Welcome to The Rise – your weekly dose of circadian sunshine, decentralised health wisdom, and actionable tips to help you live healthier, stronger, and more empowered.
This week, discover the simple home protocol that may support your body’s natural stem cell production, why an ancient herb might be your nervous system’s best friend, and exactly how to harness red light therapy safely at home, and why you’d even want to.
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Much love and sunshine, ☀️
Sandy xx
Issue #86 • 21 September, 2025
🌅 Rise Report
Ancient Herb Tackles Today’s Stress
Here’s something that would make your grandmother smile. A rigorous 8-week study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that adults taking just 125mg of Holy Basil extract twice daily saw their stress hormone cortisol , drop by 36% in 40 minutes.
But here’s where it gets really interesting. When participants were deliberately put through a stressful laboratory test, those taking Holy Basil bounced back much better—with lower cortisol, lower blood pressure, and way less stress compared to people taking a placebo.
This wasn’t just people feeling a bit better. Participants reported a 48% reduction in insomnia and a 37% decrease in perceived stress levels. Their bodies were literally handling stress better, and with a faster recovery.
The takeaway? Holy Basil (also known as Tulsi) doesn’t just calm you down—it actually helps restore your body’s natural rhythm and coping mechanisms.
Imagine heading into your next big presentation or challenging conversation after sipping a warm cup of oganic Tulsi tea—feeling grounded, clear-headed, and genuinely resilient. Sometimes the most powerful medicine has been growing in gardens for thousands of years.
Image source: GreenMedInfo
This Kitchen Herb Rivals Prescription Antibiotics
While most people reach for oregano to season their pasta sauce, researchers have been quietly studying this humble herb’s remarkable antibacterial powers—and the results are pretty impressive.
A study published in PMC tested oregano oil against 13 multi drug-resistant bacterial strains, including MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The oregano oil effectively killed all bacterial strains tested—and here’s the impressive part: it only took tiny concentrations (0.08 to 0.64 mg/ml) to completely stop these superbugs in their tracks. We’re talking about just a few drops being powerful enough to defeat bacteria that multiple antibiotics can’t touch.
Another study found that oregano oil showed potent antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus. What’s really fascinating? Researchers could actually see the oregano oil damaging and destroying the bacterial cells under the microscope.
The takeaway? Nature is remarkable. You literally have something sitting in your kitchen cupboard that can help take on some of medicine’s most challenging bacterial foes. We just need the wisdom, courage and faith, in how to use them.
Red Light’s Surprising Effect on Your Stem Cells
Here’s a story that might save you thousands: while some people are flying to Mexico for expensive stem cell treatments, researchers discovered you can boost your circulating stem cells by up to 300% using something much simpler—red light therapy. And, in your own home!
Researchers found that when they shined red light on people’s tibias—where bone marrow sits close to the surface—stem cell counts nearly quadrupled within hours and stayed high for days.
Here’s what makes this so practical: you can target areas where bone marrow is accessible—your sternum and tibias work perfectly. The effects lasted for up to 4 days, so doing this a couple of times per week could keep your stem cell levels boosted.
The red light essentially gives your cells’ powerhouses a boost, signaling your bone marrow to pump out more healing stem cells into your bloodstream.
The takeaway? While the research is still emerging, it’s remarkable that something as simple as 10-20 minutes of red light could potentially support your body’s own stem cell production. Your body already has incredible regenerative powers—red light therapy might just be giving those natural processes a gentle boost.
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Red Light Therapy is more than light—it’s a daily ritual for resilience.
The research on red light therapy just keeps getting stronger! Thousands of studies show it can boost cellular energy, enhance circulation, stimulate collagen production and calm inflammation. Red light supports hair growth, balances melatonin + serotonin for better sleep and mood, and accelerates tissue repair for faster recovery. Athletes love it for muscle repair, professionals for cognitive clarity, and even your eyes can benefit from its protective glow.
What do I love about red light therapy? It’s one of those beautifully simple practices you can do at home, which works with your body’s natural processes. Just 10-20 minutes of specific wavelengths, and you’re supporting your cellular powerhouses and repair at the most fundamental level.
🌅 Ready to explore red light therapy? EMR-Tek makes it accessible and effective.
🤓 Smarty Pants
Photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation (or PBM for short) is just a fancy name for red light therapy. That’s it!
Increasingly popular these days, with new devices hitting the shelves everyday, photobiomodulation works by delivering specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to your cells. Think of it like giving your cellular batteries a recharge.
Here’s the fascinating science behind it: remember the First Law of Thermodynamics from high school? Neither did I, but it’s worth revisiting, trust me.
Energy can’t be created or destroyed—only transferred (or changed). So when red light enters your tissue, that energy has to go somewhere useful.
Inside your mitochondria sits an enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase that acts like a cellular light receptor. When it absorbs this light energy, it helps your mitochondria produce more ATP—the fuel your body runs on.
Think of it like photosynthesis in plants: sunlight in, energy out. Except this time, it’s your cells doing the conversion. This is why peer-reviewed studies show benefits from reduced inflammation to faster recovery. It’s not mystical—it’s pure energy transfer at the cellular level, with your body designed to harvest and use this light just like plants do.
🔥 Deep Dive: TL;DL
Using Red Light To Optimise Health
When it comes to red light therapy, it’s important to remember, this isn’t pseudoscience, it’s legitimate biology based on how light interacts with our cells. In this week’s TL;DL, I tap into Andrew Huberman’s podcast, Using Light to Optimise Health and further on, Ari Whitten’s book, Red Light Therapy.
The Cellular Mechanism: Your Mitochondria Are Listening
When you sit in front of that red light, here’s what’s actually happening inside your cells. Red light (around 670nm) and near-infrared light (around 790nm) penetrate deep into your skin and reach your mitochondria, your cellular powerhouses.
As we age, our cells accumulate reactive oxygen species (ROSs), basically cellular waste products that damage cells and reduce energy production. Red light therapy works by increasing ATP (cellular energy) production while simultaneously reducing these harmful ROSs.
It’s like giving your cellular batteries a recharge while clearing out the junk that’s been building up.
Why Your Skin Responds: Going Deeper Than the Surface
For skin conditions, red light penetrates to the dermis where your sebaceous glands (oil producers) and stem cells live. The light provides just enough cellular stimulation to trigger repair pathways—essentially encouraging those damaged top layers to regenerate whilst stimulating healthy cell production from deeper layers.
This isn’t some mysterious beauty magic. It’s grounded biology based on how specific wavelengths interact with mitochondria and cellular repair mechanisms.
The Vision Studies: 22% Improvement That Actually Matters
Here’s where it gets really exciting. Research from Dr. Glen Jeffery at University College London shows that people over 40 who looked at 670nm red light for just 2-3 minutes daily experienced a remarkable 22% improvement in visual acuity.
The mechanism? Your retinal cells (rods and cones) are the most metabolically active cells in your entire body. They’re working harder than your heart, your brain, any other tissue. This makes them incredibly prone to accumulating cellular waste as you age. Red light therapy helps clear this waste and essentially makes these neurons “younger.
Huberman’s Practical Protocol
For vision enhancement specifically:
- Use red light (670nm) and near-infrared (790nm) wavelengths
- 2-3 minutes daily exposure
- Must be done within first 3 hours of waking
- Light should be comfortable to look at—if it causes squinting or discomfort, you’re too close or it’s too bright
- Only effective for people over 40 (younger subjects showed no improvement in studies)
Safety first: Retinal neurons don’t regenerate. Once damaged, they’re gone forever. Any light therapy should be comfortable to look at and your built-in safety mechanism is simple: if light makes you squint or feels uncomfortable, it’s too bright.
The Bigger Picture: It’s All Connected
What’s fascinating about light therapy is how it creates ripple effects throughout your body. Just like UVB exposure affects hormone production in organs far from where the light hits your skin, red light therapy can trigger beneficial changes beyond the immediate treatment area.
Bottom Line
Red light therapy is grounded in real biology—how light interacts with your mitochondria and cellular repair mechanisms. But the protocols matter: specific wavelengths, specific timing, specific safety measures. This isn’t pseudoscience, but it’s also not magic. It requires following appropriate protocols and prioritising safety above all else.
☀️ Sandy’s Sunshine
Your Home Red Light Therapy Guide: Light Medicine Made Simple
Ready to harness the healing power of red and near-infrared light in your own home? Thanks to brilliant researchers like Ari Whitten, we now know that we can do red light therapy at home, as much as we want, at a tiny fraction of the cost compared to expensive clinic visits.
You can download Ari Whitten’s, The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy here. It’s not his whole book, but this is an excellent resource to keep handy.
Your Home Protocol Guide
For Skin Health & Anti-Aging: Use the light from 30-60cm away for 1-5 minutes per area. Further distances allow the light to spread and treat larger areas while maintaining optimal power density for skin.
For Deep Tissue Healing (muscles, joints, pain relief): Use the light from 15cm away for 2-7 minutes per area. For maximum penetration, stay closer than 30cm.
For Brain Health & Cognitive Function: Focus on forehead and temples from 15cm away for 5-10 minutes daily. Near-infrared light penetrates best through the skull.
For Immune Support: Target the thymus gland (centre of chest) from 45cm away for 3-5 minutes. Use every few days for maintenance, daily during acute infections.
Safety Notes: Start with shorter times as more is NOT better. Consider a maximum of 15-20 minutes total per session, 3-7 times per week.
Blue Light Balance: Your Computer Companion
Here’s a game-changer for desk warriors: use your red light device to make your work environment healthier. I keep my Sauna Space Glow Light positioned near my workspace and pretty much on all day (I know this doesn’t follow Ari’s recommendations but I’m not sitting directly in front of it). This helps to counteract the blue light bombardment from my computer screen as I’m busy working away. Plus, it creates a super soothing atmosphere and vibe which I love!
Remember: Nature First, Technology Second
While RLT devices are incredibly convenient, and it’s wonderful that hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies support their benefits, don’t forget the sun provides these same healing wavelengths naturally every sunrise and sunset.
Use your device to supplement, not replace your daily dose of natural light.
The Sun is TINA = There Is No Alternative.
🔢 Number Crunch
100,000 — the number of times your heart beats every day, pumping around 7,000 litres (≈2,000 gallons) of blood through a 100,000 km network of vessels. If you laid all your blood vessels end-to-end, they’d circle Earth 2.5 times!
“I may not be where I want to be but I’m thankful for not being where I used to be.”
– Habeeb Akande
The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personal health decisions. This post may contain affiliate links for Daylight computer, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.
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