4 Things Your Body Needs to Survive

By Dr. Molly Casey

If you’ve done nothing to support the functioning of your car -- routine maintenance such as oil changes, tire rotation, alignments, transmission fluid changes -- and it isn’t making any noises on your way to work and back, does that mean the car is ready for a 12-hour road trip tomorrow? Or that it’s in great condition? No, not at all. And guess what -- the same goes for your body.

Although the body is much more than purely a machine, it still is a machine -- and machines need to be taken care of regularly if you want them to perform at the highest possible level. Below are the foundational physical components that play into the health of your body, as well as some tips for helping your body operate at the highest possible level so you can have the best possible life.

This is the stuff you need to survive.

Know the Basics

Knowing the body’s basic requirements for optimal health is a must if you want it to function optimally.

Nervous system: The nervous system is the communication system. Your brain speaks to your body and your body to your brain via electrical impulses in the miles and miles of nerves and nervous system tissue in your body. This communication is life; to cut off or interfere with this at any level decreases optimal health and ultimately escalates poor health. To survive, your body needs its nervous system more than anything else.

Tip: Maintain your nervous system and free it of interference via chiropractic. Chiropractic adjustments are necessary for optimal spinal health. Optimal spinal health allows for optimal nervous system functioning as the spine houses the central nervous system and the connecting routes of the nerves that travel and carry messages throughout the body.

Oxygen: You can last longer with no oxygen than you can with no electrical impulses running from the brain to the body. Hence, oxygen is second in line for most important on the basics of health. In this society, because folks are often stressed to the gills or simply never really get out of the low-grade chronic stress state, they acquire very poor breathing habits. People often don’t breathe deep enough, and only into their lungs -- not fully down into their belly -- or they simply hold their breath for short periods of time. Proper breathing is imperative for proper nervous system and cellular function as well as processes such as detoxing. Not to mention a good deep breath simply does a great deal for your overall mental state.

Tip: Three times daily, spend one to three minutes quiet and focusing on your breathing. Simply inhale, bringing the oxygen all the way down into the belly and exhaling out fully. Repeat.

Water: You can live without water longer than you can live without nervous system function and oxygen, but not as long as you can go without food, so water is next in importance of basic health requirements. Most folks in the United States don’t drink quality water nor do they drink enough. Likely, you fit into that category. Every cell in your body requires water. Your body requires it. Health is negatively affected at the foundational level when you don’t drink water the way it is intended. Skip tap water altogether unless you have a good quality filter that removes heavy metals, benzenes and other toxic chemicals, but leaves trace minerals for pH balance. Drink, daily, half your body weight in ounces. Example: if you weigh 124 pounds you’d drink 62 ounces of water daily.

Tip: Start tracking your water intake; research and invest in a quality home filter. Carry water with you every day in a chemical-free container to support your body’s health and functioning. That way there are no excuses.

Food: Out of the basics your body requires, this is last of the four. It’s because you can go up to 30 days without food. Don’t kid yourself, it’s still vitally important. The easiest way to put it is this: Eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. Let vegetables be the largest part of what you eat regardless of whether you eat meat or not. Enjoy fruits at the same time, but don’t overdo them because they are sugar. Kick the white sugar habit; studies show it can be addictive, sometimes even more so than cocaine. You should know that sugar is sneakily hidden in just about anything you can imagine, so read all labels whenever you grocery shop. Lastly, don’t forget your water (see above); sometimes what you think is hunger is truly a need for water because of lack of hydration.

The biggest, most impactful way to increase the functioning of your body, your health, and your life is to care properly for your nervous system. Chiropractic facilitates optimal nervous system functioning. Stop in at The Joint Chiropractic and let us help you help yourself. Until then, make sure to take time to breathe consciously, drink some clean water, and eat whole foods. Your body will love you for it.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.