It was my honor to be able to speak this September at the Ancestral Health Symposium in Seattle, WA.

My topic was Ancestral “Wiring in Modern Society:  The Impact of Stress.”

Humans are hardwired ancestrally to respond to stress. This was a very important survival skill to evade predators and has been imprinted into all of us for thousands of years.

Fast-forward to the modern day where the number and intensity of stressors has increased dramatically from modern desk jobs with demanding bosses, low sleep, less overall movement, poor nutrition, and constant texting / smart phone use.

This leads to a downward spiral via a decrease in the ability to buffer stress and further to a drop in health and performance.  Metabolic flexibility (use of fuels like fats and carbs) is affected by this stress, and therefore, affects healthy metabolism.

Technology has accelerated this effect through constant interactions at the drop of a hat via your smart phone.

Since modern society is reliant on technology, can this technology help us manage our stress via the same device (smart phone) via apps that measure stress such as heart rate variability (HRV)?

Check out this video for the answer…