Wellness Trends That Are Actually Sabotaging Your Nervous System

I see so many women jumping on wellness trends that they think are supporting their nervous system, but that might actually be doing the exact opposite.

Here are 4 wellness trends you might be doing that could actually be harming your nervous system.

1. Ice plunges and cold therapy.

Why this is bad for your nervous system: 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), women are advised to avoid the cold (many fertility and menstrual problems come from the womb being cold, according to this framework). Western science might also support this view - most of the studies done on cold therapy were (surprise, surprise!) done on men, even though we know that women respond very differently to the cold than men; we feel the effects of cold more than men do, so we might have the same reactions to the cold at a higher temperature than it takes for men to have the same reaction.

Extreme cold exposure may also increase cortisol, which has a huge impact on our hormones, particularly in the 2nd half of our cycles (luteal phase) - high cortisol can impact progesterone, worsening PMS and symptoms of hormone imbalance.

In addition, our temperature changes throughout the menstrual cycle and this is something that cold therapy should take into account.

New studies are suggesting that to get the benefits of cold therapy women should have it at 12-15 degrees, rather than the 4-6 degrees that men might have.

2. You've basically got a permanent IV drip of matcha

Why this is bad for your nervous system:

Matcha still contains caffeine. Yes it is high in antioxidants but if you're sensitive to caffeine then matcha is probably as much of an issue for you as coffee. I have many clients who notice that matcha gives them the same jitters that coffee does.

If you suffer from anxiety then any caffeine is probably not the best idea as it's going to increase adrenaline and therefore cortisol, which is not what your sensitive nervous system needs.

So, just because it's green, doesn't mean you can down it like it's water! Just like coffee, I would limit it to 2 cups a day, and avoid it if your nervous system is fried.

3. You're avoiding carbs and over-doing the protein.

Why this is bad for your nervous system:

Our bodies need carbs! Carbs are the body's preferred energy source and essential fuel for the brain - we need glucose, fats are not efficient for producing glucose and using protein may be potentially harmful as it uses tissue and structural proteins.

Fruits, veggies and legumes (beans) are carbs and these are consistently shown in studies to be the healthiest food groups for longevity and preventing chronic diseases.

Not eating enough carbs, and not eating enough food in general, signals to your body that you're in survival mode (as if there's a famine or war going on). This increases cortisol (which impacts our hormones), encourages our body to store fat, and turns on our flight or fight response, which can wreck our nervous system over time.

4. You're doing intense breathwork and energy workshops (such as KAPS) with facilitators who aren't well-qualified or trauma-informed.

Why this is bad for your nervous system:

Many people are drawn into breathwork or other such practices because they're told that it calms the vagus nerve, or down-regulates the nervous system... and many of these practices can have that ability, but they can also trigger intense outbursts or emotions, or bring up trauma, so it's very important that your nervous system feels safe, so that this doesn't re-traumatise you, or cause harm.

And if the facilitator is not trauma-informed, got their certificate in a 2 hour online workshop, lacks empathy, or isn't able to hold space, then these practices can sometimes cause more harm than good. Find a well-educated, qualified practitioner, and trust your body - if you don't feel safe then leave, you don't owe them anything.

These are just some of the popular wellness trends I see that might be causing harm to the nervous system if not done correctly, or for the right reasons.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried any of these practices? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below!