Photosynthesis- Do you remember that word from sixth grade science? I remember it as having something to do with the sun and its ability to work some kind of magic with plants. But,  let me add to that by saying that photosynthesis works its magic by transforming light energy into oxygen, which of course as we all know, both plants and people need in order to live.     

   Get Out Into the Light

Back in the day when I was a kid, playing outside was the normal thing to do. Our backyard was a playground for kickball, softball, and hide-and-go seek. There was also a sandbox where my little brother and I used our hands to smooth the sand into make-believe roads for our make-believe trucks. 

In our front yard we climbed an old oak tree and sat on its thick branches that extended  over the street. Occasionally, we’d  drop leaves onto the cars and buses that passed underneath our dangling feet. 

With a piece of chalk, we turned the sidewalk into a game of hop-scotch, and the driveway in our four-squares court. 

In winter, the snowfall in Nebraska gave plenty of material for building tunnels, forts and snowmen. Snowball fights were regular, common and ordinary as was sledding down one of the hilly streets in our neighborhood.  

Mom never had to tell us to go outside and play, instead, she had to tell us, “It’s time to come in.” 

I still enjoy outdoor activities; snowshoeing, bike riding, kayaking, hiking and camping, but now I know about the incredible benefits of spending time outside in natural light.  

Each person on this planet is equipped with a suprachiasmatic, or SNC, located in our brain. SCN is our principal circadian clock, directing the daily cycles of behavior and physiology that set the tempo of our lives. 

The three-millimeter holes in our skull, where the optic nerves travel through, are the primary way our body knows what time it is. When natural light is transmitted through our eyes, our body’s proper biology is turned on. But if our body receives irregular phototic light signals, such as experiencing unnatural light when it is dark outside or being indoors when it is light outside, our metabolism is disturbed and over time, reeks havoc within our cells. 

Not only does sunlight help us maintain the natural rhythm in our body’s cells, sunlight impacts our mood which is interconnected with our metabolic health. From personal observation, I’ve noticed that people are generally happier and more energetic when the sun is shining while cloudy days cause more people to stay inside and sink into moodiness. 

Why bother going outside? Sunlight has been created for us and we’ve been created for the sunlight. Getting outside can set everything that goes on inside of us, right.