What Does This Mean?

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is that part which operates without your conscious effort, such as regulation of breathing, heartbeat, digestion, etc.  It is divided into two areas:  Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS).

The SNS controls the "fight or flight" response of the body, and responds to stressful or emergency situations by increasing adrenaline, blood pressure, heart rate and blood flow to the muscles.  At the same time, it will slow digestion, blood flow to the skin and immune function.

The PSNS is the "rest and digest" response, the restful or energy conserving division, and is most active under ordinary, restful conditions.  It has the opposite effects of the SNS to counterbalance your entire system, and restores the body to a resting state following a stressful experience.  During this period, the body is best able to heal and restore its energy and well being. 

Why This Is Critical to Your Health

In response to both external experiences and internal thoughts and beliefs, you experience a continuous interplay between these two forces, which are necessary to balance each other.  However, when the response ability of either or both of these are not functioning properly, continued stress on the system has been shown to result in progressively failing health, increased rates of aging and risk of disease.

This SNS/PSNS interplay was created to allow the human body the ability to respond effectively to an immediate threat that required a burst of energy, and then have adequate recovery time until the next wild animal jumped into our path.

In our current lifestyle of unrelenting stress of trying to balance home, family, work, traffic, crime rates, world crises, finances, eating on the run, etc., we have little recovery time.  Add poor nutrition, a polluted environment, and 8 hours on a computer, and you have a recipe for disaster.

These subtle and not-so-subtle stressors increase blood sugar, blood pressure, skin disorders, and heart disease, and lower your natural immunity, leaving you susceptible to inflammation, infection and chronic disease.

The Good News

We have more control over our health and autonomic nervous system than you might think.  Studies show that the non-invasive practice of meditation decreased symptoms of psoriasis 80% in six weeks.  The effects of diabetes and heart disease can be reversed with appropriate nutrition and activity. 

Whether it is determined that Zyto BioCommunication Testing and/or medical intervention is appropriate for optimizing your health at any given time, Heart Rate Variability analysis is an invaluable tool to assess your health, determine the effectiveness of your lifestyle, fitness program and health care program, and monitor your progress.