In today’s interview I get to speak with Matt Maruca, about the importance of natural light for our well being and how The Light Diet can help us achieve optimal health.
These days it is hard to avoid artificial light exposure. However, the blue light at night is harmful to the health of our mitochondria. And mitochondrial health, Matt explains, is at the root of many chronic diseases.
The answer, he believes, (along with minimising exposure to artificial blue light at night) is getting out in the sun more.
Today we talk about what Matt has deemed The Light Diet; simple (yet fundamental) steps for building mitochondrial health.
- What is The Light Diet
- Why are mitochondria important for health
- What role do nutrition and exercise play
- What are some key tips to achieving a better light lifestyle
Then this interview is for them.
I really enjoyed this interview with Matt who shared great tips for what we can do to regain a natural balance and feel better by working with our biological clock and the sun.
Special thanks to Matt joining me on the show.
Enjoy the episode!
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Speaker Links
Follow, or find out more about, Matt and Ra Optics on these official links:
Show Notes with Timestamp Links
Find summarised highlights of what we talk about during the interview.
Use the clickable timestamp links to jump direct to those points in the audio file below:
[00:41] – Introducing, Matt Maruca, the founder of Ra Optics that makes the world’s finest blue light blocking glasses. He also created the Light Diet that directly addresses the root of the modern chronic diseases epidemic of mitochondrial dysfunction.
[01:30] – Matt explains the light diet is the diet of our light environment; the light we are spending our time under. This is important as the latest research has shown that light is the force that controls our cellular engines and metabolism.
[03:30] – Today we are exposed to a lot of wireless technology which disrupts and damages our internal systems. Matt explains why your light diet should be a priority before you start to address anything else, including nutrition.
[10:20] – Food is still important, however, while it may improve your issues it wont solve them. Matt explains why he believes people feel better initially when changing their diet using the carnivore diet as an example.
[13:44] – While skin colour might impact on how sensitive we are to absorbing light, Matt believes some people get diseases and others don’t due to the health of our mitochondria. Research shows many of our diseases are mitochondrial. (Tip: Closed windows block the full spectrum of ultraviolet light).
[23:20] – The light diet is all about optimising the function of our mitochondria by going back to the environment in which they evolved so that they can function normally. Matt speculates about the factors that led to some people being healthier than others.
[25:14] – Matt explains why his views on exercise are somewhat contradictory to what we are commonly told. While moving a couple of hours a day is good, he doesn’t believe we should be going overboard and moving all the time.
[26:48] – Some tips for a better light lifestyle include removing the things that disrupt our biology. 1. Sleep with the sun, 2. Get in the sun, 3. Sunbathing, 4. Eat good quality seafood for DHA, 5. Drink good quality water, 6. Cold water bathing, 7. Avoiding artificial light and EMF, 8. Cultivating ones inner light.
[35:52] – Matt discuses the principle of inner light, the importance of finding one’s purpose and Dr. Barry Morguelan’s teaching of source energy practice. Matt recommends people look up their website Energy For Success to find out more.
[40:03] – Boiling it all down to two most important things you should do to feel the benefits, Matt recommends going outside in the sun in the morning and blocking blue light at night. This will start to increase your dopamine level
[41:58] – The challenges we have of waking up with the morning sun are due to the artificial light that enables us to stay up long after the sun goes down. Matt recommends trying only using candles for one night.
[42:50] – Getting the kids to sleep is a common problem most parents face and Matt explains this is an artificial problem created by the artificial light exposure.
[44:32] – The light diet provides us with the tools to improve and maintain our health. Going to bed earlier and seeing the sun is something most people could do. Matt talks about the problem with shift work and how to try hack this.
[52:56] – Fire light doesn’t disrupt our circadian rhythm and the red light it produces is good for you just like infra red sauna is. Artificial light contains blue light, however, which can disrupt our hormones and has a stimulating effect.
[55:18] – Matt explains how different wavelengths of light penetrate the skin to a different degree. Red light penetrates deep into our skin and powers our mitochondria. Not enough red light decreases energy production and causes an increase in free radical production.
[58:02] – Why Matt is “Pro Human” and believes we should be allowed to continue to evolve.
[1:02:32] – For anyone wanting to follow Matt check out his Instagram page called The Light Diet.
He also has a company he focuses on called: Ra Optics that offers blue light blocking glasses and you can follow them on Instagram, too, @Ra_Optics
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