Rest & Rhythm

  

 
Rest is a period of time set aside which the body and the mind are put in neutral gear, so that the body's systems are allowed to catch up with the demands that have been put upon them. (The mind is taken off of all fears, anxiety, concerns, worries, stress, etc. The focus can then turn to perfect health.)
Few people understand what rest means. To some it means a break from the routine, to others it means sitting and watching television, and to still others it could mean some strenuous activity. Yet most do not realize that mental rest and physical rest are actually two parts of the total rest picture. Both parts of the rest picture must be present in order for there to be proper rest.
Please realize that when rest is called for in your program, that it should be followed. If there is any confusion as to how much rest, be sure and ask. When the body is in need of rest, it cannot get by without it. In order to help your body improve its wellness you cannot be burning up "energy" in everyday work and worries. There is no amount of food supplement that can compensate for lack of rest.
Rest is very important to acquire on a regular schedule. This is because when the "laws of nature" were set forth, biologic life was given cycles and rhythms to help establish habits and patterns that promoted life. Man is the most intelligent of all beings, yet he abuses himself the most when it comes to irregular schedules and lifestyle habits. With today's air transportation, it is not uncommon to see individuals very ill only because the rest cycle was altered by an "around the world" jet trip.
What are these rhythms and why should you have some understanding about them and their relationship to rest?
One of the major contributing factors to "subhealth" in humans today is the lack of schedules. The poorer the health, usually the more disorganized the lifestyle is. They do not eat at the same time every day. These individuals do not go to bed at the same time, nor get up at the same time. Their bowel movements are irregular. Also their exercise habits are irregular. It is regularity in everything that allows the body to function at its peak. The liver has cycles, and they are anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes apart.
It is known that there are daily body biorhythms that the systems must be tuned to. Much has been recorded regarding the cycles of the universe in general. Recognizing the importance of these biorhythmic cycles is just like a musician recognizing that there is a particular "A" on the music scale that his instrument must be tuned to-not just any “A”.
Dr. Halberg, of the Chronobiology Laboratories of the University of Minnesota, is a dean of biorhythm research in America. He showed, by putting a man in a cave and controlling conditions, that when nothing in the external world interferes with the persons internal body rhythms, a man's heart rate clearly reveals a seven-day rhythm.
Other researchers have discovered, over a 15 year period that healthy men excrete hormones like ketosteroids on a seven-day rhythm. Another team found that post-operative inflammatory swelling came on a regular predictable seven-day rhythm after oral surgery. A seven-day rhythm has been found related to the cortisol binding protein production in lactating mothers. Other demonstrations are found in serious rejection of transplanted kidneys after surgery. Seven days after the operation a variety of immune reactions set up a seven-day rhythm that complicates the postoperative out come.
The seven-day rhythms have also been found in monkeys, dogs, rats and other organisms.
In overview, let us outline the pertinent principles of rhythm and rest:
1.   Start the night's sleep period at, as close to, the same time as possible.
2.   Eat your meals, as close to, the same time each day.
3.   Do not eat within 3 hours of going to bed at night.
4.   Drink your distilled water, as directed, on the hourly or half-hourly schedule.
5.   Sleep with good ventilation at night and air out the bedrooms in the daytime. Air
            out the bedding as well.
6.   If complete bed rest, for a period of time, is suggested, that is just what it means. Do
            nothing but get up to go to the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

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