Just over a year ago I decided to ditch the sunglasses… just stop wearing them. I did it because I asked myself this question. Why am I wearing them?
I remembered when I was young and mum got some sunglasses I put them on and immediately took them off saying ‘how can you wear them… you can’t see anything!’
Why, as a young child, were the glasses affecting my eyes but for mum the glasses seemed to ‘calm’ her eyes so she could see? Was it the sun that impacted one’s ability to see as they got older or was it something else? I, for one, don’t believe for a moment it’s the sun. But rather an impact of a variety of neurological infringements for example wearing glasses which block sun exposure to the critical and important areas of the eyes and chronic inflammation and carbohydrate intolerance which are two common problems associated with cataracts, glaucoma and other eye illnesses.
The propaganda on UV and glare are damaging to the eye’s has assisted with the rise in sunglass use over the many decades prior. Sunglasses swiftly became a fashionable item and an accessory everybody wanted to have. But in truth the fashion wearing trend over time has affected people’s health and those wearing the glasses had little knowledge of how the natural light of the sun helps the brain to be more effective in it’s function.
Not only is sun good for your skin but it also offers us a free form of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important in a plethora of activities including calcium uptake, improving your immune system and brain function too.
If we take a closer look at the eye you’ll see there are tiny photosensitive cells in the retina which beam directly to your pituitary gland (located in your brain) which regulates your growth and reproductive cycles, under the direction of the hypothalamus . The stimulation of these cells play a vital role in optimising the physiology and health of your whole body. The knock on means we also see the importance of direct sunlight to the retina’s of the eyes enhance the hypothalamus function. The hypothalamus influences nerve and hormonal (endocrine) system regulation which in turn affects your internal ‘clock’ – circadian rhythms, sleep patterns, hormone regulation, behaviour etc.
Not too far behind the pituitary gland sits the pineal gland producing melatonin an important hormone which is produced whilst sleeping and acts as a powerful antioxidant, is vital for sleep and optimal intestinal function as well as helping to arrest depression…all benefiting from your eye’s soaking up the sun’s rays.
A crucial point is those that feel the need to wear sunglasses have most likely adapted to artificial light which is an unbalanced spectrum of light and typically has excessive amounts of blue light as compared to natural sunlight. So when going outdoors it will feel extremely glary and you’ll reach for the sunnies!
My dad taught me at a very young age to ‘look at what everybody else is doing and run like hell in the opposite direction’ so when I started reaching for the ‘sunnies’ I decided to reverse what I was doing! I decided to adapt more to the natural sunlight and protect myself more from the blue artificial light… the reverse of what the propaganda tells you. As it turns out most of our beloved devises (phones, computers) and indoor lighting are emitting too much blue light. But interestingly the good old fashioned incandescent light bulb is more bio-compatible. Yes, that’s right! But the propaganda isn’t going to tell you that either.
Here’s what I did to wean myself off my sunglasses…
I first understood that my body has everything it needs to express health optimally and that natural elements of earth (i.e. the sun) assist with this health expression. The sun and natural light exposure are vital to our health; it is what we use to regulate our biology. In the morning I began going outside and bathing myself in the morning sunlight for a least 3-5 minutes which alone increases your body temperature and begins a cascade of events such as alertness, cognition, mood and vitality. During the day I would responsibly soak up the sun’s rays for about 20 minutes (at around 10am or 3pm) and I’d look to the sky prior to sunset. Lastly, I invested in a blue light filter for my device.
So… ditch the morning coffee to get that a pep in your step and instead take a peek outside at the first sunlight. It’s definitely a routine worth instigating and eventually you too will be enjoying your life without wearing sunglasses!
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