The Vagus Nerve Connection: Beyond Simple Exercises

Highlights from my latest podcast episode exploring the functional approach to vagus nerve health

*Listen to the episode on the Rewilded Wellness podcast, available on: 

iTunes HERE 
Spotify HERE
On YouTube HERE 

While there's a lot of buzz about vagus nerve exercises lately - from cold plunges to humming - this podcast episode explores a deeper perspective. What if those simple exercises are only scratching the surface? What if your mineral patterns, gut dysbiosis, mold exposure, or even physical misalignments are blocking your vagal function?

Let's dive into the functional testing approaches that can reveal why your vagus nerve might be struggling, and what you can do about it.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis: The Mineral Connection

Your vagus nerve functions like your body's electrical system, and minerals are the conductors. Here's what we look for on an HTMA:

- Calcium/Magnesium Ratio: When calcium dominates excessively ov...

Whole Food B Vitamins: Beyond Supplements

After analyzing a recent client's HTMA results and learning about their homozygous MTHFR gene mutation, it became clear why synthetic B vitamins weren't the right fit. For those with methylation challenges, the full spectrum of nutrients that accompany whole food B vitamins offers significant advantages over isolated synthetic versions. Honestly, I think we all would do best to avoid synthetic supplements in the name of holistic health & wellness. 

The Microbiome Connection to B Vitamins

What many people don't realize is that our gut microbiome produces approximately 30-40% of our B vitamins. This remarkable fact highlights why prebiotic foods are essential for optimal B vitamin status. By nourishing our beneficial gut bacteria, we enable them to produce these vital nutrients for us.

Wild Foods: Nature's B Vitamin Powerhouses

Wild foraged foods offer significantly higher B vitamin content than their cultivated counterparts. Wild greens lik...

Arsenic in Rice: Testing, Safer Brands, and Preparation Methods

Recent hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) results from a client showed increased arsenic levels alongside decreased selenium. This pattern emerged after they increased their rice consumption during winter months, using both a premium brand and bulk rice from Costco. This case study illustrates the importance of understanding arsenic exposure through common foods and how to mitigate risks.

Understanding Arsenic Forms and Rice Exposure

There are two primary forms of arsenic found in our environment:

Inorganic arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) is the predominant form found in rice. This form is classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and poses significant health concerns with long-term exposure. Inorganic arsenic is more readily absorbed by the body and more difficult to excrete.

Organic arsenic compounds (like arsenobetaine and arsenocholine), commonly found in seafood, are g...

Spring Equinox & Mineral Foundations: The Missing Link in Your Wellness Journey

Listen to the full episode on iTunes 
Listen to the full episode on Spotify 
Find the episode on YouTube 

As the spring equinox approaches, nature is revealing one of its most powerful teachers – the perfect balance point between darkness and light. This isn't just a date on the calendar; it's nature's New Year, a crucial transition that affects every living thing, including your body.

While many of us associate spring with cleansing, renewal, and fresh starts, there's a fundamental aspect of this season that modern wellness approaches often overlook: the critical need for mineral foundations.

This post accompanies my latest podcast episode,"Spring Equinox Wisdom: How to Build Mineral Foundations That Last" where I dive deep into this connection. Here, I'm sharing some key insights and visual tools to complement what you'll hear in the episode.

The Mineral Orchestra: How Elements Work Together in Spring

 Season 2: Episode #3: Vitamin E: The Seasonal Key to Cellular Repair and Mineral Balance

Listen on iTunes HERE
Listen on Spotify HERE
YouTube HERE

In today's world of processed oils and year-round food availability, we've lost touch with one of our ancestors' most crucial nutritional patterns: seasonal consumption of complete vitamin E complex foods. As a mineral balancing practitioner, I've discovered that returning to these ancestral eating patterns provides powerful support for cellular repair, particularly for clients recovering from years of damaged fat consumption—just one of the many modern challenges we face, but the one I'm highlighting today.

As we transition into spring, I'm adjusting my own food and supplements based on my latest HTMA results—a practice I follow each season. This approach aligns with my personal rewilding journey and the core philosophy of rewilded wellness: slowing down, creating space, and restoring connection to what truly matters.

Many of us...

Trace Minerals: Building Blocks for Your Inner Ecosystem

Do you feel like your body is out of balance—like your internal environment is a little chaotic, fragile, or depleted? Just as a thriving ecosystem relies on rich, living soil to support plants, animals, and microbes, your body relies on a delicate architecture of nutrients to thrive. At the heart of that architecture are trace minerals—tiny, powerful elements that have been largely stripped from our modern diets and water sources.

These are not just nutrients you sprinkle into your routine. They are the foundation of your inner ecosystem: the invisible soil in which your energy, mood, immune resilience, and overall vitality grow. Without them properly in place, every other health effort—exercise, diet, supplements, even stress management—will only go so far.

Why Trace Minerals Matter More Than Most People Realize

Think of trace minerals as the essential microorganisms in the soil of your body:

• Foundational for physiol...

Rewilded Wellness: Nurturing Your Body's Ecosystem - Season 2 Premiere

In the exciting premiere of Season 2, I dive deep into the concept of "Rewilded Wellness," exploring how we can nurture our body's ecosystem for optimal health and vitality.

Find this episode on: 

iTunes [ HERE ] 
Spotify [ HERE ] 
YouTube [ HERE ] 

The Body as an Ecosystem

I begin by examining the idea of our bodies as complex, interconnected ecosystems, much like the natural world around us. Just as a thriving forest needs specific elements to flourish, I explain how our bodies require certain inputs to regenerate and thrive.

The Seven Pillars of Human Health

I remind us of what I believe are the seven crucial pillars for maintaining a healthy body ecosystem:

1. Natural Light and Circadian Rhythms: I discuss the importance of aligning with nature's light cycles for hormone balance and overall well-being.

2. Mineral-Rich Water: I explain how clean, mineralized water supports hydration and cellular function.

Episode #222: Rewilding Wellness: Decoding Your Body's Hidden Wisdom 

Listen on iTunes HERE
Listen on Spotify HERE
YouTube HERE

Welcome back to A Joy To Be Me! My 5 year anniversary of the podcast is February 14th. The version of me that started this podcast has evolved significantly. While it's still a joy to be me, that joy has immensely deepened as I've stepped more fully into my true self. The past five years have been challenging in ways I can't fully describe, but as they say, breakdown often leads to breakthrough.

I've experienced a change in identity and my entire way of being, allowing me to become more of my authentic self, grow in awareness, and build resilience.

In episode 14 Open up to your amazing beautiful life - in the heart of the lockdowns, I chatted with Michale Chatam, we discussed the importance of 'being' - how you exist in your body, how you live, move, breathe, and simply BE. If how you've learned to be isn't aligned with your truest self, if you've been condition...

Episode #220: Mercury: The Silent Saboteur of your nervous system 

Listen on iTunes HERE
Listen on Spotify HERE
YouTube HERE

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to *A JOY TO BE ME*! I hope you're finding joy in being you. Today, I’m diving right into the heart of our episode, building on the themes from my last two episodes: “Healing Burnout: How Mothers and Environment Shape Our Health” and “How Maternal Microbiomes Charge Immune Health.”

I want to help you see the long history of factors shaping our current health paradigm, especially regarding chronic health issues. Understanding these influences can lead to deeper healing.

Personally, reflecting on what has shaped my health and that of my children is invaluable, particularly as we see the rise of nervous system regulation concepts. I want to avoid falling into the trap of new labels that distort our reality, create disempowerment, or lead us into victimhood. 

While it’s true that our current environment has caused overload, this d...