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What is SD Protocol? The SD Protocol recognises that a lot of chronic health conditions can be linked back to the ‘fight or flight’ response being constantly switched on. It is a treatment system which provides advice, tools and tips to allow you to calm down your nervous system, letting your body recover and achieve greater health. What is the sympathetic nervous system? In our body we have many processes that happen automatically. We don’t have to consciously direct our body how to digest food, or tell our heart to keep beating, these actions and more are the responsibility of the Autonomic Nervous System. To allow our bodies to adapt to different situations, we have two settings for our Autonomic Nervous System- Sympathetic (Fight or Flight), and Parasympathetic (Rest and Digest). When it is working well, our body will fluctuate between the two settings, allowing us to respond to threats and changes in our environment and also calm down enough to get nutrients from the food we eat and sleep restfully to recover. What is Sympathetic Dominance? Sympathetic Dominance is when your Sympathetic nervous system is ALWAYS switched on. This causes your body to be in a state of constant alert, always ready to run away or fight for your life. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? For many people, this is how they live every day. Our stresses are not just trying to survive being chased by predators, we now get stressed by work (too much, not enough, toxic workplaces), relationships, kids, bills and mortgages, body image, being constantly contactable, screen time…I could go on, but you get the picture. Stress can be a constant in our lives, and our body responds as though we are constantly under threat of attack. So when do you get a chance to ‘Rest and Digest’? You don’t, and it can make you sick. What is stress? Stress is the feeling we get when the Sympathetic Nervous system is constantly switched on. Physically we notice this as hunched posture, tight shoulders, low back and hamstrings, racing thoughts, overwhelm/overstimulation, tiredness/fatigue, sensitivity to loud noises or bright lights. This can also lead to trouble sleeping, headaches, digestive trouble, hormonal issues and more. Why are my shoulders always tight? The ‘fight or flight’ response also tenses large muscle groups, so it is easy to run away at a moment's notice. Have you ever heard someone say they carry their stress in their shoulders? It’s true! Our body tenses our fighting muscles- our pectorals and upper trapezius, muscles that allow us to throw a punch or protect our head, and our flight muscles- glutes, hamstrings and gastrocnemius(calves) so that we can jump, run or crouch easily and quickly. Why am I so tired all the time? Being chronically stressed can affect quality of sleep, which naturally leads to being tired. It is often described as ‘waking up tired’ where you have had a full 8-9 hours sleep, but feel like you could just stay in bed all day. It is not easy to drift off to sleep when your body is in a state of constant alert and looking out for predators. You are woken by the slightest sounds, even the lights from your alarm clock/phone are too bright to let you sleep. This is good for when you need to make sure you don’t get eaten in your sleep, not good for when you need to go to work tomorrow and the reason you’re stressed is money, not lions. Can stress affect my hormonal systems? Yes, stress can also affect our hormonal system. To allow the stress response to occur, our body releases hormones to signal what our cells should be doing to create fight or flight. Trouble is, these hormones (mainly cortisol) actually steal components from other hormones, as it was designed as a short-term response. So when we are constantly stressed, our body can’t function as it needs to on a cellular level, which can cause a multitude of problems, not always immediately, but often years down the track if we remain in this stressed state. Can stress affect my digestion and cause bloating? When we’re in stress and survival mode, digesting dinner isn’t high on the priority list, so our brain slows down blood and nerve information to our gut. Inflammation levels also increase and this all leads to a very sluggish digestive system that means a stressed person can feel bloated, sensitive to some (usually complex) foods, and have a very unhealthy gut flora balance. Can stress affect my anxiety/mood/depression? It’s super tiring being on high alert for weeks/months/years and part of cortisol stealing important hormonal components means that happy hormones, like serotonin, aren’t being produced in sufficient quantities. (Serotonin is 90% made in the gut, which isn’t functioning well under stress anyway). As you can see, a system that is stuck in sympathetic dominance can have MANY systems affected. While you may not notice all these symptoms all at once, they can build up over years of stress and cause chronic health challenges. There are plenty of ways to reduce stress and ways to counter balance those that you can’t! What can I do about being stressed? Lots of things! Stress is not something that we just accept and move on, there are lots of ways to reduce your stress load and turn down your Sympathetic Dominance to allow your body to rest. There are always little changes you can make to help decrease the stress on your body and decrease your sympathetic dominance. It is easiest to look at it through the 3 key pillars of physical, chemical and emotional health. These upcoming suggestions are just examples of how you can make changes to reduce your stress. Not all of the suggestions will be applicable for you, so pick and choose a couple that you would like to try, doing this whole list at once would probably be too much! Some physical changes you can make:
3. Confronting, or at least acknowledging the biggest stress in your life. For many people, they are stressed by a lot of little things adding up, or one big issue they can do little about. It is a good idea to sit back and look at your life and where the stress comes into it. Maybe this will give you some perspective and allow you to let go of some of the smaller stresses, or at least name where your stress is coming from and give you the chance to compartmentalise or separate it from your everyday life.
4. See an emotional support professional- psychologist, counsellor, kinesiologist, best friend over coffee – a shared is a problem halved. If you need any additional support to work through your emotional stresses, please seek help. It’s OK to not be OK, but often reaching out for help can seem too hard. See your GP, call a helpline, text your mum, whatever you need to, to support yourself through whatever you are going through. Some of these changes are easier to implement than others, so start with the easy ones and work on the rest one at a time. Make sure you pick some from each section (including the scary emotional one, it’s kind of the most important), and strike that balance within your own life. Most people notice some pretty world changing experiences within the first two weeks, some will have to stick with it for a bit longer. Thanks for taking the time to learn a bit more about how you can improve your health; the more that we know about how our body functions and why we’re in the state that we’re in, the more we can do about it.
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If you have ever been into the practice and been adjusted by us, you would probably have heard us talking about Magnesium and all it’s amazing benefits! Most people don’t meet their recommended daily intake of this essential mineral from their diet, which can lead to tiredness/fatigue, headaches, tight muscles, muscle cramps and more. If you are in a stressed (sympathetic) state, your body uses Magnesium to create stress hormones, at the expense of normal muscle and cell use. Here are 12 ways your body can benefit from increased Magnesium intake, and read to the end to find out the best ways to increase your daily Magnesium.
1. Reduces cramping and relaxes tight muscles This is a big one. As chiropractors, we often see people who have chronically tight muscles, that no amount of massage or even adjusting can budge. We usually see it in the larger muscles, especially in your back, first. Often people can also experience cramping, often in calf muscles and at night. Cramps can happen because there is too much calcium in your muscles (which stimulates muscle contraction) and not enough Magnesium, which blocks calcium’s action. So increasing the Magnesium in your body can balance out the Calcium and Magnesium in your muscles, helping to normalise muscle contraction, and soothe your tight crampy muscles. 2. Reduces headache and migraine symptoms Headaches are often your body’s way of telling you that something is out of whack. Increased intake of Magnesium has been linked to decreased headaches, decreasing both the intensity and frequency of headaches and migraine. While there are many causes of headaches, it is worth considering if you need a bit more Magnesium to help your body cope better. Magnesium supplements can be used as a treatment for migraine. A high dose of Magnesium can help to relax tight spasming muscles that can contribute to migraine symptoms, as well as increasing certain neurotransmitters in your brain, and has been shown to be as effective as migraine medications in reducing the symptoms of a migraine attack. Please talk to your healthcare provider before trying this one at home. 3. Stress reduction There are two ways that Magnesium can help reduce your stress. Magnesium can help to increase the amount of GABA in your brain, a neurotransmitter that can help regulate your mood. This can help you be less irritable and anxious, letting you get through your tasks a little bit easier. Magnesium is also used when you are activating your sympathetic nervous system (also known as your ‘fight or flight’ response), which a lot of people are chronically stuck in (see our previous posts on sympathetic dominance). Magnesium is used in hormones that trigger the stress response, and when the stress response is triggered for a long time, this can deplete your Magnesium levels, as your body will prioritise this system over all others. By increasing your body’s Magnesium levels, you are supporting healthy activation of your stress response, and also helping other systems in your body to access Magnesium when they need it, taking the stress off the rest of your body. 4. Helps with energy production in your cells Magnesium helps to activate ATP, the energy producing molecule in your cells. While this is an essential function that does get prioritised, it is always good to help your cells get more energy in. 5. Helps to regulate Blood Pressure Your heart is a muscle just like any other in your body and needs that correct Magnesium/Calcium balance to function correctly. Magnesium can help to regulate heart muscle contraction, which can help with irregular heartbeat and other cardiovascular issues. (Obviously this is only one cause/effect of heart irregularities, we always suggest getting checked by your medical provider if you are having heart problems and before taking any new supplements) 6. Helps to regulate Blood Glucose levels The stress response can affect blood sugar levels, as our body wants quick energy available if we are stressed. Your body to allows more sugars to be available, but if you are not using the sugars with sudden exertion because your stress is not physical, this can cause high blood glucose levels. Now we have already covered how Magnesium can help with stress and the stress response in your body, so it follows that Magnesium can help regulates blood sugars as response to this. Magnesium helping with blood sugar levels becomes more obvious when looking at studies that linked low Magnesium levels in patients to increased blood sugars and insulin resistance. 7. Promotes better sleep By helping with managing your stress and relaxing your muscles, Magnesium will help you have a more restful nights sleep. Magnesium also increases GABA, which promotes relaxed muscles and down regulates your brain, allowing you to rest and switch off more effectively. We love a couple of sprays of Magnesium oil on our tummy or the bottom of our feet just before bed to help with a good night’s sleep! 8. Stabilises mood including anxiety and depression Again, by increasing GABA, Magnesium can help to stabilise your mood and help emotional regulation. By helping your brain to ‘relax’, you can decrease stress and anxious responses to a more appropriate level, allowing you to better prioritise and deal with stressors as they arise. 9. Increases bone health 60% of your body’s Magnesium is found in your bones, and as we discussed before, Magnesium and calcium have a very special relationship. Along with Vitamin D, healthy Magnesium levels are vital for bone health. 10. Reduces inflammation Low Magnesium levels in your body is linked to chronic inflammation and elevated inflammatory markers including CRP. High levels of CRP are one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Chronic inflammation has been linked to obesity, leaky gut, autoimmune diseases, arthritis and many more chronic conditions. 11. Helps with PMS symptoms PMS (Pre Menstrual Syndrome) can be debilitating for many women. They often report big changes in mood and temperament, as well as physical discomfort from headaches, bloating and cramps. By reducing inflammation, relaxing tense muscles and decreasing cramping, regulating the stress response and helping to regulate mood, Magnesium already covers a lot of PMS symptoms. It has also been shown to decrease water retention and bloating that often occurs just before your period. 12. Increases athletic performance Your body requires more Magnesium while you are exercising, to allow your cells to get energy in. Some research indicates supplemental magnesium can reduce the stress response to exertion and increase red blood cells and haemoglobin in athletes. Magnesium helps move blood sugar into your muscles and dispose of lactate, which can build up in muscles during exercise and cause pain. Taking Magnesium supplements has been associated with faster times in swimming, running and cycling. Whatever stage of life you are at, whatever your activity level, or stress level, increasing your Magnesium intake can be of benefit to your body. It is an essential nutrient that is easily depleted if your intake is insufficient. You can boost your intake by eating Magnesium rich foods, including: · Green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach and kale) · Fruit (figs, avocado, banana and raspberries) · Nuts and seeds · Legumes (black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans) · Vegetables (peas, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts) · Seafood (salmon, mackerel, tuna) · Whole grains (brown rice and oats) · Raw cacao · Dark Chocolate · Tofu · Baked beans Or consider a Magnesium supplement if you are deficient or need a quick boost of Magnesium, for example if you are under stress or just started a new workout routine. We stock Magnesium in many different forms (liquid, creams, oils and bath salts) come in and talk to us about which one could be right for you! |
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September 2024
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