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Introduction
Chapter 1
Your Body and Mind in the Sun
Chapter 2
The Decline of the Sun in Recent Times
Chapter 3
How Sunlight Can Prevent Serious Health Problems
Chapter 4
Sunlight: A Medicine for Diseases of the Past, Present and Future
Chapter 5
How to Sunbathe Safely, All Year Round
Chapter 6
The Merits of Getting Sunlight into Buildings
Chapter 7
Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century
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RICHARD HOBDAY
CHAPTER 7:
SUNLIGHT AND HEALTH IN THE 21st CENTURY
We need to have a better understanding of sunlight and its beneficial effects because of its key role in preventing chronic health problems. More research is needed into our complex relationship with the sun: One way to check if the recommendations put forward in the preceding chapters are valid is to look at the way sunlight is used in traditional cultures. Chinese medicine, in particular, has a great deal to tell us about sunlight, health and the ageing process. The Chinese have practised sunlight therapy for thousands of years and continue to do so. They also have a long tradition of preventive medicine and solar architecture. So, this final chapter shows that the guidelines which have been presented are consistent with practices developed in cultures whose medical traditions have been less inclined to ignore the benefits of sunlight than our own. In the past, sunlight was an important medicine and was valued because it could prevent diseases. The more we know about the sun, the more we can exploit its healing properties: now, and in the future
Sunlight and Architecture