Some years ago I did a course in trading the stock market based on the work of W.D.Gann. He was a highly successful Wall Street trader in the 1920’s. His theories were based on the idea that everything has a cycle. The planets revolve, the crops have a growing cycle and even people and businesses had their own unique rhythm and flow. If you could identify cyclic patterns you could make a fortune trading dollars, stocks or soy beans.
Sadly for me, I was never able to master this.
But that does not make the fundament premise wrong. Indeed, for everything there is a cycle and a season. It is winter (and a particularly cold one) in the southern hemisphere and summer in the north. Fast-forward six months and the situation will be reversed. It has always been thus.
Human beings were historically much more influenced by these cycles than we are today. We could only eat foods that were in season. Today we can eat pretty much whatever we like. If you want strawberries and they are out of season you can buy them flown in from where they are in season.
Yet, despite our modern ability to work around nature, there is a lot to be said for getting in harmony with the cycles. The human body has not changed as quickly as technology.
Our bodies have slightly different needs in different seasons. In winter we need warm nourishing foods. Casseroles and baked vegetables are better than cold meats and salads. The vegetables and fruits that are in season are going to be less expensive and more suited to our body’s needs compared to those flown in from across the globe.
Whilst we do not hibernate, we do need more sleep in winter. The body uses more energy just getting through the day when it is cold. So going to bed a bit earlier in winter is not a sign of weakness, but of listening to the body.
There are no absolutes and no “right or wrong” way to do things. However whilst the planet, the seasons, and crops have a rhythm and flow, we do to. The tricky bit is tuning into it. This does not require university education or experts to tell us how to do it.
It comes naturally if you let it.
Our ancestors adapted to the changing seasons and cycles out of necessity. Today we have the technology and the capacity to blunt the effects of changing cycles. Yet this drains energy and may leave us feeling “not quite right”.
So as the seasons turn, reflect on what your body needs in differing seasons. With eating, be guided by what your gut tells you. With your activities be guided by what just feels right. There are no absolutes about this and we do not need to abandon the modern advantages that we have. We simply need to manage them better.
Get into the groove, which works for you.
Medical Doctor, author, speaker, media presenter and health industry consultant, Dr Joe Kosterich wants you to be healthy and get the most out of life.
Joe writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications, is clinical editor at Medical Forum Magazine, and is also a regular on radio and television.
Joe is Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis Company Little Green Pharma, Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and sits on the board of Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases.
He has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health.
In 2024 due to public demand he commenced a podcast, Dr Joe Unplugged, which can be accessed via Spotify, Apple or YouTube.
Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.
