Body Clock Reset for Your Circadian Rhythm
Published on Sakara S LIFE MAG • January 16, 2017
No coffee before 7, breakfast by 9, siesta at lunch, sex at dinner and lights out by 11. Your body already knows the best time to digest, detox, work, and sleep. If you want to be your healthiest self, you might want to start following this clock too.
All your organs are following schedule, all the time – and this prevails even if you’ve set yourself up to follow a schedule of your own. So it’s safe to say no sustainable health reset program would be complete without pressing the reset button on your internal clock, too. In a month of renewal like January, expand your focus: how can you get your body back to its natural rhythm? How can you reset your whole being – not just your digestive system?
Our bodies have a rhythm. Science calls this a ‘circadian rhythm’ that determines the patterns of our brain wave activity, hormones, cell regeneration and most biological activities. An interrupted circadian rhythm has been linked to medical issues, such as infertility, obesity, seasonal affective disorder, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and even cancer. Following this rhythm has been shown to have a better chance at improved metabolism, detoxification, brain focus and immunity.
Yet before modern science existed, ancient systems like Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda observed these cycles and found that different hours of the day resonate with certain organs. The qi, or energy, in your body flows through the 12 meridians throughout the 24-hour clock, and it alternates between yin and yang peaks. If you support the energy of the organ at that time, it will flow smoothly. Disrupted energy flow can lead to health problems... but you can also figure out the roots of them and see which organ needs more love by taking note of when you get that slump or symptom at the same time each day.
Getting synced up with the body’s rhythm can make health effortless – a lot of the time we’re working against our own clocks, and wonder why we struggle getting results. Don’t expect an overnight shift – it can take a few weeks to get back in sync as there are many different cycles the body follows. But when you do, you’ll feel the difference.
Here’s a general guide of how to live according to your body clock:
Gallbladder: 11pm -1am
Do: Sleep! Especially if you’ve worked out that day – your gallbladder plays a huge role in ridding your body of excess lactic acid. The gallbladder meridian is found alongside the side of the legs where the dreaded IT bands are: forget the foam rollers and make sure you’re regularly asleep at this time.
Don’t: Drink or eat. If you must be awake, take a moment to relax and do something self-affirming that makes you feel good. An epsom bath is a great idea if you’re up but aching from your workout.
Liver: 1am-3am
Do: Sleep. Many people wake up around this time feeling restless, or get night sweats – a major indication the liver is trying to get rid of excess heat or toxins. Make it a habit to be asleep in ‘liver’ hours the majority of the week. Ladies, the liver stores blood and plays a huge role in menstrual health. If your periods are less than comfortable, going to bed earlier can be a step towards balancing things out.
Don’t: Drink or eat – this gives the liver too much to process, and not enough time to detoxify and regenerate.
Lungs: 3am-5am
Do: Sleep. Your lungs are the container for your life force, qi, prana etc. Give them the time they need to heal and regenerate so you can wake up feeling energized. They are distributing blood and energy to all your organs at this time. Many people dealing with grief will wake up in these hours. If you wake up coughing in these hours it could be an indication your lungs have been overloaded with a few too many pollutants, or simply that you are on the brink of a cold.
Don’t: Stay awake. If you’re partying, get away from the cigarette smoke and get some fresh air or practice some deep breathing.
Large intestine: 5am-7am
Do: Wake up! Drink water or a warm cleansing tonic. Go to the bathroom... this is your time to ‘let go’. If you’re constipated at this hour, Chinese Medicine says it’s the best time to do your enema / colonic at this time – to get your body more loose and in the habit of letting go of waste. Practice yoga, qi gong, breathing. Give your belly a massage. Take a shower, cleanse yourself.
Don't: Drink caffeine/coffee.
Stomach: 7am-9am
Do: Eat Breakfast. I’ve seen ex-breakfast-skipping patients drop pounds of weight off by beginning to eat a regular healthy breakfast during these hours. In TCM, the strength of your stomach’s energy plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy weight – let it do its thing by giving it something to metabolize at the time it is most active. Remember - your stomach is a muscle! Its job is to digest and break down food. If you don’t give it any food during its peak hours, it may begin to loose some muscle memory and become weaker. Take a moment to ground yourself before diving into your to-do list. Go for a short stroll if you can.
Don’t: Skip breakfast. I know not everyone is hungry at this time – but have something small (lack of hunger in this peak hour could be an indication of a weak Stomach energy or a low metabolism). Don’t worry or over-think about your day now – the stomach (and spleen) correspond to the emotion of worry and anxiousness, and use the same energy to chew over both your thoughts and your breakfast. Pick one (we suggest the latter).
Spleen: 9am-11am
Do: Get stuff done. Make plans. Do work that requires you to stay grounded and focused. Have a warming tea. Craving sweets at this time or feeling bloated could mean your spleen is out of balance.
Don’t: Eat much. Get bogged down by the details or over-thinking, keep things moving and try not to loose momentum.
Heart: 11am-1pm
Do: Eat a grounding lunch. Siesta! Take a break or go for a little walk. Do some calm breathing.
Don’t: Work out too intensely, drink caffeine, engage in stressful discussions or big meetings – these are all far too ‘heating’ for the fiery heart and can raise blood pressure too high.
Small Intestines: 1pm-3pm
Do: Get back to business - the small intestine works to separate and distribute digested nutrients, and you should also use this time to get organized and productive. Drink water. If you feel dehydrated at this time, it’s usually an indication you have not drunk enough fluids throughout the day. Take your vitamins, and snack on your super foods! The small intestine loves soaking up super nutrients for you.
Don’t: Eat too much, drink coffee or forget to stay hydrated.
Bladder: 3pm-5pm
Do: Work on important projects. This is a really efficient time to work since energy and blood flow are actively into the brain along the bladder meridian. If you’re not feeling too perky - get hydrated. Support the bladder’s detoxifying function by drinking hot tea and lemon water to help things flow out of the body... Also a good time to journal any stuck feelings and emotions.
Don’t: Drink alcohol or caffeine. Have sweets. If you’re feeling sluggish at this time, it could be an indication that yeast or candida are living in your body.
Kidneys: 5pm-7pm
Do: Have a healthy, grounding dinner. Drink a little wine if that’s your thing, and make love. It will keep your kidney essence nice and strong. This could be a great time to workout (only if you’re not burned out from the day) since cardiovascular efficiency and muscle strength peak.
Don’t: Get too drunk. If you’re feeling weak and debilitated, it could indicate your adrenals are tired or your sexual organs are out of balance and maybe could use a break from overuse…
Pericardium: 7pm-9pm
Do: Meditate. Stretch. Yin Yoga. Relax. Light reading. Get ready for sleep – this is a fire-element organ system that is best supported with soothing and cooling activities. Soak your feet in hot water to cool the body, ground your energy and get your blood flowing.
Don’t: Think too much, watch scary things, or snack on sweet things.
Triple Burner: 9pm-11pm
Do: Begin to go to bed. Sleep. Adjust this for the seasons – go to bed closer to 9pm in the winter, and later in the summer. Sex and fertility are also favored at this time if you are feeling calm and content.
Don’t: have sex at this time if you’ve eaten or drunk too much, or feel stressed. Don’t work or stay outside if the weather is cool.