Environmental factors have a negative impact on overall health and well-being, disturbing homeostasis - the balance our bodies need to function optimally. Such challenges, even when they do not immediately result in disease, cause our bodies to function below optimal levels. These include:
STRESS
Emotional distress, career choices, family discord, financial worries and the like elevate stress levels. Clinical studies have linked high stress and chronic stress to numerous negative health conditions.
TOXIC INSULT
Exposure to a wide array of toxic insults, including disease-causing pathogens, hormone and pesticide contaminated food products, and increasing levels of free-radicals from pollution, foods, and sunlight contribute to rises in the occurrence of varying illnesses.
INFLAMMATION
The increased consumption of food with pro-inflammatory components (foods high in polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn and peanut oil) together with high carbohydrate, low protein diets contribute to increased inflammation in body systems. Stress, with its accompanying imbalance of cortisol, can also contribute to inflammation, as do various (and increasingly prevalent) immunological dysfunctions. Studies increasingly show links between fatal diseases and inflammation.
AUTONOMIC IMBALANCE
The opposite of homeostasis, an
imbalance of the autonomic nervous system (aka: the ANS or visceral
nervous system) can negatively
impact health in a number of ways. Restoring the body's homeostasis can reduce the
physiological impact of
stresses on the body.
