Obey your Natural Body Cycles (Circadian Rhythms)

Feeling sluggish in the morning? Do you need that coffee in the morning to function? Constantly tired and wore down? Many of us experience these kind of symptoms and can familiarize with this lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be this way if we just… listen to our body!

Our bodies run on cycles? Sounds kind of weird but it’s true. Many of us don’t realize how much this affects us and how we are sabotaging our bodies efforts to protect itself. Our body runs on an internal clock. Unfortunately many of us don’t really know what our bodies are doing. All throughout the day our bodies are constantly working to keep us balanced. Organs are checking fluid levels, our brains processing millions of things per second. We operate on a twenty-four hour clock known as Circadian Rhythms. In fact all living beings do - animals, plants, fungi, even bacteria.

Your Bodies Cycles

There are three different cycles that run each day. Each has its own purpose and eating patterns that must followed. I understand this is a challenge for most but you will be amazed at how much energy you have and how good you will feel. It’s a transition but once it becomes habit it will be like second-nature.

Cycle 1: 4:00am - 12:00 Noon

Elimination Cycle - Your body is removing toxins, waste, sweat, urine, mucus, and secretions. During this stage it’s important that your only eating fruit or fruit/vegetable juices. Eating whole fruits is better because you are consuming the fiber along with it. Juices provide more nutrients but be cautious these drinks run high in calories for small amounts. The presence of fiber in fruit gives you that “full” feeling.

Eat as much fruit as you like but make sure its fruit or fruit/vegetable juices. Fill up a bowl or cup and enjoy. Eating heavy solid foods during this time will slow down your bodies elimination of waste and toxins making you feel weak and sluggish. Your reaction to this feeling will most likely be caffeine. You won’t have any trouble breaking this habit following eating habits in Cycle I.

Cycle II: 12:00 Noon - 8:00pm

Appropriation Cycle - This is the time to eat your meals. Your body is ready for food and digestive juices are rearing to go. Follow proper food combining and healthy eating patterns during this cycle. Understanding food combining and healthy eating patterns are two different articles let alone journeys that take years to adapt. Please check the articles section for more information. If you can help it don’t eat past 6:00pm but it’s understandable if you work later in the evening.

Cycle III: 8:00pm - 4:00am

Assimilation Cycle - At this time the body absorbs nutrients you have eaten throughout the day. Your body is working hard to make sure it’s utilizing and assigning them to their proper places. No food should be eaten during this stage. It’s important that your body has all its energy to devote during this rebuilding stage. Water is good choice during this time. You last meal should be at least 3 hours before you good to bed to ensure the majority of your food has been digested.

When you eat past 8:00pm you are throwing these cycles out of their natural boundaries. Remember, our bodies understand when the sun rises and sets. We are connected to this cycle. Eating at night tells the body to continue Cycle II and resume digesting food. Now Cycle III and I are thrown off. The elimination cycle hasn’t had time to properly expel waste and toxins and you experience a familiar groggy feeling.

Conclusion

Now that we have covered the basics of our Natural Body Cycles you should understand how important it is to follow them. You will not only feel refreshed upon waking but you will experience many other health benefits like weight-loss, less cravings, stiffness/aches, decrease in heartburn, accelerated healing, improved digestion, and better sleep.

My Experience

My personal experience has been amazing following this plan. I have a sweet-tooth so I would always be craving sweets during the day. Eating fruit in the morning has thwarted this because its naturally sweet. I no longer have these cravings. I follow a healthy diet but would still experience irregularity. I no longer experience this. I feel refreshed in the morning with less aches. I’m still adjusting my diet because I normally get hungry at night. When changing your diet and especially when following your body cycles you need to adjust the portions of meals during the day to reduce this feeling. Being tired is a reaction for us to think we need simple carbohydrates, food that enters our blood-stream quickly and gives us a short energy boost. Sometimes it’s hard to understand these signals because listening to what our body needs rather than wants is something many of us have forgotten or never learned how to do. I truly feel that following these cycles is a key to living a long and healthy life.

I challenge you to take control listen to your Natural Body Cycles. Please leave me comments on your experiences. I would love to hear what everyone has to share!