The #1 Most Important Factor for Optimal Energy Levels – Your Circadian Rhythm

The Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2017 was won by researchers studying circadian rhythm and how important circadian rhythm is for optimal health. But in our current world, it's really easy for us to diverge from the way nature intended our bodies to actually work. So for thousands of years, humans woke up with the sun or before the sun even. They ate their biggest meal midday when their digestion was strongest. They moved their body, they labored throughout the day, and then they didn't really eat much after sunset because if they had food out at night after the sunset, that was going to attract nocturnal predators. So besides a fire, they didn't have other lights. So they maybe they told stories around a campfire, but they didn't really like stay up that much later than when the sun went down. And this was all part of our evolution. And it's only very, very recently that our society has changed so many of these things. So with the Industrial Revolution, which was only Like 100 years ago, a little bit over 100 years ago, many people moved from the farms to the factories and they pushed their biggest meal to the evening rather than having their biggest meal midday. And then more recently with the tech boom and jobs becoming more like office jobs and more sedentary, and most of them are indoors as well. And then even more recently than that, bedtimes have become even later. Especially with the start of working from home during the pandemic, wake times got later as well. So people could wake up right before work, hop on their computer. They don't need to be anywhere before that. So it's like, oh, I wake up at 8:45 and hop on my computer at 9:00. So these are big, big changes. Most people think that circadian rhythms only have to do with sleep quality, but they also have to do with wakefulness, alertness, mood regulation, Microbiome health, anxiety relief, metabolism, weight homeostasis, and so many other things. So in order to feel really top-notch physically, in order to experience optimal mental health, perform at your best at work or play, syncing with your circadian rhythm is really crucial. And it's not just about getting enough sleep, it's about finding regularity in your schedule and in your health habits. And it's actually the main reason that consistent habits are so important. You're literally syncing your body with how it's actually meant to function.