The Autonomic Nervous System regulates the internal body processes that require no conscious awareness; for example, the rate of heart contractions, the rate of breathing, the amount of stomach acid secreted, and the speed at which food passes through the digestive tract. We divide the Autonomic Nervous System into Sympathetic and Parasympathetic sides and they can be easily thought of as our body’s gas pedal and brakes. The Parasympathetic side influences resting, nourishing, and repair aspects of our body. While Parasympathetic influence is necessary, allowing recharge and recovery from stresses, unbalance to dominance prevents the proper operation of the Sympathetic side. Each of the two sides uses specific counterbalancing minerals and nutrients to fuel their controlling mechanisms. Think Parasympathetic dominance as an indicator for the need to supply the missing minerals and nutrients that support the opposite, Sympathetic side – primarily acid ash minerals including Phosphorus. Too much braking means we need more acceleration.
Parasympathetic Dominance can be indicated by the presence of symptoms that both show a slowed down, under-energetic nature, and an under-functioning of the Sympathetic side such as frequent illness, slow to heal injuries, dislike of exercise, and lack of motivation. It is important to note that it is possible to swing between states of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Dominance. Like a pendulum between both extremes and indicates a need to nutritionally support both sides.
Primary indicators of Parasympathetic Dominance symptoms:
| Joint Stiffness on arising | Muscle-leg-toe cramps at night |
| “Butterfly” stomach, cramps | Eyes or nose watery |
| Eyes blink often | Eyelids swollen, puffy |
| Indigestion soon after meals | Always seem hungry; feel “lightheaded” often |
| Digestion rapid | Vomiting frequent |
| Hoarseness frequent | Breathing irregular |
| Pulse slow; feels “irregular” | Gagging reflex slow |
| Difficulty swallowing | Constipation, diarrhea alternating |
| “Slow starter” | Get “chilled” infrequently |
| Perspire easily | Circulation poor, sensitive to cold |
| Subject to colds, asthma, bronchitis |
Nutrition is essential to overall health! Feeding the body properly keeps our systems working well and working together. A deficiency within one system may cause an array of issues throughout the body.