Sensationalist reporting may have scared you into believing that the sun is nothing but skin cancer waiting to strike you and the only way to prevent it is using SPF 100 (which, if you read this article, is really just kind of overkill). In reality, the sun's UV rays are the main producer of Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin which isn't overabundant in nature except in foods high in Omega 3s and those fortified with it such as milk, cereal and good ol' OJ.

Vitamin D is largely responsible for the proper mineralization of bone but also promotes the absorption of calcium, also a big contributor to the skeletal system. In the 19th century, studies were performed on patients with rickets and found that doses of cod liver oil, the best edible source of Vitamin D, were able to reverse the effects of the disease and in 1930 milk began to be fortified with it. With that, rickets, which was known for its telltale bone deformation, became as irrelevant to the modern world as scurvy.

Whenever cases are reported today  it is usually in people who spend a majority of their day indoors (homebound individuals, office workers, video gamers), and those with darker skin as the higher levels of melanin block some absorption of the sun's rays. A recent study published by Kaiser Permanente has also shown that women over 65 who had insufficient levels of Vitamin D tended to gain more weight than those who kept their Vitamin D at adequate levels as they aged.

Now don't get us wrong; we are in no way promoting gallivanting about in the sun all day- you don't need much exposure to get your fill and besides, sunburns and melanoma are serious reasons to refrain from such activities- nor are we defaming the name of sunscreen (in fact, sunscreen is the only "beauty" product which does prevent premature aging and it should be a part of everyone's daily toilette). But you remember how overuse of hand sanitizer bred super resilient bacteria, right?

If the infamous "they" are saying something, it's probably as fact based as a rumor. Do your research too. Don't forget "everything in moderation", protect yourself and especially kids who are more susceptible to sun damage, and absolutely do enjoy your time outdoors this summer.

The school year comes to an end and the summer gets into full swing! It's great to see everyone coming down to the market every Sunday morning!

If you were not previously aware, there is often someone from WEFM at the white tent at the west end (the most fitting place of course) of the parking lot ready to answer your questions or just chat, in Spanish and Japanese too! Every weekend there is a cooler of water for sale and a bottle of sunscreen for your use at our table so come on by!

We have recieved some questions lately and thought to answer them here so they are more easily viewable by all.

Too often, skin care is placed under the umbrella of "Beauty" rather than "General Health". Skin, however, is the body's largest organ and the first line of defense for the rest of them. It is able to convey the goings-on of your insides by becoming warm if you are fighting and infection, developing a rash to alert of an allergy, etc... Yes, even the unsightly zits that "totally ruined high school" were little notices from your epidermis that the potato chip diet wasn't the most nutritious and to maybe grab an orange instead. Despite the aesthetic issues which take precedence a lot of the time, do remember all those times your skin has let you know what was up and devote some of the same attention given to your heart, liver or lungs. Especially now as the sunny weather becomes a bigger part of our leisure time, take a moment to reflect on how well you treat your skin considering how hard it works for you.

So, after you find a gift for your dad or grad, pick up a little something for that special layer of cells which will take the heat for you while you're at the beach.