Have you ever heard the age-old adage that “the best defense is a good offense?” It has been attributed to many high-profile leaders along the way, from politicians to coaches. It has been a winning strategy of many.
What does this adage mean and is it even possible to be on offense and defense at the same time?
In this post, I want to answer these questions from a health perspective on the stress incurred while playing the game of life. The goal is to understand the health ramifications that life’s stressors will create and what you can do to mitigate their effects on you.
When it comes to winning at the game of life the best defense is always a good offense.
Chiropractic is the study of health and what causes man to live.
Medicine is the study of disease and what causes man to die.
-BJ Palmer
Offense or Defense?
Simply put, you cannot be in both at the same time.
In football, the teams are specialized and separated. The offensive line and the defensive line. These special teams are groomed for their assigned tasks.
As single-minded as it sounds, they must also cross-train each player to be able to switch gears at any given moment. This is to say, that the offensive team focuses primarily on advancing the ball but must also be prepared to defend their line in the case of an interception.
You aren’t comprised of special teams to handle defense and offense separately. By design, you can only be in one of these states at a time and you are responsible for both. This begs the question, should you focus on one more than the other?
Offense
Offense in the game of life for humans is when your nervous system is in a state of parasympathetic dominance. This is commonly referred to as Rest and Digest. This state optimally allowing for the regeneration of cells through the absorption of nutrition and detoxification of waste.
One reason why I relate that Sleep, Eating Real Food, Water, and Movement exist at the top of the hierarchy within the Innate Essentials is because of their role in the process of regeneration. Without regeneration of the cells in your body, you would die abruptly. Offense is incredibly important to the health of you and your life.
Offensive dominant states of being are regenerative in nature.
Defense
Defense is not equally as important in my opinion but nonetheless essential. Without defense or a sympathetic neurological state of being, you would have no fear and thus no fight or flight response.
Having no fear would be an amazing trait in the interim but the long-term results would be devastating. The fight or flight sympathetic state is natural to all animals for protection from predators or predatory actions.
Chronic defense dominance produces chemicals that can become degenerative.
Active Offense
I want to introduce an idea that I’m going to term active offense.
Offense as described above is a passive state of being. Breathing, digestion, cellular exchange, and cardiovascular activity all happen without active cognition.
Defense as described above is a reactive state of being. Defense requires an active agent of threat real or perceived.
So in comes the term active offense. A state of being proactive with the intention of benefit. Voluntarily pursuing a better position for the advancement of physical, chemical, or emotional health.
Active offense requires a synergistic relationship between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Risk and Reward system. Risk activates the sympathetic nervous system. The Reward system initially is sympathetic dominant, but progressively becomes parasympathetic as dopamine wears off. Risk is an active requirement in this case.
“The purpose of life, as far as I can tell… is to find a mode of being that’s so meaningful that the fact that life is suffering is no longer relevant.”
-Jordan B Peterson
Risk, Reward and Failure
A life of Offense or Defense only isn’t a life worth living. This is one thing that sets us apart from the other animals in our ecosystem. Our conscious ability to voluntarily add stress to our life for future benefit. To make sacrifices for our future.
This may be the purpose or meaning of life. I can say in my experience that happiness isn’t found in the destination but rather in the pursuit of the destination.
Aiming for a better position in life is to set an ideal. It is Self Awareness of an achievable destination. I have created a Self-Awareness Roadmap to help you achieve these ideal destinations.
Ideals are necessary in my opinion but they come with consequences. Failure or reward. These consequences are enough to make most avoid pursuing their wildest dreams. For others, the reality and judgment of one’s potential are too much for them to participate in.
No ideals = no judgement = no purpose = no positivity = only entropy = suffering
There is always the possibility of setting too many or unrealistic ideals. Balance in voluntary stress loads is a crucial part of growth. This is what the hormetic effect is based upon.
Hormetic Effect
In a previous blog, I relate the idea of Hormesis and it’s benefits. Hormesis is a testament to balance and the negative effects of too much or too little of an environmental agent. (stressors) Balance is key. Without these ingenuities, we are often at the mercy of mother nature. With these ingenuities, we are at an advantage over mother nature. At some point the dosage may become too much, thus creating a disadvantage and isolating us from our natural animalistic physiology. We should celebrate our achievements, take stock in our failures, recognize our pitfalls and converge our sophisticated culture with the natural world by maximizing our basic necessities for well-being.
Stress Response
Offensive Stress
The parasympathetic state of passive offense carries with it little to no stress chemicals being released. Taking into account entropy and the energy exchange between cellular structures for detoxification and regeneration. These are normal costs of living.
Defensive Stress
The sympathetic state of defense brings with it all the usual suspects involved in stress chemistry. Adrenaline, Noradrenaline, and Cortisol to name the big three. Dopamine is part of the stress chemicals but is usually involved with the reward system.
All of the stress chemicals are neither good nor bad. They are chemical stimulants released for survival.
Adrenaline and Noradrenaline are the obvious stars of the show. Their quick release by the Endocrine system can be the difference between life and death. An increase in blood pressure and heart rate are immediate actions.
Cortisol however is the unsung hero. Cortisol again neither good nor bad, raises blood sugar for quick thinking and fast acting. Releases substances that repair tissue damage like cholesterol and shuts down all nonessential parasympathetic activities of growth and regeneration including the immune system.
Quite literally in this state of chronic defense or stress, you are dying. The Sympathetic Nervous System was not meant to be chronically sustained. The end result of this on your health physically is degenerative and emotionally creates a survival mentality. (prey, scarcity, victim)
Do you think we (Americans) suffer from epidemics of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart disease (metabolic syndrome), and weakened immunity because of bad genes? Or do you find it plausible that we suffer from Chemical, Physical and Emotional stressors that create the chemicals listed above? These same chemicals then create the symptoms associated with Metabolic Syndrome.
I am of the paradigm that these man-made diseases aren’t consequences of bad genes or bad luck, but rather bad choices.
The good news is that you can better your position when it comes to all 3 aspects of your health. One Adjustment at a time.
Active Offensive Stress
In active offense, the chemicals released are the same as above during defense. A big difference here is the possibility of a favorable outcome as well as the voluntary undertaking of the process. A favorable outcome out of risk carries with it a positive valence. A reward.
The body then releases dopamine. The neurotransmitter signaling victory and reward for good behavior. This is followed quickly by acetylcholine that begins to slow the heart rate and return the body to a parasympathetic state. Success!
The substances released for tissue repair now have a chance to go to work. Rest, repair and regeneration begin to do their job. This is of course in an acute state of voluntary stress that is followed up by reward.
In a chronic state of stress or defense, there is no reward and it is usually involuntary. It will create altered states of function meant for the short-term survival of the species due to its perceived threat.
Pathophysiology of Stress
Without diving too deep, I want you to understand that if you are in a state of fear due to threat, you cannot optimally be in a state of regeneration. Instead, you are in a state of defensive survival. This is a state of altered physiology.
This is not to say that your body completely shuts down the parasympathetic nervous system when in a sympathetic state. It is to say that the focus and energy of the body will be in a defensive position. You cannot optimally be in both.
A crude example of this is the digestive distress that happens when in an unfamiliar place. It is all too common for someone to be on vacation, in an unfamiliar place, and lack the ability to have a normal bowel movement. Travelers constipation.
The emotional state of discomfort in an unfamiliar place creates a sympathetic response. The animal, in this case, a human, is on high alert to its surroundings for the purpose of survival. This state of being does not allow for optimal function of the rest and digest states of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Similarly, midwives and natural birthing centers relate that this same issue arrives when a laboring female encounters the chaotic and unfamiliar state of a hospital setting. Their fight and flight centers ignite and the labor process retreats into remission. This is thought to cause an increase in medical intervention needed for the natural process of birth.
That is to say, the evolution of our healthcare system has created a need for our current healthcare system. That’s a vicious cycle.
A chronic state of stress creates a pathophysiological state of being. A person cannot live in fear constantly and function normally.
Covid-19 and the Game of Life
In a similar fashion, our evolutionary advancements in technology have given our culture the perfect opportunity to evolve synchronously.
Along comes Covid-19, a seemingly moderate cold virus, paired with our digitally connected culture and media and we have ignited a cultural revolutionary powder keg. All leading to the Great Reset.
The great reset of our culture depends upon having a socially distanced, digitally connected, impersonal, uniform, and dependent society. This is the hope of the World Economic Forum for the advancement of a global society.
The globalist agenda to unite our cultures have been in place long before I was born. For many Christians, it has been prophesied biblically with great caution. It reminds me of the Tower of Babel story.
In my best estimate, this can only lead us to Ray Kurzweil’s singularitism. To me, this reeks of the same kind of intellectual arrogance that is seen in many forms of elitism.
This has all been made possible due to our advancements towards a digital society, man-made diseases, and a relatively innocuous virus.
Covid-19 and the Culture of Fear
One way to accomplish this goal above is to encourage a state of fear and constant stress. A culture of fear will undoubtedly comply for their safety and comfort. Something I blogged about when this virus first emerged. 12 Immune Boosters to Covid-19, Chaos & Convenience.
These two weeks to flatten the curve have predictably evolved into a year of lockdowns, mask mandates, and a never-ending culture of fear. It has allowed our world leaders the opportunity to usher in a new way of life. Conspiratorially, I have been contemplating this happening for the last 6 years after the Mickey Mouse Measles ”epidemic” of 2015.
I have become very sensitive to messages that are being broadcast to us as I have been without cable for almost 10 years. Recently, it has made its way into my life rather covertly. I have been appalled by the propagandist messages hidden in many shows and movies but moreover, I have been utterly shocked when it comes to the commercials that businesses and institutions pay for to get their message to you.
The mainstream media as well as social media produce a titrated drip of fear to the public and themselves. There is an addictive element that takes place with the circulation of these messages and their responses. Clickbait, catchy headlines, and social media debate.
The masks, social distancing, and lockdowns are also constant reminders that we must live in a state of fear without the chance of community for protection.
This kind of mass messaging and fear-mongering was first brought to my attention by the 2002 movie Bowling for Columbine. In which director Michael Moore explores the relationship between fear-mongering by the media and gun violence. Ironically, his message was to spread the fear of gun violence in America through our media and culture.
Our media and social media have evolved to use the power of fear to push deeper agendas. This chronic state of fear as I state above will produce stress chemicals ultimately leading to a risk of metabolic syndrome. This state of your health along with a weakened immune system will make you more susceptible to the fear they are selling you. Covid death rate 10x higher in obese.
Chronic Stress Mindset
The idea that you cannot be in a state of offense and defense at the same time mirrors the idea of living in fear.
You are not really living if you’re in constant fear of dying.
I dedicated one of the Innate Essentials to Mindset. I describe the difference between a Growth Mindset and a Fixed mindset. A fixed mindset as you may have guessed lacks the ability to grow.
The only thing worse would be a survival mindset. This is the product of a chronic stress.
Kids and Chronic Stress
I want to point out what should be obvious at this point. A state of chronic defense, chronic stress, or sympathetic dominance will stunt your growth potential.
Our original strategy of flattening the curve became a war cry for the cessation of death due to anything remotely related to the Covid virus.
Obviously, this has had an effect on our economy, our daily lives, our loved ones, and our conveniences. The real tragedy here is the effect on our kids. On a whole generation of kids who have been displaced from their work, their social lives, and their budding personas.
It’s commonplace to say that kids are resilient but in reality, we carry childhood trauma with us throughout life. Many times it shapes the way we see the world forever.
Chronic stress will have physical, chemical, and emotional consequences that we have yet to understand.
“It is better to grow healthy kids than fix injured adults.”
– Dr. Sarah Woolever
Chiropractic and Stress
Chiropractors traditionally alleviate the physical stressors associated with musculoskeletal pains.
These physical stressors when chronic create the same release of chemicals described above. The health ramifications are no different, if the physical stressor isn’t corrected.
The bonus here is that when the alignment of your spine is correct your nervous system will have optimal potential to adapt to the stress perceived by the nervous system.
Adaptation to the stress in life is the key to the survival of our species.
Chiropractic helps to add life to your years and year to your life.
One Adjustment at a Time
One Adjustment exists to encourage my patients and my subscribers to address the 3 stressors in life that destroy our health.
As always, these Innate Essentials are best when routinely addressed. Routines Build Dreams.
An active offense is the best defense against many of the threats you will encounter in life. Take one Innate Essential at a time and improve upon your position One Adjustment at a time.
One Adjustment Action Step
Make a plan. The Self-Awareness Road Map was created to help others understand how to improve your position Chemically, Physically, and Emotionally in life.
Understand more about How Chronic Stress Kills You Faster.
Pick the Innate Essential that you need to improve upon the most and try implementing One Adjustment at a time to better yourself.
Find ways to decrease your stress. I use coping strategies such as Movement, Sleep, Relationships, Prayer, and Meditation to name a few.
Voluntarily pick your poison. Stress is inevitable. The kind you face can be somewhat calculated.
A man with no fear is just naive. A man with fear is expected. A man with crippling fear is no longer living. But a man who faces his fear is a courageous hero.
Who will you show up as today? Voluntarily invite in constructive stress so that you can overcome the reactive stress when it arrives at your doorstep.
Love,
Nick the DC
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