Our bodies are really amazing!! Don't you agree?? Unfortunately, it seems we only recognize the complex function of our bodies when they seem to not be working right. We rarely stop and acknowledge how truly awesome they are.
For example, who hasn't complained of the heat yet? Even though we finally just got warm. Yet never has the beauty and wisdom of our bodies' design been more apparent. Our bodies are designed to function perfectly despite all kinds of fluctuations in weather. Human beings are warm-blooded creatures, meaning their primary source of heat comes from within them. This heat is created by our natural body processes. All mammals and birds share this characteristic, while all other animals are cold-blooded and function less than perfectly based on fluctuations in the weather.
Given the heat of summer the fact that we are able to self-generate warmth may seem inconsequential, but soon enough we will be digging our snow shovels back out of the garage and this function will again become ultimately important. For now however, our bodies face quite a different challenge, that is, keeping us from overheating!
In fact, our bodies are so fantastic that despite extreme external temperatures, we, for the most part, maintain a consistent internal body temperature (commonly thought to be 98.6, but this is just an average, most people are higher or lower than this at any given point throughout the day). Yet, there is a precise temperature at which your body processes work best. What that number is for you cannot be known by the educated mind. Yet, your body knows it and it is at this specific temperature that all the functions of your body will occur most effectively and efficiently.
Oddly, the miracle of temperature regulation within your body does not occur where you think it would. You would probably think that the skin would be your thermostat. In this way, if your skin sensed that the environment was hot or getting hotter it could relay messages inward, but that's not how it works. Your body's thermostat is really located at the base of your brain, in a structure known as the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus monitors the temperature of your blood and triggers changes in the diameter of the blood vessels to make appropriate changes as necessary.
For example, in these lazy, hot days of summer, our internal temperature can easily begin to rise. Of course increases can happen for lots of reasons besides it being hot outside. Exercising can cause your internal temperature to rise as can normal body processes the produce a lot of heat such as digestion. In these cases, your hypothalamus is able to signal your blood vessels to expand, which increases the volume of blood moving through them, carrying more blood to the surface of your body so the heat can dissipate. The end result is you are cooled. All of this occurs without any conscious involvement on your part and it occurs most effectively and efficiently when your body is able to clearly communicate with itself. This communication requires your nerve system and the only way to ensure that your nerve system is clear is to have your spine checked by your chiropractor on a regular basis.
So it just makes sense, if you want to stay as cool as possible this summer, include regular chiropractic adjustments in your weekly routine. In this manner, you will ensure that your body is clearly communicating with itself, keeping you as cool as possible and allowing your body to operate at full efficiency no matter how hot it gets.
Have a great summer!
