Originally Published January 5, 2004 -- Your Wellness Guide

Light Up Your Life For Health and Well-Being:
Special Consumer Wellness Series 1 of 2

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But, why should we care about how much  and the quality of light we get?  After all, aren’t we supposed to be avoiding and shielding ourselves from the sun?  Increasingly, a body of new evidence and on-the-horizon studies say we need sunlight and bright light on a daily basis to maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit, as well as a wellness-oriented environment.

Dr. Marie-Annette Brown, a University of Washington School of Nursing professor and researcher says that we should care about how much sun and light we get each day.  And, just as overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can bring negative effects, virtually no exposure to at least the sun’s bright light and quality indoor lighting can have a detrimental impact on our mind, body, and spirit.

The author of When Your Body Gets The Blues, Dr. Brown says that if you are feeling overly tired and stressed, sluggish, craving more carbohydrates, gaining weight, having sleeping difficulties, engaging in “shopping therapy,” and feeling irritable or anxious,  you may be experiencing what she terms the “body blues,”  which often occurs during the winter months due to lack of sunlight, too little exercise, and continual low-level stress.  A more extreme version of the body blues would be the often-written-about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

Connecticut-Licensed Naturopathic Physician Dr. Amy Rothenberg, who also practices classical homeopathy, says that SAD is similar to other illnesses in general in that it is a product of genetic pre-disposition and environmental factors, including stress.

“Stress, in general, puts people into patterns of illnesses.  When I prescribe homeopathic relief, it shifts those patterns so that the patient no longer has the symptoms.  But the symptoms are an expression of imbalance,” says Dr. Rothenberg.

Arizona Certified and Registered Homeopath Yolande Grill says that she has even seen patients in sunny Phoenix, Arizona with sudden SAD symptoms, even though they did not carry a previous history of it.  Again, her experience supports the fact that stress and environmental factors are triggers.

In the years that Dr. Rothenberg has treated SAD patients,  she has combined professional homeopathic treatment with nutrition, light therapy, and/or botanical medicine -- with each individual patient receiving the combination that helps best.

But if you’re looking for ways to help yourself prevent the body blues or SAD on your own -- and generally improve your well-being and environment in the process -- a significant self-help step you can take is to look at the type and amount of light you receive each day.

Build Purposeful Lighting Into Your Life
Light is a mind-body affair.  It regulates our body clock and influences sleeping, eating, activity levels, and moods.   Consistent exposure to quality light sources -- such as sunlight and new-technology lighting -- allows the body to produce sufficient levels of the brain chemical serotonin that  (among other benefits) helps us feel good and energetic, lifts our spirits, and improves our thinking and alertness.

There are four main ways we can purposefully add more healthy light into our lives.  Today’s column presents the first recommendation.

#1: Get More Sunlight:
The first and best solution to reduce our cultural light deprivation is to be exposed to more sunlight on an everyday basis. 

If you work in an office and have little sun-time opportunities before or after work, get some sunlight during a break or lunch hour for at least 20 minutes.  Don’t rationalize by thinking that a weekend of sunshine is enough; it may not.

According to Dr. Brown, on an average we need about an hour a day of over 1000 lux (a measurement of light’s brightness).  To compare, indoors you are likely getting somewhere between 50-200 lux.  In bright sunlight at noon, you might be getting around 100,000 lux. 

Fiona Marshall, author of Positive Options for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), says “Surprisingly, even a cloudy winter's day provides 10,000 lux of natural light.  The light striking the retina activates the pineal gland, which in turn controls production of the energizing hormone serotonin.”

When in the sunlight and if possible, take off your sunglasses or use non-dark sunglasses that only filter the UV but still allow the benefits of being exposed to the high-lux, bright sunlight.  If it is raining, walk under a clear umbrella so that as much light as possible filters in.

“There is increased well-being when a person is exposed to natural light and has interaction with his environment,” says Dr. John Markey, child psychiatrist at Beaumont Hospital’s Center for human development in suburban Detroit.

#2: Add More Natural Light
“The sun is the life giver, and the more we are exposed to natural light the better we will feel physically, emotionally, and mentally,” says Best-Selling Feng Shui Your Life Author Jayme Barrett.

Barrett suggests allowing as much natural sunlight into your home and office as possible.  “It is essential for a healthy body, a cheerful emotional outlook, and clear thinking.”

She recommends painting your walls light colors to reflect the available light, opening your drapes and replacing them with lighter colors and fabrics that let the light filter through, installing sky lights, adding a garden window to the kitchen, and placing a mirror near a window to reflect additional light into a room. 

President of Blinds.com, Jay Steinfield, says that the newest window covering products are also excellent options for letting more light into your home or office.  For example, the new solar shades or sheer weaves (made from a mesh-type fabric) allow light to come in and you to see out but still reduce the glare.  Another option, honeycomb shades, gives you the ability to let in light from the top or the bottom yet also provides insulation by capturing the heat or cold. 

Look for Part Two to this series, released on 1/12/04.

Wellness Wise Tip Sheets Related to This Special Two-Part Consumer Series:
Essential Questions For Daylight-Lighting Bulb Shopping
Healthy Lighting Resources
Essential Consumer Info For New Light-Based Wellness Gadgets

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