August 13, 2018 | 60 minutes, 41 seconds
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A 2017 Nobel Prize went to 3 scientists researching biological clocks, opening up entirely new fields of Circadian Medicine.
It is very likely that doctors will begin making suggestions for how to align with the rhythms of nature… let’s hope they get it right!
The alternative to waiting for all of this is the time-tested medical system of Ayurveda. Ayurveda’s fundamentals are based on a direct experience of life in sync with nature’s rhythms.
Today, at LifeSpa.com, I write about Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom and the evolving Western science that backs it up. My hope is that this podcast becomes somewhat of a circadian guide to help families stay in rhythm throughout each phase of life.
For your family and yourself, don’t miss this podcast! I’ll take you through the innate wisdom of childhood, teenage years, and adulthood, so you can live each cycle to its fullest potential.
In This Article
Ayurveda for Family Health
A growing number of studies are being published on the health and longevity benefits of resetting your circadian clock.
According to one study, “Resetting the circadian clock leads to well-being and increased life span, whereas clock disruption is associated with aging and sickness. Increased longevity and improved health can be achieved by different feeding regimens that reset circadian rhythms and may lead to better synchrony in metabolism and physiology.” (1)
Basically, this is saying that lifestyle changes are directly linked to longer life and better health.
Much of this excitement is due to the 2017 Nobel Prize-winning research on Circadian Medicine and the discovery that the trillions of bacteria that make up our microbiome actually live in sync with the light/dark 24-hour circadian cycles.
The 24-hour circadian rhythms regulate behavior, metabolism, and the physiological functions in single-celled organisms, mammals, and humans.
Staying in rhythm with the circadian clocks that are found in each and every cell of the body is critical for our lifelong health and well-being. (2)
Circadian disruption—which is when we fall out of circadian (light/dark) cycle rhythm—has been linked to a host of health concerns including cardiovascular, digestive, nervous system, urinary tract and metabolic concerns related to weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol regulation.
In shift workers, who endure regular circadian disruption, these health concerns are more prevalent, suggesting the importance of a lifestyle in rhythm with the natural cycles for all of us.
See also Circadian Rhythms 101: Nobel Prize-Winning Research Validates the Ayurvedic Circadian Clock
Ayurveda and Circadian Science
According to Ayurveda, the circadian clock is broken down into three life phases that science is only just beginning to understand.
To reset our circadian clocks, we much return to a lifestyle and diet that is in sync with the natural 24-hour, light/dark circadian cycles.
Our biological clocks function uniquely based on the age of the individual.
Children have clocks to support growth and development and learning.
Teenagers are reckless and hormonal to ensure the sexual reproduction of the species.
Middle-aged biological clocks drive adrenal-based survival chemicals to make sure the family is safe, protected, and sheltered.
Menopause, for men and women, triggers a whole new set of biological clocks that set into motion accelerated aging, to make sure that an elder is not consuming resources that a younger, more fertile, reproductively active young adult or their children may need.
Basically, nature has a way of getting rid of us as we age, once again, to protect the survival of the species.
In Ayurveda, these life cycles are broken down into three phases:
- The kapha phase of life, from birth to adolescence, where the biological clocks are driving growth and development.
- The pitta phase of life, from puberty to menopause.
- Then, the vata time of life—where the wisdom of a lifetime is passed onto the children—can begin in the late 50’s or early 60’s, and carries you to your death.
For each of these life phases, there are specific lifestyle and dietary adjustments that should be made to encourage rhythm with your circadian and biological clocks.
Understanding how to help you and your family live a lifestyle in sync with these rhythms is paramount to your health and longevity. (1,2)
To help folks live this type of lifestyle and reset your circadian clocks, I wrote an eBook, Ayurveda for a Healthy Family. This FREE eBook takes you through Ayurvedic circadian-resetting activities during every aspect of your family’s life and needs.
It includes a 1-hour audio course where I dive deep into family health, Ayurveda-style. Organized into 8 individual tracks, this audio course is an invaluable resource for those looking for guidance in keeping their family healthy and happy.
In the eBook, I touch on topics including:
- Pregnancy tips
- Nursing tips
- Mothers role in circadian health
- Vaccinations
- Vitamins
- Diet, Superfoods
- Youth sports
- Risks of technology
- Nature deficiency disorders
- Student strategies
- And much, much more…
This topic of how to reset your circadian clocks at different times of your life is so important that I am dedicating tonight’s entire podcast to it!
