Jenny Crissman MS L. Ac.
Your nervous system and how you deal with stress determine your innate inflammatory response!
Our nervous system has it's own methodology and understanding how it works might help you better understand how to create new coping mechanisms to bring emotional and physical balance to your health and prevent the harmful effects of inflammation.
A BASIC OUTLINE OF YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM:
Your nervous systems is composed of all the nerve cells in your body and it is this system that communicates with the outside world. Almost every mechanism inside your body, voluntary and involuntary is controlled through this intricate system.
It has two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) is the command center for the brains and spinal cord nerves and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), is all of the other nerves in the body. The PNS is divided into the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the somatic nervous system (SNS).
The ANS regulates the involuntary actions such as digesting, heart rate, breathing, sexual arousal and urination. The SNS governs voluntary movement and your reflexes.
Now here is where it gets interesting!
The ANS has two complementary functions:
The sympathetic nervous system which activates the “fight or flight” response and the parasympathetic nervous system which activates the “rest and recovery” response.
Sustained stress in any form, including environmental pollution, food sensitivities, consistent emotional turbulence like anger, depression, anxiety, to name a few, all activate your sympathetic nervous system, “fight or flight”!
Your body's protective response to any prolonged stimuli, as mentioned above, is INFLAMMATION!
And since we cannot control many of the circumstance we are collectively experiencing, we need to find some simple interventions to counter this “fight or flight” inflammatory response.
3 SIMPLE INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE:
MEDITATION:
A recent study reveals that practitioners of meditation experience the changes in gene expression that are the exact opposite of what occurs during the”fight or flight” stress response.
“Meditation Produces Opposite Effect of Fight or Flight” by Traci Pederson
However, sometimes adopting a meditation routine is not so easy for many reasons: time, place to practice and guidance on how to meditate. I recently read an article entitled, “Total Meditation: How to Meditate for Healing” by Deepak Chopra
https://chopra.com/articles/total-meditation-how-to-meditate-for-healing
This article resonated with me in many ways- It is a new approach. “Instead of taking 10-20 minutes out of a busy day to meditate, which many people don’t manage to do regularly, you can reach the meditative state rapidly anytime you want.”
I think you will find it very helpful, you can practice the reset in as little as 10 breaths!
HERBS TO NOURISH YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM:
Adaptogens:
Ashwagandha- supports the body to resist stressors of all kinds, chemical, emotional, and physical
Eleuthero Root- improves mental clarity and emotional stamina and supports healthy immunity
Rhodiola- supports healthy immune function and physical stamina
Schisandra Berries- aids in concentration, coordination and calms the heart and mind.
Nervines:
Lavender- has various curative properties ranging from relaxation, treating skin and infectious conditions and soothing digestive upset.
Skullcap- gently nourishes the nervous system and relieves ruminating thoughts, nervousness and tension
Chamomile- helps with relief form mild mental stressors
These herbs can be used in various forms: raw infusions added to a smoothie, essentials oils added to a bath, tablets or encapsulated. Some of my favorite sources are:
Medi Herb Rhodiaola and Schisandra- https://www.standardprocess.com/MediHerb-Document-Library/Product-Detail-Sheets/rhodiolaschisandraM1394.pdf
Pure Encapsulations Cortisol Calm- https://www.pureencapsulations.com/media/pdf_upload/CortisolCalm.pdf
Medi Herb Ashwaghanda Complex- https://www.standardprocess.com/MediHerb-Document-Library/Product-Detail-Sheets/INTH22226-ASHWAGANDHA-COMPLEX-PDS_WEB-FINAL.pdf
Organic India Tulsi Tea-https://shop.organicindiausa.com/products/tulsi-original
ACUPUNCTURE:
Produces a feeling of deep relaxation, boosts immune function and helps to regulate sympathetic and parasympathetic response.
The Journal Evidences Based Complimentary and Alternative Medicine ( eCAM) published a very convincing article: “ Acupuncture Effect and Central Autonomic Regulation”
Qian-Qian Li, Guang-Xia Shi, Qian Xu, Jing Wang, Cun-Zhi Liu, Lin-Peng Wang, "Acupuncture Effect and Central Autonomic Regulation", Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2013, Article ID 267959, 6 pages, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/267959
If there was ever a time for some balance...it is NOW!
I encourage all of you to find your way to some sort of ongoing self care.
**I also want to include a very necessary lung protective protocol to help boost immunity!
Designs for Health N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine: https://www.designsforhealth.com/binaries/content/assets/designs-for-health/library/patient-education/nac-pl-patiented.pdf
Pure Encapsulations Quercetin: https://www.pureencapsulations.com/media/pdf_upload/Quercetin.pdf
Pure Encapsulations liquid Zinc: https://www.pureencapsulations.com/media/pdf_upload/Zinc.pdf
* safe for children
All are available thru my online pharmacy -go to SHOP NOW!
I am here to help with acupuncture treatment, herbs and functional testing.
Telemedicine or in person.
Stay well and hope to hear from you soon!