There’s another dreamy picture on the cover, but this time, it is very relevant. I’m going to talk about light.
The days are beginning to lengthen again, and we love it when the sun shines – we feel better, more motivated and generally cheerier.
It turns out that there are good reasons for that, but some even more fascinating biochemistry of light waves that goes down to the quantum energy level in our cell batteries – our mitochondria.
It’s no wonder that we crave going somewhere sunny when we want to enjoy ourselves.
Even in gloomy winter in the UK, this could be the best reason to get outside in the morning for a walk, or to watch the sunset – “catching the rays” is built into our successful evolution.

Having healthy mitochondria (your cell batteries) is essential, as we find out when they start to slow down , decrease in number or become less efficient. In short, when we age, or develop a chronic condition.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is at the root of many chronic conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue, Heart failure and Macular Degeneration.
The good news is that red light and the sheer beautiful infrared heat that you can’t see, but gets through your clothing and warms your skin – turns out to be a solar powerhouse to re-charge your inner batteries.
One of the amazing things is, deep red light can shine straight into you and even through you. You might remember this from being a kid, when you shone your first torch behind your fingers and saw your fingers glow, even through your bones. Researchers have measured far infrared light coming through the body and out the other side, from bright sunlight.[1]
Red light, especially far infrared light, can reach into your heart, your liver, your internal organs and jiggle those little cell batteries to make them more efficient, spin the molecular energy-producing turbines faster, and help your hard-working cells put out more energy.
There are so many benefits to red light that it works almost like magic – which is our description of when something does something good, but we have no idea how – except that now we do, as the science is catching up.
Shining infrared light into the eyes, even at low intensity has been shown to improve symptoms of early-onset of macular degeneration[2] by improving the ability of the mitochondria in the macula (central focal part of the eye) to make energy again. While I’m not suggesting that you gaze at the sun at midday, watching a lovely sunset with those long red rays might be just what the optician ordered.
Red light can get through clouds, even on a dull day and most of it is in the form of wavelengths that your eyes can’t even see, but “warm the cockles of your heart” and makes you want to turn to face the sun, like a flower.
Unlike ultraviolet light at the other end of the spectrum, that only penetrates the top layer of skin, you don’t have to get down to your swimwear to get the benefits of red light.
You can wear a cotton shirt and trousers; getting your arms and face into the daylight will do the trick, or even a panel of red lights shining on your back. The mitochondria that receive the red light, release signals that travel around the body to gee-up the other mitochondria, and they all speed up a bit.[3]
Researchers have found that a panel of far infrared light that was shone onto the leg – improved the heart output in people with heart failure very significantly, so their heart was able to beat more strongly.[4] Researchers are hoping that infrared lights could be used in A & E departments as part of the first aid for people who have had heart attacks.[5]


New research has shown that 30-50% of people with low thyroid issues who use red light over their thyroid, were able to reduce or even eliminate their need for medication[6],[7], [8].
They did 2 sessions a day of 15-20 minutes, at a distance of 8-14 inches (about 20-35cm) for 3 days a week, for 3 months, Their thyroid antibodies came right down (by about 500 points), their need for levothyroxine medication plummeted, their inflammation markers came down and their ultrasound showed healthier tissue. This was even after they had been taking the usual nutrient supplementation to support good thyroid function (vitamin D, iron, selenium), which was also supplied to the control group, who did not receive the red light. The effects gradually wore off after about 11 months, so it would make sense to do this treatment yearly, or simply top yourself up with red light regularly once you have achieved good clinical results.
If you are on prescribed medication for thyroid and decide to use this red light therapy, always work with your doctor, and have regular testing so you do not become over-medicated once your body normalises.
(A company I have bought from for myself, provides a specialist neck infrared pad that would work for thyroid. It is marketed mainly to reduce wrinkles, which according to research and the images I have seen, it does as well.[9] If you are interested in this, please contact me and I will organise you a discount. The pad can also be used on painful knees, elbows, joints, hands and feet.)

A few minutes dose of red light before taking in glucose can reduce blood sugar spikes, because it increases energy output, burning through the glucose more quickly and reducing the need for insulin. [10]
In this way, it helps to reduce the impact of pre-diabetes and diabetes. This may help to explain why people in offices get far more pre-diabetes and diabetes than people who work outside. It’s not just that office workers eat more processed food (which they probably do) or that people who spend time outside are doing heavier work (which they probably do) – it’s also partly to do with the amount of sheer daylight that people in offices don’t get.
If you work in an office, this is yet another good reason to get out of the building at lunchtime to eat your lunch, ideally in some sort of green space. Your blood sugar won’t spike as much, and you really can start to re-charge your batteries in more ways than one!


It turns out that grass and leaves reflect the infrared rays, so one of the best ways to pick up a healthy dose of infrared is walking over grass through a park, or in woodland.
On an infrared camera, leaves and grass show up almost as bright as snow, because they are reflecting so much infrared light – after all, the leaves need to stay cool and reduce water loss.
It is yet another reasons why eating outside, as they often do in Mediterranean countries, and when picnicking, feels like such a treat.
It is genuinely good for your health!

IN SUMMARY
Get out into the daylight, even if it is not sunny, and even if you are shaded by trees.
In fact, being under trees would be a good way to avoid sunburn while still getting your infrared rays, if you were out when the sun was at its peak, between 10am and 2pm.
Morning light is one of the best times to get a dose of daylight, at least 15-20 minutes, and the light that goes into your brain via your eyes (and through your forehead), also helps to re-set your circadian rhythms, so you sleep better at night.
Take every opportunity to get outside if you are working in an office or from home – take a coffee break outside, take your lunch outside; have a walking meeting; talk on the phone while walking outside – you will feel better for it; your health will benefit, and you will probably be more productive.
If you have a health problem such as low thyroid, chronic fatigue, diabetes, are worried about cognitive decline or heart disease, then red light therapy on top of sunshine – might be very beneficial. Talk to me about this and we can explore what might be good options in terms of lamps/panels/wavelengths and equipment.
In other news, I’m considering running a new 6 week programme called “Back On Track”.
If you are interested in getting back on track, recovering your health from whatever is troubling you and getting what you want out of life, do get in touch with me.
You can find more details by clicking here.
There is also an option to just book a 30 minute complementary chat with me.
It might be exactly what you need.
I hope you have found this newsletter helpful. See the References below.
I’d love to hear from you again, and if there’s anything I can do to help you, your family or friends and colleagues with any health conditions, mild or serious, please get in touch.
Every good wish for 2025! 😊
Liz McGregor
Registered Nutritional Therapist, Naturopath and Wellbeing Coach; B.Sc.(Hons) Dip.BA; Dip Nat; Dip.NT; mBANT | rCNHC
Mobile: 07810 552 628
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://lizmcgregorhealth.com
References:
[1] Power up your Mitochondria with Red Light Therapy – Dr Glen Jeffries Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MzKjYjEE1g
[2] Grewal MK, Sivapathasuntharam C, Chandra S, Gurudas S, Chong V, Bird A, Jeffery G, Sivaprasad S. A Pilot Study Evaluating the Effects of 670 nm Photobiomodulation in Healthy Ageing and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. J Clin Med. 2020 Apr 2;9(4):1001. doi: 10.3390/jcm9041001. PMID: 32252424; PMCID: PMC7231137. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32252424/
[3] Shinhmar H, Hogg C, Jeffery G. Exposure to long wavelength light that improves aged mitochondrial function shifts acute cytokine expression in serum and the retina. PLoS One. 2023 Jul 21;18(7):e0284172. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284172. PMID: 37478072; PMCID: PMC10361513. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37478072
[4] Inoue S, Takemoto M, Chishaki A, Ide T, Nishizaka M, Miyazono M, Sawatari H, Sunagawa K. Leg heating using far infra-red radiation in patients with chronic heart failure acutely improves the hemodynamics, vascular endothelial function, and oxidative stress. Intern Med. 2012;51(17):2263-70. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.51.7115. Epub 2012 Sep 1. PMID: 22975533. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22975533
[5] Power up your Mitochondria with Red Light Therapy – Dr Glen Jeffries Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MzKjYjEE1g
[6] Red Light Therapy REVERSES Hashimoto’s (New Breakthrough) Dr Michael Ruscio
[7] Ercetin C, Sahbaz NA, Acar S, Tutal F, Erbil Y. Impact of Photobiomodulation on T3/T4 Ratio and Quality of Life in Hashimoto Thyroiditis. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2020 Jul;38(7):409-412. doi: 10.1089/photob.2019.4740. Epub 2020 Mar 18. PMID: 32186976. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186976/
[8] Berisha-Muharremi V, Tahirbegolli B, Phypers R, Hanna R. Efficacy of Combined Photobiomodulation Therapy with Supplements versus Supplements alone in Restoring Thyroid Gland Homeostasis in Hashimoto Thyroiditis: A Clinical Feasibility Parallel Trial with 6-Months Follow-Up. J Pers Med. 2023 Aug 19;13(8):1274. doi: 10.3390/jpm13081274. PMID: 37623524; PMCID: PMC10455109. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37623524
[9] Lee YI, Lee E, Nam KH, Shin DY, Kim J, Suk J, Kwak JY, Lee JH. The Use of a Light-Emitting Diode Device for Neck Rejuvenation and Its Safety on Thyroid Glands. J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 19;10(8):1774. doi: 10.3390/jcm10081774. PMID: 33921839; PMCID: PMC8073506. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33921839/