Circadian Health: Aligning our daily routines with natural circadian rhythms can enhance our health and wellbeing, reducing the risks of modern lifestyle-related diseases.
Understanding and respecting our body's internal circadian rhythms is vital for our health and wellbeing. These rhythms influence everything from when we should eat to when we should sleep. However, modern lifestyles disrupt these natural patterns due to artificial light, constant snacking, and indoor living, which can lead to health problems. It's essential to align our routines more closely with natural cycles, like sunrise and sunset, to promote better physical and mental health. By adjusting our habits and being mindful of our body's cues, we can improve our overall vitality and potentially mitigate the risks of diseases linked to circadian disruption. It's a call to reconnect with nature and our bodies for a healthier life, especially as we age.
Circadian Rhythms: Our circadian rhythms vary by person and affect health. Eating during daylight, getting morning light, and respecting natural patterns can improve well-being and longevity.
Our bodies have unique circadian rhythms that can vary from person to person, influenced by factors like our ancestry and exposure to light. These rhythms are vital for our health, affecting everything from our sleep patterns to digestion. Eating within a 10-hour window during daylight can help align our internal clocks, promoting better metabolic health and gut microbiome balance. People can benefit from morning sunlight to reset their clocks. While some may thrive as night owls, it's important to listen to our bodies and respect our natural rhythms. Using light therapy can also enhance mood and energy levels, particularly during darker months. Ultimately, tuning into our body’s natural rhythms and routines can lead to greater well-being and longevity.
Morning Light's Impact: Morning light is crucial for regulating our internal clocks, affecting stress and sleep. Even if not at sunrise, getting sunlight helps. Estrogen levels also influence circadian rhythms, particularly for women as they age. Embracing daylight can boost health and wellness.
Getting morning light is vital for our well-being. It helps regulate our body's internal clocks, impacting stress levels and sleep quality. Even a few hours after sunrise can be beneficial, as natural light helps our brains produce important neurotransmitters. Wearing sunglasses can block essential signals to our body, so it's good to soak in daylight whenever possible. Hormones like estrogen also play a role in our circadian rhythms, with higher levels making them stronger. As women age and estrogen declines, their rhythms may weaken, affecting sleep patterns. Overall, embracing natural light and understanding our body's rhythms can enhance our health and daily routine.
Circadian Harmony: To improve health, align your sleeping patterns with your body's natural rhythms. Avoid irregular schedules and consider short naps for better rest. Prioritize consistent wake-up times to reduce social jet lag and support overall well-being, especially during menopause and aging.
Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm is essential for good health, especially as women age and face changes like menopause. Disruptions in sleep patterns due to alarm clocks and erratic eating can lead to metabolic diseases and cognitive decline. It's important to find your natural sleep schedule and stick to it, allowing your body to rest when it needs to. Short naps can be beneficial if done correctly. Instead of catching up on sleep during weekends, aim for consistent wake-up times to reduce social jet lag and improve overall well-being. Prioritize listening to your body's signals to sleep and wake without artificial constraints, embracing a better rhythm for health and longevity.
Timing Matters: Eating earlier in the day and timing medications can greatly affect health, sleep, and healing. Small changes in habits lead to better wellness.
Eating patterns can have a profound impact on our health, particularly concerning when we eat throughout the day. Research shows that consuming most calories earlier can help manage our weight and support our body's natural rhythms. Late-night snacks, especially those high in sugar or carbohydrates, can disrupt our sleep, insulin levels, and overall metabolic health. Additionally, timing matters when it comes to medications, such as painkillers and anti-inflammatories. Taking pain medication at night can alleviate discomfort when we're more sensitive to pain, while anti-inflammatories might be better taken during the day to allow the body to heal properly through natural inflammation. By changing when we eat and manage medications, we can potentially improve our health outcomes significantly. Paying attention to small habits like these can lead to better sleep, improved recovery, and long-term wellness.
Light Hygiene: Adjusting light exposure with simple hacks like using blue light blocking glasses and warm lighting can enhance sleep quality, support circadian rhythms, and improve overall health.
Our daily light exposure significantly affects our health and sleep quality. By using tools like blue light blocking glasses in the evening and opting for warm lighting, we can enhance our circadian rhythm. Simple practices, such as dimming lights and using warmer bulbs, create a cozy environment that supports better sleep, overall wellness, and even potentially influences our metabolism. Strategies like these, which some athletes and health-conscious individuals are adopting, show how thoughtful use of light can promote relaxation and well-being. Trends such as ‘sleepy time milk’, produced from cows milked at night, further illustrate the connection between our bodies’ rhythms and the natural world. Balance between light exposure and darkness is crucial for optimal health, and nurturing this connection can lead to improved sleep and longer, healthier lives.
Don't make these body clock mistakes, with Lynne Peeples
The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show
437 Episodes
Recent Episodes from The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show
Why relationships fail in midlife, with Anna Williamson
How do you feel about your relationship - or relationship status - right now? Therapist Anna Williamson joins Liz to reveal how to successfully navigate romantic relationships in midlife.
Anna, who you may recognise from Channel 4 series Celebs Go Dating, shares her top tips for midlife women who want to dip their toes into the dating pool, and Liz discusses her own experience of looking for love online.
They also cover the importance of dating outside of your 'type', and Anna reveals the key difference between a successful and unsuccessful she sees time and time again in her role as a therapist.
Liz and Anna also discuss how we can successfully navigate periods of change, such as menopause, children leaving home, and retirement, how to identify abusive patterns, and the three questions to ask yourself before leaving a relationship.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Follow Anna Williamson on Instagram
- Listen to the LuAnna podcast
- Listen to the Experian Cost of Loving podcast
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't make these body clock mistakes, with Lynne Peeples
Are you a morning lark or night owl? Investigative journalist Lynne Peeples joins Liz to explore the fascinating science of circadian rhythms and how surprising aspects of modern lifestyles might be threatening our internal body clocks.
Lynne reveals whether we should live according to sunrise and sunset, the optimal eating windows for circadian hygiene, and how becoming more in tune with our body clocks can help weight management and sleep.
Liz and Lynne also talk through the links between fluctuating oestrogen levels and disrupted circadian rhythms in menopause and midlife.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Visit Lynne's website and buy The Inner Clock
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is ultra-processed food changing your brain? - with Lucinda Miller
Are ultra-processed foods affecting our brain health? Family naturopath and functional medicine practitioner Lucinda Miller joins Liz on this podcast to reveal how what we put into our mouths influences what happens in our brains.
Lucinda talks Liz through the links between ultra-processed foods and how they may affect our character, attention and behaviour. Plus, they discuss the emerging science surrounding the genetic components of conditions such as ADHD.
And Lucinda also reveals the key foods for brain health and overall wellbeing for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. This episode also explores the potential benefits of botanicals such as saffron and lion's mane for neurodivergent brains.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Follow Lucinda on Instagram
- Visit the Nature Doc website
- Purchase Brain Brilliance by Lucinda Miller
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are you drinking too much alcohol in midlife? - with Dr Nzinga Harrison
With one in three women saying they drink more alcohol since becoming peri or menopausal, Dr Nzinga Harrison joins Liz on this podcast to share why she wants us to rethink what we know about drug and alcohol addiction.
In this episode, Nzinga, who is board-certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine, talks Liz through why the menopause may alter our relationship with alcohol, and emphasises that addiction is treatable and chronic, rather than being a choice or a moral failure.
Nzinga shares a four-question screener known as CAGE, which you can do yourself to identify whether you may be struggling with addiction.
They also cover how we can best support our loved ones through addiction and why language matters here.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Buy Un-Addiction by Nzinga Harrison
- Visit Nzinga's website
- Follow Nzinga on Instagram
- Visit the Eleanor Health website
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Peptides for skincare, longevity and weight loss, with Nathalie Niddam
You might be familiar with peptides as a skincare ingredient. But what about for reversing biological ageing? Nathalie Niddam, certified holistic nutritionist and epigenetic coach, joins Liz to take a deep dive into the fascinating science of peptides, and how they can help our current and future health.
Nathalie walks Liz through different kinds of peptides and each of their extraordinary benefits - from wound healing to protecting our organs. Liz and Nathalie also discuss peptide weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, plus what benefits they can have for our complexion.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Follow Nathalie on Instagram
- Listen to Nathalie's podcast, Longevity
- Visit Nathalie's website
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is your thyroid to blame for weight gain? – with Dr Amie Hornaman
You will have heard of menopause, but what about thyroid-pause? Dr Amie Hornaman, who is known as the thyroid fixer, joins Liz to help midlife women with thyroid issues get their lives back.
Amie shares her own experience of thyroid problems, and walks us through common indicators that you may have an underactive or overactive thyroid, such as weight struggles, hair changes or brain fog.
And Amie also reveals why thyroid issues are far more common in midlife than you might think, and shares lifestyle changes that may help here.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Follow Amie on Instagram
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The truth about pelvic pain and menopause, with Dr Karen Tang
Did you know that 90% of women experience menstrual abnormalities or pelvic problems in their lifetime? Gynaecologist Dr Karen Tang joins Liz to share why any pain you're feeling in your pelvic area deserves to be taken seriously.
Karen reveals the reasons why we just don't know the causes of common gynaecological conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (also known as PCOS). Liz and Karen highlight medical misogyny and how we can better advocate for ourselves
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Plus, Karen also talks through the signs and symptoms of fibroids, pelvic floor dysfunction, and how all of these common issues are affected by the menopause.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Buy It's Not Hysteria by Dr Karen Tang
- Follow Karen on Instagram
- Visit Karen's website
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The secret to slowing ageing, with Sandra Kaufmann
Want to delay the ageing process? Longevity physician Sandra Kaufmann reveals how we can protect our bodies from cellular ageing and promote longevity.
In this episode, Liz and Sandra take a deep dive into how our bodies age and whether we can reverse cellular ageing.
Sandra reveals the supplements she uses to turn back the clock, calm inflammation - and even avoid a hangover from alcohol.
Meanwhile Liz questions whether there are any downsides to ‘bio-hacking’.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Follow Sandra on Instagram
- Visit the Kaufmann Protocol website
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Supplements you need in midlife, with Liz Earle
Liz Earle sits down to answer YOUR questions on which supplements you need in midlife - from magnesium to creatine and B vitamins to iron.
In this episode, Liz gives advice to Tracey on whether midlife women really need supplements and reveals her non-negotiables here, plus answers Emma's question on why creatine is a staple in her morning coffee.
Liz also delves into magnesium to help Sarah pick the right type for her, and shares pointers with Paula to ensure she's getting enough iron in midlife.
The episode also answers Susie and Caroline's queries on B vitamins and testing.
Have a burning question for Liz? Get in touch at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
- For a full list of links mentioned in the episode and Liz's favourite supplements head to: www.lizearlewellbeing.com/podcast/the-supplements-you-need-in-midlife-with-liz-earle
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How much protein midlife women really need, with Caoileann Murphy
Are you struggling to hit your protein goals or confused by how much to aim for? Registered dietician Caoileann Murphy joins Liz to lift the lid on whether we really need to eat more protein in midlife to promote healthy ageing.
Caoileann reveals the best protein sources for meat eaters and those following a plant-based diet, and why it is more than just our muscles that need this macronutrient.
She also shares a simple sum to help you work out your personal protein goal and gives her take on protein powders.
Plus, Liz and Caoileann discuss how we can prevent and even reverse sarcopenia, and they answer questions from the audience on portion size and getting enough protein through the day.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Purchase A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Email us your questions at podcast@lizearlewellbeing.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.