We talked earlier about the circadian rhythms of your body in regards
to sleep. Now, let’s dive further into what the body is actually doing during
the various circadian rhythms periods. There are essentially 3 – 8 hours
rhythm periods in a 24-hour cycle. Assimilation, Elimination and
Accumulation.

Assimilation

This cycle spans from 8 pm to 4 am approximately. Often, this time
period will cross into the sleep cycle. So this cycle is most affected, or
interrupted by food and light exposure. To complement this cycle, try your
best to avoid taking in calories and bright lights during this period. Soft
white or muted light is best as it will begin the process of melatonin to be
released by the Pineal gland in the brain. During the Assimilation cycle, the
body takes the nutrients that have been accumulated during that day and
begins distribution. They are utilized to repair and rebuild your cells while
you sleep. Old cells will be broken down and removed. New cells will take
their place. If this process does not have ample time or resources, the
results will be early aging, disease, and a general weakening of the body’s
resilience.

Elimination

This second 8-hour process spans from 4 am to 12 pm. Elimination
begins approximately around 4 am. This cycle will be the most important
one for your lymphatic and immune system. They will do their best work
during this time to get out toxins and build up your defenses. I have
naturally, possibly due to my “hit the ground running” personality never
really been drawn to having morning meals. I will consume tea or coffee,
but that is all. So this has been really easy for me. If you love breakfast, by
all means, eat it, but maybe a little later if possible. Giving your body a lot
of food to digest and deal with will halt the Elimination processes. Done
frequently enough, your body will begin to build toxins and clog up your
lymphatic system and down regulate your immune system’s defenses.
And unfortunately, some of this build-up will be stored in fat to be dealt
with later. If you can – schedule your eating window to begin close to noon your body will benefit greatly. The most significant benefit to delaying the
eating window on this side is that I have heard over and over that it
extends the length of your natural life. Much like meditation has been
shown to. So love yourself and try pushing your calorie intake back.

Accumulation

EATING!!! It’s my favorite cycle!!! This is the best place to span your
eating window because the body’s digestive enzymes and hormones are
ramped up and ready! All of your body prepares for this period to properly
work with the foods you take in. If you can do an 8-hour window once you
have baby stepped your way to it, that is ideal for weight loss and
eeeeeasy peeesy maintenance. If that isn’t comfortable, I suggest
spanning this time window and extending on each side as needed. For
instance, eat from 11-9 for a 10-hour window.

For the best sleep, according to studies, the body should be void of
calorie intake an hour before sleep. So if you go to bed very late, say 11
pm or after, you can safely push the window back more on that side. Once
you have achieved the desired healthy weight, you may find that you need
to extend your eating window. Especially if you are eating clean foods –
non-GMO, fresh, unpackaged, cooked in great oils, incorporating amazing
herbs, etc.