Episode 112: The Survival Paradox: The Protein That Can Cause Disease & What You Can Do About It with Dr. Isaac Eliaz

Listen to Episode 112 with Dr. Isaac Eliaz →

When Protection Becomes the Problem

Your body stays tense and activated no matter what you try. You hold stress and tension that won't release despite relaxation efforts. You've tried everything to calm down but remain stuck in high alert. You wonder why your survival instinct won't turn off when you're safe.

What if your survival mechanisms are creating the problems they're meant to prevent?

Have you ever felt like your body is stuck in survival mode? Holding onto stress and tension constantly without relief. No matter how hard you try to let it go through any method. What if this instinct to survive is also what drives chronic inflammation? Emotional pain that persists. And even long-term illness that won't resolve.

Today Dr. Isaac Eliaz joins me to explore the concept of survival paradox. This process keeps your body on high alert without turning off. It affects everything from your energy levels to your ability to heal. And it can keep your body stuck in a freeze response.

Together we'll discuss the survival paradox's deep connection to trauma biology. The protein Galectin-3 that can either drive health or inflammation. And more practical approaches to shifting from survival to healing mode.

Dr. Isaac Eliaz is a pioneer in integrative medicine internationally recognized. A world-renowned expert in trauma healing with decades of experience. And the author of The Survival Paradox explaining these mechanisms. For decades, Dr. Eliaz has been bridging the gap between traditions. Between ancient healing wisdom and cutting-edge science discoveries. Exploring how our biology and emotions are deeply intertwined fundamentally.

His work focuses on the biochemical pathways of trauma specifically. Including the role of survival proteins like galectin-3 in maintaining stress. And how they impact inflammation, healing, and overall health outcomes.

If you've been wanting to reduce your stress levels effectively. Overcome chronic health issues that won't resolve. Or start healing yourself from the inside out. Then this episode is a must listen for you.

Understanding the Survival Paradox

Why does your body stay stuck in survival mode indefinitely? Understanding the survival paradox explains this biological phenomenon clearly. And gives you ways to shift it toward healing instead.

Stuck in survival mode means your body holds stress and tension. You try to let it go through various methods consistently. Nothing works to release the activation completely. This is survival mode operating automatically. Your biology keeping you protected even when protection isn't needed.

The survival instinct problem reveals a fundamental paradox about adaptation. The same instinct that keeps you alive during actual danger. Can also drive chronic inflammation when it doesn't turn off. Emotional pain that persists beyond threats. Long-term illness from ongoing activation. This is the paradox we're exploring today.

What the survival paradox actually is involves protective mechanisms designed well. Your survival mechanisms are designed to protect you from acute threats. When they stay activated chronically without turning off. They create the very problems they're meant to prevent. Protection becomes disease when it never stops protecting you.

The Biology of Stuck Protection

How it shapes trauma response determines your body's ongoing reactions. The survival paradox shapes how your body responds to trauma. And to stress even when minor or perceived. Your protective mechanisms become stuck patterns operating automatically. These patterns persist long after threats pass completely.

The body on high alert describes this chronic state precisely. This process keeps your body on high alert continuously. Always scanning for danger that might never come. Never fully relaxing or resting into safety. Always preparing for threats to defend against or escape.

Understanding the Biology of Trauma® reveals why survival mode persists chronically. Trauma teaches your body that danger is always present potentially. Your survival proteins stay elevated, maintaining protection constantly. This biological protection creates the symptoms you're trying to heal. The solution becomes the problem when it won't deactivate.

Affecting energy levels happens when your body is stuck in survival. It drains your energy constantly through ongoing activation. You're always activated without periods of rest or restoration. Never restored because resources go to protection not healing. This explains the chronic fatigue that accompanies unresolved trauma.

Affecting ability to heal occurs because survival mode blocks healing. Your body prioritizes protection over repair when activated chronically. Resources go to defense systems rather than healing processes. Not regeneration of damaged tissues or resolution of inflammation. Healing requires safety your survival biology prevents feeling internally.

Dr. Eliaz's Work and Galectin-3

Dr. Isaac Eliaz's background as a pioneer in integrative medicine matters. World-renowned trauma healing expert with unique insights into biochemistry. Author of The Survival Paradox explaining these mechanisms clearly. Bridging ancient wisdom and modern science in practical ways. This integration creates comprehensive understanding and effective approaches to healing.

Decades of work exploring how biology and emotions intertwine deeply. How trauma affects biochemistry at molecular level creating lasting changes. How healing works at cellular levels, not just psychological ones. This research reveals leverage points for intervention that actually work.

Biochemical pathways of trauma that Dr. Eliaz focuses on provide concrete understanding. The actual biochemistry of how trauma creates specific molecular changes. Including survival proteins that your body produces in response. That maintain stress responses long after events end completely. Understanding these pathways gives intervention points for healing.

What Galectin-3 actually is involves a protein your body produces. That plays a crucial role in survival responses and protection. In inflammation throughout your body's systems. In disease processes when chronically elevated. It's a key player in survival paradox mechanisms.

How Galectin-3 works determines whether it helps or harms you. This protein can either drive health or inflammation depending. Depending on its levels in your system currently. And its activity throughout your body's tissues. It's a key player in survival paradox operating below awareness.

When Protection Creates Disease

When Galectin-3 helps occur at normal levels supporting function. At normal levels, it supports immune function protecting you. Helps with wound healing after injury occurs. Protects against acute threats through immune activation. It's beneficial when working as designed for short-term protection.

When Galectin-3 harms happens through chronic elevation maintaining activation. When chronically elevated, it drives inflammation throughout your system. Contributes to fibrosis in organs and tissues progressively. Creates disease conditions from ongoing activation. Maintains survival mode that blocks healing from occurring.

The trauma-Galectin-3 connection operates through feedback loops maintaining dysregulation. Trauma elevates galectin-3 levels through stress responses initially. This protein then maintains the trauma response biologically afterward. Creating a feedback loop that keeps you stuck indefinitely. The biology maintains what psychology struggles to resolve alone.

Chronic inflammation link connects to unresolved trauma through these proteins. Chronic inflammation connects to unresolved trauma biologically. Through proteins like galectin-3 maintaining activation. Your survival biology creates inflammatory conditions that persist. Without addressing survival paradox, inflammation continues regardless of interventions.

Pathways to Healing

Simple ways to start healing that Dr. Eliaz shares make this accessible. To heal your body from the inside rather than outside. Simple steps that address the biology directly. That work with your survival mechanisms rather than against them.

How acceptance unlocks healing operates beyond just psychological benefit. Acceptance is more than psychological concept or positive thinking. It affects your biology through reducing survival protein activation. Reduces survival protein activation allowing shift toward healing. Allows your body to shift from protection to repair.

What acceptance actually does involves signaling safety to your nervous system. Acceptance signals safety to your nervous system at deep levels. This reduces galectin-3 production through biological pathways. Lowers inflammation throughout your body's systems. Allows healing mechanisms to activate that protection block.

The healing potential becomes accessible when you unlock acceptance's biology. Your body's healing potential that was blocked becomes accessible. Resources shift from survival to repair and regeneration. From protection to actual healing of damage. This shift matters more than most interventions alone.

Ancient wisdom integration that Dr. Eliaz provides creates powerful synergy. With cutting-edge science understanding of molecular mechanisms. This combination provides powerful insights for healing. That neither tradition nor science alone could provide. The bridge between them creates comprehensive healing approaches.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People stuck in chronic survival mode despite trying everything 

✓ Anyone with chronic inflammation and unresolved trauma 

✓ Those whose bodies stay tense and activated constantly 

✓ Practitioners wanting to understand survival proteins and trauma biology 

✓ Anyone interested in integrating ancient wisdom with modern science 

✓ People ready to address survival paradox biologically

What You'll Learn

Listen to understand the survival paradox and how protection becomes disease. Learn how the protein galectin-3 can keep your body stuck indefinitely. Discover practical ways to shift from chronic protection to actual healing. Understand how acceptance works biologically not just psychologically.

Your chronic inflammation might be your survival instinct stuck in overdrive.

Listen to Episode 112 with Dr. Isaac Eliaz →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

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