The Fight or Flight response is a beautiful protective measure that occurs in our bodies when we are face to face with emergency situations. It is called sympathetic nervous system dominance: our bodies prepare our systems to aid in getting us out alive from a dangerous situation. Your blood is shunted to your muscles to help you run, your heart beats faster so that you can have a quicker flow of blood, your pupils dilate to give you heightened ability to see. The sympathetic nervous system is essential for your ability to get away from danger and into a safe place. You also have an opposing nervous system state called the parasympathetic state; this is a relaxed state where digestion is in the spot light, your stomach acid and digestive enzymes are produced optimally so that your you can efficiently absorb all those nutrients from the food you eat. Your body needs all those vitamins and minerals so that all of your biochemical processes can allow you to live in a state of great health.

The problem nowadays is that the majority of the population is running on a sympathetic state (fight or flight), and the parasympathetic state (rest and digest) is only a memory of moments passed. Whether we are putting out fires at work, dealing with crying babies at home, watching the fearful news, feel stuck in a bad relationship, or continuing to have the perspective in our minds that there is always impending doom, the sympathetic state is prevalent in our present population.

Our health is being jeopardized with our dominant state being in fight or flight. Our digestion becomes compromised and our nutrients are not absorbed optimally and undigested food can allow yeast or bad bacterial overgrowth in our small intestine causing a very impaired digestion (remember that food is medicine if you allow it to turn into nutrients instead of toxins), our immune systems get suppressed and now dis-ease can take place.

A balance needs to be re-established. The lion in our head needs to be put to sleep and the major stressors in our lives need to be controlled, minimized, or removed. You are the only one in charge of your own happiness. To re-establish balance in your life try relaxing exercises like nature walks, yoga, tai chi, meditation, creative visualization, and hypnosis to uncover self limiting beliefs etc. Here is a quote for you to keep in mind during this process:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Anonymous