Unit 2 Reflection

Unit 2 was focused around the five pillars of health: nutrition, sleep, stress, exercise and social. I learned that all of these factors must be balanced down to microscopic level in order to make sure that our bodies function properly. Each pillar is intertwined with the next because exercise reduces stress, stress reduction increases sleep ability,and nutrition allows body to move and work. Cortisol has been a very important hormone in this unit. It is a stress trigger hormone that signals fight or flight responses, but also controls sleeping habits. Therefore it must be balanced enough to maintain emotional stability, but still vary in levels to direct the body to wake up and go to sleep.

In the nutritional analysis project, I found that my diet is not as balanced as I thought it was. I am taking in 50% of the amount of calories I should, which is very dangerous for the higher level intensity activity I participate in. I am becoming much more aware of what I am eating, I try to find foods that are high in calories, but not high in carbohydrates. A goal of mine is to eat three consistent meals a day so that I am not constantly snacking throughout the day. It will be easier to measure my caloric intake because it isn't spread out.

The sleep diary showed that I am not getting enough sleep, especially on week days when I have school and other extracurriculars. I have always known that I struggle with insomnia, but I rarely change habits which might provide a positive outcome. For the longest time, I did not understand why we need sleep, psychologically there is no requirement as our brains are more active during night. I learned in this unit that we physically need sleep so that cell waste in the brain can be flushed out, lowering brain disease risk.

In conclusion, I learned about many different components to health in this unit. It was informational, but I also had the chance to apply the facts to my own life. I gained self awareness for my health, especially with sleep and nutrition. I plan to continue to make changes in my life in order to benefit my overall wellbeing.