Free Mini-Series: A Metabolic Approach

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I didn’t even know it was possible to be where I am today, so I want to share some of what helped me, in hopes it will help you too!

I believe dietary factors have the biggest effect on both physical and mental health, but emotions are a VERY close 2nd, and are intertwined with health in every way.

They have the ability to be our worst enemy, or our greatest ally, depending on how we use them.

One of the biggest shifts for me was when I realized both faith, and fear are simply choices to be made. No one can make you, or force you to be fearful.

Only YOU have the power to decide which one you will choose; faith, or fear.

Take it from Victor Frankl, a holocost survivor. If he can do it, we all can. After reading his book, “Man’s search for meaning” I had a brand new understanding about mind over matter and the true power of thought choice. There are people like hime, whom we can learn from…..people who even in the face of certain doom; have shown it’s possible to choose how one feels.

And once you can do that; you’re in control of your whole existence, and life.

I also found the classic book by Dale Carnegie, “How to stop worrying and start living” very helpful.

You can find the entire audio version of it for free on youtube, and it’s also on Amazon.

Another great turning point in my life was learning the concept of “learned helplessness” and becoming aware of it. I’m not a fan of animal studies, but there’s an incredibly helpful lesson to be learned from a particular one done on rats and survival. In the study, the term “learned helplessness” was developed after watching the effect hope (faith), or fear had on different rat’s survival rates. The rats were put into barrels of water and made to swim. Some were allowed to escape and climb out; while others drowned. The rats who saw others drown often quickly gave up in a matter of minutes (feeling it was hopeless). BUT! The rats who saw other rats climb out of the barrel would continue to swim for days, determined to get out, knowing what was possible. Some rats swam so long the scientists got tired of waiting and simply pulled them out, ending the study. So, what the rats “believed” was a matter of life and death. Believing escape was possible resulted in survival, while hopelessness resulted in death. I despise animal studies; but love the lesson learned from this, which is: What you believe MATTERS, and more importantly what you believe is up to you, it’s in your power. Not your circumstances!

Another tragic but true example: Grown elephants can easily break their chains, but by using bigger chains on them as babies, once they’re grown and strong they still believe they are stuck………..so they don’t even try.

The right belief can either save you, or kill you! Your choice. This is not to blame anyone for their situation; but to empower them. You are NOT helpless, and not beyond help, or out of control. The next time worry, stress or anxiety get to you; remember that you ARE in complete control of your thoughts. What you focus on grows. You can’t be fearful and hopeful at the same time…….so decide to be hopeful, and grateful. Have faith. There is so much you don’t have control over, but you do have control over YOU. At the end of your life, will you think to yourself “gosh…..I wish I worried and stressed more” Of course not. You’re much more likely to think “I wish I’d worried less, and smiled a little more”. Your true moment of power is now, so focus on being present, and not living the future, or the past. Do something TODAY that your future self will thank you for…. What I’ve found helpful: Fixing gut health and balancing hormones will literally give you different thoughts and renew your mind. Did you know your gut is often referred to as your 2nd brain for this reason? Many of your hormones are generated there and it can either be your “rest and relax” hormones, or stress hormones depending on your diet and digestion. Any food you can’t digest will raise your stress hormones and likely contribute to endotoxin poisoning which severely effects mood, and thought life, not to mention energy, focus and motivation. Things that improve gut health include:

Supplementing with coconut oil (up to several spoons a day)
Eating plenty of salt to taste (improves digestion and lowers bacterial load)
400 IU’s of vitamin E
Eating enough calories to keep the stress response down (especially in the form of fresh ripe fruits)
Eating enough protein for the liver to detoxify and eliminate excess stress hormones, such as estrogen
Eating easy to digest foods (no nuts, seeds or grains)
Activated charcoal which is an amazingly helpful remedy for bad mood, fatigue, bloating, etc. because it reduces endotoxin load and bacterial excess. Some people will take several spoonfuls at a time to cleanse their system.
Slowing down breathing (breathing too many breaths per minute lowers your co2 which raises stress)
Anything that boosts the metabolic rate without raising stress will help lower inflammation

Also, any type of creativity, progress, and learning in general, can lower stress, expand the mind and inspire and generate hope. Don’t spend too much time alone OR with toxic people, if possible. Spend lots of time DOING things; not analyzing. Even if you’re bedridden, you can be learning online, or through audiobooks. Guard your mind from negativity. Life is short; so choose and prioritize what you focus on, and give your energy and attention to. Always ask yourself, is what I’m doing right now draining, or uplifting? *Hint – obsessing/stressing about world politics which you have no control over, or any type of future “what if’s” is very draining and not helpful. Focusing on that which you DO have control over, such as; your health, your creativity, personal relationships, your work, your household, etc. These can be very energizing by giving you “small wins” which will build faith, instead of fear, hope instead of hopelessness.

How to treat vitamin D deficiency symptoms of joint pain, depression and fatigue

Growing up, I was aways curled up inside with my nose in a book, so my mom was constantly urging me to “Go outside and get some fresh air and vitamin D!”.

So, for most of my life, I thought if I was in the sun…….I was getting vitamin D! Turns out, it’s not that simple.

There are many factors which can affect how much vitamin D you’re getting, and most people in the United States (an estimated 80%!) don’t get enough vitamin D.

Usually, it’s because they spend too much time indoors, live in in cloudy areas, or live at the wrong latitude to receive enough D.

This is because your body’s ability to make vitamin D is totally dependent on the right the angle of the sun (the distance you are from the equator), and the time of day.

Any location more than 35 degrees away from the equator means that you can only get vitamin D for part of the year.

If you’re less than 35 degrees away, you can get vitamin D year-round, but in either case, you can only generate vitamin D during the midday hours; usually between 12-4pm, and you’d need to have a lot of skin exposed.

Normally it’s best get all your vitamins from food, but vitamin D is one of the few things worth supplementing because it’s so rare for most people to get enough from sunlight, or their diet.

If you live within 35 degrees from the equator, and if you ARE able to get outside between 12-4 pm for 20-30 minutes (with significant skin exposed) then definitely take advantage of that.

Because getting your vitamin D from the sun will always be the cheapest, easiest, and most pleasant way to supplement.

For the rest of use, we need to rely on supplementation, with occasional sun exposure when possible.

VITAMIN D BENEFITS:

Most people don’t realize vitamin D is actually a Prohormone and has far-reaching affects on the body, such as the ability to strongly affect sex hormone production, overall metabolism, skin, bones, brain health, energy and mood.

In other words, it’s as powerful as any immunomodulator out there.

It has been known for some time now that Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, weight gain, thyroid issues, arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, birth defects, aging skin, and depression. One of the main reasons for Vitamin D’s affect on bone health is that it helps the body retain and utilize calcium properly. Dr. Johnston of Henry Ford Hospital found that women would constantly lose calcium (even when large amounts were present in the diet) until vitamin D was added.

So, if you want to eliminate rheumatoid arthritis or autoimmune symptoms (or fix any health issue, for that matter) vitamin D is important to check, and maintain regularly. Because it’s linked to musculoskeletal pain, it should not only be checked for normal health reasons, but also for prevention and treatment, and even for basic pain relief for anyone with arthritis, or autoimmune issues.

But sadly, both the testing and treatment commonly used is neither helpful or effective, because recommended ranges are inaccurate for most people, and supplements are often ineffective, or poor quality.

To make matters worse, in alternative health circles there are often problems with over-supplementation causing the same problems as under-supplementation, because too much vitamin D can be just as problematic as too little.

This is common sense, if you think about it, because the same principle applies to any vitamin or nutrient. You want the right amount; not too much…..not too little. Even too much water, for instance, can make you hypertonic, nauseous, and sick.

All that being said, in the majority of people, vitamin D levels will be too low…… not too high.

Fortunately, vitamin D is fairly easy to test for, and is also one of the more reliably accurate blood tests.

You can get tested through your doctor, or even online without ever having to leave home, by using a simple finger-prick mail-in test kit.

So, before supplementing or creating any change in diet, definitely get tested first, so you have a stable starting point and can track how your diet, supplements and sun exposure affect your levels.

The easiest way I’ve found to test for D, is by ordering through the vitamin D council here. It’s $58, compared to the normal $75-150 for lab tests through doctors or other labs.

It’s quick, and best of all you don’t have to make a doctor appointment, and then make another one just to see your test results.

Instead, test at home, and get the results sent straight to your email!

Another option (besides your doctor of course) is ordering a test online and having it processed through a local lab. If you don’t mind the extra step, you can order one here for $47.

Once you get tested, start supplementing if your levels are under 50 ng/ml.

Never go past 60 because too much vitamin D is toxic, and can be as problematic as too little. 55 is probably the most optimal number.

Keep in mind, as with all things you’ll want to incorporate your supplementation into a healthy, whole food, unprocessed and hopefully organic diet.

Your body needs countless nutrients regularly, so you should always be getting the bulk of your minerals and vitamins from food.

Supplementing 101:

1. Supplement type

First of all, don’t use vitamin D2, only use D3. D3 is the kind your body makes in your skin; D2 is the synthetic kind made from radiating mushrooms, and it’s inferior to D3 in raising blood levels, not to mention there’s evidence that it’s might be quite toxic.

Vitamin D is oil soluble, so the best kind of vitamin D supplement will be in an oil form, with NO additives other than the carrier oil.

Also, the type of oil also matters.

In my opinion, if you need to take large doses (or really any dose, for that matter) the only safe carrier is olive oil, coconut oil, or lanolin. Ideally organic, when possible.

Dry tablet or pill supplement forms of vitamin D aren’t usually as effective as the oil soluble form because they’re not as biologically available to the body.

And worse, tablets are almost always made with cheap binders which increases the risk of you accidentally dosing yourself with heavy metals or other noxious fillers, so stick with fat soluble, oil-based forms.

Also, get one with minimal ingredients. Out of hundreds I’ve looked at, I’ve only seen a couple good ones without soy (a major endocrine disrupter), or junk additives, so always read the label before buying and using.

2. Dose

There is a lot of debate about the right amount of D to take and a big part of that confusion comes from vast array of miserably poor supplements.

Evaluating all vitamin D supplements as the same causes a lot of misinformation about vitamin D, in general. The type, the amount, the quality, etc all can make a drastic difference in results. So, make sure you’re using a supplement known to work, or one you’ve verified through testing. There’s no point in trying to saving money by buying cheap supplements, because if you’re not sure it works, you might just be throwing your money away.

The other BIG thing to keep in mind is that the RDA for vitamin D is currently at 400 IU, which is waaaay to low for the vast majority of people.

This helps explain why almost 80% of Americans are deficient. Even if they ALL supplemented daily (which they don’t), 400 IU’s would never be enough.

Most people need about 10x that amount (4,000 iu’s daily), to feel strong and healthy. And because it’s fat soluble, if you’re quite low, you can actually supplement large amounts at first, for a short period of time (say 2-3 weeks) to “restock” your vitamin D levels, and then drop down to a maintenance dose.

3. Oral vs Transdermal (topical):

Another problem that skews vitamin D results is poor oral absorption.

Anyone with inflammation is prone to digestive and nutrient absorption issues, so no matter the quality, in some people the utilization of the supplement will be poor.

This is why transdermal is the most sure-fire method of application.

But, FYI: it definitely costs more this way.

This is because, topical absorption is estimated to only be about 10-20% of the dose applied.

So, if you normally take 5,000 IU’s, and you switch to transdermal at the same dose, you’re probably realistically getting about 500 to 1000 IU’s.

Clearly, this means you’ll need to increase the dose significantly when changing from oral to transdermal, but it’s worth it if your digestion is poor, because you might not be getting ANY orally.

BUT HERE’S THE BRIGHT SIDE….

Vitamin D is excellent for preventing and improving the appearance of wrinkles, and aging skin! Thousands of skin cells die per minute, but Vitamin D3 helps to produce keratinocytes, which are responsible for the production of new skin cells. Keratinocytes support healthy skin tone and texture, and help to keep the skin moist. This in turn, keeps your skin soft and elastic, which prevents wrinkles, sagging, and thin, fragile skin.

So, if you compare it to most facial creams, it’s really not that much pricier to take vitamin D topically, vs orally. Plus, there’s no toxic chemicals, which you’ll find in almost every facial product. Oral supplementation can work for some people, but for most of us, D3 often gets used up long before it can provide much benefit to the skin, because the skin is not the body’s first priority. Sadly, the skin is often last in line for nutrients. So for those reasons, I use topical application and I love how it makes my skin look! Plus, I feel good that I’m not getting scammed into the next $80 facial cream full of harmful ingredients.

Did you know your liver has to process EVERYTHING you put on your skin? This is why it’s so important to have personal care products with ONLY simple, real ingredients. I like knowing exactly what ingredients I’m putting on my skin, and the resulting potential effects.

Want to steal my guilt-free, chemical free anti-aging skincare regimen? Click the image below to grab it for yourself!

Click the image below to grab it for yourself!

4. Complimentary fat-solubles: A, E and K

Like anything else you eat or supplement with, supplementation can potentially affect multiple other processes in your body, because there’s a domino like cause-and-effect response.

So before you supplement D, make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin A, K, and E as well, because each one can alter the affect of the other.

For instance, if you ONLY take vitamin D, you’ll likely throw off your vitamin A balance, which is also frequently abnormally low in states of inflammation, pain, fatigue, or depression.

And chronically low vitamin A can prevent your vitamin D levels from rising. Think of it like a see-saw effect; you really don’t want to take one without the other.

Increased levels of D, requires increased vitamin A, and also usually vitamin K2 which are needed to help maintain proper levels of vitamin D.

Dietary sources of vitamin A and K2, include:

Saturated fats found in grass-fed organic beef, butter, cream, milk
Well-cooked spinach, or kale
Liver

The very best source of vitamin A is definitely, and especially liver.

I can’t emphasize that enough. In fact, liver is so dense in vitamin A you only need to eat a few ounces a couple times a month to get enough A.

If you can’t stand the taste of liver, below is a capsule form which I like, and have used. Real liver is aways best, but it’s a great back-up option to have.

So, all that being said, if you’re low in D, there’s a good chance you’re low in vitamin A as well. There’s not really a great test for vitamin A, so in my experience, the easiest way to know if you’re low in A, is simply by observing your symptoms. Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include; kidney stones (resulting in painful urination), dandruff, acne, fatigue, lowered immunity, impaired vision, and hormonal imbalances. Skin breaking out, and fatigue are probably the clearest, most common signs. In health circles it is often thought beta-carotene is a safer way to get vitamin A, but people with inflammation often have an impairment in their ability to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A. So if you’ve been supplementing your diet with beta-carotene and are feeling worse, one thing to look for is orange calluses…..this is a sign of too much beta-carotene (which will crash your thyroid and make everything worse). Because the impairment of beta-carotene conversion is actually very common, it’s much safer to just use pure retinol when supplementing vitamin A, so that you know your body can actually use it. And pssst….You can ALSO use vitamin A (Retinol) on your skin, just like vitamin D, and save your money on the expensive, toxic synthetic version of vitamin A; Retin-a. A, E AND K DOSES First, use a tool like Cronometer, to determine how much of each fat soluble vitamin is already in your diet. Vitamin A, K and E have benefits too numerous to list, but they include: bone health, hormone balance, energy, digestion, eyesight, skin health, mental health, sleep quality, oral health, and aid with inflammation and immunity. As with anything else, each person’s vitamin needs will vary depending on their current health, their diet, their activity level, etc. If you don’t know how much to take of each, below are some safe starting doses for most people. Dose according to your symptoms. Some people may need a lot more.

Vitamin A – 2,500-5,000 IU’s a day. Too much will lower your thyroid function, so carefully observe your symptoms.
Vitamin E – 400 IU’s daily
K2 – 1 to 5mg a day. There is no known upper limit for toxicity. There are 2 types of Vitamin K, Mk-4, and Mk-7. Mk-7 is not economical, so save your money and get Mk-4.

Once you start supplementing vitamin D, it’s best to wait about 8 weeks or more between tests, because it takes approximately that long for levels in your body to reach a stable amount. You’ll also want to keep track of your levels over time so that you maintain them, once you’ve reached a good, healthy level. An easy way to I’ve found to do this is with an app I’ve found called, Dminder. It’ll tell you when’s the best time to get D depending on your location, no matter where you are in the world. It even lets you set your target by either the amount of D to get, or time you want. Then it will count up or down to your target, applying all the factors that determine how much D you can get: skin tone, age, weight, amount of skin exposed. All your doses of D, including supplements, are used to estimate your current level. You can get it for free here or by clicking on the picture below.

SUMMARY:

Get tested before you start, and supplement until levels are at or around 50-55.
Use D3, not D2
Make sure to get a liquid form in either coconut oil, lanolin, or olive oil with no additives
Start with transdermal (topical) placement to be sure it reaches your bloodstream
Make sure to account for sun exposure, and use sun over supplement whenever possible
Include Retinol (vitamin A), K2, and E in your diet or supplement regimen
Test a few times a year to maintain levels

And most importantly, always incorporate your supplementation into a whole food, unprocessed, organic diet and lifestyle for optimal vitality. Some people have reversed their diseases with vitamin D alone, but that’s not a good long-term game plan, because eventually you’ll run into other health problems without a cohesive healthy lifestyle and diet. So get yourself some sunshine, some vitamin D, and watch for better energy, mood and mobility!

REFERENCES:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29063463
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3042365
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28977344
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4158648
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24425848
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27049238
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26063950
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300755
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20498201
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20209476
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18761649
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22913562
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24907153
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24131858
https://doi.org/10.1210/endo-56-3-232
https://www.springermedizin.de/effects-of-high-doses-of-vitamin-d3-on-mucosa-associated-gut-mic/8392290

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Science and Belief combine in the area of consciousness.

Your belief system shifts your biology. Your beliefs tell your subconscious what’s possible, and that dictates your decisions, thoughts, actions, fears and hopes. Most people are aware their biochemistry and hormonal make-up affect their thoughts; but forget their thoughts affect their biochemistry, and hormones. It’s a two-way street. This isn’t woo-woo stuff; the science is irrefutable. Changes in thinking have improved everything from migraine headaches, to cancer. In studies the placebo affect alone can account for as much as a 1/3rd improvement in pain/symptoms. But it goes both ways. Every notice when you’re stressed your more likely to get sick, or get a flare-up? How you think influences your hormones, which affects inflammation, sleep quality, mood, energy, digestion, immunity, brain function and metabolism. The relationship between your mindset and your physical body has been proven countless times over. If you don’t believe thoughts affect your physical body; stop and think about the “butterflies” when nervous……..that’s simply a physical reaction to how you feel emotionally, or what you’ve been thinking. A simple thought can physically control you; for better or for worse. Your central nervous system relies on YOUR interpretation of your physical environment, and your subconscious doesn’t know the difference between a memory, a fantasy, a feeling, or reality. Your body only knows “fight/flight/fear” or “rest/relax/repair”. So whether you’re actually running away from a murderer, or you’re stressed out because of relationship, or work issues; your body doesn’t know the difference. When your body is stressed your immune system is more likely to “overreact” and your body redirects energy and blood flow away from important stuff like digestion, and cellular regeneration, to your heart and muscles to prepare for the perceived “emergency”. Many of us are so adapted to the stress state we don’t even realize we are in it. Symptoms of stress include: Dry skin, inflamed skin Dry eyes White tongue Poor sleep Poor digestion Feeling tired but “wired” Joint pain Headaches Mood swings Overthinking/brain fog Anxiety/apathy Cold hands and feet If you want to live a long healthy, happy life, start by controlling your mind. Master your mindset, and avoid toxic food, people and places that make you stressed. And if those situations are unavoidable; avoid letting it affect you. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we CAN ALWAYS control how we respond to it; and what we choose to focus on. This is why happiness, peace, joy and pleasant thoughts are actually a factor of habit; not a factor of circumstance. It doesn’t mean you don’t attempt to improve your situation; but it DOES mean you always have a choice about what you focus on. No matter the situation; this is possible. You may think that sounds incredulous depending on what you’re going through; but we can learn a lot from Victor Frankl. In his book “Man search for meaning” he describes how he was imprisoned in a nazi concentration camp, made to march miles through the winter snow with NO shoes on and only 1 piece of bread daily to survive on, and all human dignity and freedom stripped away………………….Yet he realized he still had one freedom.

He could choose what he focused on and how he experienced his life.

He choose to focus on how much he loved his wife; even though he didn’t know if she was alive or dead, and that transported him away from his torture.

NO one but YOU can take away your happy place; your peace, your joy, your mindset; and what you choose to focus on.

Frankl had every reason to hate his life, and feel nothing but anger but he realized not only does that not help anything…… it makes it worse. He decided he would not let his feelings be controlled by circumstance.

If good circumstances alone brought happiness, we wouldn’t see beautiful, successful, wealthy people in good relationships committing suicide.

Happiness is an inside job; no one else can make you happy, no circumstances can make you happy, no job, money or accomplishment can do it.

What you focus on grows.

Worrying is simply a habit of focusing on what YOU DON’T want.

So break that habit by choosing to focus on what you DO want, and over time that focus will affect what you believe and how you feel. Don’t wait your whole life for happiness.

It’s in you; and it is always available to you (if you allow yourself to experience it).

If you need help learning how to break the habit of focusing on what you DON’T want, click below to get my Mindset and Affirmations Guide.

In it, I show you how to use affirmations to “re-wire” your brain to focus on what you DO want instead.

REFRENCES:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871160/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23770205

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/dark-side-of-stress-learned-helplessness.shtml

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11914447

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/art.1790110209

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1981;74(1):81-7. Cholinergic influences on escape deficits produced by uncontrollable stress. Anisman H, Glazier SJ, Sklar LS.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9088048

https://www.envisionexperience.com/blog/the-science-of-learning-part-3-how-emotion-and-mindset-affect-learning

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/

This cancer-causing food additive in many "health" foods could be increasing your inflammation

Are you eating the proven carcinogenic (Cancer causing) food additive, Carrageenan?

Chances are yes, and you don’t even realize it because it’s everywhere in our food supply.

WHAT IS CARRAGEENAN, ANYWAY?

Well, it’s a derivative from seaweed that’s processed with an alkaline solution and then used for “gelling” and stabilizing food products.

It’s used as a thickener in countless items, such as dairy products, sauces, soups, and packaged foods of all kinds.

Ingredients: Heavy Cream, Skim Milk, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80, **Carrageenan.**

Considering the cancer causing properties of degraded carrageenan in animal models, and the cancer-promoting effects of food grade carrageenan, the widespread use of it is deeply unsettling.

In fact, in all of human history, it’s never been a food humans ate…..until now. That alone, should give us pause.

IN SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO CAUSE:

Large bowel ulceration
Ulcerative colitis
Fetal toxicity & birth defects
Colorectal cancer
Glucose intolerance and insulin resistance
Inflammation
Liver cancer
Immune suppression
Promoting the growth of abnormal colon glands, which are precursors to polyps

The Cornucopia Institute stated:
“Animal studies have repeatedly shown that food-grade carrageenan causes gastrointestinal inflammation and higher rates of intestinal lesions, ulcerations, and even malignant tumors.”

Carrageenan is banned in Europe, although the FDA seems unconcerned with it being used in large amounts in our food.

They claim that up to 5% of it’s safe, but there is no way of knowing how much is in your food; especially when you’re eating multiple items per day that likely contain carrageenan.

Besides, do you want to eat a food that has to be tracked to avoid going over the 5% limit and causing cancer?

Not to mention; this 5% number completely disregards or ignores the must vulnerable……. anyone with poor health, autoimmune disease, and lowered immune systems who are all likely to have permeable guts (leaky gut).

In fact, for anyone with less than perfect health, there is likely to be inflammation from anything we can’t digest (even if another person can eat it, seemingly unharmed).

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (formed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization) advised against the continued use of carrageenan, and it was recently removed from the National List of approved additives in organic food.

However, it’s very common for there to be a 20 year gap between the time research comes to light and a corresponding change in the marketplace, so it’s not really surprising that despite clear evidence of increased risk of inflammation and cancer ……. it’s still being used everywhere.

Many bloggers and journalist participate in this problem by spreading mass misinformation either because of bias, or ignorance (by not doing their research) and will claim it’s safe simply because the FDA has allowed it.

But as anyone who actually takes the time to look at the evidence will see; it’s very damning.

Carrageenan is not a health food, adds no flavor or nutrition and at best, it simply allows food manufactures to produce lower quality foods which impair nutrient absorption and send you running to the toilet.

MY ADVICE?

SIMPLY EAT REAL FOOD, NOT ISOLATED COMPOUNDS THAT EXIST SOLELY TO INCREASE SALES FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY.

Often, when food products are made in a lab, we cause biological reactions that could never be predicted based on the components of the original food source.

Time and time again, we see health catastrophes arising because nutrition and safety are overlooked when the primary objective is to simply to make food cheaper, and longer-lasting.

So, don’t ask for cheaper food; ask for better food.

Think of it this way; would you rather the food be long-lasting, or YOU?

And don’t be fooled by the claims that carrageenan is just seaweed, or that it’s “all-natural”, and therefore safe.

For one; the word “natural’ has long been corrupted by the food industry, but two; there’s a fundamental difference between an isolated compound, and it’s originating source.

For instance…..Cocaine is simply an isolated compound from an all-natural source; the coca leaf.

The source and the end product are nothing alike.

And not to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s now over 10,000 additives approved by the FDA in our food, so carrageenan is actually just one of many food safety problems.

THE GOOD NEWS:

The solution to all this is actually very simple……just eat what nature’s already made available to us, such as whole proteins, veggies and fruits.

Avoid engineered, processed, packaged foods whenever possible and focus on real, whole foods.

Throw out the pills!

It’s easy and tempting in our fast paced pill-popping culture, to try and supplement our way to health. But that will never lead to sustainable, lasting or vibrant health. Surprisingly supplements can be very problematic, and almost as risky as being careless with your foods choices, due to fillers and other by-products, or to manufacturing contamination. It’s WAAAAY more effective (and safer) to get your minerals through whole food sources.

On important mineral to maintaining a youthful metabolism and good energy is copper. Copper is often overlooked in the health world, but it’s just as vital as any other mineral for overall health and is an important part of a anti-inflammatory and anti-aging diet. Benefits of the RIGHT amount of copper include:

Anti-bacterial activity
Can help overcome nutrient malabsorption
Improves cellular health
Improves digestion, which can of course, affects the whole body.
Helps bring back color to grey hair (in the context of a nutrient rich diet of course)
Offsets heavy metals which are much more dangerous in excess.

And a diet deficient in copper can cause fatigue, joint pain, bruising, low body temperature, high cortisol and adrenaline, brittle bones, muscle pain, and skin and hair issues!

The app called Cronometer is what I use to track my meals to make sure I’m getting enough of all my minerals, including copper. My favorite copper source? Shrimp (which I aim to eat once a week).

Make sure to always choose ocean-caught shrimp whenever possible, it makes a world of difference in nutritional quality.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of every part of your diet being nutrient dense and the VERY major part that will play in your overall health. With small changes, one step at a time, you can renew your entire body! That’s how I permanently eliminated my pain (now 6 years pain free) and healed myself without medication.

Why my rheumatologist, doctor and surgeon were all ignorant about nutrition and dietary solutions

I will never forget the moment after my diagnosis, still shocked and horrified that I was crippled with arthritis in my early 20’s as I asked my doctor with tears in my eyes, “Can anything could be done?…….Could I change my diet perhaps?……..Was there something I could be doing differently in my lifestyle?” He replied, “No, diet has nothing to do with what’s causing this. No one knows exactly what causes it; but it’s likely genetic, which we can’t do anything about”. He said it with so much finality, and sighed in exasperation, as if it were a silly question to even be asking. This made me burst into tears, full on sobbing in public at the realization of the finality, and hopelessness of my disease. Or so I thought. Now after 15 years of suffering from crippling RA flareups, steroid shots, multiple medications and surgeries, I’m 100% pain and symptom free with no meds, and no treatments. I was told I’d be permanently wheelchair-bound by now, but I’m physically able to do anything I want now (even after the loss of cartilage from my joints). In the past, I couldn’t do simple things like wear high-heels, or even bend down without causing a flare-up. But now I can rock-climb, run, jump, dance, squat, exercise with heavy weights,…..I can do anything I want without fear of injury or inflammation. Despite every doctor and specialist telling me there’s no solution except for “slowing down” the joint damage, I’m completely free of health worries, and live a totally normal life, due to diet & lifestyle changes. If I didn’t tell someone; they’d never even know I had arthritis, or was ever crippled.

So how is it possible that after so much time, money and energy searching for solutions, and all the experts, doctors, and specialists I sought out, no one ever told me about the link between diet and inflammation? How is it possible they looked me in the eye with with absolute certainty and told me my only options were surgery, bone-destroying cortisone shots, or cancer-causing immunosuppressant medications with side-effects ranging from nausea to death?

I couldn’t believe I suffered unnecessarily for so long, without any hope from my doctors. Why hadn’t anyone told me there were other options? Why wasn’t this more well-known?!

But as soon as I did some research, it made a LOT more sense.

Come to find out, the average time U.S. medical schools offer nutrition education across FOUR years of medical school is 19.5 hours! That’s not a typo. Out of thousands of hours of school and study, they spend less than 20 hours on nutrition, on average. NO WONDER they didn’t know about the causal relationship between poor nutrition and disease. It’s not necessarily their fault they don’t know…..they aren’t getting educated on it in the first place! If the average doctor spends less than 20 hours on nutrition during school and less than 4 hours in continuing education through out their career, then JUST THIS WEEK I’ve spent more time on nutrition research then most doctors do in a 4 year, or even 8 year period.

Looking at it from this perspective, it’s no surprise that someone like myself (with no degree in pathology or nutrition), discovered the real underlying cause, and found a solution doctors couldn’t, or wouldn’t provide.

To me, it seems obvious that health care should involve nutrition and diet, but when you dig into the bulk of medical study, you’ll see that’s not the focus at all.

Medical schools simply aren’t oriented around making people healthier, or preventing chronic disease, but rather preventing death, treating symptoms, and “managing” disease progression. It’s really more sick-care, than health-care.

It’s eerily similar to the total insanity occurring in our food supply via industrial farming. Here’s what I mean: Cows are herbivores, so their natural diet is grass; but that’s not profitable for industrialized farming. So instead of grass, they’re fed dead cow (yes-REALLY), pesticide-laden lab-made corn, soy and grain byproducts, then imprisoned and unable to move as they soak in their own manure.

Then they’re drugged with various prescriptions and antibiotics, and subjected to toxic levels of stress, which raises cortisol, consequently increasing inflammation and disease.

And then when they get sick, instead of the industry realizing it’s their environment, industrial farming methods, and diet making them sick, they come up with another drug to treat the illness caused by their diet and environment.

Oh, and when that drug causes it’s own set of side-effects?

They just give them another liver-burdening drug to treat the new symptoms of the latest drug.

There is nothing natural, or normal about this….

Instead of making farming into a mammoth manufacturing industry, maybe……just maybe, we should treat cows like sentient living creatures who need real food and fresh air, just like us? Perhaps, we should let them move, and eat their natural diet like they’d already been doing safely and effectively for thousands of years? Farms like Polyface Farms have figured this out and there is no toxic methane gas poisoning, no sick animals, no stressed animals, and no deaths from people drowning in manure. I visited Polyface farms recently, and something I found incredibly impressive was that there was ZERO stink…..absolutely no manure smell across the entire farm due to safe, normal, natural carbon composting. And even better, the products they produce are so much better tasting, and SO much healthier for humans.

Cows are supposed to eat grass; not grains! And they should be able to move their bodies in a natural ecosystem.

The main argument for factory, or industrial farming is that it makes large quantities of food at a cheaper price. This is a complete fallacy, because the actual physical farm is only a small iota of the bigger picture. The cost of factory farming is actually much, MUCH higher than small family farms, when you account for fuel costs, liability costs, regulation costs, drug costs, economic costs, and most importantly; health care costs. It would save us trillions of dollars in health care, if we backed up the focus, and spent more time on understanding what causes disease in the first place, instead of just treating symptoms. The reason I mention farming is because humans are being treated with the same backwards thinking, symptom-first mentality as we see in industrial farming. We’re treating the symptoms; but never asking unbiased questions about the possible dietary/environmental causes of the problem in the first place. In hospitals, or doctors offices, when the issue of diet is brought up, the main line of thought is that doctors will refer people to dietitians, or nutritionists. But, in most cases……they simply don’t. Mainly, because they don’t consider it a valid alternative to drug treatments…….more like a last resort for the desperate, or a formality for patients who want other options. And even worse, in my experience nutritionists and dietitians often give awful outdated advice like “avoid saturated fats” based on organizations like the American Heart Association who’ve been taking hand-outs from both the drug industry and big farming for years.

he American Heart Association who’ve been taking hand-outs from both the drug industry and big farming for years.

Want to get control over your health & hormones without harsh drugs or diets? Then click above to get my FREE miniseries and learn how I do it!

The lack of nutrition education is a big problem but it’s dwarfed by a another problem, which is this: Doctors, teaching hospitals, and universities are continually FUNDED, EDUCATED and PAID directly by the 950 billion dollar pharmaceutical industry. This leaves only a tiny sliver of the pie for research on food & nutrition because research costs money, and you can’t charge $10,000 for a diet plan; but you can for drugs. After all, people are in pain; and they’ll pay any price to stop it…. I should know. So when your doctor is learning how to treat disease, much of what he, or she learns comes directly from the pharmaceutical industry. Starting in med school, students are exposed to pharmaceutical advertising, free meals/events, gifts, funding, books and drug samples. The constant exposure to the drug industry, drug research, and drug treatments causes an inevitable blur between doctor and drug industry at an early age. This works to reduced skepticism or awareness of the obvious conflict of interest when the drug companies fund research, or pay research hospitals. The drug companies know that getting physicians on-board early, means they’re more likely to be lifelong drug dealers (albeit legal) for the industry. Once students reach clinical training, nearly 72% of them are being actively marketed to by the drug industry. At Propublica, they’ve complied lists for the sake of public awareness of the massive conflicts of interest in the medical industry. And not a surprise, they discovered that in 2015 alone, drug companies paid physicians $24.9 million dollars for the rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira…..the one my doctor prescribed me. They also paid out $14.7 million for the thyroid drug Synthroid, and 11.9 million for diabetes drug Victoza.

At projects.propublica.org/docdollars, you can search your doctor’s name and see what “gifts” he, or she has been given by the drug industry. Or if you’re on a particular medication, you can see if your doctor is taking payments directly from that specific company. I found out my small town doctor gets several thousand annually from the industry. This doesn’t mean he’s automatically corrupt, but if you truely want to avoid all possibility of being influenced, shouldn’t you reject money, or “gifts” from the industry?

It’s not rocket science, it’s basic human nature. When someone gives you money, it influences you.

And doctors are humans; not saints. We can’t pretend they’re immune from influence just because we don’t like the alternative (of course, we shouldn’t assume they’re corrupt, either).

But normally, when a company funds, teaches and pays people to do certain things, they’re considered an employer. Yet, this is exactly what’s happening in medicals schools, teaching hospitals, and local doctor’s offices in the U.S. Millions of doctors we trust our lives with, are indirectly doing public relations work for the drug companies. Do they do it intentionally? Probably not. Do they mean well? Yes…usually. I have friends in medicine, and they’re good people, but they’ve only been educated in one line of thinking. I believe most of them think they’re doing the right thing (although some are absolutely corrupt), but they’re stuck in a system much bigger than them, which pushes them in only one direction.

And because their whole careers are funded and established by that very same system, few will question, or stand up to the drug-medicine culture.

Doctors who do, are often vilified and punished for disagreeing with the mainstream medical dogma.

Dr. Mcdougall and his wife

Dr. Mcdougall is an MD who advocates for a whole food plant-based diet and has dealt with all kinds of blocks trying to implement natural dietary programs in major hospitals. I don’t even use his diet, but I admire his principles, and the good work he’s done in the world. On his website, he explains his disturbing experience when trying to reason with the industry for safe, cheaper, natural solutions. His program has PROVEN it could save heart patients at a fraction of the cost of bypass surgery (only $4,000 instead of $100,000), but instead of jumping all over an opportunity to save lives for less money……… they were completely uninterested. He couldn’t believe it. After some contesting he finally got the real answer as to why they weren’t interested in his diet program. They said, “McDougall you just don’t get it…..as an insurance company we take a piece of the pie, and the bigger the pie the more we get.”

There’s just not enough profit to be made in food programs. The economics of the insurance industry (and medicaid, or medicare for that matter) only work to scale if medicals bills are SO high that you need to have insurance to go to the doctor. And the only way they can make sure you NEED to have insurance is if the treatments are something you can’t use, make, provide, or do on your own. The current drug-medical infrastructure necessitates solutions that are both expensive and unattainable for the average person, so that their profit margins are large enough to make it worth their while. To be clear, I don’t begrudge the industry the ability to make a profit from their products or services. We need profitable industries to supply products, job and services. The give-and-take of free-market trade makes the world go round. But let’s not be naive about it…… as if anyone in a white lab coat is the same as nun who took an oath of poverty to give their life and time to others. The medical industry is a business; plain and simple. And it’s BY FAR, one of the most profitable and powerful industries in the world, with demand constantly far-outreaching supply. And the drug industry is the giant overseeing it all. To put in perspective just how mammoth they are; in the US alone, pharmaceutical industry revenues far exceed the GDP of the top 10 countries in the world COMBINED!

When a friend of mine was in the hospital with leukemia, I asked the oncologist about trying Vitamin B3, because of a study on how Niacinamide safely extended lifespan and lowered lactic acid (which is elevated in cancer metabolism). The doctor replied that he’d never heard of it, but was honest about his options. He said; “That could possibly work, but because I haven’t studied it, I can only prescribe things I’ve studied.”

So even when an MD is informed of a safer, well-studied and documented solution, he/she can’t usually apply it because they are wary of falling outside the “standard of care”. If a particular therapy, or treatment isn’t in common use, or isn’t already a recommended protocol amongst medical professionals, doctors can be exposed to professional liability and medical malpractice for free-thinking and not stepping in line with what’s considered common practice.

In other words, the standard of care isn’t established by what is the safest, and best for the patient, nor by clear evidence and long-term safety, but by majority vote, “professional opinion” and whatever practice the predominant medical culture is currently practicing.

Gerald Massey’s quote comes to mind:

This is clearly dangerous because either a treatment works, or it doesn’t. It’s popularity should not be a determining factor on it’s use, and has no actual bearing on it’s success rate, or effectiveness. Yet many illogical treatments are continued on the basis of the “standard of care”, and alternate ways of thinking are dismissed. Not because they don’t work, but because they’re not common practice. It’s the equivalent of saying “we do it this way, because everyone does it this way”. So, the “standard of care” ends up being a very low bar for real, lasting, healthy solutions, and people are literally paying for it with their lives. This whole situation IS slowly getting better, because society as a whole is waking up to the link between health and diet and demanding more reasonable medicine. Recently, dietary choices have even supplanted smoking as the biggest risk factor for disease and death, in the United States. And according to the CDC, 7 out of 10 deaths are caused by chronic health issues, which can be treated by simply making different food and lifestyle choices. But sadly, we aren’t being educated very well on what those choices should be. This is causing the rise of a slightly better form of medicine called “functional medicine” which acknowledges the direct effect of diet on ALL types of disease. Modern medicine is great for emergency situations, acute infections and traumas requiring surgery, but for chronic health issues, they just don’t have safe, or effective solutions. And the truth is, a standard doctor appointment is less than 20 minutes long, so even if they had some pertinent nutrition information, they don’t have enough time to delve deep into a patients’ specific dietary needs. There are macro-nutrient & micro-nutrient decisions to make, over 10,000 food additives to watch out for, exercise that has to be individualized, and countless lifestyle decisions that need to be made on a daily basis; all which affect a person’s health. So in theory, even if the whole system was reorganized around nutrition and lifestyle changes; a 20 minute appointment just wouldn’t cut it for most people’s situations.

Even though I was initially very upset at the medical community for misleading me, I’ve come to realize that it was only 1 part of the problem. The other part was not understanding how much control I actually had, and how many decisions I was making on a daily basis that affected my health. Being a critical thinker, learning to actually think for myself, and taking full responsibility for my health was the other big missing link. Solving my health issues required my 100% involvement….it’s not something I could pass off to someone else and just blindly follow their diet or health recommendations, because I had to be consistently aware of how my body responds to everything. And I’m the ONLY one who can do that; it’s not something that can ever be outsourced. There are just too many variables that no one else could be ever possibly be aware of, or keep track of for me. And it’s the same for all of us. No doctor will ever be able to care for you, like you care for you…….even if they wanted to. They’re not going to stay up until 1am reading research for your sake, or help you clean out your fridge and carefully test each item in your diet, or be there to make sure you make good choices.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

In the long run, life is so much better when you choose to take full responsibility for your health…….and really, it’s the only good option we have, anyway.

Of course it’s a good idea to get advice from doctors, professionals, biologists, and experts, but always test things for yourself. Always get a 2nd, 3rd, or (in my case) 122 other opinions!

For the most part, there’s usually 2 polarizing sides in the natural vs. drug debate, where each side completely demonizes the other as being totally immoral, stupid, reckless, or even evil.

Clearly, I have some strong criticisms for mainstream medicine, but it’s not helpful or productive to make it a good vs evil, or us vs them scenario.

It’s not about that…… it’s simply about what works, what’s true, and what ACTUALLY provides a better quality of life, regardless of popularity.

And the main problem with the industry is not the use of drugs, but that they are OVERUSED, so chronic health problems get treated the same way as acute, one-off problems.

Prescription drugs are live-savers for acute pain, life-threatening infections/viruses, emergencies and trauma situations. If I got a bad infection, I’d be happy to take antibiotics for a week. But not for life.

These drugs do NOT cure or heal chronic illness, nor are they a safe or logical treatment to be taken for life as a way to “manage” a disease.

Nothing can be completely generalized and every scenario requires context, so the key is to be a critical thinker, without bias dictating your decisions. So, experiment, observe the results, and adjust your diet, meds and lifestyle accordingly.

That’s real science.

The conflicting headlines, studies, experts, diet fads, and prescriptions are all a lot less confusing when you listen to your body. Your body doesn’t lie.

So, if you’re in pain, and what you’re doing isn’t working……just keep experimenting!

Mine showed me I could permanently eliminate crippling pain, fatigue, and anxiety with very reasonable diet and lifestyle changes.

But every mainstream medical source says that’s impossible.

So, don’t blindly believe whatever you hear, but also don’t unthinkingly reject it.

Do your research, and follow the evidence. The evidence doesn’t lie.

If your reality doesn’t match what the expert is telling you, then don’t be afraid to ask questions.

YES, it will be a lot more work then following standardized health advice, but daaaayum is it worth it, girl!

Kinda like camping outside Ryan Gosling’s movie premier so you can see him up close…….and then your eyes connect, and he smiles a little, and you melt inside…….THAT kinda worth it!!!

Ooops….got a little sidetracked there. ANYWAY. Whatever YOUR “worth it” is, I’m telling you; it’s SO, SO worth it!

Having knowledge and control of your health empowers you, frees you, and makes you feel much more independent and secure. And this makes sense, because ALL epic life-changing endeavors have that principle: It’s not easy, but it IS possible.

And that’s the silver lining. Maybe those who say you can’t get better, DON’T know it all. And maybe………just maybe, that’s a really great thing. Learning we haven’t been told the whole picture, doesn’t have to be negative. At least the unknown leaves room for hope, and potential solutions! Personally, I’d much rather find out I had wrong info, than settle for certainty that forecasts a future of pain, surgery and pressure to take the meds (while asking me to “march for a cure”). And for me, the definitive diagnosis and dark fateful verdict from my doctor caused the most damaging symptoms, BY FAR. The emotional burden of being diagnosed with an “incurable disease” was more painful than the worst physical pain; even when it felt like shards of glass were piercing my joints. The self-image issues brought on by wheelchairs, doctors, risky medications, and constant surgeries, caused a torrent of harmful feelings. I was self-conscious, felt like a burden, scared, stressed, and always worried that I’d miss out on life. One thing I know: nothing kills a person faster than hopelessness, so don’t ever lose hope. Even the smallest glimmer of hope can help you surmount the toughest personal battles. Whether you want to climb mount Everest, win Olympic gold, or end chronic pain, these monumental feats require persistence, patience, and getting up again each time you fall. Otherwise they wouldn’t be great feats. They’d just be the norm, and everyone would be doing it.

But you? You’re not like everybody……..you can totally do it.

Want to get control over your health & hormones without harsh drugs or diets? Then click below to get my FREE miniseries and learn how I do it!

REFERENCES:

https://www.propublica.org/article/updated-dollars-for-docs-heres-whats-new

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/doctors-nutrition-education/

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/03/476636183/death-certificates-undercount-toll-of-medical-errors

https://www.aamc.org/download/451374/data/nutriritoneducationinusmedschools.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430660/

http://in-training.org/drugged-greed-pharmaceutical-industrys-role-us-medical-education-10639

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20555378

Selye H. Stress in health and disease. Reading, MA: Butterworth, 1976.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/about/dr-mcdougalls-story/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-rosenberg/health-news_b_4398304.html

https://medium.com/@kevinmgeary/is-the-american-heart-association-a-terrorist-organization-f1c8c98d28ea

Red-Light healing for inflammation, anxiety, pain and fatigue

IF YOU WALKED INTO MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW, YOU MIGHT THINK I’M TRYING TO COOK A PIZZA ON MY DESK, BASED ON THE BIG RED-LIGHTS I’VE GOT ALL OVER THE PLACE.

“Heat lamp”………………or a Anti-aging, therapeutic, anti-inflammatory red light healing device?

HOWEVER, WHAT I’M ACTUALLY DOING IS:

Lowering inflammation
Improving skin tone & texture
Lowering Stress hormones
Stimulating my thyroid gland and youth hormones
Increase cellular energy (and therefore overall energy)

And……just generally basking in the nice warm glow. 🙂

Sounds pretty great, huh?

Well……IT IS! 🙂

I routinely use red lights as part of my healthy lifestyle, but If you would’ve told me years ago, that I’d be using light as a health supplement, I would’ve thought you were crazy.

I mean, light isn’t nearly as powerful a factor for health as food, or supplements, right?

Well, turns out it CAN be that and much more!

The reason light is so powerful, is because it’s biochemically active in our body.

If this seems a strange concept to grasp, remember one of the most well known effects of light; which is sunlight producing vitamin D in our body.

Vitamin D is a powerful immunomodulater, has hormone-like effects on the body and is essential for health and healing.

And all that can come from just 15 minutes of light exposure.

But what we often don’t realize is that ALL light affects our health, not just sunlight.

Some good, some bad (like florescent lighting which has been linked to breast cancer; ick….. not good).

Florescent lighting is the only lighting used in hospitals.

I’ve never really liked the harsh blue/white fluorescent lighting in many public places, but wasn’t really sure why. That is, until I learned more about the effects of the light spectrum on cellular energy and health. Examples of the Blue light spectrum include:

Computers
Electronics
Industrial/public lighting
Common LED lightbulbs

And of the red light spectrum:

Sunshine
Fireplaces
Incandescent lightbulbs
Candles

Blue light vs Red light spectrum

So, if you’re like me and prefer the warm yellow glow of incandescent lighting…….there’s likely a physiological reason for that. We intuitively know that harsh blue light is not calming or pleasant…….and the truth is, constant exposure to it is actually harmful. Fortunately there’s an anti-dote to it: RED-LIGHT 🙂 IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF RED LIGHT THERAPY, HERE’S A QUICK SYNOPSIS: Red light therapy, and infrared light therapy is the exposure of the skin and tissues to specific red-light wavelengths. Red light is visible, but infrared light is invisible to the eye and also tends to penetrate deeper into the tissues, then visible red-light. With red light or infrared light, the wavelengths easily penetrate through the skin, and into tissues. It’s then absorbed by our cells and naturally kick-starts the process of tissue recovery. This helps rejuvenate us by increasing blood flow, collagen stimulation, and most importantly cellular respiration & energy. Low temperatures in the body cause inflammation, but light (especially red light) raises the temperature, activates the formation and differentiation of new cells, (by increasing energy production), and stimulates the creation of mitochondria, and activity of DNA enzymes. Obviously, this is relevant because one of the 1st and most constant symptoms (and I believe in-part the cause) of arthritis, and autoimmunity is lowered cellular energy. Fatigue, poor digestion, poor sleep, allergies, hormonal imbalances and more are greatly improved (or worsened) by the amount of cellular energy available for structure and function. Studies on red light treatment have proven it effective on countless health issues and symptoms, including yeast infections, skin ailments, muscle & joint pain and specifically; rheumatoid arthritis! And although not well-known (perhaps because it can’t be patented), red light has been used clinically for the treatment of arthritis since the 1980’s. By the year 2000, enough scientific evidence was available to recommend it for any type of arthritis, even for severe rheumatoid symptoms. I think it should be an important part of anyone’s health regimen because it’s:

Thoroughly researched
Effective for pain relief & inflammation
Cheap
Healthy
Easy to use
Readily available
And extremely safe

SO HOW DOES IT WORK EXACTLY? Red light is absorbed through the skin to a depth of about 8 to 10 mm and is able to penetrate tissues because the rays are not blocked by blood or water like other wavelengths. Red light passes the skin barrier (so no concerns about burning) and directly stimulates regenerative processes in the skin through increased cellular proliferation, adhesion and migration. Once absorbed, it activates cellular respiration (stimulates cellular energy and function), which subsequently energizes multiple nervous systems, and metabolic processes. This is because when you create and support energy production, you basically help EVERYTHING in your body work better. This increase of energy by red light is termed ‘photobiomodulation’ by researchers in the field. Healthy cellular metabolism and respiration are based on good mitochondrial function, and with the application of red light there’s an increase in mitochondrial products such as ATP, NADH, and Co2. All of these are essential parts of a healthy, unstressed cell, and therefore a healthy overall metabolism. This rise in metabolic rate also increases the formation of new capillaries, lymph system activity, production of fibroblasts, increased phagocytosis, (cellular clean-up), aids tissue granulation (wound healing) and REDUCES INFLAMMATION! This amazing light therapy even positively impacts the modulation of immune cells. One of the main things that affect tissue penetration is the wavelengths of the light that hits the skin. There have been several hundred quality clinical studies trying to refine the parameters of therapeutic benefit. Many of these studies show that wavelengths from 660 nanometer (nm) to 850 nm light are the most beneficial; specifically 660-670 and 830-850 nm. This is because red light at those wavelengths helps remove nitric oxide from the cell’s mitochondria, allowing the use of oxygen and therefore more energy production. And as far as we know, this only happens in those parameters (660-850 nm). But even aside from the benefits of specific wavelengths, there are also hormonal benefits from bright light in general, because when it’s the right type of light (incandescent light) it replicates the positive hormonal affects of sunlight on our cells.

When our eyes absorb bright light, it stimulates our sex hormones (which are protective) and lowers inflammation.

Studies have even shown increased mating in animals, in line with increased light and limited darkness. For instance, sparrows in New York City reproduce year round because of all the bright light.

And conversely, the more darkness an organism experiences, the higher the stress hormones, which produces inflammation and can even cause depression.

It has been shown that after 10 hours of darkness mitochondria enzymes get very low, and cellular function declines.

This is because our bodies and eyes were made to be exposed to sunlight and bright light during the day, but in our modern culture we are often inside, or in darkness way too often.

Combine fluorescent lighting, with limited sunlight exposure from working indoors, combined with living in a northern, cloudy or cold climate you’ve got a perfect recipe for hormonal ruin that even a perfect diet would have a hard time correcting.

We just aren’t made for that.

So if you’re indoors a lot, or live in a wintery cloudy climate, it’s vital to combat the blue light and excess darkness with some bright light. But NOT from florescent lighting, or regular blue-white LEDs…… that will just make things worse!

You’ll want to use high-wattage incandescent lightbulbs. The brighter the better. Just don’t look directly at the light, because you’ll hurt your eyes. Kinda like looking at the sun; just not a good idea, m’kay?

The goal is simply to be exposed to it. As long as it’s illuminating the general area around you, your eyes will get all the exposure they need to stimulate energy (just as if you were exposed to sunlight).

Aaaand the cherry on top: there are NO negative side-effects to red light therapy, other than excess warmth, which is quickly remedied by taking a break. 🙂

There’s only one problem with incandescent lights………sadly, they’ve been banned in many places, or are just generally unavailable.

But we’re smarter than the average bear and there is definitely a legal work-around for this!

Grab my red-light cheatsheet below, and I’ll send you info on what mistakes to avoid, the lights I use, and where you can get them too!

If you’ve read any of my other posts or taken my course, you’ll know that I’M BIG on increasing the metabolic rate for the sake of health and healing, which red light clearly does.

Something I often notice after using red light therapy is a feeling of calm, and most notably; an increased appetite because of the metabolic boosting effect.

SIDE RANT:

Increased appetite is often a VERY good sign of increased metabolism, and can be vital for healing when you’re not getting enough nutrition (which is most people, including “healthy eaters”).

People with autoimmunity and inflammation are usually under-eating……..not so much calories (although that can happen too) but usually nutrition.

But, as long as you make good choices, (lean protein, whole foods, fruit, etc) when you feel hungry, than increased hunger is a great thing!

Think about it…….if you’re starving and you reach for an apple, are you going to binge eat 20 apples? Of course not.

Overeating only happens when you’re eating processed foods which have been literally engineered to cause additive snacking.

But when we eat nutritionally-dense healthy foods, eating more will actually increase your metabolic rate, and help you shed excess fat.

And even better; increase energy! Energy comes from food, and you can’t lose weight or be healthy without energy.

BUT THAT’S A WHOLE OTHER BLOG POST……..SO BACK TO RED LIGHTS!

Aside from all the scientific talk about red lights, lets talk day-to-day stuff we all can relate to.

By increasing metabolism, red light therapy helps:

Decrease bloating
Aid digestion
Reduce anxiety & restlessness
Improve sleep quality
Increase thyroid activity and energy
Improve mood and outlook
Lower stress hormones
Regulate temperature and pulse

Being under red lights reminds me a bit of the affect of sunlight. It gives that warm, calming feeling you get in your tummy when sunbathing.

I was able to totally reverse all of my rheumatoid arthritis pain naturally (by increasing cellular respiration) and red lights were an important part of my healing regimen.

So yeah……HIGHLY recommend. 🙂

Note: There are also LED light versions which is what most studies used, but those tend to be much more pricey, and don’t give off the added benefit of bright light. So for the sake of brevity and ease of implementation, I’m just focusing on the incandescent type bulbs right now.

HOW TO USE RED-LIGHTS:

Think of buying red-lights, like buying a supplement.

It will help you heal and be healthier, but it should be in addition to a overall healthy nutrient-dense diet if you want the best results.

The lights can be as close to the skin as is comfortable. I usually have mine as close as possible without making me too warm (which is usually 3-5 feet away).

If you’re using LED lights, they don’t emit heat so you can have them as close as is comfortable.

I often use red lights all day long in the winter, because of the lack of sunlight that time of year. In the summer, I use them a little less, just because it gets hot, but I still try to use them for at least a couple hours per day.

And if you’re someone who’s often cold at room temp, even though everyone else feels fine, you’ll find it especially beneficial.

Women in general tend to be more prone to feeling cold because of excess estrogen (which causes a low metabolic rate), so red light doesn’t just heal at the cellular level, but also is a pleasant symptom treatment for cold fingers and toes, and general metabolic stress.

IN SUMMARY:

Red lights were (and are) instrumental to me for relieving stress & pain symptoms, and for overall health. I use them daily for wellness and anti-aging purposes.

They’re safe, cheap, effective, with no negative side-effects (except maybe for being the weird bio-hacker girl with red lights in her room).

What’s not to like? 🙂

Now, if you’re ready to start feeling better, grab the red-light cheatsheet below to learn what mistakes to avoid, and which lights to use!

#Rheumatoid #arthritis #natural #remedies #DoNoHarm #RedLight #healing #health #affordable #safe #effective #LightTherapy

REFERENCES: Note: Red light therapy is also called low level laser, or low level light therapy, low intensity light therapy, photobiostimulation, biostimulation (BIOS), photobiomodulation, photonic stimulation or photorejuvenation. You’ll see red light therapy called many of these various terms below.

Low level laser therapy for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: a metaanalysis. Brosseau et al. 2000.
IUBMB Life. 2010 Aug;62(8):607-10. Multiple roles of cytochrome c oxidase in mammalian cells under action of red and IR-A radiation.
Low level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III) for treating osteoarthritis. Brosseau et al. 2004.
Ann Biomed Eng. 2012 Feb;40(2):516-33. The nuts and bolts of low-level laser (light) therapy. Chung H, Dai T, Sharma SK, Huang YY, Carroll JD, Hamblin MR.
Effect of low-level laser therapy on the expression of inflammatory mediators and on neutrophils and macrophages in acute joint inflammation. Alves et al. 2013.
Can osteoarthritis be treated with light? Michael R Hamblin, 2013.
J Photochem Photobiol B. 1995 Mar;27(3):219-23. Irradiation with He-Ne laser increases ATP level in cells cultivated in vitro. Karu T, Pyatibrat L, Kalendo G.
Effect of low-level laser therapy (904 nm) and static stretching in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a protocol of randomised controlled trial. Ferreira de Meneses et al. 2015.
Does addition of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in conservative care of knee arthritis successfully postpone the need for joint replacement? Ip et al. 2015.
Photomed Laser Surg. 2008 Oct;26(5):451-3. Intracellular ATP level increases in lymphocytes irradiated with infrared laser light of wavelength 904 nm
High-intensity versus low-level laser therapy in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Kheshie et al. 2014
Short-term efficacy of physical interventions in osteoarthritic knee pain. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials. Bjordal et al. 2007.
Brain Res. 2010 Jan 8;1306:100-5. Transcranial near infrared laser treatment (NILT) increases cortical adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) content following embolic strokes in rabbits
Efficacy of low-level laser therapy applied at acupuncture points in knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind comparative trial. Al Rashoud et al. 2014.
Effect of low-level laser therapy in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis: a single-blinded randomized clinical study. Alghadir et al. 2014.
Influence of various laser therapy methods on knee joint pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Gworys et al. 2012.
Efficacy of low level laser therapy associated with exercises in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind study. Alfredo et al. 2012.
J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;23(3):521-35. Transcranial laser therapy attenuates amyloid-β peptide neuropathology in amyloid-β protein precursor transgenic mice.
The effect of low-level laser in knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Hegedus et al. 2009.
Synergic effects of ultrasound and laser on the pain relief in women with hand osteoarthritis. Paolillo et al. 2015.
A systematic review of low level laser therapy with location-specific doses for pain from chronic joint disorders. Bjordal et al. 2003.
Meta-Analysis of Pain Relief Effects by Laser Irradiation on Joint Areas. Ho Jang et al. 2012.
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression. Anita R Gross et al. 2013.
The influence of intravenous laser irradiation of the blood on the dynamics of leptin levels and the quality of life of the patients presenting with rheumatoid arthritis. Burduli et al. 2015.
Reduction of IL-20 Expression in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Linear Polarized Infrared Light Irradiation. Imaoka et al. 2014.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with ATP. Birger Carlström and Olle Lövgren. 1949.
Low-level laser therapy in different stages of rheumatoid arthritis: a histological study. Alves et al. 2013.
Low-level laser therapy for zymosan-induced arthritis in rats: Importance of illumination time. Castano et al. 2007.
Effects of low-level laser therapy at wavelengths of 660 and 808 nm in experimental model of osteoarthritis. da Rosa et al. 2012.
Anti-inflammatory activities of light emitting diode irradiation on collagen-induced arthritis in mice (a secondary publication). Kuboyama et al. 2014.
Photobiomodulation of pain and inflammation in microcrystalline arthropathies: experimental and clinical results. Soriano et al. 2006.
Low-level laser therapy stimulates tissue repair and reduces the extracellular matrix degradation in rats with induced arthritis in the temporomandibular joint. Lemos et al. 2016.
Effect of low-level laser on healing of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis in rats. Peimani et al. 2014.
Effect of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) in a rabbit model. Oshima Y. 2011.
Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials. Chow et al. 2009.
Rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid abnormalities. Staykova. 2007.
Laser Ther. 2011; 20(3): 205–215. Is light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy really effective? Won-Serk Kim and R Glen Calderhead
An Bras Dermatol. 2014 Jul-Aug;89(4):616-23. Effects of low-power light therapy on wound healing: LASER x LED. Chaves ME et al., 2014.
Improvement of pain and disability in elderly patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee treated with narrow-band light therapy. Stelian et al. 1992.
In chronic low back pain, low level laser therapy combined with exercise is more beneficial than exercise alone in the long term: a randomised trial. Djavid et al. 2007.
Laser therapy: a randomized, controlled trial of the effects of low-intensity Nd:YAG laser irradiation on musculoskeletal back pain. Basford et al. 1999.
Evaluation of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. Cetiner et al. 2006.
Lasertherapy efficacy in temporomandibular disorders: control study. Santos Tde et al. 2010.
Low-power laser treatment in patients with frozen shoulder: preliminary results. Stergioulas. 2008.
Exact action spectra for cellular responses relevant to phototherapy. Karu et al. 2005.
Positive effects of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on Bouchard’s and Heberden’s osteoarthritis. Baltzer et al. 2016

How to "brainwash" yourself for success

“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Recently on Instagram I posted about the healing affirmations I used in my health journey which took me from an anxious woman in crippling pain, to the woman I am today (off medication and pain free for over 6 YEARS now, and in control of my health).

Now, of course affirmations aren’t the ONLY thing that helped me, but it was an essential tool, and one of the secrets to my success.

I think people often make the mistake of focusing ONLY on mindset, or ONLY on nutrition…..but you need both.

Even with the perfect diet and healthy lifestyle, the wrong mindset (belief system) can sabotage you, no matter how hard you try to reach your health goals! *cue ugly cry*

Now, if you’re not familiar with affirmations; the goal is to influence and shift your subconscious belief systems around whatever is is you want to change or achieve. You see, even though we might think all our decisions are deliberate, logical and conscious, in reality all the major life-changing things we do and decisions we make, are dictated by our subconscious, based on how we FEEL emotionally. If you’ve ever tried to start a new healthy habit, or quit a bad one, for example:

Eating healthy
Making time for fresh air and getting outside
Saying a kind word to someone
Spending 10 minutes in gratitude
Meditating
Going to bed on time

You were probably great at it for a week and then things drifted, right? Why is that? Why can’t we just simply do the things we know we should do? These are not impossible tasks that require rocket-science to engineer, yet we find ourselves saying it’s “change is so hard” and can’t seem to maintain consistency when we attempt change. Well there are actually several reasons, but one central one is that we don’t see ourselves as “that person”. We might think “I’d love to be that person that gets up early and eats right, and is organized and has good personal boundaries, but it’s so hard for me”….. So while trying to do that new thing, we are silently or even consciously damning ourselves the whole time, telling our subconscious mind it’s not possible, and “that’s not me.” That sets us up for failure, because no matter how hard we try, we aren’t designed to do something long-term that opposes our self-image. Eventually we succumb the person we think “we really are”. But the magical thing is this; You are simply whoever you decide to be! You’re not meant to “find yourself”…..you’re meant to CREATE yourself. To mold YOU, to DESIGN you. You’re not fated to a certain outcome, no matter your genetics, or your past. So by consciously shifting our beliefs around who we are, we can achieve results that might seem to require superhuman willpower….. Because all that is really needed is a powerful vision and belief in ourselves that we can in fact do the things needed to change our life. If you think you can just brute force, or willpower your way through something……..I’m telling, I learned from experience….that doesn’t last. You might be able to do it for a few weeks, months or even a couple years, but you’ll burnout eventually because willpower is a limited resource. BUT YOUR VISION (YOUR “WHY”) AND YOUR DEVELOPMENT OF SELF…. THOSE ARE UNLIMITED RESOURCES!

So here’s what I do: I listen to my affirmations with headphones in, or read them in a quiet place and work on being fully present and enveloped in the feeling described by the affirmation. Don’t just repeat them or listen passively, but fully engage in the thought, and over time this will change your beliefs when you choose to suspend disbelief. At night when lying in bed, listen to your affirmations with your eyes closed and headphones on. As you hear each affirmation imagine a situation where it happens and make the picture as real, and as colorful and detailed as you can. Your goal is to brainwash yourself and make this as if it’s a real memory for you, not just something you desire. Feel the positive emotions associated with each affirmation run through your body again and again. Your subconscious doesn’t know the difference between something you’re fantasizing about, versus something that’s actually already happened (for instance, a memory).

This is powerful, because it’s easy to have confidence in a memory or something that’s already happened, which is why this has the ability to change how you envision your future and what you believe is possible. Instead of always worrying about what you DON’T want, Program your mind to focus on what you DO want. And THAT is powerful, because as your beliefs change, you move from a place of fear and insecurity, to a place of hope and peace. And when you’re operating from a place of hope and peace, your body leaves survival mode (your “flight-or-fight” sympathetic nervous system response) and shifts into your parasympathetic nervous system, which allows more mental clarity, and most importantly, more peace and hope. This literally makes you healthier by reducing cortisol, so this is not just “woo-woo” stuff, but can actually improve your health, just like dietary changes will. I suggest listening to your affirmations as you go to sleep every night, or any other time when you can close your eyes and totally immerse yourself in visualizing it. The only way you won’t get results, is if you don’t do it! Don’t try to analyze if it will work, or speculate if it will work for you; just trust the process. Block out all judgement and overthinking, and let yourself feel the affirmations as if you’re living them in that very moment. Your cortisol will drop and your youth hormones will elevate. Don’t wait, go do it now!

Above are my affirmations that have not only helped me, but more importantly, many others too!

I get so much great feedback from people who’ve told me how much it’s helped them.

The affirmations are mostly focused on health, self-image, and confidence, but feel free to also use them for inspiration, and write your own if there are specific beliefs you’d like to focus on, or others you need to change.

Poor skin, slow healing, low sex drive, blood sugar issues and low immunity? Then read on, baby

I had chapped lips on-and-off for what felt like YEARS, although in reality it was probably just under a year. One day, while reading about the power of zinc for healing, I cooked up and ate a ton (well, not a ton; but probably 15) oysters. The next day I woke up and my lips were TOTALLY healed….no peeling, no cracked corners; and more than that, my energy was great and I just felt really……WELL.

….A strong sense of the body working right. Now….keep in mind, I already had a very nutritious diet, so if the rest of your diet and lifestyle isn’t in check, one food might not be a silver bullet for you (because all minerals require other vitamins & nutrients to be utilized properly). Nonetheless, whether or not you have low zinc symptoms (e.g., poor healing, sex drive issues, blood sugar issues, low immunity, autoimmunity, poor digestion, candida, IBS-D, infections), zinc is still an essential nutrient for everyone who wants to get or maintain good health.

This is one reason I insist my clients try to find a way to eat oysters; at least once a week.

Oysters are one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world, and they are a great source of selenium and B12 too.

But oysters are BY FAR the bomb-diggity (technical term) for a clean and bio-available form of zinc.

For instance, here’s the zinc content of many common foods per 100 grams:

Coconut meat 1,5 mg Egg noodles 1,6 mg Millet flakes 1,8 mg Anchovy salted 1,8 mg Cocoa powder 5,7 mg Hard cheese 5,0 mg Beef medium fat 6,1 mg Veal cooked 4,7 mg Popcorn 1,7 mg Rice 1,5 mg Peanut butter 3,0 mg Wheat wholemeal 2,7 mg Turkey 2,1 mg Brazil Nut 4,0 mg Gouda 3,8 mg Hamburger 3,6 mg Peanuts 3,4 mg Sardines 3,2 mg As you can see, the highest zinc foods are beef and cheese, but even with those you would need to eat 3-5 servings to get enough because absorption is about 1/3rd. So, when trying to take in 10mg, you actually need eat about 30mg.

With oysters however, one serving (or 100 grams) is anywhere from 30-80mg!

Some people avoid seafood due to mercury, but oysters are the lowest in mercury of any seafood, so no worries here!

SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF ZINC:

Improves sexdrive
Helps skin retain moisture
Help maintain proper bacteria levels
Reduces inflammation
Help improve glucose tolerance
Improves immunity and protects against flu’s and cold’s
Aids hormone balance
Improves brain function
Helps reduce wasting (muscle loss)
Aids healing and repair of muscle and skin
Reduces ammonia

HOW MUCH ZINC? Most people look at the RDA for nutrient amounts, but remember the RDA is based upon the bare minimum known to prevent health issues….NOT what’s required for optimal health, so some people may need more. In general, it’s recommend that men and women get between 8-12 mg a day but sometimes more is needed. Why you might need more zinc:

You’re recovering from an injury
You’re pregnant (eating for 2).
You have a lot a muscle ( zinc needs are determined largely by lean body mass)
You have poor absorption issue, like Crohn’s or have recently had diarrhea
You’re working out regularly in an attempt to put on muscle mass

Chances are you won’t ever need more than 50mg a day, but a short term supplement (for a week or so) will usually help you know if more is helpful by restoring zinc levels. Zinc taken alone as a supplement can oxidize other molecules, so don’t rely on a supplement long term; food is always best. It’s also well known to cause nausea in large amounts, so start slow if you’re sensitive to it, or take it with food. Some forms of zinc, such as oxide or picolinate are not usually well absorbed. I like Zinc sulfate or zinc Gluconate, and of course make sure to choose one with as few additives as possible, especially if you have gut issues. This is what I’ve used when experimenting. It’s inexpensive, free of risky additives and effective!

Do you have a health issue, or simply an energy issue?

Mid-century semi-starvation experiment of 1500 calories a day resulted in these symptoms: 1. Significant increases in depression and severe emotional distress 2. Hysteria (an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, irrationality, weeping, violent emotional outbreaks) 3. Hypochondria 4. Participants exhibited a preoccupation with food, both during the starvation period and the rehabilitation phase. 5. Sexual interest was drastically reduced 6. Signs of social withdrawal and isolation 7. Decline in concentration, comprehension and judgment capabilities. 8. There were marked declines in physiological processes indicative of decreases in each subject’s basal metabolic rate (the energy required by the body in a state of rest), reflected in reduced body temperature, respiration and heart rate. 9. Some of the subjects exhibited edema (water retention) in their extremities, presumably due to decreased levels of plasma proteins given that the body’s ability to construct key proteins like albumin is based on available energy sources. 🥩 In other words the symptoms of semi-starvation are the EXACT complaints I hear from women daily: 🙍‍♀️ “I feel easily stressed, have brain fog, obsessed about health and food, low libido, temperature and pulse are off, poor sleep, self-conscious and tendency to isolate, and have bloating and muscle loss and low energy” 😞 The vast majority of women I speak suffering from these ailments are also doing cyclical dieting, cutting carbs or calories and have a general fear of food and are focused on restriction, and weight gain or appearance versus nourishment. 🍉 What’s the best thing you can do for healing your anxiety, insomnia, gut issues, brain fog and general hormone imbalances? ❓ Provide your body with energy! 🍽 Eat well. Eat regularly. Eat consistently. Eat what makes you feel good. And eat ENOUGH. Eating enough nutrient dense calories, that you can digest and that provide your body with energy is the ONLY way to heal hormonal issues sustainably. 🙂 If you want a sharp mind, strong muscles, high resilience to stress, you need LOTS of energy to get there. 💪 The faster our metabolism works, the higher our energy needs are. ⚡️ So, if you want your metabolism to work more efficiently, and your brain to work better and your muscles to be stronger, does it really make sense to restrict the energy needed to make that happen? 🤦‍♀️ Nope. It makes sense to cut out the junk that keeps your body from burning fuel the way it wants to and give it more of the nutrients it needs, without restriction. 🤗 A few of the major things that make our body more efficient at using energy properly: 🖤eliminating processed foods full of gums like carrageenan and and inflammatory oils, like canola oil and seed oils. 🖤Eating more saturated fats like coconut oil and grass fed butter. Try supplementing REFINED coconut oil daily on top of using it in cooking 🖤Getting environmental estrogens out of your products and home (limit your product usage; you don’t need 1/2 the things you’re using, I promise you) 🖤Eating enough of the right carbs for you (I personally don’t sleep well or feel strong with less than 160 grams on average) 🖤Getting more sleep and sunlight and reducing stress in your life (you can’t heal if you’re not able to shut off the stress response and sleep through the night) 🖤Get enough salt (essential for proper hydration)

A simple, natural (and cheap) way to increase energy and improve mood & digestion.

Ever felt kinda sore and lethargic, as if you’re recovering from a workout, but……. you DIDN’T workout?

🤷🏻‍♀️

This feeling is often caused by excess lactic acid, and ammonia.

😐

Lactic acid is elevated in disease states and can cause all kinds of issues; abdominal discomfort, decreased appetite, irregularity, shallow breathing, general feelings of discomfort, poor mood, muscle pain, cramping, unusual tiredness, weakness, and insomnia just to name a few!

🙃

Cancer can even be diagnosed by increased chronic lactic acid excess in the blood because it’s one of the elements that keeps the cancer cycle in progress.

😳

Lowering the production of excess lactic acid in the body will help your cellular energy metabolism function more optimally, leading to better health overall. Something we all want.

🤗

Well, one simple and safe way to lower lactic acid is to supplement with a little baking soda.

🍽

Baking soda reduces the damage done by lactic acid, such as slow healing, lowered cellular energy, and high stress hormones.

👏🏻

Some fitness competitors will take a tablespoon before & after a workout to prevent the damage of the lactic acid “burn”.

🔥

A lot of people think “feeling the burn” is a badge of honor, but I noticed much better health, mood, and energy when I do several mini-workouts vs a long one that gives lots of “burn” and elevates lactic acid for days on end.

When you think of baking soda, you’re likely to think of it’s ability to alkalize, but it’s benefits go way beyond that. Baking soda has been shown to improve antibacterial activity: “…E. coli grown in high concentrations of sodium bicarbonate exhibited an extended lag phase, implying lowered metabolic resources. Further, intracellular ATP levels……… were reduced by ~30% in sodium bicarbonate-treated E. coli compared to the untreated control. Overall, these experiments suggest that bicarbonate is a bacteriostatic compound that perturbs cellular respiration and reduces the activity of cell wall-active antibiotics that require actively growing bacteria for activity.” In a study done by scientific director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Chi Van Dang) they studied mice who had consumed baking soda and the results were very promising for cancer treatments. “The entire tumor lights up with mTOR activity. The prediction would be that by reawakening these cells, you could make the tumor far more sensitive to therapy.”” Dang said; The concept is so easy. It’s not some $100,000 per year drug. It’s literally just baking soda. Another study found that baking soda created an “anti-inflammatory environment” in the spleen, suggesting it may reduce inflammation that results in autoimmune conditions. “Our data indicate that oral NaHCO3 activates a splenic anti-inflammatory pathway and provides evidence that the signals that mediate this response are transmitted to the spleen via a novel neuronal-like function of mesothelial cells.” Oral NaHCO3 Activates a Splenic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway: Evidence That Cholinergic Signals Are Transmitted via Mesothelial Cells It’s also supplies sodium, which keeps stress in check, and energy up….something we all want! MISTAKES TO AVOID: A common myth in the health world is that the more alkaline you are, the better, so many people think the more baking soda the better…… but it’s important to have right amount……not too much, not too little. Making yourself too alkaline can cause issues too. To further confuse things; most people only focus on blood PH, but we actually have different ph’s all over the body that need to be accounted for to measure things properly. For instance, yes, our blood should be alkaline, but INSIDE our cells need to be acidic (for our blood to be alkaline). This is because CO2 takes minerals out of the cell and puts them into the blood, and it’s this exchange that keeps the blood alkaline. The acid/alkaline balance in both places is carefully maintained and both need to be right for everything to work well. In sick cells (as in cancer) the ph inside of the cell becomes alkaline and the blood becomes more acidic. So, for the same reason, we generally want the urine to be slightly acidic to maintain blood alkalinity, about 6.5 or so.

This is because your kidneys (which regulate what ends up in the urine) will be keeping those alkaline minerals and discarding any unneeded acids. If you take too much baking soda (or your urine is too alkaline) you might:

Lower ionized calcium levels (bad for your bones and Central nervous system)
Cause urinary tract infections
Increase the chance of creating kidney stones

So, while baking soda can be great, you also don’t want to be too alkaline. Fortunately, there’s a pretty simple and cheap way to test this; urine ph. I use these ph strips to check if I’m regularly using baking soda. They’re super cheap, and it only takes a moment to do this, so it’s well worth doing. The accepted medical range for urine PH is quite broad but when looking at both the principles of physiology and where most people feel best, to me it makes sense to aim for the mid-6’s for an ideal post-meal range in normal health. TIPS ON USING IT:

Because baking soda is alkaline, it is usually best to take it separate from meals, so as not to disrupt digestion. However if you want to reduce acidity (in something like orange juice, for example), just add pinch, or more if you like it fizzy.
Measure your urine PH (I use these) for a few days to see what you’re normally at.
Then start out with 1/4 teaspoon in the morning in water and watch the affects. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours to notice the affects both on how you feel and urine ph. I have used a teaspoon before with great results and other times, that’s been WAY too much. Everyone will be different.
There is no standard dosage I can recommend and your body’s needs and stressors change all the time, so if you use it regularly, make sure to check your ph fairly often so as to not go too alkaline.

CONCLUSION: If you have autoimmune issues like I did, (or any chronic symptoms) a simple, safe way to improve fatigue and soreness, is to experiment with baking soda. 💭 It’s not a miracle cure but in the context of the right diet, I’ve found a little spoon of baking soda to provide an almost instant boost in energy, giving me a happy, light feeling and more flexibility and strength. 💪🏻 Baking soda doesn’t have a sexy label, or a “bio-hacking” reputation, but like most things, I’ve found some of the most powerful improvement in my health has come from simple, natural resources; like baking soda!

Another natural and free thing that reduces acidity? Vitamin D!

Healing elements are all around us.

REFERENCES:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21861189

https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/12017929

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Putt/publication/24193168

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2834485/ https://www.jimmunol.org/content/200/10/3568 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180425093745.htm

https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/69/6/2260?https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/69/6/2260? ijkey=d178626fe1573d91eed32b4cf3a7927185de7699&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30755444

https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-04/mcog-dbs042418.php

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsinfecdis.7b00194

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321624.php https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322660.php

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)30586-5 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321970.php https://www.news-medical.net/news/20160319/Neutralizing-acidic-tumor-environment-increases-efficacy-of-immune-targeting-cancer-therapies.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3849184/

https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/6/6/2501#

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20040895 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2428294/?page=2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28344053 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29389240

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00695712

The common vitamin that can treat Fibro, Chronic Fatigue, Brain fog, nerve pain, seizures, & more

If there is a single common denominator in poor health & disease, it’s low energy.

Fatigue, trouble focusing, trouble executing, “wired but tired”, poor sleep, brain fog, slowed thinking, forgetfulness, etc. are all very common symptoms.

People often think tiredness or fatigue aren’t serious health issues (because it’s SO common), so it’s often attributed to poor sleep.

But actually, the inability to fall into a deep sleep stems from the result of chronic low energy and is itself serious, because it (fatigue) is both a symptom and cause in almost every disease state.

Fatigue is a common after strokes and some studies show it’s so severe that it’s linked to a high mortality rate. So, although coffee and other things can be helpful for energy, regular fatigue shouldn’t be ignored and brushed aside, because it is an important signal from the body that something is off.

And that is why it’s worth considering thiamine for overall health, because not only can it help almost anyone with energy issues, but it actually helps the body create energy and achieve homeostasis sustainably.

There is also strong evidence that a thiamine deficiency is itself part of the problem in many health issues……for instance, some studies have indicated that 75% of diabetics have a deficiency.

THE SCIENCE:

A study on cancer patients who had various types of cancers showed that more than 1/2 of them had a thiamine deficiency. The study concluded that thiamine deficiency is highly prevalent among inpatients with cancer, even in the absence of other vitamin deficiencies, and while receiving multivitamins. Most oncologists do not check for this deficiency, so it is often ignored as a contributing factor to declining health.
In a study on fibromyalgia, it was noted that many symptoms are likely are caused by a thiamine deficiency and after the patients took high doses of thiamine there was significant improvement in their symptoms.
In a study on post-stroke fatigue it is suggested that post-stroke fatigue and related disorders could be the manifestation of a mild thiamine deficiency (since supplementation improved fatigue).
In a study on IBS 10 out of 12 patients showed complete regression of fatigue, while the remaining two showed nearly complete regression of fatigue compared to the chronic fatigue syndrome scale scores before therapy.
In a study on MS (even though blood levels of thiamine were normal) administration of large quantities of thiamine was effective in reversing fatigue.
In a study on hashimotos administration of thiamine led to a partial or complete regression of fatigue and related disorders
In a study on a infant with diabetes, thiamine (benfotiamine) sustained improvement in all haematological parameters and the insulin requirement was able to be progressively reduced and the disease was put in remission for at least 2 years.
A study on seizures shows a link between low B1 and the frequency of seizures or epileptic fits.

Even when blood levels of thiamine are normal, taking higher doses can improve many symptoms, likely due to a dysfunction of the intracellular (inside the cell) transport of thiamine. Abnormalities in thiamine-dependent processes appear to be overcome by thiamine when it’ dosed at supra-physiological levels, causing high concentrations to enter the body.

You might have plenty of thiamine, but not be able to use it, and this is when high doses can often override a potential dysfunction and improve energy production.

Benefits of thiamine

It improves oxidative metabolism (which means it helps cells throughout the body create more energy, with less stress).
It is especially useful for brain function, by preventing too much ammonia (a cause of brain fog)
It facilitates overall energy function for the whole body, not just the brain
It improves the ability of your cells to utilize sugar (glucose) instead of storing it as fat, or causing high blood sugar.
It helps your liver detoxify estrogen to protect against estrogen dominance (which is one of the causes of autoimmunity).
Because of those benefits it helps your body use thyroid hormone (t3) better.
It lowers lactic acid (a cause of fatigue and soreness).
It helps with nerve pain (sciatica, back pain, tooth pain, shooting pains).
It helps to reduce physiological stress by up-regulating energy production. This alone can be cancer-protective as cells under stress slow down and start to malfunction.

Other signs/reasons to suspect you need more thiamine… Frequent alcohol usage (it depletes B vitamins)…

You notice mosquitoes biting you, even though others around you aren’t getting bitten….B1 is great as a mosquito repellant.

Your vision is blurry (multiple studies have linked this to B1 deficiency).

HOW TO USE:

Use for at least 2-3 weeks to judge affects
Dosages in studies normally range from 250 mg to as much as 3,000 mg daily (not mcg).
If you use high doses (over 500mg) it’s usually best to spread it throughout the day, every 3-4 hours, and to take it with food.
Make sure you have your basics covered (eating enough carbohydrates and calories and salt), otherwise B1 can’t help you with energy if you don’t have the fuel to support it’s use.
Use food in addition to supplementation (liver is a GREAT source of B1). The body assimilates vitamins from food much better than from supplements.
Use a clean supplement, without many additives (like silica or heavy metals). I use this one, or this one when traveling. It is very bitter, so if you use the powder, be prepared to chase it with something.

Always listen to your body, even if your labs are normal. If you’ve covered the basics and still have energy issues, it would be smart to experiment with Thiamine (B1) because it is very safe in high doses, is natural, water-soluble (no concern about long term storage issues) and has very little risk as there are no reports of adverse effects from consumption of excess thiamine. Also, if you don’t know how to optimize your energy and hormones naturally, check out my training on a metabolic approach to learn how I do it! 👇

Hope this brings you one step closer to your best life yet!

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27228202 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2044623

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23696141

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31243025

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23861280

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23379830

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25192035

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23379830

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