Support your Circadian Rhythm

The easiest step you can take

A small but vocal group of people in the online health world have been preaching the importance of maintaining your circadian rhythm for a long time.

The more we learn about how important this is, the more convinced I have become.

Healthy sunlight exposure does incredible things to the body. Unhealthy light exposure is incredibly harmful. I’ll give you the quick and dirty about why you should care and how you can fix it.

Healthy Light Exposure

Think about this in terms of evolution. We used to live in nature and our body is optimized for nature. That means you woke up when the sun rose, and you went to sleep when the sun went down. Thousands of years later, we live indoors surrounded by artificial light whenever we want it.

Early morning sunlight exposure around daybreak is important. Red and Infrared light are highly available. This supports mitochondrial health, reduces inflammation, and is great for your skin. While this spectrum of light is available throughout the day, this is when it is most concentrated.

This is also the spectrum that Red Light Therapy targets. I talked about this in yesterday’s newsletter.

EMR-TEK is having a 30% off flash sale on all their red light devices. It ends soon. Use code “RENEGADE”

Sunrise is the next phase. This is when the sun is from 0-10 degrees. During this time, you’ll get a mix of red and blue light which is difficult to replicate with modern lighting. It has many effects on the body including stimulating the production of cortisol, which the body uses to wake you up and get you moving for the day. This is important for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm.

As the sun rises, so does the level of UVA. This is vital for stimulating POMC. This is a precursor of a-MSH, b-endorphin, and ACTH. UVA stimulates both immediate and delayed production of melanin - the reason you get tan. Importantly, UVA is less damaging to the skin than UVB and helps build a strong base tan (solar callus) so that you won’t burn as easily.

When the sun is at its highest point, if you are in certain geographic areas, you may get UVB exposure. This is important for producing vitamin D. It promotes the release of nitric oxide and alpha MSH which acts as an appetite suppressant. It causes the production of melanin and induces T-regulatory cells to boost your immune system. It has anti-inflammatory effects.

As the sun drops and eventually you reach sunset, the effects of the UVA and red light from the sun are extremely important. They align the circadian rhythm, helping you relax and prepare for the night when you won’t be seeing any light.

At least, that’s what would happen in nature.

Fix your Circadian Rhythm

As you might imagine, the best way to regulate your circadian rhythm is to get healthy sunlight exposure. This means seeing the sunrise, getting sunlight exposure during the middle of the day, seeing the sunset, and then not seeing artificial light after sunset.

This is ideal. It’s not realistic for many people.

If you are one of those people, you should take some steps to mitigate your exposure to artificial light.

The easiest way to do this is blue-blocking glasses

Blue Blocking

When I say “artificial light” you should think “blue light.”

This is a highly unusual wavelength of light for night time. It is not found in nature, except during the day when the sun emits the entire spectrum. You shouldn’t be looking at blue light at night.

Sorry to say there’s a good chance your lights are emitting blue light. All LEDs with that pale blue color are emitting blue light. Your TV, your phone, car headlights, everything.

You can block those harmful wavelengths by investing in some good blue-blocking glasses. When the sun goes down you throw these on.

In my personal experience, the difference is noticeable immediately. You will feel more tired sooner in the night, even if you’re laying in bed watching TV or playing on your phone. I cannot recommend you do this highly enough.

Take advantage of EMR-TEK 30% off sale and buy a pair or two. Use code RENEGADE.

They have many different styles for both men and women. You can get them magnified if you want or need them for reading. They even have a daylight version (yellow lens) for those who work on a computer all day. I am wearing mine right now, in fact.

The flash sale is ending in 4 days. Please take advantage while you can. Everything in the store is 30% off. Stock up!

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