Today, I am excited to jump into the topic of circadian integrity, including using circadian fasting and light, food and sleep as cues for large-scale circadian signaling. I got the idea from a recent (and controversial!) social media post.
“A tip of an underrated health, stop eating when the sun goes down and watch your sleep change.”
After posting the above, I was accused of being a bad mother and having an eating disorder.
In that short post, I didn’t detail all the exceptions and many of you called out to me. I didn’t talk or explain why I started this or the research that supported it. So I wanted to set the record straight and dig deeper into this topic.
Tapping Circadian Alignment really helped me and allowed me to have a healthier relationship with the food. I eat much more than I did when I had it for about 10 years. I also wanted to share more stories about my journey just in case I inspire someone else.
Circadian fasting
Dr. Amy Shaw (aka Instagram fasting MD) was one of my biggest inspirations on this topic. Dr. Shaw is knowledgeable and discusses much about circadian fasting, particularly in relation to women. According to Dr. Shaw, circadian rhythm fasting is the most beneficial type of fasting that women can do. This limited feeding plan will adjust what we put in our body to the internal internal clock.
Here is a summary of what is related to the circadian diet:
- It is eaten during the daytime when the digestive system and metabolism are most active.
- Stop active dieting after 7pm (slows these internal processes). I won’t eat it until breakfast anymore!
- Eat a big meal early in the day. Eat small meals in the evening to avoid blood sugar spikes and weight gain.
Eating this way improves metabolism and immune system, helps sleep, supports immunity, and reduces the risk of diabetes. It turns out that it’s not difficult because there are no strict changes. This diet simply follows the natural processes of the body.
Over the years I did the exact opposite, skipped breakfast and ate a lot in the evening. It took some experiments, but I finally found a eating rhythm that worked well for me.
Do circadians eat eating disorders?
Some comments stated that eating this way could be classified as an eating disorder. It appears that more people are branding something other than the typical American diet as an eating disorder. Not only is this untrue, they feel they don’t support people who are actually experiencing eating.
The term is thrown into and applied to any kind of alternative diet, such as fasting, real diet, or elimination of foods where someone has a negative reaction.
I skipped breakfast when it was an intermittent fast and waited until lunch. Instead, I shifted the dining window and stopped eating early in the day (while eating more food overall!). I ate for years and it had a negative effect on my health. Now I’m eating twice as many calories, but I’m more intentional with micronutrients and have a much healthier relationship with food.
There is a nuance and it can cause someone to develop an eating disorder, but intermittent fasting in itself is a healthy way to love your body.
The controversy behind the surcardian alignment
Eating this way, like any other health decision, is easier said than done. Depending on your location and lifestyle, there are certainly exceptions to this. For many of us, it gets dark by 5pm (or before that!). In some places, there is only an hour or two per day. At other times of the year, there is almost all day sunlight and very little darkness.
I’m not saying that everyone in the world should eat only when the sun is coming out. Like everything else, there are exceptions. The idea is to stop eating for at least a few hours before going to sleep for a more peaceful night. In many places, this is roughly lined with the sunset.
Seasonal differences
This also touches on seasonal differences, but this is often not spoken well. Humans were meant to allow us to get more sunlight in the summer, spend time together, and spend our community in the evenings. Historically, winter was a period of less sleep and less calories. We’re used to artificial lighting, so it may sound strange now, but for most of human history, this was normal.
Before the invention of light bulbs, average sleep time was longer, especially in winter. Reducing sleep and constantly taking time to eat is a new phenomenon. Staring at a blue-light screen, watching a movie, or eating ice cream in the middle of the night was not what my ancestors did. I found myself sleeping naturally early in the winter and later this summer.
If you live near Finland or the equator, you have never had the same experience. Our bodies are different and if you are pregnant, nursing, or have health conditions, these will affect how you eat. It’s not a difficult rule to adjust your daily rhythm to sunlight. Also, it doesn’t mean that I won’t burn one calorie after the sun has set.
In the past, there was little food in the winter and not much food was needed. We now have unlimited access to food and artificial light. Eating constantly sounds strange but dangerous. Our ancestors were able to match the rhythms of nature. This is much more difficult in modern society.
Light and food are two of the greatest signaling mechanisms for circadian health. Just shifting our eating time and spending more time outside can have a big impact on this.
Health benefits of circadian fasting
Researchers found that eating during the day can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of diabetes. Studies show that glucose levels are lower after breakfast than dinner. So we probably have a better metabolic response earlier in the day.
This leads to a way in which eating in a natural rhythm supports healthy weight and promotes fat burning. People who eat earlier in the day tend to eat less and have a lower BMI. It also helps to sleep at night, as your body isn’t busy digesting food.
Weight loss and digestion
One study found that participants unintentionally reduced calories by 20% without the need for will following a time-limited feeding plan. A time-limited diet is an easy way to avoid overdoing it with calories.
Many people (including me) also notice better digestion. Daytime is consistent with the body’s natural digestive rhythm and helps improve nutrient absorption. This also reduces digestive discomfort. I stop eating a few hours before going to bed and take enzymes and pecasol just before going to bed.
Other health benefits of circadian alignment
- Several studies suggest that fasting can specifically provide benefits such as longer life expectancy.
- There is also a connection to inflammation. One study found that participants who fasted from sunset to sunrise had lower blood pressure and inflammation levels.
- Adjusting the circadian rhythm may improve your blood pressure and cholesterol profile.
- It supports cognitive function and improves memory and concentration.
Fasting is a controversial term that many people are resistant to, but technically we all fast every day. Unless you find a way to eat while you’re asleep! Another major factor in leading our bodies into circadian alignment is exposure to sunlight.
Dial light exposure
Many issues can help with a little sunlight and more alignment with nature! Getting morning sunlight (no glasses or contact) before screens or caffeine makes a huge difference in hormonal health. You can get free red light exposure at sunrise and sunset.
I spend as much time outside as I can safely and better be safer in sunlight exposure (aka, not burning!). So many processes in our bodies respond to light cues. I recommend getting as much natural light as possible during the day in a safe and comfortable way for your body.
The lighting in my house mimics the outdoor environment. After sunset, we switch to a lower light, Amber bulb Below eye level. During the day, I use full-spectrum overhead light bulbs.
Camping to reset your hormones
One easy way to do a full reset is to camp. Researchers have reversed sleep-related issues, with hormonal health benefits, in just a week of being outdoors without screens or artificial lighting.
Even if we don’t have time to go camping, what drives us towards integrity with natural light can bring great rewards. This includes avoiding the blue light of the night.
I’m using a Nikko computer with zero blue light screen. It works without turning on WiFi. I use it for writing, listening to audiobooks, and music for sleep. It helped my creative flow as I can do creative work at night without a blue light screen.
What I eat for circadian alignment
Another important principle of circadian alignment is the food aspect. I stopped skipping breakfast and now I’m eating a big breakfast to support my nervous system. I also eat a big lunch filled with lots of protein and micronutrients, signaling that I’m nourishing my body.
This includes unconventional foods such as sardines, soups, fermented foods, and olive oil. I take supplements with breakfast, focusing on hydration and minerals. Coffee comes after hydration and morning sunlight for me! Finish the day with an early dinner like a snack. I stop eating a few hours before bed and just drink minerals and herbal tea.
Focusing on nutritional density tells our bodies that it is nutritious and that it is safe to release fat. Our bodies also get the nutrition they need to build muscle, support fertility and thrive overall.
Send a safety signal for your body
In addition to focusing on our body’s cravings, we can send other safety signals to the nervous system. Breathing is the best way to do this. Deep breaths through the nose help the body switch to parasympathetic nervous system. Breathing slowly and focusing on breathing is phenomenal in the nervous system.
- Lie down onto the wall for 10 minutes can help with downshifting to the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Walking all day is also beneficial. Walking for 10 minutes at each meal can also make a huge profit.
- Focus on getting enough sleep for your overall health. Our bodies can also crave over and over unhealthy foods when we are asleep.
Final Thoughts on Circadian Alignment
Circadian integrity is a fundamental part of overall health. Wake up in the morning and stay hydrated, then get exposed to the morning sun as soon as possible. Follow it with a nutritious breakfast and then eat in the evening. This gives you a rest in the digestive system, allowing the cells to recover during sleep.
It’s easy to underestimate the power of timing, light and sleep for our health. Dialing these will really help you with your nervous system, hormonal health, metabolism and more. What exactly this looks like depends on your situation, but the more we naturally align, the happiest our bodies will become.
Have you experimented with these things? What worked for you? Leave a comment and let us know!
