Written by Tonye R. Crooks

If you read my Personal Journey in the April/May issue of the Philadelphia Women’s Journal you will know that I’m celebrating 5 years of life after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Many people ask me how I reclaimed my health and what things I am doing to maintain optimal health. One of the things I’ve been doing consistently is tuning into my circadian rhythms. These rhythms refer to three distinct cycles of naturally occurring bodily activities within a twenty-four hour time period. If you tune into these cycles you will most definitely experience an increase in your energy levels and overall health.

The cycle which appeals to most is the eating cycle called “appropriation” and it runs from 12:00 noon until 8:00 pm. During this cycle, the body is most capable of efficiently digesting food. I eat a plant-based diet, with 70% raw organic fruits, nuts, and vegetables, and 30% cooked foods. Through raw foods, I get live enzymes packed with energy. My protein comes from beans, vegetables and nuts, and some fruits.

“Assimilation” is from 8:00 pm until 4:00 am. This is when the body sifts through the assortment of food that was ingested during appropriation, extracts the nutrients it needs for building and healing, and puts the toxins and waste in the internal dump truck for removal in the next cycle. If I eat anything during the assimilation cycle, my body would then have to focus back on digestion, diverting energy away from proper nutrient extraction, expending energy on digestion during the time I’m supposed to be sleeping, and then causing me to be groggy and grouchy when I wake up. Not a pretty sight, believe me!

“Elimination” is from 4:00 am to 12:00 noon, and its purpose is to rid the body of waste. We’ve heard that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” however, I do not eat a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, or even a bowl of cereal. This would throw off the circadian rhythm and cause my body to put the dump truck into the “park”position, kicking off the assimilation cycle while it is supposed to be in the elimination cycle. During elimination, the body is working hard to remove the previous day’s wastes, and interfering with this can retard the process. The only exception to this is fruit, since fruit requires no digestive energy, and does not interfere with proper elimination. In addition, fruit is packed with live enzymes and is pure brain fuel, giving me all the energy I need to start my day. The lymph system’s primary function is to collect all the wastes from every cell, break it down, and prepare it for removal from one of the four eliminative organs of the body: the bowels, bladder, lungs, and skin. Interfering with this cycle and not allowing the dump truck to do its job can cause a backup of toxic materials in each of these organs, which can then lead to severe consequences. A properly flowing elimination cycle is without question my greatest ally in the preservation of health and prevention of disease.

Do I ever break the cycle? Sure! On occasion, I choose to enjoy a special Mother’s Day brunch, or a famous New Mexico green chile breakfast burrito. However, I quickly get my body back into rhythm again because I know how much better I feel when my cycles are in order. My mind is more focused, I have more energy than donuts and coffee could ever give me, I’m able to maintain my weight, and most importantly, maintain optimal health.