Parasympathetic Problems...

[Deleted]

Hi Eric,

May as well get the ball rolling. My test results before showed 34%sympathetic, 21% balance, 44% parasympathetic. I'm a 70% fast oxidizer.

Question/situational analysis: I've suffered with asthma, for years, when first starting this MT journey it cleared up nicely. Recently I've been under a lot of stress and whilst focusing in very closely on nutrition has improved things, it still comes and goes a bit. Now, here are several thoughts I'm having on the situation in trying to get some understanding on it:

1) The parasympathetic system closes the airways and produces mucus, the sympathetic system has the opposite effect, so in a balanced person, the result is normal breathing. If the parasympathetic system is much stronger, we get asthma if predisposed to that, right?

2) My other reactions to this stress all seem to suggest its my sympathetic system working overtime: higher resting heart rate, feel anxious and aggression is very high, to the point that its starting to be a problem. I'm also restless, can have trouble getting to sleep etc. This suggests a sympathetic overeach right?

3) I'm struggling to understand how these apparently two conflicting things can be happening at once so I guess I'm missing something, any ideas?

4) Training a high volume/low intensity style can stimulate the parasympathetic system, low volume/high intensity the sympathetic system... could the fact that I've been doing high volume/low intensity training for a while be strengthining my parasympathetic system?

5) 44% doesn't seem that high, but clearly high enough to cause a fairly severe imbalance. How does this work?

6) What foods specifically strengthen the sympathetic system and which the parasympathetic system? It would be good to be aware of this and clues for the current state of the ANS as I'm aware it shifts.

If I'm asking too much, let me know!

Thanks

Mark

[erictalmant]

Mar 25, 2009 12:36:40 GMT -5 @markrobinson said:

Hi Eric,

May as well get the ball rolling. My test results before showed 34%sympathetic, 21% balance, 44% parasympathetic. I'm a 70% fast oxidizer.

Question/situational analysis: I've suffered with asthma, for years, when first starting this MT journey it cleared up nicely. Recently I've been under a lot of stress and whilst focusing in very closely on nutrition has improved things, it still comes and goes a bit. Now, here are several thoughts I'm having on the situation in trying to get some understanding on it:

1) The parasympathetic system closes the airways and produces mucus, the sympathetic system has the opposite effect, so in a balanced person, the result is normal breathing. If the parasympathetic system is much stronger, we get asthma if predisposed to that, right?

2) My other reactions to this stress all seem to suggest its my sympathetic system working overtime: higher resting heart rate, feel anxious and aggression is very high, to the point that its starting to be a problem. I'm also restless, can have trouble getting to sleep etc. This suggests a sympathetic overeach right?

3) I'm struggling to understand how these apparently two conflicting things can be happening at once so I guess I'm missing something, any ideas?

4) Training a high volume/low intensity style can stimulate the parasympathetic system, low volume/high intensity the sympathetic system... could the fact that I've been doing high volume/low intensity training for a while be strengthining my parasympathetic system?

5) 44% doesn't seem that high, but clearly high enough to cause a fairly severe imbalance. How does this work?

6) What foods specifically strengthen the sympathetic system and which the parasympathetic system? It would be good to be aware of this and clues for the current state of the ANS as I'm aware it shifts.

If I'm asking too much, let me know!

Thanks

Mark

Hey Mark.

Let's take these one at a time.

First of all, the ANS is one of 11 fundamental homeostatic controls of the body. Since you are a fast oxidizer, then those homeostatic controls are dictated by oxidation. Even though your sub-dominance is para, if your overall body is "off balance" then that will trickle down to the 11 fundamental homeostatic controls; of which the ANS is one of them.

#1) To answer your first question, IF your FHC's are not in line, and IF you have a predisposition to asthma, then it can certainly manifest itself. The fix? Going back to your FO diet plan and re-working the program by eating the right foods (only ideals and occasional neutrals), removing blocking factors (long list), taking the right supplements, and fine tuning your macronutrient ratios.

#2) You are exactly right. All stress stimulates the sympathetic side. Focus on trying to incorporate the 2-3 fruits that work for a FO as well as more and more vegetables. This should help, but you have to remove the blocking factor (stress-in all its forms) as best you can. Nutrition can only do so much here.

#3) It sounds to me that it is simply a case of asthma being one of your weak links, and once the FHC's are off balance this is one thing that manifests itself quite early. It does not necessarily have to be an issue of para/sym but more an issue of just the FHC's being off kilter. Make sense?

#4) All training is a stressor and so while training it is an acute sympathetic push. It is your job to recover and get back to anabolic as best you can. Reinstating the parasympathetic side is the gateway to anabolism. How do you do this? First, by keeping all of the FHC's in line by working the 4 basic principles of the program as I outlined above. How do you "supercharge" this? By adding in those foods that are both right for your type and anabolic both before and after training. In addition, autogenic training immediately after training and other recovery modalities will help to combat the sympathetic push of training; whether that training is high volume/low intensity or low volume/high intensity. Increasing physical preparedness (think G.P.P.) also improves resting heart rate which will help with recovery.

#5) Don't get locked in on percentages and numbers. Your body tells the story from day to day on what is going on. If you satisfy your oxidation rate then the FHC's will fall in line. Your macronutrient ratios will be different than mine, even though we are both FO's. But if you give your body what it needs and I give my body what mine needs then our FHC's will follow-regardless of what each of our "percentages" are. Make sense?

#6) The foods that are right for your type. Eating para for a FO does not address the primary governor of YOUR metabolism, which is oxidation. Got it?

[robwhite]

Mark, are you parasympathetic dominant, or fast oxidative dominant? You dont state wether oxidation or ANS is your dominance factor.

[Deleted]

Hi Eric,

All makes sense now, guess I hadn't really grasped that my oxidizing system was regulating all the others. Will work on your suggestions and let you know. I think the removal of blocking factors is where I'm falling down.

Thanks for your help.

Mark

[erictalmant]

Mar 28, 2009 6:33:16 GMT -5 @markrobinson said:

Hi Eric,

All makes sense now, guess I hadn't really grasped that my oxidizing system was regulating all the others. Will work on your suggestions and let you know. I think the removal of blocking factors is where I'm falling down.

Thanks for your help.

Mark

Sure thing, Mark.

Imagine if you will a 2X4 upon two saw horses and a pile of cinder blocks. As we place each block upon the board, it begins to sag. Eventually, one of the cinder blocks will break the board.

Now, think of the board as your health and the cinder blocks as blocking factors. Individually, they do not do much damage. Collectively, they can cause degeneration and eventually death.

That is why removing blocking factors is such a vital component of Metabolic Typing

[Deleted]

I see that, looking at the list is like looking at a picture of modern life though! I have 36 blocking factors on my current list...will work at removing the easiest ones first then go from there.

Thanks for your help.

[erictalmant]

Mar 29, 2009 13:18:14 GMT -5 @markrobinson said:

I see that, looking at the list is like looking at a picture of modern life though! I have 36 blocking factors on my current list...will work at removing the easiest ones first then go from there.

Thanks for your help.

Sure thing, Mark.

Remember...one thing at a time. Baby steps! If you can eliminate one thing per week that will, over time, make a huge difference!