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August 2019
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Helping you EAT, MOVE and THINK your way to better health
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THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
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Not that long ago we chatted about the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that runs the chill out, rest, digest and breed side of us. This month
I thought we could introduce the Sympathetic Nervous System. This is the other side of the seesaw. It winds us up, gets us out of trouble and is otherwise know as the flight, fright, fight system. –––> |
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Both sides of the seesaw cannot be turned on at the same time and they are both needed to function in balance. Most of us in the modern world however, get a bit stuck in the sympathetic responses. We run on stress, drink too much coffee, eat too much sugar, sit too long, take on too much work and not enough play… and overstimulate our brains with screen time and artificial lighting (like TV) late at night when our brains should be winding down to sleep.
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When we spend too much time stuck in our fight flight responses, our body thinks it is constantly being chased by a scary beast. Our head drops forward, we don’t breathe fully (headaches, neck pain and tight chests follow), our blood becomes more likely to clot (in case the beast catches us and we are wounded). Our gut stops digesting properly (we need blood in our muscles to run from the beast not to digest food) and our sleep is disturbed (we become more sensitive to light and noise so we can see and hear danger coming) and our fertility drops (we don’t have time to breed when the beast is on our tail).
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| Regaining some balance in our body and nervous system takes some concerted effort to change habits and make some time for yourself. |
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• Get up and move more (particularly outside in nature if you can)
• Stop all screen and TV time 1-2 hours before bed time
• Limit caffeine to 1-2 serves daily, preferably between 11am and 3pm
• Make sure you are drinking enough water
• Make time for play and joy. Each and every day
• Get some help. It is not a criminal offence to say no or ask for help.
• See your chiropractor!!! Research has shown that people who get regular chiropractic adjustments cope with stress better, see their GP less and take less medication than those who don’t.
• Foods that are helpful in calming your body include dark chocolate (hurrah!!), leafy greens, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and halibut, nuts and seeds to name but a few healthy options.
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We are delighted to announce that Jo will be back to regular hours starting next month. She will be working all day on Tuesdays and on Fridays from 10am–2pm. We know you will be pleased to see her more often – as will we! |
| Calming foods –––> |
| Almond flour crackers |
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Ingredients
200g almond flour and 2 medium eggs OR 200g ground almonds and 1 egg • salt and pepper • optional: 40g grated parmesan or sesame seeds.
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Method
• Pulse the almond flour and 2 eggs (or ground almonds and 1 egg) plus salt and pepper in a food processor until a dough forms.
• Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment/baking paper until it is about 2mm thick.
• Remove the top layer of paper and cut the dough into about 5cm shapes – use a cookie cutter, glass or cut into squares with a knife.
• Place the shapes on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the parmesan or seame seeds and some extra salt and pepper.
• Bake at 180ºC/350ºF for 12 minutes or until lightly browned then cool.
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 Keep up to date with Naturally Chiropractic
and Living Naturally at
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Naturally Chiropractic www.naturallychiropractic.co.uk ....... Living Naturally www.livingnaturally.life
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