No1 Health Choice
What would you say is the No1 lifestyle choice to maximise health?
Would you choose diet or exercise?
I would choose circadian rhythm.
Why, as it has a greater impact on all aspects of how the brain and body function. It impacts how you make and balance hormones, the immune system ability to protect you, how well you digest the food you eat.
How well you handle exercise and how well you sleep each night. How well you heal and maintain every cell in your brain and body and how well those cells, tissues and organs do their designated functions.
The key to improving and optimising circadian rhythm is linked to light and dark. More outdoor time where you receive more sunlight through all phases of the day from sunrise to sunset, then the darkness of your night.
What impacts a healthy circadian rhythm?
A lack of sunlight throughout the day and too much artificial light from all and any sources, including screens and indoor LED lights after dark.
Conditions linked to circadian rhythm disruption include neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, ADHD, learning and behaviour. Mental health challenges of depression and anxiety. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s. Also linked are metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer and conditions like epilepsy and cluster migraines.
Due to poor circadian rhythm disputing hormone production and balance, challenges with the menstrual cycle can be present leading to conditions like PCOS, infertility, thyroid issues and early perimenopause.
The vast and wide ranging impact on the brain and the body is why I would choose circadian rhythm as my No1 lifestyle choice on health. The best thing about this is that spending time outdoors during the day is free and turning off unnecessary lights and screens at night will save your electricity bill, not to mention allow you to get off to bed at a more routine time so you can sleep like a champion, awake refreshed the next morning to take on the day better prepared.
What choices could you make each day or night to improve your circadian rhythm and allow the benefits to flow onto your health?
