A reader told me that the amount of information contained in part 1 of this series was a bit too much to read at one time. I think there's a decent chance that others have had a similar reaction. As such, I've decided to further divide this series into more parts. I'm not certain just how many, but I guess we'll find out when I finish.
Today's blog begins the neurological explanation of weight control and what part the autonomic nervous system plays. There are three branches of the ANS that determine our everyday function and the homeostatic interplay among them (see my website for more information about homeostasis) when it comes to handling stress. They are the Sympathetic, Parasympathetic and Enteric. Simply put, when everything is working well, they all function in symphonic balance.
The sympathetic branch of the ANS mobilizes the body for flight...running away from that nasty lion necessitated that blood be shunted away from the digestive system (virtually shutting its function down) to the muscles of the legs and arms, dilating the pupils and increasing the heart rate, blood pressure (due to cortisol) and breathing rate. However, for the last few hundred years, our stressors have changed while the function of the sympathetic branch hasn't. It is designed to prepare for physical stress: the extra cortisol that is produced is quickly dissipated by the activity, for example. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way with emotional stress. The fact is, under constant emotional/mental stress, cortisol is continuously produced and not utilized. I have spoken about this feedback loop between the brain and the adrenals and the damage that can occur in past blogs. I have named this: Sympathetic Hyperstimulation Syndrome, if you'd like to go back and read more about it.
The parasympathetic branch of the ANS will be the next topic in this series.
Dr.Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com
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