In July 2020 I said in my podcast (Lady Jupiter Podcast Episode 14: Office Hours & Biohacking) that I would write and share my current supplement and light routines that I do to maximize my health and wellness.
For those who don’t know yet – I am primarily a stay-at-home-mom. My hobbies include blogging, podcasting about blogging, and doing a lot of little things to improve cellular health and slow down aging. If I simply took a daily multivitamin we could just roll up this post and walk away…but it’s so much more than that.
I’ll point to various sources as we go down the list, but I want you to do your own research. Google Scholar or PubMed are great places to read detailed research about compounds and processes. Allons-y!
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; I may earn a tiny commission from purchases.
As I mentioned earlier, this post was promised in Episode 14 of Lady Jupiter Podcast. If you’re curious and can spare nine minutes here’s a link to the web player and transcript so you can listen without a podcatching app, or read the episode if you rather.
Ready? Let’s get started.
I start my day with red & infrared light.
I keep a flexible light pad by the bed, so when my alarm wakes me, I slip the light pad under my shirt on my back, then lie back down. The bulbs are in direct contact with my skin, but it’s not too hot – it’s pleasantly warm. After 20 minutes I move the pad up to my chest and shoulders for another 20 minutes.
Red & infrared light provide our mitochondria with adenosine triphosphate; easy-to-use energy that our cells use to better carry out normal cellular functions. Using this pad wakes me up and relaxes me at the same time.
I try to take a Spa Hour nap daily if possible.
Kid Jupiter takes two naps a day, and it’s great for everyone involved (especially in this COVID-19 world where we can’t do much outside anyway, so we might as well hang out and take naps). As soon as I put him down for his late morning nap I begin my Spa Hour. I start with my face; wash, anti-aging serum, moisturizer. Then I take a few drops of chlorophyll, then hop in bed with my discontinued Neutrogena light mask (Cnet – Neutrogena recalls its light therapy acne mask). I put on an audiobook and often doze off…even with the light mask’s LEDs literally in my face. It’s normal for me to wake up, turn off the mask, and keep napping until my alarm goes off. I often wrap the red & infrared pad (above) around any patches of eczema or keratosis pilaris for more red light therapy.
☞ Related: Five Favorites in my Skincare Routine
- One of many serums I use for anti-aging
- Healthline.com – The Benefits of Chlorophyll
- Here’s the chlorophyll I take to keep my armpits smelling pleasant
I like a mid-day red light boost too.
Anywhere between lunch time and dinner time I hang up my red light therapy device (a Mito MID) and get a more potent dose of those tasty photons on my upper body. At the minimum I will set a five minute timer, and rotate my body every five minutes so my face, back, left and right sides all get the same dose of light. This is also the part of the day that I also take some serrapeptase and make 38oz of green tea to drink before bed.
- Link to Mito Red Lights
- Dr. Axe – Serrapeptase
- Here’s the serrapeptase that I take (three pumps daily)
- Here’s the organic green tea that I drink while fasting
Dinner time is when I break my fast, so quality matters!
Yes, you read that right – I fast until dinner time daily, I don’t miss breakfast or lunch.
It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but fasting is amazing and provides a ton of benefits. Some people feel better breaking their fast with certain macros, but I don’t feel a difference; I’m either fasting or feasting. Just for fun though I have been breaking my daily fast with a green juice from the grocery store and it makes me feel better about not always eating a ton of greens with my meal. So I break my fast with about four ounces of green juice, then go on to have a dinner that is as organic and sustainable as possible. Sometimes I’ll take a liquid vitamin with dinner, but I usually forget.
Some evenings I am just a bottomless pit, so if I want to eat after dinner I have a powdered green drink. These are much more nutrient-dense than the green juice that I had earlier. Right now I have two different green drink options, and I pick one over the other depending on what antioxidant boosts I feel like adding. The end result isn’t very tasty I’ll admit, but I don’t feel hungry after drinking it.
- Link to Athletic Greens – so many nutrients!
- Suja Green Juice – available in grocery stores
- Link to Nested Naturals Green Drink, not as nutrient-dense as Athletic Greens – and more affordable
- Link to the powdered MCT oil with collagen & prebiotic fiber I drink if I’m still hungry after dinner
Lastly, I try to take in one last dose of red light before bed.
This one depends on if I can spare the time from my desk. If my backlog of digital tasks isn’t stressing me out, then I specifically target my cellulite and any eczema or KP. This session (if possible) focuses on my body’s bottom half.
When I target my cellulite I rotate every ten minutes, and make sure that my face gets a few minutes too (because topical effects of red light are cumulative, so the more the merrier for collagen production). There’s research that says that red light makes fat more permeable and that the red & infrared light is an effective body sculpting tool because of this. Especially combined with daily fasting where I aim to fuel myself with body fat for a few hours each day – the red light makes body fat an easier meal. I prefer daily red light before bed, but can only really manage about twice a week. Better than none!
- TheEnergyBlueprint.com – Is Red Light Therapy Good for Sleep?
- Joovv.com (a light therapy device manufacturer) – Red Light Therapy for Weight Loss, Fat Reduction, & Body Contouring
- Mito Red Light (the big panel that I love)
And that’s it for now. I enjoy my daily supplements, lights, and drinks. They make me feel confident that I will age well. I know that my daily routine will change every few months, and I welcome the new things that I will get to try. Be advised that at the time of writing (Summer 2020) my only concerns are healing up an eczema & KP ankle patch, and one annoying nasal polyp. No illness, no aches or pains, no chronic disease or similar. I have some hyperpigmentation under my eyes, and a slow-growing white hair streak at my right temple. At 36 years young I feel lucky to only require daily antihistamines, everything else is optional.
Surely my daily supplement and light routine will change, so I may update and link to a new version in a year or two. Until then I really am happy with my self-optimization methods and hope in ten years to reap the benefits. Until then I will continue my lights, my dietary supplements, and looking forward to a healthy long life.
☞ Related: Lady Jupiter Podcast
Lady Jupiter 