Evolution Wellness

Up and Down.....Crash State and
Healing State.
If you drew 2 circles the size you imagine the Crash State and Healing State to be, it could give you some insighht.

Today, on my page, The Crash State Circle was huge and The Healing State Circle was tiny.

So much work. And it can happen quickly to make the shift or it can take so much time it is discouraging cause you are down and discouraged and life isn't that much fun!

The important message here I think is that the size of the circles CAN shift with the right tools. And the more you work with the tools, the faster the shift can happen.

Nervous System Regulation
Eye Exercises
Vagal Toning
Healthy lifestyle choices (And frankly, I didn't have the energy to make many of those!)

Riding this wave (known as the polyvagal wave) is not easy. It is not fair. It is not fun.

But - it is required to make progress.

Today I am thinking about how social media is robbing us of valuable time - yes - even this post you are currently reading (yes - I do see the irony).

So, if a post does not entertain you, educate you, make you laugh, give you information you are interested in or make you feel good about your life - just shut it down.

See ya'
Have a great long weekend.

Well - still gluten!! And Wheat!

Ha! I have to comment on my post below. No wonder we simply don't know which way to turn when it comes to food.

I was watching an episode in a summit yesterday.

Dr. William Davis (author of 2011 best seller Wheat Belly) claims that modern wheat (not all gluten just to be clear - but modern wheat) is "the world's most destructive dietary ingredient". He argues that cross breeding has created a grain that negatively affects blood cholesterol, blood sugar and overall weight".

Dr. David Perlmutter (neurologist and author of Grain Brain) heavily targets both wheat and all gluten as triggers for inflammation and neurological disorders and states that all people struggle to digest it. 100% of people.

They may not have GI symptoms but stuggles with wheat/gluten will show up in other areas such as joint pain, respiratory issues, autoimmune conditions.

John Duillard (Ayuervedic Doctor of note) claims that wheat is a great fall and winter food!

And it goes on .....so good luck with it all. Obviously they would all agree that should you decide to eat wheat - go organic OR at least glyphosate free. And then this falls into availability and budgetary issues for many people.

Wheat feeds billions of people. So does rice, soy and corn. These are all under fire as unhealthy foods. Many say that organic soy is a great food. Some countries have banned all soy products in baby formula.......One "expert" in the healthworld stated that white rice is better for you than brown rice stating that all brown rice is extremely hard on digestion for a number of reasons. It wasn't stated that white rice is nutritious - just easier to digest.

And corn! I guess none of us can digest it hence the transit time test of eating a cup of corn and then seeing when it shows up in the toilet undigested. Whatever that time frame is would be your transit time - the time it takes for food to get from tongue to tail. Some countries only feed corn to livestock.

Doctors and allergists are all over the map when it comes to food allergy and sensitivity testing - one Calgary allergist told me it was all a hoax. Some say blood testing is best - others say DNA testing is best and they all cost a lot of money or you may be covered but have to wait 18 months to see a specialist.

Who the hell knows!? And some people are simply struggling to get food. Period! And that is just tragic.

Do your best is all I've got in the end and eat what feels good in your body and brain. Pay attention. And that's not easy either.

Thinking about gluten....always! Good? Bad? For everyone? Here is what Sara Otto thinks about it.

A note on gluten: Unless you have celiac disease or a
diagnosed gluten sensitivity, gluten isn't necessarily the
enemy. Gluten-containing grains are a valuable source of fiber
for your microbiome, and studies consistently link wheat
consumption with better health outcomes and reduced chronic
disease risk.

However, people with celiac disease, non-celiac
gluten sensitivity, or Hashimoto's thyroiditis should avoid it,
and those with high inflammation or autoimmune conditions
may benefit from temporary elimination.

It's also worth
knowing that modern wheat has been significantly hybridised
and chemically treated — so if you do eat gluten, choosing
organic ancient grain varieties is a smart move.
.....and oats?
Oats are one of the simplest and most effective anti-inflammatory
foods you can eat and a pretty great source of protein!

Eating collagen supplements does NOT directly build skin collagen — your body needs plant-based building blocks to produce its own. Dr. Jessica Krant (Dermatologist)

I've been trying to follow this advice for over 10 years but then I get side-swiped by some sliick marketing campaign.

What about applying collagen products? Nope - not effective.

So - save your money.

What do you eat to get the body to build its own collagen?

Protein (plant or animal based - both work)
Sea Buckthorn oil
Kale
Spinach
White button mushrooms (cooked)
Spirulina
Acerola cherries (or good quality vitramin C from another source)
Mare's Tail - Horsetail - silica (tea is good - it grows wild EVERYWHERE as a w**d) Bamboo shoots are also high in silica.

OK - you don't need it all and not all at once. So pick what's easy for you.

I am back from a week of "brain retraining" in Calgary. It was a taxing week and there is lots of rehab ahead!! Took yesterday off cause my brain was rocked (walking around the house like a stoned Ninja) and then Paul and I went through my exercises this morning....3 times a day for eyes/brain. Once a day for physical/chiro therapy (some very unpleasant ones!) 2-3 wee walks. Resting. Resting. Resting. Red Light Therapy 2 times a day.
Revisit it all in a week to make sure I'm doing the exercises correctly and that they are making me better and not worse!
Ocular, vestibular and neuro therapy to get the nerves on the right side up and running again and signaling in harmony with the left side.
It was a fascinating week and the equipment and technology is kind of futuristic.
So....onward. Give it 6 months of consistent progress at a slow pace and increase the difficulty of the exercises as we go.
Such FUN!! It is challenging.
There was a woman who spent the week with me doing her second round. She was paralyzed from a bike accident from the waist down - left side......for 2 years. She did an intensive week in March and is walking and working and driving!! Amazing stuff.

The difference between sight and vision. I have excellent sight and sketchy vision....Key

Differences Between Sight and Vision

Definition & Process:
Sight: The ability to see letters on a chart (clarity). It is a physical act involving the eyes capturing light and creating an image on the retina.
Vision: The brain's interpretation of that image. It is a complex process utilizing 65% of the brain's pathways.

Measurement:
Sight: Measured by standard tests, such as 20/20 scores, often with this eye test.
Vision: Involves functional visual skills (e.g., peripheral awareness, tracking) that can be improved through training.

Function:
Sight: Helps in detecting objects and navigating the physical world.
Vision: Interprets what is seen to provide meaning, such as depth perception, reading comprehension, and sports performance.

Common Contrasts

Physical vs. Mental: Sight is purely physical, while vision is mental.
Information vs. Interpretation: Sight gives you the data (the picture), and vision gives you the meaning.

Fixation vs. Action: Sight is immediate, whereas vision involves anticipation and action.

Hi - there are a lot of people in my circle who are dealing with vertigo and concussions!! Lots of different treatments being tried.
I am presenting with what most people would understand as what a concussion might feel like. Problem is, it has been going on for about 15 years and it isn't typical vertigo nor is it a typical concussion.

And so........always looking for a solution, I found some specialists in this area to do significant testing last week and next week, I will spend 5 days (6 hours a day) re-training how my brain receives signals from my eyes tracking and my brain stem. My cerebellum and brain stem are in the mix.

I put this up - not to bare my stuff - but in case other people can benefit from this type of intervention.

Concussion is the easy public explanation that most people "get"....I have had hours of testing and imaging....the result is that symptoms are presenting what people would understand as a concussion. There is vertigo (not spinning but the feeling of one's body and brain being a lava lamp or you are walking around with someone else's glasses on) - but not from inner ear issues from crystals.

My eyes are not tracking properly and there are chaotic signals between what I see and what my brain processes.
This creates instability, feelings of rocking and swaying and tipping over.

The right branch of my vagus nerve is not firing up.

My lowest score was interpreting sensory information - so DO NOT GO TO COSTCO, airports, concerts, busy shoppng malls, busy/noisy restaurants, etc. Even complex designs in wallpaper and carpets (as an example) trigger imbalance.

Lower brain stem integration is what is breaking down with me. I will be doing neural rehab therapy!

As you may or may not know, these sensations have been an issue for years and I have had 2 significant falls since December that have amplified the sensations.

My eyes and cervical spine are not communicating in sync! So...off to Calgary for intensive training for 5 days - 6 hours a day!
I think it will be fascinating to see how they treat this and what the outcome will be.

I have felt like I've been living Alice's in Wonderland's life and I am pretty sick of it. She was lucky as it ended up being a dream.

Nourishing mitochondria and reducing inflammation with food sources is great for every body and especially important as we add on years. Yes, you can supplement, but food is always recognized by the body and the uptake is so much better than supplements. Sometimes - a good food sourced multi-vitamin/mineral is great insurance when required.

Boost NAD levels: NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that’s vital for mitochondrial function and cellular repair. As you age, NAD levels naturally decline, but you can help replenish them with foods high in niacin, like chicken, tuna, and mushrooms.

Fuel up with CoQ10 and B vitamins: Coenzyme Q10 and B vitamins are essential for mitochondrial energy production. Add foods rich in CoQ10, like fatty fish and organ meats. I don't really eat a lot of organ meats - well none, actually - so I might consider a B supplement but I don't like them. Can't even stand the smell of them in a container. Find them upsetting to one's stomach. My best alternative is to eat pate (which I rarely do) or take a liver capsule - just liver in a capsule.

Add mitochondrial-supporting foods: Foods rich in polyphenols—like berries, green tea, and dark chocolate—contain antioxidants that protect mitochondria from damage. I Love all of these suggestions!

Vitamin D3: Aim for 5000 IUs/day.
Good sources are: Sunlight exposure, fatty fish, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks. Sunlight is best and at some times of the year - very difficult to access here.

Zinc: Aim for 15 to 30 mg/day.
Good food sources are: Meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts, and dairy.

Magnesium: Aim for 400-420 mg/day (men), 310-320 mg/day (women).
Good food sources are: Pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, and dark chocolate.

Omega-3 fats: Aim for 500 mg to 1,000 mg of EPA/DHA. There is a raging controversy out there on taking fish oil and it is a big topic to enter into. Getting oil out of a fish is NOT like getting juice from an orange. Fish oil is heavily processed. Fish sources are scketchy. People tend to overuse Omega 3's and create an inbalance with Omega 6's and 9's. Walnuts and chia are good sources of omega 3's. Olive oil is good for 9's. And we do need some 6's too - so stick with nuts and seeds. There are some clean sources of algae oil/marine oil out there!
Salmon has always been a great source of many nutrients and it is getting more difficult to find wild cauught and the price can be prohibitive. ARGH!!!

Good food sources are: Salmon, mackerel, and sardines.

Bon Appetit

Oh - the monkeys remind us to watch the level of obtrusive noise and consider some silence in your day, don't stay under glaring blue light and screens 14 hours a day - take breaks from that, don't eat crappy food.

I do like a new rabbit hole to go down. Due to some stuff and a pretty substantial crash in the kitchen, I find myself swimming in the land of spagyrics (powerful herbal medicines) and incredible homeopathic potencies (fibonacci and kentian homochords). What does that gibberish mean?? There are powerful and natural medicines out there!! One doesn't always need to look to pharmaceuticals. In fact - look away whenever you can.

I truly understand that in some cases that isn't possible; but peel it back to a bare minimum. And be patient. Healing takes time.