Managing light is one of the keys to a smoother menopause, says Dr. Candice Knight, a renowned expert in integrative medicine. On this episode of The Quantum Biology Collective, Meredith Oke and Dr. Knight dialogue about the connection between circadian rhythm and hormone regulation. Dr. Knight reveals that a disrupted circadian rhythm can lead to imbalanced hormones, resulting in symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and changes in libido. But here's the twist: the solution lies in aligning our lifestyle with the natural rhythms of light and dark. By optimizing our exposure to natural light during the day and minimizing artificial light at night, we can support our mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, and promote optimal hormone production. Dr. Knight emphasizes the importance of living in sync with our physiology, as it can have a profound impact on our overall well-being.   Quotes: "All of the protocols that we go over that help make menopause smoother are actually really good to start as early in life as possible." (01:52 | Meredith Oke) "There's a disconnect between the balance of estrogen and progesterone. And normally it's the progesterone that's starting to drop first. As we enter menopause, you start to see a dip in both hormones to the point that after a year of no menstrual cycle, we consider that menopause. (7:03 | Dr. Candice Knight) "The circadian rhythm is the orchestra and then the mitochondria is the factory for making them." (32:14 | Dr. Candice Knight) "The foundation is to regulate circadian rhythm, lots of natural light during the day and very minimal artificial light at night." (38:53 |  Meredith Oke) "If our mitochondria are stressed and overloaded and dysfunctional due to all these other stressors, then the menopausal symptoms are getting more extreme and our response to any kind of medication or hormones is gonna be inconsistent. " (42:04 | - Meredith Oke) “All roads lead back to this whole having a balance of being in performance mode and being in repair mode. What does artificial light at night do? It robs us of that repair mode. So that detoxification repair is just not happening optimally. (49:28 | Candice Knight)    Links Connect with Candice Knight, MD: Website: knightwellness.com Dr. Knight sees patients in person AND virtually Instagram: @knightwellness    To find a practitioner who understand the health principles of quantum biology: www.quantumbiologycollective.org  To become a QBC member and get invites to live deep dives & access to our video library: www.quantumhealthtv.com  To take our 8 week practitioner certification in the science of quantum biology so that you can add it to your existing area of expertise: www.appliedquantumbiology.com  Follow on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: @quantumhealthtv    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm