“In order to understand how your schedule already affects your health, you first need to know what that schedule is.
Second, you need to ask two basic questions:
1) Am I getting seven hours of uninterrupted sleep when it’s dark outside?
2) Am I doing almost all of my eating when it’s light outside? Most people cannot answer yes to either of those questions. And that’s a problem.”
Many of the concepts covered in this book regularly roll around in my thoughts months after reading. I am always looking for more energy, improved health, and a way to age gracefully, so I enjoyed this book.
The authors, Suhas Kshirsagar with Michelle Seaton, provide helpful advice on how to sleep more deeply, eat more mindfully, energize your body through exercise, and make adjustments with seasonal changes to support your body’s circadian rhythm.
I had only a minimal understanding of Ayurveda before this book. I’m sure there is a lot more to learn, but this exposed me to the basics.
“Ayurveda stresses that all of your behaviors, including diet, rest, and exercise, must work together with your master internal clock to keep the body functioning well. It also teaches how to achieve a mind-body connection so that you can stay in touch with what your body needs throughout the day. In fact, Ayurveda is sometimes called the original lifestyle medicine.”
Suhas and Michelle share patient examples and provide references if the reader wants even more.
The advice provided is familiar, but it’s always good to be reminded, and the explanations are helpful and motivating.
I like that they gave a few things to focus on at the start. They said if I do nothing else,
- Get to sleep at a set time every night, ideally by 10:30 PM
- Eat your largest meal of the day at noon
- Exercise first thing in the morning.
If any of these three is particularly challenging, perhaps it would be good to find a mini habit.
Other basics they recommend are to:
- Stop Counting Calories
- Become an Early Eater
- Give up Late Night TV
- Exercise Before Breakfast
If energy is your primary goal, focus on the body’s clock. The minimal focus areas are:
- Consistent Bedtime
- Daily Exercise
- No Late Night Snacks
“We all need exercise every day, but we don’t all need the same amount or the same level of exertion.”
