All living things respond to the cycles of the sun and moon, from the humble algae and bacteria through to animals and humans. Probably the most important rhythm is the approximately 24 hour body cycle of night and day. Most animals have an intrinsic sleep/wake cycle of about a day.

 

Chinese medicine meridian cycles

According to Chinese medicine the body clock goes through 12 two-hour cycles every day and night during which each meridian organ system becomes most active. The cycle can be regarded as running from 3am when Liver time concludes and the body’s energies start turning outward to ready the body for the day by cleansing the lungs and large intestine. From 3pm onwards the energies flow back in to maintain and restore the body during rest and sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper

As the word implies, when we eat in the morning we literally break the fast of the night, of up to 12 hours. Many of us skip breakfast completely whilst others grab something on the go, a quick bar of chocolate, bacon sandwich, coffee or canned drink.

Starting the day without refueling may mean poor concentration, irritability, low blood sugar and cravings for unhealthy snacks by mid-morning. Skipping breakfast means poor performance by children, lack of concentration and greater risk of accidents whilst driving, and lack of efficiency and concentration at work. A recent study shows that those who eat breakfast are happier than those who don’t.

When we wake our blood sugar is at its lowest. Ideally we should be getting about 25% of our daily calories at breakfast, enough to keep you going right through til lunchtime, both physically and mentally. And according the Chinese medicine this is the optimal time of day for digestion so it’s important to eat at this time, especially if you have a weak digestion.