Tiffany Murphy 5/8/24 Tiffany Murphy 5/8/24

Let There Be (Options for More) Light! Part 4

***Your health decisions are your responsibility, and nothing on this site should be considered medical advice. Please review the Disclaimers, Ts&Cs, and Privacy Policy for further information.***

Summary:

- Depending on the individual situation, there are many options for people to get at least some sunlight during the day, even during the work day!
- Traveling for work or fun can be a breeze when you mind your light environment! Supporting circadian rhythms could even help with jet lag too.

Hello all! This week’s post is less providing information and more tips and tricks to getting more sunlight no matter what situation you find yourself in. It is important to be consistent with keeping your circadian rhythms synced, and that is especially important if you work in an office, are traveling for work, or even going on vacation! Below are some of the scenarios we will explore, and I’ll lay out some options for how you can still get some awesome photons.

Work and the Commute Tips/Tricks:
For those of us that work in an office during “normal” business hours, trying to get enough sunlight and signaling throughout the day can be tough! You could be in wall to wall meetings all day, or are expected to be chained to your desk to answer phone calls and other types of tasks. I’ve had jobs before where it felt like you sat down at 7:30 ready for the day, then all of a sudden it’s 4pm and you don’t know where the day went! Getting outside to get some sun once in a while might seem like an impossible goal with reports due, customers that need help, or a demanding boss. I get it! We’ve all been there. But...you will actually feel better, have more energy, and get more work done if you take better care of yourself during your workday. You might not think you have time to pop outside for a few minutes, but if you have time to go to the restroom, maybe you can catch a few minutes outside right after? Also, no one seems to complain too much when the smokers go outside to have a cigarette, so shouldn’t the rest of us allow ourselves a few minutes of clean, fresh air? Might be a good idea to examine your daily schedule and see where you can sneak in light breaks throughout your day. I try to take at least 2 breaks for 5-10 minutes, and I’ve noticed a big bump in energy and lack of afternoon slump when I can do this consistently! The outline below is a basic schedule of what my day has looked like when I have worked in an office, to include the commuting part! As with all sunlight recommendations, please keep in mind that this depends on your location and what time of year it is:

- Early AM: usually up before the sun, but I make sure to work in 5-10 minutes of watching sunrise.

- Early AM: driving to work. This is something people sometimes don’t think about, but if you crack or open your windows (and sunroof if you have one) on the way to work, you get lots of photons! Don’t let that amazing red/UVA light go to waste, even if it’s a bit chilly outside.

- Mid-morning: have usually been at my desk for a couple hours, so it’s time to go outside for a few minutes of sun. If it’s warm, I’ll take off my jacket or blazer to get more sun on skin, and go for a short walk. This also helps to boost my energy and regain some focus by getting away from the desk for a few minutes and giving my eyeballs a break.

- Lunch time: couple more hours have gone by, so I’ll go outside for another short break. Sometimes I’ll go for a slightly longer walk (depending on the schedule), and try to take some deep breaths to reset myself for the afternoon.

- Mid-afternoon: I’ll get outside for a few minutes, but not always, depending on the work load and what’s going on.

-Mid to late afternoon: time to leave for the day! I’ll do the same thing on the way home as I did on the way in: open windows and sunroof, and let the late afternoon sun stream in. Ultimately can depend on the weather too. We had a snowstorm here a few weeks ago, so I begrudgingly shut the windows because it was getting too wet and cold haha. Remember that you still get photons, even if it’s raining or cloudy!

Vacation and Work Traveling Tips/Tricks:
This one is always a bit difficult to manage. I’ve had clients that just want to relax and not worry about their circadian rhythms during vacations or work trips, and that’s just fine! But, if you want to have a smooth, easy time transitioning into vacation mode (especially if you have to deal with jet lag), supporting your circadian rhythms can actually make everything better instead of being a drag. I don’t have much of daily schedule recommendations for vacation and traveling for work, as much as a general list of how to make things effortless and easy, as well as reduce the sunburns! I’m sure you’ve seen those types of vacationers: they hide from the sun all spring and summer long, then show up on the beach to enjoy the sun, only to burn to a crisp within a day or so. We’ve all been there, but no one enjoys going through the feeling of being a boiled lobster. The following list of recommendations are based on a beach vacation scenario somewhere in a different time zone, but you can tailor this to whatever your vacation or work trip will be like:

- If you’re flying to your location and it’s in a different timezone, here are a few things you can do to reduce jet lag and get synced up to your local environment very quickly:
- Don’t eat while you fly (if you can handle fasting). Flying is somewhat of a “traumatic” experience for your body, especially with the additional exposure to radiation, environmental stressors and the general stress from traveling. Taking a break from eating and digesting allows your body to better focus on keeping you healthy while you travel.
- When you land, eat and sleep according to your local time zone. For instance, if you land in the middle of the night, don’t eat breakfast until just after sunrise. Do your best to get some sleep (or at least relax) until sunrise. Remember eating food is considered a secondary signal for your body pertaining to circadian rhythms, so don’t throw off everything the minute you land! Focus on locally available foods like meats and fats, fresh seafood, local/seasonal produce, stay low carb, and NO shitty seed oils or lots of sugar if possible. I know you’re on vacation, but don’t poison yourself too much.
- Grounding: walk on the ground first thing in the AM while you’re getting sunrise light, and ground as much as possible with bare feet throughout the day.

Now that you’re at your new location and situated to your local environment, here are a few more things to consider:

- Light: Continue your normal routine of getting sunrise and AM morning light, and also try to get 5-10 minutes of full sun, then go into the shade (this also depends on how much of a solar callus you have, what your FST is, etc). See how you feel and how your skin feels. Stay outside as much as you can, but stay in the shade whenever you think you’ve gotten enough sun. Don’t wear sunglasses unless you absolutely have to!

- Sleep: Try to maintain a decent sleep schedule. I know people want to go out and have fun, but light is VERY important for your health. So have fun, but be sure to keep your circadian rhythms in mind so you don’t overdue anything. If you’re gonna be up late, try to avoid junk blue light before bed.

- Drinking and water: many people choose to drink alcohol, and that’s totally ok! You’re on vacation or on a work trip, so live it up a little (as long as you’re responsible :) ), but also don’t forget to stay hydrated. If you’re going to drink alcohol, try to keep it to no to low sugar beverages, like a gin and tonic, or vodka soda with lime. Beer and wine are not that great for you (loaded with chemicals and estrogenic-promoting compounds) (1) and can create terrible hangovers, so keep it to the clear or brown liquors with minimal mixers. Finally, drink lots of water with minerals.

- Just relaaaax! Don’t get all stressed out and worried about not maintaining a perfect circadian rhythm lifestyle while you’re supposed to be having fun or traveling for work. These are just suggestions to help reduce the likelihood of feeling like crap after traveling for fun or for work. Do what you can and don’t stress if it’s not perfect.

Additional considerations:
Again, keep in mind that everyone’s situation, time of year, location, etc will be very different and these are just general ideas for how to make it easier to mind your circadian rhythms no matter what you’re doing. Do your best and relax!

For the next blog series, we’re starting a whole new topic: water and hydration! Can’t wait to discuss and share this important topic with you! Hopefully the info provided above will help you feel better about getting some sunshine in your life and make some changes both now and into the future to optimize your health and vitality! Thanks for stopping by my blog, and if you know you want health coaching to help you achieve your goals, then apply to work with me! Click the Apply Now button at the top of the page, answer the questions, then I will get back to you within 48 hours to see if we’re a good fit!

References:

1. Does Beer Increase Estrogen In Men? Science Explained! https://www.globalforumhealth.org/research/does-beer-increase-estrogen-in-men-science-explained/

Medical Disclaimer:
This content is for educational and informational purposes only. This website, content, and blog are not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions/concerns. Neither Primal Renovation Health Coaching or the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading/following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before starting any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program. Please consult this site’s Privacy, Terms & Conditions, Disclaimers pages for additional info.

Tiffany Murphy 4/21/24 Tiffany Murphy 4/21/24

Let There Be (Smart Decisions about) Light! Part 3

***Your health decisions are your responsibility, and nothing on this site should be considered medical advice. Please review the Disclaimers, Ts&Cs, and Privacy Policy for further information.***

Summary:

Anyone can use sunshine for better health outcomes if it’s done in a smart, deliberate manner.
One must determine how to get the right amount of sun exposure based on: skin type, location, and time of year.
General recommendations for getting the right amount of sunlight in a typical day, and how to work up to getting more!

Today’s post about light will focus on how to use sunlight responsibly for optimal health by prepping your body and skin ahead of time. I know you’ve probably heard some terrible advice out there about “a safe tan is no tan” or articles about how to get no sun during the summer. I fundamentally disagree with this type of advice, unless you have extenuating circumstances, a medical condition, or on medication that prevents you from getting safe sunlight or can cause you to have an allergic reaction to the sun. This article does not cover strategies for folks like that, this article will cover strategies for those that can safely obtain sunlight to optimize their health. Up until recently, humans lived and existed out in the sun and thrived! One could argue that sunlight is THE most important nutrient that modern people are lacking in their wellness journey. Well, today we’ll discuss how to smartly get sun, and a general look at how you could get more sun throughout your day. Ok, onto the info!

Getting Sun Based on Time and Location: If you live in the Northern Hemisphere right now, you will know that spring is here! That means warmer, longer days, and for many of us, opportunities to make Vitamin D are finally back! Here in Colorado Springs, we’ve been able to take advantage of the UVB to make Vitamin D since January. If you’re wondering, “How do I know if I can get Vitamin D where I live?” then let me tell you about this free app called Dminder. Download it, plug in your location and what your Fitzpatrick Skin Type is (more on that below), then the app will let you know the status of the sun and Vitamin D opportunities available to you. Here’s a picture of what it looks like for me during a typical spring day in Colorado:

There are other apps that can tell you this info, like Circadian Life, but I like the Dminder app because it’s not fussy, it’s free, and very easy to use!

Getting Sun Based on Skin Type: As mentioned above, an important piece of data to know about yourself when it comes to Vitamin D and the sun is your Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST): “The Fitzpatrick skin type (or phototype) describes a way to classify the skin by its reaction to exposure to sunlight.” (1) Essentially, each skin type is based on what color your skin is naturally, and how easily you burn and/or tan when exposed to UV radiation. If you’re a lighter FST like a Type I or II, then you have less melanin in your skin, and thus you more easily burn and don’t need as much solar radiation exposure to make a lot of Vitamin D. Those with a darker FST (III – V) are basically the opposite: they have more melanin in their skin (and also in their eyes and hair, but not always), and need more solar radiation to make more Vitamin D because their skin is much more tolerant of solar exposure.
As an example, I’m more of a FST II, so I have to be careful with my sun exposure until I build up adequate time in the sun! Melanin in your skin is what helps you to get a tan, and a tan can actually be protective when developed the right way: “Melanin is a term used to describe a large group of related molecules responsible for many biological functions, including pigmentation of skin and hair and photoprotection of skin and eye.” (2) Now that we’ve figured out skin type, we need to find out about UVB exposure and when that starts for you!

Getting Sun Matters Regardless of Time: Using the Dminder app or similar app, look up to see what the solar radiation exposure opportunities are in your specific area. As stated above, we’ve had opportunities in the Springs for Vitamin D since January! In other locations, like northern Michigan, Vitamin D opportunities didn’t start until February. As a side note: regardless of when Vitamin D opportunities start to occur, you should still strive to get adequate sunlight exposure signaling to your face and eyes. Then, once the sun starts to rise to 30 degrees+ above the horizon, it’s time to make an effort to get sun exposure during UVB. Start as early in the season as possible, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time and it’s still chilly outside. As it warms up, try to get more skin exposed! Remember that while getting good sun signaling in your eyes is important, getting exposure on your skin is very important for Vitamin D production. So how should you start and what would that look like in a general sense?: Start with sunrise, then mid morning, then midday, then sunset. To make it easier to visualize, here’s a neat graph showing the various types of light available to you from sunrise to sunset:

Graphic sourced from: https://www.evergreen-life.co.uk/health-wellbeing-library/natural-light-health-benefits/

Getting Sun in a Typical Day: Here’s a generalized list of what specific actions you can take depending on when you go outside in the sun. Please note these are GENERAL guidelines, and will be different based on the various factors discussed before:

Sunrise: start with at least 5 minutes of watching the sunrise, longer if possible, especially if you’re trying to use the sun to optimize and get your circadian rhythms on track. Some folks recommend at least 30 minutes if you’re using the sun for more extensive improvements or healing purposes.
- Please remember to not use sunglasses and to go outside (or at least crack open a window) to face east when you look towards sunrise. Also, doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy or rainy, you’re still getting the appropriate signaling to your body at that time.
Mid-morning: at least 5-10 minutes, longer if possible.
- Make sure it’s before the sun rises 30 degrees above the horizon, while you’re still in that sweet spot of getting more reddish light instead of blue (the Dminder app should tell you when the sun is above or below 30 deg).
- Lots of great visible light and IR light, and maybe some UVA at this point!
Mid-day: start with 5-10 minutes, then slowly work up to more over time.
- Oh yeah, time for some Vitamin D, baby! Remember, in order to make Vitamin D, you need to have your skin exposed, UVB must be available (sun over 30 degrees), you need to be eating healthy fats/cholesterol, and your gut microbiome needs to be in good shape.
- If you’re just starting out, and again depending on your skin type, you need to be smart and careful about how much sun you get during UVB time. Don’t be like the typical Westerner, where you avoid the sun like the plague, then go outside on a nice weekend and sit outside at midday and turn lobster red. That is NOT a good example of how to get sun!
Mid-afternoon: similar to midmorning, go outside for another 5-10 minutes.
- Head outside, take a short walk, take some deep breaths and try to relax a bit! It’ll help with stress levels too. UVB might still be available depending on where you live, right now I have access to UVB until 5pm.
- If you’re still limiting your UVB and already got about 5-10 minutes from your midday dose, then just getting outside and sitting in the shade would be great. You’re still getting a lot of signaling and some photons, and it’s always great to get outside for a few minutes :) .
Sunset: 5-10 minutes (but not as important as the other sun breaks).
- Getting to watch the sunset is another great opportunity to get more light signaling, and some more IR/red/purple light. But if you’ve got evening plans or you’re busy taking care of the family and miss the sunset, no big deal! From what Dr Jack Kruse and others have said, sunrise is more important to watch then sunset, so if you have to prioritize, then choose sunrise!
- I’ll be honest, I miss sunset a lot, but I haven’t missed a sunrise in months...I crave getting morning light way more than sunset, and normally I can’t see much of it due to the mountains getting in the way haha.
Don’t forget to slap on some blue blockers once the sun goes down! Especially if you’re watching TV, on your phone, or on your laptop. You don’t want your precious melatonin to degrade or not start signaling when it should!

For me, as a Fitzpatrick skin type II, I started with 5-10 minutes of UVB exposure as soon as UVB was available for me here in Colorado Springs back in January...but that’s also because I’ve been doing the sunrise and midmorning sun exposure too! I’ve been slowly increasing my UVB sun exposure over past couple months, and recently I was able to be outside during morning to midday UVB for over 2 hours (fun hike out at Castle Rock, CO) and only got slightly pink! But, and I can’t keep emphasizing this enough: I’ve been working on my sun exposure since January, and I never miss a sunrise.

Next week, I’ll continue this article in a part 4 by examining some additional scenarios pertaining to work/commuting, traveling for work, and going on vacation, and how you can get some optimal light signaling and photons no matter what you’re doing and where you’re at. Hopefully the info provided above will help you feel better about getting some sunshine in your life (and on your skin!) and make some changes both now and into the future to optimize your health and vitality! Thanks for stopping by my blog, and if you know you want health coaching to help you achieve your goals, then apply to work with me! Click the Apply Now button at the top of the page, answer the questions, then I will get back to you within 48 hours to see if we’re a good fit!

References:

Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype https://dermnetnz.org/topics/skin-phototype
Biochemistry, Melanin https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459156/

Tiffany Murphy 4/14/24 Tiffany Murphy 4/14/24

Let There Be the Right Kinds of Light! Part 2

***Your health decisions are your responsibility, and nothing on this site should be considered medical advice. Please review the Disclaimers, Ts&Cs, and Privacy Policy for further information.***

Summary:

Getting the wrong light at the wrong times can drastically decrease your health and vitality.
Sunlight exposure at key times during the day and controlling/reducing your artificial light exposure can support sleep and stress management.
How to improve your light environment at home for better health, amazing sleep, and better melatonin production.

To continue our chat about Light, we’re now going to focus on what artificial light is, why it is bad for us, and how to mitigate it if we’re not able to create the perfect light environment. But one thing I’d like to say from the beginning with any info or recommendations: just do what you can. Life will get in the way, and you can’t be perfect all the time. As Voltaire has said: “The best is the enemy of the good.” So do what you can, and don’t quit or feel defeated if you aren’t perfect! Cuz guess what, no one is! Ok now that that has been cleared up, let’s get after it!

Artificial Light is like Junk Food for your Body:
We have come a long way from living with just natural light (sunlight, moonlight, etc), firelight and candle light. In today’s world, we are being assaulted by artificial light at every turn, from our homes, to workplaces, stores, and even our appliances and street lamps! It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a completely dark place in the USA, and this increased amount of artificial light has been linked “to a host of ailments - such as depression, obesity, even cancer - and can confuse wildlife, muddling their sense of direction and migration patterns.” (1) Artificial light can even destroy or suppress melatonin production, an essential hormone needed for many functions, one of them enabling us to fall asleep when we’re supposed to.

Why is artificial light so bad you may ask? One could even argue that fire, candles, and oil lamps would fall within the realm of artificial light, and you would be technically correct! The problems occur when we use artificial light to negatively alter our circadian rhythms on a continuous basis and also because the newer light technologies are extremely different compared to oil lamps and even incandescent bulbs. The newer LED type of light bulbs that everyone is using these days are cheaper, last longer, and are more efficient, but are terrible for our health and circadian rhythms. The reason why LEDs are so terrible is mostly because of the wavelengths of light they emit.

Natural light, like sunlight and even firelight and good ole incandescent, encompasses many different types of wavelengths, and they are grouped together in a logical fashion that don’t interrupt our circadian rhythms. For instance, sunrise light is mostly red light mixed with a tiny amount of blue light, then by mid-day, it’s the reverse. Blue light in and of itself isn’t “bad,” it’s just when it’s on its own and not balanced out with red/purple light (and even wavelengths we can’t see!), is when we experience bad effects. Blue light LEDs emit only a very narrow band of blue and green light that would normally only be found during the daytime, more specifically, midday light.

Nature never intended for there to only be very narrow bands of light, and then for us to be exposed to these narrow bands of intense blue light for hours and hours on end, especially at night time! According to neurosurgeon Dr Jack Kruse: “Modern lighting, such as fluorescent and LED bulbs emit unprecedented amounts of blue and green light. Blue and green light are found in the visible spectrum. For millions of years, these two types of light have only been present in the human environment through sunlight – hence through daytime exposure. Blue and green light is that they tell your brain it’s daytime. Getting that at nighttime will have negative health consequences.” (3)

As Dr Kruse mentioned, being constantly exposed to mostly blue and green light will produce negative health consequences due to the light causing your eyes and body to think it’s broad day light, even if it’s 9pm at night. Being under this kind of light all the time severely disrupts our circadian rhythms, and our bodies’ ability to place itself within proper orientation of time and space. This in turn heavily disrupts the your body’s ability to make and balance important hormones (leptin, estrogen, testosterone, and others) and conduct hormone signaling, such as knowing when to turn on or off melatonin or cortisol at the right times. Furthermore, overall issues with hormones and signaling can cause low quality sleep, decreased ability to handle stress, issues with brain health, and reduce your libido (just to name a few!). Who would’ve thought something as simple as turning on a light switch at the wrong time of day for too long could do so much damage?

Why Do Certain Organizations Declare Any Sunlight is Terrible for Us?
After reading the above info about artificial light vs sunlight, and my previous post about the need to get more sunlight than conventionally recommended, I’m sure you’re thinking that I’ve gone a bit bonkers. Dermatologists have been recommending for years that getting basically any amount of sunshine is bad for us, and we should slather ourselves with the highest SPF sunscreen money can buy, wear long sleeves, hats, and dark sunglasses, and basically pray that we don’t get skin cancer. While I’m not a doctor, and none of this info is medical advice, I would like to propose that we need to better examine these somewhat outdated “recommendations” and consider that sunshine exposure (when done carefully and correctly) is actually good for us. After all, the human species have evolved under the sun and its rays for a millennia or longer! Here is some interesting info for you to consider:

Many studies “proving” UV exposure is bad for us appears to have lumped together artificial sources and natural sources of UV radiation. The artificial sources (usually tanning beds) used a very narrow spectrum of UV light. Lumping them together and slapping the same danger label on both doesn’t make sense. Natural light sources are completely different than artificial sources as explained above. Unlike tanning beds, sunlight doesn’t contain just blue or green, and is always accompanied by many, many other wavelengths of light.
Long term toxic exposure of sunscreens haven’t been well studied, but it is well known that sunscreens are full of toxic chemicals. (4) (5) Some of these chemicals are are known hormone disrupters, allergenic, and cancer causing: oxybenzone, octinoxate, parabens (just to name a few). (6)
Some of the same companies that sell toxic, chemical laden sunscreens (chemicals known to be carcinogenic), also create/sell cancer treatments. (7) (8)

Improving the Light Environment at Home:
Hopefully you’re starting to realize that even if you think you’re eating right and exercising, there’s still something incredibly important missing within your wellness efforts: your light environment! Regardless of where you live and what time of year it is, there are many things you can do to increase your sunlight exposure (the smart way) and reduce artificial light to help increase your health. Most of them free! Here’s a list of things you can do starting today and tomorrow to improve your light environment and get your circadian rhythms on track:

Let sunrise be the first light that hits your face and eyes.
- Doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy or not, your body will still get the necessary light signals to get things up and running optimally. Aim for about 5-10 minutes.
- Don’t use your cell phone or turn on a bunch of lights in the house until after you’ve watched the sunrise. Watch the sunrise without wearing sunglasses or watching it through window glass. If you have to be inside, make sure the window is opened up a bit if not fully open, or better yet, outside bare foot in the grass, facing east.
- Be careful watching sunrise, do not look directly into the rising sun, look towards it but at a somewhat lower angle.
- Mitigation: If you have to look at your cell phone or turn on lights before sunrise, then consider purchasing some blue light blocker glasses to put on when you wake up. Either the Spectra479 amber glasses via Amazon or the Midwest Red Light Therapy Night Crawler glasses (either orange or red). There are many different types and versions, but these are the ones I’m most familiar with, and more on the cheaper end. If you want to go all in and go big, then Ra Optics would be a good company to buy blue light blockers from.
Take sunlight breaks throughout the day.

Getting periodic sunshine throughout the day helps your body reorient itself to the time of day, the season, and gives you a boost of energy.
Go outside every 2 hours or so and get a hit of sunshine and stretch your legs a bit.
Mitigation: if you can’t go out that frequently, then just do your best! There are days I can only do it once or twice, so don’t let perfection defeat your ability to be good enough!

Take a walk around sunset:

Getting all that awesome red light from sunset can be greatly beneficial, and also signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
After sunset, if you and/or your family aren’t ready to change out all your lightbulbs to red or only use firelight and candle light, consider those blue blocking glasses that were previously mentioned. After sunset, you would want to use either orange or red glasses, and keep them on until you turn the lights out and go to sleep.
Mitigation: even if you just crack a window or a door to let in light around sunset, that’s better than missing it entirely! There have been many winter evenings where I’ve missed the sunset due to it being too cold or still working. So do your best!

The bedroom situation:

Try to make your bedroom as dark as possible, especially right before you are ready for sleep.
- Turn off, unplug, block, or take out of your room, anything that glows or generates its own light (especially blue light!).

Do NOT use your phone, watch TV, or use any electronic device in bed. The bedroom should be for sleeping, reading to relax, and sexy time!
Don’t use or wear any fitness devices to bed that emit any light or frequencies, such as the Apple watch.

Mitigation: If you need to use your phone as an alarm clock, then consider putting the phone into airplane mode and battery saving mode, and putting it into an EMF blocking bag. Don’t put it on or next to your bed, or right next to your head. Do not charge it next to your head at night.

I usually switch on airplane mode and put it into an EMF faraday bag from a company called Spero Protective Clothing.

Next week, we’ll discuss what getting “responsible sunshine” might look like for you, and how to better balance your sun exposure if you’re stuck working in an office. Hopefully the info provided above will help you make some changes both now and into the future and help improve your health and vitality! Thanks for stopping by my blog, and if you know you want health coaching to help you achieve your goals, then apply to work with me! Click the Apply Now button at the top of the page, answer the questions, then I will get back to you within 48 hours to see if we’re a good fit!

References:

Map Shows The Few Places in America Where You Can Still See a "Pristine" Night Sky https://www.sciencealert.com/light-pollution-is-a-huge-problem-and-there-s-few-places-left-in-the-us-without
What is Sunlight? https://www.pasco.com/resources/blog/401
Three Essential Biohacks (Why Biohacking Starts With Your Environment) https://jackkruse.com/three-essential-biohacks-why-biohacking-starts-with-your-environment/
Neurotoxic effect of active ingredients in sunscreen products, a contemporary review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5615097/
The Trouble with Ingredients in Sunscreens https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/
Your Sunscreen is Toxic: How to Buy Sunscreen that’s Safe for You & the Environment https://www.ecowatch.com/sunscreen-guide.html
J&J, Costco Settle Lawsuits Over Recalled Sunscreen https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/jj-costco-settle-lawsuits-over-recalled-sunscreen-2021-11-01/
Johnson & Johnson’s Blood Cancer Therapy gets U.S. FDA Approval https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/johnson-johnsons-blood-cancer-therapy-gets-us-fda-approval-2022-10-25/

Tiffany Murphy 4/5/24 Tiffany Murphy 4/5/24

Let There Be (Lots of) Light! Part 1

***Your health decisions are your responsibility, and nothing on this site should be considered medical advice. Please review the Disclaimers, Ts&Cs, and Privacy Policy for further information.***

Summary:

What is sunlight and why it’s so important for your daily/seasonal life.
Getting sunlight in the right amounts can lay the foundation for optimal health in many areas of your life, to include your intelligence and libido.
Allow your eyes and body to receive the appropriate amounts of sunshine via Circadian rhythms and Infradian rhythms for optimal health, regardless of where you may live.

For today’s discussion, the focus will be on what is sunlight, why your light environment is so important to your health, and what steps you can implement immediately (for free-ish) that will make a yuuuge difference in your health. There have been a lot of great scientific research and papers written about these processes, so I’ll stay high level to keep things succinct and not repeat what a bunch of smart people have already discussed. But if you want to take a deep dive into the scientific literature, there’s a plethora of studies to refer to if you check out places like PubMed and Examine.com, and also all of Dr. Jack Kruse’s work. Ready to dive in? Ok let’s get after it!

Increasing sunlight exposure and managing your light environment are foundational to long-term health. I know that’s a bold statement and may go against some long-held beliefs on what helps to create healthy people, but we’re looking to optimize not just survive, right? When I make this statement about sunlight being the foundation to health, I usually get a question like: “Why wouldn’t exercise or food be the foundation to long-term health?” Weeell sure, they are important too, but I’d probably put them in the top 5, but not number 1. First off, let’s explore what sunlight is:

1. What is Sunlight?

We all know that it’s key to life on earth, photosynthesis for plants, and other things, but do you truly know what sunlight is composed of? Sunlight is composed of many different types of frequencies, more specifically, it is “electromagnetic radiation, or energy, that is emitted by the Sun. It consists of visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light.” (1) Think of the rainbow, or better yet, think of that Pink Floyd album cover with the white light shining into a prism, then splitting into various colors. That’s essentially visible light or sunlight we can see! Did you know that our bodies use various types of light for many different bodily functions and hormone signaling to include the invisible types of light like infrared and UV? Here are some basic definitions and ranges, though keep in mind the ranges are approximate:

Ultraviolet light: light that is invisible to the human eye and is between 10 – 400 nanometers. You have probably heard UV light discussed in cop TV shows when talking about forensics, or when people talk about UVA and UVB light when getting a suntan. Typically shows up between late morning and late afternoon.
Visible light: light that is visible to the human eye, and is between 400 to 700 nanometers, though this range can vary depending on the person. Obviously you can see this light from early morning when the sun is rising to a little past sunset.
Infrared light: light that is mostly invisible to the human eye, and is between 700 nanometers to 1 micrometer, and is divided into 3 basic groups: Far, Mid, and Near Infrared. You get a lot of this type of light starting early in the morning along with visible light.

Sunlight or solar radiation is a fascinating subject that has been heavily demonized, which is unfortunate since we can’t live without it! While there are some of us that are trying to turn that around, there are still many that think they know everything there is to know about how the sun works…though I’m going to bet that we have only started to scratch the surface of our understanding of the sun’s effects.

2. Why is Sunlight so important for us?

Regardless of what we know or don’t know, one thing is for certain: human development was/is directly influenced by sun exposure and going through various cycles based on where we lived, such as Circadian rhythms (daily/24 hour cycle) and Infradian Rhythms (anything longer than 24 hours). How you experience these rhythms will entirely depend on where you live. For instance, a Canadian’s light exposure and needs are drastically different than someone living in Costa Rica. Maintaining our ability to stay synced with natural rhythms using sunlight is important for the following reasons:

Space and time: allows our bodies to know location, time of year, and time of day.
Bodily processes: by knowing time and location, our bodies know when to turn on or off various types of hormones and other chemical signals, and better manage internal processes overall.
Amazing health: when our bodies’ hormones, signals, and bodily processes work as they should, we experience stable energy levels, incredible health, restorative sleep, increased intelligence, and healthy libido.

3. How do our bodies receive signals via Circadian Rhythms?

It starts with our eyes. Our eyes receive these light signals or frequencies, and transmit these signals to the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), which then send additional signals to the rest of the body. Essentially the SCN is the main circadian clock or pacemaker of our body that controls the other smaller clocks. If we get the right light signals at the right time, our circadian clocks run smoothly and in sync with each other. These signals control a myriad of processes, most interestingly, signaling hormones such as Leptin, Cortisol, Melatonin, and many others. Let’s examine a typical day and the general flow of a Circadian Rhythm using generalized milestones:

- Early morning: sunrise signals our bodies to start cortisol production and other “wake up” chemicals and actions. While, cortisol has gotten a bad rap over the years, it is a key signal to our body to wake up and be alert and ready for the day. We want to have higher cortisol in the AM and lower cortisol later in the afternoon on into the evening. Sunlight at this time is more red/purple types of light with a minimal amount of blue light.
- Mid morning: hormonal signaling and various other processes are in full swing, we should be up, alert, and owning our day! Sunlight at this time is still very red/purple, but has a higher mix of blue. It is also when UVA light is more prevalent, and this is a time when you should be outside as much as possible. I know this isn’t great if you work in an office, but taking a couple short breaks in the morning to get a dose of sunshine would be awesome!

- Midday: the sun is starting to hit “solar noon” and UVB light is out and about. Getting sun at this time is also crucial for Vitamin D production, but one should still be careful: unless you have a solar callus built up, and have been getting the appropriate light signals, your body won’t be fully prepared for receiving UVB and might not utilize it as well. That’s why it’s so important to get light periodically from sunrise on out, it helps to prep you and your skin to handle more intense sunshine later on!

-Mid afternoon to early evening: we’re moving out of UVB land and back into UVA and less intense rays. Your body is slowly starting to wind down a bit from being on high alert, but you’re still able to focus and do a lot of physical activities with no issue.

-Evening to night time: the sun is setting or has set, and your body is winding down and preparing for a great night of sleep. Your daytime “alert” hormones and chemicals are slowing down and turning off, and your body is preparing to utilize/increase melatonin and switch over to being sleepy and relaxed. If you’re not dowsing yourself with lots of artificial light at the end of your night, you should be getting sleepy and wanting to go to bed within a few hours of sunset.

There are many more reasons/processes based on sunlight for sure, but I don’t want this post to turn into a novel and we’ll touch on other aspects in later blog posts 😊. In order to use sunlight appropriately to increase your health, you must consider where you live, what season you’re in (summer vs winter), and how to use light on a daily basis. The graphic below illustrates a basic circadian rhythm, and how it might work for you, but keep in mind that it’s only general and your personal rhythms depend on your exact location.

Free license Image Sourced from Wikipedia, made by Yassine Mrabet

4. How does our bodies receive signals via Infradian Rhythms?

While technically anything longer than 24 hours is an Infradian Rhythm, I like to think of Infradian Rhythms in terms of monthly shifts and seasonal shifts throughout the year, but we’ll focus on seasonal shifts related to our light enviornment since it’s easier to illustrate the obvious changes from season to season through the lens of the Northern Hemisphere (the Southern Hemisphere will be the opposite of the info listed below):

Spring: moving out of the short days and long night sof winter, to the world coming back to life! The sun is coming up sooner and staying out longer by a few minutes each day, which means more opportunity for sunlight. It’s very important to get a lot of good sun signaling during this time as it will help orient your body to the changing seasons and prep for more increased sun exposure later that year. Depending on where you live, Vitamin D production should be starting up again.

Summer: we are finally in awesome warm to hot weather, the days are longer and nights are shorter with longer/more chances of increased Vitamin D production during the day. Hopefully you were getting sunlight signaling throughout the day during the earlier parts of the year, so your body is more than capable of handling the increased sun exposure via your awesome solar callus. This is a great time to top off your natural stores of Vitamin D as well!

Fall: the days are starting to shorten and the nights are starting to lengthen, and your opportunities for sun exposure are becoming more reduced day by day. There’s still plenty of opportunity to gather up Vitamin D, but there may not be as long of timeframes to produce it. Hopefully between all the good sunlight signaling and grounding, your body is starting to recognize the seasonal shift and preparing for winter time!

Winter: super short days with little to no chances for Vitamin D production, but still able to get other types of light regardless of where you live. Just because the days are short, doesn’t mean getting light signaling isn’t important. Making sure your body understands what time of year it is, is always important! It has been theorized that the increased melatonin production during the winter time (due to longer nights) is how nature balances out the decreased chances of Vitamin D, but I haven’t seen much research to confirm that. Seems logical though that we would need more vitamin D and less melatonin during a time of long days and short nights, and vice versa in the winter time.

While the discussions and explanations above are simplified, hopefully by now you’re starting to get an inkling for how Circadian and Infradian rhythms work, and just how amazing the human body is. Still seems crazy to me how a simple, free input like sunlight, can do so much for our health, sleep, and hormones. Next week, we’ll touch on artificial light and how it affects our health and vitality and what you can do about it!

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