Why do you feel TIRED and LAZY all the time? The Circadian Code //Satchin Panda(PhD)

Summary

This video explores the impact of circadian rhythms on health, drawing insights from 'Circadian Code' by Dr. Sachin Panda. It highlights the importance of a timed eating window for weight loss and disease prevention, even with unhealthy diets. The script also addresses the role of light exposure in regulating sleep cycles and offers practical tips to reset the circadian clock. Lastly, it delves into optimal exercise timing and duration for health benefits, emphasizing the connection between nutrition, sleep, and physical activity.

Takeaways

• 🛏️ Despite sleeping over eight hours, waking up tired can be a sign of circadian rhythm misalignment.
• ⚖️ Struggling to lose weight even with healthy eating and exercise may be due to inconsistent eating patterns rather than diet quality.
• 💤 Feeling exhausted during the day and struggling to fall asleep at night can result from circadian clock disruptions.
• 🧬 The circadian clock controls many bodily functions, including metabolism, sleep, and energy levels.
• 🐁 An experiment with mice showed that eating within a limited time window led to better health outcomes, even with an unhealthy diet.
• ⏳ Timing matters: Eating within a 12 to 16-hour fasting window can improve weight loss, fat loss, and overall health.
• 🌞 Exposure to natural light during the day and avoiding screens at night helps regulate the circadian clock.
• 🌡️ Cooler room temperatures and taking a hot shower before bed can improve sleep quality.
• 💧 Staying hydrated throughout the day and avoiding late-night snacks or caffeine can aid in better sleep.
• 🏋️ Exercising in the morning or late afternoon is optimal, while exercising in the evening can disrupt sleep.

Q & A

What are the common signs that your circadian rhythm might be out of sync?

Common signs include waking up tired even after eight hours of sleep, struggling to lose weight despite a healthy lifestyle, feeling exhausted and lacking energy during the day, and frequently falling sick.

What is the circadian clock, and why is it important?

The circadian clock is an internal system that regulates the timing of various biological processes, such as sleep, digestion, and metabolism. It controls the body's natural rhythms, ensuring that organs work at optimal times.

How does inconsistent eating affect health, according to the mouse experiment mentioned?

Inconsistent eating leads to weight gain and diseases, even if the diet is healthy. Mice that ate in a limited time window were healthier and more energetic, while those that ate at random times gained weight and developed conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Why is the timing of eating more crucial than the quality of food?

Studies suggest that eating within a specific time window is more important for health than just focusing on food quality. Even with a healthy diet, eating without time restrictions can lead to weight gain and health issues.

What role does light play in regulating the circadian rhythm?

Light exposure, especially blue light, plays a crucial role. Morning daylight activates melanopsin sensors that set your circadian clock for the day, while exposure to blue light at night can disrupt sleep by sending the wrong signals to your brain.

What are some practical tips for resetting your circadian clock?

Practical tips include taking morning walks in daylight, positioning your workspace near a window, avoiding screens after 6 PM, using blue light filters in the evening, and maintaining a cool sleeping environment.

How does intermittent fasting help with weight loss and overall health?

Intermittent fasting helps by limiting the time window for eating, allowing the body to optimize fat-burning processes and repair damaged cells. This approach can lead to better energy levels, weight loss, and improved metabolic health.

Why is breakfast not always necessary, and how does fasting align with early human habits?

Historically, early humans often went long periods without eating due to scarcity, making our bodies more adapted to fasting. Therefore, skipping breakfast and adopting a fasting window can be more natural for our biology.

What are the ideal times to exercise, and how does this impact health?

The best times to exercise are in the morning and late afternoon. Mornings are ideal for aerobic exercises, while late afternoons are best for strength training, when the body is most prepared for heavy work.

How does irregular sleep affect your circadian rhythm and overall health?

Irregular sleep patterns confuse the body’s circadian clock, leading to fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, and poor energy levels. Resetting your sleep cycle by adhering to consistent sleep and wake times can greatly improve health.

Outlines

00:00

🛌 Struggling with Energy and Health? Here's Why

This paragraph introduces common health issues such as feeling tired after sufficient sleep, difficulty losing weight despite a healthy lifestyle, and frequent illnesses. The author mentions discovering solutions to these problems in the book *Circadian Code* by Dr. Sachin Panda, and sets the stage to explore how our body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, plays a crucial role in our overall health.

05:02

⏰ The Importance of Circadian Rhythms and Consistent Eating

This paragraph explains the concept of the circadian clock, which regulates the body's functions, similar to work hours. The author uses an experiment with mice to demonstrate how inconsistent eating times can lead to weight gain and diseases, even when consuming the same amount of food. The key takeaway is that when you eat is as crucial as what you eat, highlighting the significance of maintaining consistent meal timings to support health.

10:04

🌙 How Inconsistent Eating Mimics Jet Lag for Your Body

This paragraph draws a parallel between the effects of jet lag on sleep and the impact of inconsistent eating times on digestion. By shifting meal times unpredictably, especially between weekdays and weekends, the body's digestive system experiences a form of 'jet lag,' leading to various health issues. The author advocates for a fasting cycle of 12 to 16 hours, known as intermittent fasting, to align with the body's natural rhythms and avoid health complications.

💤 Resetting Your Sleep Cycle for Better Health

This paragraph discusses the relationship between sleep cycles and circadian rhythms. The author explains how light exposure affects the body's internal clock and suggests several tips for improving sleep quality. These tips include getting morning sunlight, minimizing blue light exposure in the evening, and maintaining a cool bedroom temperature. The overall goal is to reset the circadian clock to ensure better sleep and overall health.

🏋️‍♂️ When and How to Exercise for Optimal Health

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of exercise for maintaining health, providing insights into the best times of day to work out. The author suggests that morning and late afternoon are ideal for different types of exercises, and that 30 minutes of exercise five days a week is sufficient for health benefits. The advice is tailored to align with the body's natural rhythms, avoiding strenuous exercise late in the day to prevent sleep disturbances.

🎬 Final Thoughts: Applying the Lessons to Improve Health

This closing paragraph summarizes the main points discussed in the video: the importance of a limited eating window, the impact of light on circadian rhythms, and the optimal times for exercise. The author encourages viewers to apply these lessons to improve their health, while reminding them to consult a doctor before making significant changes. The video ends with recommendations for further learning through related videos on sleep and meditation.

Keywords

💡Circadian Clock

The circadian clock is an internal biological system that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, and various physiological processes on a 24-hour basis. In the video, it's emphasized that every organ in the body has its own circadian clock, which controls when it functions optimally. The video explains how respecting these natural rhythms can prevent health issues such as weight gain and chronic diseases.

💡Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of eating and fasting. The video highlights that restricting eating to a specific time window (such as 8 hours) can lead to weight loss and improved health, as demonstrated in the mouse experiments. The narrator also shares her personal experience of using intermittent fasting for weight management.

💡Melanopsin

Melanopsin is a light-sensitive protein in the eye that helps regulate the circadian clock by detecting blue light. The video explains that melanopsin signals to the brain whether it’s day or night, which influences sleep patterns. Improper exposure to light, such as using screens late at night, can confuse the circadian clock and disrupt sleep.

💡Fat Burning Process

The fat burning process refers to the body's metabolic activity where stored fat is converted into energy, especially during periods of fasting. In the video, it is explained that when one stops eating in the evening, the body shifts from storing fat to burning it. However, late-night eating can disrupt this process, leading to fat accumulation.

💡Jet Lag Effect

The jet lag effect is described in the video as a metaphor for the disorientation experienced by the body's internal clocks due to irregular eating and sleeping schedules. Just as jet lag disrupts sleep after traveling across time zones, inconsistent mealtimes can confuse the body's digestive system, leading to health problems.

💡Nutrition Timing

Nutrition timing refers to when food is consumed throughout the day. The video stresses that when you eat is just as important as what you eat, with evidence from mouse studies showing that eating within a restricted time window leads to better health outcomes, even with the same diet. Timing affects metabolism, fat storage, and overall energy levels.

💡Blue Light

Blue light is a type of light emitted from screens and artificial lighting that can interfere with sleep by activating melanopsin in the brain. The video warns against blue light exposure in the evening as it can prevent the brain from recognizing that it's nighttime, thus delaying the onset of sleep and disrupting the circadian rhythm.

💡Sleep Cycle

The sleep cycle is a series of stages the body goes through during sleep, influenced by the circadian clock. The video emphasizes that maintaining a consistent sleep cycle is crucial for health, and disruptions caused by irregular light exposure or eating late can lead to exhaustion, poor recovery, and an inability to fall asleep at night.

💡Fat Storing Process

The fat storing process occurs when the body converts excess energy from food into fat for future use. The video explains how late-night eating keeps the body in fat storage mode when it should be burning fat, thus contributing to weight gain and metabolic issues.

💡Exercise Timing

Exercise timing refers to the optimal periods during the day to engage in physical activity. According to the video, morning is ideal for aerobic and stretching exercises, while the late afternoon is best for strength training because the body is more prepared for intense workouts. Exercise performed at the wrong time, especially late at night, can disrupt sleep.

Highlights

Waking up tired despite sleeping over eight hours could be linked to a disrupted circadian rhythm.

Struggling to lose weight despite healthy eating and exercising might be due to an inconsistent eating schedule.

The circadian clock controls various functions in the brain and body, and staying aligned with it is crucial for health.

An experiment with identical twin mice showed that time-restricted eating prevented weight gain and diseases, even with an unhealthy diet.

Eating within an 8-hour window led to more energy, better athletic performance, and improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Timing of meals is as important, if not more, than the type of food you eat, as shown by experiments with both unhealthy and healthy diets.

Eating late at night disrupts the body's natural fat-burning and repair processes, leading to weight gain and health issues.

A 15-hour eating window is as harmful to health as a junk food diet, highlighting the importance of a consistent eating schedule.

The sleep cycle is hardwired into our brain, and consistent exposure to natural light is essential to regulate the circadian clock.

Blue light from screens disrupts sleep by confusing the brain's understanding of day and night.

Tips to reset your circadian clock include morning walks, avoiding screens after 6 PM, and maintaining a cool bedroom temperature.

Exercise is essential, but timing matters: mornings are best for aerobic exercises, while late afternoons are ideal for strength training.

Exercise can be effective even in short sessions; 30 minutes a day, five days a week, is sufficient for health benefits.

Intermittent fasting can aid in weight loss and improve overall health by aligning eating patterns with the circadian rhythm.

The book 'Circadian Code' by Dr. Sachin Panda provides insights into how circadian rhythms influence health and wellness.

Transcripts

this video is for you if you are

experiencing some of the following

problems number one you wake up and

already feel tired despite the fact that

you just woke up and slept over eight

hours number two you struggle to lose

weight you eat healthy exercise and even

count calories but still things don't

seem to be working for you number three

you feel exhausted and sleepy you don't

have the energy for anything during the

day and when it's evening you can't fall

asleep number four you get sick very

often

recently I read a book called circadian

code by Dr Sachin Panda and found

answers to the above problems so let's

get started

we'll start with nutrition but first let

me explain what circadian clock is

because it controls everything that is

happening in your brain and body every

single thing in your life happens in

Rhythm for example you have to be at

work at a certain time and leave at a

certain time

similarly to your working hours your

brain and every single organ in your

body have working and resting hours that

are controlled by their individual

clocks also known as circadian clocks

not just humans every single animal and

plant on Earth has it unlike humans

plants and animals are very respectful

to their circadian clocks for example if

your boss expects you to be at work at

8am sharp every day you can't just show

up at random times each day just like

coming to work inconsistently will ruin

your career being inconsistent with

eating and sleeping will ruin your

health here's an experiment about the

inconsistency that personally blew my

mind

the author took two identical twin mice

and gave them the same unhealthy diet in

the same amount each day the only

difference was that one mouse was

allowed to eat whenever it wanted while

the other had to eat within an

eight-hour window the experiment lasted

for 18 weeks and the results were quite

shocking the mouse which had free access

to food gained 28 percent more weight

and developed all kinds of diseases such

as diabetes obesity fatty liver and

heart diseases

but the mouse that ate the same

unhealthy food in a controlled time

window didn't develop any of those

diseases

quite the opposite it had more energy

became more athletic had better blood

sugar and cholesterol levels here's

another surprising finding when the sick

and overweight mouse was put in the same

limited feeding cycle as its sibling the

diseases that were developed started to

disappear without any medication

not only that it also started to lose

weight and a huge portion of the weight

loss was actually fat loss which was

another interesting finding because many

times when weight loss happens along

with the fat a portion of muscle mass is

also lost however in this case it was

mainly fat that was lost

again I would like to remind you that

they both ate the same junk food in the

exact same amounts only the eating

window was different here is a question

that you might ask what would happen if

we did the same experiment but with

healthy food instead of junk food well

the author did that as well and the

results were the same the mouse that ate

in an unlimited window started to gain

weight despite the fact that the food

was healthy this was quite mind-blowing

for me personally because I thought that

weight gain and all those diseases

wouldn't happen once food is healthy but

experiments proved the opposite

regardless of how healthy your diet is

eating on an unlimited window causes

weight gain and creates diseases

this is revolutionary because it

supports the concept that when you eat

is as important or even more important

than what you eat

if you are wondering why timing matters

so much then here's the reasoning behind

on a typical day you probably start with

breakfast as soon as you finish your

breakfast your body uses some of that

food as energy and stores some of it as

fat the same process of turning food

into energy and fat continues during the

day when you eat your lunch and dinner

however after your last bite at the

dinner things start to change

your body goes low on carb and stops

storing fat your circadian clock

dramatically increases the fat burning

process and also activates the repair

and Rejuvenation mode

cells and DNA that were damaged during

the day get repaired the next day the

entire process repeats but now let us

imagine you delay your last meal and eat

quite late at night as you can see from

the graph the fat storing process gets

activated again when it shouldn't be and

the fat burning and repair process gets

deactivated when it should actually be

active for most people today the eating

period is 15 hours or more not just that

the eating period during the weekends is

different from the weekdays this creates

a jet lag effect for your digestive

organs you probably know how jet lag

ruins your sleep right for example if

you travel from Brazil at 8am to Japan

and the flight lasts let's say 12 hours

then by the time you land in Japan it

will still be 8 AM because Japan is 12

hours ahead of Brazil so as you leave

the plane your brain is expecting to

find a dark environment to go to sleep

but instead finds a very bright sky

a similar thing happens to your

digestive organs when you eat at random

times

during weekdays your body feels like

you're in Brazil and during the weekend

it feels like you've traveled to Japan

for a vacation

by respecting your circadian rhythm you

can avoid eating disorders and diseases

the author supports a fasting cycle that

can last from 12 to 16 hours with an

eating window of 8 to 12 hours this type

of eating is also known as intermittent

fasting you've probably heard of it I

personally have been doing intermittent

fasting for more than five years I

started it as a way to lose weight and

it worked quite well for my weight loss

before intermittent fasting I remember I

was eating quite healthy counting my

calories and I was exercising regularly

every week but for some reason weight

loss was very very

slow

and after some time I completely stopped

losing weight and stayed at the same

weight for a long time

that is when I tried intermittent

fasting and things changed drastically

even after losing weight I didn't stop

because I quite liked how I felt I

currently have 18 hours of fasting and

six hours of eating window but when I

started I could only fast for 12 hours

Max and then increased it slowly to 18

hours

these days I only eat from 2PM until 8

pm

now I can already see comments saying

that breakfast is the most important

meal of the day and you shouldn't skip

it or you shouldn't fast that long first

of all this is what best fits my

schedule second when we used to live in

caves we probably didn't eat breakfasts

in fact early humans probably stayed

hungry for several days because food

wasn't readily available they hunted and

ate and until their next hunt they

stayed hungry so I think we are

biologically more prone to fasting

rather than eating breakfast snacks and

multiple other meals for 15 hours

the author says that a cycle of a

15-hour eating window is terrible for

your health as terrible as a junk food

diet let me repeat a 15-hour eating

window is worse than a junk food diet

now when talking about nutrition and the

eating cycle we can't ignore the

sleeping cycle because they are

connected after all when your eyes stay

open your mouth also stays open

if you have stayed awake until late at

night and found yourself in front of the

fridge then you know what I mean right

this brings me to the second lesson

which is about the sleep cycles our

sleep cycle is so hardwired into our

brain that even if I take you to another

planet lock you in a room turn all the

lights off and remove the lock from the

room you will still go to sleep

according to your sleep cycle we are so

accustomed to the 24-hour day cycle that

if you somehow traveled to another

planet that has a different amount of

hours than 24 it would be very difficult

to survive now let us look at how sleep

happens normally your eyes have a blue

light sensing sensor called melanopsin

these sensors are hardwired into your

brain into your master circadian clock

melanopsin has very interesting

characteristics bright light such as

daylight activates it and sends signals

to your brain saying that it's time to

be alert and active on the other hand

orange light such as Candlelight or

Moonlight doesn't activate melanopsins

so they send the opposite signal to the

brain saying that it is time to sleep as

a result your brain starts increasing

melatonin drops your body temperature

and prepares you for bed

you might ask why is this information

about melanopsin so important here's why

we spend 90 percent of our time inside

either in a classroom in an office or at

home this means you don't get the bright

light that you need to activate the

melanopsin to reset the circadian clock

and make you active for the day on the

other hand when it is evening you sit in

front of a computer or TV which has very

bright blue light and melanopsins get

activated so in the morning when it

should get activated and prepare you to

be active for the day it doesn't because

you sit in a closed environment and

don't get the necessary light and in the

evening it gets activated when it

shouldn't be activated you keep sending

wrong signals to your brain and start

living in this confusing world when it

is daytime your brain thinks that it is

nighttime and when it is night time your

brain thinks that it is daytime no

wonder you feel sleepy and have no

energy during the day no wonder you

can't fall asleep in the evening no

wonder you feel tired all all day long

no wonder you wake up feeling exhausted

so how can you fix this and reset your

circadian clock correctly here are nine

tips one take a walk outside in the

morning five minutes is enough to set

your clock correctly two position your

desk as close as possible to a window

that allows the light to get in do the

same for your employees if you own a

company they'll feel better at work if

they're near daylight even Architects

have been taking this into consideration

when designing buildings and houses you

don't have to stand in the daylight all

day but getting at least two hours of

daylight exposure is essential for your

health

three don't use screens or glasses with

a blue light filter during the day

4. avoid all screens after 6 PM but if

you absolutely must use them set them

not to emit blue light most modern

smartphones and computers have this

function five you've probably noticed

cool weather is more comfortable for

sleeping than hot temperatures make sure

your bedroom's temperature is not too

hot

six to fall asleep your body temperature

needs to drop and a hot shower before

bed helps

7. make sure you're hydrated throughout

the day if feel dehydrated during the

night keep a glass of water near you

this way you won't have to walk to the

kitchen and end up fully awake also

don't drink any coffee after midday the

effects of caffeine can stay with you

for up to 10 hours so the coffee you

drink in the afternoon and in the

evening will certainly disturb your

sleep

eight you should stop eating altogether

at least two to three hours before

sleeping including alcoholic drinks and

snacks

9. if you can exercise in the morning

under the sunlight

lesson number three exercise

it's not a secret that we should

exercise to be healthy but this book has

answered many of the questions I used to

have about exercising

what time of the day is the best time to

exercise should I do heavy lifting in

the morning or afternoon how often is

enough what kind of exercise should I do

Etc

the good news is that we don't need to

exercise several hours a day to be

healthy according to the author's

studies just 30 minutes a day for five

days a week is enough to make a

difference

the best times of the day to exercise

are in the morning and in the late

afternoon between 3 P.M and 7 PM while

mornings are great for aerobic and

stretching exercises late afternoons are

the ideal time for strength training

because your body will be at its peak of

preparation for heavy work this way you

can avoid injuries and have a better

recovery if you decide to exercise

before breakfast make sure you don't

engage in strenuous or physically

demanding exercise it's okay to walk or

cycle before breakfast but not lifting

heavy weights for example finally in

case your schedule doesn't allow you to

do your exercise at once then divide it

into two or three segments of 10 to 15

minutes per day but avoid exercising in

the evening because it will ruin your

sleep

this was the last lesson here's the

summary of what we talked about in this

video number one as you saw from the

mouse experiment eating on a limited

window will not just help you to lose

weight it will also help you to stay

healthy before you apply this please

talk to your doctor this is not medical

advice and I'm not a doctor I'm just a

random girl who makes videos on the

internet

number two we talked about melanopsin

and how it sends confusing signals

because of the way we are living these

days make sure to follow those nine tips

to reset your circadian clock correctly

finally number three we discussed how

much you should exercise and what time

of the day is the best depending on the

type of exercise you do

now if you've clicked this video and

watched so far then I assume you are a

type of person who wants to improve his

or her health the majority of people

will not watch such videos if you would

like to learn more about this topic then

I have two more videos for you these are

the two videos that I personally force

my relatives and friends to sit down and

watch because they are so important the

one on the left is about sleep based on

the book called why we sleep and the one

on the right is about meditation based

on the book called Power of Now if

you've already seen them then make sure

you subscribe and turn on all

notifications so that you don't miss

future videos if you don't turn on all

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notify you every time when a new video

is uploaded thanks for watching