Mon. Sep 25th, 2023

PNS activation using food and social interaction

Superfoods4u.co.uk (a division of Be Super Ltd) was originally set up to provide a range of the greatest superfoods in the world.

New scientific research is further validating our blends by providing evidence that our ingredients and our insights are of significant benefit. For example:

What you eat and drink causes a dramatic effect on the balance and function of the parasympathetic (PNS) and the sympathetic (SNS) nervous system in your body. What this means is that food and drink impact on how you feel. Certain foods are positively good for you and certain foods are positively bad for you.

Unfortunately the foods that are bad for us are also the one’s that the food companies promote and sell the most of – they are the foods that we think are good for us AND OFTEN ENJOY THE MOST. The big companies make more money from foods that contain sugar and sweeteners and colourings and flavourings and preservatives and from processed foods that are easy to serve or heat up. These foods also look good on TV and have great packaging and are easily available 24 hours per day – they can also be delivered more easily. The great news for the pharmaceutical companies is that all this bad food makes us ill and they can then sell us (or the doctors prescribe) drugs to ‘make us feel better’. We even have supplements / drugs to compensate for the lack of nutrients that all this bad food does not contain. Supplements are also bad for us because they are not naturally taken as part of a wholefood eating lifestyle – but this is not a problem because our doctors can prescribe another pill. This is not a negative way of thinking – it is the truth!

So what can you – or more to the point, what are you willing to do to correct this problem.

Take action:

  • Get enough protein. Protein is needed to supply vital amino acids that are essential for calming the nervous system. Eat plenty of eggs (from grass/pasture fed hens preferred), raw nuts, fish (especially deep sea fatty fish including anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, and sardines) and grass-fed meat (chicken, beef). The superfood Sf1 from superfoods4u is also high in protein and low in sugar. But don’t eat too much protein, especially within a single 2 hour period; approx 50% of protein gets converted to sugar, and this is important if you are trying to remain Keto adapted.
  • Get an oil change!?! Avoid hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and trans fats; and get plenty of omega-3 (and some omega-6) fatty acids. Excellent sources are deep-sea fatty fish, eggs from grass-fed hens, walnuts, flaxseeds, avocado, coconut oil and fish oil supplements. The Ultimate List of Primary Foods within VFP#1-LiCrON protocol provides all this.
  • Boost up on B-vitamins; B-vitamins are used in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body related to nervous system balance and control. Good sources include SF1.
  • Get grounded – eat low carb organic vegetables and roots. SF1 from superfoods4u and SF5 wil calm an overly active sympathetic nervous system.
  • Spice things up. Research indicates that capsaicin, the heat component of red/hot peppers, can significantly lower sympathetic responses after consumption. Combine it with SF5 and reap all the benefits from curcumin, ashwagandha and astaxanthin.
  • Drink H2o. Dehydration puts a lot of stress on the body. Drink one-half your body weight in ounces of water throughout the day. Drink super water if you can get it.
  • Chew. People that are SNS dominant generally don’t digest food well. Chew your way to calmness to help activate your parasypathetic nervous system – also chew more alkaline food rather than acidic food!
  • Decrease/eliminate caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the SNS – you don’t want to do that if your SNS is already over-stimulated. Opt instead for herbal teas, black tea or water.
  • Avoid alcohol. Alcohol also increases SNS activity. A study published in June 1995 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that SNS activity nearly doubled after participants received an alcohol infusion.

Social Interaction:

How you live your life on a daily basis and how you react to the people and environment around you has a major impact on sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous system balance. Those that are SNS-dominant often can’t relax, struggle to focus and have difficulty keeping still. This makes it all the more important to incorporate activities throughout the day to help calm down and increase positive thoughts and feelings.

  • Practice gratitude. First thing in the morning and just before bed, try out the quick coherence practice. This will help get you into a positive state and help you be aware of the beauty in your life.
  • Release negativity. Negative emotional states – including worry, fear, anger, frustration, guilt and shame – rev up the sympathetic nervous system and just make you feel bad. When you become aware of these feelings, try to let them go and fill that space with something that is uplifting. Focused breathing, increasing your HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and brain / heart entrainment using PEMF (Pulsed ElecroMagnetic Fields) and therapy such as SSP (Safe and Sound Protocol).
  • Surround yourself with love. Whether you are at home, work or in your car, surround yourself with pictures, music, books, magazines and things that bring you joy and remind you of people, places and experiences you cherish. Along those same lines, hang out with people that build you up; and let go of relationships that are no longer fulfilling.
  • Practice forgiveness. Yes, it’s easier said than done, but forgiving any wrongs you feel have been made against you allows you to take control and puts you in a position of power and possibly even compassion and takes you out of the victim role, which feeds the sympathetic response of fight-or-flight.
  • Don’t worry, be happy. We are bombarded with images, sound bites and news about all the cruelty and injustices in the world. Give yourself a break and get in the practice of happiness.
  • Get enough sleep. Get as much sleep before midnight as possible and sleep until you naturally awaken. If you need an alarm clock to wake up, get to bed earlier the next night. If naps are restorative and don’t negatively impact your sleep at night, take them. PEMF devices such as ‘Earthpulse’ have been scientifically evidenced to energise you and ‘pulse’ natural vibrating frequencies (especially 7.83Hz) through the body.
  • Breathe deeply – deep breathing is one of the fastest ways to calm down and quiet an overly active sympathetic nervous system. Practice taking deep breathes multiple times daily; attach the act of deep breathing to some other activity that occurs regularly throughout your day – such as receiving/sending emails, texts or phone calls.

Choose one or more of these activities and incorporate them into your daily schedule. It will take persistent, consistent actions to achieve results – think weeks or months rather than hours or days – so get started and enjoy each day as much as you can. Before you know it, you’ll be feeling better and much more balanced.

Sunlight and exercise:

Our brain self-injects itself with serotonin chemicals. Even on a frigid or cool day, sunlight has a noticeable, positive affect on our mindset.

A productive and healthy practice is to briskly walk for 15 to 20 minutes at least once (or even twice) a day. Regardless of frequency, it is best to walk in the morning for two reasons: (1) we’ll burn more calories, and (2) we mentally prepare ourselves for the day ahead. Not only will our brain reward us with a kick of serotonin, we’ll burn off some calories in the process.

How to reduce cortisol levels:

When you face a potential threat or danger, your body’s stress response — often called the “fight or flight” response is triggered – this is the sympathetic nervous system. It is good to have such a response, however, it is better to have a wide optimum arousal zone so you don’t stress out too easily and for too long.

Positive-arousal-and-meditation-zones

The sympathetic nervous system starts by releasing the stress hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine in a quick burst.

They quickly dissipate after the stressful situation is over and don’t hang around to do damage.

That is followed by the release of cortisol – and this hormone can cause damage if it remains for too long. This can lead to anxiety; brain fog; depression; lack of concentration; insomnia and dementia.

Chronically elevated levels of cortisol may lead to obesity; high blood pressure; diabetes; osteoporosis; heart disease, digestive disorders; fatigue; thyroid disorders; immune system disorders and infertility.

When cortisol is released in response to a stressor, all non-essential bodily functions are temporarily put on hold in order to deal with the situation. This can impact on the gut and lead to weight gain and an inability to lose fat.

Top Tips to lower and reduce cortisol levels:

Sleep is crucial! If you sleep for less than 6 hours (and do not meditate throughout the day effectively to compensate) then your body will INCREASE its level of cortisol by as much as 80%. So focus on good sleep – click here for details on how to prioritise rest and sleep.

Minimise coffee in the morning because caffeine can double cortisol levels!

STOP coffee after midday as it can take up to 10 hours to metabolize.

Drink tea instead – whilst green tea contains far less caffeine; black / normal tea more actively reduces cortisol.

STOP or minimise sugar intake as it produces stress hormones that can last up to 5 hours after consumption. Insulin has to be produced to convert sugar to energy and insulin is like a light switch that stops fat from being used – it is stored instead and is used as a dumping ground for further toxins.

Insulin load should be minimised:

Insulin is a hormone that acts as a regulator of blood glucose levels by controlling glucose uptake into the cells. Repeated acute stress causes the pancreas to suppress insulin and repeatedly flood the bloodstream with glucose both by not allowing it into the cells (resisting insulin) and releasing more from the liver as well. As this process becomes chronic, it becomes more difficult to manage. The body continually requires more insulin to reduce glucose levels, and eventually cells end up insensitive to the insulin. The effects of high insulin also include disrupted cellular metabolism and increased inflammation.

The LiCrON eating lifestyle provided at VFP#1 – LiCrON/Regeneration provides a perfect solution to this hormonal problem. It is perfect for anyone that is overweight and struggling to sort the problem. The Ultimate List of Primary Foods provides over 100% of all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids needed every day. Furthermore, it also utilises the benefits of a delayed eating lifestyle and Intermittent Ketosis with the principle of hormesis – meaning a little of what is bad for in the short term is good for you in the long term.

The superfoods that superfoods4u blend into their super products include adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha that effectively reduce cortisol. The superfoods also include St. Johns Wart, Curcumin and SF1 contains a super blend of barleygrass, camu camu, wheatgrass, spirulina, cacao, chlorella and astaxanthin.

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Some of the negative effects of Covid-19 include:

  • Struggling to deal with loss and / or feeling isolated or lonely..
  • Joint pain, loss of energy and weakness.
  • Feeling unsafe and not knowing why.
  • Confusion and frustration with not understanding what is going on.
  • A lack of trust with people, situations and places.
  • The lack of stucture and order and not knowing what to do with your time.
  • Brain fog - not being able to concentrate or think clearly.
  • Struggling to have longer conversations and discussions about positive and creative opportunities - and too much negative talk.
  • Couples and families stuggle interacting together due to a lack of personal and joint purpose in life.

The severe isolation measures imposed by governments have been traumatic to the psyche of people; to the extent, many have the fear of getting tests done and or divulging the results to authorities for fear of loss of income or further isolation. Others live every moment on the edge of media releases and feel totally reliant on vaccinations and guidance and rules on how to live.

THE BIGGER PERSPECTIVE - FURTHER CAUSES OF NEGATIVITY . . .

Society has created a situation where many people have an overdependence on other people for guidance and regulations on how they live. This can be clearly seen with those people who have retired or are suddenly not working and do not know what to do with their time. For many people walking the dog, watching some form of day time TV and cooking, represent the limits of their activity. Their social interaction and discussions are based around such activity or in discussing the limitaions imposed on them and everyone else -

"very few people do something that is both creative and of benefit for themsleves and others; furthermore, they do not discuss the creative process for making this happen - they have lost (or never developed) this self-relience and love of life - they are lost within an 'auto-pilot' existence" -

THIS IS THE BIGGER PERSPETIVE THAT COVID-19 HIGHLIGHTS!

When individals within a relationship or within a family, educational, work or team environment, lack any purpose in life or don't have any creative ideas to stimulate their emotions or thoughts, then they are more dependent on external forces to influence their behaviour. The majority of outside forces are negative, therfore most of the time people will be negative. Covid-19 is not the cause of this negativity - it highlights the hidden problems faced by most people and society.

This post provides a short practical instruction on how to conduct a quick coherence / QUICK CALMING/POSITIVITY PRACTICE:

The optimal times for doing this practice are:

  • first thing in the morning whilst still in bed (before getting up)
  • First thing when you get to work or school etc.
  • every 90 mins once you are active and the day has begun
  • when you get back in bed to settle for a sleep.

It is perfect when combined with other people (especially smaller groups) just before a meeting/lesson/meal.  It may even be used by a family group or a group of friends or work/school/college friends - perhaps in conjunction with an agreed 'positive statement/affirmation'.

Whilst it helps to reduce stress; with the 'the more advanced breathing progression' it is most beneficial in promoting a feeling of wellbeing and positivity; and in activating your parasympathetic nervous system (your feel good system). Once activated this may lead to positive stimulation that facilitates exceptional mental and physical performance, or, if you are relaxing, it will lower your heart rate, lower your brain frequency and promote better rest and natural sleep patterns. When a calm and positive state is maintained for longer and longer periods (with monitoring and practice) then it leads to 'flow' and extends the 'optimal arousal zone'.

Quick Coherence only takes 1 - 2 minutes (it is best done with your eyes closed):

Welcome - By following this short process you will feel calm, positive and energised. The process will work even better when you smile during the process and continue smiling after it has finished - let us begin - you may keep your eyes open or close them - do whatever helps you focus . . .

  • Focus your attention on your heart just to the left of centre in your chest. If it helps, place the fingers of your right hand over the heart so you can physically feel your heart beat - then relax.
  • As you breathe in, visualise the air going into your heart. As you visualise breathing in, count to between 4 and 7 and with each count visualise your heart expanding your belly. Continue doing this until you find your own natural timing. Once you have established your natural breathing in cycle move to step 3.
  • As you breath out and feel your belly go down, visualise either:
    • a special place that makes you feel good; or
    • visualise what you are doing that makes you feel so good;
    • and /or visualise a person or group of people that makes your love come out.
    • as you become more familiar with this, and as it becomes easier to do - focus on giving appreciation or gratitude to someone and allow your love to come out.
  • More advanced breathing progression - once you have become familiar with all of the above - then as you continue with the heart felt focus - PROLONG the breathing out stage, so it is between 3 and 5 seconds longer than your breathing in stage. Then continue this staggered breathing cycle for between 1 and 3 mins. This will physiologically activate your parasympathetic nervous system and stimulate creative and happy hormones.

Adopt quick coherence as a pattern of positive performance:

The quick coherence practice, including the more advanced breathing progression, may also be used in the build up to a high performance related activity - especially as a precursor for being in the flow zone. This is perfect for activities such as climbing or skill related performance or even high intense muscular activities such as arm wrestling, powerlifting, strongman event and surprisingly combat sports - because the more you can perceive stress as a positive opportunity, the greater you will maximise your optimal flow zone perform to your maximum potential. When stress is perceived as being negative, it increases anxiety, increases muscle tension, reduces reaction times and speed and reduces power. Negative stress leads to a quicker loss of energy and reduces mental clarity and sharpness.

Smile and be positive.

Group / team coherence:

Imagine the benefits to a team if you all acknowledged gratitude for one another prior to starting a more physical warm up or at the end of a warm just before you went out to compete. This would minimise stress and allow you to perform at even higher levels of intensity for much longer.  

When Phil Jackson began coaching the Chicago Bulls - and later the Los Angeles Lakers - he says he used the Zen philosophy of mindfulness to help build both teams.

sports-team-quick-coherence

Coherence practice is used by the NHS in Derbyshire:

Quick coherence may be used to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress and help calm you or someone else down when they are feeling their behaviour is becoming more challenging to others.

(https://my.dchs.nhs.uk/Portals/0/Health%20Psychology%20The%20Quick%20Coherence%20Technique_1.pdf)

More scientific research on this is available at - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4179616/

Monitoring and measuring coherence can be done using new technology and with the correct insights.

Elimination is the lowest level of consciousness and calibrates <20:

The strategy for getting yourself or someone else out of this stage is provided below:

The VFP strategy for achieving higher/more positive 'natural patterns / cycles of being' is to re-tune your mental and emotional energy fields, so they do the 'right things' on an automatic basis (using your autonomic nervous system), rather than a cognitive basis (having to think and feel if what you are doing is working).

This approach is more significant when dealing with those at the lowest levels of consciousness. Such individuals 

  • You must have natural cycles of imbalance in your life. These should be positive in maximising you as a physical being. Look at every situation as an opportunity!
  • You should maximise the functioning and capabilities of your physical body/mind.
  • You should maximise your individual creativity and find purpose in all that you do.
  • You should be your best and give yourself for the benefit of all.

When you do this you will find love will allowed to flow from you and you will attract it!

You can’t tune into Love when you have negative forces influencing you - 'love is felt through tuning in to the truth'.

Love is not felt when someone is holding you back and not caring for you as best they can.

You cannot hold other people responsible for their imperfections in respect of your relationship. You need to break negative cycles with people - this does not mean you have to stop being with them, or loving or caring for them; but it does mean you must take responsibility yourself for following more positive natural cycles. If you are not capable of allowing love to come out of yourself for your TRUE SPIRITUAL BEING then your imperfect physical being will dominate your life. You must learn to let love come out by turning negative thoughts and emotions into opportunities to help yourself and others.

You must stop feeling sorry for yourself and you must stop using others as an excuse.

You are not an 'imprisoned physical being' - you may feel like one, and may be treated like one - but you have the opportunity to change this.

When your mind thinks with moving pictures rather than thinks with words (self-talk), then the results/benefits are significantly better.

Mental imagery is a more intuitive process than an intellectual one. It allows you to influence and take control of your unconscious and subconscious; whereas self-talk and worded affirmations focus your influence within your conscious mind.

For most people the language of imagery is commonly experienced during REM sleep at night or whilst daydreaming. However, becoming aware of images whilst waking simply requires us to give it more focus than we currently do. Most people self-talk rather than self image!

Scientific research confirms the benefits of imagery for improving health:

Doctors prescribe pharmaceuticals that control the mind through the body; eg. tranquilizers, antidepressants and anaesthetics. In much the same way, we can use the mind to control the body - and imagery is far more effective at doing this than self talk. There are at least two major scientific journals devoted to imagery research; one from Marquette University (The Journal of Mental Imagery) and one from Yale University (Imagination, Cognition and Personality).

Mental imagery may be used as a process for reacting to experiences (negative or positive), however, it is more powerful when used as a way of 'creating new experiences'. After successive repetitions/cycles (21 days being a natural cycle time that changes behaviour) then the physical body attunes with the mind to make the mental imagery reality - THIS IS A PROVEN BENEFIT!

Within the VFP Digital Tuning Chart we have created audio links that explains how to use imagery to help create your own good health (this is an ongoing development).

 

HRV (Heart Rate Variability):

In terms of 'measuring SPIRITUAL BEING REALISATION' or 'SPIRITUAL COHERENCE' - it may be measured on a physical basis by HRV (Heart Rate Variability). However, what you have to realise is that SPIRITUAL COHERENCE extends beyond your physical being and HRV is therefore limited in its potential to measure the higher levels of consciousness. It would be reasonable to estimate that below the level of 200 HRV is low and not smooth. Peak HRV will start and continue at a level of approx 250. Above this level HRV will peak but it will not indicate your level of consciousness - this can be better estimated using the VFP Digital Tuning Chart.

The similarity between SPIRITUAL COHERENCE and HRV, is that HRV maintains 'high activity, smooth sine wave cycles' regardless of the heart rate or brain wave frequency (excitatory or inhibitory) - and SPIRITUAL COHERENCE maintains 'natural/balanced cycles of smooth waves - that can be excitatory or inhibitory' - so they are very similar to measure!

When SPIRITUAL COHERENCE occurs, on a physical basis, the heart and brain waves become more synchronised / tuned in to one another on an autonomic basis. The important aspect to measure is not whether the heart or brain frequencies are high or low - but that the 'HRV is high and smooth', thus showing a willingness and readiness for either positive/excitatory or negative/inhibitory states. Good coherence indicates a wide range of optimal flow zone frequencies (an ability to perceive stress as a positive challenge, rather than something negative to overcome).

Coherence and a good HRV are indicators of:

  • Positive relationships.
  • Creative initiatives between positive people.
  • Problem solving and group decision making.
  • Bonding and mutual support.

Quick coherence practice is only part of the VFP Tuning Protocol; By following the VFP retuning protocol you will reduce and prevent the negative effects of stress, fatigue and exhaustion, sleep disruption, anxiety and burnout - you will feel calm, positive and energised.

VFP uses the Inner Balance App in conjunction with the Bluetooth sensor from Heart Math to measure HRV. By recording your HRV before any interventions/therapy sessions, during the sessions and after the sessions we can better evaluate the impact of our VFP Protocol.