Page 10 - Boca Exposure - December '23

Page 10, Boca Exposure
Healthy Answers – A Guide To Healthy Living:

‘Shades Up … Or Shades Down?’

By Dale Brown, B.S., from energy conservation, reduced traffic accidents, increased my next flight. It was 8 a.m. and, as crazy as it sounds, all
M.A., C.E.C. Dale is a social activities (dining, shopping) and, of course, playing nine I wanted was pizza and a cold beer. Not exactly my idea
motivational speaker more holes of golf in the early evening. of a healthy breakfast. After 36 hours of travel, my internal
who has spent many That being said, there is much more associated with clock didn’t know or care what the local time was.
years as a Certified Life changing time zones than a slight adjustment to your So, what can be done to align our eating habits with
Coach and has written sleeping schedule. It seems like a simple thing to abruptly our circadian time clock?
numerous articles and change your clock by one hour. But this shift in time can One method, which is growing in popularity, is time-
e-books relating to self- disrupt the alignment of circadian rhythms, often referred restricted eating (TRE), better known as intermittent
improvement and ways to to as the body’s internal clock. You may not even be aware fasting. The concept is to restrict the eating window to
build a high-performance it’s happening, but your circadian clock plays a crucial a certain amount of time during the day, about four to12
team. She is the author of role in regulating a variety of physiological, behavioral hours. For example, let’s say you choose to eat all meals
the book, Small Steps... and biochemical processes in your body. and snacks from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Your fasting period
Big Changes: The Personal Stories of a Life Coach. During the time it takes to fully adjust to time changes, actually happens overnight. There are other windows you
Her education and years of experience in physical circadian rhythms may be temporarily misaligned, can devise that will suit your particular schedule. Research
fitness and training of elite athletes has enabled her to leading to variations in the secretion of such hormones suggests that this method optimizes brain function and
sharpen her knowledge in many health-related areas. as melatonin and cortisol. People may experience a brief energy metabolism. Eating on a regular schedule is also
The following introduces a new approach to Brown’s increase in fatigue or irritability when they lose an hour beneficial to reduce the risk of health issues such as
series of columns devoted to many topics that deal with of sleep in the spring. In the fall, the extra hour of sleep obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
the mind/body connection and the importance of living may lead to a slight improvement in mood and alertness. Other considerations when facing significant time
a healthy lifestyle. Studies have suggested that time changes may have changes, such as long-distance travel, is to gradually
Here we go again, dark at 5:30 p.m. I don’t know short-term impacts on health, including an increase in the adjust your meal times to be on the same local time.
about you, but I’m not a fan of daylight savings (DST) number of accidents, cardiovascular events, and even a I know this from traveling abroad in the years I was a
time, nor is my cat! People claim to get an extra hour temporary uptick in the risk of stroke. gymnastic judge. It would be crucial for the gymnasts and
of sleep, and the early morning sun suits them just fine. For some individuals, the shift in the time associated myself to assume the new time zone as soon as possible.
To me there are fewer daylight hours in the evening to with Daylight Savings Time may intensify symptoms of It’s best not to think about what time it is at home; rather
play outdoor sports, go for a walk or to the beach. Not seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression change your clock and accept what it is now.
to mention the fact that I’m not an early riser, and a dark that occurs during specific seasons, often in the fall and Exposure to natural light, especially in the morning,
room is conducive to sleeping in. winter. The reduction in daylight hours and disrupted sleep can help reset the circadian clock and support the
The reason behind DST is diverse. In the past I was told it patterns can worsen these symptoms. adjustment of eating habits. Adequate hydration is
had to do with the farming industry, or because parents didn’t Interruptions to your biological clock also occur as also essential to help digestion and overall well-being.
like their children waiting for a bus in the dark. But nowadays a result of jet lag, shift work or lack of daylight hours. Prioritizing nutrient-dense foods and maintaining a
it’s more about economics and quality of life. Reasons range Sudden changes in time can lead to irregular meal timing balanced diet is beneficial for overall health, even in the
and, in some cases, skipped meals. This can affect the face of changes in eating patterns.
body’s ability to maintain stable blood sugar levels and Regardless of your preferences for how you like to set
may contribute to feelings of fatigue and irritability. your clock, DST is not our decision to make. That choice
If you’ve ever traveled to Australia, China, or anywhere lies with our government. So, until things change we need
that crossed a number of different time zones, you know to understand that our bodies must adapt to these disruptions
how messed up you feel and off kilter your appetite is. I in our circadian rhythms gracefully. My advice is to just go
remember an instance that happened upon my return from with the flow and not fight the clock. Explain that to my
Indonesia. I arrived in L.A. airport with time to kill before cat, Mickie, who is still waking me up an hour earlier!

Holiday SAT, JAN 27, 2024 • 10AM-2PM

activities!

Stay tuned for dates and details on
Holiday festivities at the museum.

• Gingerbread Cookie Decorating
• Holiday Music Circle A celebration of real heroes, princess
• Grinchmas and fairytale characters, and superheroes
• Professional Storyteller - Trixie the
Holiday Pixie Boynton Beach Amphitheatre in Centennial Park
• Fabulous Fun Friday - Holiday Theme book
reading
• And much more...

Come Play

With Us!