The Neuro Experience: Holiday Health Guide – My Top Picks for Energy, Sleep & Longevity

Host: Louisa Nicola
Episode Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

In this solo holiday special, neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola shares her personal rituals and science-backed recommendations for optimal health, energy, sleep, and longevity, with a special emphasis on brain health ("brain span") over simple lifespan. Framed as both a personal update and a practical gift guide for the holidays, Louisa walks listeners through her five pillars of health optimization: mitochondrial support, light and circadian rhythm, lymphatic drainage, sleep, and microhabits, with tangible tools and strategies for each.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Emphasis on Brain Span and Longevity

Louisa opens with the distinction between lifespan and "brain span," reminding listeners that cognitive health should be prioritized as it is central to quality of life and is often overlooked due to the invisible nature of brain changes.

"When you do anything worthy of optimization per se, we don't see the results... But let me tell you, being the most important organ in the entire body, being responsible for everything you are, it is probably the one organ in the body that you should start optimizing today."
— Louisa [01:17]

2. Five Health Pillars for the Holidays

Louisa structures the episode around five foundational pillars and the specific interventions she uses for each:

A. Mitochondrial Energy & Support [02:33]

• Urolithin A: Focus on this molecule to promote mitophagy (removal of damaged mitochondria), mitochondrial renewal, and inflammation reduction.
  • Food source: pomegranates (requires impractical quantities).
  • Supplement: Timeline Nutrition’s Mitopure gummies/capsules.
  • Notable finding: Improved muscle recovery and less soreness post-workout—Louisa attributes this to mitochondrial health in muscle cells.
  • New recommendation: Timeline’s urolithin A-infused skincare.

  "Urolithin A shows in the research that it supports mitophagy... clears out all the dead [mitochondria] and enables us to form new." [04:13]

B. Light, Environment, and Circadian Rhythm [07:40]

• Light discipline as the single simplest cognitive and mitochondrial optimization tool.
• Circadian rhythm impacts: cortisol, serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, emotional stability, focus, and reaction time.
• Morning strategy:
  • Regular natural sunlight exposure (target: 3 hours daily).
  • For low-light environments (e.g., Manhattan winters): Happy Light (10,000 lux lamp).
• Evening strategy:
  • After 8 PM: Switch to warm bulbs from Bon Charge, dim lighting, and utilize blue light-blocking glasses (preferring Bon Charge over Amazon for clinical testing).

  "Sleep regularity is really important, which means we have to set our circadian rhythm at the same time every day." [08:42]

C. Red Light & Infrared Therapy [12:17, 13:25]

• Red light devices: Bon Charge face mask (morning), large panels (evening).
• Infrared therapy: Used at home and via red light bed sessions. Believed to support deeper sleep and direct mitochondrial support via intracellular melatonin production (penetrates skin, acts on superficial organs).

• Utilized for both skin improvements and cognitive/biochemical benefits.

  "Infrared stimulate[s] melatonin production inside the mitochondria, not systemically but inside the cell itself." [13:28]

D. Sleep Optimization & Glymphatic Activation [15:22]

• Tools for sleep:
  • Bon Charge blue light blockers, red light panels, blackout curtains, 8 Sleep Pod Pro cover (temperature regulation).
• Supplements: Myo Inositol, L-theanine (for caffeine users), GABA (for racing mind), magnesium L-threonate (deep sleep, used every other night).
• Glymphatic system: Brain’s version of lymphatic system; deep sleep required for effective debris clearance; key for brain fog and Alzheimer’s prevention.

E. Lymphatic Drainage & Microhabits [18:37]

• Morning routine: Vibration plate (for lymphatic movement), facial massage (to clear amyloid beta, support current Alzheimer's research).
• During routine: Uses Bon Charge red light face mask.
• Leg recovery: Normatec boots for lower-body lymphatic drainage post-workout.

3. Additional Tools & Microhabits [21:55]

• Creatine:
  • 10-20g daily can help mitigate cognitive and energy deficits from sleep deprivation, shown to support mitochondrial ATP production.
  • Especially valuable for new mothers, those with disrupted sleep.
• Electrolytes: One sachet daily after waking, supporting the sodium-potassium pump critical for neuron communication.
• Breathwork: 20 minutes daily to improve heart rate variability (HRV), tracked via Oura Ring and soon Whoop strap.
• Exercise protocol: Cut back to 3 days/week resistance, HIIT twice weekly, VO2 Max training, and 20,000 steps on weekends ("Zone 2 is incidental, not formal training").
• Non-toxic cookware: Switched to Caraway for cookware, reducing exposure to PFAS and environmental toxins ("lowering toxic burden").

• Quarterly blood panels: Using Function Health, for proactive measurement and health optimization.

  "You can't optimize what you don't measure. You need to know what's happening beneath the hood." [27:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the importance of brain optimization:

  "It is probably the one organ in the body you should start optimizing today." — Louisa [01:40]

• Regarding light as a cognitive lever:

  "Cognition lives downstream of rhythm, not motivation... if your circadian rhythm is off, your cognition will be off, no matter how hard you try." — Louisa [08:07]

• On infrared therapy:

  "Infrared light is not cosmetic for me. It's actually biochemical." — Louisa [14:34]

• On the glymphatic system and brain fog:

  "If you've got brain fog... it means you did not activate your glymphatic system, which means you didn’t get into deep sleep properly." — Louisa [15:55]

• A well-being holiday wish:

  "Gift yourself. Gift your mother, your father, your partner with blood work. It's the best way to say I love you." — Louisa [27:23]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] Episode Introduction & Importance of Brain Span
• [02:33] Mitochondrial Health: Urolithin A, Timeline Nutrition
• [07:40] Light Discipline, Circadian Rhythm, Use of Happy Light & Bon Charge
• [12:17] Red Light Therapy Routine & Benefits
• [13:25] Infrared: Skin Health, Biochemical Impact
• [15:22] Sleep Rituals: Glymphatic System Activation
• [18:37] Lymphatic Drainage in Morning Routine
• [21:55] Creatine, Electrolytes, and Microhabits
• [24:53] Fitness Regimen Adjustments
• [26:14] Toxin-Free Living: Caraway Cookware
• [27:56] Importance of Regular Blood Work

Episode Tone & Style

• Direct, science-forward, and practical—Louisa melds up-to-date research with firsthand experience and product recommendations.
• Relatable and personal—Frequent use of anecdotes (her own routines, family gifts, living in Manhattan).
• Engaged and motivating—Clear aim to prompt listeners, especially midlife women, to take immediate action for cognitive and overall health.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Start with the basics: Sun exposure, sleep, hydration, and deliberate light management can have an outsized effect on daily energy and long-term brain health.
• Invest in your health proactively: Whether it's tech (Happy Light, Oura, Bon Charge), supplements (urolithin A, creatine), or routines (breathwork, lymphatic drainage), the focus is on evidence-based action.
• Regular measurement is essential: Quarterly blood work offers a comprehensive snapshot and helps track progress—consider it one of the best health gifts you can give.
• Small daily habits matter: From cookware choices to morning electrolytes, compounding microhabits shape overall resilience and performance.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and happy holiday from Louisa and The Neuro Experience!