Navigation the Holidays – An Emotional Pot-luck

For many, navigating the holiday season can be tricky as it carries an expectation of happiness, togetherness, warmth and joy. The reality is for many, it can evoke feelings of loneliness, grief, or unease, stirring up past experiences that may be distressing.

People experience a wide range of emotions during this period. It can be helpful to remember that each person’s journey through the holidays is unique. For those that need to hear this – it’s okay not to feel joyful and merry. Your feelings are valid, and taking care of your emotional well-being is paramount.

A teacher for me has been “Radical Forgiveness” by Colin Tipping – the following is an excerpt from this book:

PROJECTION

Even when we have repressed the feelings and/or memories associated with a life event, we know on a unconscious level that the shame, guilt, or self-criticism associated with it remains with us. So we attempt to rid ourselves of that pain by “taking it out of ourselves” and transferring it onto someone or something else outside of ourselves. This projection process allows us to forget we ever possess such feelings.

Once we project what we do not want to own onto someone else, we see them, rather than ourselves, as possessing those qualities. So if we repress our guilt and then project it, we make the other person the wrong one. If we repress our anger and then project it, we see them as the one who’s angry. We can accuse them of all the things we feared we would be accused of ourselves. No wonder we feel so relieved when we project. In so doing, we make someone else responsible for everything terrible that happens to us and for what we see as negative about ourselves. Then we can demand that they be punished, so we can feel even more righteous and safe from attack.

Recognize When You’re Projecting

As soon as you find yourself judging someone and getting angry, you know you are projecting, Anger serves as the constant companion of projection, for you always use this emotion to justify the projection of your self-hatred.

What you find so objectionable about this person simply serves as a reflection of that part of you that you have rejected and denied in yourself (your shadow) and projected onto them instead. If this were not so, you would not be upset.

If You Spot It, You Got It!

It feels like the other person is doing something to you to make you angry. However, when you own that your feelings begin with you, not with them, you will drop the need to feel victimized and realize that the person is doing these not to you but for you-enabling you to take back the projection and love it in yourself.

Though repression and projection are meant as temporary relief valves for the psyche, the ego coopts them as the means to increase and prolong the feelings of separation. Hence, denial, repression, and projection become permanent ways of being for us, at least until we begin to awaken. At that point we slowly become aware of these mechanisms and how we use them to create and maintain separation. The task then is to wean ourselves off of these mechanisms and begin to take responsibility for creating the circumstances of our lives rather than blaming everything on others.

Fear of Intimacy (“Into-Me-See”)

Every person we meet offers us the opportunity to choose between projections or forgiveness, separation or union. However, when it comes to close personal relationships, the more intimate we become with someone the closer they get to our true self. Thus it becomes all the more likely they will discover all that unpleasant stuff (our shadow material) that we have denied and repressed, the prospect of which creates enormous fear inside us. The temptation to project it all onto them becomes almost irresistible. At this point, the honeymoon is over. The fear of intimacy becomes so strong that the relationship is likely to fall apart. And when they do fall apart most do so with a lot of acrimony and painful emotions.

ALL RELATIONSHIPS ARE FOR HEALING

To be awake means to fully understand how this all works and how the ego has skillfully used our spiritual intelligence – which is always moving us in the direction of love, healing and growing – to provides us with people whose role it is to mirror our own projections and repressed self-hatred. Only then can we heal the separation within ourselves and become whole. This is the purpose of all relationships.

If the true purpose of the relationship has been fulfilled, which is to say the healing has occurred, the relationship may simply dissolve naturally and peacefully. When both parties understand Radical Forgiveness, the parting can be loving, respectful, and relatively pain free.

If, on the other hand, the relationship breaks off before the healing has taken place, the parties will likely go off and find another partner with very similar characteristics who will resonate the same issues for them all over again. Many of us do this over and over again, and we can often see the pattern quite clearly when it is pointed out. However, at times, when we are in “it” it is hard to see our way through it.

Only when we do our own inner work, can the healing begin.It starts with you. At the end of the day, you only have yourself to work with and you can only make the changes yourself. You can’t change the other person. However, you can change how you relate to yourself and in doing so, your connections with those around you will change.

In 2024, I will be opening the doors to my “Moving Beyond the Mental Health Label” group program – we will meet for 10 weeks on Wednesdays at 3pm MST starting Feb 21, 2024. More registration details are here: https://christina-bjorndal.mykajabi.com/moving-beyond-the-mental-health-label

Adrenal Fatigue

What are the Adrenal Glands?

• The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system, which is a collection of glands and organs in the body that release important hormones.
• These hormones travel through the blood and body fluids to act on other organs, tissues and cells in your body.
• The adrenals are located on top of both kidneys.
• The hormones that the adrenals secrete are responsible for a number of normal body functions and are necessary for life.

Key Adrenal Gland Hormones:
• Cortisol:
○ Provides your body tissues with energy to combat the effects of stress, keeps you alert and awake in the daytime, it decreases at night to allow you to sleep, it is a natural anti-inflammatory, and it stimulates the immune system.
• DHEA:
○ A natural anti-inflammatory hormone, it is used to convert into other hormones that your body may need, may be responsible for female libido, is a source of estrogen after menopause.
• Aldosterone:
○ Involved in the balance of salt and water in your body, therefore affects your blood pressure.
• Adrenaline (epinephrine):
○ Gives that well-known “adrenaline rush” sensation and is part of the “fight or flight” reaction of extreme or sudden stress.

Stress and the Adrenals:
• When you are under elevated acute stress (e.g. Studying for final exams, meeting a deadline, skipping a meal) your adrenals respond by producing more cortisol to help you deal with that stress.
• This adrenal response can be helpful and harmless in getting you through the stress in the SHORT TERM.
• However, if the stressful situations continue for too long and the cortisol levels remain chronically elevated and the adrenal glands may eventually burn out ►ADRENAL FATIGUE.
• The cortisol levels will drop as the adrenals begin to fail to keep up with the person’s need for stress hormones.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue:
• Fatigue, lethargy
• Light-headedness (including dizziness and fainting) when rising from a sitting position or laying-down position
• Lowered blood pressure and blood sugar
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering (brain fog)
• Consistently feeling unwell or difficulty recovering from infections
• craving either salty or sugary foods to give them energy
• Unexplained hair loss
• Nausea
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea
• Mild depression
• Decrease sex drive
• Sleep difficulties
• Unexplained pain in the upper back or neck
• Increased symptoms of PMS for women
• Tendency to gain weight and inability to lose it – especially around the waist
• High frequency of getting the flu and other respiratory diseases – plus a tendency for them to last longer than usual.

Prevalence of Adrenal Fatigue:
• Up to 80% of people at some point in their lives!

How do we Diagnose Adrenal Fatigue?
• Based on the above symptoms
• Pupil dilation exam
• Orthostatic blood pressure
• Hormone testing (blood, salivary)- e.g. Cortisol, DHEA

Treatment Strategies:
• Get enough sleep
• Reduce stress
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy diet
• Vitamins and supplements
Copyright 2014 Natural Terrain Naturopathic Clinic. Dr. Christina Bjorndal

Understanding Your Adrenals

Stress can undermine your health. The connection between stress and high blood pressure, heart disease and many digestive problems is well-established in medical research. Stress creates hormonal and blood sugar changes, causes the body to excrete nutrients and adversely affects the immune system.

The adrenal glands are directly affected by stress. They are responsible for the “fight or flight” response. Hans Selye, MD, conducted experiments creating stress in rats. The rats were made to tread water with their legs tied until they became exhausted and died. Dr. Selye analyzed the rats at various stages of the experiment and dissected their adrenal glands. He found that the adrenal glands responded to stress in three distinct stages. In the initial stage, the adrenal glands enlarged and the blood supply to them increased. As the stress continued, the glands began to shrink. Eventually, if the stress continued long enough, the glands reached the third stage of adrenal exhaustion. The adrenal glands produce certain hormones in response to stress. In a stressful situation, they raise blood pressure, transfer blood from the intestines to the extremities, increase the heart rate, suppress the immune system and increase the blood’s clotting ability.

This response is meant to be short-lived. When primitive man walked through the forest, he’d see a wild animal. His heart rate would increase, his pupils would dilate, his blood would go out of his digestive system and into his arms and legs, his blood clotting ability would improve, he would become more aware and his blood pressure would rise. At that point he’d either pick up a stick and try to fight the animal or run. The physiological changes brought on by the adrenal glands would make the body more efficient at doing either of those things. This is called the fight or flight response. If he survived the ordeal, chances are it would be a while before such a strain was put on the adrenal glands and the rest of the body again. He would have an opportunity to relax, eat nuts and berries (and a little meat from the wild animal, if he was lucky). His adrenal glands would have a chance to recover.

Many people in modern society do not have the luxury of a recovery period for their overworked adrenal glands. The changes caused by the overproduction of adrenal hormones stay with them. The stimulation of the adrenal glands compromises immune function, so people under constant stress will tend to catch colds and have other immune system problems, like allergies. Stress causes many digestive problems such as indigestion, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Blood flow to the digestive tract is decreased because adrenal hormones also cause an increase in the blood clotting ability, so prolonged stress can lead to the formation of arterial plaque and heart disease.

Worrying makes the adrenal glands work. Relaxing and thinking peaceful thoughts enables them to rest and heal. That is why yoga and meditation are so good for you. You go a long way in preserving your health and energy if you do not fret about things over which you have no control. It’s the amount of worry and not necessarily the size of the problem that stresses your adrenal glands. If you worry a lot about little problems, you do as much damage to your adrenal glands as someone who really has a lot of stress. If you can control your worrying when under stress, you minimize the damage stress does to your health. A wise man once said, “worry is interest paid in advance on money you haven’t borrowed yet.”

Dr. Selye described the progression of stress on the adrenal glands as General Adaptation Syndrome. The first stage is called the alarm reaction. This is when someone (with healthy adrenal glands) can perform amazingly well when the need arises. The primitive man, seeing the saber tooth tiger, was able to run faster than he ever dreamed possible during the alarm reaction. If the stress continues, the body moves into the resistance stage, during which the adrenal glands become enlarged. In this stage, a person can feel anxious, have cold, clammy hands; a rapid pulse, and a decreased appetite, but hasn’t begun to feel any of the more serious symptoms of the exhaustion stage. During the exhaustion stage the adrenal glands begin to fail to meet the demands placed upon them. During this stage, the individual begins to have a variety of symptoms including fatigue, digestive problems, obesity, depression, dizziness, fainting, allergies and many other problems.

People with weak adrenal glands frequently crave coffee and sugar, as well as salt. Sugar and caffeine stimulate the adrenal glands. It’s as if your adrenal glands are two horses towing a wagon load of bricks up a mountain and sugar, or caffeine, act as the whip you use to get the horses to keep trying. What they need to get to the top of the mountain is nourishment and a rest period.

To effectively treat the adrenal glands, you must eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Emotional stress is the kind of stress most people think of when stress is mentioned, but there are many different kinds of stress. Thermal stress results from being exposed to extremes of temperature; physical stress from heavy physical work, poor posture, structural misalignments, lack of sleep and being overweight; and chemical stress from ingestion of food additives, exposure to pollutants and consumption of sugar and alcohol. Changes in blood sugar are also a form of chemical stress. Eating frequent, small meals is often very helpful, since people suffering from adrenal fatigue are often hypoglycemic (having low blood sugar).

Situations are not always controllable, but stress and how you react to the situation is. Stress is cumulative. Emotional, structural, and chemical stress all affect the body the same way. Your adrenal glands do not know the difference between failing an exam, treading water, or excessive sugar consumption. Furthermore, if you consume excess sugar because you failed an exam, it will add to the level of stress you experience.

If you reduce the stress that you can control and change how you respond, stressful situations will not have as much of a physical effect on you. For instance, eating frequent meals and avoiding sugar will reduce stress on the adrenal glands. So, even if you can’t do anything about your in-laws coming to spend the summer, you can reduce your stress by controlling your diet. Also, how you think of the stress will make a difference in the health of your adrenal glands. Your mother-in-law’s handy tips on how you should raise your kids, clean your house, or her penchant for eating everything that isn’t nailed down (without offering to pay for groceries), won’t stress your adrenal glands if you don’t focus on it.

If you can’t change your work situation, then improve your diet and get plenty of rest. Change how you think about your job situation. Focus on the positive; you do have a job, you do eat regular meals when most of the world doesn’t. Just do the best you can and think of the things you can’t control in positive terms.

As Naturopathic Doctors, we are always concerned about the health of your adrenal glands. We will do our best to support you with lifestyle suggestions, nutritional advice and various remedies so you can feel your best!!

WARMING SOCKS

Now that cold and flu season is in full-swing, here is an idea for home treatment to help ward off the common cold.
The warming socks treatment is best if repeated for three nights in a row at the first signs of a cold. It is also useful for sore throat or any inflammation or infection of the throat, ear infections, headaches, migraines, nasal congestion, coughs, and sinus infections/congestion.

Why it works: This treatment acts reflexively to increase circulation and decrease congestion. Areas which are congested or inflamed will give up proportionately more blood than areas which are not inflamed. The internal blood vessel areas for which there is the most use for this hydrostatic derivative method are the brain (head), lungs and pelvic organs.
During the night, the small blood vessels (capillaries) in your feet will dilate in response to the coolness of the socks – reflexively drawing blood from other areas of your body. As your feet become warm, the capillaries automatically begin to contract – pushing the warm blood out to cool the now over warm feet. As your feet cool off, the process begins again. This continues through until the socks are dry, and/or have reached normal body temperature.
Activating the surface capillaries in your body doesn’t seem like much, but they do carry about 800 times the amount of blood carried by the major vessels. So you’re actually moving a large quantity of blood between your head and feet. Whenever your blood circulates, it must pass through your lungs – dumping off CO2 and picking up oxygen. It must also pass through the liver – which cleans the blood and renews its nutrient and white blood cell supply. And the blood must pass through the spleen, which picks off old red blood cells. With each pass, the blood is cleaned up and reoxygenated.
It has a sedating action and many patients report that they sleep much better during the treatment. This treatment is also effective for pain relief and increases the healing response during acute infections.

In order to do this treatment you will need: 1 pair thin cotton socks (athletic socks work fine), 1 pair thick wool socks, a towel and a warm bath or footbath.
The directions are as follows:
1. Take a pair of cotton socks and soak them completely with cold water. If you tend to be cold or have low vitality, try using cool water during the first treatment rather than cold water.
2. Warm your feet. The treatment may not be as effective if your feet are not warmed first. Warming can be accomplished by soaking your feet in warm water for at least 5-10 minutes or taking a warm bath for 5-10 minutes.
3. Dry off your feet and body with a dry towel.
4. Wring the cotton socks out thoroughly so they do not drip and place the socks on your feet.
5. Put the thick wool socks over the cotton socks.
6. Get in bed. Cover well and sleep all night with socks on, it should be relaxing and not uncomfortably cold. If you are unable to sleep because of the cold socks, consider removing the socks and soaking your feet again, this time using cool rather than cold water to wet the cotton socks. Your feet and the cotton socks should be warm and dry in the morning. If your feet are cool or the cotton sock is still damp, consider increasing the length of the hot foot soak.
As an alternative or complement to warming socks try throat or chest warming compresses. Warm the throat or chest with a hot washcloth or shower. Dry the skin thoroughly and apply a thin cotton wrap (to throat) or thin cotton T-shirt (to chest) that has been soaked in cold water and wrung out thoroughly. Cover this with a wool scarf (throat) or wool sweater (chest). Go to bed. By morning, the scarf or T-shirt should be warm and dry. The same cautions for the warming socks treatment apply here.
This treatment should be used with caution on anyone with decreased or compromised sensory abilities such as infants, the elderly, or diabetics as they are at greater risk for heat and cold injuries. Do not use this treatment over areas of hemorrhage, gastric ulcers, malignancy, peripheral vascular disease or conditions aggravated by extreme cold. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 587- 521-3595.

What to do during Cold and Flu season?

By Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND

Taking a flu vaccine is an individual choice. Vaccine proponents claim that it protects against influenza infection and if contracted, lessens the severity of the illness. However, there are concerns about this approach, such as:

1. There are over 500 different viruses that can cause flu-like symptoms and these viruses are constantly changing. The vaccine is formulated from the three most common strains seen in the previous year which may not be specific for the current year’s flu;
2. Vaccines contain many ingredients including a preservative – either egg protein or Thimersol (a mercury containing compound which is toxic) and formaldehyde. Allergic reactions can occur to these ingredients; and
3. It takes about two weeks after the flu shot to develop enough antibodies to protect yourself from the influenza virus. These antibodies start to lose their effectiveness within a few months.

I find in today’s society, many people fear getting sick. The reasons they give vary from not having enough time to get sick to looking at any form of illness as an inherent weakness within themselves. What they don’t realize is that getting sick is actually a good thing. Why? Because it gives your immune system a chance to work. Your immune system is intricately designed as a “policing” system to distinguish between foreign and internal “invaders”. By “invaders” I am referring to bacteria, viruses, fungi, and cells within our body that are no longer functioning properly, such as cancer cells. If you never get sick, then how will you know that your immune system is working for you as it should? Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that you run out and contract deadly forms of viruses just to challenge your immune system. What I am saying, however, is getting a benign cold or flu every couple of years is not a national emergency. It allows your body to form the natural defenses or immunity that it needs so that the next time it comes into contact with the same virus, it knows exactly how to take care of it. Plus, it gives you the added reassurance that your body is working as it should, naturally.

It is important to be aware of whether you have sub-optimal immune function. The table below lists several factors that could put you at risk for having depressed immune function.

· You frequently (more than 4x/yr) get acute infections (e.g. cold, flu, ear infections)
· You have a persistent infection (e.g. candida, parasite, athlete’s foot, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes, warts…)
· You have cancer or you are at risk of cancer
· Your wounds heal slowly
· You have unexplained fatigue
· You eat a lot of sugar
· You eat foods you are allergic to
· You are under excessive stress
· You don’t get enough sleep
· You are overweight
· You have silicone implants

· You exercise excessively
· You regularly take aspirin or acetaminophen
· You are on cortisone or chemotherapy
· You have taken many antibiotics
· You have recently had an accident or surgery
· You have been exposed to mercury (dental amalgams, contaminated fish), lead (old paint, copper water pipes), cadmium (cigarettes), and arsenic
· You are exposed to pesticides (in non-organic foods, on lawns and houses)
· You are exposed to organic solvents (paint thinners, petroleum distillates, carpet cleaners)

If many of the above statements ring true for you, then you will want to investigate ways you can change your lifestyle or modify your behaviour so that they are not working against your immune system. The good news is there are many herbs and supplements that you can take to compliment the effectiveness of your natural immune system. So, how do you protect yourself, naturally? Firstly, eat a diet that is low in sugar, caffeine, fat and alcohol as these substances reduce immune system function. Focus on eating 5 – 10 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily and include garlic, onions, thyme, cayenne, ginger and oregano in your cooking to boost your immune system and fight off viruses. Balance your activities and work – the effects of stress decrease our immune system’s ability to protect us against bacteria and viruses. Often, we get sick because we don’t take the time to care for ourselves when we are well. If you develop flu-like symptoms, stay home, limit exposure to others, stay well-hydrated, get plenty of sleep and allow your body time to recover. Lastly, do not touch your mouth, nose or ears without washing your hands, as these are portals of entry for viruses.

The cold and flu viruses are constantly mutating and dividing to form new strains. Our bodies have never seen these strains before and as they say in sports – the best offense is a good defense. Therefore, in order for your immune system to operate optimally, it needs certain nutrients that can be provided either from food or food supplements. When you support the natural processes of your body, you bounce back and recover quickly from any cold or flu virus that you may contract. There are many natural treatments available to support your immune system, such as Vitamin C (with bioflavonoids), Zinc, Vitamin A, garlic, probiotics, essential fatty acids and herbal and homeopathic remedies. Nutritional supplements are important, but are only one aspect of health. A positive mental attitude, healthy diet, adequate sleep and managing stress are critical to achieving and maintaining good health in the long run 4. Edit from: The vaccine is formulated from the three most common strains seen in the previous year which may not be specific for the current year’s flu; to: The vaccine is formulated from the most common strains seen in the previous year which may not be specific for the current year’s flu.

AN OPEN LETTER

Communication and punctuality are the heart of our appointment-based scheduling. When booking an appointment, please keep in mind that we provide enough time for our naturopathic doctors and staff to be able to comfortably address your health concerns and provide the supportive experience that you deserve. If you are running late for a scheduled appointment, we require that you phone ahead of time to notify our receptionist as this can cause your naturopathic doctor to be late for other scheduled patients. Please be advised that arriving late for an appointment means that we might not to be able to address your concerns to their full extent or at all. Mutually, if your naturopathic doctor is running behind with another patient, we will notify you as soon as we are able.

Unless it’s an emergency, our clinic has a firm policy of requiring 2 business days notice when cancelling or rescheduling an appointment. Failing to do so will result in a friendly reminder of our policy and repeat offenders will be subject to a cancellation fee.

We want to thank you for continuing to be an integral part of the Natural Terrain family.

With passion and gratitude,
The Natural Terrain Team

Chemical Stew Found in Umbilical Cord Blood

Study found 287 industrial pollutants in cord blood of 10 babies

By Colleen Diskin

This article was written by Colleen Diskin for the Knight Ridder Newspapers in Hackensack, N.J. Special thanks to The Edmonton Journal for sharing this article.

Mothers pass on hundreds of chemicals from pesticides to flame retardants to their babies through their umbilical cords, according to a groundbreaking study. The study, released Thursday, found 287 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in U.S. hospitals. The blood harbored pesticides, chemicals from non-stick cooking pans and plastic wrap, long-banned PCBs and wastes from burning coal, gasoline and garbage. On average, each baby had been exposed to 200 chemicals.

Scientists have long cautioned expectant mothers to limit exposure to chemicals by avoiding mercury-tainted fish, for example, and staying out of the nursey until paint is dry. But the study, paid for by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, is the first to examine the sheer number of exposures infants can have, via the umbilical cord, from pollutants that are nearly impossible for their mothers to avoid, the researchers said.

It is the first to measure a baby’s “body burden,” the term used to describe the amount of pollutants buried in the bloodstream, organ tissues and fat cells. Researchers and environmental advocated said the results are disconcerting. “The numbers are startling when you hear them,” said Dr. Alan Greene, a Stanford University pediatrician who wrote a commentary on the study. In the month before baby’s birth, the umbilical cord pumps at least 300 quarts of blood each day back and forth from the placenta to the fetus, bringing the baby oxygen and nutrients. Scientists once mistakenly thought the placenta shielded cord blood and the baby from most chemicals and pollutants.

Greene described the placenta as a “free-flowing. living lake” that the blood vessels in the umbilical cord draw from.” Today, this most primal of lakes has become polluted with industrial contaminants,” Greene said. “And developing babies are nourished exclusively from this polluted pool. They mainline the contaminants through their umbilical cord, injecting them into their veins more potently than any IV drug administration.”

The study raises more questions than it answers, in particular what the cumulative effect of all these chemicals might be on a new born, said Tim Kropp, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group. “For some of the chemicals, we know some safe levels for a single chemical in adults,” Kropp said. “In none of them, however, do we know what the safe level is in combination with each other and not what it is in babies,”

The Environmental Working Group paid $10,000 a piece to test the cord samples, Kropp said. The samples were taken by the Red Cross for possible use in transplant operations. Kropp said no identifying information was provided, meaning it is impossible to know whether the pregnant mothers had lived near pollution hot spots. But a hot spot would account for just a few chemicals; these babies tested for exposure to far more, showing, Kropp said, just how pervasive chemicals are in our society.

The blood sample with the lowest readings contained 154 chemicals. The highest held 231.

Exposure to chemicals is a bigger concern with infants because the blood-brain barrier – the body’s defense that keeps contaminants from reaching the central nervous system – is not yet developed, meaning babies can suffer more neurological harm, Greene said. Green and others affiliated with the study say it points to the need for a wider, publicly funded study of the impact of chemical exposure to children. Advocacy groups say there are ways consumers can reduce their body burdens. Suggestions include eating locally grown food farmed without pesticides; not using chemicals on lawns; getting rid of cleaning products that contain colorants, fragrances and deodorizers; avoiding Tefon pans; and not using the microwave to heat foods in plastic containers that might leach chemicals.

Why do a Spring Cleanse?

As few as 10% of patients with chronic illnesses are responsible for approximately 70% of healthcare costs.
Chronic diseases are currently responsible for more than 80% of all deaths and an even higher proportion of total disability after age 50.
Up to 90% of all cancer are thought to be related and/or due to the effects of environmental carcinogenic exposure.
6000 new chemicals are listed in the chemical abstracts each week, thus amounting to more than 300,000 new chemicals yearly.
One drink drops the liver efficacy by 10% for 16 hours. Stress and smog drop it too.

The Liver

THE GOOD NEWS IS OUR LIVER IS 99% EFFECTIVE IN CLEARING TOXINS FROM OUR BODY!
The liver filters 2 litres of blood per minute for detoxification and when working optimally. The liver clears up to 99% of the bacteria and other toxins during the first pass.
Its capacity to regenerate itself after being damaged is remarkable. The liver can lose up to 70% of its capability and still not show diagnosable liver disease….but functionally contribute to a wide array of problems.

Phase 1

Directly neutralizes a toxin, eg. Caffeine or modifies the toxic chemical to form activated intermediates which are then neutralized by one or more of the several Phase 11 enzyme symptoms
Detoxification of most chemical toxins involve a group of enzymes collectively named the cytochrome P450.
wide array of problems.

Phase 2

Activates biochemical conjugation in which various enzymes in the liver attach small chemical structures to the toxin. This conjugation reaction either neutralizes the toxin or makes the toxin more easily excreted in the urine or bile.
There are six Phase 11 detoxification pathways, glutathione conjugation, amino acid conjugation, methylation, sulfation, acetylation and glucoronidation.

The Gut-Toxicity Connection

Increase intestinal permeability
Leaky Gut symptoms: abdominal pain, gas, mood swings, skin rashes, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, bladder infections, anxiety, asthma, allergies and poor immunity.
Clinical conditions associated with “Leaky Gut” include: Alcoholism, acne, mental illness, Eczema, Psoriasis, inflammatory joint disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and muscular and joint pains.

Chemical Toxins: primarily dealt with by the liver

Solvents, cleaning materials, formaldehyde, pesticides, herbicides and food additives
Signs and symptoms: many psychological and neurological symptoms, depression, headaches, mental confusion, mental illness, abnormal nerve reflexes, fatigue.

Presentation of a chemically toxic patient

More than 20 pounds overweight
Diabetes
Gallstones
Alcohol use
Psoriasis
Natural and synthetic hormone use
Heavy antibiotic use in the past
Use of diuretics
NSAIDS abuse
Thyroid hormone
Food sensitivities and allergies
Digestive complaints
Un-named illnesses

The Health Packed Berry: Sea Buckthorn

Sea Buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is one of the botanical herbs that we use in Naturopathic Medicine. It is also a herb we commonly find in our neighbourhood.

Sea buckthorn has been used for thousands of years, with one of the first recorded being around 600-900 AD. Traditionally, it has been used to help with indigestion, injuries and skin healing, liver issues and cardiovascular issues.

The Sea buckthorn plant is a shrub found in many places around the world including Canada, Tibet, India, Russia, Mongolia and Northern Europe. The plant contains tart, orange-yellow berries which are high in many nutrients. The leaves are also high in nutrients. This makes it an important herb with many different medicinal uses.

Nutrients

Sea buckthorn is high in nutrients such as…

- - Vitamin C – good for immune health and antioxidants
  - B vitamins – good for stress, cell repair and nerve regeneration,
  - Vitamin K – helps promote wound healing and plays a role in clotting
  - Vitamin A – a great antioxidant can help with skin and immune health
  - Vitamin E – can help with liver function, brain health, skin health and immune health
  - Quercetin – helpful in allergies and is anti-inflammatory

Therapeutic Uses

The primary benefits of the leaves include their action in wound healing and skin health. There are many ways in which sea buckthorn does this. Using sea buckthorn when healing from an injury can reduce inflammation, increase cell regrowth, amplify collagen production, increase blood vessels to the area, and has some anti-bacterial/ anti-viral effects. For wound healing, Sea buckthorn is usually applied topically, however you should consult your naturopathic doctor for the best way to use this product.

Additionally, Sea Buckthorn is gaining popularity in cosmetic properties because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and collagen-stimulating effects.

Sea buckthorn is also believed to be liver protection, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, immune supportive, anti-stress, anti-oxidant and possibly even anti-carcinogenic.

This amazing herb has so many beneficial properties, and you just might be able to spot one in your neighbourhood.

Watch the video to learn more: https://youtu.be/U_7PsHIHRx8

Resources

Suryakumar, G., & Gupta, A. (2011). Medicinal and therapeutic potential of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). Journal of ethnopharmacology, 138(2), 268-278.

Environmental Toxins and How They Affect Mental Health

At a time like this, mental health matters more than ever. We need to take care of ourselves, our bodies and our minds. Mental healthcare is one of the biggest unmet needs of our time, and is something most people tend to ignore.
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This is why it’s important to acknowledge the effects of environmental toxins on our mental health.
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In this latest Myers Detox Podcast with Wendy Myers, our very own Dr. Christina Bjorndal ND talks to us about the many toxins that contribute to declining mental health. She believes that the increasing rates of suicides, depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders is largely due to toxins in our environment. You can listen to the podcast here.
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The following is a transcript of the podcast where Dr. Chris ND addresses…

Anxiety and depression are not usually a deficiency in a neurotransmitter. What else leads to imbalances?
How neurotransmitter receptors can be inhibited by toxins.
Why Dr. Bjorndal ND believes that the increasing suicides, depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders is largely due to toxins in our environment.
The specific toxins that dramatically impact your mood and mental health.
The role of trauma in mood swings and mental health.
Solution: The 5 pillars of addressing environmental toxins.

‍The Myers Detox Podcast with Dr. Christina Bjorndal ND

Wendy Myers: Hello everyone. I’m Wendy Myers of myersdetox.com. Thank you so much for joining me today for The Myers Detox Podcast. On this show, we have all types of guests talking about toxins and their role in various health issues. We also discuss how to detox these toxins, as well. Today we have Dr. Christina Bjorndal on the show. She’s going to be talking about environmental toxins and the role they play in contributing to mental health issues like anxiety, depression and eating disorders. It’s a really, really interesting conversation. We talk about the role of nutrition. We talk about the role of all the various toxins that will wreak havoc in reducing neurotransmitter production, like serotonin. They interfere with the receptors that help to make neuro-transmitters. We discuss your organs and if those aren’t working properly, you’re going to have some anxiety and depression.

Wendy Myers: We’ll also talk about the role of trauma. That’s a toxin that plays a role in anxiety and depression. We’ll talk about your hormones, thyroid hormones, sex hormones and how those are interfered with by toxins. That can have a role in your mental health. We’ll discuss everything under the sun, looking at these different underlying root causes that aren’t going to typically be addressed by your conventional medical doctor. They’re going to just write you a prescription. We talk about why that isn’t always the answer and why those aren’t working for some people. It’s a really, really interesting show.

Wendy Myers: I know you guys who are listening are concerned about toxins. You’re wondering what is in your body and what do you need to detox? I created a quiz called the heavymetalsquiz.com, just go to heavymetalsquiz.com and take the two-minute quiz. I’ve asked you a number of lifestyle questions to determine your relative level of toxicity, in your body. Then I give you a free video series that answers a lot of people’s frequently asked questions, like where do I get started with detox? What type of testing is best? What kind of supplements work for detoxification? Where should I start?

Wendy Myers: There’s a whole free video series for you after you take that quiz at heavymetalsquiz.com. Our guest today, Dr. Christina Bjorndal is a naturopathic doctor. She’s considered an authority in the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders and eating disorders. She uses a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual approach. Having overcome many mental health challenges. Dr. Chris is a gifted speaker and writer. She has shared her wellness philosophy with audiences, from platforms such as the Jenny McCarthy Show, The International Bipolar Foundation and many health summits and docu-series.

Wendy Myers: She is recognized as a top naturopathic doctor to follow, by two independent organizations. Her book Beyond The Label is a comprehensive guide to naturopathic mental health. You can learn more about her work at drchristinabjorndal.com. Dr. Chris, thank you so much for coming on the show.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Thanks so much for having me.

Wendy Myers: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your journey in regaining your mental health? What did you learn in that process and how did toxins play a role as well?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Sure, I’m a naturopathic doctor. It was really through my own journey of regaining my mental health that I have become a naturopathic doctor. My struggles began in junior high when I developed an eating disorder. A key point I want to make was that in the year prior to developing the eating disorder, I was treated with antibiotics to address acne. There’s a lot of research now that shows a relationship between the gut microbiome and the brain, and that there is this bi-directional relationship. This is important because it really highlights taking a patient’s case, and in naturopathic medicine we really want to address what the root cause is. Often, disruption in the microbiome as well as the subsequent exposure to toxins, which I’ll talk about, can play a role in one’s mental health.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Starting with the eating disorder, which was bulimia. I then went on to university. I was doing fine. I was an overachiever type. I found myself in a place I’d never been before in my third year, which was depressed and really anxious. I was prescribed some more medication. I was taking a tricyclic antidepressant at that time. Then about three months later, I spun out of control into a delusional, psychotic manic episode. I was then given a new diagnosis to deal with, which was called bipolar disorder, type one.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: What I did with that was, I pretty much didn’t want to look at it. I didn’t want anybody to know that I had been given this diagnosis. I felt a lot of stigma and a lot of shame around it. I carried forward in the world and just continued wearing this mask of I’m okay on the outside, but I’m actually not doing that great on the inside. I spent most of my time battling depression and anxiety. I had a suicide attempt that left me in a coma with kidney failure and I was on dialysis. I was told I would need a kidney transplant.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I can tell you that when I came out of that coma, I certainly wasn’t a happy camper. I wasn’t happy that this attempt did not work. It also caused me to realize that I needed to figure out another way. The path that I was on with pharmaceutical medication was not leading me anywhere where I was actually getting better. I was really at war with myself most of the time. I was really hating who I was. I was given a book to read by Marianne Williamson. In this book, there’s a quote on surrender which goes along these lines. Surrender is not about breaking out of anything. It’s a gentle melting into who we really are. We let down our armor and we discover that all God needs is just one sincere surrendered moment, where love matters more than anything and nothing else really matters at all.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: For me, the two key words in that were surrender and love. I mean, I didn’t love and accept myself. I figured that that was a really important step in my healing. That’s basically the journey I’ve been on for the last 30 years. Figuring out how to love and accept myself. A key part of that process is learning what foods to eat and learning how to treat my body with the respect that it actually deserves. Learning to view this vehicle that I’ve been given as the most important vehicle. One that I should be investing in.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I eventually made it and I got better. I started seeing a naturopathic doctor. I started seeing a functional nutritionally-oriented psychiatrist and I got better. At that time, it was really hard to find help. This was in the 1990s and it wasn’t as popular as it is today. The information wasn’t as readily accessible as it is today. I ended up making a career change. I had been in the corporate world. There were so few options for help out there and I knew that there were a lot of people suffering, so I made a career change and here I am.

Wendy Myers: I really identify with what you’re talking about because I had the same trials. I had been depressed through most of my 20s and into my 30s. I had an eating disorder that I was struggling with and perfectionism, which can go hand in hand with eating disorders. I was taking medications like Xanax and Lexapro. I tried that for like a year and a half, and was really not having a lot of success there. Then I took stimulants like diet pills and anything that gives you a boost and gives you that feeling of joy, which is what we’re all moving forward towards. We want to feel pleasure and move away from pain. Then I just realized none of that is really going to go anywhere. You have to love yourself and have proper nutrition.

Wendy Myers: I also discovered detoxification. Let’s talk a little about that because I think that many times, people are looking externally for some sort of cause of depression, anxiety or what have you. There must be something going on, like I’m reacting to this event or I’m reacting to this thing. They’re not really thinking about inside, that something maybe going haywire in their chemistry. It’s not as serotonin depletion as the pharmaceutical companies would have you believe. There’s a lot more going on. Can you explain some of those complexities as to why we may not be feeling good?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: One of the things to understand is basically picking up on what you just said about the serotonin deficiency. Most times, whenever is somebody struggling with depression and anxiety, we do what we’re told, right? We’re told that, “Oh, well, you don’t have enough of this neurotransmitter.” It’s usually serotonin, sometimes GABA, sometimes dopamine and sometimes norepinephrine. We’re going to give you a medication that’s going to increase that within you.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: One of the keys to understand is that there could be toxins, heavy metals or chemicals playing a role, when you take these pharmaceuticals and you don’t feel better. It’s not just about cranking up the dose, but the doctor will say that often, “Oh no, you have got to take more. You have got to take more.” Despite taking more, you’re still not feeling better.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: One of the things we want to understand, especially if you’re prescribed an SSRI medication, most times people are told that you’re depressed or anxious because you have a deficiency of serotonin or whatever the neurotransmitter may be. If you’re taking one of these medications and the doctor keeps increasing the dose, and you’re just not getting better, it can indicate one of two things. It can indicate that you don’t actually have a deficiency. You could actually be making the neurotransmitter with no problem, but there’s something from the environment that’s blocking the cell.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Every cell has receptors and receptors can be blocked by endocrine disruptors, by heavy metals and by other chemicals. If what I’m saying is resonating with you, then this is where you need to speak with somebody like Wendy or myself. Someone who understands how to do a proper, integrated detoxification to help clear these chemicals from the extracellular matrix. In naturopathic medicine, we refer to it as this idea of drainage or biotherapeutic drainage.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: The other indication is it could mean that this is the wrong macro system to be addressing. It could be that you have hormones that are out of balance and those need to be supported. The third area, which is really the focus of what Wendy talks about is the organs of detoxification can also be playing a role in mental health. If you have an imbalance in phase one or phase two liver detoxification pathways, if you’re constipated which leads to something called leaky gut syndrome, if these things are going on within you then they can also be contributing to the mental health symptoms that you’re experiencing.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: It’s really important to investigate what’s the root of the problem or roots. There can be more than one thing going on. If you’re really wanting to get to this place of healing, we don’t want to just always place a band-aid over the problem. We really want to be able to remove whatever it may be that’s causing the problem so that we can restore the body back to function.

Wendy Myers: Can we get into some details there? What kind of toxins would be interfering with your neurotransmitter receptors or interfering or outright causing anxiety or depression?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: The main ones that I look at can be heavy metals. Lead and mercury are the two main ones from an environmental perspective, but there’s also things like parabens, phthalates, VOCs and solvents. There’s many different chemicals that also can play a role. There’s testing that can be done to determine whether you have high levels of these compounds in you and then what kind of detoxification program is required.

Wendy Myers: What about the thyroid? You mentioned that your hormones can be off and that can be contributing. We know the thyroid produces thyroid hormones. If you don’t have enough, you can be depressed. That’s so common. So many people don’t realize that their thyroid is depressed or they have Graves’ disease. They have hyperthyroidism. I frankly feel like I got divorced because my husband had Graves’ and he had hyperthyroidism. He was anxious and irritated all the time. I just wanted to get away from him, honestly.

Wendy Myers: He found out after our divorce that he actually had Graves’ and that just made him anxious all the time. Mercury is a huge cause of that. What else is interfering with our hormones that can contribute to mood swings, anger, anxiety and depression.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: With hypothyroid, the one that can also be involved is chloride. Chloride and fluoride. Any of the bromine compounds in the periodic table can affect iodine. From a hypothyroid perspective, you need iodine in order for the thyroid to function normally. That’s something that’s important and something that we always talk about, “Oh, drink, lots of water, drink lots of water,” but it’s the quality of the water that you’re drinking. Does it have fluoride in it? If you’re somebody who is swimming all the time in a pool that’s full of chlorine, I mean, your skin is your biggest detoxification organ. Whatever you’re putting on your skin is going to be affecting the other cells in your body.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There is something I read recently that perfume is now the new secondhand smoke. A lot of people are wearing lots of perfume. They’re lathering themselves with different moisturizers, hairspray, makeup and shampoo. There’s so many chemicals that I don’t think people are as aware of as they could be. It’s not necessarily that one thing, it’s the cumulative effect.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: When the government approves these products for use, they don’t study the cumulative effects of these. They just study these in isolation, but not this cumulative effect. Why are all these conditions on the rise? Why are things like cancer, depression, suicide, type two diabetes, obesity and all these health conditions with so much more information than we’ve ever had before, yet you would think they would be getting better but they’re getting worse.

Wendy Myers: I personally think toxins are one of the biggest contributors to what’s happening. All the toxins in our food supply, beauty products, the air, food and water. It’s just depressing when you think about it, but there’s a lot of things that you can do. There’s a lot in your control. You also mentioned our organs. If our organs are congested and not working optimally, that can lead to anxiety, depression and mental health issues. Can you go into some specifics there?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: The one thing that I think is really helpful for people to understand is the regularity of having a bowel movement. I don’t know. If you’re like me and I was taking five psychotropic medications. I think I was having a bowel movement maybe once a week, if that. I didn’t know that that was not normal. What happens is your liver and your kidneys are working really hard to break things down so that your body can get rid of it, through the colon or through the urine.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: If your colon is not removing it, or if you’re not eliminating as quickly as you should be, there’s bacteria that can deconjugate the hormones, the toxins and the chemicals that your body’s just worked really hard at getting ready to be eliminated. You end up reabsorbing these and getting another hit or double whammy, so to speak. This contributes to that idea that I was talking about earlier, that there can be something blocking the receptor of the cell.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: We’re wanting to make sure that our bowels are working every day. That you’re having a bowel movement every day. This sluggishness can also contribute to what’s called leaky gut syndrome. This is where you basically want to understand that your one tube, from your mouth to your anus, this tube needs to be solid and tight but what happens through medication use, through stress and through poor diet, instead of the junctions between the cells and the small intestine being tight, they get leaky, so to speak. The food particles go through and then your immune system mounts a response. This then affects the level of cortisol because it’s a stress on the body. The body thinks that it needs to fight, but it doesn’t actually need to. It’s sort of stuck in this state.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Addressing the diet, adjusting your body’s liver function, the function of your colon and all of the organs of detoxification, is actually where I think it would be nice if everybody started there when they’re working with people. Generally, we don’t always start there. Especially in the Western medical world, it’s more about, “Well, how can we stop you from feeling what you’re feeling? Let’s get you out of this state of depression. Let’s get you out of the state of anxiety and give you medication.” They’re not necessarily looking at, “Well, how are these integrated systems within the body functioning together?”

Wendy Myers: Yes, the doctor’s not asking about nutrition, how you’re sleeping or how much you’re pooping. They’re not providing any kind of answers or counsel in that regard, and missing the boat completely. Forget toxins, that’s not even part of the conversation. Let’s talk a little bit about the liver. If your liver isn’t functioning well, if your liver is congested and not functioning optimally, you can very much have bouts of anger. If you’re constipated, you’re not going to feel well. You’re going to be irritated, angry, anxious and things like that. Just that impairment of function alone can make you be really moody.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: In Chinese medicine, they talk about the associated emotion with every organ. Anger is usually the one that’s associated with the liver. Sometimes the question we’re wanting to ask is, “What anger needs to be expressed”. If we translate that back to depression, in the psychotherapy world, a lot of times they ask you, “Well, what are you depressing? What are you pushing down? What is the emotion that you’ve pushed down that you’re not expressing?” Oftentimes, there can’t be this connection with anger.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: On the physiological side, what I think is important for people to understand is the first step in a liver detoxification program, in my opinion, has to be looking at the toxins or the environmental load or burden of your body, in the first place. If you decrease that, then that is going to support your liver. A lot of times people just say, “Oh, let’s take some milk thistle and help the functioning of the liver.” Again, always think about the root cause. If the liver didn’t have so much to deal with in the first place, then perhaps I wouldn’t have to support it as much from a supplemental perspective.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There’s an environmental quiz that I have in my book and there’s one on my website. You just type in the search, environmental quiz. I encourage people to do the quiz and start making one or two changes. Ideally, for everything you check off, you’re going to want to eventually try to create change. I know Wendy said earlier, this can seem overwhelming, but just start where you can. Start with one thing, then do the next. I’m still working on things. There’s always something to improve upon. Just understanding that decreasing the inputs is really important.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: You’ve mentioned this earlier, the quality of the air, the food, the water, everything that you consume or the most part, we’re really wanting to think twice about it. The next step for me is taking a look at how the liver works. Do you want me to go into that a little bit?

Wendy Myers: Yes, please.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Yes.

Wendy Myers: I think it’s so important. I focus on that a lot. I talk a lot about improving liver health because I think that plays such a huge role in people not feeling well, not digesting their food well, not detoxing well, their emotional life and immunity. There’s such a huge role in that. Let’s delve into that more.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: To break down a hormone, a toxin or a neurotransmitter, the liver puts it through what is called phase one and phase two detoxification. What you want to understand is, oftentimes phase one is going really fast, like an eight lane highway. Then phase two is like a one lane highway. What happens on the planet when we have eight lanes merging into one lane? We get a lot of pollutants and we get a backup. In the body, it’s called a water soluble epoxide.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: It’s broken down partially, but not completely. These water soluble epoxides can get recirculated in the bloodstream before they can get through phase two. This contributes to this idea of inflammation that everybody talks about. Where it comes from is the liver. There’s things that we’re doing that are making phase one go really fast and phase two go slowly. It’s the typical culprits that everybody talks about. Sugar, coffee, alcohol and hydrogenated fats. Those are the top four things that we’re wanting to eliminate for the most part, or reduce as best as we can. What you want to have is your highways, phase one and phase two, moving smoothly so that you’re not creating water soluble epoxide. So that there isn’t this inflammatory process being contributed to.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There’s foods that you can eat that can support this as well. Things like the cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and brussels sprouts. Those foods really help to balance the phase one and phase two pathways. Beets are helpful. A little bit of lemon can be helpful. Leafy greens. Grapes are another food that can help, but we want to be really cautious with grapes because they are on the dirty dozen. There’s a list of foods. We were just saying how the air, food and water is full of chemicals. There’s this list that the Environmental Working Group puts out called The Dirty Dozen. Those are the foods that are the most heavily sprayed and grapes are on that list.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: In my opinion, there’s no point eating grapes unless you grew them yourself or they’re organic.

Wendy Myers: Yes, absolutely. I drink a lot of grape and apple juice, which are big for liver health. I eat those too, but definitely organic. I love Lakeside Biodynamic Organic. It’s even on another level.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Biodynamics. Yes.

Wendy Myers: It’s above organic. Those are the ones I choose for grape and apple juice.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Yeah.

Wendy Myers: I only drink those because of liver health. For you guys out there that are diabetic or have blood sugar issues, it may not be for you. Everyone’s different. I drink those because I’m trying to support my liver health.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There’s other things that are great. I guess that’s another point to mention, there are so many nutrients that are also required to support phase one and phase two detoxification. The healthier that you eat, the better it’s going to be to support your liver. I want to just mention this idea, which I mentioned earlier about biotherapeutic drainage. We want to clear these pathways from the body, these toxins that are maybe partially broken down or toxins that have accumulated that are stuck in our tissues and not necessarily in the liver. How can our body clear these and get rid of them? You’re wanting to use things like lymphatic drainage or doing exercises as one of the key things. Also sweating, like in saunas, whether you have an infrared sauna or an ozone sauna. Just some way to sweat to really release, is also a really important step in overall detoxification.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I know for myself, I did a year long sauna detoxification program, the year prior to conceiving my son. I mentioned different health conditions that are on the rise, but another one that a lot of people are struggling with now is fertility.

Wendy Myers: Yes.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I really think that the fertility issues really come back to this environmental idea that we’re talking about.

Wendy Myers: Yes, I think we have so many estrogenic chemicals in our environment, xenoestrogens and metals that interfere with our hormones and stress. There’s a lot working against fertility right now. I 100% agree with you. There’s so many health issues right now that are toxin-related. Of course it’s more complex than that, but toxins are playing a huge role. Let’s talk about the five steps, in your opinion, to a comprehensive detoxification program. You mentioned some of them, but can you go over those steps that you think people need to go through to properly detox?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Yes, the first one is taking a look at the environmental inputs in the first place. Are you warming up foods in a microwave using plastic? Are you drinking out of a plastic bottle? Are you taking Tylenol every time you have a headache? Are you using Teflon pots and pans? Are you using plastic spoons to stir your soup that you’re making. All of these things. Are you letting your child have a bath with those little yellow, rubber plastic ducks?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There’s a great book called Slow Death by Rubber Duck. I have it on my bookshelf over here. I think the subtitle is Environmental Toxins And How They’re Ruining Your Health, or something like that. Who knew that these little ducks are toxic and we’re putting them in a hot bath, right? Whenever you’re putting hot water with plastic, that’s causing it to leech. Then you’re sitting in that, you get the bath and your skin, anyway, I’m going on a tangent.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There’s so many things I wasn’t aware of. Again, coming back to the cosmetics and everything that you’re putting in and on your body. Start looking at this for yourself. That’s step one. Then step two is you want to take a look at the foods that are affecting phase one and phase two, that you may be consuming. The sugar, the coffee, the alcohol and foods with trans or hydrogenated oils. Decrease those. The third step is increasing the foods that support the liver. Increasing the foods and then starting this idea of drainage.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Whether you’re going to see somebody like Wendy or myself, and we’ll support you through giving you the different remedies that you can take to facilitate the body’s ability to get rid of it. Making sure that your colon is working properly. We have to support that. Whether you’re integrating the sauna aspect or exercise. Making sure you’re sweating. That’s all part of that third step. Then the fourth step is to then promote the nutrients that help the liver get rid of these toxins.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Because now once you’ve started to reduce the inputs. Balance phase one and phase two, and you’ve done this drainage idea. Now you’re ready to let your body get rid of more toxins. Where do we store most of our toxins? We store them in our fat cells.

Wendy Myers: Damn it. I know a lot of people don’t realize that they’re having trouble losing weight because their body needs to hold on to these fat cells. It has to store this stuff somewhere.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Yes.

Wendy Myers: You can definitely see the correlation though. The more toxic someone is, typically the more overweight they’re going to be because of the kind of food they’re getting or the toxic exposure. That’s not the only reason that people are overweight but for instance, if you’re trying to lose that last 15 pounds and it just isn’t budging no matter what you do. I’m willing to bet you’ve got liver stuff going on, liver issues, fatty liver perhaps, and toxins or your body just has to store that stuff somewhere and is not going to let them go.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: That’s the classic thing that I see. Someone who wants to lose weight, say they want to lose 30 pounds and they’re successful. Right? You will be successful with doing some food changes and increasing the movement.

Wendy Myers: Or if you starve yourself, our body is going to let it go. If you have to force your body into submission when a normal, healthy diet, calorie restriction or exercise doesn’t work. There’s something else going on.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Also you get to that place where you plateau and you just can’t lose that. You cannot lose that last 10 or 15 pounds. That’s a red flag. That should be where the light bulb should go off in your head. That’s when you switch to the liver, right? The liver is basically stopping the process. It’s saying, “Look, you haven’t decreased the inputs. I’m still dealing with the inputs that you are already asking me to do on a daily basis. Now you’re giving me more over time because you’re losing weight and you’re releasing more crap,” for lack of a better word, “more toxins, more chemicals and more work for me.” It kind of stops it physiologically, in a sense. That’s where moving into working on tuning up and supporting these organs of detoxification can then help, if that is your goal, to want to lose weight.

Wendy Myers: I think something should be said that when people are losing weight and they’re releasing all this stuff out of their fat cells, as their fat cells are shrinking, you want to be taking a binder. All these toxins your body’s producing can produce anxiety where people don’t realize that. They want to instinctively reach for food or something to soothe themselves. I think people don’t realize how anxiety-producing toxins can be, when you’re losing weight.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I think that toxins and chemicals play a role in pretty much every health condition. I think environmental medicine is the way of the future. If people aren’t looking at these things, then they are really missing a critical component. Yes, I do agree that it is multifactorial, but this is a key factor in everyone’s health.

Wendy Myers: Let’s talk about inflammation. How does inflammation affect the brain and our mental health, as well?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: There’s this idea of the brain-on-fire. Similar to how I was mentioning the idea of leaky gut. There’s also this concept called the leaky brain. It’s really from that idea that these chemicals, these water soluble epoxides can block receptors so that the neurotransmitters that you’re making can’t get into the cell. From a cellular perspective, you end up feeling the symptoms that are going to be reflective of that neurotransmitter. That’s the idea. That’s my understanding.

Wendy Myers: Definitely, we have heavy metals that cause oxidative stress, which can then cause inflammation. That’s what metals do is they cause oxidative stress in the body. They cause DNA breakage. They can cause your immune system to have a reaction which causes inflammation. There’re just a lot of different ways that toxins can create inflammation in the body.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I think the key message too, is for people to understand that there is an explanation to the suffering that they’re experiencing. Whether it lies in this idea of what we’re talking about today, which is the role that the environment can play. Whether it lies just in nutrition that you might not be getting. A lot of these neurotransmitters are derived from essential amino acids. If you’re not getting them because they’re not something that you can make within your body, then you’re going to be depressed and anxious.

Wendy Myers: Yes, absolutely.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I want to highlight that, for me, that’s where it did start with the nutrition piece and supplementation, but I really had to work on my organs of detoxification. My liver and my bowels, because they weren’t working very well. I had taken many, many antibiotics, which created this disruption in the gut flora. I had heavy metals. There were lots of things, lots of pieces to the puzzle. I think the main message that I really want people to understand is that there is an explanation. It’s just a matter of working with somebody who can help you investigate what these root causes are, these contributing factors can be, in your health.

Wendy Myers: I think when people have a health issue that comes up, or some problem they want to solve, say it’s depression or anxiety, they try to pop a pill. They try to take a stimulant or they try to do something to fix that issue rather than thinking of it as a systemic issue that needs to be addressed. Start living your life by some basic health principles, healthy eating, some supplements, getting some sunlight, a little bit of exercise, a little bit of movement and maybe some detox. Start working on these things and a lot of your symptoms just disappear. Not for everyone. I think when you reach a certain point and your health is really starting to spiral downwards, you usually need some outside help and guidance to help you.

Wendy Myers: For me, I know that once I started really taking care of myself in every aspect, like checking every box with the diet, supplements, stress, exercise, sleep and detox, that’s when I started feeling really well. I caution people to not think about, “Oh, just let’s fix the thyroid and let’s fix the gut and let’s fix the depression.” It’s a systemic thing. All of the foundational pieces are checking off all of those boxes, no matter what your symptoms are.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Yes, absolutely. I talk about 10 steps that are helpful. Some things you start where you are and some things will take you so far. Then you might have to look at another piece of the puzzle, right? I know for me it was diet. I talk about diet, sleep, exercise, managing stress and that’s kind of the foundation of your health house. Then the next areas are the role that your thoughts can play, your emotions, the way you behave and react in the world. Are you reacting or are you responding? Then the role of the environment. Right? We’ve been talking about the quality of the air, food and water, but there’s two other pieces too that are factors into the environment, that are important.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: One is this idea of genetics versus epigenetics. A lot of times, especially with my mental health condition, when I asked, “Well, why is this happening to me?” The answer I got was, “Well, it’s genetics. There’s nothing you can do about it.” I feel like that’s such a cop out response. I think it makes people feel like they’re a victim. Like there’s nothing they can do. I’m adopted, so I couldn’t look to the left or my right to verify the truth of, is that actually true?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I didn’t accept that as the truth. I’ve learned subsequently about Bruce Lipton’s theory of epigenetics, which means genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls that trigger. This lifestyle comes back to the influences of the environment that can affect whether that gene is turned on or not, within you.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Then the third idea, I put under the environment. It is called neuroplasticity, which basically means that your brain has a bendy quality to it. It’s not fixed. It’s not like it’s a lump of cement and this is all you’ve got and you can’t change how your brain functions. That’s completely not true. Through all the things that we’re talking about, that is how you change the functioning of your brain.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Then for me, the last area that’s really important that I don’t think is talked about enough is love, compassion, spirituality and wrapping everything up in that. At the end of the day, to me, that also is a really important piece of it. If you don’t value who you are, then when Wendy and I are telling you to change your toothpaste from Colgate Total to Tom’s of Maine, you’re not going to do it because you don’t value you. That’s a really important piece that also has to be worked on, this relationship you’re having with you.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I said at the beginning, I now look at this vehicle that is my body as the most important investment that I need to be investing in. It matters to me what I put into my mouth. It matters to me the quality of the food that I eat. I guess I feel like I’m a little bit, maybe a little preachy here, so I’ll stop.

Wendy Myers: But it’s so true because it does take a lot of participation on someone’s part.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: Commitment.

Wendy Myers: To love themselves enough, to take the time and spend the money and make their own food and do all the things that you have to do to love yourself, and take care of your temple. Trauma plays a huge role in your emotional life too. This is something that I graduated to. First it was the diet, then it was the supplements and more exercise, then working on sleep, then you go through this whole pyramid of reaching a plateau on one aspect and looking for that next thing. For me right now, I’m definitely working on trauma. That’s a big focus because that has a huge effect on your emotional life. You have no idea that you just have this block that is just draining you, from the past. You may not even be consciously aware of it or think you’ve worked it out in therapy. You’re just stuck in these ruminating thoughts or whatever’s going on.

Wendy Myers: It’s something that can be released. There’s so many great mechanisms out there that I’ve talked about on the show to help with trauma, beyond just talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, working really hard at it and releasing it, so you feel better.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: It’s interesting that you say that. Yeah. I just finished a year’s dive into a psychotherapeutic technique for trauma, which is called compassionate inquiry. It’s taught by Gabor Maté. He believes that every mental health condition for the most part is due to trauma, to something that’s happened in childhood that has resulted in a bit of a dysregulation between our attachment. There’s two main needs in childhood, attachment and authenticity. Oftentimes, if there’s been abuse or some sort of event, we end up sacrificing our authenticity in order to maintain the attachment.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: It may not always be a healthy attachment, but we then make certain events mean things. This is where our core beliefs and limiting beliefs can come in. It’s a very powerful approach to helping heal, heal trauma, bringing in the sense of compassion for yourself. A lot of his work is based in addiction, but it also looks at things like depression, anxiety, ADHD and the common mental health conditions. With everything that has happened, we develop coping mechanisms to be able to maintain the attachment. I found it transformative and very impactful.

Wendy Myers: I definitely have heard about him in the realm of addictions.

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: That’s his book, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts.

Wendy Myers: Trauma being at the root of addictions and whatnot. I think it really plays a huge role in anyone with health issues as well. Not just mental health, but physical health issues as well. Trauma can be a big root cause. When people have been trying everything, going to different doctors, functional medicine, different programs, supplements, diet and doing all this stuff and none of it’s working. It’s time to look at the trauma aspect. That can bring that shift that brings on the healing, and improving finally.

Wendy Myers: I’ve seen that a lot, working with clients. Well, Dr. Chris, thank you so much for coming on the show. Is there anything else that you want to share with the audience or any insights or where we can find your work?

Dr. Christina Bjorndal: I think for me really, I just really want people to know that there’s an explanation for their suffering. If you’re listening to this and you know someone who’s really suicidal or they’re struggling, or it’s you yourself, please reach out and find somebody local to you or my website is naturalterrain.com or there’s my name, which is drchristinabjorndal.com. There’s a program that I offer that dives a little bit deeper into some of the concepts that we talked about today. Just know that you are here for a reason and there is an explanation for your suffering. It’s just a matter of being able to find it.

Wendy Myers: Fantastic. Well, Dr. Chris, thank you so much for coming on the show and shedding some light on underlying root causes of anxiety, depression and mental health issues. I know a lot of people are having a tough time right now. You also spoke on our coronavirus support summit to specifically help people through these stressful times, as well. If you guys go on coronavirussupportseries.com, there’s lots and lots of resources and support for you, including Dr. Christina’s interview. There are lots of other people on there to help you guys through this stressful time because it’s a lot to deal with.

Wendy Myers: So Dr. Chris, thanks for coming on the show. Everyone, thanks for tuning in to The Myers Detox Podcast, where every week we bring you different guests to talk about toxins, chemicals, heavy metals and the role that they’re playing in a lot of your symptoms. Many ways may surprise you. We talk about how you can get rid of these toxins out of your body and enjoy the health, the wealth and the joy that you deserve in life.

Wendy Myers: Thanks for tuning in. I’m Wendy Myers of myersdetox.com. I’ll talk to you guys next week.