Jakob Chychrun goes about his life in a thoughtful and intentional way, and Dylan Strome recently shared a new detail about the Capitals defenseman that’s, well, dim — in a literal sense.
Chychrun, who already has one of the most unique diets in the NHL, is now bringing that same energy into — or I guess, taking it out of — his home decor. Strome revealed during a recent guest spot on the NHL Unscripted podcast that Chychrun no longer uses light bulbs in his house.
“He has a new thing every day,” Strome said. “I heard yesterday that he’s no light bulbs. He’s doing candle-lit in his house now. Yeah, that’s what his thing was yesterday. So he was on to – beeswax candles is what I heard is great for you. So now we’re all talking about beeswax candles.”
Strome didn’t share Chychrun’s reasoning for the change but says he did offer some pushback, telling the Capitals rearguard that even if he takes light bulbs out of his house, he’ll still be exposed to them pretty much everywhere else he goes.
“Yeah, that’s what I said to him,” Strome said. “I’m like, ‘You can’t have it one way without,’ I don’t know. That’s a topic for a different day. But, like, there’s lights everywhere. I’m like, ‘What are you talking about, no light bulbs?'”
There are some studies, for instance, detailed by longtime health academic Ray Chepesiuk, that say exposure to artificial light, especially at night, can disrupt circadian rhythms (AKA: the body’s natural 24-hour cycle). The former pharmacist and health executive goes through several of the studies in his article titled “Missing the Dark: Health Effects of Light Pollution,” located in the National Library of Medicine,
However, there is no proof that artificial light is “inherently bad” for humans unless exposed at a very close range for a long time.
Still, beeswax candles, while probably not best suited for lighting an entire house, are eco-friendly light alternatives as beeswax is a natural byproduct of honey production by bees. Supporting the sale of bee-related products also helps promote sustainable beekeeping.
Strome is probably used to hearing Chychrun’s new health ideas as they were teammates for parts of three seasons on the Arizona Coyotes earlier in their careers. Chychrun revealed this past summer that the two lived together, presumably with light bulbs screwed in, during his second and third seasons with the Coyotes.
While opting for no artificial light is certainly an against-the-grain decision, Chychrun is having a career-best season, posting 43 points (18g, 25a) in 65 games. So whatever he does at home is clearly working for him.
