The Forgotten Foundation: How Light and Darkness Shape Our Health

For many years I believed food & movement was the foundation of health. As a dietitian (& fitness professional back in the day), that seemed obvious. Then I began working closely with night-shift workers who were eating well, moving their bodies, and even managing stress, yet their blood sugars climbed, their blood pressure rose, and their energy flat-lined.

It was only when I looked more deeply at their relationship with the sun and the dark that the missing piece became clear. What I once thought was subtle turned out to be more central than I ever imagined.

The Rhythm of Light and Dark

Health is not simply about what we eat or how we move. It is about whether our bodies can sync with the daily rhythm of light and dark. Sunrise stimulates cortisol to wake us up and focus our minds. Midday light fuels serotonin, sharpens alertness, and strengthens bones through vitamin D production. Evening darkness signals melatonin, guiding us into repair, detoxification, and restorative sleep. What I just spoke about, in this very paragraph, seems way too corny and tree-huggie right? Weeeeelllll, about that tree…YEP…sunshine, grounding…it’s all that hippie stuff. But, there IS science behind it now.

This rhythm is as old as life itself. Without it, even the best food cannot work as intended. When the body loses this ebb and flow, hormones falter, neurotransmitters slip out of balance, and healing stalls. Think of it as yin and yang: sunlight and darkness, each powerful on its own but designed to work in balance. Can’t have one without the other.

I believe this breakdown in rhythm is at the heart of why so many people are becoming unhinged today, in all ways: illness of the body and the mind. When light and dark cycles are disrupted, the brain can no longer regulate mood and perception properly. We see it in adults burning out, in teens struggling with anxiety and depression, and in children who are glued to screens instead of natural light. The lack of sun by day and the excess of artificial light at night is quietly dismantling our biology.

What Light and Darkness Do For Us

The light and dark cycle influences every system in the body. It programs hormones like cortisol, melatonin, thyroid, and sex hormones. It regulates neurotransmitters that affect mood, memory, and focus. It drives vitamin D production, which supports immunity, bone density, and cardiovascular health. It determines whether our mitochondria burn fuel efficiently or store it as fat.

Darkness is just as essential. Only in the absence of light do melatonin and growth hormone rise high enough to repair cells, clear toxins, and regenerate tissues. True restoration cannot happen without both.

A Pyramid of Health

When I teach, I show a pyramid of health that begins with the sun at its foundation. Grounding, which connects us back to the Earth, builds the second layer. Only after these two layers are in place do nutrition, sleep, and movement work as they should. Without the base, the rest wobbles.

Modern Support When Nature Is Limited

We live in a modern world that makes it hard to live by the sun and the dark. Research has shown that we can capture some of nature’s benefits even when full exposure isn’t possible. Red light devices mimic healing wavelengths that support skin, mood, and mitochondrial function. Blue-blocking glasses protect us from artificial light at night. Grounding mats bring the benefits of Earth connection into indoor spaces. These are not replacements for nature, but they are bridges that help restore balance.

The R.E.S.T.™ Framework

To make this practical for my clients, I created the R.E.S.T.™ protocol.

Respiration is about oxygen use, heme health, and breathing practices that support energy.
Electricity is about electron flow, grounding, and reducing disruptive fields in our environment.
Sunshine is about reconnecting with natural light and respecting darkness.
Tuning Therapies include cold water immersion, red light sessions, gratitude, and other tools that strengthen mitochondrial function.

This framework brings the science of light, water, magnetism, and environment into a structure anyone can follow.

Who Can Benefit

• Teens and children whose developing brains are especially vulnerable to disrupted light cycles and constant screen exposure.

• Families who want to raise resilient children in a world full of screens.

• Shift workers who struggle to stay healthy despite “doing everything right.”

• Professionals who spend long days indoors under artificial light.

• Anyone with chronic symptoms that don’t improve with food alone.

Takeaway

Health is not only about what we eat. It is about aligning with the natural cycles that powered life long before we had supermarkets and gyms. When we restore light and darkness cycling, reconnect with the Earth, breathe fully, and use therapies that mimic nature, food and movement finally work as intended.

This is what my patients have taught me over the years: progress is not perfection, and healing is not about adding more. Sometimes it is about returning to what was always there.

Health is about more than just food. It is about syncing your body with the world around you to unlock your true vitality.

Sincerely, Diane Kopelakis, MS, RD