9 Tools and Strategies for a Life in the Sun

June 20, 2023Stefano Guzzardi

1. Watch the sun at sunrise

Observe the sunrise sun to prepare your body for the more intense sun exposure that follows. The first thing you should do, after getting out of bed, is go outside, look at the sun (or try to find it if it's cloudy), and put your bare feet on natural terrain like a meadow or beach. No computers, artificial blue light, coffee, tablets, or cell phones! Expose your eyes and skin as much as possible to the sunrise light to acquire crucial light information: you'll align your circadian rhythm perfectly, just like our ancestors (we'll write a whole article dedicated to circadian rhythms).

Morning sunlight has just the right frequencies to wake your body and prepare it to absorb more sun over the next few hours: it contains more “blue light,” more infrared, and less UV rays.

Perhaps you didn't know that the first light of day stimulates the physiological production of adrenal hormones, especially cortisol , which peaks during this time of day. Cortisol acts as a natural wake-up call, is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and also supports cellular metabolic processes.

Important note : Don't drink coffee immediately after waking up, as this inhibits the body's natural cortisol production, potentially having negative repercussions throughout the day. Wait at least a couple of hours before sipping it, without sugar, of course.

2. Consume food sources of Vitamin A

Vitamin A absorbs UV light and protects it from damage ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14708621 ), so having a good "storage" of it is a huge advantage for sun protection, a mechanism that starts from within the body.

Unfortunately, there is a general vitamin A deficiency in the Western population today, and it is therefore advisable to seek out food sources.

Liver is the world's richest source of vitamin A. Your body absorbs even more when eaten raw, especially if it comes from grass-fed cattle. If you're exposed to the sun frequently, it's ideal to consume liver daily, especially during certain times of the year.

We know that finding quality liver isn't easy these days, especially for those living in large cities. That's why you can conveniently supplement it with natural, raw grass-fed liver capsules, without even noticing its flavor. ( Buy our 100% grass-fed liver capsules .)

Here is a ranking of the 10 natural foods (animal and plant) with the highest concentration of vitamin A:

Beef liver (approximately 16,898 IU per 100g)
Chicken liver (approximately 12886 IU per 100g)
Calf liver (approximately 9996 IU per 100g)
Carrots * (approximately 8350 IU per 100g)
Spinach * (approximately 4690 IU per 100g)
Sweet potatoes * (approximately 1922 IU per 100g)
Salmon (about 352 IU per 100g)
Red peppers * (about 313 IU per 100g)
Cantaloupe melons * (approximately 169 IU per 100g)
Apricots * (approximately 96 IU per 100g)

*IMPORTANT NOTE : Plants do not contain vitamin A itself, but beta-carotene, its precursor. Our bodies require two enzymatic steps to convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is inefficient. The bioavailability of plants (the fraction of vitamin A that becomes available to the body) is very low.

As you can see, the liver comes first , and taking vitamin A from animal sources and not from vegetables is much more convenient for our body: this is the great strength of our 100% grass-fed liver capsules 😋

3. Don't use sunscreen

We know this is at odds with all the guidelines, what the news says, and popular knowledge, but consider this:

Sunscreen allows you to stay in the sun longer than you would without it, which can cause sunburn.
Some sunscreen ingredients are chemical bombs that are harmful to the skin (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene).
They CANCEL the production of vitamin D from the sun . It has anti-tumor activity, as well as supporting the immune system and protecting the bone system. Consider also that the majority of the Italian and European population suffers from a severe endemic vitamin D deficiency!
It reduces the skin's natural tan (which is protective).
Residues of creams and oils pollute the water .

What can you do to avoid causing damage to your skin from sun exposure?

Let's also consider that for millions of years, our ancestors lived outdoors and in the sun without the use of sunscreen to hunt, mate, and spend their entire lives. These ancient peoples thrived in health, precisely because they followed a healthy lifestyle and diet, connected to the rhythms of nature: we, too, descend from them, and our bodies have a physiology and genetics that allow us to live in the sun (and, again, thrive in doing so). Today, indigenous tribes such as the Hadza, Bushmen, and Maasai still live according to these principles and are studied by anthropologists precisely to understand their perfect state of health.

4. ANIMAL-BASED (AB) diet (or "carnivore-style")

This is a very underestimated and for many unexpected point: what you eat determines your risk of sunburn .

Sunburn is caused by the oxidation of polyunsaturated fats and other substances that accumulate on the skin and heat up when exposed to sunlight.

What to do:

don't eat vegetable seed oils (sunflower, rapeseed, peanut, etc.) and processed foods (snacks and all the junk from the supermarket), which are rich in this type of unsaturated fat;
Eat more quality saturated fats (beef, eggs, coconut oil, butter, ghee, lard, etc.).

Choose a carnivorous or carnivorous style diet (a term we freely use to indicate the “ animal-based ” eating style), that is, one composed mostly of foods of animal origin : pastured meat, game, organs, fresh fruit, raw milk and raw milk cheeses, honey, berries… all preferably high-quality and local.

Forget about the vegan or plant-based diet: it is not sustainable for your health, nor for the environment, and it is not even ethical (once again, this may seem contradictory to the mass information, perhaps we will dedicate a separate discussion to this topic).

An ANIMAL-BASED diet, on the other hand, is biocompatible with our physiology and evolutionary history. It can be environmentally sustainable and even regenerative if it comes from pastured animals (you can search for topics on regenerative agriculture and holistic livestock management, such as the Savory Institute ). It is also rich in quality animal fats, excellent for protecting against sunburn and melanoma.

5. Coconut oil instead of sunscreen and aftersun

As a lotion: Apply extra virgin coconut oil (also available on Amazon) to your skin before sun exposure. Look for a neutral one if you don't like the taste of coconut on your skin. It has SPF 5!

You can also use coconut oil as an aftersun : its fats, such as lauric acid, are absorbed by the skin, helping to hydrate and are useful for recovery/repair.

6. Consume Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants: it can help prevent sunburn and acts as a kind of internal sunscreen.

Astantaxin is red in color and is nicknamed “the king of carotenoids ”: it is what gives the flesh of salmon, crab, lobster, and shrimp their pink hue.

In fact, it's found naturally in: wild salmon (only wild-caught, not farmed), lobster, shrimp, krill, and some algae. It can also be found in dietary supplement form.

7. Develop your “Solar Callus” before heavy exposures

Obviously, if you're not used to being in the sun, you won't be able to endure hours of sun exposure straight away, and this is the mistake most people make . You go on vacation to the beach after spending a year stuck in an office: white skin and hours in the sun. The result is the infamous sunburn, which should always be avoided. The only way to buffer a year spent indoors, being sedentary, and with a poor diet is to use protective sunscreen. It's a bit like taking a medication after a life of excess and vice.

8. Don't wear sunglasses

This too may sound controversial to some, even anti-commercial, but perhaps that's precisely why it should catch your attention.

Your body absorbs the most light information through your eyes. When you wear sunglasses, your body and brain think as if they were indoors and in the evening, even though your skin may be exposed to strong sunlight.

As a result, the body's defense systems don't adequately prepare for sun exposure, and it doesn't send signals to the skin as it would if your eyes were uncovered. For most occasions, don't wear them! Instead, consider a hat to create a more natural shadow over your eyes, especially if they are light-colored.

9. Watch the sunset

Sunset is the time of greatest exposure to natural red frequency light, which promotes healing and recovery throughout our body.

There are also therapies that use artificial infrared light (see photobiomodulation ) at these frequencies to treat trauma and injuries, as well as increase the natural endogenous production of testosterone and sex hormones. The information from red light is essential for repair, especially after days in the sun, as well as aligning the correct circadian rhythm and setting a natural sleep cycle. Try it and you'll see: after a week of watching sunsets, you'll fall asleep like a baby, especially if you have trouble falling asleep or getting the quality of your sleep.

So make sure you absorb as much of the beneficial red light as possible at sunset.

These were the 9 main strategies to enjoy the benefits of the Sun to the fullest, without incurring harm from King Apollo 🌞.

We've already tested these points ourselves and would be thrilled if any of you, curious, open-minded, and critical, could try them out for yourself, as is our style. Please write to us and let us know; we greatly appreciate your feedback and discussions.

See you soon Carnivores 🥩

Article by:

Stefano Guzzardi

Dr. Samuele Valentini