worry that you’ll get weary of the sun. There is the occasional shower during the dry season and daily brief rains in the rainy season.

But even in the rainy season it is sunny a significant part of the day. You’ll add years to your life with the healthy benefits on your body and your spirit when you decide to live in Costa Rica!

Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Raices en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.