Unwind Your Nervous system

My nervous system is “ stuck” in a fight or flight mode.   I don’t think any food will help the nervous system?
 
Food and the nervous system was the focus of the jolieLife nutrition program the prior two weeks. 
 
Food is in a daily dialogue with your nervous system.  What we eat directly impacts the vagus nerve, blood sugar stability, hormones, and neurotransmitters that determine whether our body feels safe or stays in fight-or-flight.
 
My alma mater has explored this extensively. Harvard researchers in the field of nutritional psychiatry (a new field that arose as the information kept flowing connecting food and mental health)  have shown that what we eat directly affects the way our brain and nervous system function. 
 
Diets rich in whole, unprocessed foods — vegetables, quality proteins, and healthy fats — are linked to lower anxiety, steadier mood, and improved stress resilience.
 
In contrast, diets high in sugar and refined foods (not even processed foods) heighten inflammation and trigger the same physiological stress responses that keep the body in fight-or-flight. 
 
Harvard’s Health noted that stable blood sugar and nutrient-dense meals calm the stress response, supporting balanced cortisol levels and smoother communication between the brain and body. In essence, the food on your plate can either amplify stress or restore the nervous system’s natural rhythm of safety and ease.
 
When your blood sugar spikes and crashes, your body perceives danger. Cortisol rises, adrenaline floods, and you feel wired, anxious, or drained. By eating for blood sugar stability we choose communicating safety to our body - you tell your body you’re safe. This is why consistent, protein and fiber anchored meals are one of the most effective ways to bring the nervous system out of chronic stress.
 
Magnesium, B vitamins, omega-3s, zinc, and antioxidants feed the brain and the adrenal glands that manage stress. Deficiencies in these nutrients heighten reactivity and fatigue. Plant centered eating replenishes the very nutrients your nervous system needs to relax and repair.
 
Your gut and brain communicate constantly through the vagus nerve. Gut inflammation amplifies anxiety and irritability. Nourish your microbiome to maximize its production of GABA and serotonin — the neurotransmitters of calm and well-being.
 
Hormones and the nervous system are intertwined. Estrogen dominance, for example, can heighten the stress response, and cortisol surges can disrupt estrogen balance. Foods that support liver detoxification — cruciferous vegetables, herbs, lemon, greens — help the body metabolize hormones smoothly which steadies mood .
 
The rhythm of eating matters too. Predictable, nourishing meals cue safety.
 
So to unwind a ramped up nervous system, look to your plate as much to sleep, deep breathing, and connection.

with light + love,
​Julia