Hello 2022. This has been a really difficult year but we are still here and therefore God can be using us to touch other people’s life in a positive way. I believe Neale Donald Walsch said that your life is not about you, it is about every one elses life that you touch. I think this is important to keep at the top of your mind. Even waking in the am, and spending five minutes, setting that intention is important. If you don’t feel so inclined, deliberately decide to spend a moment first thing in the morning, feeling gratitude and appreciation for your life. If that is difficult for you, then it is a really useful exercise to put it in place, first thing in the am. Give thanks, appreciate, look for the things you can be grateful for. Make that a habit. There are two girls I pray with at 7:15 am. I also do devotions with them, Monday through Friday. We always start by talking about things we are grateful for. This is a good habit to start your day with. There are so many studies affirming how being grateful improves health. I am a naturopathic doctor after all. Health is important to me and my patients.

Right now, it is really important to do things that lift your vibration up.  It helps you rise above the collective angst. I think it is useful to compose a list of things that make you feel better.  I love music and it always puts me in a better space.  Music allows me to be grateful for my ears! I am so grateful for all of my senses! I am grateful for my eyes, grateful for vision, whether it be vision to see a beautiful morning sunrise or long term vision needed to get through another Calgary winter. The days are getting longer! We are marching towards more daylight sunshine! Look at the good things happening with your health. Focus on the things that are working well. Give thanks for those things! Appreciate them. Give thanks for them. Appreciation and gratitude are the interface and prelude to getting what you want and feeling better with consistency. 

Okay, so music is important. Part of the ‘raise my vibration list’. Music can help your health too. It triggers endorphins, feel good chemicals that allow you to think happier thoughts. All very good to improve relationships with other people. Music can motivate you. I have songs on my Ipod that always bring my vibration up; motivate me to exercise.  Having thoughts of people that you love and are grateful for can elevate your spirits. Doing a Gratitude meditation in the morning first thing; spending time drawing up those people in your mind that you love and care about. Resting in your heart space can make the difference in the way you feel first thing. By singing, you can activate your vagus nerve which improves overall health. Bring up songs on Utube with the lyrics and challenge yourself to sing along. All these things help you feel better.

Other health resolutions to focus on are extremely personal. For me, I really want to drink more water therefore I commit to it. I drink two glasses first thing. Hydration can help you cope better with the solar flares. I am a highly sensitive person so I pay attention to these things.  if you do something for 21 days, you create a habit. This is something, I need to do for my overall wellbeing and also to help with supporting kidney function. I commit to drinking more water daily. If I start with two glasses first thing, I help my health first thing. I  also add water to my smoothie in the morning.

I recommit to drinking green smoothies again. I start by blending up greens (organic kale, organic chard, organic bok choi, etc) I vary the greens daily and blend them with frozen berries (organic wild blueberries/raspberries/cranberries, etc.), frozen organic mango, frozen banana- I have an assortment of frozen fruit in my freezer- I choose which to add in the moment), 1/4 cup ground flax/1/4 cup ground chia seeds. I add ground pumpkin seeds, ground sesame seeds, again I vary my ingredients depending on what I have.  I feel more alive when I drink green smoothies. I throw in half an avocado to give it more fat, staying powder. I add a half glass of almond milk, one glass of filtered water.  I add a celery stalk and a carrot sometimes. The idea is to increase your nutrition in the morning. This is way better than starting your day off with a sugary breakfast cereal.  You will feel more energy and motivation if you do this. Try it and message me back in a week to let me know you are on the same health train as me!!

I want to urge u to join my membership club this year too if you need some extra support. I do a meditation on Tuesday nights at 8 pm on Zoom. On the third Tuesday, I do an EFT call at 8 pm on Zoom.  I provide 4 plant based recipes per month. I  blog about healths topic that the members are interested in. Please contact the reception staff at Parallel Wellness for more info, and to sign up. To yours in health, Dr. Robin Vinge. PS. I have had MS since I believe i was 21 and need to manage it lifelong. I can help you with your health challenges. I am extremely compassionate and empathetic to your health concerns. To book an appointment, call Parallel at 4032321283. Happy New Year to you!! Much love, Robin

 

Emotional Freedom Technique is my favorite counseling tool that I use when dealing with patients. It does not have any negative side effects and is a tool that I can pass on to people so they can manage their own stress level. It is a combination of the east and the west. It draws on 5000 years of traditional Chinese medicine in the form of meridians. It taps into (metaphorically and literally) these meridian pathways to create energy flow. Any disruption in the meridian flow of movement registers potentially as negative emotions.

Meridians open up to the surface of the skin so this technique devised by Gary Craig, a former Stanford engineer is designed to tap on all the meridians so it does not matter what meridian is out of balance. There is no harm done by over-tapping.
The technique draws on Western psychology also drawing on exposure (remembering traumas, persistent thoughts, emotions) and cognitive restructuring, utilizing statements of self acceptance to help individuals feel better and accept their feelings. It is considered an energy psychology technique because it is working with a part of the body’s electromagnetic field (meridians) much like the aura or chakra system might be used in another way. The tapping process also targets the brain, specifically sending a calming signal to the brain when an otherwise stressful memory or situation is imagined. It is thought to target the amygdala which is where emotions are processed and memories can be stored. By remembering an event while tapping on these meridian sequences, it changes that previous negative memory into one that is now non threatening to the brain. You are creating a new neural pathway which is non-threatening. Essentially you are telling your brain to associate this memory, thought or emotion by stating repetitive statements utilizing self acceptance while tapping that this situation is a-okay now.
Research on EFT has shown a drop in cortisol (your main stress hormone) occurs during a session of EFT. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine are stimulated by EFT. Therefore you feel immediately better after a session and emotional releases can occur leaving you feeling lighter as a result. And lastly, genes are thought to be regulated by EFT. Genes that lower inflammation and increase immunity in a positive way, for starters. Google Dawson Church or Gary Craig, EFT universe, or the tapping solution if you want some more information on the tapping sequence or current research studies. I find it to be a great counseling tool because EFT helps you get in touch with your intuition so you can solve your own problems once you know how to do it. I love to empower my patients! You can have an amazing effect on your mind, body, spirit! Believe it!!  I have a special rate on for EFT and counseling. It is only $80 now for EFT and counnseling for the hour.
To book a session with me come into Parallel Wellness or call 4032321283. I can do sessions on Zoom or the phone also. I have lots of regular clients working with me. Yours in health, Dr. Robin

Reference: The Tapping Solution, Nick Ortner.

The last session of the series addressed supplementation. Supplementation helps us fill in the cracks. Possible support for prevention would include Magnesium because it is a cofactor in ` 300 + reactions in the brain. Magnesium is a common mineral deficiency in many people.  Melatonin as a possible supplement because there is some evidence that it may repair the blood brain barrier. Fish oil which includes EPA and DHA;  DHA prevents inflammation; it stimulates BDNF and stimulates for formation of new brain cells. B12, B9 deficiencies are linked to cognitive decline. B vitamins in the form of a complex may be your best bet here.  Vitamin D because it activates 300 gene pathways which can in turn affect 800 + genes. Vitamin D is best to get from the sun  but it does reduce cognitive decline- D3 is the typical form used in supplementation. It also helps regulate insulin and is a prohormone involved in thyroid function.

If you follow a vegan diet make sure you get B12 and DHA from an algae source. Otherwise you need to be aware that this may affect cognitive function negatively over time. 

The fleshy part of the coffee plant there has been much buzz about supplementation for improving brain health. The whole coffee fruit concentrate increases BDNF 143 %- typical dosage is 100 mg/day. This works better if taken in the evening apparently. BDNF increases through exercise 10-14%.

Curcumin increases genes to increase our antiinflammatory capacity. It reduces our amyloid burden along with Tau.

MCT oil is a great fuel for the brain. 

Coffee, itself is rich in polyphenols that nourish our gut bacteria. Caffeine may inhibit production of amyloid plaques. It activates our gene pathways that turn on genes that activate detoxification pathways along with cruciferous vegetables and turmeric. 

Taking probiotics every day can help support the brain along with eating kim chee and sauerkraut. Add prebiotic foods in the from of acacia, inulin and artichokes.

For more information, consider a consultation for naturopathic medicine at Parallel Wellness. 

Source: Episode 12 of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Series. Go to Dr. David Perlmutter’s website to obtain a complete copy of the series.