In this episode, Sarah Kleiner, an expert in circadian and quantum biology and creator of the MyCircadian app, shares her journey of healing from Hashimoto's and skin issues. She discusses the importance of aligning health with natural light cycles for optimal hormone regulation, emphasizing morning sun exposure and the role of melatonin over vitamin D. Sarah also tackles the impacts of LASIK on sleep and circadian rhythms, along with the benefits of sauna therapy and deuterium depleted water in maintaining health.
Sarah Kleiner highlights the significant role of leptin in health, emphasizing its regulation through optimizing circadian rhythms and lifestyle changes.
Proper light exposure, especially morning sunlight, is crucial for stabilizing cortisol levels and enhancing appetite regulation for better metabolic health.
Kleiner cautions against restrictive diets like the carnivore diet due to potential nutrient deficiencies, advocating a balanced approach to diet for hormonal health.
The MyCircadian app developed by Kleiner helps users track sunlight exposure to optimize vitamin D production and manage circadian rhythms effectively.
Deep dives
The Impact of Leptin on Health
Leptin plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, especially fertility and metabolism. Sarah Kleiner discusses her personal experience with leptin and how being in a low-carb, carnivore diet for an extended period led to a significant drop in her leptin levels, negatively affecting her thyroid function and fertility. She highlights that many women experience similar issues when adhering to such diets long-term. To restore leptin levels, she emphasizes the importance of optimizing circadian rhythms and reintroducing beneficial hormonal signals through lifestyle changes.
Emphasizing Light Exposure
Kleiner stresses the importance of proper light exposure, particularly sunlight, in regulating hormonal functions and overall health. She advocates for morning sunlight, focusing on how natural lighting helps to stabilize cortisol levels and regulates appetite hormones. She advises starting the day with sun exposure, which can help in appetite regulation and overall metabolic health. By getting natural light, especially during sunrise, individuals can stimulate crucial processes that affect their well-being.
The Role of Diet in Health Optimization
Dietary choices significantly influence health outcomes, especially for individuals struggling with hormonal fluctuations. Kleiner advises those on restrictive diets, such as the carnivore diet, to be cautious as it may lead to nutrient deficiencies and weight gain due to downregulated metabolism. She emphasizes incorporating a variety of foods, focusing on whole nutrient-dense options, which facilitate hormone balance. This balanced approach helps individuals maximize their health and avoid the pitfalls of extreme dieting.
The Importance of Circadian Rhythms
Understanding circadian biology is essential for maintaining holistic health and restoring balance within the body. Kleiner explains how hormone levels, including leptin, are intricately tied to circadian rhythms, and emphasizes that adhering to these natural cycles can enhance hormone regulation. She shares her insights on how daylight exposure and darkness impact biological processes and urges individuals to align their lifestyles with these rhythms for optimal health. This knowledge enables better decision-making in daily activities, including meals and sleep schedules.
Navigating the Challenge of Night Shifts
Transitioning to night shifts poses unique challenges for maintaining circadian rhythms and overall well-being. Kleiner advises individuals working night shifts to establish consistent meal and sleep schedules while leveraging light therapy to mitigate the adverse effects of nighttime work. Implementing strategies such as adjusting their exposure to red light therapy during breaks can be beneficial. These adjustments can help regulate cortisol levels and support overall hormonal balance, reducing the risk of night shift-related health issues.
Grounding and Its Benefits
Grounding, or earthing, is highlighted as a beneficial practice for enhancing well-being and connecting with the Earth. Kleiner advises on the importance of grounding properly, especially in urban settings where electromagnetic interference is prevalent. She encourages parents and individuals to connect with nature by grounding outdoors whenever possible. However, she cautions against using grounding products that plug into electrical currents, advocating for natural grounding methods like direct contact with the Earth.
The Utility of Technology in Sun Exposure
Kleiner has developed an app to assist users in optimizing their sun exposure to facilitate vitamin D production and manage their circadian rhythms better. This app includes features to track sunlight intensity, allowing users to gauge their time in the sun based on their skin type and the UV index. By simplifying the process of understanding how to utilize sunlight for health benefits, it promotes better adherence to safe sun practices. By leveraging technology and education, individuals can better navigate the complexities of sunlight exposure throughout the year.
What happens to our health if the body thinks that its daytime when its nighttime and nighttime when its daytime? Sarah Kleiner shares her experience healing herself of Hashimotos, IBS, skin issues, and birth complications. She talks about out how to optimize leptin and how the benefits of sunlight exposure are more about melatonin and less about vitamin D.
She also talks about sunscreen, how long to expose our eyes to the sun in the morning, when the best time of year to use sauna therapy and drink deuterium depleted water, the deliterious effects of sunglasses, which kind of light therapy won't disregulate your circadian rhythm at night, why she uses ultraviolet bug zappers throughout her house, her thoughts on earthing products, and more.
Her MyCircadian app that she created is a great tool to use to measure lux (light intensity), see the times of day that ultraviolet A light is present, and when you input your height, weight and Fitzpatrick skin type you can measure your vitamin D production.
