Rhythm Your Way to Wellness

Oh the joys of winter travel in Canada!  I just had a lovely vacation down south then it took me THREE DAYS to get home … by air.  Snowstorms mean flights get cancelled, and then backed up (especially to little airports like Deer Lake, NL) and that’s just the way it is. I am still filled with gratitude for having the opportunity to escape to the warmth and sunshine for a break from winter.

This isn’t a gripe about flight delays, rather, I want to talk about rhythms and wellness.  What became really apparent to me after three days in transit was how important routines are to my health.  My routines are sacred to me because I know they keep inflammation down. Since I have an autoimmune condition I am a bit of a canary in the coal mine, but regular routines are important to the health and wellbeing of ALL of us.

We have natural rhythms going on in our bodies all the time: our pulsing heart, respiration, and menstrual cycles are obvious ones. Digestion and sleep are also on cycles. Not so obvious are things like insulin sensitivity and many aspects of the immune system. Our bodies are actually pretty amazing in the way so many functions are going on without us even having to think about “now it’s time to release some melatonin”, for example. 

These are our circadian rhythms, or biorhythms and the hypothalamus is the master controller.  The hypothalamus relays signals via hormones like melatonin, serotonin and cortisol to other parts of our body to carry out required functions.

One of the most important external factors affecting the body’s circadian rhythm is the light-dark cycle. Your body’s circadian rhythms are light-sensitive. This includes both natural light and artificial light. Exposure to artificial light long after the sun goes down, during long waits at the airport for example, can throw off biorhythms big time. 

Other factors known to disrupt our circadian rhythms are meal timing, fasting, physical exercise, sleep schedule and stress.  

Disruption of circadian rhythms has been implicated in a variety of illnesses including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and autoimmune conditions. Protecting circadian rhythms is critical for health and is especially important if you have a chronic illness.  

When you DO have healthy routines which support your natural circadian rhythms you will feel many benefits including:

• Improved overall health and well-being

• Better sleep

• Improved ability to manage stress

• Improved digestion

• Less anxiety

• Improved metabolism

• Better decision-making ability

• Setting a positive example for others in your household

Researchers at MIT have also found a link between circadian rhythms and aging. Leonard Guarente, senior author of a study on aging and circadian rhythms, says, "What's now emerging is the idea that maintaining the circadian cycle is quite important in health maintenance, and if it gets broken, there's a penalty to be paid in health and perhaps in aging.”

So why not set a routine for yourself? Set a regular bedtime and waking time. Eat meals at the same time every day.  Have a regular exercise routine. A regular routine can be your secret tool for success in life!

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