This
Article Discusses the Far Reaching effects of Stress and how it consumes the
body's energies producing brain fog, anxiety, panic attack and several other related problems. There is much truth to the
statement that over 80% of ailments are attributable to, or are aggravated by
stress. This article links and explains some of these relationships.
Note: Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD (where do they keep coming up with these
meaningless and complicated names for an otherwise simple problem) is
included in what is being explained here. The
name just sounds a little fancy but there are only so many possibilities for any
particular problem. Whether it is a car accident, a loss of a loved one or
experiences on a battle field; the body can only react in a finite set of ways
in varying degrees of intensity. There is nothing really new under the sun or in
the human body! The intensity of fear, which is just another word for stress has a very standard
modus operandai. In other words, stress is stress is stress; it only varies in
its intensity but the effects are the same.
(This article is in the process of being edited)
In order to understand brain
fog, anxiety, panic attack, ADD, feeling cold, craving sugar and so on it is important to understand the
effects of stress. And, to discuss stress, it must first be defined.
Stress Defined
"Stress" as such, is an engineering
term often used to express the work that is being done by structural components.
When these components are working beyond their safe limit they are
said to be "over stressed." Should these components continue to be
overworked or worked for too long, it won't be long before
the structural member will fail causing damage to the overall structure. The
exact same principle can be applied to internal organs or living beings that are overworked. In time
this manifests as a form of tiredness or depletion. In this tired/depleted state the organs, of course, are still working or
we would die but, they can only work at a lesser capacity or slower rate as they
try to recuperate.
Modern life is stressful. We feel it
emotionally due to emotional strain or, mentally due to intellectual strain but
in addition these two can produce physically manifesting
conditions as well. Many people are described as "looking like nervous
wrecks." Feeling stressed is just one component of the problem.
Emotional and Mental stresses draw and deplete more energy than mere physical
work. In fact physical activity can be used to relax emotional and mental
stress. While our energy reserves are full we can cope with situations more in
stride and with more resilience, but if we are already tired or strained the
same situations are much more taxing.
Stress Explained
To explain this still further - In
principle; should one perceive that they are overwhelmed with "too much," in
relation to their capacity to cope, they can be said to be stressed. This
principle applies whether the situation is mental, emotional or physical.
As a basic principle - in order for
anything to be able to work, it must have energy. When someone is stressed their body's
ability to produce, store and distribute the necessary energy to properly
function has been impaired. Every physical organ as well as our emotional and
mental faculties need energy to function. Prolonged stressful situations are
exhausting because they consume energy very quickly.
The normal origin of bodily "energy" is the
food we eat and the air we breath. The organs that initially transform this
energy into a usable substance for the body are the stomach assisted by the
Spleen.
These organs have different functions but their functions compliment each other.
Every organ lives of the energy they extract. The more energy, the better they can cope with
the work load we give them. If this process is impaired or otherwise inhibited
every organ also suffers due to lack of energy.
A lacking in energy among the
organs can best be compared to the despair of being starved among a community of
workers. This starvation is not on a food level but, on an energy level. Many
who have produced this depletion are actually eating quite heartily. Yet their
organs are functioning at less than optimum levels. The result is impaired
digestion and elimination. Wastes stay in the blood stream displacing oxygen and
give rise to general and perpetual tiredness, fibromyalgia, bloating, brain fog, and a myriad of other seemingly
unrelated problems. Because of the lack of energy, any activity becomes an
‘overwork’ situation because there is too much to do and not enough energy to do
it with setting in panic in some. In time the organs that extract the energy
become themselves tired or depleted.
Stress itself is like a
form of fear that puts the body into "fight or flight mode. Over a prolonged
period in this state the kidneys and the adrenal glands in particular
become exhausted.
Brain Fog, Stress and Appetite
It should also be remembered that
many people eat poorly and in their attempts to satisfy their energy needs they
may instinctually over eat because the
organs that deal with food also regulate appetite and can trigger hunger. Some believe
hunger to
be strictly of neurological origin but, in herbalism it is considered organ related.
In herbalism the brain is regarded more as a relay between
all body parts - a coordinator. It has an area allocated for every body part
within it but it does not and
cannot rule over the organs - the heart does this. The brain is like a
coordinating central government that tracks activity and sends messages, while
the organs are a very free regional government that makes local decisions while
closely interacting with the other organs - the Heart being their King and
ruler.
Anyone
who has ever felt hunger feels it in the area of the stomach therefore it is not
unreasonable at all to presume that the basic need for food is triggered from
here. So it shouldn't be too far a stretch of the imagination that if a ravenous appetite or a fluctuation from being very hungry to having no
appetite at all might have something to do with the stomach and spleen. It is
therefore easier, simpler and more efficient to control appetite from here
rather than altering the brain functions themselves. In the end the brain is a
"maintained" organ - it cannot dictate. It is maintained by the digestive organs
and what they do directly affect the brain.
Brain Fog, Stress and Craving Sugar
The stomach and spleen digest and convert the
"more liquid parts of foods" into sugars called glycogen. This is a
crucial process. Every organ - especially the brain - needs this "sugar." Not only is it the main way that foods become usable to the
body, they also become a main energy source for the body. This is why a little
bit of refined sugar provides a short term energy boost. And, conversely
why, because of its need for
energy the body at times creates a sugar craving. Therefore as previously
mentioned, since the stomach and spleen
are dealing with food they affect appetite and cravings since the conversion of this
food into sugars (glycogen) takes place here then they are
also responsible for sugar cravings. And, it follows that to help
control a sugar cravings or the appetite it is important to support the stomach and spleen.
Brain Fog, Stress, ADD and Feeling Cold
The Spleen
in addition to being the converter of the finer digested matter into blood is also
the body's furnace and the source of bodily electricity
which all organs need to function properly. The energy provided by the glycogens
and that provided by the "bodily electricity" are fundamentally different in nature.
The finer part of what is being digested goes through
the spleen to become blood. The energy is carried by the blood to the rest of the
body and especially the other internal organs. When this power is
decreased the extremities feel cold - not because of a lack of circulation - but
because this energy is lacking. This is important because it explains why so
many of those who are stressed also feel lethargic, tired and cold in addition
to having brain fog, ADD, ADHD, etc.
By depleting the spleen the energy required for the
activities of life is being under-produced. This forces the
body to make a choice - whether to use these vital energies to
maintain the main physical body functions or to keep our faculties
fully sharp and keen. The emotional and mental faculties being less vital lose out.
The energy
required for thinking becomes less abundant - Brain fog and the other symptoms sets in. The body realizing its dilemma
starts to panic (thoughts race, anxiety, panic attacks start, the heart palpitates, etc.) as what it
needs to properly maintain its
nerves and blood is also in short supply.
Nervous Tension Related to
the Stomach and Spleen
Very little is ever said about the
nerves when we are nervous. In Traditional Herbal theory the nerves are
maintained by the stomach and spleen making them the center of the nervous
system. There is a substance that is extracted by the stomach and spleen that
has bee called "nerve spirit" by the old herbalists. This substance is extracted
and is stored in the nerves and bones. When the body is stressed and needs this
reserve energy substance it is taken into the blood from its storage place. This
weakens the nerves and in due time their capacity to relay electricity become
burdened. Nervous tension sets in. if not corrected this situation can become
chronic. In years past people would go to sanitariums for proper rest to
recuperate form this condition.
Brain fog, anxiety panic attack,
sleeplessness, nervous tension, hyper mental activity, sugar cravings,
always feeling cold or having cold hands are born out of the impaired bodily
functions mentioned above brought about by the circumstances of modern life. The
fancier terms used to describe this grouping
of problems are attention deficit disorder ADD, attention deficit and
hyperactivity disorders ADHD, anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic
disorder. These terms do not describe the actual problem at all - only the end
result.
These problems can also occur while very
young so most people who have these
stress
related problems think that they are getting senile while still in their
twenties. Many people - very young people included - find it
difficult to cram more information into their heads after intense studying or mental work.
They have a
hard time remembering what they had just said or did just a few minutes earlier. They say
that "their memory is shot" but in reality their memory is fine, it is just being
made to function with much less power. Once the energy is restored to the body
the memory works fine again. Or they haven't eaten proper food in so
long that their organs could not produce enough useable energy and the organs strained
to sustain them to the point of depletion.
Children, Brain Fog and ADD
When adults eat improperly the
effects are bad enough but, when children are not fed properly the effects are
far more devastating. A young growing body needs more energy than when it is
fully grown. Today less and less people cook fresh food from "scratch" for their
children opting instead for fast food, convenience foods or microwaved foods. This "modern
malnourishment" coupled with abnormal and undisciplined sleeping habits greatly
contribute to creating childhood ADD not to mention childhood obesity. Interestingly all of the symptoms of
stress are present with ADD of any age.
A muscle that is overworked gets
tired making it difficult for it to continue working. It must be rested and fed
in order to be restored for more work. The spleen is also sometimes overworked
satisfying the bodies sometimes abnormally high energy demands due to stress and
gets depleted. It needs to be rested and fed to be restored. Exstressor is food
for the spleen.
In addition to this many children
also have parasites. Parasites alone can also produce several of the classic
fidgety ADD symptoms. The age old external symptoms of parasites are:
The presence of these symptoms are distinct
and separate from those caused by a simple spleen depletion. A good remedy for
parasites would be beneficial and may or may not require the use of Exstressor -
most likely not.
The best remedy for parasites can only be made at home - fresh.
Very few of the store bought remedies for parasites actually work completely.
The main ingredient is wormwood herb. Contrary to popular belief/myth Wormwood
herb is not very useful in a capsule or a tincture for the purpose of removing
parasites. It needs to be infused for 15 minutes in a good white wine. The
infusion removes most of the alcohol and the final infusion needs to be stored
in the refrigerator.
What is being made here is NOT, I Repeat NOT
Absinthe - Absinthe is a liqueur made by an entirely different process.
"Wormwood Wine" is
a simple recipe for Vermouth. The strength of the infusion and dosage depends on
whether a child or an adult will be taking it. It takes a good diet and two
weeks for the infusion to work. But the results are very noticeable and lasting.
Toxins and Brain Fog
There is also another possible way
of producing racing mental activity, brain fog or anxiety panic attack. These can
be brought about by the narcotizing effect of having various toxins in the blood
stream.
As previously stated the heart is
considered the king of the body. (This is a complex topic that we will not
elaborate on here) In traditional herbal theory when these toxins pass
through the heart they effect the brain creating the fogginess or a hyper fast
mental activity. These toxins should normally be eliminated by the digestive and
eliminatory organs but when the energy is low these organs find it difficult to completely
remove the wastes from the blood.
These toxins depending on their nature can thin or thicken the blood. Thinned
blood flowing a little quicker - thicker blood flowing a little slower. Just
like a fraction of a degree in temperature deviations from normal body
temperature will affect the body - the
body will notice even minor changes in
the bloods viscosity.
Does this
have an effect on the body and mind? Well you be the judge. Alcohol, caffeine,
opiates, heavy meats and sauces, preservatives, sulfur bases preservatives, or
similar substances in the blood stream all have well known effects. The fats in
some meats and cooked oils thicken the blood. Their undigested fats in the bloodstream
are better known as cholesterol - thickening the blood. Alcohol inebriates by thinning the blood.
Some
artificial female hormones thicken the blood to produce blood clots, cysts and
tumors. There are many other familiar examples. To learn more about helping
remove toxins from the blood
click here.
When the body becomes incapable of disposing of these substances the effect can
understandably be mental and emotional as well as physical. Producing PMS, post
partum issues as well as brain fog, racing thoughts anxiety panic attack and so
on.
Stimulants and Brain Fog
There is also another possibility
for brain fog. Many people already being incredibly tired by the demands of a
stressful life find themselves incredibly fatigued for the reasons explained
above. They, in a desperate attempt
to function normally, use stimulants to take them through the day but rather
than strengthen their nerves stimulants ultimately further depletes them. Their
is an erroneous belief that stimulants boost energy. But, how can they? The do
not contain energy, they instead make the body
consume the already diminished supply of energy in the body at a faster
rate. When the stimulants wear off the person feels even more depleted than before. And in
addition the adrenals have become exhausted by their constant energy drain due
to over-activity - the brain fog can become even worse.
See effects
on Kidneys.
Some Helpful Suggestions for
Brain Fog and Stress
Cleaning up the diet is essential
and virtually a free long term solution to these problems. There are also
natural products that are also helpful. Balancing the blood's
electrolytes using a simple colloidal mineral on a short term basis can help to restore the balance
quicker. Of course, whatever feeds and supports the Spleen and Stomach back into normal functions
will of course work the quickest.
See Exstressor
A Possible Principle of a Solution to Brain Fog, Anxiety
Panic Attack and so on.
You cannot increase energy by
consuming it faster. The body's ability to produce, store, and distribute energy
must be restored to help these problems while addressing the entire category of problems that
include: Brain Fog, Attention Deficit Disorder ADD, Attention Deficit and
Hyperactive Disorder ADHD, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders,
Anxiety Panic Attack, Sleeplessness, Hyperactivity, Hyper Mental
Activity, Sugar Cravings, feeling generally cold of having cold hands also known
as Reynaud's Phenomenon, General Nervousness, and Stress.
Exstressor is
formulated to support spleen functions greatly affecting stress.
This Link takes you to an article relating to how the organs are
affected by Stress and the effects they specifically produce.
The following lists separate the
effect of stress on the mental and emotional faculties and on the
physical body.