What's in Your Light Diet?
Got Sun?
This next image is a representation of the electromagnetic spectrum from Wikipedia:
(The wiki entry for EM Spectrum is informative. Although, and as always, whenever accessing information that has the potential for being “massaged” one must check the references and do their due diligence.)
So many aspects of our lives are governed by these different waves. We, humans, evolved under a portion of these, and which does penetrate the atmosphere: the ROYGBIVs (colors of the rainbow, smack in the middle of the entire spectrum), as well as the flanking infrared and ultraviolet waves.
Another name for this massive conglomeration of spectral waves is LIGHT. Radio waves are a form of light, so are x-rays, and microwaves. The difference lays in how we perceive the different waves. We “see” with our brain’s occipital lobes the 7 colors of the rainbow. But just because we can’t “see” the rest of the waves, doesn’t mean our bodies don’t perceive them. In fact, not only do we perceive them, we respond to them! Both the naturally-occurring ones, as well as the man-made versions of microwaves and radio waves (such as WiFi, 5G tech., radar and so forth).
@zaidkdahhaj over at The Circadian Classroom has a phenomenal post on all the other molecules in our bodies that detect light - check it out here!
Light is a Nutrient
Even before there was edible food for us humans, and for all other animals to consume for life, there was light. This light shaped all other life on earth. When we eat plants, we’re eating light. When we eat animals, we’re eating light. Plants and animals are nothing more than slowed down light! Same applies to us humans! We’re slowed down light.
“We are slowed down sound and light waves, a walking bundle of frequencies tuned into the cosmos. We are souls dressed up in sacred biochemical garments and our bodies are the instruments through which our souls play their music.”
In “light” of this (haha! see what I did there?), wouldn’t it make sense that our light environments are as, if not more, important than the food that we eat?
I’m not saying that the quality of our food doesn’t matter. Far from it! Remember, food is light. Eating food grown/raised under all of the light of the sun is way more nutritious than food made or processed under fake lights inside a lab. This is a topic for another time. But do ponder for a second that the reason whole foods are better for us than processed foods is simply this: this light environment the food was produced in. And consequently, the light information we’re actually consuming! Said differently: When we eat whole foods, grown under all of the light of the sun in a place near where we live, we’re consuming light information that our bodies are also exposed to, and therefore can process and assimilate. There is coherence between the information we’re putting into our bodies and what our bodies expect. Conversely, when we eat processed foodstuffs made in a laboratory, or highly processed real food that has been refined and stripped of it’s natural light information, we are putting incoherent information into our bodies, relative to what our bodies expect. This lack of coherence creates dissonance. Another word for dissonance is CHAOS. Chaos, in biological systems presents as INFLAMMATION. More on this another time.
I am saying that, in the last however many decades, there’s been a very misplaced and skewed weight placed on food, at the expense of the light under which that food was grown. Even more importantly, this emphasis on food, carbs, macros, food diets/pyramids/plates, etc. has successfully shoved light out of the nutrition equation altogether!
Light all on it’s own is a nutrient! It is the most important, essential nutrient. Whole foods grown under this natural light are so much more nutritious because they contain the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals we need for optimal health. Similarly, our exposure to the full spectrum of sunlight (under which the aforementioned food was grown/raised) gives us the full complement of light information we require to run the vitamin and mineral “programs” inside us, and which we derive from said food. We need the right light code to process the food code that we ingest, completely and successfully. In other words, light comes first, then the food-derived molecules. Said differently: vitamins and minerals can’t work properly without the matching light frequency they were produced in/under.
Light-Derived Malnutrition
In this early 21st century existence, most humans are severely lacking in full spectrum light. Living 90% of our lives indoors, under artificial lights is effectively malnourishing us. This indoor existence is dominated by the blue waves and microwaves of the spectrum. That is it. No reds. No infrareds. No ultraviolets. This is the equivalent of eating sugar all day long, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. We can all agree eating sugar alone is not a good idea.
And yes, fruit juice is highly processed. Not good. No redeeming qualities, really. Kind of like booze. Yummy. But not good.
Here are some examples of how sunlight nourishes us:
Blue light is important for production of cortisol and insulin - healthy management of blood glucose for energy.
Ultraviolet light is essential for making hormones and brain chemicals like adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin and melatonin, as well as healthy levels of histamine (so we can avoid histamine intolerance).
Red light is imperative for wound healing; it is also anti-inflammatory
Infrared light is the master anti-inflammatory frequency. It also plays key roles in blood pressure control, proper hydration and energy production at the mitochondrial level. Furthermore, infrared light is the main “food source” for our mitochondria, helping them make melatonin during the day. Why does this matter? Well, because melatonin is the master antioxidant! If it weren’t for infrared helping mitochondria make melatonin, all the toxins generated by simply living and breathing would not be cleared out consistently. And what happens when the trash isn’t taken out? Well, let’s just say it causes major issues! The house begins to stink.
Conversely, artificial blue light (from light bulbs, screens, and such) and man-made microwaves (bluetooth, wifi, 5G and such) are highly processed and devoid of the other anti-inflammatory wavelengths (red and infrareds). Our body doesn’t discriminate between natural and artificial blue light. So when we see blue we will crank up the cortisol, even if it’s midnight. And when we see the blue, we will produce glucose, even if we didn’t eat a thing! And when glucose is produced, insulin is also produced to manage blood levels. And when cortisol, glucose and insulin are cranking 24/7 because we’re under blue light all the time, well… you get the picture.
In addition, there’s method to Nature’s madness - red and infrared frequencies are the “antidote” for any potential “DNA damage” caused by blues and ultraviolets. Just like a diet of pure processed sugar is “no bueno”, a light diet high in pure processed blue is tremendously damaging to the system. Both deplete our bodies of much needed nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the process of “processing” the sugar and the blue light. Our body, in all it’s amazingness, will still absorb these harmful, synthetic forms of “food” and light and it will do what it can until it can no more. It robs Peter to pay Paul until it can no longer sustain the situation. Enter dis-ease.
In Summary
We need to consume full spectrum light for optimal functioning of our bodies. We need the protein, fat and complex carbs of light (the ultraviolets, the infrareds and the blues) to ensure optimal health. The easiest and cheapest way to accomplish this is to get outside. Full stop.
So the whole point of this long spiel is simply this: a not-so-gentle reminder to GET OUTSIDE! No matter the weather. I implore you! Every little bit counts.
The other point of this long spiel is we need to MITIGATE JUNK LIGHT as much as possible. Hence the orange blue blockers and turning off lights at night and keeping phones away from the body, and curbing night-time tv/screen consumption.
I know many of you are already doing this. So I apologize for being so insistent. But this is a message that needs to be spread far and wide. Hopefully by laying it out in this way you can more easily explain it to your loved ones and friends.
There are more and more free or super cheap resources out there to learn more about this topic. Here are a few for you to peruse as you take charge of your own health:
The FREE “CRD Challenge” - starting Sunday October 20th. Sign up here to learn more and get access to FREE, bite-sized information on all things Circadian Rhythms and how to get your light right. This is a fantastic, world-wide endeavor to spread the good news. I am honored to be an ambassador for this movement.
My FREE “Get Your Light Right- 30 Day Challenge” - A short mini-course with printables for you to work your way to a more circadian-friendly life, also in bite-sized chunks.
The Quantum Biology Collective podcast - A great, FREE resource for all things Quantum Biology and Circadian Biology.
The Quantum Healthy podcast - Another great FREE resource for how to apply quantum and circadian concepts to daily life
The Light Doctor, by Martin Moore-Eade, MD, PhD.
Science of Light, a 501c3 dedicated to the memory of photobiology pioneer, Dr. John Ott, the father of full-spectrum light technology.
SOL’s Mission:
To enlighten humanity of the essential need for daily light hygiene to support wellness & reduce the risk of — mal-illumination.
OK, these should get you started on this amazing journey to change your light diet and optimize your health. I’m keeping this post free for all. Please share far and wide.
Thanks for your time!
See you at the next sunrise,
Amanda
References (a non-exhaustive sampling):
Melatonin: Both a Messenger of Darkness and a Participant in the Cellular Actions of Non-Visible Solar Radiation of Near Infrared Light
Dun-Xian Tan,1,* Russel J. Reiter,1 Scott Zimmerman,2 and Ruediger Hardeland3
Biology (Basel). 2023 Jan; 12(1): 89
Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body
Scott Zimmerman Silas Inc., Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, USA
Russel.J. Reiter Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32794/mr11250016
Morning and Evening Blue-Enriched Light Exposure Alters Metabolic Function in Normal Weight Adults
Ivy N Cheung 1, Phyllis C Zee 1, Dov Shalman 2, Roneil G Malkani 1, Joseph Kang 3, Kathryn J Reid 1
PLoS One. 2016 May 18;11(5)
The Complex Effects of Light on Metabolism in Humans
Asuka Ishihara,* Amber B. Courville, and Kong Y. Chen
Nutrients. 2023 Mar; 15(6): 1391.
Suppression of Blue Light at Night Ameliorates Metabolic Abnormalities by Controlling Circadian Rhythms
Norihiro Nagai; Masahiko Ayaki; Tatsuo Yanagawa; Atsuhiko Hattori; Kazuno Negishi; Takuro Mori; Takahiro J. Nakamura; Kazuo Tsubota
Physiology and Pharmacology | September 2019
Blue light at night acutely impairs glucose tolerance and increases sugar intake in the diurnal rodent Arvicanthis ansorgei in a sex‐dependent manner
Anayanci Masís‐Vargas, 1 , 2 , 3 David Hicks, 1 Andries Kalsbeek, 2 , 3 and Jorge Mendoza
Physiol Rep. 2019 Oct; 7(20): e14257.