Tag: benefits

A bit about Light Therapy

Today’s post is about light therapy.

In the past couple of years, red light therapy including infrared saunas and LED light masks have been in the media. These different light treatments are meant to help us with everything from wrinkles to back pain.

We decided to research these different light treatments and see if they are worth the hype.

For ideal health, we humans require regular exposure to light! A great example is Vitamin D which comes from sunlight. The sun’s rays include the more commonly known ultraviolet light (UV), but more than half of its output is infrared. When it comes to visible light, violet coloured light produces the most energy and red coloured light provides the least.

So, what is red light therapy

Red light therapy involves having low-power red light wavelengths emitted directly through the skin, although this process cannot be felt and isn’t painful because it doesn’t produce any heat. Red light can be absorbed into the skin to a depth of about eight to 10 millimetres, at which point it has positive effects on cellular energy and multiple nervous system and metabolic processes.

Through emitting red, low-light wavelengths through the skin, red light therapy may naturally jump-start the process of tissue recovery and other forms of rejuvenation. It’s believed to work in such ways as increasing blood flow and stimulating collagen production.

Clinical studies show that red light therapies have certain healing capabilities and medical applications, due to the way they positively affect the human endocrine and immune systems.

There are many different types of red-light therapy devices, some of which can be used at home. But home devices are usually less powerful than those used in clinics and may be less effective or take longer to work.

What about an infrared (IR)sauna?

This type of sauna uses a different kind of red light.

Infrared light is invisible and is effective for use on the surface of the skin as well as penetration of about 1.5 inches into the body. The wavelength infrared puts out is longer than the wavelength of red light, which allows it to penetrate more deeply into the body.

The longer the wavelength, the deeper the penetration. Consequently, IR light provides some similar, but some completely different benefits than red light.

An infrared sauna is a type of sauna that uses light to make heat. A regular sauna uses heat to warm the air, which in turn warms your body. An infrared sauna heats your body directly without warming the air around you. It is safe because all humans produce IR and it is easily absorbed by our tissues.

When IR enters the body, it breaks up fats and toxins that are trapped in water molecules, it makes us sweat to let them out.

And LED light masks

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) lights have been around since the 1960s but have only recently been used as a skin treatment.

Using the LED technology to create light weight masks enables people to use light therapy  in the home. However, these are not medical-grade products. They aren’t as strong, so while there is some benefit, there won’t be the same result as a professional treatment.

‌The masks use different wavelengths of the visible light spectrum to penetrate the skin to different depths. Depending on how deeply they penetrate, will determine which of the skin’s natural healing processes are triggered.

Red and blue lights are typically used in LED skin treatments. Experts believe that red LED light acts on cells in the skin known as fibroblasts, which play a role in production of collagen. Blue LED light is most often used to treat acne.

According to research, LED light therapy has an excellent safety profile. It does not contain UV rays, which can be harmful to the skin.

Unlike chemical peels or laser therapy, LED light therapy does not cause burns. Therefore, LED therapy is considered suitable for regular use. Which is important, as usually several treatments are necessary to see results.

However, more research is needed to confirm that these lights are truly effective and that they produce lasting results.

Hopefully you have found this information interesting.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Sources – National Library of Medicine – Harvard Health Publishing – Mayo Clinic – Web MD –

Slow Cooker Cooking – A Healthy Option

Todays post is about slow cooker cooking.

One of the things I love about this time of year is that with the cooler weather, we use our slow cooker more often. There are several advantages with using a slow cooker. 

One being that you can make lovely dishes with cheaper cuts of meat. It is also a healthy way to cook.
Though the cheaper cuts tend to be a little bit tough, the moist cooking method and longer cooking time result in fork tender meat. These cuts are also usually lower in fat. This helps to lower the fat content as well as the calorie content of the meal.

What about nutrition?

With all cooking techniques, there may be some breakdown in nutrients. Though there are a few nutrients, such as lycopene, which turn out to be more easily absorbed after cooking.
The advantage of slow cooking over other methods is that the food is cooked at a relatively low heat for a longer period of time. Cooking “slow and low” in a sealed chamber helps to keep the moisture and the nutrients in your food. 

It also helps to prevent the formation of cancer-causing compounds – such as lipid oxidation products (LOPs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These dangerous compounds form when most types of meat and some fats are cooked at high temperature.

Unlike boiling or steaming, the dish still contains the nutrients. These are usually in the juices which are served as part of the meal. However, the nutrient content of the dish will always depend on the ingredients you use.

What about the bones?

There has been a lot of health revelations in regards to ‘bone broth’ recently and how good it is for us. Well, using your slow cooker to cook lamb shanks or osso bucco and other ‘bone in ‘ cuts, means you are getting the benefits of a bone broth.

Animal bones are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and other trace minerals. These are the same minerals needed to build and strengthen our bones. The marrow provides vitamin A, vitamin K2, minerals like zinc, iron, boron, manganese and selenium, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

In some cuts you may get some connective tissue, which provides glucosamine and chondroitin. These compounds are known to support joint health. All of these animal parts also contain the protein collagen, which turns into gelatine when cooked. This then creates several important amino acids.

As the ingredients simmer away, their nutrients are released into the water in a form your body can easily absorb.


It’s so easy.

The best thing about slow cooker cooking is how easy it is. You put all the ingredients into the pot, turn it on and go to work. When you get home your dinner is ready and waiting. It takes minimal effort to create a nutritious, tasty meal.

So, next time you are thinking about what to cook on a cold evening, think slow cooker.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

(Sources – Huffington Post, bbc Good food, Healing gourmet, Healthline)

Red Wine and Gut Health

Todays post is about how red wine can assist our gut health.

I have written previously about the health benefits of red wine. The good news is, now there is more evidence available.

Drinking a daily glass of red wine not only tastes good to many people, but it’s also good for the bacteria lining your large intestine.

A new Spanish study suggests that sipping about 266ml of Merlot or a low-alcohol red wine changed the mix of good and bad bacteria typically found in the colon in ways that can benefit your health.

 Bacteria and the gut

Bacteria may sound like a bad thing to have in your intestinal tract, but having a balanced mix of them actually helps to digest food, regulate immune function, and produce vitamin K (which plays a key role in helping the blood clot).

Previous research has looked at whether polyphenols in the diet can influence the balance of intestinal bacteria. The latest study sought to explore whether drinking red wine can have a similar effect.

 What are polyphenols?

Polyphenols are helpful plant-based compounds found in a variety of foods and beverages. Besides red grapes, many other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of polyphenols, as are coffee, tea, chocolate, and some nuts.

 The good news

This study found that moderate consumption of red wine resulted in increased production of beneficial gut bacteria. It also had beneficial effects on blood pressure and total cholesterol levels. The study also found that that consuming 100ml of spirits daily can damage gut bacteria, this was due to the ethanol content.

This study revealed that the accompanying substances (polyphenols and tannins) actually provide health benefits, and in fact neutralise the damage caused by the ethanol in the wine.

One important thing to remember: it is best to drink wine with or after food.

The food slows down the absorption allowing the polyphenols and tannins time to exert their health benefits. When drunk on an empty stomach, around 80% of the alcoholic beverage passes into the upper small intestine for absorption. The health benefits will be missed and the ethanol will actually cause damage.

 What about beer?

Although it has not been studied extensively, scientists consider that moderate consumption of beer may have similar health benefits. The antioxidant content of beer is equivalent to that of red wine. However the specific antioxidants are different due to barley and hops containing different flavonoids to grapes.

(Sources – www.australiannaturaltherapistsassociation.com.au, www.sciencedirect.com, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, https://academic.oup.com)

So, enjoy a nice glass of red with your meal for better gut health.

Till the next post, 

Live clean n prosper.