Get Your Energy Back: Unlocking the Secret of Your Body’s Clock

TCM believes ‘qi’ flows through energy channels within our body in a 24 hour cycle. When ‘qi’ flows through a specific meridian/ organ, it takes about 2 hours to vitalize and strengthen the organ. To maintain wellness, it is best to arrange activities following our body cycle.

11pm to 1am (gall bladder): Sleep and regenerate. This is the darkest moment of the day when gall bladder activates to prepare for the renewed motion of ‘qi’ and ‘blood’. Sleeping during these hours is the most important thing to do.

1am to 3am (liver): Deep sleep. The body needs to be in complete rest in these 2 hours in order to recharge liver so that it can produce blood and remove toxins. Often times, patients with liver problems tend to have bad habits of staying up late. It is definitely not advisable to drink alcohol or engage in computer gaming during these hours.

3am to 5am (lung): Sleep soundly. This is a transition time when ‘qi’ and ‘blood’ becomes active.

5am to 7am (large intestine): Wake up and empty bowel to expel toxins. It is good time to drink a cup of warm water the moment you wake up. This helps activate the bowel movement.

7am to 9am (stomach): Eat breakfast. These are the hours when our digestive system works the best. Eat plenty especially proteins during breakfast as both spleen and stomach are very active at these hours.

9am to 11am (spleen): Let in fresh air and start working. Slowly drink in water to activate the spleen. This is the hour when our brain is most active. The spleen, which is part of the digestive system, also gets into action.

11am to 1pm (heart): Eat lunch and lie down to take a short nap of maximum 30min to care for the heart.

1pm to 3pm (small intestine): Nutrients from lunch is being absorbed by small intestine. Drink more water to dilute our blood as nutrients are highly concentrated in our blood after food is digested by small intestine.

3pm to 5pm (bladder): Another golden hour for work. As nutrients from lunch reach our brain, the brain becomes very active again.

5pm to 7pm (kidney): Drink another cup of water. Kidney stores energy, our body’s raw power.

7pm to 9pm (lining around the heart): Relax and time for entertainment. The lining around the heart protects the heart and ensure proper function.

9pm to 11pm (San Jiao): Get ready for bed and be in bed at 1030pm. San Jiao refers to the network connecting all the major organs. When San Jiao is not functioning properly or becomes congested, a person falls ill.