How to Optimise Your Light, Enhance Your Circadian Rhythm & Optimise Mitochondrial Health with Matt Maruca

Angela is in conversation with Matt Maruca Founder of Ra Optics and expert in the field of photobiology. When he was younger he struggled with many debilitating issues and in a quest to understand how to fix himself he began to research mitochondria and the vital role they play in processing food and making energy controlled by light. They discuss the circadian rhythm and how we are impacting on it through the structure of the average day and our exposure, or lack of it to the sun. We are beginning to understand more about how light and circadian rhythms affect and drive the vital processes of every human body. In understanding the function of natural light for our bodies it is possible to understand the changes that need to be made to bring back balance and repair the mechanisms within the body. This fascinating episode will help anyone understand better the importance of both your inner light and sunlight on your level of health.    KEY TAKEAWAYS We are all just a collection of cells. The water in our cells is structured in a certain way and infrared light plays a role in this structuring. The sun and fire are the most obvious sources of light in our world. Where ever you are located in the world you can bio-hack it and try to do as much work as possible away from the office and in the light from the sun. Get as much time outdoors during the day as possible even if it is cloudy it will be beneficial to your mood. You can’t mimic the sun; it has a complete spectrum and powers many processes for our bodies so it’s vital to get outside. Human migration away from the tropics can be a big issue if the body is not able to adapt to differing hours of sunlight but making use of fire, saunas and red panel lights can help people. We are living in an age of massive circadian disruption because artificial light late at night is delaying the secretion of melatonin, this, in turn, delays circadian phase shifts. We are now missing the key hours of morning light exposure which drive so many of our life processes. Implementing an early morning meditation can be beneficial and between 3 and 5 am is the ideal time. We all have some level of light in our bodies and we can channel it effectively to help mend other areas. The human brain is unique because it requires so much DHA ,it is this that makes our brains so much more advanced than other animals. The ultimate difference between the light diet and other diets is that most diets are focused on addressing the fuel that we need for our cellular engines. People are trying to make fixes through a premium diet but the mechanism that requires repair in humans is light and our circadian rhythm We need to use light to fix the mitochondria and the respiratory proteins, once we live back in accordance with our circadian rhythms we will have fixed the mechanism. Optimise your health; Embrace the benefits of the sun - do this in stages building up your exposure. Avoid artificial light - especially blue light by wearing blue-blocking glasses. Focus on the inner light - cultivate your inner light through the right relationships, the right meditation and the right tribe. Stay curious about yourself and everything in the world.   BEST MOMENTS ‘We can strengthen our bodies in the ocean and in the sun’ ‘When your inner light goes you are no longer able to see the light outside’ ‘I don’t eat meals or food after 5 pm if I haven’t eaten by that time I just fast and this means I can sleep well’ ‘Cooling of our surfaces does allow our bodies  to assimilate light better’ ‘Everywhere on earth has the same amount of light it’s just the distribution that differs’   VALUABLE RESOURCES High Performance Health podcast series Ra Optics website   ABOUT THE GUEST Matt Maruca Matt Maruca is a researcher, teacher, and entrepreneur in the field of Photobiology, the study of how light affects human health. He is the founder of Ra Optics, which focuses on developing the world’s highest quality blue light protection glasses. He began his health journey after having suffered from poor health and chronic fatigue at 14 years old. He chose to skip the beaten path of higher education to start his own business and pursue his passion for self-education and building optimal health to experience life to its fullest extent. He is 20 years old and travels the world, studying and teaching about the relevance of light in human health.   ABOUT THE HOST Angela Foster Angela is a Nutritionist, Health and Performance Coach. She is also the Founder and CEO of My DNA Edge, an Exclusive Private Membership Site giving individuals the tools and bio hacks needed to optimise their genetic expression for optimal health and performance. After recovering from a serious illness in 2014, Angela left the world of Corporate Law with a single mission in mind: To inspire and educate others to live an energetic, healthful and limitless life. Angela believes that we can truly have it all and has spent the last 5 years researching the habits and routines of high performers, uncovering age-old secrets, time-honoured holistic practices and modern science to create a blueprint for Optimal Human Performance.   CONTACT DETAILS Instagram Facebook LinkedIn High Performance Health FB Group