So you want to tweak your wakeup time to feel better and ultimately sleep less and have more energy. Education and a system are ultimately what you will need to achieve this. Here’s both, the education and a system to get you started and feeling better each morning.

The Education

A good night’s sleep always starts with “deep sleep” for around 2-3 hours when more blood moves to your muscles to repair them and you “do not dream”. Your body is like jelly in this state – motionless. Post each deep sleep cycle you move into the REM state which is a state close to being awake. This is the time “you dream” as your brain “organizes” all your memories. It is also the state where you are moving and tossing a lot in bed and is also known as the lightest sleep phase. This means in REM you are the closest to being awake both mentally and physically. Therefore it stands to reason that waking up in this state, REM, will be of most value to feeling better. More about this here.

If you have ever woken up in the morning feeling groggy then this is because you woke up in deep sleep or should I say “were” woken up since this is a tougher phase to wake up from. The reverse applies for REM. The mornings where you felt great upon waking up and were fully refreshed was REM. So now that we know the state you need to wake up in, let’s explore how to wake up in REM.

The System

There are 2 ways to find your REM cycles:

1. Experiment with different wake up times

I did this at the very start when mapping my sleep patterns. This is the cheapest form and also the most draining since you need to experiment with different wakeup times like 6am, 6:15am, 6:30am etc. until you latch onto one that is superior to the rest in how you feel when you wakeup. It it time-consuming and requires a lot of persistence. And even then, you may find that 5:55am is better than 6am. Arggg the old manual days of doing this.

2. Use a device to monitor your sleep patterns

Few months back I found this great iPhone app called Sleep Cycle which is a bio-alarm clock that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you when you are in the lightest sleep phase, REM. The app knows that we move differently in bed during the different phases, Sleep Cycle uses the accelerometer in your iPhone to monitor your movement to determine which sleep phase you are in. Sleep Cycle then uses a 30 minute alarm window that ends at your set alarm time and wakes you in your lightest sleep phase, REM. More here how it works.

Sleep Cycle is super cheap at 99c one time investment.
Grab it from iTunes by clicking here or clicking the black “App Store” button below to open up iTunes.

Using Sleep Cycle iPhone app

Sleep Cycle is simple and easy to use. Here’s how it’s done:

Starting Sleep Cycle	Selecting your wakeup time
FYI guide	Device placement
Sleep time	Your sleep data

Notice my sleep data for 07-08 Dec (Tue). At the start of the night I was mainly in deep sleep and then around 5ish back into full REM (nearly awake state). The app woke me up in an asleep state which is a lot better than deep asleep. This way I woke up feeling refreshed. However notice the sine wave / cycles our sleeping pattern goes through. You always want to wake up in REM – or as is known in the Sleep Cycle app the “Awake” state.

Easy, intuitive and it works!

Click: to get this 99c app.

What I like about Sleep Cycle

• Sleep Cycle is super cheap at 99c one time purchase. Grab it from iTunes by clicking here.
• It works. I feel better waking up at the time Sleep Cycle tells me using its internal alarm vs. waking up by the time I believe is best.
• Easy to use. As you saw above a few clicks and away you go.
• Built in statistics. You do not need to go to a website to view your stats. Everything is on your phone and ready for viewing as soon as you wake up.
• Drains little battery. Unplugged from the main power source and with airplane mode on it drains around 20-30% of the phones power at the end of the night. Therefore no messy cables running from the power supply to keep it humming.

Where Sleep Cycle can improve

• An interface to tap into 3rd party products for monitoring movement. The problem is that Sleep Cycle needs to be on your bed and if your partner makes dramatic movements the app will register those and think it’s you and make a decision to potentially wake you up if within your selected wakeup time zone.
• Ability to export the statistics data into a common format. This way I could analyze the data myself in Excel and run some graphs / pivots over it.
• Better control over the statistics. Like being able to select start and end date (grouping data) vs using the arrows to navigate around.

So there you have it. A cheap and easy to use app that will help you get on your way to understanding your sleep patterns better.

~ Ernest

Links mentioned in the post

• iTunes: Sleep Cycle alarm clock – Maciek Drejak Labs
• How to sleep less and have more energy
• Sleep Cycle website – How it works

I love food. Eating it and enjoying its flavours and texture. So how could I ever give up solid food for whole 8 days and survive mentally. Did I mention I love food.

So I did it. It was easier than I thought.

I dedicated myself to a lemon detox for 8 days and lost 13 pounds. The results were amazing! Most people around me complemented how “I look thinner on the face” and “have a smaller belly”. Awesome, just awesome! Many have asked me to give them the full details on this detox program since they too are willing to try it out. So, as promised here is the program to follow and what to expect day by day based on my own accounts over the 8 days of not eating solid food, just drinking a liquid formula known as the lemon detox.

Lemon detox – what is it?

The Neera Super Cleanse from Amazon

• It’s a body and mind detoxification program that aids in the removal of allegedly harmful, nonspecific toxins from within the body, as well as a reducing diet for loss of weight.
• The cleanse involves drinking only a concoction made from fresh lemons, grade C maple syrup and cayenne pepper, as well as a laxative tea. No solid food is eaten for the entire cleanse.
• There are many variations of the Cleanse program but I used The Neera Super Cleanse. It is supposedly a better version of the famous Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanser diet.
• A Convenient kit from Amazon includes everything needed to do the diet except lemon juice: Madal Bal Syrup (a special blend of grade C Canadian maple syrup and palm syrups from South Asia), 1 x Neera instruction book, Neera organic laxative tea, and organic cayenne pepper.
• You will also need to purchase fresh lemons and squeeze them into the Neera drink blend. This helps with the cleansing process since lemons are alkaline.
• This is the diet made famous by Beyoncé and other celebrities in LA. And it works – see results below.

Don't forget to buy Fresh lemons

Why I did it

• I love to experiment and try out new things. This type of change requires a lot of persistance and determination to stick with it and go all the way. I wanted to prove to myself that I can do this. 8 days was what I could spare but I recommend you do it for at least 10-15 days. That’s going to be my next detox, 15 days.
• We all have some weight we all want to get rid of. So did I; and this was one quick way to get rid of it. My wife lost nearly 20 pounds in 15 days just over a year ago so this had to work. It also inspired me to give it a shot. Nothing speaks louder than prior results on people close to you.
• Health benefits of detoxifying your body. There are plenty of articles online about this topic.
• I wanted to stop being a slave to food for energy. This lemon detox diet switches your body’s source of energy from food to fats. Food as an energy source has a downside by taking us for a daily ride up and down (like a sine wave). As we eat the sugars and fats in our food we experience a high (up) and then after consumption, the body redirects all it’s energy into burning it. So the gut receives a lot of energy and this robs our cognitive processes (down). This continues throughout the day, up and down, up and down like a rollercoaster. So we relay on caffeine (tea / coffee / energy drinks) to drag us out of the slumps only to be dragged back down with a larger force when the caffeine wears. This trashes our nervous system by delivering jitters and an addiction as the body becomes immune to caffeine so we fuel more and more into it. A vicious never-ending cycle. Of course we can always drink Yerba Mate which is a lot better in energy delivery but is sure doesn’t beat the body’s natural energy source, fats.

How to make the blend (lemon detox drink)

How the final lemon detox blend looks

Batch Amount Syrup Lemon Juice Cayenne Water 1 glass (12 oz) 2 Tablespoons 2 Tablespoons Pinch 10 oz. 1 quart 2.5 oz. 2.5 oz. Large pinch 27 oz. 1 liter 80 ml. 80 ml. Large pinch 840 ml. 2 quarts 5 oz. 5 oz. 1 teaspoon 54 oz.

My experience on the lemon detox – day by day

The following day by day analysis are snippets of my experience as I recorded them each day.

Day 1

• The lemon detox drink (maple mix) tastes all right. The lemons help balance the sweetness of the maple syrup. Make sure you do not add too much cayenne pepper’s unless you like your drink spicy. I learnt this tip in my 1st batch.
• It’s amazing how much the conscious mind thinks about food when the body is forbidden of it. Every few minutes.
• It was ironic that I also started on this day. I come into work and in the kitchen were free sweets, I couldn’t have these since I’m on this detox. Then in my 1st meeting for the day, breakfast muffins – which I couldn’t have. Then an afternoon meeting a work colleague brought in designer cup capes – I couldn’t have. Man… how hard!! But I stayed strong. Was my mind more receptive to lack of food?
• Experiencing a small headache with pain on each side of my head.
• I am a bit unsettled due to lack of food. Extended periods without food typically drive my mood in the negative direction.
• Feeling tired so I took a nap on the couch at 8pm and woke up at 1am. Went to bed and slept till 5:25am. Sleeping pattern disrupted. Lack of energy or maybe catching up on lost sleep from night before?
• My weight – 196 pounds.

Day 2

• Woke up full of energy at 5:25am. Read a book. My mind took in a lot of content which was awesome! Is this energy stabilisation day?
• What do you know… it’s National Donut Day (4th of June). It’s hard celebrating National Donut Day.. while being on a lemon detox diet – D’oh! A work colleague brought in Krispy Kreme donuts and offered it to me, I had to decline. Gotta stay strong. I love Krispy Kreme donuts.
• Napped for 1.5 hours, 5-6:30pm. Lack of energy or just my body needing to remove toxins hence the nap?
• I think my mental capacity has dropped. Maybe it’s the tiredness doing this. I’m not as sharp or quick on the ball with cognitive processes. Weird. But I know this won’t last long.
• My weight – 190 pounds. Lost 6 pounds in 1 day? Hmm… this looks good! Although this was most likely the food which has now officially left my body.

Day 3

• No headaches today. Feeling better.
• It’s amazing how much the conscious mind ticks over on the topic of food especially when the senses pickup a faint smell of it. It’s as though food drives our conscious thoughts for at least 30% of the day… well for me anyway lol
• I’m staying away from all visual & scent of food.
• Feels like there is now extra time available since the physical and cognitive no longer have to accommodate for the preparation & consumption of food. Seems like there is an extra free hour or 2 available per day! Wow.
• My tongue feels funny and has strange layer of unknown deposit on it. Lack of water or toxins surfacing? Need to brush tongue to get rid of it.
• Energy levels are out the door. Up and down. Needed power nap. This one lasted few minutes and then I’m back into full swing. Hmmm… things are getting better?
• Since I cannot eat or drink anything else it becomes awkward being out at the cinema. The typical ritual is dinner before cinema. Now it’s just cinema. No dinner so no socializing over dinner. Feels awkward.
• My weight – 189.4 pounds. Lost 0.6 pounds.

Day 4

• Didnt really think about the fact I had no food today. Kept myself busy all day and night.
• No headaches or any energy issues. I think the worst part is over. Was this the beginning of the good?
• My weight – 186.8 pounds. Lost 2.6 pounds.

Day 5

• I had good feedback from work colleagues that my face looks thinner. Awesome news! Detox must be working.
• Good day today with plenty of energy. Fells great.
• No more tension around my waist line. The custom fit tailor pants feel like a great fit.
• Rethinking the last few days on the lemon detox diet:
  • So I can see we are sugar addicts. Always waiting for that hit from solid food. Changing your source of energy from sugars to fat is an ideal way to get a steady source of energy.
  • Downside – my stomach started grumbles every morning (and afternoons) since there is no food to burn. I need to drink more of the detox mixture as a replacement.
  • Helps if your partner is also doing it with you. The smell of food can be a strong driver. Good that Ula was doing this detox with me.
  • First 2 days small headaches but it goes away on day 3. Friends & family who did this lemon detox experienced major headaches. I may be lucky here since mine were moderate and manageable by keeping myself busy.
  • Energy levels for first 3 days are bad. My cognitive functions (speed) also appeared to have dropped but not dramatically to affect my everyday requirements.
• Now every day is an even energy curve. No sugar / caffeine spikes or crashes. It feels very strange to have this level of consistent energy. It’s bliss in one way. In total control. I feel like I’m no longer a slave to whatever I eat. The body is definitely a finely tuned machine when its inputs are improved. Spoken like a true software engineer. lol
• My weight – 186.4 pounds. Lost 0.2 pounds.

Day 6

• Belly grumbles too much in the morning from 5:40am to 7am. Great alarm clock! Time to fill it with my daily liquid breakfast – lemon detox.
• Day went splendidly well. No issues with energy or any urges to eat food.
• I could do this for a long time. But I think next time I need to have protein shakes to stop any muscle deterioration from lack of protein in the lemon detox diet.
• My weight – 185.6 pounds. Lost 0.8 pounds.

Day 7

• When we isolate some of our senses for an extended period of time they seem to get forget but at the thought of food they light up with vibrancy and energy ready for it.
• Not hungry these days at all. I can go on like this for a lot longer but I know that it’s going to be hard to get back into society lol not really thinking about food. It definitely helps when food isn’t seen or smelled.
• Good energy levels throughout the day. Loving the consistent energy.
• Work colleagues are asking me about this program, will blog about it – time to spread the good news!
• My weight – 184.2 pounds. Lost 1.4 pounds.

Day 8

• Last day of the detox. Feeling like I’m ready to eat! Also the taste of the syrup drink is no longer as pleasing – like overeating on food I think I over drank this stuff and need change. I have this weird sweet maple syrup taste on my tongue which is making me feel a bit sick. Again, over drank this stuff so I’m ready to go back to solid food.
• My weight – 183.8 pounds. Lost 0.4 pounds.

Final weight - lost 13 pounds on lemon detox diet

Day 9 – 1st day off the lemon detox

• Back on Food! Before I ate I weight in at 183 pounds. Lost 0.8 pounds overnight.
• Had nice lunch with Ula, a jumbo orange & carrot juice from Jamba Juice. Just fruit juices all day today.

Day 10 – 2nd day off the lemon detox

• 1^st hard food for lunch – chicken caesar in San Francisco. Felt heavy on the belly but without any bad side effects. Building my stomach back up to solids.
• Already missing the lemon detox but I know I will return to it later.

Day 11 – 3rd day off the lemon detox – back to solid food

• Belly is back to normal. Solid food is now accepted 80% of the time.
• Feels like my belly cannot hold as much food as it used to. It may have shrunk; which is great news! Now I need to retain it this way by eating smaller portions.

Questions & Answers on the lemon detox

Q1. Is this starvation?
A1. No. You actually stop feeling hungry since the lemon detox formula is filling up your empty stomach. It is a “very low-calorie” diet so expect to lose weight.

Q2. Is this all water weight you lost?
A2. Nope. I drank 2.5 Litre (2.64 quarts) of water enriched with natural lemon juice & maple syrup each day. Enough nutrients to keep me going each day.

Q3. Can I go to the gym while on this program?
A3. Probably not since you do not have enough Protein in this diet to stop muscle deterioration.

Q4. Ok I want to do this too! Where do I get the goods from?
A4. Directly from Amazon, click here to get a good deal from Amazon. There are 5, 10 and 15 day packs. Try the 10 day pack 1st since it’s a reasonable price or if you are doing this with your partner grab the 15 day pack and split it.

Q5. So what’s the go with the toilet business on this detox?
A5. Yes. This is always a tough topic to get into without getting into unwanted detail. Let’s just say things change temporarily during your detox and you do spend more time on the toilet since it’s easier for your body to process liquids then solids. Let’s just say no.2 transforms into no.1. lol

In America, get it here:

In Australia, get it here:
Lemon Detox Diet – Australian home of the Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup Cleansing Diet

Final thoughts

You really get to realise how eating consumes your day, how food is a part of your thoughts and it’s affect on your body. Especially heavy foods which have a tendency to drag energy levels to a crawl. On this diet you experience consistent flow of energy throughout the day; no spikes or drops. It’s bliss and peaceful to have this level of consistency and energy to keep moving. The downside is socializing over dinner is next to non-existant unless you have a strong will to watch your friends eat. It’s ok, this is only temporary.

If you really want to stay on the lemon detox wagon I highly recommend if your partner is also doing it with you. The smell of food can be a strong driver to fall off the wagon. Also try to stay away from food so you do not smell it or see it. Years of “programming” for food consumption is hard to change so adjust your environment.

1st time every I can do this! belt clip was on the last setting.

What’s next?

The meat detox, crab detox followed by donut detox. No seriously this lemon detox is great to do seasonal. I have committed myself to a seasonal detox program. To get rid of the old and welcome the new.

So there you have it. How I lost 13 pounds in 8 days on a lemon detox diet!

This is something which you can do too. Of course it’s not going to be easy for everyone. I know people who had a far worse reaction to the lemon detox then I. Massive headaches and huge energy drops in the first 3 days have been the common symptoms. But don’t let this scare you away. Your body reacts in this way because it’s flushing out the toxins. This is a good thing. Just persist and when the storm passes a massive shift in both your energy and well-being will shine thru.

It’s worth a shot, after all you only have 1 body and your health should always be a priority in your life. Without health you cannot exist and thus cannot take care of your loved ones and experience life the way it should be experienced.

Happy detoxing!
Ernest

1st July 2010 Update (3 weeks update)

So it’s now been 3 weeks since I finished my detox program and I have only gained 2.2 pounds. Awesome! The 2.2 gain is the solid food digesting inside.

I hope this demonstrates to conspiracy theorists that this diet does work.

Of course I didn’t hit pizza and burgers straight after I finished the program. I now have an appreciation for eating the right type of food and feel my body’s response to what I put in. I listen to my body what it needs and feed it what it needs instead of eating what I see from all the marketing.

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I hate procrastination, I dislike the word slow and I love fine tuning my productivity to gain optimum results. Results are all that count and effort doesn’t necessarily equal results. This is why having a great set of tools available to reach this productive state helps you achieve your goals sooner.

But first, let’s take a step back and understand why “tools” are so important.

The brain sees tools as limb extensions

When you brush your teeth, the toothbrush may actually become part of your arm – at least as far as your brain is concerned. That’s the conclusion of a study showing perceptions of arm length change after people use a mechanical tool.

The brain maintains a physical map of the body, with different areas in charge of different body parts. Researchers have suggested that when we use tools, our brains incorporate them into this map.

To test the idea, Alessandro Farnè of the Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France, and colleagues asked 14 volunteers to use a mechanical grabber to pick up distant objects. Shortly afterwards, the volunteers perceived touches on their elbow and fingertip as further apart than they really were, and took longer to point to or grasp objects with their hand than before they used the tool.

The team say that their brains may have adjusted the areas that normally control the arm to account for the tool and not yet adjusted back to normal (Current Biology, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.009). “This is the first evidence that tool use alters the body schema,” says Farnè. Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227145.300-brain-sees-tools-as-limb-extension.html

What this means is that tools are an extension of you (that’s how the brain sees it), allowing you to do more and to get to those results faster. Now that we understand the importance of the tools, let’s look at my current favorites. These tools all use a Freemium business model. Meaning they are free to use for limited time or with limited functionality and if you want you can upgrade to more features for a small fee. So try them out for free!

Tools that I use to fine tune my productivity

Here are my currently favourite software limb extensions:

1. RescueTime – Time Management, Productivity, & Project Tracking Software
Sign up for RescueTime and see where your time goes:
http://ernestblog.com/rescuetime

Why use it: We all know about distractions and how bad they are. But now you can really understand it when you see solid numbers indicating where you spend your time ie. on Facebook instead of coding or writing that article, in your emails instead of researching for your thesis paper etc… Rescue Time monitors your behaviour while you use your computer and then reports back how productive you have been and areas to improve on. Once you know your distractions you can work on reducing or cutting them out.

Think of this product like a personal coach making sure you stay in line and are constantly improving.

2. Xobni – Outlook Plugin to Search People, Email, and Attachments Instantly
Drowning in Email? Frustrated with Outlook? Find anything in Outlook instantly by signing up for Xobni:
http://ernestblog.com/xobni

Why use it: I’m no fan of Outlook’s inbuilt search – it just doesn’t work well. We all know how Google Desktop changed the way we search for documents on our computers. Xobni does that to your emails – and fast! It connects the dots (relationships) between emails, share documents very well and the results pane always shows you exactly what you are looking for. It has fantastic search smarts!

This tool helps you get organized quicker and if you are using the Outlook GTD method I mentioned in my prior posts then you will be moving faster onto your next task.

Oh and if you haven’t figured it out yet, xobni is actually inbox spelled backwards.

3. DropBox – Online backup, file sync and sharing made easy
Sign up for a new way to sync, store and share your files online:
http://ernestblog.com/dropbox

Why use it: This is file sharing in the clouds made so easy even my grandma could do it with a few clicks. It gives total control of your box (storage space) so you can share just the bits you want via any social method (smart phone, any computer etc.) out there. You can put your USB drive aside because Dropbox is the new kid on the block.

You may recall an article I did on productivity using GTD (Getting Things Done) where I spoke about offloading everything from your memory and into a reliable storage medium for later processing to help you manage daily chaos effectively. Think of Dropbox as this reliable storage medium which you can access from anywhere.

If you use any other great productivity tools which you think others would find useful then please share them here in the comments section below.

Ernest

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This tea rocks! If you had enough of caffeine jitteriness or its addictive tendencies, want to quit adding sugar to your tea or not a big fan of green tea but would love something that has both the power of black tea and the health benefits of green tea then look no further then Yerba Mate. It’s refreshing and energizing and has a nice list of health benefits.

“I reached the place of our vibouac by sunset and drinking much mate, soon made up my bed for the night. The wind was very strong and cold, but I never slept more comfortably.” – Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle, 1936

What is Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate is a green leafed shrub, original of subtropical South America. It’s popularity is due not only to it’s exotic taste, but to it’s potent health benefits. It has been the drink of choice of the Guarani Indians in early colonial periods. More on Wikipedia here.

Health Benefits of Yerba Mate Tea

Here are a good bunch of great reasons you should be drinking this tea:

• It’s rich in vitamins, minerals and full of antioxidants – yerba mate offers a higher concentration of polyphenols to pack a punch in the fight against free radicals,
• Works as an appetite suppressant,
• Due to its thermogenic compounds it helps you burn more fat by elevating your metabolism,
• 100% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee but no side effects like the jitters or yellow teeth stains &
• Promotes cell survival better than red wine or green tea. - Hard science sources

How does it look

Pictures speak louder then words. Here are some of the pictures I took of the tea.

Where to get it?

Yerba Mate is a lot harder to acquire in store due to lower awareness of this great tea. However there are few places online which sell Yerba Mate for basically next to pennies. Amazon as always has a good selection – notice the special Yerba Mate tea gourd for drinking this tea:

If you are in Australia, “Natures Green Gold” proudly introduces South America’s secret of well being and vitality to Australian homes. Visit their website for Australian locations to pickup Yerba Mate: http://www.naturesgreengold.com/. Thanks to Nathan Hesse for sending me this link to help our Australian readers in acquiring this fantastic drink locally.

Tim Ferriss

Timothy Ferriss, an American author and public speaker speaks highly of Yerba Mate and it’s benefits in how it had helped him write his 1st NY Times Best Seller book called The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich.

“2. Biochemically Fine-Tune. I found by accident that my best sessions all followed a specific ratio: 3 cups of yerba mate tea for each glass of wine consumed.” – Tim’s blog

Further reading

If you would like to learn more about Yerba Mate Tea then I highly recommend you read the links below. There is a wealth of information there. Alternatively send me a message and I will happily respond to your questions.

I love questions, so ask away!

Ernest

Links mentioned in this post

• Stories submitted by Yerba Mate loyal customers:
  http://www.yerbamatetea.com/yerbamatetestimonial.htm
• Yerba mate contains 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and 11 polyphenols, a group of phytochemicals which act as powerful antioxidants. Find out more about this here:
  http://www.mymateworld.com/yerba_mate_health_benefits.htm
• Yerba Mate Cruz de Malta x 500 g Argentina Tea 1.1 lb:
  http://ernestblog.com/yerba-mate-cruz-de-malta-500g-argentina-wonder-tea
• Natures Green Gold proudly introduces South America’s secret of well being and vitality to Australian homes:
  http://www.naturesgreengold.com/

Stories submitted by Yerba Mate loyal customers:

“I drink Yerba Mate every morning. It is my way of waking up and greeting the day. It gives me an energy that is not a ‘hyped up’ feeling but rather like a natural energy that comes from a healthy lifestyle.”

Nancy Smith, Registered Nurse, Reno, Nevada More…

“When I sit down to paint yerba seems to give me the mental clarity and focus that I need in order to create to my fullest potential.”

Scott Cranmer, Artist, Audubon, New Jersey More…

“When my doctor suggested I give up black tea and coffee a year ago, I switched to drinking Green Tea for the perceived health benefits. However, I found it somewhat unsatisfying as a morning beverage. Luckily, I discovered Yerba Mate and I’ve never looked back. I began ordering my yerba mate from Nativa for their great services and prices (just one third of what I was paying here in BC). Since switching to yerba mate, I experience none of the jittery side effects of coffee, sleep very well and just generally feel great!”

Jim Sutton, Family Therapist, Vancouver, British Columbia More…

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If you ever wondered why people feel grumpy, low on energy and depressed during winter season, long hours in the office or why 1 in 5 people in the UK suffer from Depression then read on.

Back in September last year (2009) I covered light therapy as one of the methods used in controlling your sleeping cycle and having more energy. Since we are now officially in winter (USA timezone) I have switched on an alternative source of 10,000 lux – the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp. Every morning for 1 hour I sit in front of a 10,000-lux lamp (as shown below) educating myself while receiving the required daily intake of light to help lift my mood, stabilize my rhythms and invigorate my body. By the time the 1 hour is up I feel refreshed, full of energy and fully awake.

Me (Ernest) getting my daily 1 hour of 10,000-lux of Light. The only source of light in this picture is the 10,000 lux lamp - very bright!

Benefits of light therapy

Light therapy is a replacement for those of us who do not get at least 1 hour of sun light (10,000-lux of light) everyday. And that is just about everyone who works in an office, drives to work and works though lunch. Most indoor office light only gives out 300-lux of light. A candle in a dim room gives out 3-lux of light; for comparison. Outdoors on a sunny day is 500- 1,000 times brighter than office or room lighting. Not forgetting that during winter the amount of available natural light is reduced due to shorter days and more cloud cover.

10,000-lux of light has the power to:

• help Lift your spirits,
• balance your body clock,
• lift your mood,
• stabilize your internal rhythms,
• invigorate your body systems leaving you feeling rested, refreshed, and nourished all over and
• it can reduce the nagging symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). If you want to know whether you are suffering from SAD click here for a quick free test.

How the lamp works

The Sun Touch Plus emits energizing, healing rays, using 10,000-lux Sky Effect light while simultaneously releasing streams of negative ions. It creates the same fresh air you feel by a waterfall or from an ocean breeze.

Scientific researchers have discovered a new light receptor in the eye’s retina that interprets signals from light rays, and sends the information to sections of our brain that stimulate hormone secretion and body rhythms. The Sun Touch Plus’ Sky Effect lamps emit the optimal blue light (white light is made up of colours – think of a rainbow) that best stimulates these receptors, which send signals to neurological receptors, energizing important centers in the body. (Amazon)

The trick is to make sure that the light enters your eyes from the top– just like the sun light would on a sunny day. I achieve this by lifting the device on some books to raise it higher and then proceed to read a book which is laying flat on the table in front of the device. Time goes by very quick, and by the time the auto timer on the device turns off the light I feel amazing and ready to tackle another amazing day. Who would have thought that a $100 device could make such a huge difference!

Where to get the lamp

I use the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp from Amazon. For those that know me well will know that I do a lot of research before committing to any investment. In future posts I will explain how this therapy has played a major role in reshaping my everyday life. For now if you are interested grab it from Amazon here.

If you found this post useful and / or have or are using light therapy then share your experiences with everyone by posting a comment below.

Sources / mentions in article:

Still not convinved? Here are some comments from users of NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp from Amazon

I wouldnt’ have believed it if I hadn’t tried it, February 28, 2008

By Super Happy Gal

I’m a 34 year old woman. I’ve used this light faithfully for about a month. Until about day #12 I would have told you it was a hoax. But the light said it could take up to two weeks before you could see results. So I stuck with it and I will tell you that it really works. It’s a subtle but big difference (i.e. it doesn’t change your personality, just your energy and mood) in my mood and energy level. I will use this at the beginning of every winter, into spring. I get really tired with low energy in winter. My energy level has gradually increased until I am my regular, energetic self. I’ve told all my sisters to get one. I work as a nail technician and have told my clients to get one. Everyone is wondering if I get some kind of kickback from Naturebright. I tell them that I should be, but I’m not. I use my husband as the real critic and he swears it has made me a lot more energetic with a more even mood. So there you have it. Also, I looked at the Mayo-clinic websight and their research seems to support the light therapy. My dad is a psychologist and all the research he’s read supports light therapy. Just make sure you get a 10,000 lux lamp. I really like this one, though because of the optional ion thing. Even though I have no feedback on that because I haven’t used that yet. I wanted to try one thing at a time so I would know the difference. This is getting long. Anywho, I would definitely recommend this lamp for its effectiveness and reasonable price. See ya! Read more.

Bye Bye Winter Blues!, January 7, 2008

By J. Bowley “J B” (Westerly, RI)

I have had winter SAD for a long time and if I knew the enormous difference this thing would have made I could have saved myself many seasons of suffering. Within a few days my mood has done a complete 180! I feel like “my old self” again! Thanks Naturebright your product has changed my life and I dont ever want to go without it again. Read more.

A miracle!, December 4, 2009

By J. Davies (Chicago, IL USA)

I cannot believe how wonderful this product is. If I knew, I would have bought it years ago! I have suffered from SAD for years, since college, getting progressively worse each year. Last winter was the longest, grayest and coldest in memory in the Chicagoland area. We followed with a cool gray summer and long, cool gray fall. I was at my wits end. Amazon had a price on lamps that was reasonable compared to any lamps sold in years past. In just a few short days I feel amazing! I use the lamp for 30 minutes in the morning while checking emails, and again for 10 minutes in the late afternoon. It is dark here around 4:30pm with the worst yet to come. It has been gray 9 out of 10 days on average. I usually NEED a nap around 3pm and the length was increasing from 30 minutes to over an hour. I have not taken or felt the need to take a nap since using the lamp. Also, I would usually be crashing by 8pm, struggling to keep my eyes open until 10:30, not any longer. I wake up refreshed at 4:30am-my usual summer time-I am a morning person ; ) I have had more energy and enthusiasm and feel much more like myself. I am getting a lamp for my mother and recommending it to anyone who asks about my improved mood and energy level. I can’t say enough positive things about this product and I never write reviews. I can only say try this lamp. Oh…I do not mind the negative ion therapy. It doesn’t smell bad, as others wrote, kind of like the smell after a good rain. The unit is the perfect size to sit on a desk and seems quite sturdy. I terrific value for my mental well being!!! Read more.

I Wish I Would Have Bought This Years Ago, November 16, 2009

By M. Unruh “Missouri girl” (Kansas City, MO USA)

I have suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder for over seven years. It is usually a fairly insidious onset until by January or February I am not getting out of bed and sleeping for over 12 hours a day. I have literally tried everything: medication, behavioral therapy, and multiple lifestyle changes. I wish I would have purchased this years ago.

I have had this for five days and there is a huge difference in my energy, mood, and circadian rhythm. I use it for thirty minutes when I first wake up. Since waking up with SAD is very difficult, I will place it on my coffee table and will watch the morning news while using the lamp (my biggest battle is getting out of bed to the couch, which isn’t too bad). Then I will use it between 5-6 p.m.

As for some of the prior reviews, I can agree that there is a smell associated when the ion therapy is in use. However, it does not bother me that much. It smells much like a new plastic item does, but I think that scent decreases with use. Read more.

Wide awake, November 11, 2009

By N in maine (maine)

It is 6am in the (soon to be) frozen north and pitch black outside but I am wide awake and full of energy. I love my light box. It is light and easy to use. I understand the bulbs get very hot but you would never know it because they are behind the frosted screen so it is also safe. The product is excellent and my biggest concern before buying it was whether light therapy works or not. I can tell you it works great with me. I have never used the ion-function so I can’t tell you about that. Before using it make sure you read the instructions and check out websites that can tell you how light therapy works. If the light is not close enough to you or if you use it the wrong time of day then it will not work.  Read more.

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