Do you have weak and brittle nails, spots on your nails, fatigue, skin that is easily abraded, hormone imbalances, frequent infections, brain fog or digestive complaints? These can all be signs of nutritional deficiency. This modern world is demanding of us in many ways and can cause an increased nutritional demand to replace the precious nutrients that get depleted with a high stress, high paced life. I love my field of work for the way that it helps people to be able to realistically and reasonably meet such demands. Many demands come from our own internal expectations and pressures, which is great, because these are the ones that we have the power to manage. Sometimes lowering the bar for ourself is the kindest thing and the most effective way to manage.
Many people who come to my clinic are genuinely depleted in many ways, and for many reasons. Winter is a good time for restoration and reflection so that we can move through the following seasons with greater resilience. To support this, we can take the space and time to do less and step back to get perspective on what we need to let go of, and what we need to assimilate in life. This is helpful for living life more sustainably and more attuned to your own unique cosmic clock (the soul’s journey). There are many hidden and not so well know influences that can contribute to states of depletion.
1. Appropriate digestive processes are a priority for utilising nutrition appropriately. The very nature of digestion involves taking in what we need and eliminating what we don’t need. When these processes are mismanaged, nutritional deficiency can arise. Dietary input of nutrition may be adequate, yet if the nutrient can’t be recognised and taken into the cells, supplements and healthy eating is not going to fix the problem. Sometimes there can be a ‘nutritional mismatch’ where the body interprets a nutrient as a toxin or as a waste product and eliminates it rather than using it. Any metal in large doses is toxic to the body, so if large amounts of iron or zinc for example, are pumped into the body, it may eliminate it. There are often necessary nutritional co-factors required for utilising vitamins and minerals which if are not present, contribute to a nutrient deficiency. Additionally, nutrients taken in nature’s package of whole foods are a lot easier for the body to recognise and utilise, as compared to if they are taken in a chemical pill form.
2. Digestion requires energy. Some people are in fact so depleted energetically and have over-expended energy and don’t have the energy to break down and process nutrients appropriately. There is a universal principle that applies to our everyday functions. This is the holographic principle that energetically reflects the macrocosm and the microcosm of our life. That is, what is happening in the big picture/external aspect of our life, is also happening on microscopic levels - internally in the body. For example, if we are not digesting life’s experiences so well because of overwhelm, avoidance or denial etc., physical digestion of food is also going to be impacted.
3. Gut brain function gives the intelligence for utilising nutrients. It not only helps us with digesting food and assimilating nutrients, it is also involved with processing or ‘digesting' life’s experiences. It gives us our deep sense of self, and our ability to assert healthy boundaries by identifying what is ok for us, and what is not ok. If we lose this connection with our gut brain and deep sense of self, it makes it very difficult to discern what to accept and receive in life and what to reject or release in life. It also makes it difficult to make choices that are aligned with our true self. Digestive difficulties can therefore arise out of this disconnection from sense of self or disconnection from the body’s intelligence. Our bodies know exactly what foods they need and we will be drawn to eating the necessary nourishing foods when we have a connection with a healthy functioning gut brain.
More and more I am seeing in my practice that these underlying issues of digesting life and disconnection with the true self is at the root of many imbalances and illnesses for people. I have clients who are taking supplements, knowing that they are deficient in certain nutrients, yet the body is not utilising the nutrient. When we muscle test to establish how to support the body with recognising and assimilating the nutrient, the deficiency is quickly resolved.
4. Adverse Childhood Events or trauma can influence organ function and the brain’s ability to manage digestion. Everything that has happened to us in life is recorded in our intrinsic memory and muscle memory. This memory system can influence function of the gut brain, muscles, organs and caudate brain. Negative associations or traumatic or toxic events associated with certain foods can cause food sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies. Commonly when assessing the gut brain and digestive organs, we discover that there is an emotional stress or an energetic imbalance that has affected the gut brain or the limbic brain which is responsible for many of the unconscious body processes and emotional and physical reactions and responses. The ability for the body to recognise and use nutrients is dependant on the intelligence of these neurological systems. Viral infections and other pathogens or hospitalisations can also be classed as adverse events from childhood which disrupt the body’s ability to restore and digest appropriately.
5. A healthy functioning gut microbiome is necessary for digesting and managing nutrients.
Sometimes there are biological problems such as parasites or bacterial imbalances that need to be addressed to restore the body’s ability to manage nutritional inputs. Poor diet can create unfavourable gut bacteria, so to support your gut microbiome make sure to include plenty of colourful fibre rich foods in the diet … picture fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Good healthy bile production and flow is also essential for supporting the gut microbiome so foods such as meats, eggs, olives, olive oil, coconut products, avocado, nuts and seeds, butter and ghee are all helpful for stimulating this.
6. Many people are unconsciously in fight/flight (Sympathetic Nervous System) patterns which diminish the body’s ability to ‘rest and digest’. Some have become so accustomed to living in this way, that they don’t realise just how highly strung their nervous system has become. This can be the case when little by little, more and more expectations are put onto the self or more and more responsibilities have been taken on. When overwhelm hits, the nervous system has been in a state of stress already, and for a prolonged period. MRI’s have shown that a brain in a state of overwhelm looks much the same as a brain that is dealing with trauma. This is how important it is to manage your life in a way that avoids overwhelm. When the body is in a fight/flight state of being, it is not wired for digestion. Neural function and circulation to the gut is inhibited and this can cause symptoms such as constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel, bloating, butterflies in the stomach, appetite disruption, nausea and even abdominal tension and pain. Poor sleep, insomnia and fatigue can go hand in hand with this situation.
7. Vagus nerve imbalances affect digestion in much the same way that the Sympathetic Nervous System does. The vagus nerve originates in the brainstem and branches to the left and the right side of the throat, chest, abdomen and pelvic areas. It is an important neural network for all of the digestive organs. It plays a role in regulating the Sympathetic (fight/flight) and Para-sympathetic (rest and digest) functions. Emotional trauma, and physical injury can affect this nerve. Scar tissue from surgeries or accidents and injuries in the vicinity of this nerve can affect its function and therefore the ability to digest and assimilate nutrition. Structural imbalances such as head injuries, cranial fixations and atlas (first cervical vertebrae) imbalances can negatively impact this neural network.
8. Attitudes towards food can impact our ability to digest food and feel nourished. Put aside any scientific or emotional vilifications towards the food you eat. Choose the foods that feel nourishing and don’t eat a food if you are going to be projecting negative thoughts or associations onto it. There is a saying - ‘be careful of the thoughts you choose, because your body is listening’. If you are rejecting a food mentally as you consume it, energetically you are rejecting the nutritional support that it can give you. Fears about calories or negative effects of food elicit the stress response and activate the vagus nerve and sympathetic nervous system imbalances.
9. Epigenetic factors can influence gene expression and set up deficiencies. Epigenetic factors are lifestyle or environmental influences such as diet, exercise, illnesses, mental or emotional tendencies, pathogens and toxins. I work a lot with miasms, which are inherited factors that have been a result of illness or toxicity from previous generations. These inter-generational stressors and traumas can impact the functionality of the body and sometimes affect the ability to digest and assimilate nutrition.
There are many complimentary therapies and lifestyle activities these days that can help to bring the body into balance. Because of the individualised nature of digestive imbalances, I have really appreciated muscle testing as a super effective way to support myself and others with overcoming digestive imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. The body’s wisdom is superior when it comes to healing because it knows the exact order which imbalances and stressors need to be dealt with. The kinesiology muscle testing process is able to attune to this wisdom and identify and release stress in the order it requires. It cannot be rushed. It has its own unique timing and requirements which guide us on the path to optimum health.
When I start out consulting with a client using kinesiology I have an idea of the physical, mental, energetic and emotional factors that may be contributing to the problems at hand, yet it is not until I start muscle testing that I find out if this is truly accurate and when that thing needs to be addressed. Quite often it is not until a second, third or fourth consultation that the body is finally ready to deal with the main issue that is the root cause of the illness or problem. Attuning to the body wisdom over all these years has taught me to be patient with desired results. Yet speaking personally, I know how challenging that can be to patiently wait for results while providing support for so long and in so many ways. May our hearts carry us in patience.
The process of self support for addressing nutritional deficiencies and depletion can begin when we take some space for quiet reflection and stillness. So this winter I invite you to set yourself up for a vibrant year ahead. Take time for connecting with your innate intelligence that is so eloquently heard in the quiet.
You may wish to consider the demands of your life and ask yourself ‘What do I need to eliminate from my life to live sustainably?’ And ‘What nourishes me in creating a sustainable life?’ ‘What actions do I need to take to foster these changes?’