Importance Of Rest & Renewal

June 29, 2010

Interview with Matthew Edlund, M.D., author of the book The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough. A 30-Day Plan to Reset Your Body

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Mike Carruthers:
Rest, who has time to rest? To a lot of people it seems unnecessary.

Matthew Edlund, M.D.:
And I know because a lot of people look at me and say, “What do you mean, rest? That’s a waste of time.” They don’t view it as necessary to their health – but it is.
 

Dr. Matthew Edlund, author of the book The Power of Rest, says we need to alter our definition of rest.

People have had this imagine of rest as passive laziness as if nothing is going on. Rest has been the invisible elephant in the room. Rest if rebuilding our bodies at a much faster and vaster pace than we’ve recognized. Rest is what’s required, like food, to rebuild the body.

And rebuiliding is one of your bodies most important jobs.

Even though you’re cardiac muscle cells may last for decades completely. Inside they’re replacing themselves so quickly that you pretty much have a new heart in 3 days. The skin on your face, that’s completely replaced in 2 weeks - your gut lining cells within a day or 2.

Dr. Edlund says think of rest not as doing nothing but doing something, something different than what you normally do all day. For instance…

You can grow new brain cells simply by taking a walk. If you go out and walk you will grow new brain cells in the hypocanthus (major memory area) at night during sleep. You need both active rest and passive rest. What we do is what we become.

To hear the complete unedited interview, click here