![Page 1: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Light Up Your Health
![Page 2: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Light Goes A Long Way
• By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to:– Lose Weight– Sleep Better– Concentrate and Motivate– Fight Diseases
![Page 3: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
How it Works
• Every morning, light absorbed by your retinas helps set a master clock in your brain that cues other biological timepieces that regulate blood pressure, temperature, and hormone production.
• Ongoing light stimulation and the lack of it at the end of the day keeps this complex system, known as Circadian Rhythms cycling in an orderly fashion.
![Page 4: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Morning Motivations
• Six Key Steps to Follow:– Rise and Truly Shine– Boost Your Concentration– Get an Energy Jolt– Improve Your Mood– Rein in Your Appetite– Fight Diseases
![Page 5: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Rise and Truly Shine
• When you first wake up in the morning, head for the brightest light possible (i.e. opening the blinds on a sunny day), this will increase your alertness and truly wake you up.
• If you have to get up when it is still dark outside, try using a bedside lamp with a bluish/white compact fluorescent bulb.
![Page 6: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Boost Your Concentration
• Sunlight directly activates the parts of the brain responsible for maintaining alertness.
• Sit by a window whenever possible to take in that sunlight and stay alert.
![Page 7: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Get an Energy Jolt
• First sun rays of early morning suppress the production of melatonin (a hormone that makes you sleepy) and keep your circadian cycle on track to increase alertness through the day.
• Take an early morning walk to boost your afternoon energy levels and help it continue into the night.
![Page 8: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Improve Your Mood
• Light encourages production of serotonin, the mood-regulating neurotransmitter.
• Not enough light can lead to mild depression (i.e. Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD])
![Page 9: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Rein in Your Appetite
• To put the brakes on nighttime nibbling, eat a substantial healthy breakfast shortly after rising out of bed.
• Women who eat larger morning meals may consume fewer total daily calories without even trying.
![Page 10: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Fight Diseases
• Light helps to stimulate the production of Vitamin D in your skin, which has been proven to prevent:– Cardiovascular Disease– Multiple Sclerosis– Diabetes– Rheumatoid Arthritis– Colon Cancer– And many others
![Page 11: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Fight Diseases
• Supplements help but don’t help as much as natural sunlight and natural Vitamin D.
• It is impossible to overdose on natural Vitamin D, however increased exposure to sunlight in fair complexioned people can increase the risk of cancer.
• 15-30 minutes of direct sunlight can produce 4,000 IU of Vitamin D, equivalent to 40 glasses of whole milk.
![Page 12: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Get Help in the Evening
• Nighttime prompts release of melatonin, a hormone that brings on sleep and drowsiness.
• Women who work the night shift are more prone to breast cancer than women who do not.
• The night shift may also increase the occurrences of colorectal cancer and prostrate cancer.
![Page 13: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Don’t Use Bright Lights
• For evening times, exposure to bright lights for even 20 minutes can suppress melatonin production.
• Use light bulbs with 40-60 watt for washing dishes, reading, television, and computer usage.
![Page 14: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Sleep Should Be DARK
• When sleeping at night the room should be completely dark.
• Nightlights are good for those quick trips to the bathroom, but they should not be left on all night.
• The darker the room the better your sleep will be, the longer you will stay asleep, and the better you will feel in the morning.
![Page 15: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Light Up Your Health
Follow These Simple Steps to a Healthier Life
![Page 16: Light Up Your Health. Light Goes A Long Way By adding sunlight and other types of light to your everyday activities you can help to: –Lose Weight –Sleep](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022061306/55148f75550346b2598b5226/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Submitted by Adam C Hawkinson, Resident Assistant,
Southwest Minnesota State University