Balance your nervous system: nourish

The nervous system likes predictability. If you eat your meals at roughly the same times each day, the nervous system will start to trust that you will always take care of it and give it the energy that it needs. Grazing, skipping meals, or eating irregularly puts the nervous system into scarcity mode. That stress can affect hormone circulation, and can lead to overeating when you finally get a chance to eat. It also leads to behaviors that mask the symptoms, again like using caffeine and sugar to provide false energy.

The body also needs different things at different times, including seasonally. Balance the qualities of the seasons by eating foods that have some of the opposite qualities. In the winter when it is cold, dry, and rough, balance those qualities with warm, hydrating, smooth foods (like cooked root veggies that are abundant in the winter months). In the spring when it is cold, muddy, wet, and heavy, balance with warm foods that have some astringent and bitter flavors (like the early ephemerals and greens that sprout at the start of spring). In the summer when it is hot, eat cooling foods (like the fresh fruits and veggies you get from the farm and garden). Nature gives us the medicine we need, so if we eat seasonal, local foods, we will naturally nourish ourselves and align with the rhythms of nature.

Follow along for the next few posts to learn more practical strategies you can use to balance your nervous system and heal from pain and click on the link in my bio and join the Path to Wellness.