Mark Bell on The 2AM Podcast has arrived Elite powerlifter, inventor of the Slingshot, and host of the Power Project podcast. Known for his raw honesty and relentless discipline, Mark has spent decades exploring what it means to build true strength, not just in the gym, but in every corner of life From setting world records on the platform to building one of the most influential fitness brands in America, Mark’s story is one of constant evolution We talk about: Building discipline Why simplicity wins in life Pain, suffering, and consistency How to navigate nutrition with clarity The real nuance behind sugar fasting Watch the video and subscribe!

Amber light, fat cells, and nature Researchers took human fat cells and shined different colors of light on them.. violet, blue, green, yellow, amber (nanometers), and red Only one wavelength consistently did something dramatic: Amber light made fat cells break down their stored fat droplets. This wasn’t done by the normal fat burning hormone pathway, but by turning on the cells cleanup and recycling machinery Autophagy + lysosomes = internal fat digestion. Autophagy being the cell’s self-cleaning process, and lysosomes being acidic sacs that digest waste The cell essentially ate its own fat droplets from the inside out as a result of amber light exposure This pathway is not the classic adrenaline to HSL to fat breakdown route The researchers even blocked the usual lipase pathways, and the amber light effect still happened So, the study tells us that amber light activates the cell’s recycling machinery that destroys fat droplets It’s not a stretch at all to suggest that light wavelengths can influence adipocyte (fat cell) behavior in a measurable way ••• Every wavelength does something different in the body because different molecules and tissues absorb different photons Blue light is highly stimulating and alerting. Red and infrared boosts mitochondrial ATP. UV-A and UV-B offer distinct benefits Amber sits in an interesting middle zone because it penetrates deeper than blue, carries more energy than red, and interacts with metabolic tissue like fat Amber is also heavily involved in: • cerebellar development • circadian signaling • mitochondrial dynamics • melanin intermediates • POMC related pathways Fat cells responding to amber light fits the pattern of amber being a metabolic wavelength Amber exists in the natural world for your benefit. It’s most abundant during sunrise and sunset due to Rayleigh Scattering, where you have a high concentration of red/infrared/oranges/yellow/ambers Golden hour is an amber rich experience You literally bathe in amber light just by stepping outside during sunrise and sunset Firelight offers a lot of amber along with many of the same wavelengths that sunrise and sunset provide Full spectrum sunlight during the day offers amber as well, but at less concentration since it’s mixed with the rest of the spectrum Incandescents are a man-made lighting source that is rich in amber light By maintaining circadian alignment, you bring amber back into your life during both the day (sunrise, sunbathing, sunset, incandescents) and night (firelight & low lux incandescents)

GM

GM watch sunrise

When someone claims that a tan is a sign of skin or DNA damage, remind them that this entire narrative has its roots in eugenics and scientific racism, not objective circadian biology The early dermatology and photobiology frameworks that demonized tanning were developed during an era when darker skin tones were pathologized, not understood “Sun damage” became a term that conveniently upheld the pseudoscientific belief that pale skin was biologically superior, a view promoted by eugenicists who associated light skin with purity and intelligence So, when they parrot the idea that melanin production equals damage, ask them why they’re defending a framework built on racist pseudoscience rather than updated circadian photobiology Melanin is NOT a damage response It’s an adaptive and photoprotective system that presents the following benefits: 1. Powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and maintains redox balance 2. Natural anti-venom that binds and neutralizes toxic compounds, including heavy metals 3. Anti-tumor agent that suppresses abnormal cell proliferation through redox and immune modulation 4. Biological nnEMF shield that dissipates excess electromagnetic stress at the cellular level 5. Detoxifying polymer that chelates and eliminates environmental toxins and heavy metals 6. Photoprotective barrier which is nature’s built-in sunscreen that adapts to UV exposure from full spectrum sunlight 7. Lipid peroxidation defender that prevents oxidative damage to cellular membranes and fats 8. Broad spectrum anti-viral that inhibits viral replication via photochemical and immune pathways 9. Anti-microbial shield that resists bacterial and fungal invasion through oxidative control 10. Neuroprotective agent that safeguards neurons from oxidative and excitotoxic stress And so much more God and nature infused those benefits into melanin by design. A tan is your body training under full spectrum sunlight It’s an adaptation. That’s why it’s found throughout the entire natural world, especially in human beings, through three forms (neuromelanin, eumelanin, pheomelanin) I’ll tie your mainstream dermatologist into a Gordian knot by forcing the question they won’t want to answer Whose interests does this “damage” narrative actually serve? I’ll tell you this It doesn’t fucking serve the people

The Squatty Potty will change your life

Vitamin D3 isn’t the only hormone with dozens of metabolites, endogenous melatonin also has more than a dozen identified metabolites Counting both enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways, researchers have cataloged at least 10-15 distinct melatonin metabolites, and the list keeps growing as metabolomics improves Just like Vitamin D, we’re talking about a complex network with storage forms, active forms, and downstream derivatives that have a powerful impact on systemic health, especially mitochondrial function and immunity Melatonin metabolism operates on two parallel levels: 1. Sub-cellular/local form (inside mitochondria, cells, and tissues) 2. Systemic/circulatory (pineal secretion into the bloodstream, measurable in urine or plasma) The first is made by NIR light outside during the day, while the second is made from nighttime darkness Melatonin is a master circadian hormone that is married to the light and dark cycle, meaning circadian alignment fosters both forms while circadian disruption destroys them More than ever, you need to abide by bright days under full spectrum sunlight and dark nights with very minimal circadian lighting After all, don’t you want to take advantage of endogenous melatonin’s benefits We’re talking about anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-viral, anti-neurodegenerative, anti-metabolic dysfunction, anti-oxidant, and more Melatonin is one of the most potent and versatile antioxidants in the human body, far stronger and more strategic than most dietary antioxidants like vitamin C or E It’s in a league of its own It neutralizes multiple types of reactive species (ROS, RNS, RCS), not just one or two like many antioxidants. It can directly quench hydroxyl radicals, peroxynitrite, singlet oxygen, nitric oxide, and more.. with no pro-oxidant rebound Unlike vitamin C, which can flip into a pro-oxidant under certain conditions, melatonin never does Melatonin is both water (hydrophilic) and fat (lipophilic) soluble. This grants it access to move freely through cell membranes, blood, cytosol, and mitochondria. Most antioxidants are stuck in one compartment, melatonin patrols them all It’s one of the few antioxidants that can get into mitochondria, where most free radicals are generated. It stabilizes the inner membrane, supports electron transport, and prevents oxidative chain reactions at their source I think the most shocking fact about it is that over 95% of your melatonin is made inside your mitochondria, not in your pineal gland, and it’s produced during the day, not just at night Mainstream medicine still hasn’t caught up to that truth Put some respect on endogenous melatonin

There are many Vitamin D metabolites that differ in water solubility, how long they last, and their ability to be reactivated in tissues when needed This means your body can store Vitamin D in different forms, keep it circulating longer, and reactivate it on demand, hence Vitamin D status isn’t just about new production, but also how well your system manages and taps into these reserves Because of this, someone with strong metabolic and circadian rhythms can stay Vitamin D sufficient longer, even with little sun, by cycling and reusing stored forms efficiently On the flip side, if those pathways are disrupted, your body will likely struggle to access or convert those stored metabolites, leading to deficiency even if you technically have plenty in the bank Skin type absolutely matters, but mainly upstream, at the level of how much Vitamin D you can make and store in the first place, not so much in the downstream recycling Darker skin makes Vitamin D more slowly because higher eumelanin blocks UV-B more effectively, but once D3 is produced and metabolized, the sulfation, storage, and recycling pathways work similarly Lighter skin can build up stores faster with less UV-B exposure, but if circadian rhythms or metabolic health are poor, they can burn through or fail to mobilize those stores just as easily This is such a game changing and refreshing narrative involving Vitamin D3 acquisition and storage

For many, this is true

Maybe your Vitamin D3 levels aren’t meant to stay sky high all year Maybe, just maybe, life is built on seasonal duality, not perpetual summer Even at the equator, there’s no such thing as true perpetual summer, it’s just a different kind of rhythm. The sun might rise and set at nearly the same time year-round, but rainfall patterns, food availability, humidity, and cloud cover create their own seasonal cues that living systems have adapted to Equatorial populations still experience cycles, they’re just less about temperature and more about rain, light diffusion, and ecological shifts. The body still syncs to these environmental rhythms So the idea of keeping D3 status or any biological marker “locked in” year-round is ahistorical and biologically tone deaf Even nature’s most stable environments pulse Modern thinking treats health like a thermostat. Pick an “optimal” number and lock it in What they fail to understand is that biology is rhythmic. Vitamin D3 levels naturally rise with abundant UV-B in summer and decline through winter, mirroring changes in light, temperature, food availability, and circadian gene expression, so forth Forcing levels to remain elevated year-round through supplements or artificial UV ignores this deeper rhythm and turns you into a neurotic pain in the ass Winter is a different operating mode Just like trees shed their leaves, your physiology shifts gears.. altering hormone cascades, immune tone, and metabolic priorities. Flattening these seasonal waves may feel optimized on paper, but it often clashes with how humans actually evolved to function The point? Health isn’t about constant abundance, it’s about respecting the ebb and flow

GM

Love me a sunset

Carrying your phone directly against your body (especially next to sensitive tissues like breasts, ovaries, or testes) means you’re placing the source of non-native electromagnetic emissions millimeters away from cells, not meters Total abuse of the inverse square law Electromagnetic fields obey the inverse square law: Doubling the distance drops the intensity by a factor of four. Keeping the phone on your body = maximum exposure For most of human history, the body experienced only natural (native) electromagnetic fields from the Earth’s Schumann resonances, cosmic background radiation, and sunlight’s broad spectrum Suddenly, we’re placing high frequency, pulsed nnEMFs directly on reproductive glands, mammary tissue, and major nerves for hours a day, often overnight These tissues are highly vascularized (absorbing more energy), hormone sensitive (breast, testes, ovaries), and Undergo constant cellular turnover, making them more vulnerable to chronic stressors Even if we set aside debates about long term carcinogenicity, constantly bombarding sensitive tissue with an artificial signal source is reckless Airplane mode is common sense Turning your phone off or switching to airplane mode when it’s on your body: 1. Eliminates active signal emissions 2. Costs you nothing (you can still use offline apps, camera, notes, etc) 3. Restores a basic buffer between your body and nnEMFs You wouldn’t sleep with your head next to a running microwave or keep a heat lamp pressed against your skin all day So why carry a mini transmitter in your bra or pocket for hours on end? This isn’t fear mongering, it’s the intersection of physics and biology, otherwise known as biophysics Your body is an electromagnetic system. Your phone is a transmitter. Distance matters. Sensitive tissues matter. And airplane mode is the simplest, lowest cost way to reduce unnecessary chronic exposure

Stop carrying your phone in your bra or pocket. Put that shit on airplane mode or turn it off unless you want to dramatically increase your risk of infertility or breast cancer

The undeniable evidence that your mitochondria are light-sensing organelles which use the sun’s full spectrum for energy production Here’s what will put those who speak ill of the sun to shame Let’s start with the basics Your body evolved to be under the sun’s full light spectrum, which is why every aspect of it is designed to sense and use light How can I prove this? Because we have chromophores all over the exterior and interior of our bodies Chromophores are molecules or parts of molecules responsible for the color of compounds They are typically the parts of a molecule that absorb visible light or ultraviolet light, leading to electronic transitions When a chromophore absorbs light, it moves to an excited state, and the energy associated with this transition often falls within the visible spectrum, which is why we perceive color So, how does this tie into the mitochondria? Well, each mitochondrion in your body contains a series of complexes which are designed to transfer electrons through redox reactions to produce energy (ATP) This chain of complexes is what we call the electron transport chain, and it’s found within the inner mitochondrial membrane Mitochondria are the lifeblood of each cell, hence they make all the difference between health and disease, life and death It ties in perfectly because of this fact: The entire electron transport chain is LOADED with chromophores which are critical to the function of these complexes Now here’s where it gets fun I told you that your mitochondria are light-sensing organelles Now here’s why ⚡️ Complex I (NADH:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase) • Flavin Mononucleotide (FMN): Absorbs light at around 370 nm (UV) and 450 nm (blue light) • Iron-Sulfur Clusters: These clusters have broad absorption, typically in the 400-600 nm range, but they don’t have distinct peaks like other chromophores ⚡️ Complex II (Succinate:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase) • Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD): Absorbs at around 370 nm (UV) and 450 nm (blue light) • Iron-Sulfur Clusters: Similar to Complex I, absorption is broad and typically in the 400-600 nm range ⚡️ Complex III (Cytochrome bc1 Complex) • Cytochrome b: - bL (low potential form): Absorbs at around 563 nm (yellow-green) - bH (high potential form): Absorbs at around 566 nm (yellow-green) • Cytochrome c1: Absorbs at around 552 nm • Rieske Iron-Sulfur Protein (2Fe-2S cluster): Absorption is broad, typically between 400-500 nm ⚡️ Complex IV (Cytochrome c Oxidase) • Cytochrome a: Absorbs at ~ 605 nm • Cytochrome a3: Absorbs at ~ 655 nm Both orange and red light absorbed here • Copper Centers (CuA and CuB): These centers absorb broadly in the visible region, but their exact absorption properties are less defined than the heme chromophores ⚡️ Additional Chromophores in the ETC Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q): Ubiquinone itself is not strongly absorbing in the visible spectrum but does have weak absorption peaks in the UV range, around 275-290 nm Biophoton emission right there ⚡️ Cytochrome c (Mobile Carrier) Cytochrome c has an absorption wavelength of ~ 550 nm (in reduced form) Now here’s the million dollar question Why does the entire electron transport chain sense various wavelengths of light from the sun at extreme precision? I want to see the look on every physician, dermatologist, and ophthalmologist’s face when they’re shown this information The overall absorption range of the chromophores within the electron transport chain is between ~ 200 nm to ~ 900 nm From extremely low-frequency UV light (biophotons) to NIR light Any argument against sunlight exposure or the use of sunglasses, sunscreen, sun-avoidance is hereby deemed as retarded knowing this information This is especially the case because mitochondria control the health of every cell and are found everywhere in the body I rest my case

Mitochondria gives cells a tan You read that correctly Let’s put this reductionist notion that mitochondria are simply the powerhouse of the cell to rest They surpass that simplistic label, as they play a far more complex role, including a significant influence on skin pigmentation and melanin development ••• Mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes that affect skin pigmentation: They are the energy supply for melanin production through their ability to provide ATP, essential for the biosynthesis of melanin Mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can influence melanin production. An increase in ROS can stimulate melanogenesis, leading to darker pigmentation They control apoptosis (programmed cell death), affecting the turnover of melanocytes, which are the cells that make melanin (PMID: 19659442) Mitochondria regulate calcium within the cell. Proper calcium uptake by mitochondria is essential for melanin production in melanosomes (PMID: 39527653) Mitochondria sit at the heart of redox balance. They regulate the redox environment, which in turn influences the stability of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin synthesis, and affects melanosomes ••• What more proof do you need that melanin production is a cornerstone of human health? Stop listening to centralized dermatologists who view biology and skin through a reductionist lens It’s time to cultivate your tan through wise full spectrum sun exposure, aligned with a circadian appropriate framework

Here we go The latest episode featuring the most based physician, Dr. Abud Bakri. Our best one with him yet We discuss: • How to thrive in your 30s • NAD and mitochondrial function • Somatopause & andropause • Solar metabolic strength And so much more Sit back, grab a cup of coffee or some nicotine (or both), and press play with the full video below

The 80/20 Course Your shortcut to mastering circadian biology, all in one place A clear, practical, and evolving course that blends science, philosophy, and actionable steps to transform your health You’ll learn a lot from this 🌞 Module 1: Circadian Biology, Light Environment, & Sleep Circadian mechanisms, the full solar spectrum, the lost wisdom of heliotherapy, sunbathing baby, melatonin, mitochondria, eye regeneration, skin health, sleep mastery, and so much more ⚡️ Module 2: Grounding & Electromagnetism The truth about native vs. non-native EMFs, biological semiconduction, grounding for resilience, and more 🌊 Module 3: Water & Hydration Structured water, Schauberger, the exclusion zone, hydration fundamentals, and optimizing water quality, and more Bonus 🧪 Making Sense of Science: A Simple Guide to Trusting Research This course is unique for a few reasons It has everything in one place, endless rabbit holes, where you have to search for stuff on PubMed It’s highly actionable, real steps you can use today and will use for a lifetime It’s designed to improve metabolic health, energy, sleep, and fat loss It’s constantly updated as the science evolves, along with my own understanding. That applies indefinitely as well I’ve priced it reasonably for a win-win and have received incredible feedback so far from those who have joined DM me SUN to get the course BTC friendly, of course!

The perfect light source at night 🕯️

I hope you guys are prepared for my GM every sunrise 🌅