How Are Your Nerves?
By Steven Horne, RH (AHG)

 

Are you calm, relaxed, focused and energetic? Or, do you feel stressed, anxious, irritable or depressed?
How are you coping with life’s demands? Are you able to approach the challenges of life with a calm, focused energy? Or, is your life filled with agitation, tension, irritability, anxiety or depression?

These are important questions, because in the rush of modern life, your nervous system gets heavily taxed. Concerns about work, finances, family problems or even the state of the world can cause stress, and depending on the health and balance of your nervous system, you are either coping with these situations smoothly or struggling with them.

It is possible to experience a greater sense of balance in your life, to feel both relaxed and energized. You can actively meet life’s challenges with energy and excitement, but without experiencing tension or anxiety. The key is to create a healthy balance in your nervous system and the information you’ll learn here can help you to do just that. If you want more energy, less muscle tension, better sleep, greater mental focus and a more balanced life, read on to unlock the secrets to nervous system balance.

 

The image below shows some of the major indications for imbalances in the autonomic nervous system. The easiest way to determine which direction the system is imbalanced is by looking at the size of the pupils (above). The sympathetic nervous system dilates the pupil, making it larger, while the parasympathetic nervous system contracts the pupil making it smaller.
Sympathetic dominant people will have unusually large pupils, while parasympathetic dominant people will have unusually small pupils.
Once you’ve determined which direction the nervous system is out of balance, here are some ways you can restore balance.

Nutrition for Your Nerves
Nerves need nutrition, so, no matter what your nervous system problems might be, start by feeding them the nutrients they need.
First, nerves need good fats. Transfatty acids from margarine, shorting and processed foods wreck havoc with your nerves. Fats from whole, natural foods and fatty acid supplements like Super Omega-3 EPA can be very beneficial for balancing your nerves.
Second, B-complex vitamins are critical to energy production in cells and nerve cells. Being active and feeling energized requires large quantities of them. Nutri-Calm is a great supplement supplying these B’s along with other nutrients and herbs that support and balance your nervous function. It helps you have energy without feeling drowsy and feel calm without losing motivation, which is the state of nervous system balance you want to experience.

Another really important nutrient for the nerves is magnesium. The majority of the population is magnesium deficient, so Magnesium Complex is often helpful. It tends to work better for sympathetic dominant people, however. If these general supplements don’t help try some of the specific nerve balancing approaches below.

Remedies for Sympathetic Dominance (SNS)
People who have a sympathetic dominant nervous system are often stuck in fight or flight mode. They are pushing themselves too hard without time for adequate sleep or recreation. They are often tired, but may not sleep long enough or well enough. As a result, they often try to use stimulants like sugar and caffeine to increase their energy. These substances only push their nervous system farther out of balance.
Sympathetic dominant people should take more time for R&R and make sure they get a good night’s sleep. They should also eat more vegetables and non-sugary fruits to help alkalize their body as the SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) pushes the body to be more acidic.
Most of the herbs traditionally known as nervines help to correct sympathetic dominance. These nervines calm down the SNS and help to activate the PNS. These nervines are typically either relaxing, sedative or antispasmodic in nature and include valerian, passion flower, chamomile, hops, kava kava, lobelia and blue vervain. The formulas that contain these type of herbs are Relaxing Nervine formulas.

Here are some examples of Relaxing Nervine formulas that can balance a sympathetic dominant nervous system.

Stress-J contains the nervines passionhlower, hops and chamomile. It helps to calm the mind and relax the muscles, reducing feelings of stress. It also helps enhance digestive functions shut down by stress.

Stress Relief is a traditional Chinese herb formula for reducing excessive “fire” energy. In Chinese medicine, a person with too much fire is prone to excessive excitement, restlessness, anxiety and insomnia, conditions associated with excess SNS activity. It is particularly helpful for high strung, fast-talking people who experience heart palpitations, high blood pressure and excitability.

AnxiousLess is a nutritional supplement that helps calm down the sympathetic responses that lead to feeling anxious. The vitamins and minerals it contains help to balance the nervous system function. It also contains a plant extract called Zembrin, which reduces the body’s SNS responses to stress.


Remedies for Parasympathetic Dominance (PNS)
Here’s an interesting question to ponder. Why do drugs like Ritalin help certain hyperactive and inattentive children to perform better in school? After all, Ritalin is an amphetamine, which means it stimulates sympathetic nerves in the same way as other uppers like cocaine. The answer is simple. Many nervous, hyper and inattentive children (and adults) have a parasympathetic dominant nervous system and increasing sympathetic nervous system activity balances out their nervous system. Although Ritalin works, there are better ways to balance out a parasympathetic dominant person.
Herbs that increase sympathetic nervous system activity are remedies people have traditionally used to help them stay alert and focused. They include caffeine-bearing plants (such as coffee, kola nuts, guarana and green or black tea), stimulating adaptogens (like Eleuthero root and schizandra) as well as herbs like rosemary, thyme, bee pollen, and licorice root.
Herbs high in iodine (like kelp and dulse) may also be helpful.
Here are some examples of Stimulating Nervine Formulas which can be helpful for tipping the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) seesaw towards the sympathetic side.

Energ-V is a formula for people low in energy. It contains sympathetic-enhancing herbs like bee pollen, eleuthero root, licorice, schizandra and kelp. It is great for children, but you have to educate parents to understand how something with a label that says energy is going to help their child be more calm.
Another useful product for PNS (Parasympathetic) dominance is Solstic Energy. It contains guarana, ginseng and green tea along with vitamins and minerals that aid energy production.
MetaboMax is another sympathetic nervous system enhancing formula. Designed for weight loss, it contains herbs that tip the ANS seesaw towards the SNS side, including guarana, bitter orange, guggul and yerba mate, which means it can balance out a parasympathetic dominant nervous system.

The PNS system makes the body’s pH more alkaline, so a PNS dominant person actually benefits from a diet higher in red meat and fat. Red meat contains large quantities of the amino acid tyrosine, which acts as a precursor to the sympathetic neurotransmitters. Eating red meat (steak, for instance) for breakfast actually helps stabilize PNS dominant people’s mood and energy.