The Three Cycles of the body within a 24 hour period.
Is there an optimal time to eat our meals? I would say that based on what we’ve learned about the three cycles that the body goes through within a 24 hour period – yes. I’ll note here that in this group we try to share what is optimal for our health based on the knowledge that we’ve learned through studying Natural Hygiene. However, just because something is ideal, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we must do things only in that particular way, or that we are a failure if we do not, it just means that we learn what is optimal, and we strive for that as we go along but it is okay to tailor the information to our individual situations. We are all about learning to transition properly because when we properly transition we build long lasting sustainable habits instead of forcing ourselves into perfection only to find ourselves crashing later on. It’s easier to get back on track when our deviations are small and less harmful compared with when we blow it big time and turn to the foods that cause the most harm to the body.
The body is always cleaning & healing itself, it never takes a break, that’s what it was designed to do. The body creates symptoms in an effort to heal itself just as the body is always digesting, and our kidneys are always filtering (to various degrees) the body never stops working for us. Learning about the body’s natural cycles can help us to become more in tune with ourselves so that we can work with the body instead of against it. Health results over time as we learn how to apply the correct conditions for the body to thrive.
The ideal eating window for optimal digestion is between 12pm and 8pm because this is the body’s natural digestive cycle. This doesn’t mean that we cannot, or should not, eat before noon, this just means that the body has optimal digestive times where during the digestive cycle window digestion is at its strongest. These are the three cycle phases that the body enters during a 24 hour period.
1. Digestion phase
2. Assimilation phase
3. Elimination phase
The digestive phase takes place between 12pm-8pm. This is the optimal time that the body directs energy towards digestion because digestion is at its strongest. This is likely why many people suggest eating only during daylight hours. When we combine our foods properly, or eat mono-meals, this leads to optimal digestion, assimilation and elimination. The simpler the more optimal.
The Assimilation phase occurs approximately 8pm-4am which is why it is important for optimal health and our digestion to stop eating earlier than 8pm if possible. I try to eat earlier dinners most days for optimal digestion & assimilation. I like to end my evening meal by 7pm to ensure that my evening meal is digested before the body enters the assimilation phase.
The elimination phase occurs between 4am and 12pm. This is why I try not to eat earlier than noon, and when I do on occasion, it’s something simple, watery, & easy to digest such as fruit. During the first couple years of my own transition, I remember that I couldn’t stand waiting to eat past 9am which turned into 10am, 11am and today it is comfortable to wait until I am naturally hungry. The elimination phase can feel very uncomfortable for people that eat less than ideal foods regularly, or for people that have a lot of internal waste that the body attempts to eliminate during this time. Our eliminations can feel uncomfortable which will often bring on the urge to eat so that the uncomfortable symptoms associated with elimination are suppressed. This is precisely why many eat a large non-ideal breakfast very early in the morning. Some people notice bloating or gas issues when they eat early in the morning. This is likely because the body is not ready for digestion yet, so the digestive system can be slower and oftentimes sluggish.
Below is a comment that Lauren Whiteman wrote about the 3 phases:👇
“During these different phases the bacteria in our digestive tract changes. The ideal is to eat during the digestive cycle because then the food is most fully and efficiently digested leaving little burden and waste for the body to clean up (assuming it’s food appropriate to our system)”. ~Lauren W.
When we design our eating window during the optimal 8 hour digestive cycle, you may notice that you feel most energetic before we eat our first meal of the day. For myself, the most productive part of my day is from 8am until I eat my first meal!
Digestion is a complex task, and is a major energy drain on the body which is why we can feel cold, or tired after eating a large, less than ideal meal. When we eat foods that require longer digestive periods, then the body will direct its energy to the digestive process instead of using that energy to clean & repair itself.
This reminds me of a quote by Herbert Shelton “Life should be built on the conservation of energy”.
The less ideal the food is, the more energy required for digestion.
When we eat optimal foods between 12pm-8pm, such as fruits, greens, easy to digest veggies for example, the body will have more energy available for healing & elimination of wastes instead of that energy being used up for digestion.
I’m not saying that we should never eat before noon, because that would be unrealistic for many people, I just wanted to share the natural cycles of the body & the phases that the body enters for information purposes.
Looking back, I can see why, it was because my body was eliminating and it felt so uncomfortable because I had a lot of excess waste, and I was full of toxins! Overtime, I began to feel calmer, more balanced, less headaches- and I gradually stretched my eating window back further to 10:30, then to 11, then to noon!
When we eat, we suppress our uncomfortable eliminations because the body directs its energy towards digestion – I once read that the body cannot engage in two complex tasks simultaneously which is why I imagine that the intelligent body divides its time wisely and adheres to these cycles for its benefit.
Take your time with building your health & healthy habits. Enjoy the process, and realize that overtime, as the body becomes cleaner through healthier dietary/lifestyle choices, it naturally becomes easier for us to begin our first meal around noon or later during the body’s optimal digestive phase.
I really wish I had more information to study on these three cycles. As I uncover more information, I will share it here. If you would like to join our Terrain Model Support Group, go to www.therawkey.com to sign up. Our support group shares valuable information such as this daily and teaches you how to build your health. They are ongoing monthly and only $20 to join. We also supply a complete recipes guide, unlimited Q&A and so much more.
Mariah 🍓 Heal Thyself
Healthy Self…
