Someone asked me today how you know if you are flaring when you add in new foods. 

Typically, a reaction from food or something that you have placed on your body will occur within moments to a few hours. There are definitely exceptions to that rule in that, I have had a few patients who have delayed reactions. But, that is rare UNLESS you have cheated with foods like sugar-that is almost always delayed.

More often than not reactions occur as I explained above. Where it can get confusing is if the timing is such if you are having symptoms that are worsening at given time of the day and that coincides with the period after you have eaten that food. It is better to not introduce something in in such a way if you can avoid it.

If you are flaring at a given time of day, it is interesting to note what time that is relative to the circadian clock. this is time that corresponds to certain organ systems in the body.

This is often very interesting and telling to see what organ may be more pivotal at a given time. For example, often it is the time of the bladder-obvious, or the time of the kidney-also fairly obvious. It could be the time of the heart or the pericardium or the liver. It varies greatly from person to person. Also often it is the time of the small intestine! Sound familiar? The small intestine is a very important part of getting the body’s systems back into balance and is a fundamental part of the problem.

Here is the way the clock goes:

3-5 am lung
5-7 large intestine
7-9 stomach
9-11 spleen (not the western spleen)
11–1 heart
1-3 small intestine
3-5 bladder
5-7 kidney
7-9 pericardium
9-11 san jiao (a chinese conceptual organ)
11-1 am gall bladder
1-3 am liver

This is one aspect of important information that I look at when I am asking questions. But, certainly just one small piece. But, I thought it would be interesting for you to read and think about in relation to yourselves.