Homeostasis refers to your ability to self regulate your internal environment. More specifically, this life-sustaining mechanism lets you maintain internal equilibrium by means of adjusting physiological processes. Examples include your ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells, adapt blood pressure in response to your activity level, digest foods and maintain a constant body temperature and an appropriate Ph for enzymes to work properly.
For the most part, your nervous system is the master regulator of your body. You could consider the hormone system second in command, although there's a dynamic interplay that's taking place between the two. In addition to this hierarchy, there are other mechanisms in place at local levels for faster responses to disturbing shifts in your system.
So with this fantastic and brilliant design in effect, is it possible to "over-strain" the system and cause homeostatic failure? Absolutely! What does this look like? Strained adaptive physiology examples are diagnosed as some forms of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and premature aging via inflammation, just to name a few.
Keep in mind that only about 10 percent of each of these diagnoses can be attributed to inherited genetic abnormalities.
Natural healthcare physicians expect the body to behave in a "healthy" manner unless some strain is being placed on its balancing systems that keeps it from expressing wellness. While some health issues aren't always obvious to us, you do have control over enhancing your mind's and body's homeostatic mechanisms by doing two simple things:
1. Provide yourself with what you need to adapt to daily demands, and
2. Reduce demands on your systems.
Chiropractors have always subdivided distress (negative stress) and eustress (positive stress) as follows:
· Chemical stress: nutritional quality choices, body chemistry optimization and eliminating toxicity in its various forms
· Physical stress: muscle weakness, joint alignment, proper rest, exercise and injury
· Mental and emotional stress: Fulfillment, happiness, career, relationships, philosophy and emotions
For more information, explore books like Discover Wellness and our Web site, www.advchiro.us.
MATTHEW KAYS is a wellness-oriented holistic chiropractor in Montgomery serving people who are interested in developing higher degrees of health and well-being. Contact him via his Web site, www.advchiro.us.