Nervous System

 
Info on the nervous system which seems to play a big role in EHS..
 
Loni
 
Caring For Your Nervous System

That prickly sensation you feel after your foot has gone to sleep or your fingers warm from the cold are signs that it's working. Being able to taste your food, smell a rose, or feel a kitten's soft fur are also signs that it's working. Signs that it's not working are general nervousness, irritability, insomnia, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, depression, "burn out", the inability to move as the mind wills, and so on. This "it" is your nervous system.
Although the nervous system comprises about three per cent of your total body weight it is a very important three per cent. Your nervous system is a part of every other system in your body and guides every action, whether voluntary like picking up a dish or involuntary like breathing. The nervous system is actually a complex system consisting of nerve cells or neurons and the chemicals between the neurons known as neurotransmitters. Keeping this vital system healthy is important but difficult in this modern world. The nervous system can be affected by everything from alcohol and medications, pesticides and processed foods, electromagnetic radiation, the presence of heavy metals like mercury or lead in the body, and even stress.
A healthy nervous system begins with a healthy intake of nutrients. Unfortunately, nutrients in the body can be seriously affected, even impaired, by alcohol, medication, food processing, and pesticide chemicals. Take for example the complex of B vitamins. These vital nutrients which feed neurotransmitters, prevent seizure activities like epilepsy, prevent depression and mental conditions, alleviate stress and even PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) are very easily destroyed by birth control pills. Processed foods, fatty meats, and excessive sugar consumption destroy Choline, also a B complex nutrient, needed for the production of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is essential to the brain's ability to retain memories and control muscle movements. B vitamins are present in most whole grains like brown rice and also in brewer's yeast. A whole foods diet of fresh vegetables and fruits and little or no processed food is essential to
nervous system health. Because B vitamins are so easily destroyed, a low dosage B complex supplement is probably necessary. Be sure that your chosen B complex vitamin includes Inositol and Choline.
The minerals Calcium and Magnesium as well as Manganese, Iodine, Potassium,Silicon, Sodium, and Sulphur are all important for nervous system health. Calcium and Magnesium and the other minerals essential to nerve impulse conduction were once found in the soil and hence in the food grown in it. Sadly, modern agricultural practices like mono-cropping and pesticide use have led to the destruction of most of the minerals once found in the soil. Organic farming methods like crop rotation and the avoidance of pesticides haverestored some minerals to the soil making organic vegetables and fruits more nutritious than regular produce. A well-balanced diet rich in whole organic produce, whole grains, and legumes should provide enough of the nutrients needed by your nervous system.
Other nutrients important to the nervous system are the pectin found in apples, the vitamin E found in dark green leafy vegetables and whole grains, and the Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) found in flax, hemp, and evening primrose oils, as well as in cold water fish like salmon and halibut. Pectin helps to rid the body of many of the heavy metals that may be interfering withyour nervous system. According to the nutritionally minded psychic Edgar Cayce, raw apple is the best for detoxification. EFA's provide nutrients andhealthy fats necessary to the myelin sheaths that cover our neurons, allowing impulses to travel along them quickly and efficiently. EFAs also control hyperactivity in children. Vitamin E improves the body's use of vitamin B12, mentioned earlier as part of the B complex essential to nervous system health. Vitamin E also helps to protect EFAs from free radical damage.
Good for most bodily functions and especially for nerve health are sea vegetables. Their high mineral content - up to 20 times that of most land vegetables - makes them natural stabilizers of nervous system functions. They also contain appreciable amounts of all the vitamins, including B12, and EFAsas well. Sea vegetables are probably the oldest source of nutrient-rich food on the earth. Archeologists have found proof of sea vegetable consumption by the ancient Chinese, Stone Age Icelanders and early South Africans. They were successfully used in Japan to protect the health of patients who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.
Radiation, whether it be the electromagnetic radiation of overhead electricwires, nuclear weapons testing, or even that of X-rays is part of modern life. Regrettably, all this radiation can wreak havoc with our nervous system. Sea vegetables convert radiation and also heavy metal contamination intosalts that can be eliminated harmlessly from the body. The most effective and protective sea vegetable for nervous system health is kelp. Kelp is high in B vitamins and minerals and is protective of the brain and spinal cord(home of the Central Nervous System) and the sensory nerves which allow usto experience the world.
Stress has an extremely negative impact on the nervous system. Along with the usual suggestions of meditation, long walks, hobbies, and candle-lit bubble baths are a few others. To begin with, watch less television. The body cannot tell the difference between real stress and pretend stress. That favourite police or hospital show may be invoking a stress response. Next, have your health care provider test you for adrenal exhaustion. The adrenal glands are responsible for your response to stress. They help to control the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems - your relaxation or 'fightor flight' response to daily situations. It could be that the stresses of your life are wearing you and your nervous system down. A good diet and adrenal supporting herbs could go a long way in preventing 'burn out' and restoring nervous system health. Also, be aware that caffeine aggravates stress. Even de-caffeinated coffee has a small percentage of caffeine in
it. It's probably best that you drink a non-caffeinated herbal tea or try some of the grain coffees available at most health food stores. And don't forget to avoid chocolate because it usually contains caffeine.
Also detrimental to nervous system health is electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is hard to avoid in the outside world but can be minimized in the home. Watch less television, get rid of the microwave oven, and don't automatically refrigerate everything you buy, Most fruits, potatoes, and onions will do just fine in baskets or bowls. Cut back your computertime as much as possible, sleep as far away as you can from the clock radio, and never use an electric blanket. Try eating some sea vegetables every day. There are also some crystals on the market that help to absorb some ofthe electromagnetic radiation that would otherwise be entering your body.
Any nervous system ailment, be it a bout of PMS or a case of Multiple Sclerosis, affects the way we perceive and react to the world. Consuming a healthy array of nutritious organic whole foods and supplements when necessary, making an effort to steer clear of stressful situations, and avoiding excess electromagnetic radiation can minimize or prevent the negative effects ofmodern life and maintain not only our general health but our nervous system's heath as well.



     

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]