Tic Toc Your Circadium Clock

Happy spring! We are officially three weeks into

spring.

We had a late winter storm here in Massachusetts last

month to remind me that I do live in New England. 

But moving the clocks ahead last month is often the

first reminder that spring is not far away.

Living in a world where we don’t even have to move

certain clocks ahead—our computer devices do that for

us, we can sometimes lose sight that our own body

clock is still ticking away according to it’s own internal

circadian rhythm.

One of the biggest parts of our circadian rhythm is

sleep.

You may notice a change in your sleep patterns with

the clock changes—even a slight change in the

daylight hours can affect some “sensitive sleepers”.

I’v always been a “short sleeper”.   Never been an

eight plus hour sleeper—even as a child, more like 5-7

hours. 

But providing that I get a good stretch early on in my

sleep, I’m usually good to go when I wake up. 

As a short sleeper, I guess you could say, I am a

morning person. 

As I get older, those early morning hours are

precious to me. 

I really enjoy them and get a lot of work accomplished,

as a I sip my decaf coffee and eat my dark chocolate. 

Yes, dark chocolate in the morning with coffee—can

you think of a better combination? 

I have also learned that the consistency of the time

that I awake -within an hour each morning, even on the

weekends is very important to the quality of my sleep

and my energy level. 

As a functional nutritionist who studies the circadian

rhythm—our biological clock is fascinating.
 

Your circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal

clock running in the background of your brain, but it is

not just about your sleep/wake cycle. 

Circadian rhythm also influences your daily energy levels, BM patterns,

even your blood pressure.

Melatonin, a hormone produced in the brain and

related to sleep begins to increase in the evening and

then drops off after 2 AM, lending a hand in our ability

to cross that sleep threshold. 
 

Modern society including

blue lights from computer

devices and the 24 hour

availability of food

allowing us to graze

throughout the day has

tweaked our circadian

cycles, and not for the

better. 

You know the saying, “It’s

not nice to fool mother

nature”. 

Our circadian clocks are a sort of

biological automation governed by nature.

More and more research is showing that various forms

of intermittent fasting may help to “reset” our

biological clock.

Fasting including 12-16 hours at night may positively

protect many metabolic processes, including gut

motility, blood pressure and potentially even against

the formation of cancerous cells.
 

Fasting can be done in many forms but the most

beneficial may be the easiest to do—simply a twelve

hour fast at night.

While certain hormones are in place repairing our body

—stop eating or drinking anything with calories.

Prolonged fasting carries some risks and longer than

16 hours especially in diabetics, and pregnant women

should be supervised. 
 

Our circadian clock is a reminder that despite

technological advances,  the body has it’s own

automated clock that is talking to us every day. 

Our lifestyles impact the tics and the tocks but sometimes the simplest

of practices can help to reset them.

Are you affected in any way by the changing of the clocks? I encourage

you to take notice of any seasonal changes in how you feel. 

What time of day or season do your feel best? Noticing these changes

in yourself will better help you teach these concepts to your clients.