Man flu is real:

Study finds estrogen protects women against influenza virus.

The Sydney Morning Herald says, “Men across the world who complain of sickness and are dismissed as having “man flu” have been vindicated by a new study which has found that female hormones actually protect women against the influenza virus.

The study published on Wednesday in the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, found that the female sex hormone estrogen has antiviral effects against the influenza A virus.”

I am eternally grateful for this report because I have been battling the worst case of “man flu” in nearly seventy years, for more than three weeks now, and there appears to be no end in sight. My immune system appears to be shot to bits regardless of how much good food I eat and how much exercise I do (or have I been over-training?).

My dear wife has also fallen victim to the same malady and the blood test she had taken revealed she was low on Vitamin D. In other words, we need more time in the sun.

It is amazing when you start researching these things just how many people around the world whose bodies are low on Vitamin D and they don’t even know. That’s why I thought I should pen this timely reminder.

You may not realize it but Vitamin D affects all sorts of things to do with our daily good health. Having optimal levels of D Vitamins is essential for calcium absorption. A deficiency of Vitamin D can be one of the factors that leads to osteoporosis as you get older. We need to be able to maintain normal calcium metabolism for bone growth and to assist in peak bone mass.

Adequate Vitamin D is also required to help maintain muscle strength as well as healthy nervous and immune systems. I can now understand why sitting in the sun when you are feeling a bit off helps make you feel so much more human.

There is no doubt, being out in the sun has great effects on your mind and body.

If you live in an area where there is plenty of sun, it shouldn’t be so hard to get out into the sunshine but, if you live in an area of the world that has many overcast days, and this is where so many people have trouble, you should be able to find at least a few days where you can find some sunshine to bask in.

Vitamin D, or the good old sun is probably something we don’t tend to think about a lot but over the last few years, Dr Gabe Mirkin has reported on numerous studies linking vitamin D deficiency with various diseases: diabetes, heart attacks, at least 30 types of cancer, and autoimmune disease such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis so you can see, it is not something you should be taking lightly if you value your good health.

These findings certainly surprised me and got me thinking.

So what are the signs you may have a Vitamin D deficiency?

The only way to know for sure if you’re vitamin D deficient is via blood testing.

Dr Mercola states, “a Canadian study done by Dr. Knight showed that women who reported having the most sun exposure as a teenager and young adult had almost a 70 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer. Dr. Holick noted: “Studies have shown that if you improve your vitamin D status, it reduces risk of colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and a whole host of other deadly cancers by 30 to 50 percent. You’re correct. Cancer is a big deal. You need to realize that vitamin D is playing a very important role in helping to maintain cell growth and to help fight cancer when a cancer cell is developing in your body.”

Vitamin D also fights infections, including colds and the flu, as it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. In this interview above, Dr. Holick expounds on these and many other health benefits of Vitamin D.”

Here are 5 Health Benefits of Spending Time in the Sun

1. Spend time in the sun to get your daily Vitamin D intake.

The major source of vitamin D is being out in the sun. The UV rays of the sun will help build up vitamin D in your body so you won’t have to take a vitamin D supplement and as I always say, what you can get naturally is always way better than taking supplements.

Research has shown most people don’t have enough vitamin D in their system, which is essential for many bodily functions.

Rather than relying on vitamin D supplements, take your vitamin D through a walk in the sun with at least some of your body exposed to the UV rays of the sun. Be careful in really sunny areas as you don’t want to get sunburnt. You should always wear an appropriate rating of sunscreen to protect your skin, especially if you are fair and burn easily. Normally around twenty minutes is enough time to get your daily dose.

2. Spending time in the sun helps you be in nature.

There is nothing more relaxing than the scent of grasses, trees, and flowers. If you have the opportunity, you should try to spend time in one of the more natural parts of the world, such as a neighborhood park or other treed area.

You can take in the local wildlife, even if it is just birds and the locals walking their dogs.

Communicating with nature helps reduce stress and allows you to function better in your daily life. Even a half hour during your lunchbreak spent out in the sun can improve your productivity and will help you have a lot less stress at work.

3. Spending time in the sun reduces stress.

You will likely find that you are less stressed and happier when the day is sunny.
You can help increase this stress-reducing phenomenon by spending time outside, soaking up some golden rays. You can sit on a park bench in the sunshine and meditate a bit or take a walk in a sunny area, maybe along a river or lake.

You can process your stressors better in the sunshine and will have a lesser chance of being stressed afterward. Try getting out in the sun every day for at least a half an hour. You will immediately experience stress reduction and will find being in the sun to be an enjoyable and rewarding activity.

4. Sunlight can reduce cancer risk.

While you are at an increased risk of skin cancer if you burn your skin in the sun, sunshine can actually help reduce your risk of developing other cancers, especially if you choose to exercise in the sunshine.

Being in the sun, particularly if you live in an area that is at a lower latitude, you will have a decreased risk of getting prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma.

People who live in higher latitudes have a lesser exposure to the sun so they don’t get as much reduction in cancer risk when compared to those who live in lower latitudes, where the sun is the strongest.

5. Sunshine can help you sleep better.

Being out in the sunshine, especially if you do something relaxing or maybe exercise in the sunshine, will leave your body more relaxed afterward and this will aid in your having a better night’s sleep.

Just a half hour of sunshine per day has been found to help you get to sleep easier and will help you stay asleep longer. It really doesn’t matter what you do in the sunshine as long as you get out there and get some rays.

See you out in the sun – and take care.