Intermittent Fasting and Acupuncture’s Organ Clock

Everywhere we turn, it seems a new diet appears. People try certain diets for health benefits, to lose weight, to combat aging, and more. But which ones are best? During the past few months, I’ve encountered many people who are intermittent fasting:

• A 41-year-old male told me that he’s doing it because he wanted to build more muscle mass.
• A 30-year-old female said she wanted to lose 10 pounds, and was inspired to try intermittent fasting because of her friend’s weight loss success with it.
• A number of men in their 50s told me that they are doing it because they want to boost their memory and live longer.
• A college student said she wanted to boost her metabolism and eventually lose weight.
• A breast cancer survivor in her 40s is doing it because she claims it will reduce inflammation in her body and therefore prevent cancer regrowth.

Many studies have shown that intermittent fasting is good for the all of the above mentioned causes, and many more, such as:

• Increasing growth hormones.
• Benefiting heart health by reducing LDL levels.
• Increasing brain hormone BDNF, and thereby aiding the growth of new nerve cells, which may help to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

There are three primary ways to do intermittent fasting. The first is the 18/6, 16/8, or 12/12 method: you fast 18, 16, or 12 hours a day and eat only during those remaining 6, 8, or 12 hours. The next method is the 5/2 approach, where you eat normally for five days a week, then on non-consecutive two days, you eat only once a day and limit the consumption of calories to 500-600. The third way is for 24 hours once or twice a week. The 18/6, 16/8, or 12/12 approach appears to be the most popular.

There is one common denominator about them, though: they all skip breakfast. But is this practice really best? In acupuncture, there is the Organ Clock theory, which goes back thousands of years. In this theory, each of our body’s organs has been appointed a specific time of the day. Those designated times are when the organs are most active. For example, the most active time for the stomach is between 7am-11am. This is when its energy is at its highest point, and therefore, when it needs food to process. If you don’t eat during these hours, not only you are wasting your stomach’s energy, but you are also depriving your body of nutrients it needs to reenergize after the deprivation of food overnight.

So, what happens after each organ’s peak energy time? This is when the energy of the organ is diminishes, and 12 hours later, it’s at its weakest. This means between 7pm-11pm, we shouldn’t be eating at all. Your stomach needs this time to rest, and this is the best time for it to not process any food at all.

The concept for this is simple: if you don’t correctly use a machine, it likely won’t last long. And this applies to our bodies as well. An over-worked any organ may eventually break down and become more susceptible to diseases, and the depletion of functionality.

What’s the best way to do intermittent fasting? If you apply the organ clock theory, you should completely stop eating and drinking (even water) at 6pm. Start your day with food while your stomach is at its peak energy, which is between 7am-11am (I recommend breakfast at 8am or 9am). This routine is not hard to follow, and you will still receive all the benefits of intermittent fasting. But according to eastern medicine, if you make organ clock theory part of your every day routine—even when you aren’t fasting, you will protect your organs and maintain better health overall. I’ve been practicing organ clock theory for decades. It has not only prevented me gaining weight, but it has helped me stay healthier as well.

If you have questions about the organ clock theory and intermittent fasting, contact me via email at soo-mi@purehealingessence.com or text at 212-629-7025.