The 3 Body Cycles and Why They Matter

Did you know that your body runs to three 8-hour cycles per day?

And do you know what they are and why it pays to work with them? Yes / No? Well, you will do in a moment!

The following information is invaluable. Although the basic teaching has Ayurvedic roots and therefore is thousands of years old, I first came across it about 14 years ago in the bestselling health classic Fit for Life (now out of print), and it made complete sense - as it still does now. Utilising this knowledge throughout my own healthy eating/ raw food journey has made all the difference, and I still for the most part live in tune with these 3 cycles to this very day. I make sure that all of my clients are aware of this information before we begin menu planning - it makes all the difference to them, and it will make all the difference to you too. Just try it and see!

Let's begin this mini teach-in by naming these 3 cycles. They are:

1) Elimination     2) Appropriation     3) Assimilation

Although the body can be eating, digesting, using food and cleaning all at the same time to varying degrees, it has been found that from approximately 4am until noon, the body is cleansing itself (eliminating) - this is why, for example, people wake up with headaches, crusty eyes, furred tongues and so on - this is the debris coming out. It makes most sense for the body to be doing its housecleaning while we are asleep, because it's then that we are not exerting any extra energy and can let nature take its course.

During this first 8 hour period, the best foods we can possibly eat (if we want to) are fruits or fruit, veg or green juices, because they require minimal digestion and are the only foods which have been found not to interfere with this cleansing process. Therefore the ideal scenario is to try and incorporate as much fresh fruit or juice into your morning routine and slowly cut down (and ideally out) on other items. Basically, as soon as you eat anything else, the cleansing stops. I'm convinced that my keeping to this routine for so long is largely responsible for keeping my weight low and my energy high. And you just feel so clean too!

The second eight hour cycle, appropriation, is between noon and 8pm which, when you think about it, is when most of us eat our two main meals of the day - lunch and dinner. This is the time when the body is most efficient at digesting and dealing with foods. It's also the time when we are burning them up the fastest because we're at our most active. As long as we are eating according the dictates of our appetite, we should be merrily refuelling and burning, refuelling and burning in a fairly steady and comfortable way, which makes for a really comfortable feeling in the body and a great relationship with food! Eating when one is truly hungry can take a bit of getting used to, but is far more enjoyable than eating just because the clock dictates it's lunchtime. And it makes so much sense!

The third cycle, appropriation, is the time for utilising the food you have consumed during the day. Assimilation takes place between (approximately) 8pm and 4am, i.e. the time you’re most likely to be relaxed, asleep or least active. During this time the body can get to work drawing all of the goodness out of your food from the day, and working on healing and rebuilding. As this phase starts drawing to a close it leads neatly back into the first cycle, cleansing, as it gets rid of everything it doesn't need.

By working in conjunction with these cycles, you will become much more aware of how real they are. If you are trying to lose weight, making full use of the elimination cycle especially is going to be a tremendous help to you as you'll not only be extending the cleansing cycle to its maximum, but you'll also be giving yourself the opportunity to really earn your lunch! This whole concept is one of my favourites, it makes so much sense intellectually, but as with all of these things, the proof of the pudding is in the... (eating, digesting...!)

Comments

[mike wheeler]

Hi Karen
Fit For Life book by Harvey Diamond is in print now and available from Amazon . i just ordered a copy
Mike Wheeler

[ElizabethSelig]

It makes me smile so brightley to read this. I had been studying ayurveda on my own for over 8 years and am currently in rolled in a 2 year ayurvedic study. I always look for easy ways to explain what I am learning to my friends and family. The elements and fuctions of the day are my favorite! Thank you so much. You are Amazing!