This episode brings back one of my favorite guests, and one of your favorites as well, because he is one of the most requested repeat guests. I’m here with Ari Whitten, best-selling author and founder of the Energy Blueprint. I have a tremendous amount of respect for his research and look to him for guidance in many areas.
In this episode, we tackle what is often is a very controversial topic, even though it shouldn’t be — sun exposure! He makes an incredibly compelling case for why sunlight is as important as nutrition or exercise when it comes to health and lifespan. I know that you will learn as much as I did from this, even with all my research in this area, because he goes that deep.
Thanks for being here Ari!
Episode Highlights With Ari Whitten

The reason the sun is important (beyond just vitamin D)
Why a vitamin D supplement won’t replace the benefits of the sun
The relationship between sunlight and all-cause mortality
Why the research doesn’t show that sunlight is linked to dying earlier
The reasons why sun exposure is linked to better health and longer lifespan
A fascinating study that showed that women who got more sun exposure lived longer and healthier
Why avoiding the sun was as risky as smoking a pack a day of cigarettes
What malillumination is and why it is as bad as malnutrition
How sunlight reduces your risk of cancers, heart disease, and diabetes (which can all be more problematic than just skin cancer)
The different types of light in sunlight and why we need them all
A strong case for why sunlight does NOT meaningfully increase risk of skin cancer
Why melatonin is one of the most potent forces for health and how to increase it (hint: it has to do with light!)
How avoiding the sun might speed aging!
Why the more sunlight you get during the day, the stronger your brain gets against artificial light
How Katie eats her sunscreen to be able to handle more sun naturally without sunscreen
And more!

Resources We Mention

Ari’s site: The Energy Blueprint
Follow Ari on Instagram
Joovv Red Light Devices
Astaxanthin
Polypodium Leucotomos
Article: Skin Types

More From Wellness Mama

142: Is Adrenal Fatigue Real or Just Bad Science? With Ari Whitten
245: Ari Whitten on Fighting Fatigue and Anxiety With Sauna, Hormesis, NRF2 & Sun Exposure
301: How to Use Light to Drastically Improve Health With Matt Maruca
209: Sun Protection and Anti-Aging From the Inside Out With Polypodium Leucotomos
506: Dr. Daniel Kalish on Aging, Mitochondria, Hormones, and Longevity
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