By Martha O’Regan
Do you ever wonder why some members of your family or certain people in your office seem to catch everything that comes down the pike, even though you are all sharing the same air space?  They are the ones who get “sick” with everything that is “going around.” They may even say things like, “oh, now that my kids are back in school, I will be sick within the week,” and they do. Or, they ate the same thing you did, yet they got “food poisoning” and you didn’t.  Perhaps it is the other way around and you are the one who seems to get sick at the drop of a hat. Do you ever wonder why those folks who are around sick people all day long, like doctors, nurses and teachers, aren’t always sick with the latest virus going around? Yes, they probably have better hand washing habits then the general public, but truth be known, not always.
The difference is the person’s G.A.P. (General Adaptive Potential). The wider the G.A.P., the greater your ability to adapt to life’s dramas and traumas and to “ward off” the “germ du jour.” No question that “stress” causes this syndrome and that disease but since we all have stress, why don’t we all have every illness in the book?  This is due to our individual G.A.P.s.
When the G.A.P. is narrow, the body is more contracted and more sluggish in cellular frequency,  which isn’t allowing the body to adapt as efficiently as it is designed, causing frequent illnesses, weight issues or a general reduction in vitality. Being dynamic beings, our vibrations are always changing which is why some days we feel better than others.  These are the days we can “roll” with life’s situations with humor and ease, while other days, we just can’t get past that silly little fight with our teenager or the guy who cut us off at the light.
Our G.A.P. is directly proportionate to our lifestyle choices and can be improved by achieving balance in the six essentials of life — what we eat, what we drink, how we rest, how we exercise, how we breathe and, most importantly, how we think. I believe that as a society, we are beginning to realize that change is not as hard as it used to be.  Healthier foods are easier to come by, the benefits of simply walking 30 minutes a day are touted by the experts, we’re understanding the power of the breath as well as the benefits of water and proper rest.  We’re also getting tired of the drama of the news and politics and choosing to put more enlightened messages and music into their minds.  All of these areas contribute to our G.A.P.
Highly contractive foods — such as meat, dairy and salt — affect us internally as a tightening or restricting, showing up as a quick temper, negativity, impatience, nervousness or frantic behavior from being overly scheduled — the “toe-tappers.” Highly expansive products, such as sugar, coffee, chocolate, alcohol and medications relate to an inflating, or an opening-out feeling. This feeling expresses itself as the inability to concentrate, disorganization, un-groundedness, or lack of motivation — the “worry warriors.”  If you notice yourself in these generalizations, consider reducing some of the culprits while adding more foods found in nature.
Awareness is the key — if you are not aware of things that contribute to your G.A.P. — how can you change it?  Here’s to awareness and your choice to change.  Live Well ... Have Fun!

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