By Geeta Chopra
Do you have a daily routine for your health?
The power of a consistent routine cannot be underestimated. Your body benefits tremendously from a healthy, reliable routine, in fact in Ayurveda, it is said that the number one weapon we have against preventing disease is a daily routine that we don’t deviate from over years. The mind body connection is at work here, and your body clock needs it to produce the maximum amount of energy at any given time.
Your body expects food at the same time every day. If you ate lunch yesterday at 12:00pm, your body will prepare to launch enzymes at the exact same time today! When you don’t eat at that time your body gets confused. The stomach acid which consists of enzymes and acid, gets released into the blood stream – and then get wasted. Your body produces less enzymes and acid as you get older, so wasting them is not a wise thing to do. If you knew how valuable your stomach acid is, you would never waste it again! Lately we have heard of hyaluronic acid in beauty products – and this is hyaluronic the same thing I am referring to. Your stomach produces it for free. You age faster when you don’t keep a routine, because of this wastage. Further to this, when your body doesn’t get food at the same time, it eats its own stomach lining.
This is why some people complain of acid reflux, burning, indigestion, and eventually ulcers. Your stomach acid requires food – but has to wait. An empty stomach full of enzymes lead to leaky gut, systemic inflammation, indigestion, and ulcers to say the least. Try to be consistent. Sometimes people eat late, eat at different times, don’t eat at all, all of which are terrible things to do to your immune system. Eighty percent of your immune system lives in your GI tract, so it’s important to keep it strong and regulated. Routine is the first step and foundation to good health. A lot of solutions to common modern western diseases is to simply maintain a healthy eating routine. It’s important to eat meals at the same time everyday no matter what. When the sun is the strongest, you should eat your heaviest meal. Lunch should be between 12:00pm to 2:00pm as a result, and should be your largest meal every day. Most people make dinner their largest meal, and this is erroneous.
Getting up at the same time everyday is equally important. Your body needs to follow a routine to avoid sluggishness. If you sleep in a couple of days a week, and get up early the remainder of the days; your mind will be telling your stomach to prepare enzymes for breakfast, but your body will be sleeping, therefore wasting those enzymes and confusing your body clock again. Another huge problem is when you sleep in late, you are typically not as hungry when you first wake up, since half of your enzymes are burnt off. Half the day is over. Stomach acid works in conjunction with the sun and is always stronger earlier in the day. When you wake up late, you miss that opportunity. Then later towards the evening and nighttime, you are more hungry, because you didn’t get enough protein during the day. Your body tries to make up for it. However, you find that you now have indigestion; your food isn’t digesting as nicely. The imbalance between the mind and body grow as the body isn’t hungry but the mind thinks otherwise. Eating late is very bad for your gallbladder and liver. You have virtually no stomach acid at night, and all means should be completed by 8:00pm everyday.
Vitamins should also be taken at the same time every day for the same reason. Studies have shown that if vitamins are taken at the same time every day, they are better absorbed and are more impactful in the long run. The same holds true for exercise. You need the same gaps between exercise time daily. For example, if you exercise one day in the morning, then the next day at night, you will confuse your muscles and overthrow the mind body connection. When its time to rest, you body will prepare to work out, and vice versa.
It’s similar to not having a routine for your job. If they call you in any time, without notice and expect you to be on point, eventually you will get weary and burnt out. This is exactly what happens to your body when you have no routine. It’s a punishment to the system, and causes premature aging. Your mind and body will be out of balance, and this where disease is born. Once in a while if you are travelling, an exception can be made. However, the power of a daily routine under normal circumstances cannot be underestimated. I tried this myself, and noticed a conspicuous difference in my mental alertness, digestion, energy levels, and even mood. And my liver is happier! It truly works.
Geeta Chopra is the television host of ‘The Geeta Chopra Show.’ She is a health and wellness coach who helps people heal from their root. She is in the process of writing two books, and gives talks on the subject matter. The approach she uses is influenced by Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree from George Washington University. She is also the owner of a real estate development company. Follow her on YouTube to watch her latest TV episodes on various natural healing modalities including gut health, pranayama, the mind-body connection, organ detoxification, rejuvenation, and much more. Her book, “To Every Gastroenterologist in America: What You Didn’t Learn and Med School and to Every Patient Who Becomes Their Victim,” is launching in 2020. Follow her on YouTube to get a free copy. Be the best version of yourself!
