brain health

HOW STRONG IS THE EGG ?

Correct biochemical balance in our children help increase their resilience, balancing the impact from environmental factors

Have you ever seen a chick emerge from within its egg? The yellow and fluffy, soft and very cute little ball popping into the world.

Recently I read a quote by Jim Kwik, an expert in memory improvement, brain optimisation, and accelerated learning (Jim Kwik has a lot of interesting knowledge to share, so check him out if you do not know him yet). The quote reads:

“If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If broken by an inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from the inside.”

What a fantastic analogy for our children, and especially for kids with Autism or other neurodiversity. Wouldn’t you agree?

Every child needs the strength, energy, and a certain level of resilience in their body to respond to outside stimuli in the right, healthy way. Inside capacity should correlate with outside effort; yin and yang; push and pull! Otherwise, the stronger external force will cause an imbalance and, consequently, a blockage.

Sometimes parents provide lots of positive external factors to support their child in the best possible way, but, for some reason, the child is not fully responsive to those stimuli. For example, you want your child to have better focus, be less hyperactive, process information better and attain better results at school. Right? With this goal in mind, as a caring, and loving parent, you may take your child to different activities, therapies, and educational programmes. But the child is only partially responding to all of your efforts. They improve a little bit, but then, no further breakthrough! Why?

Because the effort from outside exceeds the effort, or rather your child’s capacity to react, from inside.

Nowadays our kids often have low energy levels. They do not have enough essential minerals and other nutrients like essential fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. Their mitochondria do not work at full capacity to produce enough energy for optimal functioning, healing and learning. Our kids are full of different toxins that their bodies spend too much energy on trying to get rid of, to detox. Our children simply do not have enough internal strength to be able to react properly to the great activities they are being exposed to. Our children are, consequently, very sensitive and instead shut themselves down to feel protected from any stimuli (positive and negative).

Since our kids are so delicate and vulnerable, too much of a good thing could be TOO MUCH for them. Have you noticed this as well? We need to be careful to not break their “egg” with our outside force.

So, how can we generate better inside force, boost the energy level, and increase the resilience level of our kids? The answer is to RESTORE THEIR BIOCHEMICAL BALANCE by addressing malnourishment, dysbiosis, detoxification, and oxidative stress. Let’s help our kids gain the internal strength to better respond to an enriched external environment. Our kids need balance in their internal environment so that they can easily step out of their “protective state”, break out from their “eggshell” into reality, into your parental loving and supportive hands, into this world. Let us remember that “great things always begin from the inside.”

How strong is the egg — The impact of external and internal factors can be balanced out

My simple, yet very effective method could help to identify exactly if your child requires additional internal strength to step out of their ‘eggshell.’ Contact me to discuss how we can restore the biochemical balance in your child.

Book a free discovery call through my website: https://dririnaschurov.com/

Picture by Irina Schurov, photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

DO NOT LET ANXIETY RULE YOUR LIFE!

The COVID-19 pandemic period is still ongoing and continues to influence our lives in many different ways. One very important impact, that goes beyond physical health and financial challenges, is the enormous resulting emotional overload. In fact, this pandemic has been associated with a dramatic increase in mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. But this is no surprise! How do you feel when, wherever you look, you see people around you in masks, when you cannot see their faces and cannot tell what they’re feeling? How do you feel when people are desperately trying to avoid each other? How do you feel when you cannot invite friends to your home or meet with your relatives? Personally, I feel confused, stressed and simply uncomfortable. All of this behaviour is completely counterintuitive for humans, it goes against our very nature! This is exactly why sensitive children with neurodiversity are experiencing a considerable surge of anxiety, which, to varying degrees, is already commonly present in many of them. The reason for this is that their nervous system is more alert and quicker to react to different stimuli, causing a sensory overload which, in turn, fuels their anxiety! It is important to note that all of these feelings, if left unresolved, will not simply disappear. As with all negative emotions, they are, instead, likely to transform into longer-term issues that can last multiple years.

Thus, arises the question, what can we do to help our sensitive children overcome their pandemic-induced anxiety and move forward with confidence and optimism?

BE CALM AND GROUNDED

We have to remember that children look to their parents for guidance on how to handle the world, meaning that when parents are stressed, their children also feel stressed. Therefore, we need to start with ourselves. We need to be calm and emotionally grounded. Take a deep breath. Meditate. Calm your anxious mind. You will soon notice that when you are calm, your kids will also be. Children tend to do what they see.

2. TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN

Don’t be afraid to calmly talk to your children about COVID-19 at a level they understand, without overloading them with information. This is an opportunity to share actual facts and help them work through their feelings. Let them ask questions and help them express themselves through drawing, music and physical activities like dance or sport.

3. CONTROL YOUR ENVIRONNENT, ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY STIMULI

Eliminate extra toxins and irritants, such as bright light, EM pollution, junk food, processed food, drinks with sugar and additives, and negative news. Do lots of calming and relaxing activities like Epsom salt baths, massages with essential oils, read books, listen to music, practice mindfulness together.

4. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO LEARN HOW TO PAUSEAND BREATHE

Show your children how to pause, recognise what is bothering them and gently but deeply breathe through the nose and out through the mouth. This slows everything down and allows the child to calm themselves down.

5. BUILD A RELAXING SPACE

Together with your children, create a space for for them to “escape” should they need to. Let them choose their favourite cushions, blankets, bean bags etc., anything they want, to really make the place their own little sanctuary! This would be a perfect place for them to keep their “worry box” and “happy box”, where they can put notes about what is concerning them or bringing them joy. Identifying and writing out the emotions felt in such a way, and then physically placing them somewhere else, helps to relieve any anxiety.

6. USE ESSENTIAL OILS

Aromatherapy has proven to be very helpful when dealing with anxiety. The most effective choice is Lavender oil, as it contains an active compound that targets the same parts of the brain as anti-anxiety drugs, only without side effects. The best oils for anxiety, apart from Lavender, are Bergamot orange, Chamomile, Clary sage, Lemon, Neroli, Rose, Ylang-ylang. You can either use them topically or by inhaling them directly or passively through an infuser. Additionally, children may enjoy massages or baths with oils.

7. KNOW WHICH SUPPLEMENTS YOU CAN USE

You can also try different supplements that help with anxiety and stress. Here are a few that I can recommend.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, more commonly known as “GABA” is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in our brain. Very often children with neurological conditions have an imbalance of neurotransmitters and a low GABA level may contribute to their anxiety. You can use the “GABA Calm” formula by Source Naturalis or “GABA” by KAL. You should be able to see whether or not the supplements have had an impact on your child relatively quickly (in 2-3 days).
L-theanine is an amino acid that boosts GABA levels in the body. It is not an essential amino acid, and our body doesn’t produce it, however, it can be found in green or black tea. As children do not tend to drink very much tea, they may benefit from such supplementation.
Magnesium is an essential mineral in our body and plays a key role in the body’s stress response, as it helps our muscle cells relax after contracting. When magnesium levels are low, our muscles may contract too much contributing to anxiety and stress. Research shows that the best mineral form against anxiety is Magnesium L-threonate, as it is able to pass through the blood brain barrier and be absorbed by cells.
Cod Liver Oil contains long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3 plays a role in strengthening cell membranes and improving the passage of Serotonin, the happiness hormone, into cells.
Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that produce neurotransmitters including GABA, Serotonin and Dopamine. Research shows that probiotics are able to improve people’s mood and response to stress.
Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb that has been shown to lower anxiety, especially anxiety related to open or crowded places, as it is lowers cortisol levels in people with chronic stress.
CBD oil is a non-psychoactive compound that blocks certain enzymes that trigger inflammation in the body and brain, reducing anxiety, an otherwise negative consequence of such inflammation.

With all of these tools, you can work on your own stress levels and then help your children to deal with their anxiety. Lead by example!

The festive holiday period is a great time to practise positive activities as a family, especially this year! Connect with your family in new ways: read books together, play games, go on long walks to breath the fresh winter air and enjoy the opportunity to chat! Best of all, prepare meals together! Take advantage of this time to become closer and to discover different family activities, which will help diminish the anxiety in you and your children.

FIVE HIDDEN CAUSES OF ANXIETY AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM NATURALLY

The current pandemic is a challenging period for all of us! The difficulties that arise manifest themselves in different ways, and each contribute to our general level of stress and anxiety. This is especially true for families with children or teenagers with different neurological conditions such as ASD, ADHD, neurodevelopmental delay and others.

In general, anxiety is an emotion arising as a result of tension, worry or fear, and manifests through certain physiological and biochemical changes in our body.

The current situation also plays the role of catalyst to our internal blockages and unresolved emotional issues! If you do not know how to process your feelings and probably have accumulated emotional stress, you are likely to experience higher levels of anxiety and fear. Long-term anxiety has a devastating impact on our life and increases the risk of developing any chronic conditions, including mental illnesses.

It is, therefore, very important to learn how to handle your anxiety and how to prevent its accumulation.

Multiple research has established a solid connection between anxiety, depression and eating habits, the microbiome. In real life too we can clearly observe the link between stable mental health and eating real, whole food. However, it is vital to remember that any dietary approach should be personalised to the individuals, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

That being said, there are, of course, certain universal rules that apply to everyone. You are probably familiar with them, but it is good to remind ourselves once in a while. Avoid sugar and any processed food, avoid alcohol and caffeine, drink plenty of water, eat diverse food of good quality, eat nutrient-rich food, ensure your menu includes plenty of vegetables, fruit, protein and good fats, and eat as much organic, seasonal and local food as possible. Simply implementing these few rules will already help a great many people reduce their anxiety.

There are, however, hidden origins of anxiety and mood swings that you may not be aware of. In fact, many people experience a combination of several of these root causes, resulting in their anxiety. THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO HELP YOU TO DETERMINE YOUR PERSONAL, OPTIMAL ANTI-ANXIETY FOOD SOLUTION.

Let us have a look at five, not very obvious, contributors to anxiety and discuss a possible solution for each one.

Food sensitivities or intolerances could be a contributing factor to your anxiety, causing emotional disbalance. Such reactions to certain food that sometimes go completely unnoticed, trigger an inflammatory response and provoke a histamine reaction. Histamine plays the role of neuromodulator and regulates certain neurotransmitters like serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine. Furthermore, gluten sensitivity can limit the level of serotonin in the body.

In this case, it is advisable to know your food sensitivities. If you notice signs like a rash on the body, cheeks or ears, headaches, excessive gas, bloating, cramps. nausea or stomach pain, you can either undergo a food intolerance test or try to identify which food could be provoking this reaction yourself. Notice that the reaction can come 2-3 days after consuming the food, even very healthy food like chia seeds, spinach or almonds. In case you are unable to simply identify the triggers of your symptoms, try eating different food in small quantities only, rotating the food all the time so that you minimise the presence of food to which you are sensitive in your body. It is advisable to do plan your menu in advance and record any symptoms you experience.

Digestive issues and especially leaky gut have been linked to anxiety and other mental conditions. First of all, undigested gluten (glutomorphines) and undigested casein (casomorphine) cross the damaged intestinal wall and gain acces into the blood stream impacting our brain and emotional state. Furthermore, dysbiosis or presence of pathogenic bacteria, yeast and parasites cause the production a whole number of toxins that have a direct impact on our brain and behaviour. Additionally, healthy gut microflora produces 80% of our serotonin and 50% of the dopamine in our bodies, directly affecting our mood and anxiety. Furthermore, anxiety can be caused by hormonal imbalances, which can be linked to low levels of or sluggish bile flow and the body’s inability to flush out hormones efficiently. Therefore, digestive health impacts our levels of anxiety in multiple ways.

In this situation, you could try eliminating gluten and casein from your diet at least for 2 weeks and see if you feel any difference. If you notice a positive dynamic, it is advisable to address leaky gut issues. This can be done by following the GAPS diet where eating plenty of meat stock, protein and healthy fats allows for the reparation of the gut wall. In some cases, glutamine-based supplements can also be used for this reason.

To improve gut microflora, you can take multi-strain probiotics and start to including fermented food and drink like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, miso etc into your diet. Sluggish bile can be addressed by eating bitter herbs like dandelion greens, parsley, mint, cilantro and milk thistle. The more bitter, the better! Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice are known remedies for normalising gallbladder health and salads of cucumber, celery, radishes, artichokes would also help to maintain the healthy state of both the gallbladder and the liver.

Sex hormones have a direct impact on anxiety levels as estrogen is involved in the stimulation of serotonin and has a positive effect on our mood. Whereas progesterone, on the other hand, can have a depressing effect and is associated with anxiety. For balanced health, we need to find a balance between these two hormones. Unfortunately, we now often see the dominance of estrogen due to low levels of detoxification of this hormone from the body, high levels of toxic xenoestrogens from the environment and low levels of progesterone caused by diets low in progesterone promoting food.

As for nutrients and minerals, estrogen is associated with the mineral copper. Some people accumulate a high level of copper as they may have high exposure to copper from the environment (copper pipes, pots and pans). Some food is rich in copper, for example, sunflower seeds, cheese, avocado, walnuts, cashews, almonds, mushrooms, kale, spinach, quinoa, buckwheat, spirulina and coconut. At the same time zinc is associated with progesterone. For balanced hormones and a balanced mood, zinc needs to be in balance with copper. So, zinc – containing food needs to be a part of the diet, for example, pumpkin seeds, eggs, red meat, sea food and asparagus. Therefore, if you bake a lot with almond based flour and eat avocado, which seems to be a very healthy eating approach, you can easily have high copper in your body, adding to your anxiety. Therefore, checking the level of minerals in your body and eating a diverse diet is very important.

Our ability to handle sugar is another interesting factor that can impact our anxiety. When you eat sugary or easy carbohydrates, you are not only depleting your body of nutrients, but you are also experiencing a “sugar roller-coaster”, which is associated with anxiety and mood swings. This happens because changes in blood sugar impact the adrenal glands that produce the stress hormone cortisol.

To avoid such an effect on your anxiety and mood, it is important to avoid eating sugar, processed food and ‘white food’ (white flour, rice, bread, and so on), which are full of empty calories. Instead, focus on real, whole food with a low glycemic index like complex carbohydrates (brown rice, whole grain bread) and high in fibre and nutrient-rich food (vegetables, legumes). It is important to eat protein with every meal and have a good, balanced breakfast every morning.

An imbalance in neurotransmitters has a direct effect on our brain chemistry. If you miss important nutrients, the building blocks of neurotransmitters, and amino acids, you will be unable to produce enough of these molecules, which actually carry and balance signals between neurons, and other cells. As a result, you can find yourself prone to feeling anxious and agitated. The main neurotransmitters that play a role in anxiety are GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), serotonin, catecholamines and endorphins.

GABA is a calming neurotransmitter, which when in low levels, is linked to anxiety. Serotonin is a ‘happy hormone’ and is associated with feeling good, calm and positive. Therefore, low levels of serotonin also contribute to anxiety. Catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine) are produced and used in our body in response to stress. If you experience high levels of stress, you may be depleted of these essential neurotransmitters and therefore, feel low motivated and even somewhat depressed. Endorphins help us to reduce physical and emotional pain, feel pleasure and enjoyment. Low levels of endorphins could contribute to sugar cravings, higher emotional pain and anxiety.

Note that food is an essential source of nutrients for our brain chemistry. Protein provides amino acids and vitamins and minerals play the role of cofactors, which are necessary for building neurotransmitters. However, if you deal with extra stress and your diet and lifestyle cannot, at this stage, help your management of additional anxiety, short term supplementation of specific amino acids could be considered. Talk to your nutritionist about such a possibility.

As you see, many different factors can ‘feed’ your anxiety. I really hope to encourage you to become an expert of your own body and brain by observing, monitoring and analyzing your own symptoms and introducing certain changes. You are ‘the master’ of finding your personal optimal anti-anxiety food solution! If you continue to educate yourself through different holistic experts, explore and experiment, you will be improving your health to no end.

Please remember that I am happy to answer any possible questions. Do not hesitate to contact me at www.liveright.eu

Photo by boram kim on Unsplash

GET ON TOP OF YOUR WELL-BEING IN 2020

Dear friends,

The second month of 2020 is already upon us!!! Where has the time gone? I truly hope that this new year brings all of us plenty of interesting developments, exciting experiences and findings.

We all know that in order to enjoy life, to be alert, to be able to relax and be in top form for top performance, we need to be in good health. This means that we need to be able to switch from a state of stress, which, despite general opinion, is a state vital to survival and the achievement of goals, to a relaxed state, when we can enjoy the small things, wind down and restore our energy. The balance between being stressed and relaxed is very important. Only when we achieve this balance, will our level of adaptability be good enough to respond and adjust to the different external factors and stressors around us.

Interestingly, OUR LEVEL OF ADAPTABILITY TO STRESS AND, CONSEQUENTLY, OUR ABILITY TO RECOVER, HEAL AND REGENERATE DEPENDS ON OUR LEVEL OF INTERNAL ENERGY, WHICH IS PRODUCED BY MITOCHONDRIA.

The mitochondrion is an organelle that is present within all of our cells and produces energy. It is our “power station” on an individual cellular level. It has been estimated that a human body contains 10 million billion mitochondria! Wow, what a number! They are our batteries, providing us with the energy to live, perform, reproduce and create. This organelle has its own DNA and is of microbial origin. It is an astonishing thought, but a long time ago, mitochondria were independently living bacteria!

Mitochondria provide our cells with energy through a process called cellular respiration. Interestingly, if we should require more energy, the number of mitochondria will increase to meet our cell and body requirements. Of course, the quality of our life, our wellness and ability to recover and heal heavily rely on a sufficient level of energy. Therefore, OUR GOOD HEALTH DEPENDS ON THE HEALTH OF OUR MITOCHONDRIA, that support cellular communication and play a crucial role in the body’s ability to adapt to stress.

Research also shows that mitochondria play a role in a cell’s defence mechanism. When our bodies experience a major issue, such as a chronic disease, the mitochondria can switch from their roles as power stations to a specialised state to fight off the danger in question. In this case mitochondria produce much less energy so that the bug or virus (potential threats) can’t access that energy and use it against the body. This is why, when we are not well, we experience fatigue. The key thing, however, is when, for some reason, our mitochondria stay in this state; when the cell’s response to danger finds itself stuck in defence mode rather than its normal energy producing mode. In such cases we become unable to recover or heal effectively and are suddenly very vulnerable to any additional stressors.

The good news is, however, that NOW WE CAN MEASURE OUR BODIES’ ABILITIES TO ADAPT AND PRODUCE CELLULAR ENERGY. With the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) test, which takes no more than 5 minutes to undergo, you can find out if your body is operating at its optimal capacity and if it is able to regenerate, or if you perhaps need to be helping your body to improve its adaptability function.

The big question is HOW TO BOOST YOUR ENERGY AND OPTIMISE YOUR BODY’S ADAPTABILITY? There is no one simple answer, as the solution will always depend on your personal situation and your personal health conditions. However, very often people benefit from a personalised detoxification programme. Such a method allows us to get rid of many toxins that are blocking the metabolism, allows us to minimise the number of bad bacteria and yeast overgrowth interfering with our gut health, and it give us a healthy energy boost on a cellular level. Note that the level of detoxification needs to be carefully chosen as your body need to have enough energy and resources to go through the cleansing process.

This is why my colleague Masha Muzyrya, Holistic Coach and Energy therapist, and I, have decided to help you in this process and have organised a special TOTAL RESET RETREAT. It is so much better for you to experience this cleansing process together with others, rather than simply reading about it! It is an opportunity for you to be practical and to make visible progress in your wellness with the support of two professionals and a group of equally motivated individuals. Join us for a week-long holistic, science-based and fully guided programme of personalised detoxification, which will lead to sustainable and long-lasting improvements in your wellness.

So, what are the next steps?

Contact me for your HRV test!
Register for the Retreat! You can find more information and sign up here:

https://irinaschurov.wixsite.com/total-reset-retreat

Should you have any furthere questions, please let me know!

Have a great month!

Irina

Photo by Agnieszka Boeske on Unsplash

SET UP YOUR SUCCESSFUL DAY IN THE MORNING

“My morning is absolutely hectic!”

“I do not have any time in the morning to do any extra things. It is just impossible!”

“We run as chickens in the morning, everyone is stressed out and I just keep thinking how to don not forget something and leave home at time for school and work.”

Does it sound familiar to you? Do you experience the same challenges in the morning?

Many people I work with and coach often express this exactly opinion. However, our morning routine is VERY IMPORTANT as it is setting up our energy, metabolism and attitude for a whole day! Our morning is a gate to our success or failure during a whole day.

You probably heard many times that all successful people have a certain routine in the morning that they follow religiously as they perfectly understand that only this way, they can achieve much more during their day and therefore during their life.

So, this is true for everyone. And it is especially important for our children who are sensitive to many things, have variety learning and developmental challenges and differences. Just think about it!

Children often afraid of the unknown things. This can be new food on their plate or moving to a new class or school. So, then more predictable their morning is, then calmer kids will be. Their morning will be less stressful, more nourishing and encouraging and therefore, more productive.

What the morning routine could looks like?

Waking up to a nice energising music. During wintertime you may consider a light lamp that mimics sunrise that helps the body receives enough light to build a biochemical response to ease the waking up process.
Having a glass of water on empty stomach (lemon water is better) will help further to wake up body and importantly, the digestive system. You can prepare it from the evening. Put it on the bed side table that you and child remember it.
Washing and brushing teeth can be a challenging process for some children. You can do it together with your child. It will be more fun; you can show her how you do it and lead by example!
Stretching exercise, small jumps together around room, dry brushing for 2-5 mins will help further wake up the body, increase blood and lymph circulation, prepare digestive system to work.
Breakfast is very important! It sets up the glucose level in the blood and provides energy to our kids that they can better focus and concentrate in the school. It should contain some protein! Avoid sweet, processed food! Porridge, home-made granola, eggs, whole flour pancakes, seeds, nuts, home-made yogurt or smoothie, all these will provide a variety of essential nutrients that provide stable energy level till lunch time. But how you eat your breakfast is very important as well! Spending some time together around table, allowing your kids to make some certain choices are empowering practice. For example, your child can choose what he wants to sprinkle on top of his porridge today: fresh berries, raisons, chia seeds, crashed almonds… Choice is her! Making positive associations between food and activities helps child to accept food you propose, recognize the value in it and setting up his intention toward activities. For, example you can say that porridge helps to do math’s test faster or smoothie helps to play football better.
Eating together even for 10 mins and talking about a day ahead in a positive way, sets up the right attitude, wining mindset for a whole day. You can diffuse some peppermint or cinnamon essential oils (motivation blend) in the room during the morning. Highly sensitive children especially will positively respond to this.
Dressing up can be a challenge as well. If you discuss and prepare things child will wear from the evening, would help to avoid uncertainty and conflict in the morning.
Check all things that child needs to take to school. Together you can create the check list that can be colorful, descriptive and very visible as you child likes. You can put it on the door and before she lives the house you can together check if you have everything with you.

To implement such routine that takes 40-60 mins needs some practice and patience. But once you and your child master it, you will see enormous benefit of it. So, holiday season can be an excellent opportunity to start to practice it, implement some element

Any routine brings comfort and consistency to a child’s life, reducing number of micro-stresses l and increases a level of performance. Knowing what comes next, helps your child to reduce anxiety and boost self-confidence.

With a routine, a child will learn what she is supposed to do next and start doing it by her selves, gaining independence and get better with her time management. The visual plan of the morning routine or morning routine chart may help to some kids to move through the morning.

Here three tips how to start to implement this routine in your life:

Prepare many things from the evening:

- What to wear
- What to eat (soaking porridge, making butter for pancakes and so on)
- Prepare main things for the lunch box

Get up at least 30 min before children to set up your own positive intentions for a day, do your affirmations, to have you me-time, do your meditation.
If you feel frustrated at some point and want to yell, you rather whisper and talk very quietly. This will help you remember to use a calm voice rather than raising your voice or yelling. This will help to keep anxiety under control and it would have much bigger impact on your child.

I hope you get some ideas how to create a calmer and more productive morning routine that will lead a whole family to a successful day.

However, it still may be a challenge for parents who have kids with Autism. These families are facing another level of complexity for everything. Recognising this, I would be happy to assist anyone who needs an extra help.

Please, contact me for more details: irina@liveright.eu

DID YOU GET ENOUGH VITAMIN D THIS SUMMER?

You are probably already aware of the many important roles the ‘sunshine vitamin’ plays in the human body, including the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, facilitating healthy immune and nervous systems, supporting cardiovascular health, regulating insulin levels and numerous other functions. However, you may well be surprised to discover that Vitamin D is also very important for our gut to be healthy and for the quality of our sleep. Research has shown that Vitamin D deficiency can alter the intestinal microbiome (Ref. 1). Interestingly, Vitamin D supports certain types of bacteria that produce B Vitamins, which are in turn absolutely vital for our well-being.

Furthermore, together with Vitamin B5, Vitamin D creates the precious neurotransmitter “Acetylcholine”, which allows the body to fall into deep quality sleep, which, in turn, affects our focus, concentration and learning abilities. Therefore, if, for example, your child has just returned to school after the holidays but already feels a lack of concentration and wants to stay in bed longer than usual, let them play outside as much as possible while the weather is still good! Let them absorb as much Vitamin D as they can, which for some reason they were unable to get enough of during the summer. It may well be that simple! Spending more time outside will improve their levels of Vitamin D and, as a result, improve their quality of sleep and, therefore, focus and development. And remember, skin type does matter! Children with darker skin create Vitamin D at a slower rate and putting sun cream on their skin is not recommended at all.

Recent studies have suggested that the majority of people experience Vitamin D deficiency (Ref. 2). Our bodies are unable to store a lot of Vitamin D as it breaks down quite quickly, meaning that our stocks can run low, especially during the winter.

Think about a bear who eats as much food as he can during the summer months, creates plenty of Vitamin D, and then climbs into to a hole and hibernates throughout the entirety of winter. During this period the bear’s body adapts dramatically to the season by lowering his metabolism so that he does not spend too many calories, essential nutrients and hormones, including Vitamin D. Some vitamins like B Vitamins are made internally as they cannot be stored and need to be produced regularly. For this reason, the microbiome provides a “metabolic match” for the bear, keeping him asleep for 6 months.

Unfortunately, people have learned how to ignore seasonality, by spending lots of time inside with electricity, air conditioning and so on. We think we no longer need and no longer depend on sunlight. We, therefore, often abuse our circadian rhythms and, from the body’s perspective, we live in constant winter. This is precisely why we experience chronic Vitamin D depravation and chronic sleep problems, leading to numerous other chronic conditions. Furthermore, Vitamin D is made in our skin cells from cholesterol, which we have been desperately trying to lower in our bodies because of its ‘bad’ reputation. Unfortunately, if you do not have enough cholesterol in your body, you can not produce enough Vitamin D either.

Ultimately, if your child or you are experiencing morning fatigue, or restless nights with lots of tossing and turning in bed, or even wetting the bed or expressing loud vocalisations, please, consider checking your Vitamin D and B Vitamin levels. Both of these nutrients are essential for a good night’s sleep.

Have more sunshine in your life! Spend more time outside and allow yourself and your children to enjoy enough quality sleep!

Ref. 1: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27515213

Ref. 2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068797/

AUTISM TODAY AND SPRING CLEANING YOUR LIFE!

April is Autism awareness month; the perfect opportunity to discuss this incredibly important topic! Why is it important? Because, Autism is currently the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disorder in the world. It is very interesting to see how much information about this condition is now available; the growing number of eye-opening scientific research being published, there to help us to understand why this disorder may affect people in the first place and, consequently, what can be done about it! Many scientists used to believe that genetics were responsible for up to 90% of all Autism cases. However, modern research suggests that environmental factors and life style play a much greater role in Autism development than the genetic factor. In fact, Autism is rarely genetic!

Studies of identical twins, who share nearly the same DNA, have demonstrated that in the majority of cases, only one twin develops Autism rather than both. We also know that, in many cases, children are born normal healthy babies and only start developing Autism a few months into their lives. So, what is happening and why can children who are born normal develop Autism?

Nowadays, we understand the clear and huge impact of environmental toxins, heavy metals, infections, malnutrition, stress, an inactive life style on a low immune system, chronic inflammation, gut disbalance and brain development. Different combinations of various environmental insults cause genetic mutations! Different toxic factors have the ability to switch our genes “on and off”. For this reason, we talk about genetic susceptibility rather than about genetic defects at birth.

Lead, mercury, nitric oxides, infections, plastic, toxic food additives and many more other toxins overload our children from the inside out, deplete their vitamins and minerals, slow down the work of different enzymes and set their brains “on fire”! Yes, we can now conduct genetic tests and see which mutations your child has and what is the best way to create a “by-pass” around these blockages. According Dr Lynch, there are seven main genes that affect everyone’s health, but especially the health of children with Autism.

For example, MTHFR is the methylation master gene. Methylation is a key process involved in the stress response, inflammation, brain chemistry, energy production, genetic expression, detoxification and other functions. Therefore, when this gene doesn’t work optimally, the child in question can experience depression, anxiety, migraines, autoimmunity, autism, cardiovascular conditions and other issues.

Another example would be the COMPT gene, which affects our mood, focus and also our ability to handle estrogen. Consequently, if this gene is modified, your child can experience insomnia, irritability, anxiety, impatience, addictions, various neurological conditions.

The good thing is that we can control the total toxic overload of our children’s bodies and, therefore, help their genes to function better. This is the very first thing we should consider when helping our kids! REMOVE THE TOXINS THAT WE CAN CONTROL! CLEAN THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT!

Main insults that we have to reduce:

sugar, excessive amounts of carbohydrates
processed food and drink,
unhealthy fats,
electro-magnetic pollution,
sedentary lifestyle,
lack of sleep,
physical and physiological stress.

START “CLEANING UP” YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN! This is the first and most vital step to becoming healthier. You can try other, more expensive ways of supporting your child, but if you do not “clean up” their environment, any other applied approaches will not be as helpful or as long-lasting as they could be!

Only after a “spring clean”, can the DNA test results be helpful in designing a specific individual supplementation plan, which would help to build the “by-pass” to overcome certain shortages at a biochemical level in your child.

To support you in this journey, I would like to offer you a VERY SPECIAL BONUS, valid only for the month of April – book the genetic test with me by the end of this month and receive a 50% discount for a follow-up consultation. You are welcome to book the test and consultation now and use them later – they will be valid until the end of 2019!

Please book by email: irina@liveright.eu!

CAN YOU READ YOUR SYMPTOMS?

Do you ever experience random headaches or migraines? Do you ever feel as though your tongue is swelling when you eat certain food? Or maybe you have skin rashes, eczema, diarrhea, itchy eyes, runny nose or congestions? When noticing such symptoms, many of us simply assume them to be seasonal allergies or caused by other minor reasons. However, one of the explanations behind such symptoms can be a condition called histamine intolerance.

What is Histamin Intolerance?

Histamine is a natural compound that can be found in different food containing the amino acid “histidine”. In addition to this, however, it is also an important amine produced by different cells of the immune, gastrointestinal and neurologic systems. Histamine is actually a signaling molecule that communicates information between cells and receptors in the body, stimulating many different processes.

A few other Histamine functions:

It is an element of the immune system and the body’s inflammatory reaction, making it a part of our protective mechanism against infection, insect bites etc.
It also works as a neurotransmitterin the brain and controls the sleep-wake cycle.
It regulates physiological functions in the gut and the production of gastric acid.

In a healthy person, once histamine has done its job, it is broken down by certain enzymes. In some cases, however, the body may be unable to deal with the histamine that it has generated or consumed. The enzymes may not be able to break down the molecule for a number of reasons, such as genetic mutation, reduced amount of enzyme activity, nutrient deficiency or simply an imbalance between the consumption of histamine-rich food or food that naturally blocks enzymes.

Interestingly, one of these important enzymes called DAO is produced in the gut. So, if intestinal function is compromised there may not be enough DAO to degrade the histamine normally. This is why, very often, people who have an issue with their gastrointestinal systems are also prone to other symptoms representing histamine intolerance.

Nowadays, it is also becoming evident that children with autism have a tendency towards histamine intolerance. Because the brain has cells that trigger the release of histamine as a response to neurotensin, this can cause autoinflammation leading to headaches, ‘brain fog’, and other neurological symptoms so often associated with ASD.

Note that histamine intolerance is not a true food allergy since it comes from the body’s inability to clear the cumulative buildup of histamine. Because of this, the symptoms may not be immediate and it may, therefore, be difficult to identify a particular food as the trigger. As the mechanism of histamine intolerance is different from any food allergy and is not mediated by antibody IgE, a standard allergy test will not able to recognise it.

If you think you may have histamine intolerance, a food diary is the essential tool necessary for exploring this possibility further.

You need to monitor the following:

Food rich in histamine
Food releasing histamine
DAO enzyme inhibitors such as alcohol, tea (black, green, mate), and various energy drinks

Food rich in histamine:

Fermented food: sauerkraut, kombucha, fermented dairy including yogurt, kefir, sour cream, soy sauce, fish sauce
Vinegar and Vinegar-containing food: pickles, olives, mustard
Cured meats: bacon, salami, hot dogs, sausage
Aged, dried, jerky, smoked and less fresh meat and fish, as well as anchovies and mackerel
Aged cheese
Nuts: Peanuts, walnuts, and cashews
Vegetables: avocados, mushrooms, aubergine, spinach, and dried tomatoes and tomato sauce
Dried fruit and citrus fruit
Long/slow simmered and roasted food: such as bone broths and pot roasts
Fermented alcohol: wine, beer, brandy, port, sherry, rum, champagne
Probiotic supplements

Food releasing histamine:

Bananas
Chocolate
Alcohol
Milk
Nuts and peanuts
Fruit: Papaya, Pineapple, Strawberries
Tomatoes
Shellfish
Artificial preservatives and dyes

If you notice a correlation between the consumption of the above products and your symptoms, I would suggest:

Trying a temporary low histamine diet.
Working on supporting and strengthening your immune system.
Working on your gut health.
Look into supplement support with your practitioner.
Adjusting your cooking methods to lower the levels of histamine in your food (cook your broth for a shorter period of time, avoid slow cooked food, eat fresh meat instead of frozen and avoid leftovers).

Should you have any questions or feedback, please email me your comments!

Irina

Photo by Alex Guillaume

“UNDIET” YOURSELF THIS YEAR AND GO WILD!

At the beginning of each new year, many people set themselves a variety of objectives, such as aiming to follow a specific diet as a part of their healthy eating plan. This is a wonderful initiative! Have you tried it before? Which particular diet did you try adopting? Vegan, Keto, Raw Food diet, Intermediate Fasting? Let me know how it went! The trouble is that many people give up on these resolutions very quickly, determining the specific diet attempted to be ineffective and seeing no point in continuing with it or trying it again. However, the truth is that the diet in question may not work for you simply because it is not the right eating pattern for your body at this current moment in time.

Each diet addresses specific health issues or eating needs. It is, therefore impossible to decide which specific diet you may need and how long you should follow it, without first understanding your own symptoms. Once your body’s needs have been addressed, the eating plan should be adjusted accord to your personal response. However, if you were to explore all the different diets, you would notice one factor common to them all – each diet suggests replacing eating rubbish with eating real food! This fundamental principle of eating healthy is encoded deep in our human genetics.

Therefore, today, I would like to share with you a very simple 7-step solution that will help you improve your health without needing to adopt any particular diet. So, here is your Healthy UNDIET Guide to fundamental and essential changes for the better!

“Eat real” as much as you can!

Simply do not buy any processed food, including sauces, biscuits and tinned products. You can start gently, reducing little by little, and eventually aim to eat 100% whole food that you know was made in your kitchen! This will help eliminate any unwanted components, that happen to be toxic, from your body and raise awareness about food and its nutritional value.

“Eat wild” and organic as much as possible!

Nowadays we mostly eat modified food that looks good and tastes better, but that, unfortunately, has lost many of its healing properties and contains fewer nutrients. For example, wild blueberries are much smaller and less sweet than big, commercially produced berries. However, despite their lesser size, they actually contain more useful micronutrients!

Drink more water!

This sounds very easy, yet, how many of us drink at least 2 litres of water a day, especially during the winter? Water is essential for the digestion, detoxification, energy level maintenance, healthy skin, blood pressure control and so much more.

Eat slowly and chew better!

Digestion starts in your mouth. Make sure you swallow properly liquified food. Even when you eat soup, do not rush and take your time ensuring that the enzymes from your saliva have had the chance to do their job in the oral cavity. This way you will also experience more flavours, textures and smells from the meal you eat, allowing you to enjoy it more!

Eat diverse food!

Any single food doesn’t contain all the essential nutrients that we require for health and well-being. Therefore, by eating a diverse, balanced, multicoloured range of ingredients, you can consume the necessary amount of micro-elements for normal body function.

Take a deep breath before you eat!

When you do diaphragmatic breathing 5-10 times before your meal, you reduce your level of stress, improve your digestion and increase your metabolism. Simple, but so powerful.

Stop counting calories!

A calorie is not a measure of health. The quality of the food consumed sets up your metabolism and is much more important than calories. It has been shown that counting calories can actually increase your appetite and cause weight gain.

Therefore, follow these 7 practical steps and let me know how they go! They may take some time to take effect, and that is OK. Work on them one step at the time and be patient! The aim is to live a rich and fulfilling life without any restrictions and to enjoy your food every day.

Please, do not hesitate to contact me for more information, advice or consultation.

Photo by Peter Wendt

Irina

SET YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK FOR GREAT WINTER SEASON

I am sure you have noticed that our days have been getting shorter and that we now experience far less sun light exposure. At this time of year lots of people start to undergo a form of seasonal blues, lack of energy and emotional slumps. People who are especially sensitive to such changes of environment can sometimes be diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Of course, children who experience troubles with learning, concentration, sensory issues and emotional challenges will be even more susceptible to lack of day light. For example, it was shown that deficiency of sun light can potentially lead Asperger’s children to have low self-esteem, feel disappointment, isolation, mood swings and a lack of motivation. Consequently, while everyone feels the shortage of light exposure, we all tolerate and adapt to it in different ways.

From a biological perspective, as the seasons shift, our bodies experience certain biochemical changes, which are absolutely normal! Although humans aren’t as seasonal as animals and we do not hibernate in the winter, environmental changes have a clear impact on our biology!

Our master clock, located in the hypothalamus, responds to light by secreting certain hormones such as serotonin, which helps the body to feel awake, alert and satisfied. When it is dark, serotonin is converted to melatonin, making the body feel sleepy. It is for this reason that lack of day light causes hormonal imbalance, leading to many troublesome consequences, including sleep disorders, behavioral problems, hormonal imbalances and stress. To summarise; HUMANS’ ARE VERY DEPENDENT ON LIGHT!

Have you noticed that during the winter we try to compensate for our low levels of serotonin by reaching for comfort food and eating lots of carbohydrates and sweets? This gives us instant but fleeting satisfaction, which passes quickly and leaves us with long-term consequences such as elevated levels of blood glucose, extra weight, irritability and insulin imbalance.

Here is a quick check list of typical signs of SAD:

Depressed mood, low energy during the day
Anxiety or irritation, not handling stress well
Feeling lethargic and sleeping more than usual
Difficulty to concentrate and focus
Preferring to stay alone, less socializing
Craving for easy carbohydrates and sweets
Feeling a need for a sunlight

So, how can we prepare for this year’s winter? Here is a short list of changes you can implement into your routine, to ensure you experience a pleasant and energetic few months!

1) BALANCED DIET

Research has shown that the Mediterranean variety of diet lowers our chances of depression. Therefore, make sure you focus on oily organic fish like salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, anchovies and seafood. Small amounts of good quality meat, together with organic dairy products (if you tolerate them) and eggs also reduce the odds of developing depression. This way you can get your fat-soluble, and absolutely health essential, vitamins A, D and K as well as vitamin B12, which is individually associated with combating depression and anxiety.

Consume plenty of nutrient-dense food like leafy greens and multicolored vegetables, including a few starchy products such as sweet potatoes and beetroot. Nuts, seeds, beans and lentils provide many necessary microelements as well.

A healthy gut helps our body to adapt to any stress, including seasonal changes. So, do not forget to eat fermented food like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, kombucha, and many others containing active live cultures.

By eating easily digestible food, such as fermented food, gluten-free food, cooked vegetables, bone broth, you save your body lots of energy, which you may need for other activities.

Additionally, turmeric is a fantastic product! I always say this because it is always true, and, in this case, my comment is especially relevant as turmeric has been proven to help with depression symptoms. Other spices like chili powder, saffron, vanilla, cloves, sage, nutmeg and black pepper also help fight depression and get your mood and activities back on track.

Do not forget to indulge yourself with a small bit of dark chocolate. Not a candy bar or milk chocolate; I’m talking about high-quality, 85% dark of higher, pure cocoa packed with potent and brilliant antioxidant polyphenol.

Notice that if you eat all of the above and minimize the amount of sugar and easy carbohydrates, such as bread, cookies, etc. you traditionally consume, you will not gain extra weight!

Please, remember that any dietary recommendation you apply must be based on your own individual response and food sensitivity profile!

2) CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTATION

Fish oil supplementation is a good way to ensure you consume a sufficient amount of both vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids. The positive effects of EPA and DHA fatty acids and Vitamin D on brain health and general mood have been extensively demonstrated. I would, however, recommend checking your vitamin D levels with a blood test before increasing the amount of vitamin D you consume, as overdosing on vitamin D is not very healthy! Vitamin D is complementary with other fat-soluble vitamins (A and K) that work together for heart, bone, and immune health. You may consider supplementing them as well! Vitamin B12 may be another option to consider to keep your energy level and anxiety under control.

3) OTHER CHANGES TO IMPLEMENT

Go outside every day even if it is chilly and raining and try to expose your arms and chest to the sun (if it is not too cold) for a few minutes to top up your level of vitamin D. Spending time outdoors helps fight our internal inclination to hibernate, restoring our mood and energy levels.
Respect the natural day pattern as much as you can and make sure you go to bed earlier, as during the winter we need longer rest periods. No need to feel guilty for going to bed when you are tired! At the same time, make sure you maintain a steady sleep routine. Do not ingest any caffeine six hours before bed and avoid bright lights and screens in the late evening. Remember that even 5 minutes of white light can stop your melatonin production for 4 hours and can spoil the quality of your sleep.
Consider Light therapy. Simply choose a lamp that illuminates at 10,000 lux and filters all UV light and set it up in your bedroom. You can configure the light for the morning, at least 30 min before your alarm goes off, so that your body receives enough light to build a biochemical response to ease your waking up process. Keep the lamp around you for another 30-60 min in the morning. You can do another 30 – 60 min in the afternoon if you feel your body needs it but avoid such light exposure in the evening. SAD lamps emit strong light, so be careful not to look directly into the bulbs!
Look for other ways to improve your mood.
Enjoy sitting by the fire if you have a fire place or lighting candles during long evenings, to provide yourself with additional emotional balance and stability
Read an interesting book
Do your favourite sport or activity and don’t forget to find time to meet your friends.
Meditation if a very powerful tool for bringing depressive thoughts under control.
Saunas help many people feel better by warming up their body temperature.
Essential oils can provide good support for focusing, concentration and energy levels. Enjoy aromas of basil, lavender, bergamot, frankincense and geranium to lift your mood and energy.

Note that THE BEST RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED WHEN YOU IMPLEMENT COMBINATIONS OF THE ABOVE STEPS AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE.

I hope this post helps you and your loved ones prepare for this traditionally melancholy season! By implementing these steps try instead to enjoy this time of year, and all the warmth, comfort, and pleasure it brings, instead of experiencing a lack of energy and concentration, depression and anxiety and a stagnation in all your activities.

Please, share your thoughts and feedback, send me your comments: irina@liveright.eu

brain health

Photo by Agnieszka Boeske on Unsplash

Photo by Oliver Hihn on Unsplash