In this episode of HYDRATE, Tracy sits down with Matt Maruca, Founder & CEO of Ra Optics—the leader in premium, science-based glasses making modern light work for you.

Matt has spent over a decade innovating in light-based wellness. After overcoming chronic health issues through biohacking and ancestral principles, he founded RA Optics to develop scientifically grounded eyewear that harmonizes with the body’s circadian biology. His work bridges ancient wisdom and cutting-edge photobiology, working directly with Dr. Alexander Wunsch—Ra Optics’ Chief Science Officer and a world-renowned light therapy expert with 35+ years of clinical research—to certify products for quality, efficacy, and protection.

Today, Tracy and Matt discuss:

• Sunlight’s surprising role in longevity

• Why Matt reversed his anti-sunglass stance after years of extreme sun exposure

• How artificial light hijacks hormones like melatonin and cortisol

• Ra Optics’ new circadian morning lens (designed to amplify daylight’s energy-boosting signals) and sunset lenses (which block sleep-disrupting blue light)

• How precision-tinted filters protect eyes from modern LEDs while aligning your body with natural rhythms

• How Ra Optics Glasses are Better Than Their Competitors

 

Enjoy the show!

 

Chapters:

00:48 – Introduction RA Optics

03:05 – Why Matt Now Started Recommending Sunglasses 😎

05:36 – Sunlight: Lifesaving or Deadly? 🌞

11:00 – Do Sunglasses Block Your Body’s Natural Alarms? 🚫

14:34 – Matt’s Sunburn Story & Lessons Learned 😓

20:56 – Avoiding Sunlight Increases Disease Risk 🤒

27:03 – How Light Controls Hormones and Energy ⚡

38:00 – Melatonin: Your Body’s Repair Crew 🔧

42:53 – How RA Optics’ Glasses Work 👓

58:42 – Car Headlights Are Ruining Our Nights 🚘

01:13:43 – Ra Optics’ Upcoming Sunglass 🤫

01:28:02 – Why Ra Optics is Better Than Their Competitors 🔬

 

Find Matt & Ra Optics on:

Website: https://raoptics.com/

Instagram: Ra Optics - https://www.instagram.com/ra_optics/ | Matt - https://www.instagram.com/thelightdiet/

Connect with Tracy:

Website: https://tracyduhs.com/

Hydration shop: https://sanctuarysd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyduhs/

Flow FAM community: https://tracyduhs.com/join-flow-fam/