Body Sensors -- What Your Body Tells You

     Our bodies have the capacity to tell us a lot about our health and what we need to do to feel our best. Alas, we also have the ability to ignore these signs and an aspect of our modern society is to encourage us to do so.
     When people think about "sensors" they usually think about electronic automation. There is a sensor to tell your thermostat whether to turn on the heater or air conditioner. There are sensors in ovens and toasters to indicate when proper temperature at appropriate times has been applied. There are sensors in our cars to indicate proper fuel intake and when to shift gears and even to apply brakes or throttle. We have similar things within our bodies. Much of robotics is concerned with getting machines to be able to do the same things we do every day.
     The first sensors that come to mind for people is our " five senses". These are usually listed as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Some people add a "sixth sense" to indicate information we take in that are not easily linked to the five physical senses.
     However, we also have a lot of internal sensors -- primarily associated with the way that our brains are able to interpret specific signals. We can tell, via pressure at specific points, whether we need to urinate or defecate. We can tell if our stomachs are adequately full. The sense of cold and heat can easily be fooled because it is associated with the way specific nerves under our skin react to temperature differences. Sometimes these interact with certain organs -- such as our inner ear -- to tell us whether we are level or spinning and help with the ability to move smoothly.
     The third category of sensors is difficult to understand fully. Our brains have access to much information that requires a host of tests to determine externally. They have access to insulin levels, to endocrine levels, to the amount of oxygen being carried by our blood, and to the levels of neurotransmitters and other chemicals in our brains and bodies. Much of the time, our bodies work with this data automatically by use of the "brain stem". However, it is possible for people to access this information consciously and actively apply responses.
     So, what does all of this information tell us? It tells us when we are hungry or full, whether we are hot or cold, and whether the food, drink, or other substance we might bring into our bodies is good for us or not. It tells us whether we need to use the restroom. It also tells us whether we are tired, sad, happy, stressed, excited, and just (all in all) how we feel.
     Consider now the various items that often exist in our homes, or in the supermarket/pharmacy, or being advertised as services for us. Many of these exist because we do not pay attention to the information our bodies tell us. Why not? The pressures of a time-obsessed society cause us to eat quickly (not giving time for us to listen to body signals), and schedules tell us when we can eat/drink and do other bodily functions. The allure of a "quick fix" stops us from adopting a lifestyle where we get the proper exercise and sleep. Calorie-dense food is easily available and our bodies did not develop to allow for such. Plus, we often feel that it is a "reward" to do things that our bodies do not want or need -- that extra large dessert or an "extra large drink".
     It isn't easy to change and our economic society does not encourage us to change. However, if we allow ourselves to listen to what our bodies tell us then we can be healthier and happier.