Summit For Wellness Podcast

It seems like every single day we have more advancements in the research done on the human microbiome. Word has spread about the gut microbiome, and the genitalia microbiome. But new development is coming out in areas of the body we least expect it.

Such as the Ocular Microbiome, better known as the bacteria of the eye.

Researchers have discovered an ecosystem of the microbiome within the eye. In these early stages of research, the eye is showing to have a much smaller population of bacteria than other areas of the body, such as the gut. This does not mean that the ocular microbiome isn't important. In fact, it could tell us more about how to protect the eye and how to prevent eye disease.

As we start to age, there are different nutritional and movement needs that we need to add into our daily lives. When it comes to the older population, it is extremely important to focus on a couple specifics:

Protein

Water and hydration

Mineral depletion

Coordination

Balance

For the elderly, these start to become extremely necessary to feel great and safe each and every day.

Over the past couple of decades, we have seen a big increase in neurotransmitter dysfunction ranging from anxiety and depression, to Alzheimer's and even Schizophrenia. The 4 main neurotransmitters that we pay attention to are:

Serotonin

GABA

Catecholamines

Endorphins

There has been a lot of information coming out about the power of the Ketogenic Diet for optimal brain function, but that relates mostly to the brain cells using ketones as the primary fuel source compared to glucose. What we don't hear about often enough is the types of amino acids needed to produce neurotransmitters.

It has been estimated that over 45 million Americans participate in diets each year, and less than 5% continue to maintain the diet after a couple of months. This means there is a big disconnect between diets, and how to make it a lifestyle change. Katie Garces says that what we are missing in most diets is teaching about intuitive eating.

As we well know, we have lost most of our connection with the food that we eat because food has become very convenient, and we don't have to work hard to get it. Because of the convenience, we start to lose our ability to understand what our body needs in terms of nutrients and foods.

If you are 40 or older, then it is expected that you will gain weight and become increasingly more tired.

This is a common thought for women who are getting older. Weight gain, insomnia, and decreased energy is just a byproduct of aging, and there is nothing you can do about it...

Or so we thought. These issues are actually a sign of dysregulation in the endocrine system, and it shows that your body is struggling to regulate hormones effectively. There actually is hope in getting back your energy, and to regulate hormones properly!

If you have ever go in for your yearly checkup with your doctor, there is no doubt that at some point you have gone through some diagnostic tools, such as blood tests, to see your nutrient and hormone levels. Many times this is a Comprehensive Wellness Panel, and will tell you information such as your red and white blood counts, lipid profile, and some minerals.

When you start to have some health symptoms, your doctor may order some other tests for further information. The idea to dig deeper is great, but many times these tests aren't looking in the right areas, or the doctors aren't using them to figure out the root causes.

For instance, if you show signs of a thyroid issue, the doctor will typically run a TSH test, and if you are lucky, they may even check for T4 and T3. However, these are only a small part of the puzzle as there are other hormones associated with the thyroid, and this still isn't incorporating the results into the big picture of the body!

Have you ever been so stressed out that you end up eating an entire bag of chips or something else crunchy? What about being so sad that you down a whole thing of ice cream? If so, you aren't alone, and our emotional eating has a lot to do with different types of textures.

Different types of textures are associated with different emotions we are experiencing because of how our body perceives these textures. For instance, a creamy texture can be really soothing, which is why we turn to the ice cream when we are sad. 

Once we understand how these textures integrate with our emotional eating, we can then take this information and understand what it is our body is trying to tell us!

When was the last time you thought about how your mineral levels are doing? Likely your answer is 'never', or at the most you say that you get calcium from your milk. So if we don't think about minerals, why would heavy metal toxicity become something we are interested in?

As Wendy Myers said in our podcast, the minerals are the spark plugs for the body. When minerals are out of balance, then a lot of dysfunction can start to occur. Heavy metals are known to place themselves where normal minerals are supposed to be in the body, however instead of improving our function, it creates heavy metal toxicity.

As a Schedule 1 substance, CBD and hemp has been debated for a long time about whether this is a dangerous plant for humans to use. However, with the rise in states legalizing marijuana, and people being open to try new options, we have seen a lot of benefits to using CBD Oil.

In fact, some of the most common reports of CBD Oil usage is for seizures, anxiety, and even chronic pain. And you know what we don't ever hear about? The psychoactive properties of CBD Oil...

...because there are none.

As the number 1 leading cause of death in America, heart disease is a problem that we've had a hard time fixing. For most cardiologists, they spend their time throwing pills at patients, or opening them up to fix the issue.

For years we have been told that saturated fat is evil, and that cholesterol will kill us all. While everyone has been eating low-fat, sugar intake has increased dramatically, and heart disease has also risen.

So maybe the problem isn't the cholesterol-rich foods we used to eat, but instead are other issues with our food system and out stress levels.