Happy Sunflower

By light, we mean the full-spectrum natural sunlight.

Sunlight is the light our body loves and needs to function optimally. Unfortunately, sunlight have been vilified as the cause of skin cancer, eye deterioration, faster ageing and other. We have been told we can replace exposure to sunlight with a vitamin D supplement.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Sunlight is information, code, food, energy and more. It is a full-spectrum light, made of all the colours of the rainbow. From ultraviolet all the way to red and infrared.

 

Sunlight codes our gene expression, our DNA. It has been proven that humans also synthesize sunlight (not just plants) to create energy and feed the body on a non-physical (non-food based) level. Sunlight feeds the gut microbes which are responsible for production of serotonin and dopamine (it is called the gut-brain axis). That is why we all tend to feel happier on a sunny day.

There is lots more sunlight does for us, including regulating our hormonal balance, supporting our liver function and creating vitamin D (the steroid pre-hormone we have been told is 'only' a vitamin).

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We cannot replace sunlight and exposure to natural light with supplements or lightbulbs.

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While we tend to perceive sunlight as white, yellow or warm coloured light (pink, red or orange at sunrise or sunset), our body responds to the different colours (different wavelengths, in fact) differently.

Exposure to the early morning light (which is rich in the warmer colours) has been shown to positively impact our circadian rhythm - the sleeping/waking cycle. People who have troubles falling asleep or staying asleep at night, may greatly benefit from the morning light.

The noon is the time when the sunlight contains the most of the blue wavelength - which is great for raising our cortisol (in a healthy way) to keep us alert, agile and mentally and physically active.

Towards the sunset the blue light fades and the red spectrum becomes more dominant. The reds signal to our brain to block cortisol and start producing melatonin so we can start winding down in preparation for sleep. It can take up to 2 hours since our last exposure to blue light till we have adequate levels of melatonin for a deep and restful sleep.

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We are the most sun-fearing, daylight-avoiding society on planet Earth ever!

The vast majority of 'modern humans' think all the talk about light is pure non-sense. We live longer than ever and are clearly fine.

Are we, though?

When we look at the fast increasing rate of heart disease, cancers and neurological illnesses, it is alarming. We may live longer, yet most elderly live with a degenerative/chronic disease for good 20 years.

If you ask me, I am not interested in draining the society's resources, being in pain for 20 years or dependant on carers and medication. I am not interested in surviving.

I want to preserve my strength and health so I can live a full life for as long as possible - to thrive till the last moment.

And yes, we can clearly see that the pollutants and toxins in our water, food and environment are damaging our health. Our sedentary lifestyle is just as toxic as smoking cigarettes (with their 2,000+ carcinogens). The lack of vital nutrients in our diet is playing a crucial role, as well.

Yet, the mainstream is still totally oblivious to the dangers of all the artificial lighting in our homes and the avoidance of natural, full-spectrum daylight.

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Indoor lighting

As our autumn days are getting shorter and darker, the natural light exposure is less and less. We are using indoor lights more frequently, sometimes even throughout the whole day if it is super grey and cloudy outside.

And therein lies the big problem.

With the energy saving policies in the western countries, all our indoor lightbulbs are dominantly blue or blue with some green. We have lost the full light spectrum, especially the reds.

Our ancestors used fire and candles for some 8,000 years. Electric light has only been around for about 140 years (and those lightbulbs had a wider colour spectrum). We may think we are 'so modern', yet our brains are very ancient and the way our brain responds to the wavelengths of light has not changed...

 

I have recently listened to a podcast about the problem with an early onset of puberty. It is more common than you think. The way the mainstream medicine treats this is by administering melatonin - yet, non-physiological doses can be dangerous. The link here is clear - these children's bodies are not producing enough of the 'hormone of the dark', melatonin, which also plays a role in slowing down the onset of puberty.

I mentioned this in my other newsletters and articles already - melatonin is a master antioxidant. It is the number one factor for reducing cancers, heart disease, neurological illness and more. High blood pressure, all forms of inflammation, problems with the liver and hormonal imbalances - they all benefit from melatonin.

 

As we already mentioned, our body needs to perceive the red wavelengths to start producing melatonin. As all the commercially available LED lights are just blue or blue with some green, they trick our body into thinking it is daylight. They are fine to use in the daytime, yet if we use them before bed, we are blocking our onset of deep and restful sleep. As we already mentioned above - it can take up to 2 hours for the body to get set for a deep sleep.

 

Think about it this way: if you only sleep for 8 hours and the first 2 hours your body is unable to properly rest and regenerate, in the morning you will feel like you had only 6 hours of sleep. This can be fine for a very healthy person, yet if we want to promote long-term wellbeing or heal anything, we need more sleep. Remember? Sleep is one of the pillars of health.

I dare say we are one of the chronically most sleep-deprived societies ever.

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Red light to the rescue

While we CANNOT replace natural sunlight, with the scientific knowledge we now have about the impact of light on our wellbeing, we can SUPPORT our body in times when sunlight is not available. Like in the dark months of the year.

This is called Photo-bio-modulation, in other words, we use light/colour to change/influence our human biology. There is some pretty exciting evidence on the benefits of red and infrared light used for healing. Also called, the red light therapy.

 

Our eyes perceive red light, yet infrared and near-infrared light are only sensed as heat. The 'reds' support our mitochondria (the powerhouse for energy and regeneration in our body), calm down inflammation and activate our parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for rest and digest).

Infrared light is what structures water in our body. Our blood is structured water with an electric charge. Because there is no pump (I am sure you all know the heart is not a pump!), the movement of blood depends on the electric charge/structured water. Lack of red wavelengths will lead to many health issues - deterioration of the eyes and brain, lack of structured water and its charge, high stress, insomnia, mood disorders, all kinds of inflammation, exhaustion. Before knowing any of the research, for years I was just noticing how exhausted I was feeling after a late movie night or how terrible my eyesight was after a whole day with indoor lighting. I don't do movie nights any more and am very conscious about the lights I use at home and when.

 

So what do I do?

I go off screens (more blue light) at least 1.5 hours before bed.

I plan my days so I don't need to use strong light after that time (when screen-free).

I bought non-blue lightbulbs for our living room celling.

I use a red bulb in a small desk lamp in the bathroom, on the floor (to mimic a fireplace) as the last light before bed.

During the dark months and on dark days I use a medium sized red panel for 10-20 minutes every or every other day.

 

I don't use blue-light blocking glasses, although that is an option, too.

I personally find changing the bulbs in the house is sufficient.

 

Are these bulbs and panels easy to find in the shops?

As this is still a niche market, we pay for what we get. I like the Block Blue Light company because they are based in the UK where they also design their products. They offer a decent customer service and accept returns. I am sure there are other suppliers/sellers and probably cheaper. However, one has to be careful with these kind of devices. We want to make sure they have the right wavelengths and are not just cheap Chinese replicas.

If you would like to get yourself some non-blue or full-spectrum lightbulbs, a red light lamp or panel or perhaps some blue-light blocking glasses, the link below will lead you to the right place.

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blockbluelight.co.uk

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