{"id":2796,"date":"2019-05-15T14:16:44","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T18:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=2796"},"modified":"2024-01-02T09:40:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T14:40:26","slug":"sun-screams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2019\/05\/15\/sun-screams\/","title":{"rendered":"Sun Screams"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: The Tropics<\/h6>\n

“Tropical sun – it will burn the skin off your nose and the butter off your toast.” \u2013 Boris Spinovsky<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Coppertone<\/a>
There’s so much wrong with this ad when viewed with modern eyes, I had to include it.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the months slide by down here 12 degrees north of the equator, the Sun makes its inevitable way northwards. That’s great news for our solar cells, which are churning out the amps, but not so much for our refrigerator. The poor thing is working harder than ever to keep the Veuve-Cliquot<\/a> drinkably chilled. Now, with the sun glaring down, the risk of sunburn has increased significantly. This time of year, even reflected sunlight will sear your skin. (Ask me how I know.)<\/p>\n

Being something of an iconoclast, I generally reject with a firmly jerked knee all marketing hyperbole. Especially anything promoted as “good for me”. You say Lipitor, I say diet and exercise. You say Atkins, I say give me a big currant scone after my hike. You say Viagra, I say this is a family blog.<\/p>\n

Sunscreen<\/h6>\n

You say SPF 50, I say t-shirt. Sunscreen? Nope, don\u2019t use the stuff. It\u2019s medically unproven (in fact it may cause more harm than good), and worse it\u2019s slimy and bad for the fish. With 88 gallons of fresh water aboard Aleta, we have to limit our showers to all but super-funky emergencies. Yes, we have a watermaker, but it\u2019s a slow, energy-intensive process. Anything I can do to feel a little cleaner a little longer is better in my book. So it\u2019s off with the sunscreen and on with the t-shirt.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong. Dealing with sun exposure isn\u2019t trivial, particularly the math. Take SPF50*: Coppertone\u2019s marketing department says you can lay in the sun 50 times longer after basting in it and not burn. That begs the question: if I sunbathe au natural for 10 minutes before reaching for my t-shirt, why not bask for the next eight hours with suntan lotion on? Because I have other things to do, that\u2019s why! Good grief!<\/p>\n

SPFffft!<\/h6>\n

As for that part about suntan lotion being bad for you? Like refined sugar, too much of a good thing isn\u2019t healthy. Research (see links below) is showing that lack of sun exposure (thanks SPF) and the consequent reductions in vitamin D wreaks all kinds of havoc with your body. And your One-a-Day multivitamin isn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n

So forget all that stuff you’ve read. Expose your pasty body gradually. Start with 10 minutes and add little more each day. Just don\u2019t burn yourself! That\u2019s when the damage occurs. Note: it’s particularly important that kids don’t get sunburned. According to the experts it’s the single biggest predisposing factor for skin cancers later in life. (Too late now for me to accuse my mom of child neglect!)<\/p>\n

You say you\u2019re in hurry? I say take a longer holiday. Better living without<\/em> chemicals. C\u2019mon in. The water\u2019s fine!<\/p>\n

___________________________<\/p>\n

*please!<\/p>\n

Links to interesting things:<\/p>\n