I have a morning routine that I've been doing for years, but I only recently shared it with a stranger while we were discussing our daily habits. It occurred to me that my routine is quite ritualistic and resembles a luxurious spa treatment. As I was describing my routine, I thought about how I sounded like Christian Bale's character, Patrick Bateman, from the movie American Psycho, when he described his morning routine and saw the humor in it. As much as I see the benefits to doing it, it also sounds comical, so I am going to share it in this post in hopes of amusing most of you and, maybe, enlightening some of you to some lesser-known health interventions. I hope you enjoy it.
Read MoreThere are specific nutrients required to make melanin. Lacking them could lead to difficulty tanning. I had a period in my life when I lost the ability to tan, that I attributed to a poor diet. Once I added the nutrients I needed, I could tan again. This post covers the key ingredients needed to produce melanin, the pigment that causes us to look darker.
Read MoreAs summer progresses, I find myself spending more time outdoors and have naturally acquired a slightly darker complexion than during the colder months. While at the beach with family, we discussed our varying abilities to tan. Some of us had yet to achieve a noticeable tan, while others were well on their way. We all agreed that with more time in the sunshine, we would soon have a deeper tan. It made me curious about the science behind tanning and why our skin changes color in the first place.
Read MoreThe major precursor of vitamin D is cholesterol. Without cholesterol, we cannot make it. Some people may find this shocking because vitamin D is highly praised, while cholesterol is demonized. Since vitamin D and cholesterol are so closely related, they have an interesting interplay. Statin drugs, which lower cholesterol, also take part in the interplay. The enzyme statins block is active at step two, so we would expect less production of all molecules in the cholesterol pathway, like CoQ10. Statins should block vitamin D production, but they don’t. Statins are supposed to lower your risk of heart disease. But by how much? You may be surprised by the answer. This post will cover the synthesis of cholesterol, vitamin D, and Co Q10 and discuss how statins alter the pathways.
Read MoreWe hunted and gathered food found exclusively in the outdoor environment. As such, we evolved to be outdoors in the Sun for much of the day. Therefore, the advice given by dermatologists to avoid the Sun runs contrary to the evolutionary evidence. New information about the human body's optical qualities is reshaping our stance against sunshine. Near-infrared (NIR) light penetrates deeply into our body, unlike UV and visible light. Evolutionarily, the human body has developed optical mechanisms to gather and localize NIR photons in the most sensitive areas of the human body: blood vessels, retina, brain, skin, and even the womb. Research has demonstrated that NIR stimulates the production of antioxidants deep within our cells at the sub-cellular level. We use the reservoir of antioxidants to enhance the body's ability to contend with changing conditions throughout the day. I will cover some amazing things light does for our health and how you can maximize your light exposure.
Read MoreAs Covid-19 is dominating this respiratory illness season, the flu season has disappeared. It turns out that the flu virus does not conform to many known properties of infectious diseases. It can appear simultaneously around the globe and disappear just as quickly. Additionally, there may be a relationship between Covid-19 and influenza activity as well. Lastly, there is a link to solar activity, sunspot activity, and pandemics that I explore in this post.
Read MoreThe literature is replete with the adverse health effects of incorrect sun exposure, and I don't dispute them. These include sunburn and increased risk of skin cancer and eye diseases. However, summer is in full swing, and I love the additional sunlight it brings in the northern hemisphere. I crave sun exposure and feel much better when I can get it regularly. Some people have noticed that I am very tan (at least for me) and warned me that I might be jeopardizing my health. My skin type allows me to spend up to two hours in the sun, which is not enough for me to burn, even though I don't use sunscreen. I want to explain why the risks are exaggerated and why it is essential to get regular non-burning sun exposure.
Read MoreThis time of year is great for getting back outside after the long cold winter months. Here are a few tips about staying healthy in the sun.
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