The Goal is Not to Always Feel Calm...

Having a regulated nervous system does not mean you will feel calm all the time.

What it means is that your nervous system can respond to any given situation in a healthy way:

To be resilient.

When your nervous system is regulated and resilient, you’re able to:

✨ experience emotions without letting them take over your life

✨ notice when you feel stressed and come back to center

✨ rest without feeling like you need to justify it

Not only that, but the nervous system connects your brain to every organ of your body.

So with a regulated nervous system, it becomes easier to heal your:

✨ gut

✨ skin

✨ hormones

✨ metabolism

✨ mood & more

In functional medicine, we are always looking for the root cause and removing obstacles getting in the way of healing.

Nervous system dysregulation can be one of those obstacles.

Like this post ❤️ if you want to be sure to see more on strategies to support your nervous system!

We Weren't Designed for This:

Human beings are not designed to be in a constant state of stress.

Whether you’re always rushed for time….

Stuck in a pattern of worry…

Skipping meals…

Overexercising…

Living on caffeine…

Or feeling unsafe in your surroundings.…

Your nervous system will pay the price.

The initial physiologic response to stress is activation of the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”).

The secondary response is cortisol production.

One role of cortisol is to keep inflammation in check, but when our stress response is repeatedly triggered, it can become dysregulated and allow inflammation to go unchecked.

👉🏽 That means nervous system regulation is an essential step in addressing any condition driven by chronic inflammation.

Slow down.

Rest.

Breathe.

These things signal the body that it is safe to heal.

Stay tuned because I have a series of posts coming up with tips to support your nervous system 🙌🏽

#elementsnatmed #nervoussystem #dysregulatednervoussystem #nervoussystemregulation #naturalmedicine

Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System

Which of these can you relate to:

💥 Constantly overwhelmed

💥 Easily irritated or on edge

💥 Anxious for no reason

💥 Feeling “wired but tired”

💥 Overly sensitive to noises or smells

💥 Muscle tension or pain

💥 Indigestion or other gut troubles

While there may be different root causes for each person, all of these can be signs of a dysregulated nervous system.

What does that mean?

It means that your nervous system is stuck in a state of overdrive.

It might be caused by ongoing stress, past trauma, or pushing your body too hard for too long.

One way to think of this is that your body is in a perpetual state of “fight or flight” driven by the sympathetic nervous system—and has trouble settling into the “rest and digest” state of the parasympathetic.

Having a dysregulated nervous system is not a diagnosis.

There are no medications to take.

It is merely an underlying pattern that can be helpful to recognize so that you can take proactive steps to support a healthier nervous system response.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the ways I help my clients regulate their nervous system—through foods, nutrients, intentional rest, and everyday habits.

What questions do you have about nervous system regulation? Let me know in the comments ⤵️

Sleep in Early-Middle Age: Why it Matters Now.

New research on sleep 😴

Based on sleep questionnaires and brain MRIs, a new study found that issues like trouble falling asleep or waking too early around age 40 were linked with an older brain age.

Not only was that true for a snapshot in time, but similar findings persisted over 5 years as long as sleep struggles were not addressed.

We all know that life is better with better sleep, but what I want you to know is that if you struggle with sleep now, that doesn’t mean you always will.

We have a deep toolkit of strategies to support sleep naturally.

If you’re curious about what that might look like for you and how we can help, 🔗 visit our website to get started!

REFERENCE:
Cavaillès C, Dintica C, Habes M, Leng Y, Carnethon MR, Yaffe K. Association of Self-Reported Sleep Characteristics With Neuroimaging Markers of Brain Aging Years Later in Middle-Aged Adults. Neurology. 2024;103(10):e209988. [link]

Placebos work—even when people know they are placebos!

It used to be thought that the placebo effect only worked if people believed they were getting an active treatment.

But this new study found that even knowing it’s a placebo can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in just two weeks.

To me, this tells us two things:

1️⃣ The mind is a powerful driver of change.

2️⃣ Taking an active role in healing (like by taking a pill) gives a sense of control and empowerment— an overlooked key to healing.

While I can nerd out over metabolic pathways, nutrient interactions, and all things science, I’ll always leave space for the inexplicable magic in healing ✨

Guevarra DA, Webster CT, Moros JN, Kross E, Moser JS. Remotely administered non-deceptive placebos reduce COVID-related stress, anxiety, and depression. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. Published online August 14, 2024. [link]