Does Light Impact Cellular Health and Inflammation More Than Food? With Dr. Sara Pugh

Dr. Jockers Functional Nutrition

In this episode, Dr. Jockers dives deep with Dr. Sara Pugh into how light influences your mitochondria, hormones, and inflammation in ways food alone never could. You’ll hear how sunrise sets your body clock, why sunset prepares your system for rest, and how the balance of light and darkness fuels cellular health.

You’ll learn how artificial blue light at night can disrupt cortisol, blood sugar, and cravings, and why the wrong kind of light exposure can be just as damaging as poor nutrition. Discover why your mitochondria respond to light as much as to food and how this hidden factor impacts your mood, metabolism, and resilience.

We also explore practical steps—like grounding, sauna use, and cold therapy—that boost your energy and improve sleep. Along the way, you’ll find out why sunscreen and sunglasses may do more harm than good, and how structured water and omega-3 fats fit into the bigger picture of cellular repair.

In This Episode:

00:00 Understanding the Benefits of Sunrise and UV Light

02:23 Introduction to Dr. Sara Pugh and Quantum Biology

03:11 The Importance of Sunlight and Mitochondrial Health

15:26 The Role of UVA and UVB Light in Health

20:39 The Impact of Light on Metabolism and Hormones

25:54 Structured Water and Its Health Benefits

32:32 The Power of Keystone Bacteria

32:35 Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail

32:53 The Problem with Probiotics

33:44 A Nine-Day Fasting Experiment

36:30 Understanding Leptin and Its Effects

37:49 The Role of Blue Light and Vitamin A

38:29 The Leptin Melanocortin Pathway

38:56 Low Leptin and Its Causes

41:55 The Importance of Lab Testing

43:12 Breaking a Long Fast: Lessons Learned

46:17 The Benefits of Sauna and Cold Therapy

50:09 Cold Face Plunge: A Simple Hack

53:15 Connecting with Nature and Embracing Discomfort

55:14 Balancing Cortisol and Growth Hormone

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"The two biggest deficiencies driving chronic disease aren’t nutrients—they’re sunlight and darkness."

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Resources:

• Get 15% off Paleovalley: paleovalley.com/jockers – Use code JOCKERS

• Save 20% on Just Thrive: justthrivehealth.com – Use code JOCKERS

Connect with Dr. Sara Pugh:

• Website: https://busysuperhuman.com/

Connect with Dr. Jockers:

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjockers/

• Facebook – https:/www.facebook.com/DrDavidJockers

• YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/djockers

• Website – https://drjockers.com/

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us here! - https://drjockers.com/join-us-dr-jockers-functional-nutrition-podcast/