You may have read our previous blog warning about the dangers of skin cancer during yoga holidays in Europe, (if not it’s here) and while covering up is a must in the sun, we should also be mindful of the amount, or lack of, vitamin D we get.

Why is Vitamin D important?

Our body creates vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunshine, without it we can become ill. Vitamin D deficiency is a major problem, especially in the UK where sun exposure is rather limited to around two months of the year. In the past, vitamin D deficiency was linked with rickets, but recently it’s become evident that a number of other conditions can manifest including muscle weakness and osteoporosis.  Pregnant women are at risk of their babies being born with serious health conditions if they are vitamin D deficient.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include tiredness and a general feeling of being unwell, muscle weakness and pain when bones are under pressure. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all, which means that serious health conditions such as rickets can develop without warning. Evidence also suggest that those who live furthest from the equator are at higher risk of developing muscular sclerosis, due to lack of sun exposure. Scotland has the highest rates of MS in the world with around 10,000 sufferers.

So while on a yoga holiday in Europe, be sure to cover up in the sun to prevent burning and skin cancer, but make sure you do have some exposure in the mornings and evenings. It is also wise to eat plenty of oily fish. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency and so a vitamin D supplement may be beneficial, in particular D3.

Yoga holidays in Europe

We have some yoga holidays in Europe that offer plenty of sun, such as this retreat in a quiet beach town in Fuerteventura. The beach is a short walk away and surfing is available.

There are many other sunny yoga holidays on offer on our website, so you can top up your vitamin D and stay healthy. Remember that sun exposure is necessary for our health but too much can also be detrimental. For more information about health risks due to lack of Vitamin D (and right dosage) you can listen to the BBC Radio 4 Food programme (25min).

Next time we’ll be blogging about yoga retreats for first-timers.

The post Yoga Holidays in Europe are Good for your Health appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.

Do you treat your skin with care when it comes to exposing it to sunshine?
Do you know how to read the first signs of skin cancer?

Be careful when jetting off to a yoga retreat this summer because the number of people developing the most deadly form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma – has increased five times since the 1970s new research has found.

Statistics by Cancer Research UK shows that 13,000 people every year develop this harmful skin cancer compared to just 1,800 people a year in the 1970s. The organisation suggests that many factors have contributed to this rise including the popularity of sunbeds and cheap package holidays to sunny destinations.  The number of people who develop non-melanoma skin cancer in the UK is in excess of 100,000 every year.

The first sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or patch on the skin that doesn’t heal after a few weeks. The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole. This can happen anywhere on the body, but most often the back, legs, arms and face are affected. The main difference between non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancer is that melanoma skin cancer spreads throughout the body very quickly thereby reducing your chances of survival dramatically.

Despite recovery success, skin cancer is a very serious type of cancer and cannot always be treated successfully. The main treatment for both non-melanoma and melanoma is surgery and if diagnosed early, surgery is usually successful. However, if the cancer is not caught early, then other treatments such as chemotherapy may be needed.

If you are setting off for one of yoga retreats this summer, it’s important to understand the skin cancer risk factors. These include:

• fair skin
• moles and freckles
• light coloured eyes
• a personal or family history of skin cancer
• a history of sunburn.

No doubt you will want to spend time in the sun during your yoga retreat, but don’t forget that sun damage is just that – damaging, and most of the time you won’t realise the damage until it’s too late. So make sure you stay in the shade for the first few days to let your skin adjust gradually. Guess what, even in the shade your skin tans, just slowly! And your body still creates that all important Vitamin D for which it requires the sun’s rays on the skin! (More on Vitamin D from BBC Radio 4.) See also our blog on Vitamin D in the spotlight.

Do you strike the right balance? – Sit in the shade where possible and wear a hat and UV protective sunglasses to shield your face and eyes. When exposing yourself to direct sunshine you may like to use plenty of sun cream (at least SPF 15) and reapply every couple of hours or after swimming.

See our yoga retreat summer holidays for your getaway this year.

The post Yoga Retreat Skin Cancer Warning appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.