Experiments in the sun
The temptation with this, is to throw out a bunch of scientific data about the effects of different light frequencies on human skin, or how wrong our thinking has become in our western minds about how sun exposure is meant to work. Instead, Im going to stick with what my experience has been, and if you want to learn more about circadian biology, or recent (re)discoveries about the effects of sunlight on human biology, thats for you to do. Read man sun(1) so to speak.
For my own thinking, what Ive come to understand is that my skin is not just the thing that covers my body. It is in fact one of the most important organs in my system. It is my body's primary interface with light and temperature in my environment, and uses those inputs to entrain a whole host of systems in my body. Sleep, energy, hormone production, digestion, mitochondrial function, even extroversion (through oxytosin) is affected by exposure to sunlight. And recieving those inputs in a specific sequence makes a difference. Very specific and beneficial things occur when I get IR, then IR and UVa, then IR, UVa, and UVb in sequence. Fortunately, that is easily done since that is the sequence of light radiation from the sun starting from sunrise to mid day.
This summer, I woke up with the sun. I watched it rise. Then I did some exercise. Then I did 15 minutes of sun expoure mid morning. Ate a big breakfast, did some work, and got 15 more minutes of sunlight exposure at mid day. That is it. Nothing more as it relates to light exposure. But the effects of doing this every day for a month blew my mind.
First, my energy and well being levels went through the roof. The change was so significant that my wife emotionally said, 'I see fire and life in your eyes again.' This alone is worth the price of admission, which is just some self discipline. The second change was that my joints all felt loose and free moving. Then my eye sight was clearer. My sleep was deep, and restful. Then I added red lights. I placed red cinema gels over any light I used after sun down. I also changed the screen color of my laptop and phone to a low kelvin value, removing the majority of the blue light.
My overall energy and mental clarity improved even more, and so did my sleep. I was out in like 15 minutes after laying down, and slept all through the night.
At this point, with how I am feeling day to day, I am all in on this thing. But I started wondering if I could take it even further.
On our property, there is a small secluded field. I set up an awning, small desk, and a tent. I faced the tent door east, so the rising sun would flood in. I brought down a rocket stove, and some cast iron pans. I started sleeping, working, cooking, and living outside. My wife said, "I am starting to look forward so much to coming home, because it feels like our life is turning into an adventure, and a vacation." This alone is worth the price of admission.
Then I added methylene blue, and cold plunges. Not super cold, like 55 degrees. But these two additions took how I felt day to day into the outer stratosphere. Methylene blue is a mitochondrial electron donor. Which is to say, it gives exactly what your mitochondria needs to produce atp, resulting in you feeling a whole lot of energy. Add the dopamine jump from a cold plunge to everything else going on, and, well, its hard to even describe. There was one day after doing all my morning activities, that I felt a rush a well being that is stronger than anything I have ever felt in my life. It actually made me emotional. Considering that a few months before I had been feeling like death warmed over most of the time, this change was and answer to a very specific prayer... "please help me feel better."
With my energy levels this high, I started doing projects. I cut many paths through dense blackberry growth using an old fashioned scythe. I cleared a foundation area for a traditional cob house. I dug a rubble foundation trench, by hand, and filled it with 1 1/2 basalt gravel I rolled down the newly cut paths in a wheelbarrow. I rolled out geocloth on all of the new paths, and covered all of them with 3/4 minus gravel. And I was still working out in the morning. Body fat started melting off. Getting bored of standard workouts, I started researching alternative exercise methods, and started constructing my own equipment, which Ill cover in another note.
If you can feel the intensity of what I am describing, I am glad. I am hoping you do. I also hope you realize how small the actual changes were. Other than moving outside for the summer of course. Point being, these targeted changes of sunlight exposure, red light at night, and a couple supplements, had such a significant and cascading effect on my overall well being, that I cant understand how more people dont know about this. I mean other than that establishment paradigms dont even talk about it.
To conclude, if you are wanting more energy, check out sun exposure, circadian biology, methylene blue, and red light use at night. They arent that hard to incoporate, and from the experience I had, they are worth the effort.