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Fetal Programming

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The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: What in the heck is fetal programming?
 
You’ve heard it, and perhaps you’ve even believed it…. the puffed up 10% truth most of us have been trained to wholly believe… that genetics largely determines our health fate. However, if you’ve stuck with me this long you’re a seasoned super sleuth and will already know that we have the upper hand. In becoming the conscientious gatekeepers of our personal “temples” (see I Corinthians 6:19), we are prohibiting the careless destruction caused by all things toxic to the mind, body, and spirit, and are largely (upwards of 90+%) able to prevent and circumvent the expression of wayward genes. THIS is what personal health and wellness management should look like.
 
There is another aspect to this though that I’ve not yet mentioned: womb life, and what that means to us as adults. “Fetal programming” is the propensity for developing a disease or dysfunction later in life based solely on environmental womb conditions… not genetics. Fetal programming starts the moment Harry (sperm) met Sally (egg) on the fallopian tube highway , and the effects of it will be felt throughout life and the life of your kids. Yes, what happened in your womb experience can affect future generations. Talk about scripture being walked out in life! (Exodus 20:5)
 
Because I believe in learning from history, let me give you a well documented example of this phenomenon. During the winter of 1944 World War II, the Dutch suffered a 6 month starvation event at the hands of the Nazi’s. More than 4 million people were affected, surviving on about 30% of normal caloric intake. As you might suspect, pregnant women who lived through the Dutch Hunger Winter gave birth to babies who weighed a fraction of what a term baby should weigh. As adults, these children were found to be more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other health problems, while their siblings did not. As a result of being starved “in utero”, their bodies developed a “thrifty” mechanism which altered insulin production and the normal metabolism of sugar. As a consequence, when these children grew into adulthood and lived in a “normal food availability” world, their body still responded as though it was living in a state of starvation.
 
While an adaptation like this is meant to be a survival mechanism, it doesn’t always work out that way in health.
 
More examples of this include:
🧐A 2009 study which showed an association between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and the development of asthma in offspring.
🧐A 2011 study which looked at the effects of a violent environment on a fetus during pregnancy. Offspring tended to have poorer health, more difficult temperament, and increased likelihood of depression.
🧐A May 2022 study found that maternal prenatal depressive symptoms had a negative effect on toddler behavior which began expressing by the time they were 18 months old.
🧐Research has also shown that even chronic (key word) mildly stressful living situations can lead to negative changes in the fetus neurologically. The formation of neurons in a fetus begins at the 42nd day of pregnancy, and by the 28th week of pregnancy, a baby’s brain contains billions of neurons….. 40% MORE than the adult brain contains. After the 28th week of pregnancy, complex structural and functional changes in the brain take place, and a chronically stressful environment has an effect on this development. The environmental impact of womb life on a baby’s brain and body development is huge!
Perhaps you are curious how this happens…. ie: the root causes?
👶During stress, there is a rise of maternal cortisol activity in the mom. A chronic higher than normal cortisol activity is thought to lead to the triggering of atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and cholesterol levels as the babies advance through their own adulthood. Low birth weight babies (a clue!) are more likely to grow up having an exaggerated stress response and secrete higher levels of cortisol themselves, have a decreased vascular elasticity and delayed vasodilation (leading to issues related to high blood pressure), have fewer pancreatic beta cells (the cells that make insulin), and tend towards osteoporosis in adulthood.
👶Stress also activates the inflammation process in the baby’s body, which leads to activation of the immune system, releasing chemicals called cytokines. Cytokines are not a bad thing until there is overproduction or inappropriate production, at which point disease or dysfunction occurs.
👶A baby’s brain does not begin to produce serotonin until late in pregnancy. The placenta does provide serotonin to the baby at a level which helps develop both structure and function of the baby’s brain. Animal studies have shown that increased serotonin exposure to fetal brain tissue in utero alters many neuronal circuits which can lead to behavioral problems later in life.
👶Neonatal nutritional deficiencies can affect fetal programming. Malnutrition comes in two forms: under nutrition (scarcity of food) and unhealthy eating habits with high calorie, low nutrition diets. Both result in a lack of essential micronutrients such as iron, folate, choline, vitamin B12, zinc, tryptophan, omega 3 fatty acids and iodine which are crucial to fetal brain development.
 
All of this has profound implications on us as adults, but also on babies 👶forming in the womb. For us grownup humans, if it is suspected (or known) that we were carried by our mothers under stressful conditions, some of us may have to work a little harder🙏💪😴 at mediating stress response because of our own fetal programming scenario. Half the battle is understanding the why. 😉The other half is knowing how to use the tools we have on hand to help support a healthy mind and body. Thank goodness for these tools of ours! I’ve talked at length about them, so I leave it up to you to revisit those posts. Ideally, please share in the comments below what modalities you have found that work best for you. Our personal stories help light the path so that others may also find their way.
 
Now, what about these sweet babies👶in the womb? Thankfully, the placenta plays a vital role in protecting the baby from harmful chemicals that may be in the mother’s blood by acting as both a barrier and a filtration system. A healthy functioning placenta will go a long way to prevent a biochemical or synthetic chemical cause for negative fetal programming. I always smile when I hear a new mama talking about how her midwife or doctor marveled over the beauty of her placenta that was supported daily with NingXia Red. There are soooo many of these stories out there! Some of the ways a healthy placenta may be supported include: NingXia Red, Master Formula, Super C Chewables, Mineral Essence, Sulfurzyme, Multigreens, Super B.* (*all with approval from your trusted doctor or midwife of course! ).
 
The good news is that fetal programming works both ways. Incorporating a healthy mind, body, and spirit/ soul experience throughout pregnancy with improved quality of food eaten, reduced exposure to hormone disruptive and toxic environmental chemicals and mediating maternal anxiety in natural ways improves the chances of a positively “programmed” tiny person who is more apt to be able to roll with life’s punches physically and emotionally. Remember too, that thoughts and words mean something to the body whether that body is an adult or a fetus, and the effects may either be a honeyed balm or a toxin. Words matter, and the body reflects what we think and feel about ourselves.
 
Use your Thieves Household Cleaner. Toss the toxins.
Diffuse your favorite Young Living essential oils. Ditch the endocrine disrupting fake fragrance air fresheners and plug-ins.
Honor your body and the bodies of future generations with your choices.
Think about all those little babies who are worth it! So are we. Each one of us.
xoxo~ liz
 
(link to Becoming Your Own Health Detective Vol I: https://goodmedicine.info/…/becoming-your-own-health…/ )
 

Clues to Thyroid Health from Iodine-part 2

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Dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s: Iodine and Thyroid Part II
 
Looking for clues is like using a roadmap🗺. The clues🔎 you find along the way will help you get to your destination. Sometimes you’ll need to stop and ask for directions from a local, someone who knows the territory well. Part II of dotting i’s and crossing t’s may very well require the assistance of an iodine savvy endocrinologist 👩‍⚕️or astute thyroid knowledgeable health professional who can help you find your perfect balance. You’ll need someone who listens to your clues, is willing to dig with you, understands the Great Iodine Debate, and doesn’t put you in a box with everyone else.

The Great Iodine Debate Summary

The “Great Iodine Debate” has been going on for many years and it’s well worth it to dive as deep as you need to. There is no possible way to cover everything on each topic I discuss. That’s not the point of this series anyway. My hope is that something you read sparks an “ah ha” moment and inspires you to dig more, putting pieces together for your individually unique puzzle. These “ah ha” moments are usually Holy Spirit led. If you feel a niggling in your soul, pay attention to it, and do your digging (due diligence) and use your tools to bring your body back into balance.
 
Dr. Guy E Abraham MD’s work surrounding iodine (formerly of the UCLA Department of Endocrinology) would be considered the modern catalyst for reviving the “Great Iodine Debate”. Interestingly, most of his personal information and work appears to have been scrubbed from the internet. As a 🔎 seasoned sleuther, it’s clues like this (the scrubbing) that make me look even closer at what this “outside the box thinking” doctor had to say. (This is another reason I rely on my personal library more than the internet when digging for clues.)
 
Take for instance, this quote from Dr. Abraham:
 
“During the first half of the 20th century, almost every U.S. physician used Lugol solution for iodine supplementation in his/her practice for both hypo- and hyperthyroidism, and for many other medical conditions. In the old pharmacopeias, Lugol solution was called Liquor Iodi Compositus. The minimum dose called minim, was one drop containing 6.25 mg of elemental iodine, with 40% iodine and 60% iodide as the potassium salt. The recommended daily intake for iodine supplementation was 2 to 6 minims (drops) containing 12.5 to 37.5 mg elemental iodine. During the second half of the 20th century, iodophobic misinformation disseminated progressively and deceitfully among the medical profession resulted in a decreased use of Lugol, with iodized salt becoming the standard for iodine supplementation. The bioavailable iodide from iodized salt is only 10% and the daily amount of iodide absorbed from iodized salt is 200 to 500 times less than the amount of iodine/iodide previously recommended by U.S. physicians. After World War II, U.S. physicians were educated early in their medical career to believe that inorganic non-radioactive forms of iodine were toxic. Adverse reactions to radiographic contrast media and other iodine-containing drugs were blamed on iodine. If a patient told his/her physician that he/she could not tolerate seafood, the physician told him/her that he/she was allergic to iodine.”
 
Things that make me go hmmmmmmm. Onward…. Shall we?

Here is How to Test for Iodine:

🔎Let’s start with a simple DIY: The Iodine Patch Test.🔎
🔸You’ll need 2% colorized tincture of Iodine. The clear stuff won’t work!
🔸Paint a 2-3 inch sized area with the iodine on clean dry skin. Apply to the stomach, inner thigh, or inner forearm….. Somewhere that won’t get rubbed constantly by clothing.
🔸Let the solution dry completely before allowing it to touch anything. (it will stain!)
🔸Monitor changes in color to the patch over a 24hour period.
🔸Proponents of this DIY test say that if the patch is still visible after 24hours, then levels are likely ok.
🔸If the patch has lightened considerably or vanished in fewer than 24 hours, it may indicate an iodine deficiency. If the patch lightens significantly or disappears in less than 18 hours, it may indicate a more significant deficiency. Make note of how fast the iodine vanishes.
🔸Evaporation, ambient temperatures, and rubbing clothing may play a part in the outcome, so take that into consideration.
🔸If results have piqued your curiosity, you may want to engage the assistance of one of the health professionals I mentioned earlier.
 
🔎There is a second test called an Iodine Loading Challenge. This is considered a more reliable “official” test, and is based on the amount of iodine found in the urine after loading the body with a large iodine/iodide load. (generally 50mg iodine/iodide, a tablet version of Lugol’s for adults)
🔸1st morning urine is discarded, but all urine after that is collected for 24 hours including the first morning sample at the END of the 24hrs. This urine will be sent off to a lab and evaluated.
🔸Results are based on the following premise: A body deficient in iodine will hold on to iodine. Example: a 90% excretion would indicate an iodine sufficient state, while below 90% would indicate varying degrees of deficiency depending on how low the % is.
🔸This test should run about $50-60 (plus the cost of the iodine/iodide combo tablets which are pretty inexpensive)

Common Questions

If your roadmap is leading to a possible iodine deficiency, you probably have a few questions. I’ll try to address some of them here.
 
🤔Q: Can you get too much Iodine?
A: Yes. Though it is considered one of the safest of our micronutrients when it is in inorganic, nonradioactive form ( iodides, tincture of iodine, Lugol solution). Iodine induced hypothyroidism is incredibly rare. TSH may rise when initially supplementing but T3 and T4 do not fall (those are the “boots on the ground” thyroid hormones you want to watch closely).
 
🤔Q: Does everyone benefit from “more” iodine?
Short answer…. No. Remember, we are all uniquely made. How do you feel? What symptoms are you living with? What is your risk category (see previous post) based on the factors involved?
Also, there is an uncommon situation called iodine induced hyperthyroidism. This occurs when there is an autonomously functioning thyroid nodule. This means that the nodule is not taking directions from the feedback mechanism involving the pituitary and the hypothalamus (go back and re-read the post on the “upstream” players in thyroid function if needed). An independent functioning nodule is like a wayward teenager….. It does its own thing in the presence of iodine regardless of the guidance mechanisms in place to prevent that from happening and hyperthyroidism can result. This is diagnosed with a thyroid scan, and iodine will need to be avoided until the nodule can be removed.
 
You might also recall iodine’s close association with fluorine, bromine, and chlorine. When iodine levels increase in the body, this can cause a mobilization of toxins that bind to the same receptor sites. Mobilized toxins are like a gang of thugs👹 on the move causing various degrees of mayhem until they have been excreted.
 
For this reason….. Easy does it friend! Lower levels of iodine/iodide supplementation are your friend ( Master Formula, Multigreeens and Thyromin), as is making sure you are flushing out toxins by staying well hydrated, and taking adequate amounts of Vitamin C ( YL’s Super C Chewables is a stellar choice), and a regular source of antioxidants ( NingXia Red!). Should you find out you need more iodine/iodide in your life, there are products available as stand alone entities. Talk to your iodine savvy health professional if you think you need more.
 
🤔Q: Is it possible to have an allergy to iodine?
An actual true allergy to inorganic iodine/iodide is very very rare. More commonly “iodine allergies” can be traced back to the body’s response to the other chemicals or allergens found within the same product or food item. Oftentimes the link is seafood🐟 or shellfish 🦐, contrast dyes, iodine antiseptics. Iodine’s molecule is small and too simple (structure wise) to cause an antibody response, but when it’s combined with another substance, it could play a role in the allergic response. Example: some people may have a topical reaction to the antiseptic povidone-iodine but have no reaction to potassium iodide.
 
🤔Q: What happens when you take thyroid hormone replacement therapy AND you have an underlying iodine deficiency?
Frankly, this is a problem and why it’s a good idea to evaluate your iodine load. If you are on thyroid medication and still don’t feel “right”…. It could be that your medication needs tweaking or changing….. Or it could be related to an iodine deficiency that may account for some (or all) of the symptoms you are feeling.
 
Additionally, one of the jobs of thyroid hormone is to stimulate metabolism. Every cell in the body is dependent upon iodine for proper metabolic function. If supplemental thyroid hormone raises the metabolism of cells throughout the body, this also increases the need for iodine (that may or may not be there). Recall last week’s discussion on iodine’s role in cellular function which includes programmed cell death (a good thing!). Frankly, knowing this information, I believe that people on thyroid medication should be tested for iodine deficiency regularly.
 
🤔Q: Is there a link between iodine deficiency when combined with years of thyroid hormone medication and breast, ovarian, uterine, and prostate cancers? There are some pretty compelling studies 🧐🤓out there indicating it is likely so. It has been theorized that the continual unrecognized iodine deficiency combined with an increased metabolic rate (from the thyroid medication) may account for the increased incidence (Remember, iodine is needed for programmed cell death which includes keeping aberrant cellular reproduction in check.)
 
The mainland Japanese ingest over 100x the RDA of iodine in their diet. Coincidentally, they have among the lowest incidence of breast, endometrial, ovarian, and prostate cancers (and a very low incidence of fibrocystic breast disease too).
 
🤔Q: Can kids be iodine deficient and can they be tested?
Interestingly, there is a strong correlation between higher levels (and severity) of ADHD and autism in iodine deficient populations. Kids can be tested for iodine deficiency too….. Their loading challenge will be different based on weight. You’ll want to work with an iodine knowledgeable pediatric health professional who will work with you.
 
If you’d like to dive more into the “Great Iodine Debate”, I’d encourage you to pick up a copy of any of these books:
 
📚Iodine: Why you need it (5th edition) by Dr. David Brownstein MD
 
📚What Doctors fail to tell you about Iodine and your Thyroid by Dr. Robert Thompson MD
 
📚The Iodine Crisis by Lynne Farrow
 
As always…. I’m here simply to be your super sleuth guide. You are your own best health detective!
 
xoxo~ liz
 

Dopamine Deficiency Part III: Solutions

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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

Finding Answers to your own Health Problems

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Last week, I wrote about all the fascinating information you may learn from looking at the clues embedded (literally) in the nether regions of fingernails. You can find that post here if you need to catch up: https://goodmedicine.info/blog/health-clues-you-can-use-1

​A clue means next to nothing if it is singular….. You’ll  need at least a few clues if you are to be sure you are headed down the right path. 


Since we are only in the embryonic stages of becoming your own health detective, here are a few quick self assessment tools every good health detective needs:
*Honesty: If you are to be your own health detective, it’s important to acknowledge lifestyle choices and known consequences. The “it won’t happen to me” mindset will never work….nor will the hypochondriac’s lament. If you are going to do the detective work, be honest with yourself……using your clues to improve your wellness quotient thru diet, lifestyle changes and using supplements (and/or YL essential oils) when you suspect support is needed will go a long way to turning back the physiological clock.


*Labwork: Every adult should have bloodwork  done annually (more often if there is a visible problem). Even the uninsured or “undoctored” can get bloodwork done without seeing a doctor (message me if you’d like help doing this). I’ll cover what I consider “essential” labwork in a future post, so at the very least you’ll know what labs to request your doctor run for you.


*One clue does not make a dis-ease or a diagnosis. #clustercluesforthewin


*How do you feel? Think this over. Do you feel great most days? If your answer hovers more around the “meh” answer, here’s where you’ll want to start. There are many many posts within this group that addresses supportive measures for most of these topics:
👉Do you get enough sleep?
👉Do you exercise vigorously and regularly?
👉Do you know your recent blood pressure and blood sugar numbers?
👉Do you have a “healthy” bowel movement daily?
👉Do you eat in a healthy manner? 
👉Do you have a close set of friends, participate in life fully, attend church?
👉Do you laugh often and enjoy life?
👉Do you avoid vices? (smoking and regular alcohol consumption especially)


*Consider keeping a health journal. Write down your clues as you find them. This will be very helpful to you as you learn how to be a better CEO of Y.O.U Incorporated in 2021, and will also help you decide which supplements or oils might need to be on your monthly “must haves” for 2021.


 *Know your limits. If you have found several clues pointing to a significant health issue, please contact your preferred health professional. Naturopaths, Integrative medicine doctors, and functional medicine doctors are my personal first choice as they tend to look beyond the symptoms and address the root cause.


Last week I read several comments when discussing less than prominent lunula….. Fewer than 8 prominent lunula may be an indication of low cellular oxygen, poor circulation, a chronically weakened immune system, a possible thyroid disorder, or a Vitamin B12 Deficiency. Lots of possibilities, right? If you didn’t know where to start (since this is a first clue), what daily Young Living supplement may be supportive of most of these conditions? (Hint: It’s red ).
xoxo~liz

#sharingiscaring
#applicationofknowledgeispower
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#NingXiaRedChallenge2021
#becomingyourownhealthdetective

Oily Farm Squirrel

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For those of you who don’t know this furry face yet, this is Henri the #oilyfarmsquirrel !  She is part of our porch picnics and dear part of our farm life. If you’ve been around for the duration, you’ll know this question…. What Young Living supplement was she raised on? 😍 
We love our Henri  💓
#oilyfarmsquirrel
#ThanksYL

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