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Writer's pictureW. Duncan Humphries

Is Your Norm Unhealthy?

Updated: Mar 2, 2019

Are you constantly anxious but don't know it? Are your bowel movements  irregular and watery but you think they are normal? Is a "normal" night's rest leaving you unknowingly sleep deprived?

I once had chronic upper back pain and poor posture. I went to chiropractors and physiotherapists who tried to show me correct posture. The problem was that standing up straight felt strange and wrong. By making poor posture a habit for many years, my body thought it was the "normal" position. Any change to my posture was perceived as uncomfortable and out of balance. Indeed my muscles had stretched in a way that made good posture difficult.

What we think of as "normal" could in fact be very unhealthy and even lead to acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Have you ever heard of olfactory adaptation or olfactory fatigue?sometimes called nose blindness, olfactory fatigue is the phenomenon where, after a period of time, you no longer smell odours that are constantly in your environment. For example, if you put on perfume you may smell it at the beginning but after a few minutes you will no longer smell it although the odour is still there. The same thing happens with rotten or bad smells. You may smell it to begin with but if you continue to stay in an environment with bad smells you will no longer register them. For example some people with bad body odour aren't aware of it until they go a period when they are clean and smell nice. Can this same phenomenon happened with our lifestyle behaviours?

Many people have to start the day with coffee. Many people have weekly diarrhoea

or constipation without questioning it. Many people are so constantly stressed that it becomes their baseline. And many people are slouching in front of a computer all day without the slightest thought about how it would impact their gut health. These "norms" could be linked to your chronic heartburn or GERD.

Sometimes it's hard to look at your own life and see it clearly. You may have an unhealthy habit that you've accepted as totally normal because you've always done it or it has always been that way. Acid reflux and GERD gives us the chance for us to re-evaluate what we think is normal and healthy in our lives.


15 Signs You May Be Suffering from Stress But Don’t Realize It - https://www.theactivetimes.com/fitness/n/15-signs-you-may-be-suffering-stress-don-t-realize-it


7 Signs You’ll Notice When You Have Bad Posture - https://www.lifehack.org/347468/7-signs-youll-notice-when-you-have-bad-posture


What are the different types of poop? - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320938.php


When Is a Bowel Movement Normal or Abnormal?- https://www.verywellhealth.com/normal-bowel-movements-1942606


Signs You Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep - https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-signs-not-enough-sleep

Is everyday life behind your reflux?

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