HOW TO BE NATURALLY HEALTHY & WELL
Synchronise Your Daily Routines with Your Inner Body Clock
Most of us live life guided by the clock on the wall. But there’s another important clock that is important for our survival, which we tend to ignore in our busy lives – our body’s own clock.
Our body clock is a powerful tool that can make us healthier, happier, and live longer and more productive lives. To get these benefits, we need to synchronise our daily activities with it – when to do so is more important that what, how, or how much.
Being aware of this clock and making simple changes to the when of living can have a transformative effect on health and well-being. Read on to find out more about your body’s personal clock and its powerful effect on your life.
We all have an internal clock called the circadian rhythm, a natural 24-hour process that regulates the body’s various biological processes – including our sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, metabolism, immune system, cognitive function, body temperature and our body’s reaction to stress.
Our bodies are designed in such a way that our heartbeats, hormones, hunger, alertness, digestion, fatigue and other bodily functions move through regular cycles on a predictable schedule, changing as circumstances demand. If the circadian rhythm is out of whack, our health deteriorates and our quality of life goes down.
To live healthy and well, we should synchronise our daily activities with our body’s clock. Aligning our lifestyle with our circadian rhythm promotes better sleep, improves energy levels, enhances cognitive function, and potentially reduces the risk of various health problems.
Our circadian rhythm likes routine and consistency. The following habits can keep your body clock ticking smoothly.
1. AIM for regular sleep and wake times, even on weekends, to maintain your body’s internal clock. (How important is this? Based on studies, shift workers, who have erratic schedules that do not allow them to sleep and wake at consistent times, have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension and certain types of cancer.)
To sleep better: Expose yourself to bright light in the morning to help regulate your circadian rhythm and promote alertness. Avoid excessive screen time in the evening as the blue light emitted can interfere with sleep. Avoid too much daytime naps – this can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle and make it harder to fall asleep at night.
2. HAVE a consistent meal schedule: Eating at regular intervals can help synchronise your digestive system with your circadian rhythm. (How important is this? Our biological rhythms influence how our body processes nutrients and this varies throughout the day. For instance, insulin sensitivity is higher in the morning, which means the body is better equipped to manage blood sugar levels after breakfast. Therefore, consuming a larger breakfast and a smaller dinner aligns better with our circadian rhythms, studies show.
Tip: Avoid eating at irregular times or late at night – this not only interferes with sleep and digestion, it disrupts your circadian rhythm, which can increase the risk of metabolic disorders like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
3. GET regular exercise. (How important is this? Exercise can help regulate the sleep-wake cycle by improving melatonin production, which is essential for sleep. A lack of exercise can lead to poor sleep quality and insomnia.)
Tip: Avoid vigorous or high-intensity exercise (running, cycling, interval training or even strength training) in the evening as it may delay the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and keep you awake at night. Exercising at 7am or between 1pm to 4pm is best.
4. REDUCE stress. Chronic stress can disrupt your circadian rhythm. According to a study, when stress has disrupted the body’s internal clock, it can increase the risk of developing metabolic diseases (eg: Type 2 diabetes).
“Circadian rhythms have been identified in countless species of every category of life, from humans to birds, butterflies to flowering plants, and even tiny single-celled microorganisms. By coordinating their daily activity patterns with the cycle of day and night, circadian rhythms help all of these species survive more successfully.” ~ University of Chicago Medicine