In continuing our exploration of “What is health really?”, I’d like to talk about a specific tissue in the body that is the foundation of health.
In order to better understand this tissue, we need to go back to where life started for all of us: as an embryo:).
There are 3 embryonic germ layers: the endoderm, the mesoderm and the ectoderm. These three layers of tissue become more developed and specialized over time as the embryo develops.
The mesoderm for example gives rise to bone, muscle and urinary system. The ectoderm (the outer layer of tissue) gives rise to skin and the nervous system. That’s right, the nervous system starts out on the outside and as the embryo develops, the nervous system moves to the inside of the developing embryo and becomes more specialized.
It’s interesting to note that the same tissue that gives rise to the skin, the outer layer around the body, also gives rise to the nervous system, which interfaces between our inside and outside worlds.
In order for us to know what’s going on outside of ourselves so that we can adapt, we use the nervous system. Vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell are all due to specialized parts of the nervous system relaying information to the brain (which is encased in the skull).
We also have various feedback loops working in the body which also give information to the brain about what’s going on inside of ourselves. These feedback loops work like a thermostat. Digestion, urination, every bodily function has these feedback loops to tell the brain to stop or go.
The nervous system links current input with memory systems, so that we can also rely on past experiences to help us navigate. The nervous system differentiates (figures out what is what) and it links things together, like when we learn.
Whether the information is coming from the outside or the inside, the brain needs to be able to INTEGRATE all of it in order to adjust to whatever demands there are. INTEGRATION depends on a clear and optimally balanced nervous system.
If the nervous system is out of balance (left brain vs. Right brain or fight/flight vs. Recovery/growth or up regulation of the emotional brain), it is largely impossible to have HEALTH.
INTEGRATION and self-regulation do not only depend on handling physical stimuli. The nervous system extends beyond us to help us navigate relationships. We don’t live in isolation: We live in connection with each other.
In the next article we will look at another determinant of HEALTH: our relationships.