Did you know that some sunlight on your skin in the early morning can help you lose weight? Yes, you heard it right, if you soak up a few rays of sun in the morning everyday then you tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) or a leaner physique than other people.
We all know that we can get Vitamin D from sunlight and Vitamin D is a fat soluble Vitamin so when our skin is exposed to sunlight the Cholesterol present in our body starts converting into Vitamin D. The sunlight penetrates our skin and reaches to the fat cells then lipid droplets reduce in size and release out of the cell. In simple words, sunlight shrinks fat cells and helps you to lose weight.
Getting a sufficient amount of sunlight is easier in summer because in winter sunlight is not that strong and due to cold weather people choose to stay indoors. Where 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure in summer is sufficient for our health but in winter you need to stay atleast 1 to 2 hours to get the similar amount of benefit from sunlight. So if you want to lose weight then make a habit of staying outside for sometime in the morning to boost your weight loss process. But if you cover yourself by sunscreen in those 15 to 20 minutes then your body will not get that benefit from sunlight.
However, many people in the US do not get enough sunlight in the morning because the Americans’ lifestyle is predominantly poorly lit indoors (200 – 300 lux). Research shows that 500 lux is best to have lower BMI.
Remember too much exposure to sunlight is also not good for your skin.
Apart from offering benefit on weight management, sunlight also helps to keep your bones strong, reduces stress, strengthens immune system and improves your sleep.
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