Thousands of Years ago (back when our ancestors were around), they would have had a relatively sedentary lifestyle. They would spend a few hours each day hunting and gathering, and the rest of the time, they would be in what we call a resting state. This is one of the reasons why our ancestors were able to fast for long periods because they would have spent a lot of time recharging, which would allow them to go long periods without eating.
This lack of stress and rest and recovery would have supported their way of life when food was particularly scarce. This is also why many of us should not fast because we are never getting that rest and recovery, especially as we live in a stress dominant environment. If people are fasting while already stressed, it puts even more stress on the body, making it difficult to lose weight and rest, repair and digest.
Our ancestors would not have had the stress that we are subjected to today, like work, mortgages, paying bills etc., they would have had relatively short bursts of stress that would allow them to go out and hunt, but then their bodies would return to normal shortly after. These days we are bombarded constantly with stress, and some of us just don’t handle it very well end up in a permanent state of fight or flight.
Fight or flight is a potent tool the body uses to send enough blood to the extremities and adrenaline for you to run away from the big bad tiger in front of you (or stand and fight him off). The problem is if your body is prioritising blood to certain areas of the body. The body is permanently in a stressed state. What happens to the other parts of the body that needs a healthy blood supply? Simply, they stop working the way they should.
For the body to rest, digest and repair, the body must not be in a stressed state all the time. Finding ways to deal with that stress will benefit the body with restful sleep and boost the immune system, the digestive system, and it will also affect how fast you recover and repair from illness and disease.
Fight or flight is a natural response from the body to dangerous situations. It’s that split-second decision that happens when faced with danger, some people get pumped and will fight back, and others get scared and run away. Both reactions are perfectly normal reactions to stress.
Once the threat is gone, the body switches back, and we can go back into a non-fight or flight mode. This has a substantial negative impact on the body as it can never rest and switch off. In some people like me, that switch is faulty, and we end up permanently stuck in that stressed state.
One of the things affected when you are in that stressed state is sleep. People in a state of stress can never switch off completely, and they tend to have insomnia, disturbed sleep, stressed adrenals, high cortisol, low immune systems, and even intrusive thoughts.
With people like me, it is important to avoid:
- Stress
- Stressful situations
- People who are negative or have a negative impact on you
- Watching the news or listening to the radio with all the doom and gloom in the world
When we are surrounded by consistent negative energy, it can not only make your symptoms worse but also stop you from losing weight and affect your day-to-day life.
