Homeostasis
by Catharine J. Anderson
Homeostasis is the body's ability to remain in balance and adapt to the stress we impose on it. Homeostasis is often referred to as host resistance, susceptibility, coping, or tissue tolerance. According to Dr. Emanuel Cheraskin, in his book Human Health & Homeostasis, “The cells singly and collectively as a total organism survive when host resistance can cope successfully with the innumerable and diverse environmental threats.”
Our bodies are subjected to stress everyday of our life. Stress, such as the chemical toxins in our air, water, food & drink and from the toxins released from our thoughts and unexpressed emotions, all require our body to make adjustments. If our body is not able to adjust to the stress imposed upon it, host susceptibility replaces host resistance . If homeostatic balance is not restored, disease and eventually death will follow.
Our modern lifestyle is taking a toll on our health and our immune systems. Daily exposure to chemical and electromagnetic toxins, mineral deficient soils producing nutrient deficient food and chronic emotional stress from our hectic lifestyles are all part of modern day life. It is therefore very important for us as individuals to make a conscious effort to “stay in balance” and maintain a homeostatic state.
Although each of us lives in what has become somewhat of a “hostile environment,” in regard to pollution, over-population, demanding work schedules, and other environmental stress agents that appear to be beyond our personal control, there are things we can do help our bodies maintain a steady state and ward off disease as our body's are designed to survive.
In my opinion, the best way to go about this is through education and awareness. It is very important to make people aware of the fact that our foods no longer supply the vitamins, minerals and oxygen stores we need for the enzyme processes of metabolism and detoxification. The soil in which most of our food is grown has been depleted of minerals. Processed and refined foods have replaced raw and whole foods in most people’s diets. As a society, we consume way too much sugar, which robs us of many of the nutrients we do manage to consume. All of this presents a challenge our body, placing a heavy load on our immune system, colon and liver. This can make us more susceptible to viral, fungal and bacterial infections and other diseases.
The human body is designed to maintain health and to cleanse itself of toxins that may cause disease. The build up and accumulation of toxins in our body depletes our energy as the body has to expend an enormous amount of energy in an attempt to detoxify itself. On top of this, our food is not providing us with the energy we need or may be of the type that uses more energy to metabolize itself than it is providing. If the immunological defenses of the body are overburdened for too long a time, the body loses its ability to maintain a state of health, provide us energy and vitality, and resist disease. Over time, this process begins to effect our health and leads to degenerative diseases.
On his death bed, the famous French scientist, Louis Pasteur, is said to have said "…The microbe is nothing. The terrain is everything.” Pasteur was referring to the biological terrain. The biological terrain is the fluid inside and around every cell and organ within the body. The biological terrain can be compared to a garden. When the soil or "terrain" is rich with nutrients, then the plants thrive. If on the other hand the "terrain" is devoid of nutrients, then the plants dwindle and die. Our biological terrain is similar to the soil in the garden in the sense that, when our biological terrain is properly nourished, it remains healthy and thrives. If it is not well nourished , we become diseased and may eventually die prematurely.
All physical, emotional, mental and spiritual experiences directly affect the biological terrain. The condition of the biological terrain is influenced by everything in our environment which can affect us at a cellular level. This includes the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, exposure to pathogens (viruses, bacteria); exposure to allergens; physical and emotional stresses, dietary abuse (too much sugar, caffeine, alcohol, etc.) as well as our emotional and psychological sense of well-being The biological terrain is the "soil" from which our health comes forth. It is constantly changing and adjusting to the demands placed upon it. Just as in the garden when unhealthy soil leads to unhealthy plants, an unhealthy biological terrain can lead to ill health. True healing comes only when the biological terrain is in balance.
Measuring the biological terrain is a method of monitoring your health. Although our inner state, or biological terrain is in a constant state of flux, depending on what we have been eating, drinking, thinking and feeling, it is possible to get an idea as to one’s overall state at any given time through various types of measurements. Homeostasis, or the biological terrain, can be checked through analysis of temperature, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, respiration, fluid balance and hormones, to name a few. According to Dr. Cheraskin, in his book Human Health & Homeostasis, pulse rate can be used as a simple and inexpensive measure of homeostasis. in a healthy state, the pulse remains in relatively narrow limits. under disease conditions, the pulse increases.
If our terrain is out of balance due to an unhealthy lifestyle or due to environmental toxins, we are prone to disease. Bacteria and viruses usually can’t thrive in a healthy body. As Dr. Cheraskin points out in his book, “The invasion by a respiratory germ may in one instance result in pneumonia. In a second case, there may be only the sniffles; while in a third instance the patient may remain unscathed.” Research has shown the difference is in the terrain.
Maintaining a state of homeostasis is a complex process. Not only do we have to make sure to eat and drink nutritious foods that will provide us with a wide range of vitamins and minerals in the quantities we need for optimal health, but we also have to avoid accumulating toxins in our system. According to Hippocrates, "Diseases are crises of purification, of toxic elimination.” Research shows that he was right.
We live in a polluted world in which both the air and water is often of poor quality. The average American eats a diet that consists mostly of processed foods that are full of additives. An increasing amount of people are taking prescription drugs that have serious side effects and are not good for the overall health of the body. The liver tries to dispose of these toxic substances. It is the liver’s job to eliminate toxins, chemicals and unwanted hormones from the system. Over time, we tend to accumulate more toxins and other harmful substances than the liver is designed to process. As a result, the liver becomes overburdened. Once the liver falls behind, we end up with an unacceptable level of toxins in our bloodstream.
Accumulated toxins stress our entire system and create a state of imbalance within the body. Although homeostatic mechanisms are in place and serve to return the body to a state of balance, their job becomes more difficult and we become more susceptible to disease when these mechanisms are taxed and overburdened. It is therefore important to make a conscious effort to eliminate all unnecessary stress on the body.
In his book, Human Health & Homeostasis, Dr. Cheraskin points out that there is a need “for greater emphasis on ecological principles.” According to Dr. Cheraskin, we need to recognize that the external world is a hostile world with its many physical, chemical, microbial, thermal, and psychological challenges. Our ability to survive is dependent on our ability to cope with this environment. Our inborn homeostatic mechanisms are what allow us to cope with the stress we are subjected to in the course of everyday living.
Lifestyle modifications are our best defense against stress. In order to successfully eliminate unnecessary stress on our bodies, we must first educate ourselves about our environment and its impact on our bodies. Only then can we make the proper lifestyle changes which will promote good health and help us maintain a state of homeostatic balance.
In order to eliminate unnecessary stress on the body, we must first learn to identify the cause of such stress. Stress can be defined as a state of disharmony or imbalance which disrupts homeostasis. The major types of stress we are subject to include physical stress, physiological stress, dietary stress, disease stress, and environmental stress.
We are all subjected to physical stress. Although some physical stress is unavoidable, we do have a certain amount of control over this type of stress. Physical stress includes injury to the body, any major trauma to the body resulting from major surgery, exercise, physical activity, climate, and just about anything that impacts the body on a physical level. Although it may be impossible to avoid some types of physical injury, we can strive to maintain a healthy body weight and stay physically fit through exercise and physical activity. While it is important to exercise and stay active, we must also learn to balance this out with rest, relaxation, and a sufficient amount of sleep.
Physiological stress includes work related stress, family issues, health, trauma, worry, and fear, among others. In order to keep this kind of stress to a minimum, we need to learn to balance our work and family life. A negative aspect of the modern world is devoting too much time to work and spending less time with ones friends and family. It is also very important to allow oneself some alone time. We often get caught up in our jobs and tend to rush around getting things done. If we do not take time out to “play,” to enjoy nature, to socialize and to meditate, we are prone to suffer from burnout. When we do not allow ourselves enough time to enjoy life and its pleasures, we often tend toward negative thinking and anxiety. One thing often leads to another. Much of this can be prevented by learning to balance one’s time in a manner that allows us free time to simple enjoy things.
Dietary stress can be caused by starvation, consumption of junk food, lack of essential nutrients, and poor food choices. It is important to learn what is and isn’t good to eat. We should all learn to read labels on food products and avoid anything that is over-processed, full of chemical and additives and lacking nutrients. It is also advisable to take vitamin and mineral supplements as much of our food is grown in soil that has been depleted of minerals and other nutrients that plants thrive on. Foods also lose nutrients during the time it takes to ship and store them before they are purchased. Cooking causes further nutrient loss. It is important to learn to eat simple whole foods and avoid processed foods, excessive amounts of sugar, caffeine and the like.
Environmental stress results from pollution, toxic chemical exposure, free radicals from pollution, and sun exposure. It is advisable to avoid using pesticides and harmful household chemicals. There are many ways we can cut down on our exposure to these chemicals. We need to learn how to read labels and become more aware of what is actually in the products we are using. We need to replace products that are toxic and with non toxic products that do the same job. Although sunshine is good for us, and provides us with vitamin D, too much time in the sun is dangerous and should be avoided.
Disease stress can result from chronic illness, environmental toxins, pesticides, chemicals, bacteria, and viruses. Again, if our biological terrain is healthy, we can avoid becoming prone to disease. But if we become run down, malnourished, burned out, whatever, we become susceptible to disease which causes further stress on our bodies. The best defense against disease stress is avoiding the other types of stress mentioned. Eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep and enjoy life.
Although much can be done to prevent some types of stress and reduce others, stress is a fact of life and cannot be avoided. Even if we eat a healthy diet, exercise, get plenty of sleep, rest, relax and maintain a positive attitude, our bodies are still going to become stressed from one thing or another. Environmental toxins are a good example. We can avoid using harmful pesticides and household cleaning agents, but as individuals, we cannot control the level of pollutants in the air we breathe.
We live in a toxic world and it is very difficult to avoid toxins altogether. Over time these toxins can accumulate in our bodies and impair our health. On top of eating right, exercising, and all of the other things mentioned earlier, we can help our bodies rid themselves of toxins through detoxification. There are many ways in which you can detoxify the body. Some involve using herbs, some involve going on various types of fasts. All have the potential of aiding the body as it tries to detoxify harmful substances from the system. The process can be further enhanced by avoiding toxins, as much as possible, in the first place.
The human body is a miraculous creation. It is designed to rejuvenate itself. We live in a world in which the body has to overcome many odds. Homeostatic balance ensures that the body is capable of overcoming the forces that work against it. It is therefore critical that we learn to the things we need to do in order to keep this balance. We have a choice: optimum health or degenerative disease.
