The best healing and wellness support system we have is Nature. Yes, Mother Nature!
Here is the latest edition of 1 thing I’m doing, 2 things I’ve learnt and 3 things to explore lovingly created so you can live a happier, healthier and longer life. Much love, Sandy xx
1 Thing I’m Doing
Why Darker Nights Without Snacking Is Best
The end of the day should feel like a deep exhale—a job well done, a well-earned moment to wind down. Maybe a bath, a book, some quiet time to gather your thoughts. My evenings at the moment consist of walks during sunset, wrapping up the day (folding clothes, helping kids with homework), a board game if time allows and hopping into bed with a book. This routine changes as the weather gets colder and nights darker to include many more long hot Magnesium rich baths. But there are two things you won’t find in my evening routine: artificial light and late-night snacks. Both of these are metabolism killers!
You might think your screen time has nothing to do with weight gain—but what if I told you that the glow of your phone could be messing with your metabolism just as much as junk food?
I’ve been on the “no LED lights at night” train for a while now (as you know), but here’s another reason you might want to hop on board too.
The Dangers of Suppressing Melatonin at Night
Blue light at night destroys melatonin, sabotaging your sleep. But here’s what most people don’t realise: Blue light also spikes your blood sugar level (even in the absence of food), disrupts your fat-burning, and throws your metabolism into chaos.
One study found that moderate ambient light during just one night of sleep can impair glucose and cardiovascular regulation and increase risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Whilst another study, found that artificial light at night, such as from a nightlight or television, is linked to obesity in women.
3 Reasons To Give Up Snacking After Dinner
As for the snacking after dinner, that’s a big no, no too! Apart from the occasional ice cream perhaps on a Saturday night with the kids.
If your body is always digesting food, it doesn’t get a break to repair itself. The whole three meals a day and two snacks recommendations, might be fine if you’re a growing child or teenager, but for us adults, we don’t need this constant glucose spiking.
When you stop eating for a while, your cells switch from storing fat to fixing damage in a process known as autophagy. And whilst the notion of fasting may be enough to send shivers up your spine, and sound like you’re depriving your body of nutrition, it doesn’t have to look like that.
There is nothing wrong with feeling a slight hunger pang in the morning – in fact it’s a really good sign – so why not try for the next two weeks finishing dinner a little earlier (like 6pm) and then having nothing to eat until breakfast. Ideally, you’d want to have at least a 12 hour fast. And who knows you may just find yourself feeling better, looking better, able to concentrate more during the day, sleeping better and even dropping a few kilos and slipping into those jeans easier.
So if you’re doing all the “right” things—eating well, getting exercise—but still struggling with stubborn weight, perhaps your light diet and after dinner snacking might be the missing link.
✔️ Action Item: Give your evenings a healthy revamp. Set yourself a short term goal of two weeks and try ditching the LED lights, screens and snacks before bed. By the end of the two weeks, watch how your energy, sleep, and metabolism improve—without changing anything else.
2 Things I’ve Learnt
Fat Cells Can “See” the Sun—And They Need It
We always hear about how important sunlight is for vitamin D, but what if I told you that your fat cells actually need sunlight to function properly? Yep, turns out your body has built-in light sensors that help regulate metabolism.
According to a study from the University of Alberta, fat cells can sense and respond to sunlight—specifically, blue light from the sun. Researchers discovered that when fat cells don’t get enough natural light (like in winter or if you spend all day indoors), they store more fat and make your body less efficient at using glucose.
Translation? Less sunlight means a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and weight gain.
The study, which you can dive into here, found that exposure to natural light can actually help shrink fat cells and improve glucose metabolism. This means that simply getting outside during the day could be a game-changer for weight management and metabolic health—no crazy diets required.
So if you needed another reason to step outside in the morning and soak up that natural light, here it is: Your fat cells are literally waiting for it.
✔️Action Item: Stop fearing the sun and start using it to your advantage. Your metabolism will thank you.
3 Ways Blue Light at Night Leads To Weight Gain
Your body runs on light. We have evolved over the thousands to millions of years under the sun’s light with natural light cycles and circadian rhythms keeping our metabolism, digestion, and energy levels all in sync. But modern life floods us with artificial light at night—from our phones and TVs to our computers and bright LED lights above our head. All this technology and lighting tricks your body’s internal clock, making it think it’s still daytime, regardless of the time of day, leading to weight gain in three major ways:
1. Melatonin Suppression = Insulin Resistance: Blue light at night supresses your melatonin production by up to 80%, causing your body to stop responding to insulin properly. The result? Higher blood sugar levels and more fat storage – even in the absence of food!
One study, titled “Morning and Evening Blue-Enriched Light Exposure Alters Metabolic Function in Normal Weight Adults”, found that late-night blue light exposure increased blood sugar by 33% compared to dim light.
2. Circadian Mismatch = More Cravings & Fat Storage. Your body expects light during the day, and darkness at night. Flip that, and your metabolism goes haywire, slowing down, clinging to fat, and craving sugar.
Research shows that night-time artificial light exposure leads to increased hunger, weight gain, and a sluggish metabolism—even if food intake stays the same.
3. Less Deep Sleep = More Fat Storage Hormones: Poor sleep (thanks to blue light) triggers a double-whammy of hormonal chaos. Cortisol levels spike, leading to more fat storage and ghrelin, your hunger hormone, surging, increasing your appetite and sugar cravings.
It’s been found that sleep-deprived people eat 385 more calories per day just from hormone-driven hunger, and that sleeping 1 extra hour was linked to eating 270 fewer daily calories.
3 Things To Explore
Healthy Light Reset Recipe
Your body needs bright, natural light in the morning and darkness at night to function properly. If you’re ready to reset your metabolic clock and up your light game, here’s the perfect recipe you need:
✅ Get Morning Sunlight – Start your day with 10–15 minutes of outdoor light exposure to set your circadian rhythm. Bonus: This increases morning cortisol (in a good way) to keep metabolism high.
✅ Dim Your Lights After Sunset – Switch to candlelight or warm circadian friendly lighting in the evening to mimic natural light cycles.
✅ Block Blue Light at Night – Use blue-light-blocking glasses or apps like f.lux on screens after dark.
✅ No Screens 1 Hour Before Bed – Give your body time to wind down and allow melatonin to rise naturally. This means no Netflix, socials or doing your online shopping.
If you want better sleep, faster metabolism, and less fat storage, stop ignoring your light diet. It’s not just about what you eat—it’s about when your body thinks you’re eating. And stopping artificial lighting tricking your body into storing fat instead of burning it.
The Best Things in Life Are Free
Sleep is free.
Smiling is free.
Walking is free.
Sunsets are free.
Grounding is free.
Morning light is free.
Time in nature is free.
Deep breathing is free.
Practicing gratitude is free.
Making someone laugh is free.
Switching off lights at night is free.
Gazing up at the stars at night is free.
Opening a window for fresh air is free.
Giving someone you love a big hug is free.
You don’t need to spend a whole lot of money to make life better. Most of the best things in life are completely free.
Nothing Better To Do
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. — Galileo Galilei
Leave a Reply