What is HOMEOSTASIS?

What is the scientific definition of homeostasis?

Homeostasis was defined in 1865 as “the property of a system that regulates its own internal environment to maintain a stable condition”- Claude Bernard in 1865

Reed Davis defines homeostasis “is a functional state in which the property we call VITAL RESERVE (strategic) is at least meeting the challenge of, or even dominating, any contributors to METABOLIC CHAOS” (2015). 

The Fundamental Homeostatic Controls (FHCs):  the process of metabolic typing involves the evaluation of the interrelationships among the autonomic nervous system, the oxidative system and seven additionally physiological parameters that influence body chemistry.  The nine relationships that need to be in balance or in homeostasis are:

1. Autonomic type
2. Endocrine type
3. Oxidative type
4. Acid/alkaline type
5. Catabolic/anabolic type
6. Constitutional type
7. Blood type
8. Prostaglandin balance
9. Electrolyte balance

The Metabolic Jigsaw Puzzle of the interrelationships among the Autonomic nervous system – which is balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

Examples of the relationships include: four key areas

1. Steroidal hormone balance:  the balance between the hormone cortisol and DHEAs.  The ratio of cortisol to DHEAs lab reference ranges are 1:1 up to 4:1 ratio but must match the age of the client. 
2. Oxidative System balance: Oxidative type helps us determine the which oxidative system is more dominant.  How fast or slow to burn fuel.  Which fuel we are burning fuel primarily as a fast or slow oxidizer- so the fuel mixture of slow burning fuel as fats or need fast burning fuel as carbohydrates. 
3. ANS -the sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system balance: to have resiliency to shift back into “fight or flight” SNS or “rest and digest” PNS system as well as to avoid being “stuck” in one or the other as sympathetic dominance.
4. Prostaglandin Balance:  We have prostaglandin (PG) one, two and three that need to be in balance to manage/control inflammation.  Our body needs to be able to create or increase inflammation just as much as it does to decrease inflammation.  Essential Fatty Acid balance is the key!  The body needs to inflame to heal and before it anti-inflames. 
   1. PG1 is from linoleic acid (LA), polyunsaturated omega 6 fatty acids, and are anti-inflammatory.
   1. PG2 is from saturated fats and are pro-inflammatory
   1. PG3 are from alpha linolenic acid (ALA), omega 3 fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fats and are anti-inflammatory.   

Each one of our Homeostasis controls, areas that need to stay in balance, can deteriorate over time if left unchecked if not handled correctly.  The chronic stress cascade will begin is we don’t handle chronic stress disorders. 

Distress of any kinds lead to loss of homeostasis, dysfunction and METABOLIC CHAOS!  This weakened state of health, if left unchecked for prolonged periods of time, may diminish our natural “vital reserve” and lead to unexplained symptoms downstream. 

As FDN-practitioners, we learn to look UPSTREAM to help individuals regain homeostasis and function by implementing functional labs available in order to identify “healing opportunities” so we are able to educate and provide the client with the tools needed for their body to restore function and balance.  By providing the client with behaviors they can choose to implement into their lifestyle along with self-care therapies to help “coach up” their vital/strategic/metabolic reserve—at the same time we “coach down” their contributors to METABOLIC CHAOS.  The ideal end result is to guide a client back to feeling alive and thriving -with a new sense of vitality and allowing symptoms to disappear naturally!  

Our job as FDN-Practitioner, is to look upstream to restore the function and recharge the body’s innate intelligence to return to homeostasis.  By using the DRESS for HEALTH Success protocols, we can coach up optimal function or vital reserve with the correct healing protocols, while we coach down the contributor’s metabolic chaos – the known and unknown HIDDEN stressors.  The end goal is to trust the system to bring the body back into “normal” – homeostasis to optimize health from a cellular level!