THE HYPOTHALAMUS

The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland.

You can trace things from the ovaries to the adrenals, to the pituitary, but the furthest back you can go biochemically in the endocrine system is to the hypothalamus.

Primary functions of the hypothalamus:

• The portion of the brain that maintains the body’s internal balance (homeostasis)

• The hypothalamus is the link between the endocrine and nervous systems

• The hypothalamus produces releasing and inhibiting hormones, which stop and start the production of other hormones throughout the body

The hypothalamus is located in the reticular formation of the brain. This is where 75% of fiber of the spinal thalamic tract goes to the reticular formation, and the spinal thalamic tract carries light touch sensation. This area of the brain houses the pituitary gland and other glands in the body.

The hypothalamus plays a significant role in the endocrine system. It is responsible for maintaining your body’s internal balance, which is known as homeostasis. To do this, the hypothalamus helps stimulate or inhibit many of your body’s key processes, including:

• Sleep cycles

• Appetite and body weight

• Glandular secretions of the stomach and intestines

• Production of substances that influence the pituitary gland to release hormones

Hypothalamic hormones include:

• Thyrotropin-releasing

• Gonadotropin-releasing

• Growth hormone-releasing

• Corticotrophin-releasing

• Somatostatin

• Dopamine hormones

• Oxytocin

• Vasopressin

These hormones release into the blood via the capillaries (small vessels) and travel to the pituitary gland.

We can use the indicator of blowing on the skin or brushing the skin with extremely light touch; it makes the indicator muscle go weak in the case of a hypothalamus problem.

The hormones from the hypothalamus govern physiologic functions such as:

• Temperature regulation

• Thirst

• The release of other hormones within the body

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• Body temperature

• Heart rate and blood pressure

• Fluid and electrolyte balance, including thirst

• Hunger

• Sleep

• Mood

• Sex drive

Symptoms of Hypothalamus Imbalance:

People who have a problem with their hypothalamus usually cannot gain weight or cannot lose weight, get easily chilled, and/or are people who cannot stand a draft.

You can ask the body if it wants something mechanically done or chemically done by using the finger modes. The hypothalamus is a common finding. You should get into the habit of thinking that, rather than fixing every single thing that you find, try to trace it back to its origin.

If instead of treating a symptom or a reaction, you trace a problem back to its origin, you will fix less ovaries, adrenals, and thyroids, and more hypothalamus imbalances.

Test

1. Blow your breath on the skin and test an indicator muscle.

2. If it goes weak, it indicates a hypothalamus problem.

Treatment

1. Nutritionally, we give hypothalamus extract.

2. Mechanically, we balance the Root Chakra. This is where you tap the junction of the sacrum and the coccyx at the same time with repeated hard taps.

• Often, the reason a correction does not last is because the endocrine glands try to compensate for something higher up on the scale.

• If you try to trace it back as far as you can, the farthest you can trace it is the hypothalamus. Nutritionally, as far back as you can go is the hypothalamus.

• The hypothalamus is grossly overlooked by the medical profession, but kinesiology can often trace the problem coming from the hypothalamus, and that is why the treatment of the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, or ovaries do not last.

• This is because the therapist did not get back to what the body is trying to compensate for, which is an under-active hypothalamus.

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• Headaches

• Loss of vision

• Cold intolerance

• Constipation

• Depressed mood

• Fatigue

• Hair or skin changes

• Hoarseness

• Impotence

• Loss of body hair and muscle

• Mental slowing

• Menstrual cycle changes

• Weight gain

• Dizziness

• Weakness

HYPOTHALAMIC SET POINTS The hypothalamus occupies the highest position in the endocrine glands that affect the immune system. If you are circuit locating something and you cannot find something that will correct it, or you want to find further support, you can see which of the beginning and end (B/E) points on the face will switch it on.

These are known as the hypothalamic set points (HSP).

1. Have the person touch an area of energy blockage, such as a pain or an organ under stress that switches a strong indicator muscle off.

2. While they continue touching that point, touch each of the B/E points and test after each one to see which one switches the indicator muscle on.

3. Tap the HSP. Do this to whichever one it is and that should clear it.

The HSP are very powerful. When you use them, you are going to the highest level that you can go to in the immune system from an endocrine point of view.

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Norman Cousins said the brain is an apothecary (Greek word for drug store). This is because the brain can produce up to 50 chemicals from scratch, according to the body’s need. If the brain is the drugstore, the hypothalamus is the pharmacist.

• The hypothalamus tells the brain what to do.

• The brain can produce pain suppressors 50 times more powerful than morphine.

• This is why soldiers on a battlefield keep marching, even though their arm might have gotten blown off by a mine.

• Fellow soldiers might have to tackle him and put a tourniquet on his arm to keep him from bleeding to death, even though the soldier was content to keep on marching.

• This is because the brain can produce extreme painkillers on demand.

PITUITARY GLAND The pituitary gland is called the master gland of the endocrine system, because it controls many other hormone glands in the body.

Without it, the body wouldn’t reproduce or grow properly and many other bodily functions wouldn’t function.

Size and Location

• The pituitary gland is about the size of a pea, located in the brain between the hypothalamus and the pineal gland, just behind the bridge of the nose.

Function

• This master gland controls the thyroid gland, adrenal gland, ovaries and testicles. While it may be in charge of these glands, it gets it orders from its neighbor, the hypothalamus.

• The hypothalamus sends signals in the form of hormones to the pituitary gland, telling it just how much hormones are needed to send to the other glands. Hormones and glands are a communication chain.

• Then, the pituitary secretes hormones that signal to the glands how much hormones they need to secrete.

• The pituitary gland also produces hormones for organs in the body, as well.

Symptoms of Pituitary Gland Imbalances

When a person will not stay balanced, there may be an imbalance in the pituitary gland.

The person will feel good, and then feel as if someone has pulled the carpet from underneath them, then an hour later feel good again.

Test for the Pituitary Gland

1. Have the person CL the glabella with the intention you’re testing the pituitary gland.

2. If weak, check the priority mode and, if it is a priority, then check the finger modes for what is needed.

• Structural Correction: Cup the occiput with one hand and place your index and middle fingers into the supraorbital foramen. Pull up with inspiration several times and then retest the glabella.

• Nutritional Correction: Pituitary protomorphogen, which is the blueprint that tells the body to take nutrients and rebuild the gland.

• Emotional Correction: Do the emotional stress release technique for their number one stressor.

• Electrical Correction: Find the hypothalamic set point (the B & E points on the face) that reverses the weakness and tap that about 50 times. Then retest the glabella.

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• Rapid growth

• Weakened bones

• Profuse sweating

• Build up of fat in face, back & neck

• Impotence

• Decrease body hair

• Shortness of breath

• Abnormal breast milk production

• Headaches

• Vision problems

• Enlarged breasts

• Irregular menstrual periods

HPA AXIS

The HPA axis consists of the:

• Hypothalamus

• Pituitary

• Adrenal glands

• The endocrine and central nervous systems work together as the body’s integrated response to stress.

• The HPA Axis controls cortisol and other stress hormones.

• It is the regulator of hormone function, central nervous system activity and energy use by the body.

• In the Stress Response, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary which in turn signals the adrenal glands to release Cortisol.

• Cortisol is the body's main stress hormone.

• Cortisol signals the body to release glucose in response to a fight or flight situation and suppresses the immune, digestive and core body systems so that energy goes to the limbs.

• The HPA Axis is the regulator of the Stress Response.

• Sustained stress can lead to chronically elevated cortisol until cortisol is depleted and the stage of adrenal exhaustion is reached.

• If a person is suffering from any form of adrenal fatigue, burnout or exhaustion, looking to the HPA axis can provide clues and answers.

• When there is dysfunction in the lower endocrine system, look upstream to get to the root cause of the matter.

• So, test the pituitary and the hypothalamus and balance them if necessary.

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IRON

Facts about Iron

• Iron is associated with the Tensor Fascia Lata muscle and the Large Intestine organ and meridian.

• Its Riddler point is on the right side of the body, half way between the pubic bone and the iliac crest.

• The blood can only carry oxygen in proportion to how much iron is in the blood.

• If the iron is low, the oxygen is low.

• Iron’s main function is to transport oxygen in the blood to the cells for energy.

• It also helps remove carbon dioxide from the body.

Health Benefits of Iron

Signs of Deficiency

• Anemia

• Listlessness

• Fatigue

Food Sources

• Molasses

• Wheat germ

• Sunflowers seeds

How to Use and Dietary Recommendations

• Vitamin C, copper, calcium, B-12 are necessary for the proper absorption and assimilation of iron.

• The best source of iron is from foods.

• Heme iron comes from animal sources.

• Non-heme iron comes from plant sources.

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• Calms thinking• Strengthens the blood • Reduces inflammation• Provides energy

• Paleness

• Inflamed mouth or tongue

• Mental derangement, worry, etc.

• Dull hair

• Low body temperature

• Whole grains

• Apricots

• Grapes

• Raw leafy greens

• Burdock

• Meat

• Kelp

• Horsetail

ASIAN & AMERICAN GINSENG

• Asian and American ginseng are adaptogenic herbs meaning they help to regulate body functions.

• The root is the part of the plant most commonly used.

• Ginseng supports metabolic and immune function.

• It helps to reduce stress and anxiety by regulating levels of stress hormones.

• It suppresses hunger.

• American ginseng is less stimulatory than Asian ginseng.

Health Benefits of Ginseng

• Reduces stress

• Prevents aging

• Increases libido

How to use Ginseng

It comes as a drink, supplement and tea.

There is no standard dose and supplements vary widely in amount and type of active compounds.

Side Effects

• Upset stomach

Side Effects of Too Much Ginseng

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Tremor

• Itching

Precautions

People taking blood thinning medications or herbs, the drug phenelzine and imatinib should not take Ginseng.

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• Protects the skin

• Eases symptoms of PMS

• Aids in weight loss

• Regulates blood sugar

• Improves cognitive function and concentration

• Sleep issues • Allergic reaction• Headache

• Palpitations

• Blurred vision

• Dizziness

• Eczema

• Dry mouth and lips

• Loss of appetite

• Nervousness and fidgeting

• Increased blood pressure and body temperature

SERINE

• Serine is a nonessential amino acid important to overall physical and mental health.

• Its acupuncture test point is Heart 1 in the arm pit.

• It is synthesized from glycine and helps produce cysteine in the body from homocysteine.

• It is the precursor of several other amino acids and is an important component of brain proteins.

• It is used to make phosphatidylserine which protects the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells.

• All cell membranes in the body are made with Serine.

• Serine is part of the metabolic process that burns glucose and fatty acids for energy.

• Fats cannot be metabolized without serine.

• All four of the protein bases that make up DNA use Serine.

• It provides methyl groups for DNA in epigenetic gene expression.

• Serine is used by the body to make antibodies and immunoglobulins to fight infections.

• Vitamins B3, B6 and folic acid are required to synthesize other amino acids from serine.

Health Benefits of Serine

• Healthy nervous system function

• Strong immune system

• Improved metabolic function

Food Sources of Serine

• Meat

• Dairy

• Eggs

How to Use

• Instead of supplementing with serine, use phosphatidylserine, which is made from serine.

• Refer to the phosphatidylserine document in Class 14 for more information about this.

• Muscle test for the amount of phosphatidylserine to use.

Side Effects

• Increased tumor growth

Precautions

Too much Serine can be toxic to nerve cells.� of �8 8

• Healthy DNA and gene expression

• Healthy tissue growth and repair

• Decreased muscle pain

• Almonds

• Walnuts

• Asparagus

• Chickpeas

• Lentils

• Flax seed

• Sesame seeds

• Spirulina

• Wheat germ

• Increased allergies• Low adrenaline