Joovvin’ with Paul Saladino, MD, Functional Medicine Expert

In this guest post written by Paul Saladino, M.D., the functional medicine specialist explains the importance of natural light, connecting with nature, and why he uses Joovv for better health in a modern world.

The way we interact with the world around us has a big impact on our bodies, but modern life has radically changed what’s normal for human behavior. People obviously didn’t used to wake up and check their phones and emails first thing while lying in bed. For most of human history, we started our days around natural light, and we spent the day soaking in nutrients from the sun and the soil and the world around us.

Now as Americans, we spend over 90% of our lives indoors, getting about a tenth of the critical vitamins and nutrients that our ancestors got from natural light. Technology plays a big role in this shift, with ever brighter artificial lighting and screens built into our everyday lives.

Fortunately, technological advances have also offered a solution to our modern light problem: red light therapy. I’ve been using my Joovv device every day to supercharge my cells with healthy wavelengths of natural light. Sort of like a supplement, it helps me get the critical nutrients I miss when I can’t get outside enough during the day, and there are loads of health benefits.

Resetting Your Circadian Rhythm with Red Light

People don’t just spend too much time indoors, we also get overloaded with artificial light at all hours of the day. That’s clearly not how our bodies developed, and it has a lot of unintended consequences for our health and sleep.

Artificial blue light, the kind that comes from our phones, computers, and televisions, is especially bright, with a higher color temperature than daytime sun. When we take in all that blue light, especially after dark, it messes with our circadian rhythm.

Specifically, blue light stimulates your suprachiasmatic nucleus, the part of the hypothalamus in our brain that acts as our body’s alarm clock. The energy that comes from blue light makes our brain think it’s time to be wide awake, no matter what time of day it is. So if you’re looking at your phone at night, the blue light is telling your brain to stay alert and awake, even though it’s bedtime when you should be preparing for sleep.

I use my Joovv Elite before bed as part of my blue light avoidance protocol to help my brain produce melatonin in the evening the way it’s been evolutionarily designed to do.

Natural red light has a far lower color temperature than artificial blue light, so it actually helps me get to sleep naturally, the opposite effect of bright blue light.

Joovvin’ For More Energy

I’m a big believer in getting out in nature and doing things like surfing and backpacking, where you put away the devices and connect with the real world. Your phone doesn’t work in the ocean or in the mountains, and that’s liberating. When I’m out on the trail in fresh air and natural light, I feel more energized and in tune with my body. Now, I can get a good energy boost with my Joovv even when I can’t get outside.

Natural wavelengths of red and near infrared light stimulate the mitochondria in our cells to produce more energy (ATP), more efficiently. I feel the increased energy most when I’m exercising. If I do a Joovv session before training, I’m able to push my workout harder and longer before feeling exhausted.

Recovery With Red Light

Joovv helps me work out stronger and longer, and I also feel less soreness afterwards because of the proven recovery power that comes from light therapy. This is really helpful if you’re trying to get an added advantage in the gym or if you just want to get back to physical activity quicker. The muscle recovery benefits of natural light are also why you now see so many pro athletes using Joovv as part of their daily routines.

Why I Recommend Joovv

Most of my patients and clients don’t have the option to surf in San Diego or backpack the Pacific Crest Trail when they’re feeling low energy or have health issues. Often just getting outside for a good walk can be tough, with jobs, school, families, and everything else on our plates.

Red light therapy can help bridge the gap between our modern lives, and what our bodies need to thrive. I’ve seen the benefits in my sleep, energy, physical performance, and muscle recovery, and I recommend Joovv to anyone who’s trying to reconnect with their body and optimize their overall health.

The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Joovv. Any content provided by our guest collaborators are of their opinion and are not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent specific diseases of medical conditions.