By Crystal Linn

Once again we are celebrating Thanksgiving, this special time of year when we acknowledge the good in our lives and give thanks for our blessings.

Have you ever considered being thankful for the miracle of the human body? One of the best examples of this is the precision of the circadian rhythm.

Located within the hypothalamus, deep in the brain, is a cluster of nerve cells which acts like a 24-hour clock controlling the main cycles and functions of both body and brain. This cluster was given the scientific name suprachiasmatic nucleus, with the nickname of SCN. This SCN acts like a central clock working with other, peripheral clocks, located in key areas throughout the body like the heart, liver and lungs. These clocks work together to keep the body and brain functions synchronized.

Practically every living organism has a circadian rhythm from humans to animals and plants to microorganisms.

The circadian rhythm changes throughout a person’s life. Infants, children and teens all have different cycles than adults do, and when an adult ages the cycle changes yet again.

The earliest known account of a circadian cycle dates back to the fourth century B.C. when a Greek scholar, Theophrastus, wrote about a tree whose leaves closed at night and opened in the morning. Later this was identified as the tamarind tree. Chinese medical books, dated around the 13th century, discuss a biological clock in humans.

In 1959 Franz Halberg, a doctor and scientist, coined the term circadian rhythm. Circadian in Latin, combines ‘circa’ meaning around with ‘dian’ meaning daytime.

Even though these clocks, these rhythms are internal and work together they are influenced by external triggers. Light and dark are the strongest cues with dark signaling the brain to produce more melatonin and morning light signaling it to produce more serotonin. Other external influences include the timing of one’s eating and exercising. Stress and body temperature can also affect the body’s natural rhythms along with too much caffeine or alcohol.

With our modern society it is too easy to disrupt our natural circadian rhythm which can lead to serious health issues. A few examples are hormonal changes, digestion concerns and sleep disorders. Other examples are diabetes, mood disorders and memory loss.

The good news is that the human circadian rhythm is not set in stone, and it is easy to reset one’s internal clock. The key issue is consistency.

It is even possible to go from a night owl to a morning lark, or for a person to set their cycle for later in the day. The three simplest ways to reset one’s clock are to change the amount of light the eyes receive, eating times and exercise times.

To move the circadian rhythm forward, add more bright light earlier in the mornings. Sunlight is ideal but any form of light therapy will work. Then earlier in the evening lower the light sources, especially blue light. Eat your first meal of the day earlier and exercise earlier in the day. The opposite works as well. To reset the SCN master clock for later, wait before exposing the eyes to bright morning light and eat that first meal later as well as exercising later in the day. Again, consistency is the key.

We value all reader input so email us at Info@WellnessWithAge. I personally reply to each email.