Since summer began I've been meaning to write a blog post on all of the myths surrounding skin cancer, and then this week our friend Colin from Raw Revelations shared a video on FB about this very topic. The video via Natural News thoroughly covers the entire topic of skin cancer, sunscreen and vitamin D. So rather than taking the time to write a new post this week, I'm going to enjoy our vacation in Napa Valley and suggest that everyone take 20 minutes to watch this video. It's full of good info.

Main Points: (in case you don't have time for the video)

• Sunlight alone doesn't cause skin cancer.
• Sun block is bad for you and contains chemicals that are likely to cause cancer.
• What matters are the levels of antioxidants in your system.
• Nutritional deficiencies combined with sunlight are what causes sun damage.
• The way to avoid sunburn is to increase antioxidant intake, which also decreases cancer risks.
• Vitamin D deficiency is a major health concern.
• Vitamin D prevents cancer in 4 out of 5 cases.
• We cannot absorb calcium without Vitamin D.

Bottom Line: Sunlight + good nutrition prevents sunburn and cancer.

It can take awhile to build up antioxidants in your system to protect your skin from sun damage. In the meantime, use common sense and either limit the length of exposure or use an all natural mineral-based sun block that doesn't contain cancer-causing chemicals. You can find these at any natural foods market.

For the past year, we were blessed to live within 5 minutes of a Whole Foods Market, which meant easy access to fresh, certified organic produce. We loved it! That changed this month after moving to an area of Southern California that doesn't have a Whole Foods store nearby. We're now realizing what a challenge it can be to find organic produce. Truth be told, we now keep 2 coolers in our car and grocery shop on the days we're in LA or Orange County (near WF) because we're too spoiled to give it up. 

For those of you that don't have the luxury of a market filled with organic options, the Environmental Working Group has put out a fantastic chart to help educate the public about the worst pesticide offenders. "The dirty dozen" as they call it, are the produce that you absolutely MUST buy organic for the sake of your health. The top 15 on the list are the cleanest available conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that aren't "as bad" as long as they are washed thoroughly. Although, if you have concerns about genetically modified products, like we do, then you may want to commit to going organic across the board. 

via Environmental Working Group

If you aren't familiar with the Environmental Working Group, check out their site here. 
They also have a database on cosmetic safety that is not to be missed!

You can follow them on Facebook at this link.