Nothing on earth improves melatonin in the human brain like bright sunlight. Clear heat lamps can be an excellent supplemental bright light on the following days:
Cloudy days
Days where you’re stuck indoors
Sunny days where UV is high
One daily 20-minute session of very bright light therapy — rich in red and infrared light — is proven to deepen sleep. This supplemental light is especially necessary on days of little sunlight exposure.
Clear heat lamps are the superior source of supplemental red & infrared. They’re affordable and provide optimal light frequencies.
Sunlight, of course, is the original, best source of infrared light — just don’t sunburn.
The most harmful wavelength at night is blue light — which, unfortunately, floods our modern world 24 hours per day.
The darker the bedroom, the higher melatonin rises in the brain — which ensures better sleep.
People in modern society who are exposed to dim light at night during sleep… could show interference in their sleep, resulting in a decrease in total sleep time and poor sleep efficiency.
Inadequate caloric intake leads directly to insomnia.
It’s important to know your daily caloric needs — and meet them.
If you’re lying in bed and unable to sleep — especially with a history of undereating, restrictive dieting, or hypothyroidism — it’s extremely unlikely you will fall asleep until you get up and eat.
In nearly all situations like this, it’s best to get up and eat enough calories to induce sleep. Sometimes, this means you’re eating a large late-night snack.
While eating at night is certainly not optimal for health, when the body is behind on calories there isn’t another choice other than to catch up, even at night.
Therefore, eat the calories needed tonight to promote sleep — but make it a point to eat early meals tomorrow than eating all evening.
Therefore, eating early in the day sends proper signals to the brain about when day/night is.
By contrast, eating late in the day sends the wrong signals about the time of day — and lowers melatonin at night.
Stay “ahead” of the daily need for calories! By 1 pm, the body should already be digesting 2/3 of its calories for the day.
By 8 pm, 100% of the day’s calories should be eaten.
Making up for missed breakfast and lunchtime calories in the evening is a circadian trap — and can profoundly impair sleep quality.
Eat three early, timely meals each day.
While calories and meal timing are important, creating balanced meals is of increased importance when digestion is weakened — and when sleep is struggling.
Carbohydrates-to-Protein
The key balancing a meal is the carbohydrates and protein ratio.
2:1 is a solid middle-ground, carbs-to-protein.
Figure out if you’re going to eat moderately high or low fat — as well as how much fiber your gut can tolerate… but these two variables are much less important than the carb-to-protein ratio.
Sugar vs Starch
Many people are avoiding one or both.
This may work for some, but when struggling with insomnia, it’s possible that a little (or moderate amounts) of both can really improve sleep.
A higher dietary glycemic index was significantly associated with a lower risk of poor sleep.
If you have to exercise right before bed, research shows that more-intense exercise is best for sleep.
Move All Day Long
Move naturally in varied ways all day rather than being sedentary most of the day and piling all your movement into a single workout session.
This further connects your brain to the natural circadian rhythm.
The present data found that (sun exposure) and (sun exposure plus exercise) showed positive sleep-related hormonal responses, sleep habits, and quality of sleep.
High glutamate is nearly ubiquitous in poor gut health — and this contributes to feelings of restless legs and the inability to relax.
Movement has the important characteristic of burning through excess glutamate in the body.
Sedentary Jobs/School
Many indoor jobs or school settings require sitting much of the day.
Sedentary lifestyles are commonly associated with obesity and other markers of disease, but a lack of movement also fails to provide the signal to the brain that daytime has arrived.
In job and school settings, make the most of any break time to move, stretch, and flex the muscles — sending signals to the brain that say: “We’re moving the body — it’s daytime.”
Even standing while class or meetings are commencing can give the body a chance to “move” when it would otherwise be sitting.
As important as it is to move all day, a quick, moderately-intense exercise session might be even more helpful when stuck in a sedentary setting most of the day.
Max: “It’s so clear how much thought you’ve put into the site.”
“You have changed how I think about what I expect from every health professional I work with. You are a rockstar! You are practical, not selling an agenda and so open-minded, which comes through in your writing. It’s so clear how much thought you’ve put into the site, and the content and delivery of content is unparalleled. You are thorough, but also able to communicate in a way that’s not overwhelming, which I feel is a really hard to balance. You’re able to communicate this stuff 100x better than anyone else out there. I’m often referencing your site in my mind as I’ve been helping my brother work through issues. I’m so appreciative of you and your work — the mindset you’ve given me is invaluable. You’ve trained and taught me well!”
Max Friedman
Massachussetts, USA
Josh: “The material on this website is extremely clear cut.”
“I just want to say: Travis Burch has been key to my healing process over the last year, which is getting better and better.
Coming from so many different dietary influences, I feel as though Travis has shown me the balance that I needed.
If I could have gone back in time 4 years ago, when I started searching into health, and had access to the knowledge on this website and Travis’ direct support I would have sorted a lot of issues I had out a long time ago and saved my self a lot of tim.
The material on this website is extremely clear cut, organised and actually very enjoyable and easy to read. Never have I been so interested and excited when looking into health. Everything is actionable and there are a million things I’ve taken from the website to improve so many issues I had (sleep improved greatly, circadian rhythm, energy levels, skin issues have improved, strength in the gym are just a few of many others, oh and also balance, so key). Everything you need to heal is here on this website.
Also working with Travis directly he has been able to troubleshoot a lot of issues and I am always so grateful for the time he takes to help me. He really does put thought and effort into every single response I have from him and honestly just cannot thank him enough.”
Josh Clement
United Kingdom
Luna: “I wanted to keep Travis a secret out of fear that his prices would go up a thousand fold, because he is worth that much.”
“I have been searching the internet for years trying to find solutions for the various health conditions my family and I have been suffering from. Because of that, I would go into various rabbit holes of I formation which would promise ultimate healing by following certain diets and or protocols. I had information and books about GAPS, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Paleo, Keto, Medical Medium, Jack Kruse, Ray Peat, prometabolic eating so on.
Every time I would find some new information — or some kind of answers — I would get excited, and I would try to apply the information! But I would also try to make sense of it in the context of all of the other information that I had gathered from the past
One day, while searching through message boards and forums, Travis’s website popped up. The guy seemed to have a handle on all of the information. I was highly impressed and decided to book a free call so I could basically spew all of the information that I had read for the past two years onto him.
From the beginning I was so moved by his kindness and vast knowledge. He was not only familiar with all of the things that I asked him, he was able to explain how that information fit into my particular situation. I had tried to reach out to various people in the past and they all demanded money for the slightest interaction or were incredibly pompous and rude to be asked even a simple question. I had SO many questions to ask him before deciding whether to work with him. I wanted to make sure that he know at least as much as I did about all the things. He was so patient and answered all of my questions without ever sounding annoyed or in a rush to “get” me as a paying client.
More than the actual knowledge that he has (which is vast) about various health theories and perspectives, it was his presence that was most healing. Just having someone whom I could bounce ideas off of and who would knew where I was coming from was so reassuring. I felt like I was literally juggling the whole internet’s worth of information by myself with no way to figure out which way to go or what to take as truth and what to discard and his amazing amount of understanding really helped me traverse it all.
Travis helped me to feel that I wasn’t completely alone trying to heal me and my family’s health. And that feeling was the most healing of all. I am hoping to start working with him again soon. In the meantime he is always willing to answer random questions that pop into my mind.
I wanted to keep Travis a secret out of fear that his prices would go up a thousand fold, because he is worth that much. But I know what it’s like to suffer alone trying to find answers in an endless sea of information. I believe that he can help many people. Thank you Travis! You have really been a God-send.”
Luna Tomy
USA
Jaemin — “Travis has given me my life back.”
“I’ve been on an 8-year long journey of struggling with hypothyroidism and a ton of health issues stemming from that (i.e. chronic fatigue, depression, weak immune system, insomnia, constant sore throats, digestive issues, etc.) I’ve seen tons of different doctors, naturopaths, healers (and spent thousands of dollars) with little to no results.
In the first few months of working with Travis, my issues started to reverse almost instantly! Within 6-12 months, I felt like I had healed 80-90% of my issues. It was remarkable. And with so much day-to-day support. He’s also very open-minded and non-dogmatic, so he’ll work with you however you want to explore things. Not to mention, he’s also just an incredibly caring and awesome human being. Navigating my health journey has been infinitely more manageable and less overwhelming with Travis by my side.
Travis has given me my life back and I can’t thank him enough for it! And his ideas and perspectives on health feel absolutely foundational to me. Your mileage will vary with any health coach or protocol, as everybody and situation is different, but I’m convinced that Travis’ coaching would be helpful to pretty much everybody. His protocols feel absolutely fundamental to me for better health.”
Jaemin Yi
California, USA
Diane — “I can personally attest that Travis Burch is the real deal.”
“There are seemingly endless numbers of health and nutrition gurus selling protocols, but very very few of them actually possess the qualities needed to heal for a person struggling from ill health or disease.
I can personally attest that Travis Burch is the real deal. I’m forever grateful to have crossed paths with him at a very crucial time during which the collective health of my family had fallen apart as a result of living in a moldy house.
His in-depth understanding of nutrition, lifestyle (and their interactions) and the way in which the environment influences our health (good and bad) is astounding.
But, the best part is that he’s big-hearted and has a faculty for tuning in and listening that effectively sets him apart from others in the field. Thank you, Travis!”
Diane Tantimonaco
California, USA
Shea— “I’m constantly reading and referring to this.”
Thank you so much! Love the content, I’m constantly reading and referring to it! Now I’ve got it for life! ❤️
Shea Frith
Australia
S.M. — “Saved me a lot of money.”
“I have suffered from chronic digestive issues for decades. I tried so many things and was feeling so lost, just getting worse, never better. Never knew what I should be eating-my health was getting worse and it was taking a toll on my work, my relationships. Working with Travis over the past year has helped me tremendously. He understands what it feels like to feel anxious and confused and so sick of being sick. He is a helping hand in a sea of confusing health information. He has such a level head and takes a reasonable approach to healing (starting with foundations). He really listens. He sends quick, thoughtful replies everytime I write him. He has been there for me when I was really scared or unsure how to proceed. I always feel better after our zooms. He is patient and answers all my questions and never makes me feel dumb no matter how many questions I have. He has saved me a lot of money with his many hacks and product recommendations! If you hire Travis as your health coach he will help you heal, and this may not be overnight, it takes time to undo years of being sick, but he will be there and stick with you as you figure things out, and teach you a lot!”
SM, R.D.
Massachussetts, USA
Viveka: “This is the most practical and helpful source…”
“Informed by Travis’ extensive personal experience, this is the most practical and helpful source of info on grounding, light, and electromagnetic healing I’ve seen on the web.”
Viveka Jagadeesan
USA
Bart: “Travis has helped me tremendously…”
“With his website and coaching Travis gives a very clear picture about what constitutes health, which he describes perfectly through his pillars of health. As a coach he is highly engaged and responds quickly to all your questions. He has helped me tremendously in dealing with illness and navigating the maze of online self help recommendations and I can’t thank him enough.”
Bart Lutmers
Netherlands
Mandy: “Extremely patient and really listens.”
“Travis Burch is extremely patient and really listens. He has helped me recently discover some major issues with my regimen and I’m forever grateful!”
Mandy Rode
Alberta, Canada
Brooke: “There’s no agenda or bias — only what works.”
“Without Travis my health wouldn’t be where it is today. The Pillars of health show EVERYTHING you need to know about health.
I honestly can’t put into words how helpful they have been to me. They flipped everything for me — it was the balance I needed in my life.
I find myself going back to this pretty often when needed now! Oh, would it have saved me time having access to this years ago!
Travis himself is different from anyone I’ve spoken to in the health world, I’m constantly blown away every time I speak with him. He will look at every angle of my questions and always give me the light at the end of the tunnel with my problems (Even my more silly questions!)
Travis you are a kind, amazing person: you listen, you are patient, & you want to help. Your understanding of health is essentially on a different planet. From every moving part, you’ve let me explore my issues in my own time and way, with no pressure that might make me feel overwhelmed. You put enormous amounts of effort into every single thing you do. I’m forever grateful for the help you have given me over the years.
There’s no agenda or bias with Travis, only what works, he is the real deal.”
Brooke Collins
U.K.
Krystie: “Thank you for this wonderful gift!”
“I’ve been happy to support your site as your information is extremely comprehensive, and you can see how much effort you’ve put into your research to help others heal.
Thank you for this wonderful gift!“
Krystie Kyes
USA
Erica: “A life-changing practitioner to work with. “
“I’ve been working with Travis for over a year. I can’t over-emphasize the influence he has had on my life, on my health, and my happiness. I started working with Travis just as I came down with a chronic health condition called gastroparesis (“GP”). I was convinced by the medical community, scientific literature, and the general consensus of anyone who has this condition that I would have it for life, and at the very best be able to manage my symptoms with medication and drastic, permanent dietary changes.
Over the past year, Travis helped me recover from an all time low with my health. Working with Travis gave me the gift of no longer believing I’ll suffer from a chronic health condition the rest of my life. It allowed me to be able to eat foods I wasn’t sure I could safely eat again, be able to feel energy I wasn’t sure would return, be able to have substantial periods of time where I’m healthy & feeling great and to experience my health continuously (but not linearly) improving.
I can’t recommend working with him enough.Travis is so methodical, thorough, practical, and an incredible person – which makes him a life-changing practitioner to work with.Thank you for everything Travis, endless appreciation for all that you do!“