bernadette
Forum Replies Created
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please watch this video where I share suggestions on the different types of support for opening the different elimination pathways. You don’t have to do all of them, but instead focus on the ones that are weaker for you. For example, if you don’t exercise and sweat regularly, then yes, a sauna can be a helpful tool.
We have a discount code for B Better members on that Higher Dose sauna blanket you linked above. A client of mine however bought it and ended up returning it because she didn’t feel it gave enough heat to induce a good sweat. My preference is still the Therasage. We also have a discount code for that as well in the Resource Library under Discounts.
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to give you peace of mind, take your cat to see a holistic vet to get guidance on how to properly care for them and check your pet to make sure all is in order.
I can recommend Dr Amber Lovegrove at The Veterinary Hospital. She’s awesome with animals and encourages a more natural approach in her treatments.
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Hi – are you worried about getting diarrhea or does your cat have diarrhea? Sorry, I didn’t understand your question.
Like all animals, cats can carry bacteria but the risk of contraction is generally low and can be managed with proper hygiene and care.
The most well-known concern related to cats is toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. Cats are one of the primary hosts for this parasite but it’s primarily spread through contact with contaminated soil, water, or undercooked meat. Pregnant women and individuals with weakened immune systems should be cautious, but the risk of transmission from a healthy indoor cat is low. Simple precautions like washing hands after handling the litter box and avoiding raw or undercooked meat can reduce the risk.
Another possible infection is from the Bartonella bacteria if they scratch or bite. Again, cat scratch disease is relatively rare and often mild, but nonetheless it’s a good idea to clean scratches promptly and practice good wound care.
So bottom line, you can minimize any of these risks by washing your hands after handling your cat, cleaning the litter box, or handling raw cat food. Make sure to clean out the excrements from the litter box daily and keep the litter box clean regularly.
Personally, I’ve had cats and dogs and other animals all of my life, and never encountered any diseased caused by my animals. They are wonderful companions and additions to a family. Just keep them well cleaned, nails trimmed, and you can enjoy your fur baby without fear.
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I’m going to refer you to Dr. Yvonne’s 3 posts on candles to help answer that question for you. She’s a board certified toxicologist and was our guest expert in January 2023 if you’d like to watch her session here as well.
1. Part 1 – 5 Reasons I Do Not Burn Candles
2. Part 2 – Why I Do Not Burn Candles
3. Part 3 – Safer Candles: Soy, Coconut, Beeswax?And I share healthier beeswax options in the Beginner’s Health Roadmap in the Air & Skin pillar here (0.55 minute mark).
Hope this helps.
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thanks for the clarifications. A lot of it now makes more sense, especially with the supplementation part. Did you discontinue any of those supplements at least 2 days prior to testing? I’m asking because selenium for example is clinically high, but that could be falsely high if you supplemented the day before, and not be a true reflection of your selenium status. The same goes for all of the other nutrients.
Just like we want to eat varied proteins to get the different amino acids from different foods, we also want to be varying our fats and fatty acid supplements to ensure our fatty acid profile remains balanced as well. The fact that you’re taking Omega-3 and a separate Omega-3 DHA supplement explains this imbalance. We have many different types of omega fatty acids; omega-3, omega-6, omega-7, omega-9. Most people have an imbalance between omega-3 and 6 (too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3) but yours is the other way around due to over supplementation of omega-3 and DHA specifically. Do you experience any period pains by any chance? By improving your GLA fatty acids, this could help.
To help you understand this process better, I suggest you watch the following 2 videos (as a minimum) from the Fatty Acid Balance course:
• The different types of fatty acids
• How prostaglandins are made (fatty acid pathways). Prostaglandins are made from fatty acids, and they control inflammation (pro and anti-inflammation).The dietary recommendation image you shared said no to all dairy including butter, however butter and ghee are naturally high in butyrate so that may be something you want to discuss with your nutritionist about re-introducing into your diet which is critical for colon health.
This important fatty acid is also made by the gut flora when you eat fiber, and I noticed in your food breakdown that you avoid starchy carbs. If you find digesting grains difficult, consider adding in other whole food starchy foods like sweet potato, potato, beets, carrots, peas, beans and legumes. These will help feed your microbiome which in turn produce butyrate to nourish the colon as well.
Regarding the supplement regime, when supplementing with a single nutrient (i.e. vitamin D, selenium, zinc, biotin, etc), always re-test after supplementing for 3 months to make sure you’re not overdoing it and creating an imbalance elsewhere (or just stop it). For example, supplementing with zinc can create a copper deficiency and affect iron and immunity. Once a nutrient is replenished, maintaining it with food should be sufficient unless someone knows they have a genetic variation that requires them to be supplementing lifelong (or on a medication that depletes a certain nutrient or other circumstances).
Now that your colon issues are better controlled, you might also want to begin with small introductions of fermented foods starting with 1 tsp at a time and increasing towards 1/4 cup per day. We have several recipes in the recipe section of the Resource Library. This would help support gut immunity and bring a better balance to your microbiome as well.
Hope this helps.
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The choline content of breastmilk is not only important nutrition for baby, but the emulsifying function of choline is thought to help prevent the high fat content in the milk from solidifying and contributing to mastitis. This is why supplementation with lecithin or choline is often used as a treatment for recurrent plugged mammary ducts, and sufficient intake of dietary choline can reduce the risk of mastitis and clogged ducts. It is important to note that many prenatal supplements and multivitamins do not contain choline, and those that do often contain the choline chloride form, which is not as bioavailable. Unfortunately, there is still no solid consensus on how much dietary choline we actually need.
The Institute of Medicine (whose recommendations tend to be on the low side) suggests that adequate intake values are 425 mg per day for adult women, with an increased need during pregnancy and lactation. It is thought that ~95% of pregnant women consume less choline than they need! The great news is that 3 ounces of beef liver contains 356 mg of choline and one chicken egg has about 147 mg – a pretty great start!
I share a liver paté recipe here. As an alternative, this sunflower-seed based paté also provides choline (although in lower amounts than those in liver) and vitamin E. And here are a few egg custard recipes as well if you prefer:
• https://www.foodrenegade.com/easy-vanilla-bean-custard/
• http://www.paleopantry.org/dairy-free-baked-egg-custard-made-with-almond-milk/
• https://paleoleap.com/almond-milk-custard
• https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/2016/06/13/dairy-free-coconut-custard/Hope this helps! And great work educating yourself in advance!!
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Hi – when interpreting labs, it’s always important to take your unique story and context into account so it would help if you could answer a few questions numbered below that will help us make better connections for you.
1. Why were these tests done? Just out of curiosity or do you experience any symptoms? If so, what are your top 5 symptoms.
2. Do you take any supplements or medications? Ex. omega-3, birth control, tylenol/advil, prescription meds, etc.
3. How would you explain your typical diet? Do you exclude any macronutrients like carbohydrates for example? Ex. high protein, low fiber diet?
4. Do you consume any fermented foods or take probiotics? If so, what?
5. What types of oils do you mostly consume?To answer your questions about histamine and leaky gut. There is no strong indication of either one, however it does show strong dysbiosis and an overgrowth of E coli, which can contribute to bacterial byproducts called LPS which cause inflammation and can lead to enhanced intestinal permeability (i.e. leaky gut). Since your sIgA is low, working to improve that would help your body’s gut immunity keep the microbiome in better balance. In the Gut Health Masterclass, I share solutions for increasing gut immunity in this video here.
Glutathione is low. This requires nutrients: glutamine, glycine and cysteine (NAC), selenium, and magnesium, and is dependent on a process called “methylation”, which is heavily dependent on B vitamins, specifically vitamin B6, B12 and B9. So there could be a need for any of these nutrients (that’s where asking about your diet can help give us clues), or there is a toxic burden in the body that is depleting glutathione such as heavy metals, mycotoxins, environmental toxins, etc.
Please reply to the questions above one by one, and we can continue investigating the results together.
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postpartum can be a challenging time because of the lack of sleep and other things that can impact a new mother’s energy.
So keeping in mind nutrients that support energy production would be a good strategy:
-Ensuring enough B vitamins by eating a balanced omnivorous diet with foods like liver, lamb, beef, sardines, salmon, quality dairy, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, grains and an array of vegetables.
-Postpartum, especially if breastfeeding, requires 500 calories more on average to keep up energy demand so make sure you’re eating enough calories following the VPF+C principle. Increasing fat intake and lowering carbohydrate intake can improve energy as it can regulate blood sugar levels better.
-Check for iron deficiency. Low iron will reduce oxygen delivery and produce symptoms of fatigue.
Since most prenatal supplements have B vitamins and sometimes iron, it can be a good idea to continue these if they aren’t supplied in one’s diet.
Also, postpartum depression is not uncommon after giving birth. With that in mind, you’ll see that there’s overlap with nutrients above that can help with energy and also reduce related side effects (studies linked):
1. Iron
2. Vitamin D
3. Probiotics (fermented foods and/or supplements)
4. Omega 3 fatty acids
5. B vitaminsIn terms of postpartum physical recovery, I love the herbal bath recipes by Dr. Aviva Romm. Check them out here.
Hope these help.
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is this for you? There are many ways to increase breast milk production and I think the most important step is to ensure the mama is well supported. It takes a village to raise a baby! If someone doesn’t have family and friends around who can help with the first few months of life, then hiring help is also an option.
Looking for an IBCLC lactation consultant is also recommended as they can provide new mamas with the exact type of support they need for their unique circumstance regarding breastfeeding. Since breast milk production is heavily dependent on baby’s demand, ensuring the baby is latching on correctly and is in the right position is important. They can help with that too.
Aside from “what can I take”, it’s also important to check if the baby has any tongue ties affecting their ability to latch on. Again, it’s all about supply and demand, so if the baby isn’t suckling well, milk production won’t be as robust either.
Hydration is also key. Mama needs to be well hydrated in order to produce milk. Pro tip: drink spring or filtered water while breastfeeding.
From a nutrient perspective, there are lots of foods that can increase milk production:
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Lactation cookies (here’s a recipe to try)
• Aromatic herbal teas (coriander, cumin, fennel, ginger, anise seed). A favorite is stinging nettle and fennel seed tea with or without the addition of red raspberry leaf. Benefits go beyond just breastfeeding. Stinging nettle can also help with HPA axis dysfunction and seasonal allergies, fennel is great for digestion and reducing gas in mom and baby (especially if there’s colic), and red raspberry leaf is great post-birth to help nourish and tonify the uterus.Other herbs that support lactation to consider:
• Goat’s Rue (can lower blood sugar so beware if hypoglycemic)
• Fenugreek (most popular for milk production but right dose is key)
• Ashwagandha
• Shatavari (can lower blood sugar so beware)
• Black seed
• Milky oat tops
• Marshmallow root
• Chamomile
• Moringa (can lower blood sugar so beware)
• Blessed Thistle (not the same as milk thistle)
• Tulsi (Holy Basil)If you want to learn more about herbs to support breastfeeding, this is a great resource.
Hope this helps.
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Hi
I recommended the following three doctors (profiles linked below):
1. Dr. Heather Eade at Novomed (she’s a naturopath)
2. Dr. Erzebet Makk at Zia Medical Center (she’s internal medicine but functionally trained and knows homeopathy too)
3. Dr. Sean Penny at Bedaya Polyclinic (he’s a clinical homeopath and also functionally trained)
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I started a guided meditation practice (Balance app) and I’m at the stage of sharpening my awareness. Sights, smells, sounds, taste, feelings…
It’s amazing what can shift and how much we notice when we’re still and quiet.
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folate is the natural form and folic acid is the synthetic form used in many supplements and fortified/enriched foods.
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here’s a video on how to correct iron deficiency in the Mineral Balance course. If you always tend to be anemic, then you have to figure out the root cause reason (which can be many). Here’s a handout on the different causes as well as a video. Let us know if you need help ruling them out.
And here’s a video on omega-3 supplements inside the Fatty Acid Balance course.
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There are two main forms of vitamin B9: folate (the natural form) and folic acid (the synthetic form used in many supplements and fortified/enriched foods).
While their chemical structure differ slightly, the main difference lies in the body’s ability to process them.
Unlike natural folate which is easily metabolized in the small intestine, synthetic folic acid is metabolized by the DHFR enzyme in the liver which is rather low, leaving excess folic acid to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
High amounts of unmetabolized folic acid in the blood is associated with:
-Increased colon and prostate cancer risk
-Reduced immune function
-Increased risk of gestational diabetes up to mid-pregnancy
Folic acid supplementation should also be avoided due to poor conversion ability in those with MTHFR genetic polymorphisms (typically called SNPs) leading to higher levels of unmetabolized folic acid and lower levels of active folate in the blood.
Although MTHFR is common, it is “nutrient remedial”–meaning unlikely to be problematic in the context of a folate-rich diet.
If you supplement, be sure to check your multivitamins to avoid products using “folic acid” and instead seek out:
Folate
Metafolin
Quatrefolic
Levomefolic acid
L-methylfolate
L-5-MTHF
5-MTHF
The RDA for food-based folate for men and women aged 19+ is 400 mcg, with 500 mcg recommended during lactation and 600 mcg for pregnancy.
Check your labels and avoid folic acid! -
Hi – that’s exciting! If you’re interested in testing, we have a handout here that can help with that.
In terms of supplements, if you’re already taking supplements like a methylated B complex for example and other vitamins and minerals, there may not be a need for anything else until you become pregnant.
Many women however like to take a prenatal while trying to conceive so that’s always an option. The brands I like are by Seeking Health and Thorne since they provide methylated forms of B vitamins. Avoid anything with folic acid!!
But keep in mind that every woman’s needs will be different; some women may need iron, while others may not, so finding the best supplement for you depends on what your needs are, and that’s where testing can be helpful.
