There are many approaches to finding balance in our lives, to find sustainable balance we must live according to the rhythms of mother nature.
Three things that tell us we are on the right path towards optimal wellness are:
- We do not have constant food cravings
- We wake up refreshed every day
- We got to bed with the same energy in which we started
What I have found with myself and many many clients over the years is the further one strays from living in harmony with natural cycles of nature, the further out of balance they become.
There are many cycles that nature has set for us based on the moon and the sun, one of the most obvious being the change in the seasons, four yearly divisions marked by particular weather patterns from the earths changing position with regards to the sun.
Just as we have seasonal macro-cycles there are also daily micro-cycles.
There are two 12 hour cycles In the day, the first starts at sunrise between 6am and 10am. This is a period when our muscles are the strongest and is an excellent time for physical activity . In Ayurvedic medicine this is referred to as the kapha time of the day. By getting up and moving your body first thing in the morning you will be mobilizing your joints, pumping your lymphatic fluid (to help drain stagnate wast from the body), and priming your body for the day ahead.
It is between 10am and 2pm when the sun is the hottest and our digestive system is the strongest. In the past, this is when we traditional ate our largest meal. In Europe, farmers would eat about 60% of their food between 10am and 2pm. As long as the quality and quantity is right for your unique genetic needs, then you shouldn’t feel sluggish after lunch.
Between 2pm and 6pm is when our central nervous systems are strongest. Our brains prefer to use its available blood sugar between these times and that is why it is extremely important to have a good lunch to avoid the 2pm blood sugar crash that most people suffer from. Drive by any Starbucks between 2 and 3pm and you will see a lot of people looking for that artificial pick me up because their lunch has not provided them with adequate nutrition to continue on through the day with optimal brain function.
The second 12 hour cycle starts between 6pm-10pm. This is the time the body is starting to get tired and needs to settle down to begin repair from the day. It is important that we start settling down and get into bed before 10pm. If we are up late with the lights on and our faces on our computer or phone screens we are going to be stimulating our physiology to release awakening hormones which are antagonistic to our repair and recovery hormones. So dim the lights about an our or two before bed and do your best to stay away from the electronics.
Between 10pm and 2am the body is getting ready for detox, the liver starts detoxifying itself at these times and if your are up late you will miss out on another one of natures micro-cycles and that is the the detoxification cycle. With the abundance of toxicity that comes with our modern world, it is imperative we maintain optimal detoxification capacity. Between 10pm and 2am is where most physical repair takes place, I have had many clients with nagging injuries that were able to rid themselves of these aches and pains by getting to bed on time.
And lastly between 2am and 6am is when most of our psychogenic repair takes place. The central nervous system is recovering and repairing and getting ready to start all over again.
Many people are not optimizing their lives as athletes, parents, business owners, etc. Because they are out of harmony with these natural cycles. Living in harmony with these natural cycles will help us to find balance in this modern world .
Peter Lombardi
Is available for one on one Fitness Training , Sports Performance Enhancement and Food & Lifestyle coaching in person or via Zoom. Contact him at [email protected]