IN HEALTH (AS IN COMEDY) TIMING By Conner Middelmann IS Nutritionist @ Modern EVERYTHING Mediterranean LLC
You were right all along, Mom! (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 2
When we sleep, eat & exercise… … is at least as important to health as what we eat, how many hours we sleep, and which type of exercise we practice, researchers are discovering. This is called the science of Circadian Rhythm. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 3
The rhythms of nature Each of us has an internal body clock called the circadian clock . The term comes from the Latin circa ("around" or "approximately") and diēm (“ day“). Your circadian clock is responsible for programming every aspect of your physiology including breathing, heartbeat, digestion, detoxification, making new cells and hormones, regulating blood pressure, temperature, blood sugar balance and insulin production. Since your body can’t perform all its internal activities at the same time, your circadian clock ensures a specific, well-timed daily schedule . To enjoy optimal health, we must stay in tune with our circadian clock. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 4
Different jobs at different times (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 5
Work with your body clock (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 6
(c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 7
Circadian disruption → health problems Research into the health of shift workers (20% of workforce) has revealed that disrupting the body clock – especially over long periods of time – is associated with a significant increase in health problems. These include: • Cardiovascular disease (blood pressure, heart attack, stroke) • Metabolic syndrome (dyslipidemia, (pre)diabetes, obesity, gout, fatty liver, inflammation, etc.) • Gastrointestinal problems (acid reflux, IBS, constipation, diarrhea, etc.) • Compromised immune function • Increased cancer risk • Dementia (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 8
Our brain loves steady circadian cycles A healthy circadian rhythm also improves mental functioning . • Attention is naturally high during the day and low at night. When sleep deprived, it’s hard to concentrate. • Positive/negative reward assessment when sleep deprived, we have poor judgment when choosing between two options (e.g. the donut or the apple). • Memory : When we sleep, the hippocampus consolidates the information you have acquired. With sleep deprivation, short- & long-term memory are disrupted. • Mood : Sleep deprivation leads to mood swings, irritability, overwhelm, etc. • Autonomic function : The autonomous system, which controls heart rate, stress response & digestion is synched to your circadian clock. Sleep deprivation interferes with this and this can lead to anxiety, GI issues and palpitations. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 9
We are all shift workers Not only nurses and firefighters are at risk. Modern living has turned us all into shift workers! For instance, -- • Shift-like lifestyle (new mothers, students, musicians) • Gig economy (freelancers, ride-share drivers, call center operators, etc.) • Second-hand shift workers (spouses or children of shift workers whose circadian rhythm is disrupted because they want to spend time with them) • Jet lag (when you move across time zones within the same day) • Social jet lag (when you sleep late and wake up two hours later than usual) • Digital jet lag (when you stay awake between 10 pm and 5 am chatting with people in different time zones) (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 10
Are you a shift worker? A shift worker is a person who spends more than 3 hours awake between 10 pm and 5 am 50 days or more a year. (International Labor Organization, Geneva.) If this describes you, you might want to look at ways you could optimize your circadian rhythm. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 11
How circadian rhythms work Every living organism (incl. plants) has an internal genetic mechanism that is responsible for controlling your circadian rhythm. An area in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is key to your daily rhythm. It is influenced by the blue light that comes in via the retina. The SCN is also sensitive to food. It triggers hunger in the brain and thus influences the gut and liver clocks. Every organ has a unique clock that functions independently of the brain. For instance, cellular repair only happens when you sleep, but the liver only makes cholesterol during the day. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 12
Body clock disruptors • Irregular sleep schedules, daytime napping • Bright light at night (lamps, computers, phones, tablets, etc.) • Insufficient time spent outdoors (daylight resets the body’s clock) • Erratic eating patterns • Caffeine • Alcohol • Not exercising or exercising at sub-optimal times • Chronic stress (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 13
The science behind circadian rhythms Watch Dr. Panda’s TED … and listen to these two Talk to learn more about his work fascinating podcast (click on image below) … interviews with him: (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 14
Are you at risk from circadian imbalance? Take Satchin Panda’s Health Assessment Quiz (from his book, The Circadian Code ). Click on image (right) to access full questionnaire. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 15
Sleep, eat, move: The dance of health There are three core rhythms that are created by the clocks in your organs: • Sleep : Sleeping 7 hours a night between 10 pm and 5 am – as consistently as possible – reinforces the body clock. Bedroom should be dark & quiet, and bedtime should be preceded by at least one hour without looking at screens. • Nutrition : If you eat at random times of the day, you throw your circadian clocks off balance. This disrupts liver and gut function, raising the risk of weight gain & diabetes. • Activity : your muscles are most active during the day when you engage in some form of physical activity. Exercise enhances sleep quality and strengthens your circadian clock. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 16
How to improve circadian health: Sleep Adults need at least 7 hours’ sleep a night. Sleep quality is as important as quantity . How to improve both: • Develop a sleep routine and don’t diverge from it by much on weekends. It’s best to go to bed early and wake up 7 hours later – ideally without an alarm. • Keep a cool bedroom. • Don’t leave lights or TV on at night. • Eliminate noise in your bedroom; white noise machines can help. • Manage worry before bedtime (e.g., jot down things that might cause you to ruminate over night in a notebook) • Meditate or try a “Sleep story” on the Calm app. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 17
To help your brain & body differentiate Managing light for between night & day, expose yourself to bright light as soon as as you can better sleep - 1 after awakening. Even on a cloudy day, daylight can have as much as 10,000 lux. (Lux = a measure of light intensity, as perceived by the human eye.) We need between 500 to 1,000 lux to synchronize our internal clock to the outside world. People who spend most Lux Light Meter of their day indoors have somewhere (Android) between 100 to 300 lux, which is not enough to activate melanopsin (light- sensing cells in the retina that tell the My Lux Recorder brain whether it’s night or day). (Apple) These free phone apps can tell how many lux you’re getting exposed to. Try this fun & fascinating experiment! (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 18
Nighttime is a different story. Our body is Managing light designed to have less than 20 lux at night (candlelight is 1 to 2 lux). A modern home can have 100-200 lux of light. A grocery store has for better sleep - 2 1,000 lux of light. This can disrupt our sleep. To improve sleep quantity & quality: • Reduce bright light exposure in the evening. (Shop during the day.) • Keep bedroom dimly lit. (Try blue-light-free light bulbs.) • Don’t watch anything highly stimulating on TV. Avoid exciting video games. • Don’t look at screens for at least 1 hour before you go to bed (computers, phones, tablets, etc.) • If you need to do so, wear blue-light blocking glasses. • And install blue-light blockers on computer & phone. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 19
How to improve circadian health: Eat Eating & drinking all our calories within a limited window of time supports circadian health. This is called time-restricted feeding, a.k.a. intermittent fasting. The average person eats over a 15-hour or longer period each day, starting with milk and coffee shortly after rising and ending with a glass of wine, a late-night meal or a handful of chips, nuts or some other snack shortly before bed. However, studies have shown that when mice and humans eat in a time window ranging from 6 to 11 hours, their health improves. That’s because the organs involved in digesting and metabolizing food – pancreas, liver, gut, microbiome – work best during the day and stop working after 10 pm. (c) Conner Middelmann, Modern Mediterranean LLC 20
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