What is HPA axis dysfunction? And FREE 5-Day! - Welcome to Conscious Nutrition by Heather Fleming.

Every time I go to a wellness conference I come up with a new diagnosis for myself. I am usually not a person who looks for the negative, but when it comes to the complexity of health and wellness, we all can get caught up in the fix-it game.

One of my dear clients sent this amazing article over to me from Chris Kresser. When I read this article, I instantly felt, yep, I am experiencing this. My stress levels have been higher and more consistent over the last few months. The more I study nutrition, the more I realize we need to focus on our nervous system, stress, thoughts and emotions and then quality food will align easier.

As long as we had human evolution, our bodies have evolved a system for managing our response to stress. This system is called the hypothalamic-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.

“The HPA axis is a network of endocrine organs, hormones, and other signaling molecules that serves as the body’s stress-response system. The HPA axis evolved to help our bodies respond efficiently to acute stressors, such as being chased by a lion, but research indicates that it is poorly equipped to handle the chronic stressors we face today.”

If you are constantly criticizing, shoulding, defending and feeling guilty about your choices each day, you are experiencing chronic stress.

I woke up the other day to multiple different messages from friends and clients, saying they are gaining weight and do not know why. Of course, we are all unique, but the collective consciousness is experiencing a HECK of a lot of stress. My initial sense is, the HPA axis stress is the issue.

Here are some nutritional and emotional ideas to support your HPA axis:

1. Don’t DIET: Extreme diets and restrictions CAUSE more stress for most people. You need NOURISHMENT! Most people are malnourished and if you are, your body is unable to detoxify. You need nutrients to help your body let go of toxins. If Intermittent Fasting is supporting you, great, but notice on some days, it may not. Our ancestors did NOT Intermittent Fast on a schedule, it was organically done by what was available, season and other variables.

2. Add in Quality Starches: For fiber, vitamins and emotional comfort. These starches can give you the exact medicine you need on any given day. Omitting this food group does not work for the majority of the population. Add-in

Sweet potatoes
Winter squash
Plantains (MY favorite)
Cassava
Taro
Whole fresh fruits

3. Add in Magnesium rich foods: When stress levels are high, magnesium is depleted. Magnesium is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in your body. From your brain health to muscle maintenance. Add-in:

Dark leafy greens
Almonds
Cashews
Pumpkin seeds
Avocados
Brussels sprouts

4. Add in L-Theanine & Dark chocolate: L-Theanine is found in green tea, make sure to buy organic for fewer pesticides. These compounds help with focus and relaxation. If you are craving dark chocolate every day at the same time, you are most likely magnesium deficient. Add in the above foods and you can try a conscious supplement.

6. Add in Holy Basil: Holy Basil contains compounds that support the HPA axis. Add in tea or supplements during the day when your stress levels are high.

7. Heart-Coherence: I heard someone recently say, “You know the morning when you get mad at your neighbor or had traffic anger? Then all day you are a bit reactive, like an 8 out of 10? It seems some trauma responses are being expressed. Try to relax your brain and live more in your heart. Coherence is the state when the heart, mind and emotions are in energetic alignment and cooperation. Heart rhythms are smooth and balanced, and the body’s various physical processes are in sync with each other and functioning optimally. This will help our mental, emotional and physical health.

If you are wanting to EASE-in with me, my FREE 5-Day program begins next week, September 21st.

For 5-days we will be supporting our nervous system, releasing inflammatory foods and observing how we FEEL and respond. Which is what most eating plans and programs omit. FEELING is everything.

What you will take away?