Neurological disorders cover a wide swath of health issues. According to the World Health Organization, nearly one billion people suffer worldwide from some sort of neurological disease, disorder, or injury. Unfortunately, there often are not a lot of treatment options available for issues with the brain. Left untreated, issues such as headaches, brain injuries, seizures, strokes, Parkinson's disease, and a whole lot more, which (very understandably) can lead the patient, their family, and friends to experience depression, anxiety, insomnia and other side-effects.

While neurological diseases manifest frequently in the brain, the chances are high that they may actually begin elsewhere in the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at problems in the body from the point of view that the very base of our being is the cell. Further, when the cell is broken down, it is energy, and TCM treats the disruption in the energy flow. This different perspective allows practitioners of TCM to help those suffering with neurological disorders in ways for which other perspectives don't allow.

Acupuncture for Neurological Disorders: Acupuncture is just one of the tools in the Traditional Chinese Medicine toolbox. Specifically, acupuncture works with the nervous system in the body to regenerate cells and promote healing. The use of specific acupuncture points can create a closed circuit between the point and the neurologic control center in the brain. By giving the body and brain the necessary tools, the two can work in conjunction to heal. From a scientific perspective, acupuncture shifts and moves energy, while stimulating blood flow and increasing cellular level oxygen.

Nutrition for Neurological Disorders: A healthy diet can help keep the brain and the body functioning properly while reducing the risk of developing a serious neurological disorder. Even things like chronic headaches can sometimes be cured by supplementing magnesium into the diet. Nutrients like omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, vitamin B12, amino acids and folate are all crucial when it comes to brain health. Being deficient in even just one of these can lead to memory loss, tremors or other debilitating symptoms. Foods like fish, avocados, hemp seed, flax seed, whole grain breads and a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables will provide the nutritional components listed above.


Hearty Bone Broth Watercress Soup

Bone broth has widely been referred to as “nature’s multivitamin”. It makes for a hearty, nutritious, soup that has been a kitchen staple for hundreds of years. Watercress is also a great source of omega-3s, which is great for the brain and has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation.

Ingredients:
*4 C beef bones- organic and grass-fed, preferably
2 C potatoes- chopped
5 C filtered water
2 C watercress leaves
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 C chives- chopped
2/3 C onion- chopped
2 C cauliflower- chopped
1 C peas
1/2 t onion powder (or to taste)
1/2 t garlic powder (or to taste)
1/2 t salt (or to taste)
1/2 t pepper (or to taste)

For Broth: Add 4 cups of bones to a pressure cooker, cover with water and 1T apple cider vinegar. Cook on high pressure for 6 hours. Drain the liquid from the bones into a pot on the stove over medium heat

Add onions, cauliflowers, peas, potatoes, watercress leaves, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve hot and garnish with chives

*The supermarket has several options for organic pre-made bone broth that make for an easy substitute! Just add the vegetable and spices and simmer for 30 minutes.

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