From Exhaustion to Vitality: How to Harmonize Your Daily Routine with the Natural Circadian Rhythms

Do you ever feel completely spent after dinner, barely managing cleanup, only to find solace in some late-night quiet time once everyone else is in bed? 

A few late-night cravings may turn into snacking and produce energy when your body should be winding down to sleep. 

I get it, but those late nights could be wreaking havoc on your body's circadian rhythm. The artificial light from screens can override your natural melatonin production, and make it impossible to fall asleep. 

Then, once you do finally fall asleep from pure exhaustion, you wake up a few hours later with bright eyes and spiraling thoughts about everything all at once and you can’t fall back asleep.

When we delay our natural melatonin secretion, we push back the cortisol secretion that should wake us up in the morning. Do you gracefully wake up without an alarm ready to spring out of bed? A good sign that the circadian rhythm is disrupted is when you lose your internal alarm clock and instead have debilitating fatigue in the morning.

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to lose sight of the natural rhythms that govern our bodies. I’m guilty too! I thought I was a night owl when I lived in New York City and I know what it’s like to feel wiped out, drained, and out of sync with my body's natural rhythm. I am not here to make you feel guilty! 

I want to show you a way that will help you fall asleep easier and wake up with more energy by making a few minor tweaks to your diet and lifestyle. I made these changes when it seemed like my toddler could stay awake later than I could and I needed a nap more than they did and it changed my entire health outcome. It’s all about rebalancing your circadian rhythm.

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Circadian rhythms are the orchestrators of our internal harmony.

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Why Circadian Rhythms Matter

A disrupted circadian rhythm can lead to a myriad of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders. When our internal clock falls out of sync, it can throw our entire body out of balance, impacting everything from hormone production to immune function and even cardiovascular health.

Historically, people ate together during daylight and slept in the dark of night, however, today, this is too often not the case. We eat more meals at irregular times, skip breakfast, eat late-night snacks, and sometimes work the night shift. Irregular meal times, grazing all day, and skipping meals can influence your circadian clock and disrupt your metabolism, your mood, and the health of your microbiome.

By prioritizing your circadian health, we can improve your metabolism and energy, reduce your brain fog, and build a healthy immune system.

Best Practices

Considering all of this, how can you better align with your natural circadian rhythm? Here are the key areas to focus on to promote long-term health:

  • Maintain regular meal times: Your body is more efficient at processing food during daylight hours, so avoid eating late at night (close to bedtime). This can disrupt your body's natural rhythm and digestion process leading to acid reflux and waking up in the middle of the night.
  • Consistent exercise: Starting an exercise habit can be a challenge, however something as small as a brisk walk after dinner with the family can be a great way to get your body moving. If scheduling your exercise in advance is preferred, try joining a local recreation team or sign up for a class.
  • Natural Light Exposure: Embrace the natural light of the sun, especially within the first two hours of waking. Take a break in your workday to get outside and enjoy the sunshine - research shows exposure to daylight outside of buildings can “(1) advance the timing of sleep to earlier hours, (2) affect the duration of sleep, and (3) improve sleep quality.” As evening falls, dim the lights in your home to mimic the natural rhythm of sunset. 
  • Limit Screens: Minimize or eliminate screen use in the evening and before bedtime to avoid disrupting melatonin production.  Artificial light (even backlit e-readers!) can delay sleep and reduce sleep quality. Old-fashioned books, gentle stretching, music, or journaling can be an alternative to screens. 
  • Limit Caffeine: Caffeine has been shown to delay the circadian melatonin rhythm when consumed in the hours leading up to bed. By working with your body’s natural rhythm, you may have more energy naturally.
  • Invest in good sleep hygiene: Limit caffeine and screens late in the day. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, aiming to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same times every day, even on weekends. While a slight variation of about an hour is acceptable, save the drastic changes for those long flights or New Years parties. 

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Body Clock

The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Body Clock is a system that identifies where energy (called qi) flows throughout the body in a daily cycle. According to this ancient wisdom, each organ in the body has a specific time of day it is most active, and following your body’s natural cues can help you maximize the potential of this energy.

I often see these patterns correlate with clinical presentations such as waking up coughing between 3-5 am when someone has respiratory distress or waking up between 1-3 am when their liver is not detoxifying adequately. With this information, we can customize your protocol to nourish the systems that need more support and improve your health. The Circadian Rhythm Nutrition Chart shows when each organ is most active and ready to receive nourishment. For example:

  • Liver - is associated with detoxification and emotional balance, is most active during the early morning hours when you should be in a deep sleep and there is no food to digest. If we eat late at night and the gallbladder has not released the bile, this can cause us to wake up between 1-3 am.
  • Adrenals - make cortisol, the natural adrenaline that should begin to wane and help us calm down ready to be asleep by 11 pm. If we go to bed with emotional distress and can’t fall asleep, we can greatly impact the liver’s ability to detoxify the body and we may wake up with brain fog and fatigue.
  • Stomach - The digestive system operates best during the mid-morning and early afternoon which means these are the best times to eat a nutrient-dense meal. Eating a late dinner can leave food undigested at bedtime and can lead to acid reflux, bloating, and weight gain.

Eating and Moving According to the Circadian Rhythm 

To maximize your health and vitality, you can align your diet and movement with the natural circadian rhythm. By honoring our body’s natural rhythms, you can improve digestion, boost energy levels, and support overall well-being. Here’s an example of how to shift your diet and lifestyle to harmonize with the natural rhythms.

  • Morning

EAT: Start your day with hydrating foods like warm water with lemon to kickstart metabolism and support liver function. Enjoy a nourishing breakfast with fiber, protein, and healthy fats to fuel your body for the day ahead.

MOVE: Engage in light physical activity at this time after the stomach is at its peak for digestion. The spleen, which is also responsible for digestion and nutrient absorption, is active at this time and helping to support your immune system. 

  • Mid-day

EAT: Opt for a balanced lunch with plenty of protein, high-quality fat, and vegetables to sustain energy levels and stabilize blood sugar.

MOVE: It’s natural to feel a dip in energy after lunch from around 1-3 pm when the small intestine is at its peak for digesting and absorbing nutrients. Take a quick 15 minute rest to restore. From 3-5 pm the bladder is most active, so ensure you're drinking plenty of water. Take a short break to stretch or go for a walk and you may experience restored energy or a second wind. 

  • Evening 

EAT: Have a lighter dinner, ideally between 5-7 pm. Eat easily digestible foods like soups, salads, and steamed vegetables to ease the burden on your digestive system. 

MOVE:  To support kidney function, engage in relaxing activities after a nutritious dinner.

  • Night 

EAT: Avoid heavy meals and snacks close to bedtime to promote restful sleep and allow your body to focus on repair and rejuvenation. Consider a 12/3 window where you fast for 12 hours overnight from dinner to breakfast and avoid eating 3 hours before bedtime to finish digestion and allow the cleansing and regeneration to occur.

MOVE: Wind down for the evening with calming activities like meditation or gentle stretching. This is the perfect time to get off the screen and be intimate with someone you love.

The subtle rhythms that govern our bodies are pivotal to our well-being. The convergence of circadian rhythms and the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) body clock offer profound insights into how we can harmonize our health. By aligning our eating and movement patterns with these natural cycles, we tap into the innate wisdom of our bodies.

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If you would like to learn more or want help with a nutrition plan that aligns with your health goals, please reach out to schedule a consultation.

For more on the science of nutritional influences on circadian rhythms, author and nutrition scientist Dr. Deanna Minich has a helpful blog on the topic. 

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