EP 126 – Eat This: Light and energy

Think about how much time you’ve spent outside today, or even this week and how much of it was naked? Likely none of the latter, but seriously, being indoors for the majority of the day; in the office, in the car, in transit, inside your home and having just gone through two years of a pandemic, there were possibly more who were outside going for a walk, but equally so many who didn’t get out into the LIGHT much at all. Remember in science class going through the electromagnetic spectrum of UV through the rainbow of colours in various wavelengths? Well, there has been emerging research about the benefits of photobiomodulation and it’s very promising for your health and healing. It’s an essential tool within the biohacking world, a topic that I introduced you to in last week’s episode 125. Photobiomodulation is a newer and slightly more fancier sounding term for what was once called low-level laser therapy and the research on the effects on the mitochondria or powerhouse of all your cells. But these energy producers are so much more than that. Research says that mitochondria may in fact dictate our overall health and longevity, and with a theory called the Mitochondrial Theory of Aging, there’s something to it. Pretty much everything that I talk about on this podcast and show is to protect against damage and help improve your mitochondria function from the inside out, and today we are going to delve into helping from the outside in.

So today on EAT THIS with Lianne, the benefits of light, in particular red and near-infrared light, and what it can do for your body, your mind, your brain, aches, pains, your mitochondria, and your longevity.

The list is long of the benefits of exposure to natural light as it helps our bodies produce Vitamin D, improves our circadian rhythms and sleep patterns, helps us to focus, enables us to get more done, and even makes us happier. With 90% of our time spent indoors, what is that doing to our health? All the wavelengths of light are beneficial in various doses, and since looking into how to get more energetic oomph, and diving into biohacking, I’ve come to understand that when the sun rises it emits red light and is an important aspect of setting us up for the day. I wake early every morning and see the stunning red streaks across the sky from my glass-walled condo and just how much that light has an effect on each and every cell in our body. All plants require light for photosynthesis, the process within a plant that converts light, oxygen and water into carbohydrates (energy). They need this energy in order to grow, bloom and produce seeds, fruit and whatever they are destined to produce. Without adequate light, carbohydrates cannot be manufactured, the energy reserves are depleted and plants die. Then we eat that food and benefit from the nutrients produced and after speaking with Ryan from LocoFields in episode 124, eating locally allows food to grow more where it’s at to produce all those antioxidants that I talk about that are needed to squash free-radical damage, the fire of inflammation and protect your mitochondria from damage. The food we eat directly affects our mitochondria and the potential for energy production. So that heavily processed, white, tasty, fast-releasing high glycemic diet of too many grains and added sugars can lead to increased insulin and inflammation with associated and accelerated mitochondrial dysfunction. While speaking about what your mitochondria needs, it also needs for you to sleep. In keeping on the topic of light, let’s mention blue light here quickly before we get to my guest today – light from electronic screens comes in all colors, but the blues are the worst. Blue light fools the brain into thinking it’s daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin, and nature’s way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed, doesn’t happen. So getting off your devices, and blocking as much blue light as possible also helps your mitochondria which is the most foundational way to help health and your energy. There’s a particular light that DOES positively impact your mitochondria and we talked about it in episode 99, after I made an impulse buy of a Orion red and near-infrared light box for myself. Little did I know just how impactful this light would and could be on my health and the health of my family. What I didn’t know at the time was that it acts upon the mitochondria in such a positive way and that it helps normalize and optimize an impressive amount of health conditions and its amazing effects on modulating inflammation, reducing pain, boosting resilience, enhancing cellular regeneration, and improving longevity to name a few out of the very long list of benefits. In keeping with introducing you to the biohacking world as I started the conversation in episode 125, I’ve invited someone who knows a lot more about red light and NIR, and so today we welcome Matt Liao. He is Orionrlt.ca’s COO has a background in health and fitness as a strength coach and manual osteopath. Matt utilizes red light therapy as an energy booster and a tool for muscle recovery. Welcome, Matt! 

If you want to really dive into this some more, as I seem to be, check out The Ultimate Guide To Red Light Therapy: How to Use Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy for Anti-Aging, Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Performance Enhancement, and Brain Optimization by Ari Whitten, a health expert and founder of The Energy Blueprint. Think about where you spend your time – is it indoors or outdoors. Is there an opportunity to work out outside and gather the natural light wavelengths from the sun, which has it ALL? Could you go for a walk at lunch and get out of the confines of the office. Take breaks and get out in the light, or take breaks and if you can’t get outside, sit in front of your own Orion red and NIR lightbox. You’ve heard me talk about my Orionrlt.ca Orion Pro unit and you too can get yours with a 10% discount by using code EATTHIS10 when you check out. 

Further to light, please know that the creation of energy in the mitochondria is dependent on an adequate supply of the right proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, like following half a plate of colourful fruits and veggies, one quarter of lean protein and fish, nuts and seeds and the other quarter with whole grains as a general recommendation. Added to that is a generous supply of B vitamins, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and antioxidants. Many of these nutrients can be supplied by phytonutrient-rich vegetables and fruits, but we know we don’t eat enough, so I’ve created the BioHack Bundle on SproutRight.com with the key essentials to support your mitochondria, aid detoxification and work on your energy from the ground up because that free radical damage is happening all day long, even if you lived in a perfect bubble eating all the colourful foods possible. So know that when you stir up my take this by Lianne Kid Boost or Skin boost superfood supplement for extra antioxidants, add the Lipsosome B complex liquid to your drink,  your mitochondria says thank you. When you get up earlier and get out as the sun is rising, your mitochondria say thank you. When you spend some time in front of your red and NIR light box according to the recommended times and distances, you’ll likely start to see and feel the positive effects that your efforts can yield; more energy, brighter skin, improved sleep, experience less pain, and more focus, improved your memory, decrease anxiety and depressive disorders, improve recovery from surgery, injury, and trauma like a brain injury… the list goes on. 

Thank you, thank you for tuning into yet another episode and for being one of the over 200K downloads to this podcast since its inception. Chris and I are so thrilled to be a part of your day, and your week knowing that people are excited to hear what I have to share is truly affirming for me that what I do is of value. Subscribe, share and rate this podcast. 

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