Diet

Dopamine Deficiency Part III: Solutions

Liz James · January 25, 2022 ·

Discussing solutions is one of my favorite topics to write about, but if we didn’t first identify root causes, how would what we are doing be any different than the tendency to bandage a festering abscess? Solutions can be clues all on their own too, right? I ask that you be mindful of three things while navigating and identifying ways to improve and support healthy dopamine levels:

Would I be prone to developing an addictive tendency to something I already particularly enjoy? (Too much of a good thing makes it not necessarily a good thing.)

Am I willing to step outside of my comfort zone in the pursuit of happiness and improved dopamine balance in the body?

There is no magic “one hit wonder”. Lifestyle is where the sweet spot lies….. Just as it took every single person doing their part in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem (read Nehemiah 3 sometime!), it takes symphonic effort to succeed in body balance! Now, on to the fun stuff!

Exercise: Exercise slows the breakdown of dopamine in the body, and helps prevent loss of dopaminergic brain cells. You may have heard of the “runner’s high”. There are several neurotransmitters involved in this sensation of feeling great, and dopamine is one of them. The brain is literally washed with dopamine in these moments. If strenuous exercise is new to you, start with walking, yoga, pilates, or aquatic exercise. Mild exercise causes dopamine release too. Bonus points for exercise outdoors and with a group of friends!

Learn something new: Learning a new skill (language, hobby, sport, or activity) or simply learning new information causes dopamine to be released. It’s very likely happening right now as you read this information! You’ve heard of “seminar highs” or research junkies (yep, this is one area I receive a huge dopamine dump from!). When the dopamine release happens, it makes you want to learn more and repeat the experience. Bonus points…. The more you engage in learning new things, the stronger your brain gets too!

Vitamin D: Vitamin D has a role in the production of dopamine and in also protecting dopamine receptors. Evidence suggests that supporting healthy Vitamin D levels also supports healthy dopamine levels, especially if clinically deficient in Vitamin D. Make sure to ask for Vitamin D levels whenever you have the opportunity to get labwork! Young Living’s Super D is most bioavailable when it is dissolved in the cheek or under the tongue.

Phenylalanine and tyrosine are two amino acids used in the biosynthesis of dopamine. Foods high in phenylalanine and/or tyrosine include meats, beans, milk, nuts, seeds, whole grains, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, cherries, eggs, yogurt, and NingXia Wolfberries! Supporting healthy dopamine production is just one more reason to get your ounce or two (or four!) of NingXia Red every day!

Increasing Vagal Tone: There is a direct correlation between low vagal tone and lower levels of dopamine. You’ll want to go back and review ALL the wonderful and fun ways you can improve vagal tone! (We talked about this a few months ago….use the search option in this group to find the posts.)

Uridine is a supplement. It’s also found in beer, brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is not the same yeast that bakers use. If you do a little digging, you’ll find recipes incorporating nutritional yeast into tasty options.

Here’s a quick recipe for Caesar Salad Dressing:1 & ½ cups extra virgin olive oil¾ cup coconut milk½ avocadoJuice of one lemon1 tsp balsamic vinegar3 cloves of garlic2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast¾ tsp sea salt or pink saltA toothpick swirl or two of Young Living oregano vitality essential oil (1 drop might be WAY strong!)½ tsp onion powder(Use organic ingredients whenever possible). Put all ingredients (except olive oil) into a blender and blend til smooth. Slowly add in olive oil while blender is running at low speed. Stores up to one week in the fridge. Note: may also be used for a dipping sauce!

Cryotherapy: You’ve seen advertisements for it I’m sure. Be brave and consider giving it a try! Remember, simply exploring something new increases dopamine in the brain. Ice water immersion (or cryotherapy tanks) increase dopamine by an estimated 250%! Yowza! I am a fan of cryo….. I find it both terrifying and exhilarating (probably from that ginormous dopamine dump I received!)

Intermittent Fasting not only leads to higher levels of dopamine release; it also reduces age related dopamine receptor attrition. There are many additional reasons to incorporate intermittent fasting into your lifestyle if you’ve not considered it before now.

Curcumin is the yellow pigment found in turmeric. Curcumin reduces the metabolism of dopamine in the brain thereby increasing levels. YL Golden Turmeric or Spiced Turmeric Vitality Tea for the win! You might also consider adding Golden Turmeric to yogurt or smoothies!We’re about halfway through this pretty amazing dopamine support list! Next week we’ll wrap up with more simple and inexpensive ways to support this happy hormone.

xoxo, liz #caringissharing #knowbetterdobetter #dopamineisdope #balanceddopamineisgoodmedicine #goodmedicine #BecomingYourOwnHealthDetective#ThanksYL

Dopamine Disturbances

Liz James · January 5, 2022 ·

Dopamine Deficiency: Part I
“Motivator molecule.”
“Feel good brain juice”
“Reward chemical”
Dopamine is all those things and more. It’s a “VIP” neurotransmitter produced within the body whose job description is critical for optimal brain and body function. While dopamine occupies less than 1% of the neuron real estate in the brain, it is a key ingredient for important and finely tuned tasks:
*Controls flow of information within the brain
*Holds a critical role in memory, attention, and problem solving
*Contributes to motor skills and cognitive abilities
*Plays a supportive role in reproduction
*Activates reward and pleasure centers in the brain
*Holds a key role in attention and learning
*Reduces insulin levels in the body
*Protects the digestive system
*Influences the immune system
*Strongly affects mood and emotions
Dopamine is one of the most widely studied neurotransmitters, and yet there is still so much to discover. There is no direct way to measure levels of dopamine in the brain, so healthcare professionals must evaluate clues just like we are about to do: symptoms, lifestyle habits, medical and medication history are all important factors in becoming aware of what a dopamine deficiency might look like. I often wonder how we operate as we do, given the millions of things that can go wrong in the human body. Thankfully, God designed each body with the incredible ability to restore balance if given the correct tools and time to do so.
Do you remember how easily the gut can be brought out of balance with a pesky virus or an overpopulation of an aggressive bacteria or fungi? The same is true with dopamine. Incrementally small swings of dopamine can make a big impact in either direction. Too much dopamine can lead to some pretty challenging mental health disorders. Dopamine deficiency can be mild or it can be major. Major dopamine deficiency is linked to Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, major depressive disorder, certain neurodegenerative disorders, and addictions. Identifying a dopamine deficiency trend early on allows for the time and tools to assist in bringing the body back into balance. I’ll wager that some of these clues may surprise you:
🔎Struggle to handle stress well (often leading to feelings of hopelessness and low self esteem)
🔎Carbohydrate and sugar cravings
🔎Chronic back pain
🔎Persistent constipation
🔎Poor blood sugar stability
🔎Weight fluctuations
🔎Lack of motivation (may show up as learning difficulties)
🔎Impulsiveness (Alleviates feelings of loneliness and sadness. Self gratification is used to “force” a dopamine drop that ultimately only creates more depletion long term.
🔎Difficulty organizing thoughts or staying productive
🔎Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
🔎Restless legs
🔎Tremor in the hands
🔎Cold hands or feet
🔎Fatigue or low energy
🔎Attention difficulties (may include a diagnosis of ADD/ ADHD)
🔎Reduced libido
🔎Low moods / depression
🔎Muscle cramps, spasms, or tremors
🔎Stiffness, aches or pains that have no cause
🔎GERD
🔎Lack of insight or self awareness
How does a dopamine deficiency happen? Three possibilities exist: too little dopamine is being made, dopamine receptors are being hindered or are not available in the numbers needed, or dopamine is being broken down before it can be utilized. Neurotransmitters are just as much a product of the environment as the body is. Environment includes mindset, lifestyle, and habitual behavior. Dopamine deficiency is very much affected by all three:
❓Sleep deprivation (Are you using all your tools and knowledge to get a restful night of sleep? (Immupro, Sleep Essence, lavender, cedarwood, Peace & Calming, Rutavala, and Tranquil are great options.)
❓Adrenal fatigue (Do your adrenal glands need some supportive Endoflex or Endogize?)
❓Vitamin B6 or B3 deficiency (Are you taking Super B?)
❓Heavy metal exposure including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum. Mainstream cosmetics are a hidden contributor to daily heavy metal exposure. Lipstick is among the worst offenders. YL’s Savvy Minerals cosmetics line has many gorgeous, long lasting colors to choose from that are toxin free and dopamine friendly!
❓C Difficile overgrowth. This is often the result of antibiotic use. Always follow each antibiotic dose two hours later with a probiotic such as Life 9 or MightyPro and fermented foods to minimize risk of this occurrence.
❓Low magnesium, zinc, iron (Get proper lab work. Know your numbers, and supplement if necessary!)
❓Vitamin C deficiency (Are you taking your Super C Chewables?)
❓Vitamin D deficiency (Know your numbers and supplement with Super D or something stronger if your labs reflect the need.)
❓Obesity. This causes a downregulation of dopamine in the brain, and leads to a reduction of the number of receptors in the brain.
❓Drug abuse both depletes dopamine and reduces the number of receptors in the brain.
❓Diets high in saturated fats and sugar ultimately deplete dopamine resources.
❓Chronic stress affects the body’s ability to produce dopamine. Go back and review the section on stress for tips, tricks and habits to mitigate stress wisely.
❓Certain medications often have a disastrous effect on dopamine in the body.
The topic of medications and their effects on dopamine is so very important and unfortunately it is rarely discussed. I’ll devote next week’s post to that discussion! Life is too short to feel “meh” and live in jammies. If you’ve identified any areas of life that may be sabotaging your dopamine production or utilization, it’s always a great time to make some changes and invest in yourself!
xoxo~ liz
www.goodmedicine.info
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Power of Nutritional Holiday Herbs

Liz James · December 16, 2021 ·

Have you researched herbs of the Bible? I mean…… really dug deeply into them? When I first began learning the healing properties of herbs, I would dive into studies on www.pubmed.gov using the common name, Latin name, or constituents (ex: linalool) and it would be hours before I would come up for air. Nature is the inspiration for pharmaceuticals….. because they work. However, nature is not patentable, so there’s no money in promoting their efficacy. And then of course, there’s the Flexner report back in the early 1900’s that put the kaboosh on literally everything but Big Pharma.
Yesterday, I just read an article about the conspiring ways of Big Pharma and the USPS preventing many legal packages of Iverme(ctin from reaching people.
Evil people like King Herod from Jesus’ time are still roaming this earth and creating problems for good people.
Get to know your herbs friends. Times haven’t changed much 2000+ years later…. neither have people…. and neither have plants. God is in the details and He knows what we need and He gave it to us in the garden.
xoxo~ liz
www.goodmedicine.info
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power of nutritional holiday herbs

Vagal Nerve – part 2

Liz James · December 14, 2021 ·

Raise your hand if you want a resilient nervous system.🙋‍♀️ Uh huh… that’s what I thought. I do too! 😊I want to be healthier overall, quicker to recover from stressful situations, happier, stronger, more empathetic, better able to concentrate, and have thriving relationships…. ALL things associated with healthy vagal tone.

Vagal tone should be nurtured daily if it is to function optimally. You might be surprised at how easy some of these tips are!

⭐Poor breathing habits. The sedentary nature of our current society has been no friend to the vagus nerve. Poor posture, including the downward tilt of the head as we look at our computer and phone screens restricts the airways from throat to lungs. If you walk into nearly any nursing home you will see posture associated with long term low vagal tone. Dr. Navaz Habib👨‍⚕️, author of Activate Your Vagus Nerve, makes a compelling argument that dysfunctional breathing is the most common cause of poor vagus nerve function. Friends, this is such an easy (and free) fix. Address posture (revisit that post!), and incorporate breathing slowly and “belly button” deeply at least a few times every hour. This is nourishing to the vagus nerve, and feels good too!

⭐Alternate nostril breathing👃. Inhaling through one nostril and exhaling through the opposite nostril has a profound effect on the nervous system and an increase in oxygen consumption. One study found that inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left nostril for approximately 3 minutes four times a day for a month increased oxygen consumption by 37% compared to normal breathing practices. (Doing the reverse activity.. Inhaling through the left and exhaling on the right showed an oxygen increase of 24%) It was suggested in the study that this type of breathing may reduce the release of stress hormones (a benefit in vagus nerve health). As an added bonus, you will likely find yourself more focused and awake by “right nostril breathing” and more relaxed and less anxious by “left nostril breathing”. Knowing this, consider supporting these techniques with Brain Power or En-R-Gee essential oil blends when “right nostril breathing”, or Tranquil, Peace and Calming, or Sacred Mountain essential oils blends when “left nostril breathing”.

⭐Prayer and meditation🙏 are both scientifically proven to increase parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) activity which improves vagal tone. Incorporating essential oils during prayer and meditation is a beautiful way to enhance both practices. Some of my favorites include Frankincense, Peace & Calming, RC, and Raven.

⭐Practice tensing stomach muscles or coughing on purpose.

⭐Massage…..even an ear massage. Massaging the areas of the ear👂 called the tragus and cymba concha can trigger a mild vagal response. Additionally, acupuncture or acupuncture point based therapy (check out Dolphin MPS for one such type) are hugely helpful.

⭐Keeping a positive attitude and emotion set. This is truly a “use it or lose it” situation. Affirmations and constructive emotions can spark a self fulfilling future for all aspects of the body, including vagal tone. Destructive emotions can also do this but in the opposite direction. (ex: If you believe you will fail, you probably will! ) Direct good thoughts and actions towards other people and watch your vagal tone improve. Act on kindness, compassion, and empathy. Doesn’t the world need more of this anyway? It’s fascinating that attitude alone can deeply impact the function of the vagus nerve. God has knit us together in wondrous ways!

⭐Belong to a socially active community 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️. Social isolation does no favors to vagal tone. Find your tribe and spend time with them in person. Oxytocin is a hormone which acts as a neurotransmitter. Its presence has a powerful effect on the health of the vagus nerve. Hugging, laughing, breastfeeding, speaking to someone in person or on the phone, being trusted by someone, and listening to soothing music are all ways to release oxytocin. Surprisingly, shooting guns can be included in this list!
⭐Eating correctly. Saying words of gratitude🙏 over your food actually stimulate the vagus nerve. Chewing slowly and eating mindfully (fully present) allows the body to recognize the type of nutrients being released into the body, and to release the appropriate enzymes and digestive juices needed to make them bioavailable (or boot them out as a toxin). It would come as no surprise that an unhealthy vagal tone has a negative effect on digestive juices, especially those released by the gallbladder.
⭐Intermittent fasting. There are a myriad of benefits of intermittent fasting, including decreasing inflammation in the body. Inflammation negatively affects vagal tone. Of course intermittent fasting is only one way to help the body in this manner. Any time you remove a toxin source from your body’s daily load, you will be showing your vagus nerve TLC. Thank goodness for the clean household and personal care products we have access to! #ThanksYL
⭐Foods that have been found to support healthy vagal tone include fermented foods (ex: kombucha, cheeses, plain yogurt), high fiber foods (ex: nuts, fruits, vegetables) and foods high in Omega3’s. If you feel you might not get enough of any of these food groups, supplement with YL Life -9 (or MightyPro) probiotic, Balance Complete Meal Replacement, and OmegaGize3 (or Mindwise) respectively. Additionally, adequate zinc levels contribute to a healthy vagal tone. (You’ll want to go back and re-read the section on zinc. It may tie together some clues for you)
⭐How we sleep matters😴. Laying on the right side has the highest vagal stimulation.
⭐Gargling. This contracts the muscles in the back of the throat which causes direct stimulation of the vagus nerve. Humming (especially while covering the ears) and singing loudly are also helpful.
⭐Improving vagal tone thru exercise💪 and yoga is reason #100 to do both. Seriously. Mental and physical health will only improve in amazing ways when exercise and yoga are incorporated into healthy habits.
For the more adventurous spirit, other ways to spark quick vagal tone improvement include ❄️cold❄️ showers, ❄️ice baths❄️, ❄️cryotherapy ❄️ or coffee☕️ enemas (Yes indeedy! 😉).
Our brains are constantly checking on us to see if we feel safe or not. It is only when the brain perceives safety that we are able to engage socially, have curiosity, feel happy, and be playful. If it has been awhile since you’ve felt this way, this would be another set of clues indicating that your vagus nerve needs some additional love and attention.
It may seem hard to “want” to incorporate these suggestions into your healthy habits if all of this is new to you, but if you raised your hand a few minutes ago in a bid for resiliency, it’s time to do “the things.” Just like a teenager who is hard to wake up in the morning, waking up the vagus nerve may take perseverance. Find your tribe and work together to make those vagal nerves toned and happy!
xoxo~ liz

PS: Friends, there is an enormous amount of information on the vagus nerve and polyvagal theory. If this has sparked your interest, please DO do some more digging on your own. There is simply no way to do this particular topic justice in a couple of posts.

#sharingiscaring
#caringforyourvagusnerveisgoodmedicine
#healthdetective
#goodmedicine
#thanksYL
❄️

Health Clues from Your Eyes -part 5

Liz James · November 9, 2021 ·

*Iris clues. Are you ready to dive a little deeper down this fascinating rabbit warren of information? If you are just now joining in this portion of detective work, I’d highly suggest a quick look at last week’s post before proceeding-Health Clues from Your Eyes – part 4.

🔎Noting the changes within your eyes may be likened to the notification lights on the dashboard of your car. If you know something is wrong early enough, you often have time to correct that which is setting the signal off. The iris manifests clues marking changes within the body that warrant correction.

Depending upon how the clues manifest themselves, they may indicate acute, recovery, chronic, or degenerative situations within the body.

Acute – active inflammation. During this time, the body is using its resources rapidly in an attempt to gain control of the inflammation. The iris “warning signs” will look like white ribbons in the areas corresponding to the inflamed tissue. Other corroborative clues may include noticeable mucus production somewhere in the body, or visibly inflamed or swollen tissue. Detoxification is occurring, but often it’s not fast enough. Consider giving your body all the nutrition support you can. Add in Young Living’s Master Formula and NingXia Red for added support.

Sub-Acute- Once the initial rapid inflammation has tapered off, the white ribbon like areas start to become darker. This is suggestive that nutrients have been depleted and need to be restored. If a sub-acute state is left unattended and the body continues to be exposed to either nutritional or physical stress, a chronic state of inflammation may result. Don’t stop supporting your body!

Chronic- In this state, toxins and waste are not eliminated properly, cellular activity has slowed down considerably, nerve impulses are impaired, and conditions become ripe for chronic illness or dis-ease to set in. The iris will manifest the chronic condition state with the appearance of various sized “black holes” in the netting of the iris fibers. This will ultimately lead to further degeneration if positive changes are not made to a person’s lifestyle in an effort to reverse the course of dis-ease or illness. The black holes may get larger and multiply as more body systems are affected.

*About ⅓ of the way away from the iris lies the autonomic nerve wreath. The autonomic nervous system is broken down into two subsystems. The parasympathetic nervous system is for basic housekeeping within the body and it controls the body while we rest. The sympathetic system is also commonly referred to as our “fight or flight” response. The nerve wreath is not always uniform in shape.. The more this wreath shape deviates from a standard roundish type shape, the more suggestive it is of a system off balance. Additionally, the color of the autonomic nerve wreath should match the color of the rest of the iris. Any increase, decrease, or change in color in this area suggests disharmony within the body. To recap, color and shape of the wreath are important clues🔎!

What about colored spots within the iris? These are called psora, and are typically considered to be an indicator of toxin loads within the body. If you watch your eyes closely, you may notice that these colored spots often change locations over time. This suggests the toxin load (including drug deposits) has moved to another portion of the body. Sometimes these spots show up in different colors: red yellow, and orange are not uncommon. They are most often seen in Zones 1 thru 3 in the irises.
“Scurf rim”🔎 is another clue on the outermost zone (7) of the iris. Is the area darkened? This is suggestive that the skin (remember, it’s an organ!) is not able to function effectively in the detoxification process, and toxins and metabolic waste are having a hard time being released from the body. An accompanying clue🔎 might include not sweating easily.

At the very top of Zone 7 (roughly 10pm -2am on a clock) look for an arc that often has fuzzy edges with a whitish tint. Though this used to be a mark of old age👵, it is becoming more and more common in younger people👩👨. Presence of this arc is suggestive of poor oxygenation and blood perfusion in the brain.

Now look for a solid white ring🔎 on the periphery of Zone 7. This suggests a chemical imbalance of some sort in the body. Western medicine also recognizes this ring as an indicator of probable excessive cholesterol and triglycerides in the body. Not surprisingly, further digging (with lab work and testing) often reveal poor calcium metabolism which contributes to plaque in the arteries (arteriosclerosis) and joints (arthritis), and subsequent higher blood pressure.

Zone 6 sometimes houses cloudlike spots 🔎resembling a string of pearls. If the spots are very white, these spots suggest acute inflammation. Yellowed or brownish pearls suggest that the inflammation has moved to a chronic state.

Check yourself for other clues. Do you also produce a great deal of mucus elsewhere in your body or have swollen lymph glands? Dry brushing, lymphatic massage, and regular exercise are all excellent ways to mediate impaired lymphatic function.

Nerve rings🔎 may appear anywhere in the pupil.. They look much like growth rings found in a cross section of a tree. These rings suggest long term stress in one or more parts of the body, and are most often seen in chronically stressed individuals. Shouldn’t we all be huffing our Stress Away whenever the moment requires it? We have so many blessed tools at our fingertips to help support our bodies during times of stress. These nerve rings are similar to an SOS smoke signal. Pay attention to them!

Check your eyes for dark lines 🔎radiating out from the pupil. These lines (called radii solaris) suggest a slower moving digestive tract and a subsequent toxin load. If you are not offloading the poo my friends, the toxin load will be there. ! This clue might also be suggestive of a parasite load.

We’ve just barely skimmed the surface of the clues🔎 the eyes can give us, but if you’re ultra curious, keep digging on your own. Dr Bernard Jensen is considered to be the modern “Father of Iridology”, and his work is an excellent place to start!
I’ll leave you with this cool factoid…. Did you know that you may be able to change the color of your eyes? Brown discolorations in blue/green eyes are suggestive of digestive system dysfunction, a gallbladder weakness, or liver dysfunction. Cleaning up these problems with clean eating habits and restoring health to the digestive system just might make your brownish eyes blue! The next time you think someone might be full of it💩, check their eyes…. You just might be right!😉

xoxo~ liz

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