​The cerebellum (the area at the back of the brain) is best known for its role in balance and coordination. However, the cerebellum does more than that — when it starts to malfunction, the results can be not only worsened balance, but also anxiety, insomnia, and hypersensitivity.

The cerebellum is a primary integrator of information for the brain. Our body has hundreds of thousands of receptors that detect motion, vision, and where and how our body and joints are positioned at all times. These receptors constantly relay information to the brain so that we can move and function properly in our environment.

This information requires organizing before heading to the rest of the brain. The cerebellum condenses the information and “gates” it, meaning it releases it in manageable amounts to the brain’s cortex, the outer covering with its characteristic folds.

The cortex, which is responsible for higher-order functions of thought and action, decides if you need to carry out a specific action or thought in response to the information, such as turn left, answer a question, run from danger, make a decision, etc. The cortex then sends its information back to the cerebellum to help carry out actions.

When things go wrong with the cerebellum

The cerebellum is a common site of dysfunction. It can degenerate, meaning neurons die. The cerebellum is very susceptible to sensitivity to gluten and other foods, environmental toxins, and oxidative stress. It also can degenerate with age — why older people notoriously have bad balance. Children born with brain developmental disorders often have poor cerebellar function.

Poor cerebellar function is observed in various ways, such as poor balance, lack of coordination, or a tremor as you go to pick something up or bring a glass to your mouth (known as termination tremors).

Stand with your feet together, your arms at your side, and then close your eyes. If you sway more frequently to one side, that may indicate the side with more cerebellar dysfunction — it takes it longer to respond to falling on that side of your body.

Other tests your doctor may use to observe cerebellum function are coordination tests such as: finger to nose, walking heel to toe in a straight line, performing complex alternating movements, and ocular tracking (the eyes give insight into function).

Poor cerebellar function can also cause dizziness, disorientation, and nausea in cars, on boats, or when seeing things move swiftly, such as in a movie. Basically, the cerebellum is not able to respond appropriately to input from the environment.

Cerebellum function and anxiety and insomnia

As the cerebellum loses function it begins to falter at its job of gating information delivered to the cortex. As a result, excess information slips through.

This means the cortex and areas in the brainstem receive more information than they can adequately manage. Much of the role of the frontal cortex is to act as a brake pedal on the brainstem, preventing the brainstem from spinning out of control. Our brainstem governs myriad functions, such as emotions, heart function, blood pressure, and digestion.

This poorly gated sensory overload can cause many symptoms:

• Anxiety
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Startle easily
• Insomnia due to racing mind
• Irritable
• Trouble staying asleep
• Highly emotionally sensitive
• Fearful
• Heart racing/palpitations
• Blood Pressure changes
• Digestive Issues

Many factors work against us when it comes to healthy brain function that prevents an overactive brain and anxiety. They include a culture that cherishes overworking, inflammatory diets, unstable blood sugar, too much screen time, stressful lives, and not enough sleep.

Book an appointment to have your balance assessed and help relieve anxiety and insomnia.

​What’s next after you complete the purification?

I encourage you to continue on the journey of healthy eating. You have cleaned out your systems and this is only the beginning. There are a couple options I have for you to choose from.

1. Slowly introduce the foods that may have caused issues.  Add them back in one by one.  For example, add a dairy product one day and see if it causes anything like digestive upset (bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, tummy ache) or low energy, mood changes etc. Now you know that if you do have these symptoms that you either should avoid it completely or it may be an indication that you need digestive support. Or, depending on your lifestyle, if the symptoms are mild, you know that those foods are something you could enjoy on occasion.
2. After the purification program is a fantastic time to get blood work to see what other health problems there might be lingering that need to be addressed or even ones creeping up that you might like to prevent in the future from turning into something that may need a medical intervention. This is something we can definitely help you with. Ordering labs, interpreting them at a functional medicine appointment, and getting you on a good health plan for your future. And, just basically answering any questions you may have regarding your health concerns or helping you reach your health goals. 

 

1. For those of you who are loving the results you are receiving from the purification program, I highly encourage you to stick with the same meal plans, shakes and continue to take the sp green food and fiber. This is something you can continue to do for overall health. This is something I continue to do every day. I highly recommend sticking with the meal plans and shakes with the fiber. Especially since fiber has been shown to decrease overall mortality. So, fiber is essentially a longevity hack.

Did you know, the pain in your body might be caused by organ dysfunction?

Start with the General health Packet and book your Functional Medicine appt with Dr T today.

General Health Packets include the foundational support your body needs and they are so easy to take with you. They only cost you $1 per day!! The supply will last you two months and is already portioned out. 

Catalyn - multi-vitamin
Trace Minerals, B12 - multi mineral
Tuna Omega 3 - fish oil.

If you don’t know where to start with supplementation. Here is my advice:

1. Always choose whole food supplements first. These are in their natural forms, the way nature intended and the body knows how to process this. When vitamins are in their whole food forms, we get all the benefits from the vitamin versus an isolate that was made in a lab. Start with our General Health packets to see the difference.

Order yours today:
​ https://wellbalancedbody.standardprocess.com/products/daily-fundamentals-general-health

Interested in ordering or learning more about the 21-Day Purification Program? Call us today at 916.542.9440. We'd love to share more about the program, our experiences and our patient results from the purification!  

​February is heart month and we are full of love for keeping this vital organ healthy. 

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

It’s no wonder that there is a whole month dedicated to it.

So, we are dedicating the entire month of February to educate you on your heart. 

How you can best nourish it to prevent you and your loved ones becoming a statistic.

After all, your heart eats first.

 That means whatever you put in your mouth via air or food - the heart is affected first.

 We are hosting 2 special heart events this month. 

One of them happens to be on Valentine's Day, Tuesday, Feb 14th! Sign up for our epic heart sound recorder day and make sure you have proper heart sounds in each valve.