Light as a Nutrient: A Forgotten Essential in Your Health Stack
For millions of years, human biology was tuned under one consistent condition: daily, full-spectrum sunlight.
Today, most of us spend 90% of our time indoors-under dim, artificial lighting leading to ‘light malnutrition’. And the downstream cost is high: disrupted sleep, misaligned circadian rhythms, hormonal imbalance, and impaired metabolic function.
Every Wavelength Has a Job
Think of light as language. Your body listens and responds differently depending on the wavelength it receives. Here’s a breakdown of how each light type functions as a biological signal:
🔵 Blue Light (450–495nm)
- Morning stimulant
- Cuts melatonin, raises cortisol, resets circadian rhythm
- Essential in AM, harmful in PM
🔴 Red Light (620–750nm)
- Mitochondrial booster
- Enhances ATP production, collagen, circulation
- Great for muscle recovery, joint pain, wound healing
🟠 Amber/Yellow Light (570–590nm)
- Skin-soothing & circulation-enhancing
- Reduces inflammation, improves healing, calms the nervous system
⚡ UVB (280–315nm)
- Vitamin D synthesis + nitric oxide boost
- Short exposure (5–15 min) is powerful (but must be timed right)
🌡️ Infrared (>750nm)
- Deep-body activation
- Penetrates muscles and joints, stimulates detox, reduces inflammation
- Found in near-IR (NIR) devices or infrared saunas
The Resolute Protocol: Light Like You Mean It
Level 1 — Free For All
- Morning Sunlight (within 30 to 60 minutes of waking): Lock your circadian clock. Sleep better. Focus more. Mood lifts.
- Midday Break (10 to 20 minutes): Get UVB exposure for vitamin D and nitric oxide.
- Evening Light Hygiene: Switch to amber/warm lights post-sunset. Avoid screens or use filters (Flux, Night Shift).
Level 2 ― Low-Cost Tools
- Blue-blocking glasses (PM only)
- Filament/amber lamps
- Red/NIR light therapy devices
- Infrared sauna (15–20 min, 3–4x/week)
Personalise Your Light Diet Based on Your Goals
Ground Before You Grow
Light is a primary driver for optimised biology. And it’s free. Yet, almost no one is using it intentionally.
At Resolute, we consider light a foundational input - a base-layer in your health stack that must be optimised before chasing longevity or elite performance.
Once it is in place, the next steps become clearer: tuning sleep, metabolism, cognition, recovery - not in isolation, but as part of a system that adapts to you.
