In today’s world, we increasingly live our lives late into the night. Whether it's work obligations, socializing, or being glued to a screen, we ignore the sun's rise and fall.

But most of us are unaware that a clock is ticking away inside us.

It uses light to keep time and tells us when to sleep and eat. Should we listen? Or is this biological clock simply a relic from a past time?

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to a leading authority to unravel the latest science that reveals that this body clock, or circadian rhythm, has a dramatic impact on our health, weight, and mental wellbeing:

Russell Foster is an Oxford University scientist who has dedicated his life to studying circadian rhythms. He’s a world leader in the field and the author of Lifetime: the new science of the body clock.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:12 - Topic introduction

01:23 - Quickfire questions

02:30 - What is the biggest myth about our body clock that drives Russell crazy?

03:19 - What are circadian rhythms?

06:41 - Why do they matter to us?

10:32 - How does your body sync its clock?

14:07 - How does the circadian rhythm influence sleep?

15:18 - What happens if we don’t live alongside our circadian rhythms?

21:26 - What should night workers do?

26:45 - Does your circadian rhythm change when going through menopause?

29:42 -Is there a circadian rhythm for our gut?

33:12 - Will it damage our long-term health to continuously be awake by our small children?

35:15 - Summary

36:14 - Goodbyes

36:36 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Get Russell’s book here.

Follow Russell: https://twitter.com/oxscni

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

How to make your body clock work for you 37:38 Share

ZOE Science & Nutrition

Intro

What is the body clock and why should we care?

Quickfire questions about the body clock?

What is the biggest myth about our body clock?

What are circadian rhythms?

Why do circadian rhythms matter to us?

How does your body sync its clock?

How does the circadian rhythm influence sleep?

What happens if we don’t live alongside our circadian rhythms?

What should night workers do?

Does your circadian rhythm change during menopause?

Is there a circadian rhythm for our gut?

Will staying awake due to small children damage our long-term health?

Summary

Goodbyes

Outro

Shownotes Transcript

How to make your body clock work for you