As spring unfolds, it is time to support the immune system, to avoid the onslaught of allergic symptoms.
Keeping your entire endocrine (hormonal system) in balance is crucial, so let’s review some previous newsletters to remind us of how to keep several of the glands and hormones in balance, including: supporting your adrenal glands; maintaining healthy blood sugar and insulin levels; a healthy intestinal tract; and last but not least a healthy brain.
The brain requires three very important things to function optimally. The first is a regular supply of glucose (the only fuel and energy source it can use), which is delivered by our body through the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates; and fat. Oxygen is another vital requirement – without it, our brain will die in minutes. Oxygen is supplied by our red blood cells.
Finally, stimulation is necessary for proper brain function and health. This stimulation is external, such as: reading, exercising, doing mathematical operations, engaging in artistic activities, learning new skills, etc. There is also the need for internal stimulation. A balanced production of neurotransmitters, the brain monitors and integrates itself based on the amount and equilibrium of the various neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, and gaba.
In the past two years, by going to seminars about brain health, I have come to understand that in order to best serve my patients’ overall wellness, I must assess and educate them about the importance of having a healthy brain, and its effects and influence on health is vitally important.
Getting 8 hours of restful sleep every night is also crucial – this is the only time our brain and body are undergoing repair and regeneration. The first four hours of sleep are used to repair the physical body, and the last four hours are intended for psychic (emotional) regeneration and repair. In the first four hours, our brain produces its highest amount of growth hormone and melatonin. Growth hormone is responsible for the growth of new and healthier cells in every tissue and organ of the body. This production is dependent on the quantity of DHEA being produced by the brain and body, and is in abundance when we manage our stress levels and balance our lifestyle. Melatonin has a nightly rhythm that gradually increases as we approach midnight, and then declines in daylight. Melatonin is an anti-oxidant, a mood stabilizer, and allows our brain to achieve the deepest of sleep cycles. It is also derived from serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can be depleted by the production of excess cortisol, a hormone that is produced under high amounts of stress.
I recommend that you establish a protocol that will support your digestive tract, immune system, endocrine system, and brain health. Ingesting foods that will not inflame you, and assist in proper blood sugar balance (eating healthy protein and fat at regular intervals throughout the day); taking supportive nutrients such as Vitamin D3, and fish oils, along with adrenal-supportive herbs, such as rhodiola, eleuthero, holy basil, and ashwanganda (these keep your cortisol and adrenalin in balance). Also, anti-inflammatory nutrients such as tumeric, green tea, and flavinoids, and brain supportive nutrients such as vinpocetene, ginko biloba, and cayenne are helpful. Keeping all of these systems healthy goes a long way towards ensuring that your body repairs and regenerates throughout the year, and maintains a healthy response to the stressors of our global environment.
If you do succumb to allergic symptoms, consider making an appointment to treat these symptoms with a technique called NAET- Namudrapad Allergy Elimination Technique. This can greatly reduce or eliminate your allergic symptoms.
Contact me for holistic treatments for allergies.
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