RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Ultraviolet sunlight reacts with the fat in your body. If you tan alot & have a diet consisting of bad fats/junk foods/soda, free radicals will form from the sun rays, damaging your skin cells & could cause cancer. To combat this, wear sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) & eat healthy nutrient rich high antioxidant foods (fruit, veggies & whole grains).

Diets that are high in animal fats, junk foods, soft drinks, vegetable oils, hydrogenated oils, animal/vegetable shortenings & dairy products are associated with an increased risk of skin cancer. Eating a high fat diet & spending lots of time in the sun is a bad combination.

Again, the UV rays of the sun react with the fats in your body. The end result? Free radicals form. They damage your cells & can lead to cancer. Overexposure & underprotection to sunlight may play a role but the real culprit is a diet high in fat & low in antioxidants and nutrients.

If you eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you will be getting lots of nutrients & antioxidants, that will help prevent the formation of free radicals. This has a protective effect. Fresh, plant foods are very important in helping your body be able to handle exposure to sunlight. Antioxidants protect your skin from burning too quickly. They also prevent premature aging.