No not that Roxanne making headlines these days–we stay in our lane here at ATW.   But turning on a red light is certainly buzzy lately.  Where it once was only applied for dermatological uses, now the benefits claimed by red light therapy, which helps to activate mitochondria and “wake up” cell activities, include addressing inflammation and aiding sports injuries, promoting better sleep by inhibiting melatonin disruption (questionable say some, yes says Dr Huberman, and his go-to product might surprise you in its simplicity), and addressing mental health issues like Seasonal Affective Disorder.  The research is still inconclusive, but even placebo can be powerful here. Spas and recovery salons are increasingly offering this therapy for full-body healing, but you can try out the skincare tools at home.  If nothing else it can help boost collagen and improve skin elasticity. So put away your makeup.

 

The only TV eliciting more of a reaction than Jo Koy at the Golden Globes is Netflix’s new docuseries “You Are What You Eat,” following identical twins through an 8-week study to compare health outcomes of a plant-based vs omnivore diet.  Feathers are ruffled! Panties are in a bunch!  Aside from being lauded by vigilante vegans (shocker), it has all corners of the wellness community grumbling, from the vegetarians raising an eyebrow to the full rage-fest from the eat-fish-not-meat aquaculturists (fish farmers) and the meat-centric protein pushers calling it Vegan Propaganda.  Ok everyone, let's simmer down.

 

Some of us take a critical, yet more balanced view.  My take: the show is messy, the study is flawed and incomplete, and yes, when it’s funded by a plant-based meat company, of course there’s an agenda there.  But how about we zoom out to acknowledge that we have a real problem with industrialized food in this country and no matter how you slice it, eating MORE plants and LESS meat is beneficial for everyone; the planet most of all.  And hey, a platform like Netflix might actually be able to reach some of the folks rolling through the drive-thru with blinders on; those not generally included in the conversation that takes place in our echo chamber of privilege.   And for the wellness warriors who don’t want to hear it, there are some truly eye-opening learnings to take from the dive into environmental racism and factory farming. I believe anyone who eats meat at any time should at least see episode 3, just to understand the origin of your supermarket purchase.  I’m not here to push a diet agenda on anyone, I’m here to encourage you to learn all you can and then make your own decision.  But it should be acknowledged that this not about someone taking away your grass-fed ribeye–we are long overdue for systemic change that includes everyone in the conversation, so maybe a bottom-up approach, where you vote with your groceries, can start that butterfly effect.  

 

Stepping down off my sulfate-free soapbox now…

 

(I also don’t get why being “plant-BASED” became synonymous with being vegan when they are quite literally two different things.  It’s all confusing.   If anyone asks me what “I am,” I generally just tell them I’m pumped for lunch.) 

 

 

After you finish binge-watching/hate-watching, you may need a nap. But napping can sometimes leave you feeling more exhausted, if you don't do it with some parameters.  Enter: coffee naps!  Caffeine has a 20-minute onset period, and the conventional wisdom says that napping longer than 20-30 minutes will disrupt your sleep-wake cycle and leave you feeling groggy and unable to power down for a full night's rest later, so putting the two together is a winning combo.  A nap clears adenosine, the chemical that promotes sleep, from the brain, and caffeine competes with adenosine for brain receptors. So when you wake up after 20 minutes, the caffeine has more receptors to bind to, leaving you feeling alert and alive! Try drinking a 200 mg dose of coffee quickly, followed by a timed 20-minute nap; even non-sleep dozing is effective.  (Important note: this is only useful to those who already consume and tolerate caffeine. A coffee nap for me would mean heading to bed sometime three days later, so I'm happy with my sparkling water siesta, which basically just means I lie down for 20 minutes and then have to pee.)

 

For extra credit, wash your face as soon as you wake up.

 

 

 

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