There is a rhythm to almost everything in life, and especially in our bodies. Knowing the rhythms of certain things can give us a lot of information. If we know what to look for that is. If we look closer at Traditional Chinese Medicine we find the Organ Clock, and it can help us getting some useful information.
Although the Organ Clock is not used in western medicine, "[Joseph] Takahashi and colleagues stated in a 2013 article that "almost every cell in the body contains a circadian clock." For example, these clocks, called peripheral oscillators, have been found in the adrenal gland, oesophagus, lungs, liver, pancreas, spleen, thymus, and skin."[1]
So, what does the Organ Clock tell us? It shows us when different organs in the body are very active. For instance, a lot of organs are doing their "house cleaning" during the night when we are asleep. It's the only time they are not frantically trying to accommodate our demands, and so they have some time to clean house and prepare for the next day. OK, so how can this help us?
Let's take a look at the liver. According to the Organ Clock it is the most busy during 1-3am at night. (Assuming you go to bed around 10-11pm.) If things are running smooth in the liver, you will never notice that it is working at all. However, if the liver is a bit backed up from too much stuff it has to detox, (ex:pesticides, pollution, medication, hormones, alcohol) the cleaning process will not be smooth. You might wake up during this time at night and feel very warm, and not feel very well. The liver can raise body temperature quite a bit as it is trying to burn through our garbage. Maybe you know the feeling of having been out partying and waking up really hot and sweaty in the middle of the night. It most likely is your liver trying to get rid of all that alcohol.
So, if you find yourself waking up often at the same time at night, check out what the Organ Clock says. Which organ is the most busy at that time, and how do you think this could relate to you and your lifestyle? Start taking some notes, and see what you can learn from the information gathered. It is of course no precise medicine, but I have found it a very useful indicator on many occasions.
It's 2 am. I know what my liver is up to. Do you know what yours is up to?
😉
P.S. Also, a BIG thanks to all of you who came and listened to my talk "Walk of Health". It was a blast! For those of you who signed up, you will have the keynotes from the talk within the next few days.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710582/
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm
Osteopathy, sports massage and functional nutrition in Haarlem. Taking care of zombies to olympians since 2007.