For our first Q&A of 2020, we’re going to take a hard look at how you can get closer to nature when your job or environment makes that difficult to impossible — plus, I share a little bit about the vices I have and continue to struggle with.

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If you want to ask a question for a future episode, come join The Life Stylist Podcast Facebook Group. You can watch the next episode live, ask questions to both me and the group, and build a community of like-minded biohackers.

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Alyssa wants to know: For those of us that drive a lot for work, what can we do about getting sun through the glass? Any hacks for not getting full-spectrum?

• Go check out my past episodes on light with Matt Maruca: Episode 137 and Episode 234.
• Also you can look forward to Episode 278 coming May 5th, 2020, with Dr. Alexander Wunsch for the deepest dive EVER on natural Vs. artificial light.
• I drive with a window cracked or the sunroof cracked to let in as much natural light as possible. Turn heat on or use it for some cold therapy.
• I also have all 6 of my windows tinted even the front a little bit. to cut down glare, fake blue light, in daytime and oncoming headlights at night.
• All glass blocks out UVB, creating artificial light, which is not healthy for the skin or eyes. Essentially, when sunlight passes through glass, it makes non-native blue light. so there is no such thing as ’natural lighting’ if you are behind glass.
• Sunscreens work the same way, which is how they can contribute to skin cancer. If you cannot use shade or clothing to protect yourself from the sun, look for non-toxic ,  “broad spectrum” sunscreen to make sure the formula protects against UVA rays as well as UVB.
• Same for both sunglasses and Rx glasses and contacts. I avoid wearing both whenever possible. I find hats work great to block direct sun in my eyes.
• Tinting glass reduces the amount of both visible and UVA transmitted through it. Some UVA still gets through, though. On average, 60–70% of UVA still penetrates tinted glass.
• Sometimes glass is treated to protect against UVA. For example, most sunglasses made from glass are coated so they block both UVA and UVB. The laminated glass of automobile windshields offers some (not total) protection against UVA. Automotive glass used for side and rear windows ordinarily does not protect against UVA exposure. Similarly, the window glass used in homes and offices does not filter much UVA.
• Your best bet is to always do your best to allow some natural, unfiltered light through cracked windows in your car and at home.
• In a perfect world, we would get as much natural daylight as possible.
• In my car I also set all the interior lighting to amber, so there is minimal blue light blasting me in the face when I drive at night.

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Some other auto biohacks include:

• I use an air purifier in the car to help with the air pollution that gets in — choosing between the sunlight and the potential pollution is a tough call
• Ground your car. This helps with static charge inside the vehicle, which ads to the EMF load 
• Also turn off the WiFi in your car, turn off the hot spot if you have one
• Hard wire your phone and leave bluetooth. Apps like apple car play won’t work like this, so you have to decide if you prefer the convenience or the healthiest ride. 
• For additional EMF protection I use both Somavedic & Blushield units plugged into the car. While they dont ‘block ‘ EMFs, they both help create a more harmonious field in the cabin.
• It’s also smart to wear EMF protective clothing on long road trips. Lambs underwear are a great start, and you can add their beanie to your outfit as well.
• I also just added an EMF blocking hoodie to my site made by No Choice
• When I take road trips, I also bring along my nanoVI and also my Vital Reaction molecular hydrogen generator to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation that occur from flying through space and time at 80mph. These two are expensive interventions, so not for everyone. You can also bring along some Vital Reaction hydrogen tablets to add to your water on road trips. I do 4 tabs in a water bottle every 90 min or so both flying and driving.
• Another great tip is to stop and get your bare feet on the ground periodically. This dissipates static charge from your body and reduces inflammation.
• I also love to stop on road trips and do cold plunges in rivers, lakes, and oceans. This gives you a boost of energy , and leases the pain of sitting for long periods of time

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Alysa also asks about hacks for getting closer to or simulating nature, for when you live in a cold environment and it’s not always possible to be outside due to freezing temps:

• My advice would be to move somewhere that’s not cold in the winter. Easier said than done, I get it.
• Tanning beds that have both UVA and UVB are awesome in winter if you could find a low EMF one, but could be tough. I have searched for safe tanning beds many times, and still can't find one. 
• If you supplement D3 don't take it in a synthetic, isolated form. It's always better to get from something like cod liver oil. The one i take is by Rosita. It’s non toxic, environmentally sustainable, not rancid, and contains naturally occurring micronutrients such as vitamin A and D.
• There is a lot of debate about taking fish oils, which are PUFAS or polyunsaturated fatty acids. There are experts on both sides of this, with the vast majority of people voting yes on certain fish oils, and sources of DHA and omega 3’s.
• I do think its really smart to take a high quality vitamin E supplement to counteract some of the possible negative effects of PUFAS. 
• You could do the Human Charger blue light therapy in your ears for seasonal affective disorder.
• Also the Verilux full spectrum winter light. I use this on early mornings, and also every time I travel to get bright, full spectrum blue light in my eyes (don't stare into the light, just keep it nearby during sessions).
• Red light therapy and infrared saunas both provide the red spectrum of light you’ll like miss in winter months.
• IR saunas, or even outdoor barrel saunas can be great in the winter, as again, they allow you to be outside for short periods of time, in between sessions.
• Do breathwork everyday so you can handle the cold long enough to get light in your eyes and on your body.
• Doing cryo and ice baths in the warmer months will also drive up your cold tolerance powerfully.
• Another great way to get outdoors for fresh air and natural light is to find hot springs or hot tubs outside to use in winter. This way, you are warm, but getting some outside time in also.
• Another downside to being indoors in the winter is breathing processed air. Just like processed food and water, when we bring air in from outside and make it warm or cold, it is altered. Air inside the home is often much more toxic than the air outside, so it's always smart to have a filter or two inside your home.
• I like the Molekule best, based on lots of research, but I’ve yet to buy one myself. I’m still using my Austin Air healthmate units, which are great, but they are only HEPA. They don't do anything for mold, bacteria, germs, etc. like the Molekule does.

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John B wants to know: What are your vices?

• I have a lot of experience with addictions of all types. You name it, I’ve probably been addicted to it. Due to early trauma, and the mental and emotional issues that I developed as a result, I spent most of my teens and twenties taking anything I could to mask the pain of being me.
• When i quit drugs and alcohol in 1997, I spent years un-hooking myself from other addictive behaviors around food, negative thinking and emotions, tobacco, sex, and compulsive spending.
• Over the years, as I have done so much inner work toward healing my past, I have found it less and less necessary to use additions to ease my pain. When there is less pain, then the pain killers tend to fade away.
• That said, in the spirit of honesty and transparency, i'll keep it real and answer honestly:
• At this point, my vices at times are using self care and biohacking as a way to escape and avoid unwanted feelings, or as a form of procrastination. It's tricky because I do so many things that are positive and healthy, but I still struggle to find balance. I still see myself doing healthy things in a sometimes obsessive, or compulsive way. it's easy to justify vices like mine, because they are mostly positive. 
• So I would say my top vice is the rituals of health and self-care. 
• I also crave sugar a lot sometimes. I find eating a high fat diet, helpful, and also using my ozone generator to keep systemic fungus as bay is helpful for sugar cravings.
• The next vice, and probably the worst one, is staying up late. I struggled with this my entire life. I just refuse to go to bed at a decent hour most of the time and this creates a major problem with my cortisol/melatonin balance and circadian rhythm in general. The only solution that has helped me with this is forcing myself to get up and watch the sun rise a few days in a row. This resets my schedule like magic, but it's harder to do now that I live in a canyon where the sun doesn’t shine much. 
• This leads to another vice, which is procrastination. When I stay up to late, it takes me a long ass time to get energized and ready in the morning, so I end up starting my work day much later than I would prefer. I could get a lot more done if I was able to get to sleep and wake earlier.
• Lastly, I find that my phone addiction is very troubling at times. If im not careful, I can easily fall into social media vortexes and an hour will go by before I pull my head up and break the hypnotic trance the phone put me in. This is one I'd really like to get a grip on, as it’s so obviously a waste of time.
• All that said, I have made tons of progress in the past 23 years of recovery, and for the most part, my vices at least only have a negative impact on me, rather than those around me.
• It’s been helpful to answer this question and reflect on this as i enter 2020. My goal and hope is to curb some of this behavior and find more balance in my life.

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