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By Sharon Lewis, MEd, CFNC Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor
Functional nutrition is the individualized, holistic approach to diet, taking into consideration lifestyle factors, food choices, activity level, environment, and the presence of chronic disease.
People in today’s society are overstimulated and burning the candle at both ends. It does not matter if you are the CEO of a major company, a parent with a 40-hour-per-week job, or an overscheduled teenager; people are bound to their responsibilities at home, school, and work. Picture a hamster running on a wheel. Is that you? The thing about the actual hamster is that when it gets tired, it will stop.
For some reason, humans push themselves to the point of exhaustion. People usually feel guilty about getting off the wheel, perhaps because of societal, cultural, or family pressures. Work ethic is another belief that derails our ability to rest. We falsely believe that we must always be in the process of being successful and getting ahead.
Rest Is Not Your Enemy
Some also view rest as a luxury, a selfish and unproductive act of self-indulgence. People sometimes set unrealistic goals for themselves and push themselves to achieve those goals regardless of the effects on their health, well-being, and personal relationships.
Understand that rest and sleep are two different things. In addition to your sleep requirements—seven or more hours of sleep each night—you need to build time for rest.
Rest is essential and restorative and cannot be overlooked if your goal is long-term/sustainable activity, mental clarity, cognition, and good decision-making. Why It’s Important to Allow Yourself to Rest. Ask any athlete excelling in their sport just how important it is to rest to train, recover, and play well. Let’s look at some areas of life that are affected by lack of sleep.
Stress and Hormonal Balance
When stressed, your body sounds its alarm by producing too much of the hormone cortisol. This hormone controls many vital functions, including keeping inflammation down, regulating your blood pressure, and boosting your energy so that you can handle your stressors. But if the switch is on too long, the system becomes imbalanced and can lead to depression, heart disease, headaches, and digestive issues. Rest decreases your stress levels and the harmful effects of too much cortisol in the body.
Getting enough rest helps maintain hormonal balance, including the hormones related to hunger and appetite. Sleep deprivation and lack of rest can disrupt these hormones, leading to weight gain and other metabolic issues.
Energy Production
Rest provides a break for the cardiovascular system, which, in turn, helps maintain physical stamina and endurance. During rest, the glycogen levels in the muscles are restored, giving you sufficient energy to do physical work.
Creativity and Problem Solving
Rest allows the brain to make new connections, leading to new insights. This aspect of rest can lead to greater creativity and improved problem-solving ability. Who does not always want to be on top of their game?
Overall Well-Being
Sufficient rest contributes to a person’s overall quality of life. Getting rest brings about feelings of recovery, restoration, healing, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges without feeling stressed. The Healing Power of Rest: Why Rest is Essential for Your Health. Hutton Health
What is Rest?
Rest is difficult to define because it is different for everyone. A broad definition of rest is “any behavior aimed at increasing physical or mental well-being.” It can be any activity you enjoy, such as running, or a passive activity, such as meditation.
The current buzzword is “self-care.” “Self-care can be defined as the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote and maintain their health, prevent disease, and cope with illness – with or without the support of a health or care worker,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Whatever you call it, rest is an essential aspect of daily life. Make the time to take care of yourself.
