{"product_id":"show-1478-the-outdoor-prescription-for-fighting-dementia-depression-and-heart-disease","title":"Show 1478: The Outdoor Prescription for Fighting Dementia, Depression and Heart Disease","description":"\u003cp\u003eToo many of us are spending our days staring at screens. Little screens on our phones, big screens on the television, medium-size screens on our computers at work. Our modern lifestyles mean that we spend the vast majority of our time indoors–93%, on average. What is the time inside doing to our health? Is there an outdoor prescription to reverse dementia and depression?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAt The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Is Our Indoor Time Doing to Us?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans used to spend a lot of time outside and had their circadian rhythms synchronized with sunlight. Living indoors as most of us do can disrupt that natural rhythm. Bright indoor lighting as well as our favorite screens in the evening can make sleep more elusive. Another consequence of focusing on screens rather than on a distant horizon of land, sea or sky is an increased risk of nearsightedness. Beyond that, screen exposure can increase the chance of brain fog, insulin resistance and immune system abnormalities. If you are spending all your time inside, your body may process that as captivity and begin to rebel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Outdoor Prescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. John La Puma pioneered culinary medicine, making the connection between what we eat and the state of our health. His analysis of the research indicates that spending just 17 mindful minutes outside each day can help reverse the damage we suffer from living indoors. He offers seven types of outdoor prescription, starting with morning light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGreeting the Sun as the Day Begins\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. La Puma encourages us all to start our day by stepping outside for at least a few minutes under the open sky. Before coffee, before screens, morning light gets us off to the right start and helps us sleep better at the end of the day. That light exposure, even on an overcast day, helps us with deeper sleep at night. Deep sleep is critical for maintaining the brain with the glymphatic system as well as for bolstering the immune response.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore checking your email or your social media, perhaps while the coffee is brewing, make it a point to step outside for a few minutes. If that is too difficult, standing in the doorway or just looking outside through a window screen (not glass) may be enough. Bright morning light exposure is helpful in treating major depressive disorder (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26580307\/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eJAMA Psychiatry\u003c\/em\u003e, Jan. 2016\u003c\/a\u003e). Although the study utilized standardized indoor lights, natural light outside is brighter, even on a cloudy day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat Is Forest Bathing?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother practice in Dr. La Puma’s outdoor prescription pad is forest bathing. This idea comes from Japan. Spending time outdoors in a forest environment is extremely healing. It can help modulate the immune system, lower blood pressure and counteract stress. Forest bathing does not require a huge investment of time, either. One Japanese study found that spending just two hours a month in a forested environment can lead to lower blood pressure and reduce techno-stress. A review has found forest bathing beneficial against stress and burnout (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, July 28, 2017). https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28788101\/\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNo Forest? No Problem\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people do not have an actual forest handy. Dr. La Puma describes his outdoor prescription for Sarah, who felt stuck inside her city apartment all the time while she cared for her elderly mother. What he prescribed for her was mindful time in the courtyard of her building, starting with very short periods of five to ten minutes. Gradually her heart rate slowed and blood pressure lowered and she began to recover from some of the chronic problems she had been suffering. Forest-bathing doesn’t really require a forest. One tree, or in a pinch, a shrub, can be pressed into service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeet Your Friends Outdoors\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are few things better than spending time outdoors. One outdoor prescription that improves on spending time in nature by yourself is spending some of that outside time with friends. Walking, playing tennis, going for a picnic all help your system recalibrate. Human friends are important, but animals such as dogs or horses can also contribute to our well-being (as we contribute to theirs) when we spend time with them in a natural space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTaking Your Physical Activity Outside\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe all have heard how important it is for us to stay active if we want to maintain good cardiometabolic health, diminish our risk of depression and enhance our chances of staying cognitively sharp. There are advantages to outdoor activity that include but go beyond the benefits of exercise. You can accomplish the same amount of exercise with less perceived effort. In addition to light, and possibly horizons, you also get beneficial microbial exposure and a lot of joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGardening as an Outdoor Prescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA healthful diet begins with healthy organic soil. Gardening is a great way to experience this for yourself. We asked about people who do not have space for a backyard garden and heard about Greg, who learned to garden starting with a single basil plant indoors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMinimum Effective Dose for the Outdoor Prescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. La Puma tells us that the minimum dose to get the benefits of being outdoors is just 17 minutes a day. That’s not very much compared to all the time we spend inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis Week's Guest\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. John La Puma is a board-certified internist, trained chef, and regenerative farmer who pioneered the Culinary Medicine movement. He is now leading the charge behind Outdoor Rx, the evidence-based response to the indoor epidemic. Dr. La Puma’s latest book is \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4vsTW5D\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eIndoor Epidemic: 93% Inside Steals Sleep, Focus \u0026amp; Years—The 7% Outdoor Rx Restores Them\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe People’s Pharmacy is reader supported. When you buy through links in this post, we may earn a small affiliate commission (at no cost to you).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGet his free 7-Day Outdoor Reset at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.drjohnlapuma.com\/indoor-epidemic-by-dr-john-la-puma\/\"\u003eIndoorEpidemic.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis book is featured in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2026\/06\/04\/well\/summer-challenge-touch-grass-outdoors-benefits.html\"\u003eJune “Touch Grass” challenge\u003c\/a\u003e from the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\"attachment_140407\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"768\"]\u003cimg class=\"size-medium_large wp-image-140407\" src=\"https:\/\/nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/peoplespharmacy\/headshotsJLP-768x661.jpeg\" alt=\"John La Puma, MD, advocates for the Outdoor Rx\" width=\"768\" height=\"661\"\u003e John La Puma, MD, advocates for the Outdoor Rx[\/caption]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The People's Pharmacy","offers":[{"title":"MP3","offer_id":45957051777103,"sku":"pc1478","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1208\/7442\/files\/Hikers-in-mountains.jpg?v=1782306736","url":"https:\/\/cp7dom-b3jtc8.myshopify.com\/products\/show-1478-the-outdoor-prescription-for-fighting-dementia-depression-and-heart-disease","provider":"The People's Pharmacy","version":"1.0","type":"link"}