Have you ever wondered about the force of stressors on your mind-body over time? Let’s start by defining the two main concepts here:
- Force is about energy transfer and
- Stressors are mental, chemical and physical events that have a breakdown effect.
So, another way to ask my question is, have you ever wondered about the breakdown of energy that accumulates in your mind-body?
Now it’s important to realise from the start that not all stressors are bad. Stress is actually a vital part of life, in growing and developing. The first year of a baby’s life is a fight against gravity. This physical force (gravity) is a stressor that keeps pushing little wriggling babies down toward the ground. They are innately primed to resist the stressor and learn how to move against it. By struggling against gravity, they learn to roll, sit, crawl and eventually walk, run and jump – and don’t they just delight in their victory?
Their inborn resistance against the force of gravity uses the stressors created to generate new nerve, bone, muscle and a whole lot more. 80% of the background activity of your brain is generated by your constant resistance against and navigation through gravity. The stressor creates growth and development.
Many plant compounds that we eat regularly have evolved low-grade poisons as defence mechanisms against being eaten. Phytates are natural compounds found in plant foods like seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes. They’re considered anti-nutrients because they can bind to minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc, making it harder for our bodies to absorb these nutrients and are irritants to the digestive system.
However, phytates aren’t all bad. They can actually be beneficial to humans in moderate amounts. They stimulate the release of antioxidants, which help protect our cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. This can reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic diseases.
So now we have the idea that stressors can create a breakdown force on your mind-body and you innately have forces of resistance that can grow stronger if the stressors aren’t too strong. That’s how you build muscle in a gym, resistance to plant poisons and an ability to deal with rejection.
The more insidious part of this issue develops when the force of the accumulated load of stressors is more than your mind-body can resist. A constant bombarding of your gut with too many low-grade stressors overwhelms its ability to deal with them and digestive problems ensue. Chronically lifting weights that are too heavy will degrade joints, weaken ligaments and create inflammation. Perceiving constant rejection and having no sense of belonging is a recipe for a mental and emotional breakdown.
For most of us, there is a slow and steady accumulation of breakdown forces that seem normal. Traffic, fried foods, poor sitting positions – none of these is going to severely injure you at the time, not enough for you to notice right then and there. They seem normal. Each of them and the many, many other stressors that we encounter daily will definitely have a cumulative effect over time.
To tackle this invisible, insidious challenge you can marshal your inborn build-up forces by nourishing your mind-body and limiting stressors.
- Regular Chiropractic care – Chiropractic adjustments aim to remove interference in the nervous system caused by subluxations. As the nervous system plays a crucial role in the stress response, optimizing its function can lead to better stress management and overall health.
- Regular Chiropractic care – Chiropractic care can help correct poor posture, which can cause physical stress on the body and contribute to emotional stress. Improved posture can lead to reduced strain on the musculoskeletal system and an enhanced sense of well-being.
- Be Fit For Life – from walking to tickle fights to lifting weights and everything in between, movement nourishes your mind-body and you need it every day.
- Eat Real food – eating unprocessed and unrefined foods is enormously nourishing and provides not just energy but all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals your mind-body needs.
- Be The Balance – become the observer of your own thoughts and emotions and notice your reactions and responses. Where they don’t serve you, set the intention to be more adaptable to the stressors of life.
