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Food Into Fuel

March 27, 2021 Elizabeth No comments

How do our bodies produce energy from the food we eat? — How do our bodies turn **FOOD** into **FUEL?**

How does our body turn food into fuel? As a functional nutrition practitioner, this is an ongoing question I consider when helping people support their best health. Why? Well, we need good nutrition to build tissue and run every biochemical function in our body. Specifically, we need minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, fiber, water, and oxygen. Each has its purpose. We affect body function when we compromise good quality raw materials.

Food quality makes a huge difference!

It’s important to eat good quality food in the first place, of course. The best we can source, prepared from whole food ingredients. There’s room for individual difference here. Due to unique metabolic needs, we don’t all thrive on the exact same eating style. That said, a whole foods Mediterranean-style eating plan offers a foundation that helps modulate inflammation, while supporting both cardiovascular health and microbiome balance. Many of us can start from that base and make individual adjustments to suit our personal needs.

But what if you’re already eating a pretty good diet and still have some health issues? This happens frequently. It’s possible to do really well in one area and miss something else. We may underestimate the physiological impact of a big “oops.” Like compromised sleep quality, or an unintended toxin exposure, unmanaged stress, and so on. And when we’re under extra stress, it’s easy to skimp on food quality, despite our best intentions.

The food into fuel process involves Digestion and Distribution of key nutrients

Digestion and distribution of nutrients in the body help us turn food into fuel. — Turning **Food** into **Fuel** involves a synergistic
cooperation between the digestive system
and the circulatory system. These functions
are mediated by our response to stress.

These very common factors can impact the two “D’s” of nutrient utilization: Digestion and Distribution. In plain language, we need to be able to break down our food into small particles that can be absorbed into the circulatory system. And then our circulatory system needs to be up to speed (literally) in order to deliver those nutrients to our individual cells.

Any time we have unwanted symptoms present, somewhere behind the scenes there is a breakdown in function. Symptoms as diverse as severe body discomfort, blood sugar regulation issues, mood disturbance, difficulty sleeping, bone health issues, or significant immune failure can all be linked to something as simple and ultimately resolvable as low stomach acid.

Bottom line: Too much of the elements we don’t want [toxins, infection, metabolic waste] coupled with too little of certain elements we do want [nutrients including oxygen, delivered in a timely manner to the cells where they are needed] is a deal-breaker for optimal health. Habitual movement patterns can also keep us stuck in mechanical and energetic disharmony.

Energy production inside our individual cells

Nutrients are required for cellular energy production! — Nutrients are needed for cellular energy production.
This is metabolically where we turn **Food** into **Fuel!**

Our bodies largely run on energy that is produced inside the little cellular powerhouses of our individual cells. This process requires good quality materials in proper balance. It’s overly simplistic to think that cellular energy production is the only factor impacting the health of our tissues. It’s not. But it is an important factor, and it’s nutrient-dependent.

“Mitochondrial energy production then powers growth, healing, as well as the complex processes required for adaptation to the changing environment.”
Picard et al. (2018)

In a recent publication on the role of nutrients to enhance cellular energy production after critical illness, a group of researchers from the Netherlands (Wesselink, et al., 2019) identified certain nutrients essential for mitochondrial function. Specifically, their research looked at B Vitamins, ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol (component of vitamin E), selenium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, caffeine, melatonin, carnitine, nitrate, lipoic acid, and taurine.

It’s interesting that in addition to considering individual nutrients, they also look at the synergistic aspect of combined deficiencies. Cellular energy production is a multi-step process. If we support one particular nutrient while leaving a downstream nutrient deficient, then the outcome may still not be optimal.

Identifying nutrient imbalances

It can be tricky to tease out exactly which nutrients are adequate and which are not. It’s not as simple as running a blood panel or taking a multi-vitamin. There are many considerations and we’re all unique. Many functional practitioners, given this puzzle, look at the person’s symptoms and history in combination with results from a nutrient test (either Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis or blood micronutrient panel), standard lab-ordered blood work, and urinary Organic Acids testing.

Wesselink and colleagues (2019) explain, “Furthermore, it is questionable whether plasma levels of nutrients reflect actual availability in mitochondria. Plasma nutrient levels may be low during critical illness due to increased losses through body fluids and increased permeability of endothelium, redistribution, altered protein binding, and inadequate intake. As a consequence, their plasma levels do not likely reflect tissue storages of micronutrients during critical illness.” (Emphasis added.) Note: the term “endothelium” refers the inner lining of the blood vessels. Inflammation, an inherent factor in critical illness, damages the endothelium.

It is very good to see this research. While there are still many questions, the fact that researchers now consider this type of inquiry worth conducting is quite encouraging!

The essential role of oxygen

Oxygen, specifically, limits the amount of energy produced in any given time and place. Like other nutrients, we must first take oxygen into the body in adequate and consistent quantity. Then our circulatory system must deliver it to the tissues. Most of the energy production inside the cell (Adenosine Triphosphate / ATP) occurs as the result of a series of biochemical steps known as the Electron Transport Chain (ETC), or Respiratory Chain. Picard, et al. (2018) state, “As its name implies, the respiratory chain consumes oxygen.”

Oxygen is essential for cellular energy production. It helps us turn food into fuel. — Oxygen can be considered an essential nutrient.

Oxygen intake must first be robust. It can be compromised under certain conditions — functional impairment of the lungs, high altitude, sleep disordered breathing, and obstructive face coverings are examples. So first things first. Assess, and then if found lacking, address or consider a supplementary source. Oxygen is not optional.

Systemic or localized disruption of the microcirculation as occurs in a significant inflammatory response, toxin exposure, sympathetic nervous system arousal (stress response), departure from the earth’s electromagnetic field, low nitric oxide state for any other reason, compromises oxygen delivery to the tissues.

Aerobic vs. anaerobic energy production

When oxygen is readily available, the body produces energy through an efficient process known as oxidative phosphorylation (aerobic). If oxygen is limited, then a signaling molecule known as Hypoxic Inducible Factor (HIF) builds up. As our body reaches a threshold of HIF, the cell switches to a different metabolic process known as glycolysis (anaerobic).

The process of glycolysis is not only inefficient, it also creates unfavorable byproducts and changes gene expression in the involved tissues. As such, it’s associated with a number of challenging health conditions characterized by non-resolving inflammation or suppressed immunity — such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, and tumors.

How stress interacts with metabolism

Let’s briefly consider stress, and the impact it has on our body’s efforts to convert food into fuel. When faced with a stressor of any sort, we are innately designed to adapt to it. It doesn’t matter what the stress type. Our bodies will begin the adaptation response if we have a challenging day at work, eat a food that doesn’t agree with us, ingest a toxin, have a short night of sleep, get exposed to a “bug,” speak or think about ourselves unkindly, set a new personal best for the 50 yard dash, or any host of other life events.

What does it mean to adapt? Adaptation calls for a variety of basic and complex functions.

Our cells are command central for stress adaptation. They use available materials for basic and complex metabolism, including communication, creation of substances, and removal of waste. — In adapting to stress, our cells use available nutrients
to produce “heat energy” for basic operation, communicate
needs or shortages, create substances such as
hormones and neurotransmitters, and remove waste.
The healthier we are to begin with, the better we adapt.

We may need to think of a new solution.
Remember how to find our way home.
Run from a predator or dangerous situation.
Cool our bodies when they’re overheated or warm them up if we’re exposed to frigid conditions.
Laser-focus our eyesight on one particular point or scan the broadness of the whole landscape.
Move extra oxygen-carrying air quickly through our lungs.
Inactivate a stealth “bug” that hitched a ride on our salad greens.
Remove metabolic waste and other unneeded material from our bodies.
Form a clot to stop bleeding.
Heal tissue.
Grow new cells.
Instruct our cells how to survive in the absence of enough of a needed element. Say oxygen, water, or certain nutrient minerals.
Stop an infection.
Perceive the difference between safety and danger.
Inspire hope in a friend or loved one.
And so much more.

Adapting to stress requires a lot of energy!

As we are actively adapting to stress, our energy demands increase. As Picard et al. (2018) state, “Even though, in fact, basic life-sustaining biological functions also require energy for their maintenance, the energy requirement for stress responses is above the basal needs of the organisms; hence, the emphasis here on the link between stress and energy.”

Sometimes, we may have too much stress to handle at once, or over a period of time. As this happens, our bodies are no longer able to adapt successfully. Our ability to turn food into fuel is inadequate. We begin to experience disease or metabolic dysregulation. This can be a complex situation that involves trouble keeping blood sugar balanced, significant mood issues, cognitive issues, disruptions to our sleep / wake cycles, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, formation of tumors, joint and tissue degeneration, immune-mediated challenges, premature aging and so on.

This is a brief introduction to a rather involved topic. We’ll return to it again in future posts. Optimizing adaptation to stress is the essence of functional health care, whether it comes from a nutritional perspective or a medical one. The strategy I take in my functional nutrition consulting is, generally, to decrease stress inputs while we balance nutrients, enhance nutrient delivery, build microbiome health, and explore certain lifestyle factors like mindset and sleep quality. Ultimately, our intent is to become more adaptable and resilient.

Next steps — turning food into fuel

In coming posts, we will explore both Digestion and Distribution of nutrients separately, along with some guidance on the approaches that can make a difference toward enhancing these critical functions. We’ll also be taking a deeper dive into the functional effects of Stress on both these systems. If you would like to explore personal guidance in applying these strategies to your own situation, check out my Functional Health Consulting page, where you will find contact information. I would be happy to hear from you!

Resources:

Cummins, E. P., Keogh, C. E., Crean, D., & Taylor, C. T. (2016). The role of HIF in immunity and inflammation. Molecular aspects of medicine, 47-48, 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mam.2015.12.004
Ghosh, T. S., Rampelli, S., Jeffery, I. B., Santoro, A., Neto, M., Capri, M., Giampieri, E., Jennings, A., Candela, M., Turr oni, S., Zoetendal, E. G., Hermes, G., Elodie, C., Meunier, N., Brugere, C. M., Pujos-Guillot, E., Berendsen, A. M., De Groot, L., Feskins, E., Kaluza, J., … O’Toole, P. W. (2020). Mediterranean diet intervention alters the gut microbiome in older people reducing frailty and improving health status: the NU-AGE 1-year dietary intervention across five European countries. Gut, 69(7), 1218–1228. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319654
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works
Jennings, A., Berendsen, A. M., de Groot, L., Feskens, E., Brzozowska, A., Sicinska, E., Pietruszka, B., Meunier, N., Caumon, E., Malpuech-Brugère, C., Santoro, A., Ostan, R., Franceschi, C., Gillings, R., O’ Neill, C. M., Fairweather-Tait, S. J., Minihane, A. M., & Cassidy, A. (2019). Mediterranean-Style Diet Improves Systolic Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 73(3), 578–586. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.12259
Lee, C. C., Wu, C. Y., & Yang, H. Y. (2020). Discoveries of how cells sense oxygen win the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or medicine. Biomedical journal, 43(5), 434–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2020.05.019

Resources, continued:

McGettrick, A. F., & O’Neill, L. (2020). The Role of HIF in Immunity and Inflammation. Cell metabolism, 32(4), 524–536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.08.002
Picard, M., McEwen, B. S., Epel, E. S., & Sandi, C. (2018). An energetic view of stress: Focus on mitochondria. Frontiers in neuroendocrinology, 49, 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.01.001
Trayhurn P. (2019). Oxygen-A Critical, but Overlooked, Nutrient. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00010
Tsigalou, C., Konstantinidis, T., Paraschaki, A., Stavropoulou, E., Voidarou, C., & Bezirtzoglou, E. (2020). Mediterranean Diet as a Tool to Combat Inflammation and Chronic Diseases. An Overview. Biomedicines, 8(7), 201. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines8070201
Wesselink, E., Koekkoek, W., Grefte, S., Witkamp, R. F., & van Zanten, A. (2019). Feeding mitochondria: Potential role of nutritional components to improve critical illness convalescence. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 38(3), 982–995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.08.032
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism Accessed 3/27/2021

Functional Nutrition adaptation, circadian rhythm, circulation, digestion, food into fuel, functional nutrition, inflammation, metabolism, microbiome, microcirculation, mineral balance, mitochondria, oxygen, stress

The “Functional Process” of Functional Health

April 27, 2020 Elizabeth No comments

“We investigate functional process. The systems that affect efficiency of your cells, tissues, and organ systems. How is stress affecting your body? Are you able to break down your food and use the nutrients? Does your particular mix of gut bacteria favor an efficient metabolism or a clear mind? How well does your body deliver nutrients to the cells and remove metabolic waste? How are you being affected by environmental toxins? Do we see any evidence that your immune system is challenged? And so on.” This is how I answer when people ask what a functional health practitioner does.

Functional process underlies our symptoms. — Seeking stability in functional process

Visible symptoms

We’ll often use the image of an iceberg to describe how function relates to symptoms. On the surface, we notice problems: trouble sleeping, low energy, crummy mood, foggy thinking, sore back. The symptoms are often what gets our attention. But the symptoms are not the main problem.

How well does your body manage stress?

The issue is underneath. Below the surface — in the functional process. This is completely individualized. Two people can have a similar symptom — say, trouble sleeping through the night — for very different reasons. One may have sluggish circulation that causes their oxygen levels to drop; another may have trouble balancing their blood sugar. Someone else may have a disordered metabolic response to stress. A sleeping pill may knock them out for the night (their sleep will be non-restorative), but it won’t solve any one of the underlying issues. Which, if left unresolved, will lead to further trouble.

As another example, what role does your digestive system play in supporting your state of health? Are you able to break food down well to get the nutrients you need? Do you have the best mix of bacteria to keep your gut lining intact, maintain robust metabolism, protect you from anything unintended (toxins, opportunistic bacteria or other “bugs”) that comes in on your food, and keep inflammation levels down? Your circulatory system and immune system both depend on robust gut function in order to work well. Your brain and your gut communicate back and forth with one another — all day long. Gut health impacts both mood and cognition, and your brain’s alert or calming response impacts gut health.

There’s really no body system that is incidental to the health of the whole. Where would you be without bones? Muscles? Lungs?

Just like with the iceberg, though, we often don’t know what’s going on beneath the surface. We can’t feel our circulation. The reason for our acid reflux, skin rash, low energy, or other issues remains a mystery. We may even think we’re “ok” and yet be careening unaware toward trouble. It’s easier to turn things around before they get bad.

Where do we start?

So how do we take stock of where we are? This is where we’re so fortunate! There are state-of-the art functional lab tests to reliably assess functional processes such as digestive health, hormone balance, nutrient sufficiency, and the effect of environmental toxins on a person’s state of health.

From taking these assessments into consideration alongside the individual’s personal story, we can uncover specific areas where we’ll likely have the greatest impact. As those insights appear, we work out an individualized plan to begin taking manageable steps toward the goal of greater resilience.

As Dr. Jeffrey Bland says, “Function can move both forward and backward. The vector of change in function through time is, in part, determined by the unique interaction of an individual’s genome with their environment, diet, and lifestyle. “

Finding resilience

Moving Into Wholeness — Feel the path beneath your feet…

We start with small steps. Targeted nutrients, eating style, sleep, lifestyle habits, circulation support. And eventually, when we gaze back at the road we’ve walked, we find that we’ve landed in a calmer, more resilient place.

More info here: Functional Nutrition Consultation

Reference:

Bland J. Defining Function in the Functional Medicine Model. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2017;16(1):22–25.

Functional Nutrition functional health, functional lab testing, functional nutrition, functional process, healthy lifestyle, resilient health

What’s in your gut? Wheat sensitivity?!

December 19, 2018 Elizabeth No comments

What’s in your gut?

In a lot of cases, part of the answer is “inflammation.” Gut inflammation may influence other parts of the body. That’s how I got into studying functional nutrition. Neuromuscular therapy clients started showing up with what appeared to be systemic inflammation. Bodywork can’t fix that. It’s nutritional. Sometimes, wheat sensitivity may be involved.

As we talked, people began asking questions like this: “Could gut upset be part of my situation even if my symptoms are somewhere else in my body (joint stiffness, mood issues, headaches, fatigue, and so on) and I poop like clockwork every morning? Where does it come from? What can we do?”

The answer: “It depends.” We explore it case by case.

What's in your gut? — Beautiful wheat fields can be found all over North Dakota!

I now live in the state of North Dakota, having moved here from metropolitan Detroit 17 years ago. I work with functional nutrition clients from this local area as well as from other parts of the US.

One thing I probably don’t have to mention about North Dakota. Agriculture is the primary industry here. The primary commodity crop is wheat. In fact, according to the North Dakota Wheat Commission, 9 million acres of our state are planted in wheat crops each year.

Wheat!?

Today, let’s look at one piece. Wheat sensitivity.

I know a lot of wheat farmers. They’re awesome people who mean you no harm. I mean them no harm by sharing this information. The truth is a lot of people do not tolerate today’s wheat-containing food products very well. Even some of the wheat farmers.

Fortunately, objective testing is available. If my clients want to know whether their body has an immune reaction to wheat (hellooo inflammation), it’s pretty easy to find out.

Objective Testing for Wheat Sensitivity

The test results pictured are from someone whose main health concern was a GI issue. I honor their courage in wanting to find out the effect that wheat might be having on their system.

Wheat sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity — Objective testing for wheat sensitivity shows multiple immune system responses.

Here’s what we learned from running a test called Wheat Zoomer. First, all the celiac disease markers came back negative. My client was happy to hear that! Next, intestinal permeability is an issue. (These markers are not illustrated.)

In addition (see graphic above):

They registered an immune reaction to wheat germ.
Five of the six gluten peptides explored on the test triggered an immune system reaction.
They registered an immune reaction to all five of the additional non-gluten wheat proteins measured.

Bottom line: In order to tame the fire in their gut, this person needs to strictly avoid both wheat (even wheatgrass juice / powder) and gluten (including barley and rye). It’s an adjustment. Fortunately, awareness of wheat sensitivity is becoming much more common, and the social aspect of trying to explain to Aunt Tilly that you can’t have a piece of her birthday cake is getting easier.

If you suspect that gut challenges may be slowing you down, I offer two suggestions:

#1. Pot luck tip: Contribute something you can eat!

Roasted vegetable medley — Roasted veggies are nourishing and delicious!

#2. Need help figuring out what’s in your gut? We offer functional health testing and consultation. Check it out.

Functional Nutrition functional health testing, functional nutrition, gluten sensitivity, immune system, inflammation, intestinal permeability, leaky gut, neuromuscular therapy, what's in your gut, wheat sensitivity

Migraine Headaches — Structural Factors, Functional Health

May 15, 2018 Elizabeth No comments

Migraine headaches — functional health

In the functional health world, we have many approaches to addressing chronic, debilitating headaches. Even migraine headaches. There are so many factors that can contribute!

Hormone imbalance
Nutrient imbalance
Build-up of chemical toxins, biotoxins, heavy metals
Sludgy liver function
Gut dysbiosis
Food sensitivities
Mood issues
Insomnia
And so on…

Most of us, headaches or no, will feel better after clearing those factors. But what if you’ve done it all? You’re eating clean, your liver function is seamless, and your gut microbiome is the envy of all you meet.

And yet you still have headaches. Bad headaches. Lots of them.

Let’s not forget mechanics.

It’s true. Mechanical factors can play heavily into a serious headache pattern. No amount of clean eating is likely to unseat them. You need a different approach.

Could cranial misalignment be a factor in your headaches?

Check out this graphic for just a few possible ways that cranial / cervical alignment may be impacting your migraine headaches.

Look at the royal blue arrow, #43. That’s the internal jugular vein, depicted on the left only as it is not visible on the right. For this person, venous return of blood from the head must have been compromised.
Now look at the red arrows, the mandible or lower jaw.
And then the light green arrows, the transverse processes of the atlas (C1 vertebra).
Notice how the relationship of these structures is very different on the right and left sides of the body. Oops!
Look at the yellow arrows, the medial pterygoid muscle, which contributes to closing the jaw.
Look closely at the muscle position on the right side of the picture. See how it’s compressed between the two bones? Did this person have a TMJ issue? Yes.
Look at #24. It’s the spine of the C1 vertebra. Notice it’s off center.
Finally, check out the difference in the tissue health of the two obliquus capitis inferior muscles (light blue arrows). See how the one on the left is more fibrous than the one on the right, due to chronic tension pattern. Neck pain? Sure. Trigger points (to the head)? Likely.

Cranial Alignment is Key

Connective tissue influenced position of bones

Tension patterns in the cranial fascia and membranes (connective tissue) may influence position of the bones.

The photo above illustrates a cranial alignment issue. It can be addressed. It’s soft tissue work — working with the cranial fascia and membranes, along with mobilization of the cranial sutures (joints). This is the original work of Paul St John. Once the cranial alignment has stabilized, the cervical spine can come into balance.

The magic is not in the license a person works under, but in how they see the body.

How does cranial misalignment arise?

Skull model showing presence of cranial sutures

Cranial sutures, the joining places of the different cranial bones, can be visualized in this model.

A common question people ask upon recognizing that their body alignment is imbalanced is, “How did I get this way?” In the head, this confusion is compounded by the outdated belief that the cranial joints (sutures) don’t move.¹⋅² In clinical practice, it’s possible to both feel and see the malleability of the cranium, and to feel effects of the changes.

So how does the cranium become misaligned? We can’t always say for sure, but a careful history may include experiences like these:

Any kind of slip / fall where the head hits a hard object
Sports injury involving the head
Person was delivered with assistance of foreceps or vacuum extraction (or, practically speaking, by any other means)
Neck injury, especially involving sudden deceleration
Shoulder injury
Abdominal tension pattern
Pelvic misalignment for any reason, including injury or anatomical leg length difference
Any other significant stress or trauma

After reading the above list, you may suspect that cranial misalignment is common. It is. Sometimes it results in headaches, including migraine headaches. Not always, though, which is fortunate. There are other ways in which cranial alignment can impact health. We may explore some of them in a future post.

For further information

For more information on balancing body structure or functional nutrition consultation, please visit the linked section of this website. Thanks!

¹ The Controversy of Cranial Bone Motion Joseph S. Rogers, MS, PT, Philip L. Witt, PhD, PT. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 1997 26:2, 95-103

² An investigation of cranial motion through a review of biomechanically based skull deformation literature. Seimetz, Christina N. et al. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine 2012 15:4 , 152 – 165

Functional Nutrition, Neuromuscular Therapy cranial alignment, fasica, functional health, headache, internal jugular vein, migraine headaches, soft tissue

Spring Reset: 3 Low Cost, High Value Strategies

March 25, 2018 Elizabeth No comments

Three Spring Resets

The calendar says it’s spring! Where I live, the outdoor conditions haven’t quite caught up yet. But we’re close. So close. It’s time to make plans for a Spring Reset!

I live in the north, just an hour’s drive south of the Canadian border. Winter is a long season here. It’s ok. We’re used to it. It’s not hard to imagine, though, that a couple hundred years ago things would have been quite different.

Imagine life in the northern plains 200 years ago during a harsh winter. Lacking some of the conveniences we have come to rely on: central heat, indoor plumbing, electricity, weather forecasting. Trees are not plentiful here on the plains, either for building materials or for heat. Frigid weather can persist for months, along with significant snowfall. Careful planning was a must in order to make it through to spring with enough food and sufficient heat.

I can about imagine the anticipation the earlier people must have felt. Warmer days bring the opportunity to enjoy the morning sun on your face, walk barefoot on the earth, and harvest the first fresh greens you’ve seen in months. Such abundant luxury! A spring reset! For free!

We can do it, too. With a bit of attention to the change of seasons, we can do our own spring reset. Kind of like spring cleaning for our wonderful bodies. It can be simple or deep, depending on what you want to accomplish. Regardless, there are certain things available to nearly everyone, at low cost and high value. Here are three.

Spring Reset #1: Enjoy the morning sun!

Nearly everyone enjoys the feel of the morning sun on their face. Regardless of circumstances, the sun is available to just about everyone, and it’s free. If you’re unable to get outside, then please do your best to find a window. Pure sunshine is the ultimate spring reset.

For those of us with the liberty to go outdoors in the early morning, that’s an ideal time. Early morning sun helps set your body’s circadian rhythm, and it’s not so strong as to burn fair skin.

Most people think of vitamin D levels when they think of the health benefits of sunlight. Indeed, a healthy person will metabolize vitamin D from sunlight, lighter-skinned people absorbing more than those with darker skin. We’ll save an in-depth discussion of vitamin D for another day. However most agree that the active form 1,25(OH)D supports health, specifically calcium and phosphorus levels, various metabolic functions, and bone mineralization.¹

Sun exposure has a number of additional benefits besides vitamin D metabolism. It increases production of the melatonin precursor, serotonin, leading to a positive outlook coupled with calm, focused energy. Early morning sun exposure also functions as a “stop” marker for nighttime melatonin production, leading to a healthier sleep pattern overall. Finally, sunlight exposure modulates the immune system, supports production of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (which decreases during certain instances of chronic inflammation), and positively affects mood by increasing blood levels of endorphins.¹

One of the easiest and least costly spring reset strategies for most of us, by far, is to step outside into the light and enjoy a reasonable amount of sun exposure. Preferably in the morning. Not so much as to produce a burn.

Spring Reset #2: Walk barefoot on the earth

Physicians and researchers Karol Sokal, MD, PhD and Pawel Sokal, MD, PhD hypothesized that “regulating factors that are universal in nature, … the action of which could be disturbed by contemporary civilization”² might be responsible for some of the chronic ill health they were observing in clinical practice. Observing that many of us have gotten away from frequent connection with the earth, they further hypothesized that the earth’s charge might be one such factor.

In order to explore their hypothesis, they conducted a study in which they measured certain physiological responses to “Earthing” which, for the sake of consistency, they arranged through use of a grounding device. They connected a copper plate attached to the subject’s leg to a second plate placed on moistened earth outdoors. The subjects slept in this fashion.

The results indicated that the Earthed subjects had changes in:

calcium-phosphate homeostasis (consistent with a decrease in bone mineral loss pattern associated with osteoporosis)
concentration of electrolyte minerals
increase in the T4 thyroid hormone (free thyroxin), increase in TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), and decrease in the T3 thryoid hormone (free tri-iodothyronine); this is consistent with an increase in metabolic rate
decreased serum glucose levels in a group of patients with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes
increased immune response (triggered by administration of a vaccine during the experiment)²,³

This complex research was meant to investigate the positive effects of something that you can most likely do for free (once the snow melts, if that applies in your area): walk barefoot on the earth. Or lie on it. Sit in a chair and watch a movie with your bare feet on the ground. Whatever works best in your situation.

Spring Reset #3: Make friends with the lowly dandelion

In the many parts of the world where dandelions grow, they tend to be prolific. They’re easy to come by. In my area, the pretty yellow flower is one of the first signals that spring has really arrived.

Good news. Dandelion is edible! All parts may be eaten as food. If you (or someone you know) has a healthy crop, and presuming no herbicide has been applied, you can add a few tasty young leaves to your next salad.

Dandelion has also been used traditionally as an herbal medicine. The root is often used for liver support, the leaf for digestive support and as a diuretic. Dandelion has also been studied for anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties. The root may be brewed into a tea or tinctured.

Dandelion leaf, when eaten as a food, is a nutritional powerhouse. It contains potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C, and the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin.⁴

Perhaps you have a non-sprayed yard or garden that sports these beautiful plants. If so, harvest freely. If not, you may be lucky enough to have a neighbor who does not apply herbicides. (Like me!) If so, I’m guessing they’d be happy to have you stop by and carefully dig to your heart’s content. Or failing that, if you live in an area where dandelions do not grow abundantly, you can very reasonably purchase dried dandelion root from a company such as Frontier Natural Products and brew tea or make a tincture.

A deeper approach

So there you go. Three spring reset options for little to no cost and potentially high value. I encourage everyone who has the ability to utilize these to do so.

Perhaps you’re ready for a deeper approach, too. Spring is also a great time for a general assessment, and in particular, for optimizing digestive health. If this sounds like something you may be interested in, I encourage you to consider a Functional Nutrition Consultation. If this speaks to you, I’d be happy to hear from you to discuss an individualized one-on-one program.

¹ Mead, M. N. (2008). Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(4), A160–A167.

² Sokal, K. and Sokal, P. (2011). Earthing the Human Body Influences Physiologic Processes. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17:4, 301-308.

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⁴ Mir, M. Amin, Sawhney, S. S., Jassal, M. M. S. (2013) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytochemicals of Taraxacum officinale. Wudpecker Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmocology, vol. 2(1), pp. 001 – 005.

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