It's that time of the year when most of us celebrate gaining an extra hour of sleep. But have you considered the expense of moving the clock back and forth every year?
Most of us experience feeling a little off for a week or two after this switch, especially around our energy levels, mood and digestion.
Hormones, Digestion, and Energy.
Our body functions with an internal clock, this circadian rhythm keeps hormones, energy levels and digestion functioning well.
Light exposure is our master regulator and helps us to feel awake, experience hunger cues, and all the necessary digestion functions.
When the clock is turned back, our body takes awhile to regulate, which can disrupt our digestion, appetite and energy levels.
If you notice you feel more sluggish, hunger at odd times of the day, or just not quite right after the time change, listen to your body.
Try This.
Shift Your Eating Times
Try moving toward your usual eating times by 10-15 minutes each day which will help your body digest best.
Our gut is also easily disrupted when we don't follow our regular eating times. This is similar to what happens after flying to new time zones.
Best gut health requires a regular schedule and even one hour can cause problems.
Both the digestion regulating hormones for hunger and satiety do best on a regular eating schedule. The cues you feel are important to maintain best insulin response which translates into better blood sugar levels and we all want to have stable blood sugar to avoid the risk of becoming diabetic.
Eat Lighter in the Evening.
Our circadian rhythm which cues our digestive system begins to slow down at night. Since it gets darker earlier, try eating when it's still light outside.
You can help you body digest best by choosing a lighter dinner during the winter months. This will support balanced hormones and steady energy throughout the day.
The practice of eating a balanced breakfast and lunch that contains good fats, adequate protein and fiber-rich carbohydrates along with a light dinner will always realize better digestion, energy and sleep.
Perhaps eating two meals a day works better for you and the darker winter months can be a good time to try this.
Seek Morning Light.
We need the sunlight to signal that it's time to wake up and get moving. Our hormones are also signaled so that our digestion and metabolism are ready for another day. Go outside for a minimum of 15 minutes a day without sun glasses in the morning. Remember this, even if it's cloudy, the natural UV rays are still present.
Sunlight exposure in the morning, boosts our energy, mood and regulates the hormone cortisol that signals wakefulness, appropriate stress responses and proper digestion all day long.
When we choose to make a few adjustments early in the time change, we can support our body to remain balanced, energized and ready for all the things you desire to do.
Do You Feel Exhausted, and Weary?
Maybe there are many things that "just aren't working" for you right now.
Sometimes we just need an outside perspective that can help to navigate what's not serving us well?
I offer personalized lab testing through the Hair Mineral Analysis which can pinpoint mineral imbalances that lead to discovering why we aren't feeling great.
I'd love to help you find a better way to move forward with more energy and resillence all season long.
You can find me here for a free consultation to talk more.
Thanks for reading,
Jan
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