Your Evolution from Swimming Upstream to Flowing with Your Body's Wisdom

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I've been soaking up this magical Leo season, picking berries at local farms and making plant infusions that feel like exactly what my body needs. It got me thinking about flow versus force - and how we've all been conditioned to swim upstream against our bodies instead of working with their natural wisdom.

In this episode, I'm sharing what my garden taught me about healing, why I've made some bold boundary decisions in my practice, and how to move beyond the endless root cause hunting that keeps so many people stuck in health rabbit holes.

I dive into a powerful case study of a 49-year-old client whose previous functional medicine approach had her on hormone precursors to "fix" imbalanced labs, while completely missing the terrain story her body was telling. When we looked at her hair mineral analys...

Making Sense of Detox: What Hair Tests and Methylation Really Tell Us

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Why aren't your detox protocols working? In this episode, Lydia breaks down the missing piece most people overlook - your cellular electrical system. Learn why supporting individual detox pathways fails when your foundational cellular charge is compromised, and discover what your hair test is really telling you about your body's ability to eliminate toxins.

Topics covered:
• Why your cells need electrical charge to detoxify
• The truth about methylation vs. glucuronidation pathways
• How to read your hair test as an adaptation story
• Why cell danger response shuts down detox genes
• The foundation that makes all protocols actually work

Perfect for anyone frustrated with detox protocols that aren't delivering results.

• Mineral Foundations Course HERE
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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

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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

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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...

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

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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...

As parents, our primary focus is always the well-being of our children. But in a world where modern stressors, nutrient-deficient diets, and a fast-paced lifestyle have become the norm, ensuring our kids' health can feel like an uphill battle.

In this episode, I dive deep into the topic of reclaiming our children's health through a holistic approach, centered on the principles of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), mindful nutrition, and the power of love in parenting. Listen here: Reclaiming the health of our kids.

The Reality Check That Changed Everything

One of the toughest challenges we face as moms is the realization that our children might be suffering from the same burnout we are experiencing. I had a serious wake-up call when I began using HTMA to assess my family's health. My youngest son, who was emotionally reactive and hyperactive, showed a pattern that society might quickly label as ADHD.

However, through HTMA, I identified it as a 'hyperkinetic' pattern—a sign that his n...

POV: Mineral Balancing & Spring Ephemerals 

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 Spring Ephemerals - Nature's Time-Limited Gift
- Spring ephemerals are the first plants to emerge and flower in early spring
- They operate in a brief window before deciduous trees leaf out and block sunlight
- Complete their entire life cycle in just a few weeks, then store energy in bulbs/roots for next year
- Provide critical early-season support for pollinators when few other plants are available

Spotlight on Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
- A delicate spring ephemeral native to eastern woodlands
- Edible plant with small white-to-pink flowers
- Can be used medicinally as a flower essence
- Available only for a brief viewing/foraging window

Seasonal Symbolism & Wellness Connection
- Transition from winter (introspective) to spring (active) mirrors our personal energy shifts
- Spring corresponds with liver/gallbladder support in natural healing traditions
- Spring plants naturally assist w...