Focus & Cognition

You Are Worth It! Move It!

Liz James · October 17, 2022 ·

Sitting for more than 6 hours a day raises your mortality risk no matter how hard (or how much) you exercise before or afterwards.

Chronic sitting has also found to be more deadly than obesity alone (so imagine what that might look like if those two are paired together

God gave us our bodies so that we would use them in all the gifts we have been given.

If you have a desk job, please …… for the health of it, consider these alternatives:

if affordable, use a stand up desk.

get up frequently and take a quick walk (grab the mail, take the dog for a walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator)

use part of your lunch break to take a power walk

park farther away from your destination purposefully

learn some basic chair yoga poses you can incorporate into your day.

walk whenever you have a choice of walking instead of driving.

The short term benefits of incorporating movement into your day improve mood, energy levels, and sleeping at night (not to mention the grounding benefits of getting outdoors if that is feasible in the situation you’re in).

Consider adding purposeful movement to your “to do” list for the day. NingXia Red, Zyng, and NingXia Nitro are all great Young Living pairings. (So is the essential oil blend ‘Motivation‘, if purposeful movement is low on your list of priorities

) You won’t regret it!

xoxo~ liz

Attention Deficit

Liz James · February 21, 2022 ·

Do you find it interesting that the diagnosis of “attention deficit disorder” didn’t exist until 1980? I do. A “diagnosis” is important because without one, insurance companies won’t pay for a treatment. Insurance companies rarely pay for a holistic approach but nearly always pay for a pharmaceutical approach. Follow the money.

My formal pharmacist education took place in the late 80’s and very early 90’s where mental health disorders were “absolutely” attributed to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Thankfully, this theory has been debunked (though many people still erroneously believe it to be true, and sadly many many practitioners prescribe as though it is true). Later, it was blamed on genetics. This too has been debunked.

Just as with most mental health disorders, there is no biological marker (ie: no affirmative blood work) for diagnosing ADHD. All diagnosis is based on behavioral characteristics: lack of focus ability, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

After attention deficit disorder became an official diagnosis in 1980, the % of kiddos said to have it began creeping upwards. By the early 1980’s it was 3%… 5% by 1984….. and 10%+ now. Not coincidentally,

this timeline also coincides with a massive increase in the childhood vaccination schedule, decreased playtime outdoors, the introduction of and massive increase in screen time, less family time, increased toxin load including glyphosate and heavily processed foods as an eating way of life.

THIS is the most important piece of the article below:

” The problem doesn’t necessarily lie within the child, but rather arises from the child’s response to his or her environment. Society could see the “prevalence” of the disorder as a marker of distress in society.”

Take some time to read the study ( towards the end of the article) . The outcome of the study can be broken down as such:

There is no evidence in the trial of preschoolers that taking methylphidate actually facilitated better functioning children.

Kids put on methylphenidate frequently suffered moderate to severe adverse events (prone to crying, crabbiness, picking at their skin, insomnia, anxiety, loss of appetite).

At the end of the 10 month trial, the kids were notably shorter (20% less growth) and lighter in weight (52% less than expected).

Also of interest in this trial: (excerpt directly from the attached study)

Many toddlers apparently got better with parent training as a first intervention and parents removed their child from the study as a result.

In the randomized four-week trial, only 21% had an excellent response to the drug, compared to 13% in the placebo group. This means that if you medicated 100 preschoolers with methylphenidate, there would only be eight additional “excellent responders” than there would have been otherwise.

Adverse effects on methylphenidate were frequent and told of behavioral deterioration, particularly in the 10-month maintenance phase.

There is only a small percentage of preschoolers—10% to 15%—that could be said to enjoy a benefit from the treatment in terms of reduction of symptoms over the short term. That means that 85% or so of all toddlers treated with methylphenidate will experience the adverse effects of that drug without receiving any additional benefit, a net result that tells of harm done.

The study did have three and six year follow ups with the kids. Here is the outcome: At the 3 year mark 66% were on additional psychiatric drugs, and at the 6 year mark 73% were.

Another quote from the article following this information:

“The findings tell of stolen childhoods. These children were diagnosed with ADHD as preschoolers and that turned two-thirds of them into persistent mental patients who grew up constantly on psychiatric drugs. At their tenth birthdays, this group would have no memory of being alive without the mind-altering effects of psychiatric drugs.”

Additionally,

” What fate awaits as they move into their teenage years and into adulthood? While there are long lists of adverse effects associated with longer-term use of stimulants and other psychiatric drugs, which collectively tell of impaired physical health and social development, there is an absence of good research on how such drugs may fundamentally alter brain development over time. However, there have been animal studies studying the effects and those studies have sounded an alarm. ” A lifetime of exposure to stimulants in animals demonstrated disinterest in exploring new things, disinterest in the brain’s reward system, reduced ability to experience pleasure.

One final note on the PATS trial: in the published report of the safety and efficacy results, the authors collectively disclosed 72 “relationships” with pharmaceutical companies, with the manufacturers of ADHD drugs prominent on the list of disclosures. Do you understand what that means? Any study with ties to a pharmaceutical company will be slanted in favor those with the gold.

Our country’s babies are the canary in the coalmine.

Our job as healthcare professionals

should include assessing risk versus benefit and actually presenting that information so that informed decision making can be made as an opportunity to the client. We are the ultimate CEO’s of ourselves and our families. I see posts all the time “this or that”…. and people pick (ie: salty versus sweet). As simple as that sounds, we aren’t choosing blindly because we know what salty and sweet tastes like.

….. and yet, taking medication without full disclosure (similar to what I just wrote above regarding methylphenidate) or offering the exploration of an alternative plan of action instead rarely happens. Why is that?

Follow the money.

Informed consent. Everyone has a right to choose what works best for themselves and their family….. at least for now. Believe me, they’d like to take that away from each one of us.

Don’t give up your right to choose. But choose with informed consent. Do your own research and dig deeply…. beyond what anyone in a white coat tells you. Use your Holy Spirit discernment, and then dig in and do your due diligence. God gave that to each one of us who chooses to use it.

xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

#freedomtochoose

#evaluatingriskversusbenefitisgoodmedicine

mad in america srticle-medicating preschoolers

Dopamine – part 4

Liz James · February 1, 2022 ·

Dopamine Deficiency Part IV: More Solutions

Do you struggle with belief in any area of your life? Maybe it’s work…. Self confidence…. Big goals…. If so, know that improving your dopamine balance will only help you grow into living what you struggle to believe. Now would be a great time to grab that bottle of Believe essential oil and become a walking diffuser for yourself. Go grab it now… I’ll wait for you!

Gary Young knew which plant chemicals stimulate, protect, and support healthy dopamine levels. And of course, he knew that belief is fueled by dopamine. Essential oils Balsam, Coriander, Bergamot, Frankincense, Idaho Blue Spruce, Ylang ylang , and Geranium all fuel belief through their effect on dopamine within us. These are the oils within the blend Believe. Pretty cool right? Gary never made a product that wasn’t highly purposeful!

Other oils that have been found to contain constituents supportive of healthy dopamine levels in the body include rosemary, oregano, thyme, rose, sandalwood, neroli , palmarosa , and marjoram . Did you notice that many of these oils are used in Raindrop massage? Just one more reason everyone should receive a Raindrop on the regular!

God has gifted us with so many natural ways to support dopamine levels. (Go back and review last week’s post so that you’ll have the full combined list!)

Mowing the yard! It may be hard work, but the aroma of fresh cut grass contains a chemical called hexanal (the “green” smell of grass) that stimulates dopamine release.

St. John’s Wort has been found to increase dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of the brain by 40%. Resveratrol has been found to perform similarly ( found in red wine, fresh grapes, dark chocolate, blueberries, peanut butter)

Organic coffee (No more than one cup a day or it may contribute to adrenal fatigue…. A dopamine high followed by a crash!) or a cuppa organic green tea (Have you tried the YL Vanilla Lemongrass Green Tea yet?) is a dopamine supportive treat.

Rhodiola is another herb known to stimulate dopamine receptors and inhibit enzymes that break down dopamine in the brain. Ashwagandha (You might recognize this as an ingredient in Powergize and Endogize) is also an effective adaptogen with supportive dopamine activity.

Pregnenolone is a natural hormone produced in the body that has a positive effect on dopamine levels in the brain. It is an ingredient in hormone supportive Cortistop capsules, PD 80/20 capsules, and Regenolone moisturizing cream. Do a little research on each of these to determine if they might fight your individual hormone balancing needs.

Acupuncture stimulates the vagus nerve, which in turn support healthy dopamine levels. (Go back and reread the section on low vagal tone!)

Creating and performing music boosts dopamine levels even more than listening to your favorite tunes, but all three are effective. Listening to music has even been shown to improve fine motor skills in Parkinson’s patients.

Chronic inflammation reduces dopamine synthesis and release in the brain. We’ve got tools on hand to support a healthy inflammatory response (as opposed to the runaway variety!). Sulfurzyme, BLM, Agilease, and OmegaGize3 are excellent supplements. Nobody can “out supplement” an unhealthy lifestyle…..examine your life and look for offending (and often hidden) toxin triggers in household chemicals, processed foods and drinks, body care products, and makeup.

Lack of sleep down regulates dopamine receptors and reduces dopamine receptor availability. You know what to do! Sleep is so very important in ALL aspects of health. Review your sleep hygiene practices and look for “holes in the armor” that may result in interrupted sleep. I LOVE and incorporate Rutavala on the base of my big toe and Immupro (chewable) in my bedtime rituals.

Iron plays a role in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Iron and ferritin levels are important lab values to watch (both for being too low and too high). Natural sources of iron include spirulina ( an ingredient in Multigreens), dark chocolate, spinach, shellfish, organ meats (I highly suggest Sally Fallon’s cookbook Nourishing Traditions), beans, lentils, chickpeas, red meat, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, turkey, broccoli, and fish.

Vitamin C assists with the formation and conversion of dopamine in the brain. Deficient levels of vitamin C may show up as a low mood. Super C Chewables are a tasty way to supplement daily.

Vitamins B6 and B9 are critical for dopamine synthesis. Low folate levels contribute massively to low dopamine levels which may ultimately lead to depression. Super B is another fantastic supplement to help the body in at least a thousand little and big ways.

Alternate between standing and sitting. “Chronic sitting” lowers dopamine levels. Our body was designed to move!

Finish a project. Who knew? This in itself causes the brain to flood with dopamine.

Huge (and easy) list, right? And yet, sometimes it may seem hard to get motivated to make the changes. Circle back around….. Grab your bottle of Believe, and start somewhere small. I promise you won’t regret finding your dopamine happy place!

xoxo~liz

#caringissharing #knowbetterdobetter #dopamineisdope #balanceddopamineisgoodmedicine #goodmedicine #BecomingYourOwnHealthDetective

#ThanksYL

At the Wolf’s Table

Liz James · May 15, 2020 ·

📚 For as long as I can remember, I’ve read before bedtime. It quiets my mind. I read and research nonstop these days, but there’s a difference between reading for business and reading for pleasure (I love both!). Business reading puts my brain in high gear while pleasure reading slows it down 😴.

📖I thought I’d start sharing some of what I’ve been reading. I am a history buff so historical fiction is the genre I tend to gravitate towards. Historical fiction brings important moments to life for me in a way that I can easily remember them later. A good historical fiction writer will have done thorough research on their topic or time period and will have accurate facts and prominent figures…. Filling in the blanks of the story with characters. (I am a very picky reader and often fact check my historical fiction authors! 😉 )

📖 At The Wolf’s Table (by Rosella Postorino) was originally written in Italian and has since been translated into English. Its protagonist is a young German bride (Rosa) whose husband goes off to fight during WWII for the Germans. She returns to live with her parents in Berlin until they are killed in air raid bombings, at which time she moves out to the country to live with her in-laws (whom she had not previously met).

📖 She’s not there long before she is conscripted by the German govt to go to work as one of Hitler’s food tasters. She, along with several other German women go to Hitler’s headquarters twice a day to eat his meals before he does to ensure that what he eats has not been tainted or poisoned. Over time, friendships and alliances form between some of the women and the German guards that they spend hours each day with.

📖 At the Wolf’s Table is such an interesting story as it is one told from the perspective of a German woman who has not entirely bought in to Hitler’s teachings largely because of what her father taught her when she was younger. She seems to be neither for nor against Hitler’s agenda as she is more mentally attuned towards grieving the loss of her parents and the absence of her new husband. Her life has been turned upside down by her own country’s actions, and for a great part of the book, it seems as tho she is drifting thru all she is experiencing. No doubt……. she has been subjected to great loss and upheaval…. and she risks her life daily performing a job she did not want. PTSD and emotional overload? Umm yes.

📖 An incident finally shakes her awake when a friend turns out to be a Jew in hiding. Instead of turning her in, she awakens and starts fighting the system as best she can while still struggling to survive intact herself. It is so tragic to watch (or read in this case) how asleep the German people were. They were not bad people, but many years of subversive leadership and indoctrinating propaganda had led them to believe what they were doing was right. I wonder how long it took German citizens to wake up once they realized the truth of what had been happening under their noses on their own soil, and I wonder how many of them suffered mentally afterwards from the part they unwittingly played in the destruction of so many lives (including their own)?

📚 This book is based on the life of Margot Wolk, Hitler’s last living food taster who died in 2014. It was a compelling read, and one I recommend. History can so easily repeat itself, and its best that we know it well lest we find ourselves repeating it.

Info on Margot Wolk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_W%C3%B6lk

Margot wolk

A short video on Ms. Wolk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNcZyBqJCzk

Tell me….. What are you reading these days?

xoxo~ liz

#somanybookssolittletime
#bibliophilesunite
#justgivemeagoodbookandImahappygirl
#ThanksYL

Guilty or Innocent? Weighing in on Cholesterol

Liz James · March 4, 2019 ·

Cholesterol has been heavy on my heart for the last month… haha! No pun intended there… my cholesterol is actually fine….. but I tend to root for the the misunderstood and the underdog when given a choice. (That’s probably why our farm tends to be a haven for rescue dogs and cats…. but I digress!)

Did you know that approximately 80% of people with acute cornary syndrome….(ie: reduced blood flow to the heart… often leading to heart attack) have NORMAL cholesterol values? What’s up with that?

Cholesterol is one of those underdogs. Bless its sticky little heart….. it’s given a bad rap more so than nearly any other body produced compound. What would we do without cholesterol? That’s a good question…. I’m not entirely sure any of us would be around to discuss it if we lacked it in our bodies! It is a major component of cell membranes and is a necessary building block for hormones, fat soluble vitamin D, and bile salts (aiding in the digestion of fats and fat soluble nutrients). Cholesterol is also extremely important to the function of our nervous system. Without it, we’d be bumbling malfunctioning idiots….especially considering that our brains are roughly comprised of 50% cholesterol. So why all the hate?

Our bodies are efficient producers of cholesterol…. producing about 80% of what is in our bodies (the other 20% comes from dietary sources). Cholesterol should not be confused with Triglycerides (perhaps the real bad boys), or the obscure thug that likes to hang on to its buddy LDL….. lipoprotein(a).

Unpacking Cholesterol: The cholesterol in our vascular system is a mixed bag of good and bad. HDL (the good guys) has the job of bouncer…. and it escorts out the shadier gang members, LDL, from our bloodstream. LDL comes in a variety of sizes…. and the smaller sizes (subunits 3 & 4) are really bad news. The bigger ones (subunits 1 &2) are fluffier and are actually pretty helpful. Because they (subunits 3&4) are small, they can easily work their way into the lining of our arteries where the bouncer (HDL) can’t reach them. In a whopping 20% of the population (1 in 5) there is something called Lipoprotein(a) that makes LDL ‘extra sticky’….. if you carry this genetic characteristic, it is best to know about it early on in life, as it dramatically increases your risk for clogged arteries and blood clots leading to strokes and heart attacks. It is a serious health risk, and frankly…. should be tested for at least once in everyone’s life.
While managing total cholesterol with careful eating habits (avoid processed and ‘fast’ foods) is important, …. the real culprits we should be monitoring are inflammation, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a).

Triglycerides are produced predominately by the liver. When we eat, the body stores any excess calories as triglycerides in our fat cells. It is particularly fond of doing this with carbs. Later…. between meals…. hormones will signal a need for more energy, and those triglycerides will be released. Herein lies the rub tho….. if you eat more than you exert energy, triglycerides begin building up and you end up with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), and THAT my friends, is cause for alarm. Even if someone has verified genetic HTG, management can be achieved with responsible ownership of the vessel you reside in:

Daily physical activity
Conscious consuming of healthy fats… avoiding processed foods and other sources of “bad fats”
no smoking
Optimizing body weight
Limit processed sugar intake to no more than the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of sugar per day. (The average North American consumes about 200gms or 48 teaspoons of processed sugar in their diet daily)
Work towards optimal triglyceride lab values of <100 and a triglyceride to HDL ratio of 1:1 to 2:1.

Lipoprotein(a) is no joke. 73 million people in the USA are estimated to be living with this ‘sticky’ situation. It is extremely dangerous because the molecule itself is so small, sticky, and it difficult to manage. What makes it even more dangerous is this: most insurance companies refuse to pay for the test that determines if you have it….. and many doctors don’t even mention the test to patients because insurance doesn’t pay. I have not been able to wrap my brain around the logic of NOT paying for a potentially life saving test…. but there you have it. It’s just one more reason to take charge of your own health and ask for the test and pay for it out of pocket, ESPECIALLY if you have family history of heart disease. Nothing….. no vacation, no daily coffee, no new phone…. should be more valuable to you than knowing this information about yourself. Once you know, you have the power to act…. and that can change the trajectory of your life. If you do carry this genetic trait, you will want to have your children tested. They need to learn healthy habits early in life. It’s never too young to become a CEO of oneself!

IF you have inherited lipoprotein(a), you’ll want to pay very close attention to what you CAN do, because it’s time to take your health seriously. Some people do not get a warning, and find themselves diagnosed at the same time their mortality is realized. Lp(a) requires close attention and monitoring. Tools to help in management include:

Daily baby aspirin
High quality Omega3 fish oil…. lots of it… has been found to lower Lp(a)LDL by approximately 10%. (Poor quality Omega 3’s become oxidized and can actually do more damage than taking nothing at all. Know your supplement company…not just their name, but how they do business. This is especially important with Omega 3’s.) Omegagize3 from Young Living!
High doses of Niacin (1-3 gms/day) … the flushing kind (ex: Slo-Niacin)… have been found to lower Lp(a)LDL by up to 30%
Maintain a fasting blood glucose of <100
Vitamin C @ 3000mg/day
L-lysine, L-proline & L-carnitine in high doses (L-carnitine helps make lp(a) less sticky)
Test for and maintain hs-CRP (high sensitivity c reactive protein) at <1. This measures inflammation in the body and high levels are a risk factor for heart attack.
Control blood pressure ideally at 120/70.
Consistent exercise
Abstain from smoking
Get (regularly) an Advanced Lipid Panel every 6 months w/ the following goals:

LDL< 60
Triglycerides < 60
LDL particle # < 700

I realize this has been kind of a heavy post. I’m sorry about that. It’s a heavy topic tho. Most people (even healthcare professionals) don’t have a clear understanding of exactly what causes the real problems in our vascular system. Hopefully, you can see that cholesterol itself is not the real monster….. it’s actually pretty awesome stuff. Too much of a good thing is bad tho…. no matter what it is. Although I only barely touched on inflammation in this post, it’s HUGELY important to this topic too. Sticky Lp(a)LDL is especially fond of a chronically inflamed vascular system.

It is my hope and blessing that this helps someone better manage their own health, and to prompt personal responsibility one’s own health. I am not a doctor. Information here is for recommendation purposes only, and not intended to substitute for specific medical advice. Please do use this information as a starting point for your own research, and use as discussion points with your personal healthcare provider.

Love and hugs, Liz