360 Health Coaching and Consulting

The stress response in the body is a natural human response. It is also called the fight or flight response and it is the same response your body would have if you were running from a dangerous situation. Blood flow to your legs and arms would increase and the secretion of hormones epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine and cortisol would also increase. Your heart rate would increase so that blood is pumped faster as you run. Muscles responsible for the contraction of waste constrict because the body doesn't want to be bothered with waste disposal while fleeing a dangerous situation. This is an involuntary response controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.  On the other hand, when we are at rest, the blood flow to vital organs increases to aid digestion, heart rate decreases, respiration decreases and muscles relax to allow for excretion of waste. The rest and digest response is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. This is a  voluntary respon...

In 2016 a consumer report showed that as much as 68% of Americans, 164 million reported insufficient sleep. On the other hand, only 1 in 10 Americans surveyed considered sleep a top priority. Sleep affects our productivity health and mood but it is often not considered as important as it is. Our bodies have time to rejuvenate and build immunity while we sleep. Sometimes sleep loss is inevitable, such as times when one has an infant or a sick child. At other times emotional turmoils or fluctuations in hormones may cause a temporary disruption in sleep. However, there are times that we lose sleep because it is not a priority. We may also disregard it's importance at that time in favor of hanging out, talking on the phone, working or watching a movie. The recommended amount of sleep is at least 7 hours a night. The number of hours that leaves you feeling rested depends on the individual. Some adults require more than 7 hours of sleep. The starting point for getting better ...