Have you ever thought about how limited your time outdoors is?
Did you know that staying away from sunlight can affect your present and future health?
As you read this post I want you to think about what part of the world you live in and how much time you actually spend outdoors with skin exposed daily and weekly.
Before the covid19 pandemic, I began learning about the importance of getting sun exposure daily and how certain wavelengths of light can affect us both positively and negatively when received at the right or wrong time of the day. While researching light therapy, I read about a statistic that said, Americans spend 93% of their time indoors. And when you think about it, It’s clear that over time humans have become more and more disconnected from natural sunlight. Modern life has made it extremely convenient to do practically all of our daily necessities indoors from day to night and because of this, it’s no longer easy to maintain an outdoor lifestyle while still getting things done let alone receive enough sunlight, at the right time of day, on a regular basis. On top of that, much of the time we spend indoors is filled with bright artificial blue light from screens and overhead lighting which can have a negative effect on our sleep and circadian rhythm. Obviously now with a pandemic and rules to follow enjoying the natural outdoors is an even bigger struggle. Whether you work from home or not, most adults are usually employed at an indoor job where they stay for most of their day. Young adults are in school for most of the day, or in front of a screen at home and many juggle both work and school. Don't even get me started on parents! Us parents are often doing all of the above, making time outdoors *with skin exposed* an occasional luxury.
Most importantly, many people live in areas with limited sunlight for large portions of the year. The amount of sunlight and vitamin D absorption available to you depends on what part of the world you live in. (See the vitamin D sun map further down this post) Here in North America, our vitamin D availabity from the sun is less accessible than other parts of the world like certain countries in South America that are closer to the equator. And if you're in the U.S certain states get less sunlight than others. That's actually one of the reasons we moved from NY/NJ to Austin TX about 6 months ago and it‘s how I gained interest in photobiomodulation (PBM) a.k.a Red light Therapy while living on the east coast.
*** THIS DOES NOT MEAN Red Light Therapy replaces sun exposure. Nothing can mimic or replace the sun. Natural sunlight provides full-spectrum light + vitamin D and that's why getting enough sun exposure should be a priority even when using PBM devices like JOOVV.
In my youtube video below I share why I began using the JOOVV elite panel daily and what our experience has been as a family. But I also want to share extra details here on my blog for those interested in knowing more about the important role light has on our health.
INVESTING INTO MY HEALTH & LIFELINE:
If you’ve been following me for a while or have ever browsed through my Instagram, you’ll notice I’m not the kind of person who would spend hundreds of dollars on designer shoes, bags, or any clothing. Even though I can afford to indulge in some luxury from time to time, I often reject the “let's look rich even if we can afford it” mentality. I didn’t grow up with healthy habits, and I’ve witnessed what living the same lifestyle and repeating the same thinking has done to the health of my loved ones. I don't want to wait to receive the same diagnosis as them. When I became a mom it slowly became clear to me that investing in my health and my family’s health is a necessity. "If I do what they’ve always done, I’ll get what they’ve always gotten". So while you might never see me wearing luxurious name brands, you will surely see me highlighting my purchases towards health investment in hopes of reversing or preventing future illnesses. Some of our health investments are more affordable and require lifestyle changes like wearing blue-light blocking glasses at night, shopping in good health food stores, farmers markets, and wearing clean beauty products. Other investments are pricier like my AquaTru (reverse osmosis) water filter, my Berkey shower filter, and my caraway non-toxic cookware set. A few are larger investments like our sunlighten infrared sauna, but these investments weren't purchased all-at-once because making changes is something that happens gradually with time, not instantly.
In 2015 while living in California we began going to an infrared sauna house where we paid $35-$65 per session so it wasn’t something we did as often as I would’ve liked because of the expense and the trip. Later that year we decided to invest in an at-home infrared sauna and thankfully financing it was an option so we didn’t have to pay for it all at once. We received it after making a deposit and paid it off with monthly payments at a price we could afford. We’ve had our sunighten (2-seater) infrared sauna for 5+ years now and it’s also insured! We’ve moved with it to three different homes in three different states and it's in perfect condition. When you add it up, it’s actually more affordable to own your own infrared sauna vs paying $35-$65 per session. In 2016 I began hearing about photobiomodulation (PBM) aka red light therapy from my husband Manny, which is how I hear about most hot health topics. As usual, he dug deep researching all about it, and in 2018 he found a place in New York City (about 45 minutes away from our apartment in NJ) where he began paying for 20-minute sessions a couple of times a month to experience the benefits. Typically a single 20 min full-body red light therapy session will cost about $20-$40 (depending on where you go). Manny loved it enough to continue going as much as he could but eventually, we also decided to purchase a small PBM (red light therapy) device to use at home. Our small PBM panel allowed us to focus on specific areas of concern on our body whenever we pleased, but as time went on we became more interested in getting a PBM panel that targets the entire body just like the sessions we use to pay for in NYC. That’s what brought us to JOOVV!
JOOVV offers FDA registered, Red and Near Infrared (NIR) LED light-therapy devices made with medical-grade materials. They‘re super high quality and offer multiple payment options also. So this time around I asked my manager to get in contact with JOOVV and see if we can make them an offer towards the full-body JOOVV elite. For full disclosure, I want to let you know that the lovely people at JOOVV agreed to gift me the JOOVV elite (full-body panel) last year December 2019 in exchange for sharing my honest experience with you. They also provided a $50 discount code. If you decide to invest in any JOOVV product, the discount is applied by clicking my exclusive link--> JOOVV anywhere on this post.
WHAT IS RED LIGHT THERAPY?
Photobiomodulation (PBM) a.k.a Red light therapy is a non-invasive light treatment. Everyone needs healthy light but most people don't get enough of it and instead get way too much blue-light resulting in worse sleep and overall health. PBM devices like JOOVV treats your body with RED and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths of light, delivered directly to your skin and cells. Red light therapy can help your skin, muscle tissue, bones, brain, and other parts of your body heal as it exposes you to low levels of red and near-infrared light.
• Infrared light is a type of energy your eyes cannot see, but your body can feel as heat.
(Red light is similar to infrared, except it’s visible).
• Near-Infrared Light is delivered at 850nm. (NIR) light is invisible to the human eye, but penetrates into deeper tissues, leading to enhanced recovery and inflammation support.
• Red Light is similar to infrared, except it's visible. Red light is delivered at 660nm, and is readily absorbed by surface tissues and cells, leading to enhanced skin health and healing.
BENEFITS OF RED LIGHT THERAPY:
• Inflammation
• Muscle Recovery
• Improved Blood Flow
• Sleep: Circadian Rhythm
• Skin Health: aging, scars + acne
• Brain Health: Memory + Function
• Bone Health: Joint pain + Arthritis
• Sexual Health: Libido + performance
BALANCING HORMONES & SLEEP WITH LIGHT:
Melatonin is the hormone that regulates our sleep cycle but did you know that receiving morning sunlight daily naturally sets our circadian rhythm into balance. That’s because morning sunlight helps you produce melatonin later in the evening when sunlight is absent. But also any light received through our eyes plays a critical role in our hormones including melatonin production. That's why receiving the wrong light at night (like blue-light) can affect your melatonin production and circadian rhythm (which causes worse sleep patterns).
The main point I hope I'm getting across in this blog post is; GET SUNLIGHT on a regular basis! But since most of us are not getting the amount of sunlight we should, using a PBM device like the JOOVV can be extremely useful! Although none of this is new, scientists are now understanding the important role light has in our overall health and evidence strongly suggests that exposing ourselves to the right kind of light can lead to amazing benefits. Several studies have demonstrated that certain wavelengths of light can balance hormones, increase blood flow, and assist in the formation of new capillaries. Dr. Michael Hamblin from Hardvard University conducted several studies on photobiomodulation with evidence that Red Light Therapy can repair cells, improve brain function and memory.
THE DOWNSIDE OF TOO MUCH SUN-SHIELDING:
Like I mentioned earlier, the amount of sunlight and vitamin D absorption available to you depends on what part of the world you live in. In America, we receive less vitamin D than other parts of the world like certain countries closer to the equator. And certain states in the U.S. get less sunlight than other states. (See maps from Sep-Jan below)
But also, think about this... when the season makes sunlight available we’re typically slathered in sunblock and wearing sunglasses which I learned blocks us from obtaining enough benefit from natural sunlight exposure in the name of protecting our skin from sun damage. We’re commonly warned about skin damage and skin cancer but we're rarely warned about too much sun-shielding. Lastly, let me remind you that people of color need more sunlight than those with fair skin. The more melanin you have, the more sun exposure you need to balance your vitamin d and hormone levels.
Do you have a healthy balance between getting enough morning and day sunlight, and avoiding exposure to artificial blue-light at night? Trust me, I know it’s not an easy balance but I believe we must try to implement at least some of these things daily. I hope this information on Red Light Therapy and JOOVV has helped you gain new information that can impact your health positively.
❤ Alba