An Analogue approach to Health.
When it is the fast-paced nature of our lives that is making us all stressed and sick, why do we all struggled so much to slow down??
Unfortunately, our brain and central nervous system (CNS) have not advanced as quickly as modern technology and its impact on our lifestyles. Our desire to do so many things in one day, one month, one year creates a constant sense of urgency and sends our CNS into a frenzy.
This frenzy switches our body into sympathetic or fight and flight mode because our brain believes there is a very real threat happening around us. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase, digestion and nutritional absorption slow down and our excitory or stimulating hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol are released. This reaction would be great if we really were starving and being chased by wild animals, but we are not, we are lying in bed at 2am thinking about all we need to do the next day wishing to god we could just sleep!!
As you can image living in this hyped-up state for too long wreaks havoc on our mind, body and spirit, so what is the best remedy for switching from sympathetic to the blissful parasympathetic or rest and digest mode? Focusing on the same four pillars of health I use to judge the vital force and overall health of my patients. Energy. Mood. Sleep. Appetite.
The simple ways to accomplish these:-
Breath Deep and with Purpose – when we are resting and sleeping, we breath long and slow. If you find yourself starting to stress, stop and breath. My fav is box breathing - in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4 or an even simpler technique, in for 4 and out for 8. This literally tricks your body into switching you into parasympathetic state so you can better manage your stress.
Simple Foods and Clean Water – making sure you eat a good quantity of vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and proteins daily, our one ingredient foods, i.e. Apple. It is the nutrients and minerals from these foods that make our “happy hormones” and help calm our CNS down.
Good Quality Sleep – prioritising your sleep over everything else, this is where the nourishing, repairing and detoxifying magic happens.
Move More and in Nature – The quickest way to clear out stress hormones from the system is simply do what they were designed to make us do MOVE! And don’t forget to add in your strength training its vital for longevity. We all know nature is calming, even the just seeing the colour green has been proven to reduce stress, so if you can’t get out in nature bring it to you, who doesn’t love pot plants.
So, I’m not saying to become an anti-technology luddite, I love my flat screen tv!! What I’m hoping for us all is that we can slow down the parts in-between with self-love and purpose.
