My Love-Hate Relationship with the Sun 😎
Hello Friends! 👋
Happy Monday! One of the best pieces of advice that I actually followed was from my mother when I was a young girl: “Stay out of the sun; otherwise wear sunscreen, especially on your face.” I do think my skin looks pretty good for my age because I did protect it in my younger years. But like all health-related recommendations, things change over time. “Stay away from X!” Only to find out 10 years later, “X does not cause blah, blah, blah. It’s really Z that we need to avoid!”
The same holds true for the sun, which more and more studies have been showing is actually good for us in the right amount. It helps us form Vitamin D, a crucial hormone. It aligns our circadian rhythms. Sunlight in the beginning part of the day, preferably when you first wake up, can help with sleep and better mental health. To a certain extent, lack of sunlight may be a factor in cancer development, and lower immune function.
So how much should we get? Another controversial question! But most experts recommend:
All year, 2-30 minutes first thing in the morning. Andrew Huberman has published countless articles and videos about the benefits of morning sun exposure.
In summer, 2-14 minutes at midday, 3-4 times a week
In spring or fall, 10-15 minutes mid-morning or 3 pm, 3-4 times a week
Of course, overexposure to UVR (ultraviolet radiation) from the sun may cause skin damage or sun burns and can lead to skin cancer. And I still haven’t found anyone that disagrees with the statement that excess sun exposure can encourage wrinkles and sun spots. So we definitely need to find that sweet spot.
We know that the sun is strongest between 10 am and 2 pm, so that’s when I take a few more precautions, especially on my face and hands. Many sunscreens have sketchy ingredients that get absorbed by the skin and get into the bloodstream. Here are the toxins in many sunscreens that I personally try to avoid:
oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate.
These are endocrine disruptors that are causing reduced sperm count in men and endometriosis in women. The Environmental Working Group has a great site to help you make the best sunscreen choice. There are many high quality sunscreens out there.
I personally use Beauty Counter sunscreen and Beauty Counter tinted moisturizer with SPF. I also use Think Sport when I am exercising outdoors.
I also wear hats when I’m out in full sun during peak hours. I love Helen Kaminski and Janessa Leone hats. I also have a more well-priced Anthropologie hat for fall. For pickleball, I have transitioned to a visor. I have this one from Superfly Goods.
My friend Lori Corbin gave me some “driving gloves” a few years ago and I always wear them when I am driving during the day to protect the thin skin on my hands. I leave them in my car and I love them!! I can’t find the ones she gave me, but they are similar to these.
Just a reminder, I am not a doctor, so please consult your practitioner to decide what is right for you and your family.
For those of you just here for the spaghetti squash recipe, here you go!! I am totally obsessed with it and can’t wait for you to try it. See the bottom for substitution suggestions.
Spinach-Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Boats
Serves 4-6
1 medium or large spaghetti squash
Unrefined olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spinach-Artichoke Filling:
10 ounces artichoke hearts frozen/defrosted or packed in water, drained
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 medium clove garlic
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I do this in a thin clean kitchen towel) or 10 ounces fresh spinach, steamed in a little water until wilted and excess water pressed out
½ cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
½ cup Vegenaise or mayonnaise (I use soy-free Vegenaise or Primal Kitchen Vegan avocado oil mayo. Mayonnaise is just oil and, if not vegan, egg yolks. No need to freak out about it.)
⅔ cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (I go light on the cheese, but feel free to add more.)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Rub the inside of each half with a drizzle of olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Arrange cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Test them by inserting a fork between the flesh and the skin and try to rake the strands. Set aside cut-side up until they are cool enough to handle. Leave oven on if baking boats immediately and RAISE TEMP TO 425°F.
Using a fork, pull the strands of squash crosswise from the peel so that it resembles spaghetti, trying not to cut through the squash skin.
In a food processor, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts with the shallots and garlic.
If your food processor is large enough, you can add the spinach, yogurt, vegenaise, pecorino, mozzarella, and crushed red pepper and do a few pulses to combine or transfer to a large bowl to mix. Take a little taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Spaghetti squash is pretty bland, so this should be well-seasoned.
In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti squash strands with the spinach-artichoke filling and mix until well combined. Fill spaghetti squash boats with the prepared filling and bake (at 425 F) on a parchment lined baking sheet (I use the same one I roasted the squash in) for 25 minutes, until hot, lightly browned and cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in a microwave or covered in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of water until heated through.
Notes: it *may* be possible to make this dairy-free with vegan mozzarella (Violife has a good one) and vegan Parmesan and vegan yogurt (Forager cashew yogurt or Kite Hill coconut yogurt may work.) Or you can try swapping in Kite Hill vegan cream cheese for the yogurt or your favorite vegan sour cream. I haven’t tried these, but I am pretty sure they would work.
Make ahead tips: Spaghetti squash can be roasted and strands raked 2-3 days in advance. The spinach and artichoke filling can be made 1 day in advance and kept refrigerated. Boats can be filled, refrigerated and baked later or can be baked in advance and reheated in the microwave when ready to serve. If refrigerating in advance to bake later, remove from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before you preheat the oven so it's not ice cold, and then bake. Stick a metal skewer in the center to make sure it is nice and hot throughout.
xx, Pamela