What We Ate This Week & Sun Exposure
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #128 [vol4, 4.2]
What We Ate This Week
Breakfast - baked oatmeal / granola with greek yogurt + Easter ham
Sheet Pan Shawarma - something like this but also with shredded cabbage. No olives or tomatoes. Gluten-free.
Creamy Mexican Chicken except with beef, GF.
Mexican Lasagna - crowd pleaser, freezes well, GF.
Jam Bars - use what ya got. Not GF but probably could be.
Burritos - like mentioned here - make a bunch and freeze them. I used an Easter ham bone to make a delicious pot of beans.
Kombucha - since we packed up our house in Little Rock over a year ago I’ve been a kombucha slacker. Lazy maker at best. This week I committed to jumping back on the consistency train - esp, since we drink more in warmer weather.
Is Sun Exposure All Bad?
Sun exposure to skin is vital for the synthesis of vitamin D. We’ve all heard how crucial vitamin D is for our immune system AND that most Americans are deficient.
Other benefits of moderate sun exposure:
improves sleep
strengthens bones
encourages our mental health, fights depression
keeps weight off
reduces blood pressure
I LOVE THE SUN! But I don’t love wrinkles or sun spots.
2 Things to Keep Wrinkles at Bay
Moisturize, moisturize, MOISTURIZE!
Reduce sun exposure - with sunscreen, hats, rash guards, etc.
The sun emits beneficial vitamin D as well as harmful UVA and UVB rays. In fact, the best way for our bodies to absorb vitamin D is skin exposure to the sun.
I don't fear the sun at the pool. We go slow in the beginning -- increasing our sun exposure. We slather up the first weeks of summer. By the end of summer sunscreen isn't necessary. However, Schaeffer our whitest whitey wears a rash guard to cover upper arms and neck. If we go to the lake or beach we definitely slather.
No one protects your health like you will so educate yourself on what you need to know.
The beauty industry is largely unregulated and has some nasty chemicals.
Cheap sunscreens (and even some expensive ones) can be toxic. The skin is our largest organ - so if you find yourself frequently slathering with sunscreen, please please PLEASE be sure yours isn't toxic. The Skin Deep Database by the Environmental Working Group is a good place to check.
People often ask which sunscreen I use - and is there something cheaper than Beautycounter? I have been using Beautycounter sunscreen exclusively for 5 years because most mineral sunscreens are a pain to apply. This is the best sunscreen I've found. And of note: sunscreen is the one product I do not get full commission on because it is more expensive to produce. I genuinely love the sunscreen from Beautycounter.
Chemical or Physical Barriers?
Mineral based sunscreens, also known as broad spectrum sunscreens, are my choice because they physically block both UVA (wrinkle causing) and UVB rays (skin burning). Mineral based sunscreens are not absorbed into the skin. They sit on top and deflect both UVA and UVB rays. Mineral sunscreens often get a bad reputation because of their difficulty to apply (another reason I am a fan of Beautycounter’s.)
Note: just because it is a mineral sunscreen doesn’t mean it is safe. I have looked up some very toxic mineral sunscreens on the Skin Deep Database. You have to be an informed consumer.
Don’t want to keep up with all the chemicals?
Beautycounter’s sunscreen is a safer option and all we took to Fiji when we lived there 6 months (& I wasn’t a consultant then.)
Spray sunscreens are doubly bad because they're also bad for your lungs. Beautycounter's is air powered but non-aerosol.
In summer, I wear Dew Skin everyday on my face. It's a tinted moisturizer with SPF, some call it BB cream.
We also like Countersun Daily Sheer Defense for Face. It has a matte texture whereas Dew Skin has a glowy finish. My people don't complain when I put sunscreen on them because this sunscreen doesn't feel gross. It feels like moisturizer. My husband has melasma (dark spots from thyroid issues) on his neck and the sun makes them darker. Our youngest is a fair lad so he needs allll the sunscreen. We just use it on the face, neck and ears because it is too expensive to use all over.
We use this all over body sunscreen also a smaller size at the pool.
There's also a stick that's great for your purse and a tinted air-powered sunscreen.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - Life feels hard some days more than others. I am focusing on memorizing Scripture to keep my mind on things above. This month I am working on the first half of Psalm 34. This week I have reflected on verses 4 & 7: “I sought the LORD and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”