Understanding Brain & Body Balance - YLAM230007

SPEAKER A This programme presents ways to optimise health and wellbeing when considering lifestyle changes. Please consult with your health care provider to ensure they are suitable for you. SPEAKER B Hello and welcome. I am Kaysie Vokurka. A Polish proverb states, he who climbs a ladder must have his brains in his feet. What a neat expression of how the brain and body need to work together in everyday life. Stay with us as we talk about this more. SPEAKER A This is your lifestyle as medicine, a production of 3ABN Australia television. SPEAKER B It's wonderful to have you with us on this programme where we explore ways that you can shape your lifestyle as medicine. Today we are once again joined by health psychologist Jenifer Skues and we are continuing our discussion about the mind body connection. This time we are focusing on how the brain and body work in harmony. Jenifer, thank you for being with us once more. SPEAKER C Good to be here. SPEAKER B Good to have you here indeed. And, you know, last time we were talking and we started talking about this mind body connection and how it's so integrated, isn't it, in all of its functioning? SPEAKER C Yes, it is. And it's split second timing. So for the messages and the relay, it happens very, very rapidly. So this is where understanding, I guess, the nuts and bolts, and we're going to look at things like the body more, and the nervous system, and see how that integration occurs and what we can do. Looking at some of the things we can do to actually change the way we're reacting and that mind body connection. SPEAKER B Interesting. So tell me, how does the brain actually control the body? SPEAKER C Okay, well, first of all, the body has a memory, and that's been very well researched and we've got a slide that just has a few snapshots of what that is about. You've heard the word somatic. They talk about somatic memory. Soma means the body and every cell has a memory. This is where we don't realise. We think the brain is a memory bank, but in actual fact, every cell has a memory. It's not the same as remembering an event where you actually are conscious of it. It's an unconscious memory that logs on all the events in our life and the way we react and feel. It affects every cell. So when we talk about somatic memory, we're talking about the body's physical cellular memory, so we don't realise. And because the body has a memory, it will connect to events when it's triggered, as though from that memory. So this is where, if we have a traumatic event, then the memory in the body is connected to that and reacts, I guess, more aggressively, because it's already programmed in. And it's the same if we have a good event, like going on a holiday, and we've been there before and we love the place. So this cellular memory connects with the previous time we went there. It was a good memory. So when we think of it or look at photos ago again, it stimulates that memory, not just in the brain, but in the body as well. So it's a very powerful memory bank. SPEAKER B Wow, that's fascinating. And so I guess that would explain something sometimes where you might have, like an uncalled for sort of symptom pop up, but it's kind of related to something in the past and it's because your body's remembering it and connecting it to whatever is happening in the present. SPEAKER C Absolutely. It certainly is. And this is where you go, what's wrong with me? I've got that stomach ache again or this happening again, and it is connected to that cellular memory, not just what's happening in the brain. SPEAKER B Interesting. SPEAKER C The other interesting thing is when we look at cellular memory, there's been research on muscle memory, the cellular memory for the muscle. So when we actually sit in a chair and think of maybe walking upstairs, I used to have a lot of stairs to walk up. If I sit in a chair and do it, my body's memory system kicks in and it picks up the fitness level and the muscles actually then do the work as well because it's in the memory bank. So the body can change that memory. So this is how powerful our memory is. SPEAKER B So has that got something to do with. I know you might talk about having a certain skill or, I don't know, you used to play an instrument or something and we talk about it being muscle memory. Like, you haven't played it for years. You haven't done it for years, and then you go back to it and then, oh, hey, you can actually do a lot of what you used to be able to do. SPEAKER C Absolutely, yeah. Very quickly, the body will pick up that memory again. So when, say, music is a classic, when you programme it in, you might. And play music for quite a few years, then you go back at the Sopiano and you sit down thinking, oh, I haven't done this for so long. But very quickly, you don't have to learn it all again, because not just the brain and the emotions, but the body has that memory logged on as well. So it all synchronises, then, for that action that you used to do. It's not gone, that's for sure. Yeah, but there's also, if we go back to that slide, it shows. Somatic memory relies on the communication network of the body's nervous system. It is through the nervous system via synapses, which are the connections, the nerve cell connections that relay information. That information is transmitted between the brain and all points in the body, not just one. Every cell is connected. So one thought is going to resonate with every cell if it's negative or positive. It's a powerful system. So this is where I think, being aware that my body isn't just dictated by the brain. It has a memory bank of its own. And that can be for good or for not so good, you know, depending on what the memory is. And we will talk about a bit more of that when we start looking at the nervous system. Because the cellular memory and the brain connection is connected to the five senses we talked about, we embed any event in the five sense around video. So that means the cellular memory can be triggered by sight, sound, touch, taste and smell, not just the brain's memory or the emotional memory. The whole body resonates. Okay. And this is why we can get some of these problems we talked about before, like headaches or. I knew someone who had ended up, it was sort of during the war years, ended up in the boys home. And he, if we. I knew him well, if we went anywhere to an old building that was dark and musty, he'd get headaches. And he didn't, he didn't like it. He didn't actually, he didn't connect it. His body and his brain was reacting to the sense of smell and the visual in that, in that event. SPEAKER B So I guess this would be like where often people use the word trigger. You know, they might have something that's totally unrelated in their everyday life and it just triggers that same sensory pathway that brings back all of those memories of that previous experience. SPEAKER C That's it. And that's physical, mental, emotional experiences. And look spiritual as well, because as we go, we're going to sort of add that into it. But the cellular memory, any memory is rapidly put in, okay? So when we have an event, particularly like if it's a traumatic event or even a good event, we don't have to wait, you know, minutes, hours to log it on in nanoseconds, it translate from the brain to the body. We don't, you know, it's like that. And even at times, because the subconscious brain will pick up on it with that video recorder and the conscious mind can be bit slow to pick it up. Why am I feeling that way? Why am I reacting that way? Why don't I like that person? Why am I feeling angry? But it's all connected. So the stimulus can be internal or external. So I think that's important to understand. Okay. Earlier on we looked at an overview of the whole nervous system. We just got a snapshot. And I mentioned how the autonomic nervous system is a key factor in all of this. I mean, the whole nervous system is important. But when it comes to events and how we react and how we can change that reaction, we need. And it's to do with the body's memory or the cellular memory. We need to understand the autonomic nervous system. Now, probably a lot of people don't. So we're going to outline that in simple terms. And there's. I talked about two branches. The first branch we're looking at is a sympathetic nervous system. And on the diagram there, it's on the right, right hand side. And that diagram is showing what happens when that side of the nervous system is triggered. And it's like if you think of a car, these two sides of the nervous system are like the accelerator and the brake. The parasympathetic nervous system actually helps to slow down and regulate the overreaction from the sympathetic nervous system, that is the accelerator. So when an event is traumatic or we have to act rapidly, the brain determines there's a threat. It triggers the adrenals, which are connected to the sympathetic nervous system. So sympathetic nervous system picks it up. There's something traumatic happening. And immediately adrenaline, cortisol. And those responses you are looking at. We get the acid in the stomach. The stomach's churning. It affects the bowels. And we can also find the heart rate goes up all over the place. Our breathing rate changes. And the body's trying to adapt to what it saw as a threat. But the interesting thing is the threat doesn't have to be real. It can be perceived by the five senses. And it's evident with people who have trauma. Because what will happen to them? They will see an event happening, and it's in the present. But it might be connected to someone that they meet. And the tone of voice, what they're wearing, their nonverbals, can present a threat that the body then reacts to. The whole system reacts to. Because your autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic revs the engine because it believes there's a threat from that person. Person might just be nervous, anxious, doesn't know you. And they're not a threat at all. But you react like it is that makes sense. SPEAKER B Yeah. Yeah. SPEAKER C I mean, sometimes we meet people, and so I don't like them very much. They weren't very connected or pleasant or whatever. And then you meet them again and they're really nice, and they go, oh, I wasn't having a good day last time when I met you. And you go, oh, I've judged them on my autonomic nervous system response and what my cellular memory reacts to with those nonverbals or verbal cues you see? So. SPEAKER B That's right. SPEAKER C So this is, we have to be a bit careful about how we interpret. This is where they're both branches of the nervous system. Important. Now, when we go into the sympathetic nervous system and we've got the, what we call that fight flight response because, you know, it's pumping adrenaline, and these are all the reactions that you can have. It changes our whole physiology. And what can happen if we can't, because what does fight or flight do? We want to fight back, whatever the stressor is or the threat, or we want to run away from it. Now, if you're reacting and you don't know what the threat is or where it's coming from, but you're reacting, you can't fight, you can't fly it, because you don't know the source, you go into what we call freeze mode. So this is where everything shuts down, and it freezes that moment with the adrenaline response, and that goes into the cellular memory, and that's where a past trauma can be triggered because of those five senses and what is attached to those events. The brain gets confused. It can't work out as a past, present, or future. It puts it into one of those categories. So this is where you can work with someone. First of all, I have to get them to work with the autonomic nervous system to start to put the brake on, which is your parasympathetic nervous system. And what that does, it slows everything down. And you can have a look on that left hand side. The pupils go back. They've not dilated. They're actually restricting with the dry mouth. Now, get some saliva back in it. The airways open up, the heart rate slows down and balances, and you can see there it helps the liver. The bile production stimulates digestion again, and the intestinal muscles relax. So this is where you can get those reactions. At this point of time, you got to put the brake on. So this is where, if your foot's on the accelerator, you drive a car. Have you ever put up on blocks and accelerator, where the wheels are turning, you're not going anywhere, you're burning rubber. That's what the sympathetic nervous system does. But if you're revving the engine and you put the brake on, it will slow it down. So I have to help people put the brake on? SPEAKER B Yeah. So I have a question about the autonomic nervous system. If we're thinking about this imagery of it being like a car with the brakes and the accelerator going, is this part of the nervous system always active? As in, is this car driving all the time, or is there a point where neither of them are active? Is there a default? I guess that's what I'm asking, yeah. SPEAKER C Well, that's a good question, because they're always in some sort of action or reaction mode, but it is not always bad. We overreact, I guess we can underreact, but as I said, it's like driving a car. And if you've ever seen a racing driver drive, and when they do these races, they show their feet working and they've got the accelerator and the brake, and they constantly accelerate a brake, slow it down, speed it up. That's what that nervous system does. So it's actually still actioning it. So that homeostasis balancer, where you've got to recognise that your sympathetic nervous system's taken over. Now, if you've lived with adrenaline cortisol forever or a long time, you don't recognise it, and that's normal, it's a way of life, but it's not healthy and it's not good for you and life is not good. So some people are aware of it, they come or they go to the doctor, oh, I'm really stressed and I just can't slow down. What can I do? And that's that principle. So there are lots of good ways we can put the brake on, and there's lots of things we can become aware of to be able to actually put that brake on or know when do I need to rev the engine? Now, if I'm walking across the road and a car shoots around the corner, I want to rev that engine. That's true adrenaline, get out of the way or get run over. So there is a time and purpose for both of those actions, but once I get out the way, I'm going to have all those physiological reactions, heart rate up, stomach churning, whatever, breathing. But then I need to put the brake on or I'm going to walk around like that all day, because adrenaline is powerful and this is where one of the things we'll do, simple breathing techniques can help using the mind going, no, it's over now, it's okay, I'm safe. Walk. We'll get rid of some of the adrenaline, things like that. So there's things you can do that we're going to launch into more as we go to be able to do that, right? SPEAKER B Yeah. We need to know how to apply these breaks, don't we? Because I think there's so much of lifestyle today which tends to rev up. I mean, the pressures of society and expectations, whatever, they tend to get our sympathetic overdrive happening too much and we need to learn to slow down and. SPEAKER C It can happen, it can be at work or at home. If you're at work and the boss yells at you, it's going to be that fight flight principle but you can't leave work or some people have, but generally you're stuck with it and you get home and you're feeling a bit ragged around the edges basically. But that's when if they have the skills and go, I know that I'm. Now my body's not good, I've got too much adrenaline so it's recognising that and going home and relaxing or doing something about it. SPEAKER B Yeah, yeah. Because it's definitely a management thing, isn't it? SPEAKER C Absolutely. Makes a huge difference. So it is. It's like with every part of the brain and the body, it's constantly balancing and we need to. We can't just sit back and not do anything. We need to be self aware, aware of what the body. Body's doing and getting and that's the brain. See that neocortex, that front part of the brain is our conscious awareness so we use that to maybe at times scan the body. Why am I feeling so, oh, what's happening here? And you recognise, know the stress symptoms. How do I know my body's stressed now? At first I didn't because I lived with a lot of stress. Now I know when it's stressed and I make an effort to actually wind it down. SPEAKER B Yeah, good. So are there some things that, like some examples of some things that will help us understand what will actually activate that autonomic nervous system so we can, I guess, recognise the signs to know more aware of them? SPEAKER C Yes, absolutely. Well I did a list of things and this is when I was teaching this sort of material to groups and it was I could see they didn't understand what are the things that actually switch the brain on or switch the brain off because it has to start with the brain because a message from the brain signals the body or the autonomic nervous system. So there are quite a lot of things on this list. So we're going to go through and have a quick look at some of them and we can explore some of them more fully as we go in further sessions. The first one we're looking at is your beliefs. What we believe, what we think and what we believe drive our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. So if I believe something is threatening, social anxiety is a belief system where they go, no, people will notice me and, you know, I won't cope. So they don't go. Their action is they don't go, but it's their belief that's a problem, not the social situation. So, on a positive note, though, if you believe you can do well in doing a course or something, and that's what you're going to think, you're going to look at your successes and learn from your failures and feel good about it and confident. So it works either way, but the beliefs are switched on, or they're already programmed in. But we can change the beliefs. The belief will never disappear totally. It's still embedded in the outer core of the brain, but we can put a new belief system in that does not activate it, and that's putting the brake on, because we're going to put in a better belief that will serve us well. Does that make sense? SPEAKER B That makes sense. That's helpful. SPEAKER C Again, the second one, the impact of stress and trauma. We've talked a bit about that fight, flight or freeze mode, and that works with number three, which are high levels of adrenaline and cortisol. So we need to be aware when do you know adrenaline's pumping? And that's where we had that list of what the body's reaction is. And often you feel the adrenals kick in when from the. They're just above the kidneys. And when the brain deems a threat and triggers the adrenaline response, it's like a rush that comes from the lower back up through to the front of your chest area, up through to, oh, about just above the heart and the lungs. And if we don't release it, and that's the autonomic nervous system now reacting, but we can actually feel it and people go, I'm so anxious. But it's actually that stress response they're feeling. SPEAKER B So important to recognise that feeling as it's coming up and know that, aha, this is the activation phase. We need to be mindful to let the brakes come on soon, too. SPEAKER C Absolutely. So this is learning. What can I do to lower my adrenaline levels. And that's where what we believe and some of the different things we do, do we do good things to do that, like do some breathing, relaxation, go home or go to the beach, have a walk, do things that will help bring our adrenals down. Walking is a brilliant one, or just a bit of exercise. Doesn't have to be much at the end of the day, go for a walk, and that will bring down your adrenaline and cortisol levels. So these are the balances. If not, what do we do? If we can't turn the brain off and put on that break? We will go to things to help us do it, which is number four. Drugs, alcohol, caffeine, anything that stimulates. So we're going into a slump, or the brain isn't coping, and we don't know how to deal with it, that's when we turn to those things. So, understanding, if you're using things like that, why are you doing that? And what's a better way of dealing with your stress or your trauma than this is like anaesthetizing it? SPEAKER B Yeah, that's so interesting, because I think oftentimes people will turn to those substances more when they're in a period of high stress. It's kind of like, I need hope. And so, like, that's often where even addictions can stem out of, you know, someone's had a crisis time and they're like, can't cope. I don't know how to cope with this. And so they'll turn to that to give them a little extra crutch prop. SPEAKER C Type thing or slow them down or get relaxed or whatever. Yeah, well, of course, of course. The next one is insomnia and sleep deprivation, if we're not getting enough sleep. And you probably know people who have insomnia or don't sleep well or don't get a deep sleep, that is a trigger for the brain. It's harder for the brain to then contain or put the brake on. So getting the right amount of rest helps you to put that brake on and slow the system down. The other one, blood sugar levels crucial. If they're too low or too high, skipping a meal. Stress lowers your blood sugar levels rapidly. All sorts of things do that. And if your blood sugars are low, then you're in trouble, because what's going to happen, it will cause either a hyper, we get revved up, or we go into a slump and go hypo. And the brain, the brain can't function. So looking after the blood sugars, witches comes back to lifestyle, nutrition, different ways so we can learn to do that. Okay? And we're going to go through these next few. If we don't get through all of them, we'll cheque them next time we do a programme. Thyroid problems. And one of the things, when people can't get their balance, I encourage them to go and get a thyroid cheque because that's physical and it can affect the brain. Switch it on or switch it off again. Hyperactive, underactive. So get all those things checked out and that really helps get your blood sugar levels checked out. Do a fasting blood sugar test, hormonal changes. We can have puberty, blues, PM's, male and female, menopause. So those can affect the brain. And you've got to learn to put the brake on when you're having these issues happening in your life. And you can. There are ways to do it. Brain chemistry, balance, which you're aware of, serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, and sure, you can get medication, but there's lots of positive good ways you can actually get that balance without having to resort to medication or to manage medication. So that's another thing. Get that balance is important. Brain toxicity and inflammation. Again, we can detox the body and the brain will put the brake on and reduce inflammation. We're revving the engine when we're toxic or inflamed. And the last one there is physical pain. People with a lot of physical pain that can be switch the brain on or switch your brain off. It can rev it or they go into. Try and dissociate to slow it down. Do we have time to go through these or I'll just read them out and we can discuss them further later. SPEAKER B Yeah, just. SPEAKER C We've got porn. Yeah. Poor nutrition, food additives, brain dehydration, weather patterns, sunlight, full moon cycle and lack of spiritual focus are all switched brains on and off. SPEAKER B Wow. That's so comprehensive. Like, there's so many things, even things we probably don't think of, that are influencing our brain. There. SPEAKER C That's it. SPEAKER B With this overdrive type phase. SPEAKER C Yes, absolutely. And this is why it's crucial that we become self aware and recognise our habits, our lifestyle, what's pressing the button, why are we running on adrenaline and what can we do to slow it down? And changing some of those variables makes a huge difference. SPEAKER B Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for pointing them out to us today. It's been very, very helpful and very informative to look at those details to raise awareness, because definitely a personal journey isn't it of learning to recognise what things are really active in our own lives that are causing this overdrive and how we can then put the brakes on. So, thank you so much for sharing with us. Thank you for joining with us on the programme. We have been talking with health psychologist Jenifer Skues about how the brain and body work in balance with each other. We've also looked at factors that can disrupt this cooperation. In the next programme, we will focus on what we can do to keep the brain and body in harmony with each other. Do join us for that discussion, as I know will be very helpful. If you have questions or comments about this programme, or if there is a topic you would like us to discuss, then contact us on [email protected]. And remember to shape your lifestyle. Lifestyle as medicine. SPEAKER A You've been listening to Your Lifestyle as Medicine, a production of 3ABN Australia television.