Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the recurring concepts on reConnect — biology, behaviour, and the words we keep coming back to. Each entry links to a short page with a fuller explanation.

A

• Autophagy — The cellular housekeeping process that recycles damaged proteins and organelles for energy and renewal.

B

• Blue Light — Short-wavelength visible light (roughly 450–490 nm) emitted by screens, LEDs, and the daytime sky.

C

• Circadian Rhythm — The roughly 24-hour internal clock that drives sleep, hormones, body temperature, and metabolism.
• Cold Exposure — Brief, deliberate exposure to cold water or air to stimulate adaptation, brown fat, and stress resilience.

E

• Equanimity — A grounded, even-keeled awareness that meets pleasant and unpleasant experiences without grasping or pushing away.

G

• Gut Microbiome — The trillions of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses living in your intestines that shape digestion, immunity, and mood.

H

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV) — The beat-to-beat variation in time between heartbeats — a non-invasive proxy for autonomic nervous system balance.

I

• Intermittent Fasting — An eating pattern that cycles between defined feeding windows and longer periods without caloric intake.

K

• Ketogenesis — The liver's production of ketone bodies from fatty acids when glucose and insulin are low.

M

• Mitochondria — The organelles inside almost every cell that turn fuel and oxygen into ATP, the energy currency of life.
• Mouth Taping — The practice of taping the lips shut during sleep to enforce nasal breathing.

N

• Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) — A waking practice — yoga nidra, body scan, guided relaxation — that drops the brain into a restorative, near-sleep state.

P

• Polyphenols — A family of plant compounds with antioxidant and signalling effects, found in colorful produce, tea, coffee, cocoa, and olive oil.
• Polyvagal Theory — Stephen Porges's framework describing how the vagus nerve regulates safety, connection, and the stress response.
• Protein Leverage — The hypothesis that humans keep eating until protein needs are met — so diluting protein with carbs and fats drives overeating.

R

• Resistance Training — Exercise that loads muscles against external resistance — bodyweight, free weights, machines, or bands — to build strength and lean mass.

S

• Seed Oils — Industrial vegetable oils — soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, grapeseed — extracted with heat and solvents.
• Sun Exposure — Deliberate, dose-appropriate exposure to UV-A and UV-B to support vitamin D, circadian regulation, and nitric oxide release.

V

• Vagus Nerve — The tenth cranial nerve — a long, wandering nerve linking brain, heart, lungs, and gut, and the main highway of the parasympathetic system.

Z

• Zeitgeber — An external cue — light, food, temperature, social contact — that entrains the body's circadian rhythm.