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Read back issues of the Portland Observer ™
at www.portlandobserver.com
.....vportlandobserver.com
Wednesday • March 28. 2012
Volume XXXXI, Number 13
Wednesday • March 28. 2012
Established ¡n 1970
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Committed to Cultural Diversity
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Go outdoors
and play a part
in good health
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
With the arrival of spring, it’s a lot easier
to go outside and soak in the sun’s rays,
which have been proven to positively impact
health more than residents realize.
“We know that light has various affects
on the body,” said Dr. Miles Hassell, 54,
medical director of Providence Integrative
Medicine Program at Providence St. Vincent
Medical Center. “But we let the weather be an
excuse to not get outdoors enough.”
Although many Portlanders don’t believe
they can benefit from the sun while the
rainclouds cover the sphere from view,
Hassell said, even on a grey day, he pre
scribes everyone with an everyday dose of
the outdoors.
According to Hassell, who specializes in
integrative therapy, which blends conven
tional with alternative medicine, the affects
of light on the human body can be divided
into two categories. “One is the affect on the
brain and subsequently on your hormone
levels,” he said.
The exposure to sunlight affects your
circadian rhythm, he added, which repro
duces the light and dark cycle that involves
sleep, alertness levels and hormone fluctua
tions, which cause depression and mood
changes.
For people who are experiencing depres
sion, they can improve their mental outlook
with exposure to brighter light, he said, “Even
a dark day outside is brighter than a bright
day inside.”
Although Hassell explained the medical
community has a poor understanding as to
why sunlight has such a drastic affect on
human health, he said there is good evidence
that it works.
The second category relates to the effect
of sunlight on skin, he said.
“When certain wavelengths of sunlight
strike the skin, it causes a series of chemical
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Sunshine on the downtown waterfront on Monday brings more people outdoors to exercise or ju s t enjoy the warmth o f the
sun after the cold and wet days o f winter. Exposure to natural light, even on a cloud covered day, has health benefits.
continued
on page 7