Yes, there is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clock. I always wanted to share this idea with you.
Our life is made of time and it is short, how short? only 36500 days in a one-hundred-year life. Our body and mind are made to last for 120 years, while the current life span in Canada is only 82.14 years (2015), although it is among the highest in the world. It is so important to live every day a healthy day.
In TCM, each essential organ has a predominate functional time (a two-hour unit) in a day. Using this TCM clock, you can design your healthiest day to realize our greatest potential in life.
5 am-7 am: The Large Intestine Time
Wake up, my friend, but do not rush to the toilet, esp. if you have a balance problem or compromised cardiovascular system to prevent a fall, a heart attack or a stroke.
Stay in bed, gently rub your body, toss and turn, move all the joints small and big to make your body ready for a great day.
Drink a glass of water now to flush your digestive tract. You’ll have the sensation to empty your bowel, followed by your routine morning meditation and stretches.
7 am-9 am: The Stomach Time
Your stomach is calling for a nutritious breakfast including 1-2 eggs; food made of multiple whole grains and some fruits; Never skip your breakfast. Serve yourself like a queen/king. Really, really no time no appetite for breakfast? then chew a handful of almonds with a cup of soy milk at your desk. After all, this is the stomach time.
9 am-11 am; The Spleen and Pancreas Time
In TCM, the spleen is the leading organ for digestion and making energy. You should eat a handful of nuts of different kinds at this hour preferably raw and unsalted. Roasting can reduce possible allergies and enhance the tastes.
Stretch your muscles during your mid morning break. The spleen is responsible for nourishing your muscles and remove chronic inflammation as well.
11 am-1 pm: The Heart Time
Have a decent lunch with variety of foods and variety of colors, good protein, omega-3 rich oils and low GI carbs. Enjoy as much veggies as you can and some fruits. Lunch should be the main meal of the day. The universe has the most yang energy at this hour to digest food and make energy for you.
Reduce stress to your cardiovascular and nervous systems. Take a 30 min nap if possible (not part of our North American culture) that resets and recharges your system.
1 pm-3 pm: The Small Intestine Time
After lunch, we should not eat any major meals for the day. The small intestine is breaking down the food that we have eaten earlier to take in the nutrients. To help this process, you may drink a cup of green tea with a piece of vitality dark chocolate that reduces the chances of getting inflammation, auto-immune reactions and cancer.
3 pm-5 pm: The Bladder Time
Enjoy another cup of tea to help water intaking in your body and the detox process as this is the time for the bladder to collect metabolic wastes filtered by your kidneys.
Both small intestine and bladder hours are in the bright yang phase of the day. You are supposed to have abundant energy for sophisticated mental challenges and strenuous physical work. This is the time to complete your important report at work, work out in the gym, walk, run, cycle and stretch in the sun and fresh air. If you are feeling exhausted, fearful and anxious, you need our services.
The second half of this article is to be continued.