Hello, Healthy!
Feeling Blue?
Today I want to switch gears a bit and shift from talking about internal health to talking about external health.
Have you heard about blue light? Blue light is everywhere since it’s part of the light spectrum but it’s become an interesting topic as we’re learning more and more about it. Blue light has shorter, higher energy wavelengths that collide with molecules in the air. This makes the blue light scatter and is in fact what makes the sky look blue (keep that info tucked away for the next time a kid asks you why the sky is blue!).
Blue light during the day is beneficial for the most part, although it does contribute to skin and eye aging. But the biggest concern regarding blue light has to do with nighttime screen use.
The blue light from your computers, phones, tablets and televisions interferes with melatonin production (the hormone that helps you sleep) and may be the reason so many find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Lack of sleep has been shown to be a contributor to various chronic disease, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity so there is a good reason to learn more about this!
So, what can you do to protect yourself? If turning off all your devices two or three hours before bed isn’t an option for you, you can try blue light filtering glasses. These are especially helpful for those who work at night.
There are also programs you can install on your computers or apps for your phone and tablets that filter the blue light. There have been some promising studies showing significant improvement to sleep and mood when using blue light filtering methods so it’s definitely worth checking out! I’ll be ordering some glasses today to try out!
As far as filtering blue light for the health of your skin, there are some sunscreens available that block blue light as well as UV that you can look for!
-Amy Denker, MS, RD, LD
More about me:
I attended Oklahoma State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nutrition and Exercise. I went on to earn a Master’s of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition and completed the Dietetic Internship Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
I was the Nutrition Services Clinical Coordinator at Crittenton Children’s Center for over 5 years before changing my focus to raising my family. I am excited to now be involved with a company that is focused on providing healthy options for customers as well as providing education and resources for customers to make informed decisions for themselves and their loved ones!
