How Humans Learn and Adapt

Dr. Kathy Maupin and Brett Newcomb discuss the topic of adaptation and change. They explore the implications of humans’ adaptive functions on aging and longevity.

Charles Darwin once asserted that those who adapt survive and those who don’t, don’t. In this week’s podcast, Brett Newcomb and I will be talking about adaptation and change. We will be focusing on the way the medical profession is learning to look at health from a more global perspective rather than from a symptomatic, intervention perspective.

Our intent is to talk about balance and adaptation and how the body manages to seek homeostasis or equilibrium, a concept that is highlighted in a new book called The Disease Delusion by Dr Jeffery Brand.

There is a process called “sensory adaptation” that happens both within the body and on the surface of the skin. Cells, nerves, skin; all have a point of balance. When that balance becomes disrupted, the system acts to restore the balance. If the level of disruption becomes constant, the system will adjust itself to a new zero point and reset its basic definition of “balance.” For example, if you wear a wrist watch, a ring, or a hat for a long period of time, you will no longer feel the pressure of it on your skin. Your senses have adapted so that the constant level of pressure is the new base-level and you will only recognize changes that happen at that level. If you live under a constant level of trauma or high stress, your system will reset its adrenal reaction level so that you are no longer receiving warnings that something is wrong.

When your senses readjust to a new and higher stimulation level as their trigger point, it is dangerous. If you don’t get the notice that something is wrong, you can have a heart attack or stroke as a result. You can also sink into a depressive funk, brought on by something known as adrenal fatigue.

In this podcast, we want to remind you that pain and bacteria are good things. There are necessary functions that are served by our pain awareness and by the good bacteria that our body needs. We do not want to develop the ability to not feel pain and to not ever have any bacteria. We need them, but we need them in balance.

Listen to this weeks podcast to learn about the balancing systems of the body and how they help you to stay healthy and live longer.