Optimize your health by aligning to the natural cycles of light
We talk so much about diet, supplements, hormones and the latest health trend, but what about light? This is a huge factor that deeply influences our health.
We are intertwined with nature and therefore deeply influenced by the cycles of light and darkness that we shift in and out of daily and throughout the year. Light is doing a lot of signaling behind the scenes. As light or darkness enters our eyes it lets our body know where we are in time and space. This signals a cascade of events (or doesn’t if the signals are off!)
So our “light diet,” is one of the most overlooked and underrated aspects of health- and by light diet I simply mean our exposure or lack thereof to light. When we are living in alignment with nature's natural ebb and flow of light and darkness, our body's internal clock (also called circadian rhythm) runs smoothly and optimizes the production of hormones, digestion, metabolism, our sleep wake cycles, energy production and so much more.
That all being said, here are 4 simple steps you can integrate today to keep optimizing your health so you can live your life feeling your best!
🌅Morning light exposure
Upon waking up in the morning - go outside! Get the morning sunrise light. You can go for a walk, or simply sit outside by your home. Do this before you reach for your phone or turn on all the lights in your home. Let your body’s exposure to light first be from the sun. For me in Central New York in late August, the sun rises around 6:30am - but you look up what time it is for you where you live. Even 5-10 minutes makes a difference, but the longer the better. This morning sunlight sets our day up for success by letting us know it’s morning and signals our internal systems to get moving. It’s also the first step in the routine for the best sleep ever.
🌞Midday sunlight
You got the morning sunlight which is amazing, and now you also want to go outside during the day as well. Ideally you’d spend lots of time outside in fresh air under the sun, but for all intensive purposes - if your day is packed, aim for at least 30 minutes of midday light. Do this without sunglasses or sunscreen (practice this safely if you’re new to this). Midday light influences your internal clock and is an integral aspect of vitamin D and energy production.
🤓Protect your eyes from artificial blue light
If you work on the computer or your phone or any device, protect your eyes with blue light blocking glasses. In nature blue light makes up only 2 percent of the full spectrum of light, but on our devices it’s 100 percent blue light!! This incessant, unnatural amount of blue light exposure disrupts melatonin production, messes with our cells ability to produce energy, disrupts our sleep wake cycle - which leads to fatigue, foggy headedness, hormonal issues and just a lot of internal chaos for us. I know the glasses can seem silly or trendy, but once you feel the difference of clear focus during the day, less eye strain and muscle tension, better sleep at night and overall increase in sense of wellness, you will love them!
🌇Turn your lights down at night
When the sun goes down, your lights should go down too. As it gets dark outside, the body naturally starts to decrease day time hormones and increase night time hormones. But when it’s dark outside and we are bombarded with light (phone, tv, lights everywhere in the home), the signals get haywired and our hormones can’t do what they are supposed to. That’s when you run into that “tired but wired,” feeling, restless sleep, feeling tired waking up in the morning, and all kinds of health issues. So lower the light after sunset. Light some candles, use Himalayan salt lamps or switch to low LED bulbs. If you’re not used to this, at first hanging out in what feels like the dark may seem off but you will soon adjust and start to love the calm vibe and all the benefits you’ll feel. If you're on your phone, watching tv or using lots of lights, that is also a great time to wear blocker glasses that block blue and green light.
Light is more than just seeing, it’s code for our brain and it’s information. It tells our body what to do and when. We existed without light bulbs for many years and then boom! Let there be light (but all the time and a few inches from your face🫠)
When we live in alignment with the light, with the cycle of our body and nature, we are providing our body the environment to function optimally, to heal, to repair, to regulate and to produce energy so we can live our lives full of vitality and feeling good. Start with these 4 simple steps and your body will thank you.
If you need recommendations for light bulbs and/or blue blocker glasses, or have any thoughts or questions - Send Me a Message!<3 I love to hear from you.
❤️Approach EVERYTHING from a place of love and curiosity. This isn’t about promoting or moving from a place of fear or anxiety but about aligning ourselves with nature and providing the body the environment to thrive in abundant health.
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