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What Is The Circadian Rhythm Diet & How Does It Help?

circadian rhythm diet

Have you heard about the Circadian Rhythm Diet or the 7am to 7pm diet and the recommended dietary habits & restrictions it involves? Surprisingly, there are no dos and don’ts on eating. It’s  all about when you should eat. The basic idea of this diet is to reset meal timings to the same one as our ancestors i.e. between sunrise and sunset – basically scheduling meals during daylight hours. 

Circadian Rhythm Diet also known as Body Clock Diet is basically a form of time restricted eating plan where we eat in sync with the body’s internal clock which gets regulated by change within the environment, mainly, light and darkness, and are controlled by a small area in the middle of the brain. This can affect metabolism, hunger, sleep, body temperature and other bodily functions.

The hormone cortisol, also known as the “get up and go” hormone is linked with body metabolism and hence weight. It rises and falls during the course of the day.  If someone eats when metabolism is at peak, calories consumed would be utilized well and not deposited as fat. On the other hand, food eaten at the wrong time may lead to weight gain.

Circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours and can be divided into 2 phases:

  1. Eating and metabolizing phase: Metabolism is high when cortisol is at its peak and slow when cortisol levels are down. The body releases cortisol naturally twice per day: once in the early morning and later in the evening and at that time, the stomach too is ready with the right amount of hormones and digestive enzymes and even good gut microbes to digest the food. So for health benefits eat with the Sun. In response to daylight, cortisol rises, insulin sensitivity increases and melatonin decreases, making one feel active and energized. Cortisol supports thyroid function and metabolism, and contributes to the energy needed  to complete daily tasks.
  2. Resting  and healing phase: When the sun sets, the body naturally wants to wind up and prepare for sleep. The sleep inducing hormone melatonin rises up, while cortisol and insulin sensitivity reduces. So food consumed later at night when cortisol levels are decreasing is more likely to be stored as fat.

As soon as one finishes dinner, the body slowly gets slow on metabolism, the body clock resets, going into repair and rejuvenation mode so that damaged cells can be repaired and replaced with healthy new cells and allergy causing chemicals or pathogens cannot attack the body. Thus, late night munching leads to weight gain and it disrupts the body’s natural healing mechanism too. 

Highlights Of The Circadian Rhythm Diet 

  1. Eat during daylight.
  2. Have breakfast and lunch as the biggest meals of the day, and dinner, the smallest.
  3. Have about 75% of nutrition before 3 pm
  4. Do not eat anything post dinner.

Benefits Of This Diet 

  1. Helps maximize weight loss efforts
  2. Reduces the risk of obesity
  3. Improves digestive health
  4. Improves metabolism
  5. Improves sleep, mood and energy levels
  6. Reduces inflammation in the body
  7. Lowers the risk of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
  8. Promotes longevity 

Those who schedule their meals between 12 hours (7 am to 7 pm) might have a much better circadian rhythm and health unlike those who delay dinner and eat within 15-16 hours (7am to 11pm or more). After 12-16 hours of fasting when we have the next meal i.e. breakfast – the body gets enough time to heal/repair as required. Don’t eat anything post dinner as the body enters the healing and rejuvenation mode. Compounds that encourage the inflammatory response rise at night. This is likely because the body is better at fighting infections while it is at rest, and energy can be poured into the effort, rather than into other functions like metabolism.

Even if the food choice & calorie consumed is the same, those who eat during daylight have better health than those who delay. Food at the wrong time can disturb the internal clock and break the metabolic balance in our body, and that can push us towards disease. Biological rhythms are meant to protect us. Disturbing this rhythm can lead to weight gain, hormonal issues, mental health issues, metabolic diseases like type -2 diabetes and heart problems. 

So do give this Circadian Rhythm Diet a go and let us know what you feel in the comments below! We hope this article helps you. For more informative articles such as this, check out Healthy Reads or you can get this information directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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How The Circadian Rhythm Affects Your Health

circadian rhythm

Circadian Rhythms are 24 hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, which aid essential functions and processes. For instance, the sleep-wake cycle is a well known circadian rhythm. Different parts of the body follow circadian rhythms that are connected to the master clock of the brain. The master clock is affected by the environment, which is why the circadian rhythm is tied to the day and night cycle.

While following your body’s natural clock can help you reap some amazing benefits, doing the opposite can create many health problems. Researchers also believe that circadian rhythms play an important role in the diverse aspects of physical and mental health.

How Does It Affect You?  

Circadian rhythms work best when the body processes are optimized at various points during a 24-hour period. It works with the mental and physical systems throughout the body. The digestive system produces proteins to suit the timings of the meals, and the endocrine system regulates the hormones to suit normal energy expenditure. 

During the day, when you are exposed to sunlight, the master clock sends signals to generate alertness which keeps us awake and active. As night falls, the master clock helps in the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and sends signals that helps us to sleep through the night. When we sleep well at night, it helps us be active during the day.

Straying away from your body’s clock can give rise to serious sleeping problems. Without proper signalling from the body’s internal clock, a person can struggle to fall asleep and wake up during the night, or being unable to sleep as long as they want in the morning. This leaves a person with little energy, attentiveness, focus, etc. 

In addition, studies have found out that Circadian rhythm disruptions as potential contributors to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder marked by repeated lapses in breathing. OSA reduces the body’s oxygen levels and causes numerous sleep interruptions through the night.

Types of Sleep-Wake Disorders 

  1. Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: This type of circadian rhythm disruption is associated with people who stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning. The main cause is unknown but may be related to genetics, underlying physical conditions and a person’s behaviour.
  2. Jet Lag Disorder: This happens when a person crosses a lot of time zones in a short period of time during intercontinental flights. They are likely to suffer from sleeping problems and fatigue from jet lag.
  3. Irregular Sleep–Wake Disorder: People with this rare disorder have no consistent pattern for their sleep and may have many naps or short sleeping periods throughout the day. It may affect the brain and cause dementia. 
  4. Shift Work Sleep Disorder: commonly affects those who work non-traditional hours, outside the typical 9am to 5pm work day. Shift work schedules go against most people’s internal body clocks or circadian rhythms. 
  5. Non 24 hour Sleep-Wake Disorder: This condition occurs in people who are blind and are not able to receive light. Their body follows a 24 hour cycle, but their sleeping hours change backwards by minutes or hours at a time.

Tips To Maintain Your Circadian Rhythm 

  • Exposure to sunlight: It is good to walk early in the day so that you can get good exposure to natural light and take in some Vitamin D.
  • Avoid caffeine: Stimulants like caffeine can keep you awake and can disturb the circadian rhythm. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine after noon. 
  • Eat a protein rich breakfast: Protein gives you the strength to be active throughout the day.
  • Avoid stress: Keep a positive attitude. Be assertive instead of aggressive, meditate, do yoga and eat healthy well-balanced meals.
  • Get daily exercise: Take a brisk walk early morning and keep yourself active throughout the day. This can help your internal clock and make it easier to fall asleep at night.
  • Take a short nap in the afternoon: Short naps can relax us while long naps throw our sleep off schedule.
  • Limit light before sleep: Artificial lighting can interfere with the circadian rhythm. Therefore, dim the lights and turn off all electronic devices one hour before bedtime.

Researchers believe that chronic disruptions in circadian rhythms could affect the immune system leading to weight gain, impulsive slower thinking and other physiological and behavioral changes from the observation made in people who work in shifts and those who are often jet lagged. 

If this article intrigued you and you’d like to know more, check out our article on the Circadian Rhythm Diet and how it helps. To balance your sleep-wake cycle or ensure better sleep quality, reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Sleep Series: A Primer On Circadian Rhythm

sleep series

  • Circa – Circular – meaning the one going round and round – repeating itself 
  • “Di”an – Pertaining to Day – or Daily 
  • Rhythm – A regular & repeated pattern of movements (ups & downs) occurring naturally 

Circadian Rhythm (CR) is driven by consumption of light – (light again!) – however, research has proven that light is not necessary and it was observed that the rhythm works more or less correctly even if someone is locked in a very dark place for a long time. But it is also proven that light can drive/influence the rhythm.

Trivia: CR is not exactly 24 hours – it is approximately 24 hours + some 15 minutes! 

The Third Eye/Body clock – known technically as “Suprachiasmatic Nuclei” (why not a simple name?)  – of just 10,000 neurons ( brain has 100 billion) situated in the hypothalamus area of brain, exactly above the place where the optic nerves from the left and right eye do the “X over” to the other side of the brain, is the main controller of the Circadian Rhythm. It is impacted by the “light” signals coming from the eyes. 

Be very clear , the Third eye controls the “sleep-wake” cycle and it is sensitive to “light”!

Not all people have SAME CR!! They fall into either of the 3 types: 

  1. The Early Birds (25 %) 
  2. The Night Owls (25%) 
  3. The Commoners (50%)

There is approximately 1-2 hours of difference in the rhythm between the Early Birds and the Night Owls and the Commoners fall in between. To check your type, google it – web has several free tests. One of them is: https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/time-management/early-bird-night-owl

One’s energy levels, alertness, body temperature, heart rate all have clear correlation to the CR. It is proven that core body temperature falls by up to 2 degree Celsius and heart rate by up to 20 beats per minute. Modern day work environment requires one to have an average to above average energy level and alertness throughout the day. But it is a natural fact that it is NOT. So, we resort to coffee or tea (impact of caffeine in a separate note later). 

If we can closely observe and keep our key meetings in alignment with the CR, we may actually get more productive. In my personal experience I have observed peak productivity between 11-1 in pre-lunch and 4-6 in post lunch sessions. HR processes in companies could use such simple tests to identify rhythm types and create groups of people that complement each other to boost productivity. As I have often seen in boardrooms, there’s always one person presenting with lots of energy and some are following and some are behind! It could simply be the difference in their CR type.

Jet lag is primarily a result due to change in CR. Time clock of the geography and your CR are not aligned, hence the lag. It is said that the lag adjusts @ 1 hour per day.

Circadian Rhythm & Sleep – How To Make It Work For You

  • Observe your CR and understand your CR type, hours of peak productivity – they remain the same throughout your life. Use the natural surge in alertness to your advantage.
  • One tip to get sleep is to start on time and send clear signals to the CR system in the morning by standing in clear sunlight for at least 10 minutes (you might get Vitamin D in the bargain) – When CR registers that signal, it will promptly align the clock to trigger sleep in the night – I tried this as many days as possible
  • World over, people keep an alarm to wake up – Reverse the process – If only you can keep an alarm to start sleep at same time of the night, then you WOULD NOT need an alarm to wake up – that too grumpily – Stick to SAME time (or in a range of 30 minutes) to go to bed, even if you do not get sleep in the beginning.
  • One should reduce exposure to light post 7:30PM – send clear signals that it is night time – Candlelight dinners are a brilliant way to signal Melatonin secretion. 

We hope you enjoyed reading this article so far. Stay tuned for more from the Sleep Series! To read more about sleep and sleeping techniques, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

#BeTheForce 

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