The secret to good health and losing weight
The secret to good health and losing weight
The secret to good health and losing weight is in the amount of sunlight you are exposed to. This does not translate into planning an afternoon trip to the beach. It has to be the right amount of sunlight at the right time of the day. This is quickly becoming a new strategy for losing weight, sleeping better, and fighting disease.
Every morning light absorbed by your retinas helps set your inner clock in your brain that signals other areas in your body to regulate blood pressure, temperature and hormone production. This complex system known as circadian rhythms helps keep your system balanced. Understanding these light regulated patterns will help you boost your energy, alertness and your immune system.
Here are ways to maximise light’s benefits:
In the morning:
As soon as you wake up draw those shades that block all the sunlight from coming in the house. Without the presence of sunlight your body will still feel like is night despite your alarm clock screaming at your ears. First thing then as you wake up walk towards your blinds and pull them open your retinas will be showered with sunlight spiraling a chain reaction and activating the circadian system.
Tip: If your work requires you to wake up before sunlight, then try bedside lamps with white compact fluorescent bulb, which is similar to morning light.
Get an energy boost
The first rays of early morning suppress the production of melatonin (a hormone that makes you feel sleepy) and keep your circadian cycle on track so you feel more alert during the day. So take a morning walk or jog if you like, morning light exposure synchs your body clock with your watch and will make you feel more energetic all day, as well as sleep at night.
Improve your mood
Light encourages production of serotonin, the mood-regulating neurotransmitter. Insufficient exposure to light, particularly on the short days of the winter months, can lead to mild depression.
Control your appetite
Our appetite is connected to sunlight as it informs your brain that during light hours our body needs food for energy and at night that hunger diminishes. Electric light has made it possible for us to stay up longer and snack when we should be sleeping and resting. To control nighttime nibbling, eat a substantial, healthy breakfast, as it will stop you from making bad decisions for lunch and dinner with food high in calories. Also try making your bedroom a place where you have complete darkness, no TVs or light stay on through the night.
Sunlight aside from being a mood enhancer is also an important factor in synchronizing our bodies’ functions with relevant times of the day. During the day our brain through the presence of sunlight will signal different mechanisms in our bodies to start working, consume and take in energy and at night to slow down and rest. With the invention of electricity however, our brains and bodies get mixed up and might fall out of synch but with this knowledge we are now equipped to help our bodies work at their best capacity.
