Nature as Medicine: What 2,200 Studies Taught Dr. John La Puma About Getting Outside

You probably spend most of your day inside. Most of us do... about 93% of our time, actually. Not to mention you’re definitely on your phone all the time. This is a health risk! To explain how harmful this habit is, I invited my dear friend Dr. John La Puma to explain what these habits might be doing to our brain and heart. He was on the show before, where we talked about culinary medicine and gardening! John is a board-certified internist, a trained chef, and he runs an organic regenerative farm in Santa Barbara. He also read 2,200 studies to understand why being outside feels so good. What he found became his book, Indoor Epidemic, which became the focus of our conversation, and how we are so starving for nature. Listen in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [02:31] Sign up for my Growing Joy newsletter on Substack!
• [03:10] Welcome back, Dr. John La Puma!
• [04:50] How a doctor and chef became a nature as medicine expert
• [06:46] Why does nature feel good?
• [07:38] Buying an abandoned plant nursery and reading 2,200 studies
• [09:19] How his work shifted from ecotherapy to the indoor epidemic
• [11:21] How blue light at night affects your heart health (and what to use instead)
• [14:31] What is the indoor epidemic?
• [16:20] Get a daily dose of antioxidants and immune support with Manukora Honey!
• [18:09] How hinoki oil and forest bathing help improve immunity and blood pressure
• [21:14] Why 17 minutes outside a day is all you need (optimizing the 7%)
• [23:04] Light first, coffee second…?
• [26:38] Why sunglasses and windows block morning light
• [28:12] Why burnout is really digital overload
• [29:07] What is a zeitgeber?
• [30:15] How CO2 buildup indoors affects your brain
• [31:50] How awe and sunsets calm the vagus nerve
• [34:40] Attention restoration theory (why nature rests your brain)
• [36:24] Why you need to put your phone down outside
• [38:26] Plant blindness and how to find nature in the city
• [40:37] How does gardening help improve mental health and dementia?
• [43:28] Can light therapy help with seasonal depression? (10,000 lux study vs. Prozac)
• [46:30] John’s number one morning routine protocol!
• [49:14] How to get kids off screens and outside
• [50:55] Where to find John, Indoor Epidemic, the free toolkit, and the Nature Number quiz!

 Mentioned in our conversation:

• Indoor Epidemic by Dr. John La Puma
• Dr. John on The Oprah Winfrey Show
• Growing Joy 131: Culinary Medicine from Our Gardens with Dr John la Puma

 You only need 17 intentional minutes of outdoor time,

check out the full show notes and blog on how it works!

 

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