Let the sunshine in

Who remembers that song from the Hair musical? I was humming it after listening to a fantastic episode of The Diary of a CEO featuring Dr Roger Seheult, an ICU doctor, medical educator, and co-founder of MedCram.

We’ve all been told that vitamin D is important. But Dr Seheult goes way beyond that, arguing that sunlight is a vital part of our immune system, our energy system and our emotional health.

He’s not talking theory. As a critical care doctor, he’s the one managing ventilators and trying to save lives in the most urgent circumstances. And it’s precisely because he’s seen what happens at the end stage of illness that he’s become a passionate advocate for prevention, and for what he calls the NEWSTART approach to health: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust.

An ICU Sunlight Miracle

What struck me most was a story he shared from the ICU. A teenage boy came in with a devastating fungal lung infection. Doctors had given him just two days to live. His only request? “I just want to feel the sun again.” So the team wheeled him outside, connected to tubes and machines, and placed a red light therapy device near him. Within 48 hours, the boy’s white cell count surged, his oxygen needs dropped, and his lungs started to clear. That moment changed everything for Dr Seheult.

From then on, he began paying attention to sunlight, not just as a vitamin D source, but as a powerful biological signal. He even cited research showing that hospital patients placed closer to windows recover faster and are discharged sooner than those in interior rooms. Sunlight helps regulate mitochondria, reduces inflammation, boosts mood, and even improves our response to viral infections like COVID-19.

Magic Morning Rays

Just 2–5 minutes of early morning sun (without sunglasses or screens) can increase dopamine by 250%. Sunlight is a natural, mood-enhancing neurochemical that helps you feel focused, energised, and resilient. Infrared from sunlight also triggers melatonin production, not just the kind that helps you sleep, but a form of internal antioxidant melatonin that protects your body at the cellular level throughout the day.

Trusting in Trust

The final pillar in Dr Seheult’s NEWSTART framework is, Trust. People who cultivate trust, whether in a higher power, their loved ones, or an optimistic outlook on the future, experience lower stress, less anxiety, and better health outcomes overall.

Trust grounds us. It keeps us steady when things feel uncertain. And it reminds us that we’re not alone.

We are extremely privileged that our next Be Well Conversation on 7 August is with Be Well Member, Prof Lisa Grocott from WonderLab @ Monash. This will be quite different from our previous Be Well Conversations. Lisa will host a Tomorrow Party with us. This is a fun, and incredibly powerful, way to envision your future and connect with our fabulous Be Well community.

Book your spot soon. You will not be disappointed!

I look forward to seeing you at Be Well again soon.