You are my sunshine.

“You are my sunshine” - Jimmie Davis.

Sunshine.

I find it hard to believe that an entity so powerful that without it, there would be no universe, never mind life on Earth, needs to be demonised as something we should avoid. The Sun gets a bad rap, considering it's absolutely free-no government has found a way of taxing it yet.

We are regularly reminded NOT to leave the house without slathering our face with thick sunblock and donning a Tilly hat.

The Sun is life-giving and healing, as it provides essential light and heat for life on Earth, allowing plants to grow and producing vitamin D in humans through exposure to its rays, which is crucial for bone health. Key points about the sun's healing properties:

Vitamin D production:
Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, which is vital for bone health and immune function.

Mood boost:
Exposure to sunlight can increase serotonin levels in the brain, which is associated with improved mood and reduced depression symptoms - I can verify that in my early days of menopause taming, I quite often could have thrown myself off a cliff.

Melatonin:

Sunlight exposure produces melanin in the skin. Melanin is a chemical that the pineal gland uses to produce melatonin.

Melatonin levels rise in the evening, signalling the body to wind down. In the good old days, you could buy Melatonin from health food shops, but here in the UK, it’s prescription only - due to misuse and folk becoming addicted, I believe that fuelled Vodka sales and now everyone has liver problems instead.

So, get yourself some natural, unfiltered ( no sunscreen) sunlight in the early morning, preferably. Your eyes are a natural filter, so ditch those cool Aviators and soak up those healing rays. Even if you live somewhere a bit gloomy (like Hull), you must get out - the sun is still up there. 20 minutes minimum - longer if possible.

Years ago, the Victorians thought it crass to have anything but pale, alabaster skin, as working outside was for the poor. Hence, sun parasols. In the 1970s, it was really hip to have a suntan in the winter, as it showed that you had money to fly further afield.

It’s all just bullshit, really - it says absolutely nothing about your health. We all feel better with some healthy colour on our skin, but we don’t need to look like Madge off Benidorm.

I only know about Madge because when my daughter got married in July, I thought it was a smart idea to get a very expensive St Tropez self-tan in a very expensive hotel spa.

It was patchy and unnaturally brown. When I tried to scrub it off, my ex-husband gleefully pointed out that I looked like Madge. So, I looked her up, and although horrified, he wasn’t wrong.

As a regular visitor to Ibiza in the summer, I'm usually at the beach for sunrise. By 11 a.m., I’m done for the day until the last hour before sunset. I don't use sunscreen, burn, or suffer from peeling skin; I just apply lots of coconut oil in the morning and evening to nourish my skin.

If you feel that you need to wear sunscreen, please do your due diligence and research, and don’t put just any nasty toxins on your skin.

By the way, you should never lie in the unfiltered, scorching midday sun without any sun protection - that would just be silly.