Healing Your Neurological System

Do you struggle with chemical sensitivity, tingling in the hands and feet, tremors, brain fog, anxiety, or depression? These, and many more mystery symptoms, are connected to neurological and central nervous system issues.

The symptoms can be frustratingly inconsistent, and well-meaning practitioners can sometimes misread the signs your body is displaying and prescribe an ineffective protocol. No one should have to spend their time trying things that will never work! Below I will detail many of the mystery symptoms that signal neurological issues and the foods and supplements that offer you healing support.

Neurological Symptoms

Ticks, twitches, and muscle spasms, which are all linked to spasming nerves, are signs of neurological issues. If you are experiencing dizziness or vertigo, your vagus nerve might be inflamed from neurotoxins from viruses. The vagus nerve runs from the brain, through the neck, past the throat, and down into the chest. Other symptoms linked to the vagus nerve include a fluttering heart, issues with swallowing, or trouble taking a deep breath.

Other neurological symptoms you might experience include: tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, buzzing, ringing, or humming in the ears, cold hands or feet, feelings of poor circulation, pains in the neck, or a strange gnawing sensation in the stomach.

Some people struggle with digesting food because they actually feel it move through the gut all the way to the colon. This particular symptom might wrongly be blamed on poor digestion, anxiety or IBS, but what you’re truly feeling is thousands of sensitive nerves coming from different places like the vagus nerve, phrenic nerve, and spine that connect to the intestinal tract, stomach, and colon. So, what appears to be a digestive issue is actually neurological.

Some might also experience neurological fatigue, which is different than adrenal fatigue. I recorded a radio show on this topic because it’s so important for the medical community and all of us to understand how it works and what’s causing it. If it feels like a struggle forcing your legs to walk, your head feels heavy and foggy, or just crawling out of bed and standing up seems impossible, then you might be experiencing neurological fatigue which can come with Epstein-Barr virus and is a serious type of chronic fatigue. Not all neurological fatigue is this severe however. Someone can experience milder symptoms from neurological fatigue also.

Sometimes the label ‘neuropathy’ will be given when a practitioner is not exactly sure what is wrong, but knows it’s related to nerve issues. Doctors frequently diagnose patients with diabetic neuropathy, which I discuss in my radio show on diabetes, but in actuality, more people without diabetes have diabetic neuropathy and the many symptoms that go along with it. Neuropathy is not a complication of diabetes, it’s a result of the shingles virus inflaming the nerves of extremities like the feet. I have called this condition Neuralgic Shingles and shared the truth about it in my book Medical Medium. When someone is experiencing nerve problems in the form of gum pain, jaw pain, or strange sensations, they might be diagnosed with neuralgia, which is also caused by the shingles virus.

A huge host of neurological problems are caused by Epstein-Barr, shingles and its many strains that have yet to even be discovered. Whether you have Epstein-Barr causing fibromyalgia or shingles causing neuralgia, your goal moving forward is to restore the nervous system. It’s about doing everything in your power to strengthen and fortify it, and this can be done!

Triggers to Avoid

There are a handful of triggers that can create a sensitive, weakened nervous system and they need to be avoided. Neurotoxins are a huge trigger. Viruses such as Epstein-Barr, shingles, HHV-6, and others release neurotoxins which can trigger a host of different sensitivities and symptoms connected to the nervous system. If any underlying viral issues are not addressed, your nervous system can become hypersensitive.

Toxic heavy metals are a second trigger. Mercury is extremely harmful and other metals such as aluminum, lead, arsenic, copper, and nickel wreak havoc as well. An alloy of these metals in the brain can oxidize over time short circuit neurotransmitters as they run through the neurons. Imagine the neuron is like a stream and the neurotransmitters are like the living water rushing through. Heavy metals are what block and destroy both the stream and the pulsing energy running through it. Heavy metals diminish neurotransmitter and neuronal function, breakdown electrical impulses, and can cause seizures if present in the brain and nervous system for extended periods of time. You can learn more about toxic heavy metals here.

You must stay vigilant to avoid the third trigger, MSG. It’s found in many packaged food items these days, even seemingly healthy ones, and hidden behind terms like “natural flavors,” “citric acid,” and “vanilla flavor.” It can even be found in protein shakes and natural herbal teas! MSG eats away at your brain, creates lesions, and breaks down your nervous system, worsening neurological problems.

Chemical sensitivities can also occur when chemicals interact with an already weak, sensitive central nervous system. Symptoms of a sensitive central nervous system might include forgetfulness, word misplacement, bafflement for no reason, confusion, feeling easily rattled or puzzled, brain fog, disorientation, or a feeling of disconnection. Anyone who experiences anxiety or depression has a sensitive central nervous system. Exposure to toxic chemicals can strengthen these symptoms and trigger new symptoms for someone who is already very sensitive.

A few more triggers are aspartame, which severely damages the neurological system and can even trigger seizures in certain people. Mold can be a serious trigger as well. And lastly, stress can have a serious negative impact on the central nervous system.

Each person has their own triggers that create neurological symptoms, whether it be a lot of stress and a little MSG, or a lot of heavy metals and mold exposure. While it’s good to be aware of these triggers and do your best to avoid them, it’s also empowering to know that you have the ability and the tools that you need to restore the health of your nervous system.

Healing Foods

An important fact to know as you begin to heal is that your brain, central nervous system and nerves are fueled by glucose and mineral salts. That means your brain and nervous system run on naturally salty vegetables and the glucose from fruits! Do not be fooled by a current trend that inaccurately claims your brain runs on fat. The truth is, to heal any neurological issues, you must provide an abundance of sugars and mineral salts to your system, not through corn syrup, cane sugar, and table salt, but through fresh fruits and vegetables.

Wild blueberries are an incredible food and can help restore brain tissue. Drinking straight celery juice is another powerhouse addition to include daily as described here. Spinach, romaine, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, and mâche are also excellent healing foods that are loaded with mineral salts. You can add in olives, or seaweeds, such as dulse and nori. For glucose bring in more bananas, papayas, raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, apples, pears, dates, apricots, peaches, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, yams, or regular potatoes. You can graze on the Adrenal Snacks I list in this video all day long and/or consider trying the 28 day Healing Cleanse in my book Medical Medium.

Healing Supplements and Teas

Some beneficial supplements include B-12 with adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin, B-complex, PharmaGABA, barley grass juice extract powder, and calcium magnesium. Certain herbal teas, such as nettle leaf tea, raspberry leaf tea, and lemon balm and lemon balm tea are great to drink as well. My preferred suppliers of these supplements, herbs and teas can be found here.

Rebuilding Your Central Nervous System

As you rebuild your central nervous system, you might notice symptoms beginning to disappear, including less sensitivity to mold and chemicals. We are up against a huge amount of triggers, and the many symptoms can cause pain, confusion and distress, but never give up on your body’s incredible power to heal! Feeding your body glucose, mineral salts, supplements, and a huge dose of self-compassion can move you forward towards greater health and vitality for your nervous system, brain and body as a whole.