[Bernadette]

Hi  – yes, indeed ashwagandha is best known for its anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and stress-relieving effects thanks to its effect on the HPA axis and ability to reduce cortisol and improve sleep. 

Studies on ashwagandha have used dosages of 250–600 mg/day of a root extract. The most common dosing protocol is 600 mg/day divided into two doses, with one taken in the morning with breakfast and the other in the evening.

Regarding its use with autoimmunity, ashwagandha has been found to have both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory action, so it really depends on the individual and the state of their autoimmune dynamic. If there is concern over immunostimulatory effects, then L-Theanine, taurine, and other calming compounds and herbs like valerian, passionflower, lavender are other options to consider to help reduce anxiety.

Hope this helps.

References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32021735/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34858513/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31517876/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27055824/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/

[Bernadette]

Hi Claire – I actually have a handout about varicose veins in the Symptom Dictionary. You can take a look at it here. Hope it helps guide you better.

And you’re correct, liver congestion can be at play as a possible contributing factor. 

[Bernadette]

Hi Patti – so fibroids (either uterine or breast) are usually due to estrogen dominance, which is a result of 1 or all 3 of these scenarios:
1.  Exposure to xenoestrogens – outside sources of estrogen from environmental chemicals like phthalates, glyphosate, triclosan, parabens, etc which have estrogenic effect in the body. You can share this post of mine on social media. You can also share this handout on toxin avoidance in the Resources.
2. Lower progesterone to estrogen ratio. Is she peri-menopausal? Is there a PCOS dynamic that can lead to anovulation and therefore no progesterone production? Possible insulin resistance?
3. Lack of hormone clearance. Once we make and use hormones, we need to clear them from the body. Being on birth control depletes B vitamins which are needed for phase 1 detox. Is she constipated and not flushing toxins and spent hormones in stool? Is there gut microbial overgrowths perhaps causing a re-circulation of spent hormones? Is there liver-biliary tract congestion? She’d likely benefit from the Gut Health Masterclass if you’d like to recommend she joins.

For rapid relief, black cohosh is usually helpful for uterine fibroids. If she has fibrocystic breasts, literature has shown that 3mg iodine/day can reverse the condition but keep in mind that it’s contraindicated for Hashimotos or thyroid disease. 

Hope this helps give her some direction and better guidance.

[Bernadette]

 any amount of grounding is beneficial. Our ancestors used to ground all day so the more the merrier. If you can get in an hour per day, that would be ideal. It’s ok to split it up into shorter bouts throughout the day. But even getting in a few minutes if that’s all the time you have, is still worth it. Any amount of grounding is better than none at all.

[Bernadette]

 – yes, there are many different grounding products available (https://www.earthing.com/) BUT… make an effort to remove as much dirty electricity and EMF exposures around you when using them. I have in mind to bring in Bryan Hoyer as one of the guest experts to speak more to us about this topic. He’s a fellow nutritionist and geo-biologist / EMF expert. I took his course (hosted with Nick Pineault known as the “EMF Guy”) and it was so eye opening.

You may also be interested in this article/post I wrote about grounding surfaces in case you don’t have access to grass or sand: http://bernadetteabrahamblog.com/are-you-vitamin-g-deficient/

[Bernadette]

Hi Jen – yes you can use the same milk kefir grains for making coconut kefir. It’s the same recipe/process except you use coconut milk as your milk of choice. Enjoy the benefits! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Bernadette]

Hi Claire – glad you’ve kicked

There are a few mechanisms of action that can cause hair loss post-covid:

1. Possible iron anemia: it’s normal for the body to sequester ferritin (the storage form of iron) when there’s an inflammatory dynamic such as a virus. The pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 in particular increases something called “hepcidin” in the liver, which regulates and impairs iron absorption. So test your hemoglobin, iron and ferritin levels. Ferritin should ideally be between 50-70ng/ml for a menstruating woman. Anything higher than that can indicate the sequestering of ferritin as I mentioned, which means there’s still an inflammatory dynamic or a simmering infection going on.

2. Immune nutrient depletion: during a viral infection, it’s possible that certain nutrients become depleted to help produce white blood cells necessary to help the body fight. In particular, I would test zinc and vitamin A, both of which are needed (in addition to iron) for thyroid conversion from T4 to T3. Hypothyroidism is a common cause of hair loss.

3. Folate deficiency: the immune system requires a lot of folate – especially folinic acid (NOT folic acid). Growth of hair requires a lot of folate as well – especially folinic acid. If your immune system uses the majority of your folinic acid, your hair is left with very little. The result? Your hair becomes undernourished and falls out. B vitamins work well in combination if looking at supplementing. I like Thorne Basic B capsules or just a B12/B9 combo like Seeking Health’s HodroxyB12 with Folinic Acid lozenges. These can also be tested in blood.

Here’s a great study on this: https://jag.journalagent.com/ijmb/pdfs/IJMB-75047-ORIGINAL_INVESTIGATION-YORULMAZ_ERTUG.pdf

4. Stress: when the body is in a sympathetic dominant state, digestion gets compromised, and hydrochloric acid production decreases in the stomach. Without good stomach acid, we don’t break down and absorb our proteins and other key nutrients needed for good thyroid function and hair growth. The Gut Health Masterclass covers this in more detail. Adrenal support and stress reduction is key!

Hopefully these mechanisms of action help you understand how multi-faceted the causes can be.

[Bernadette]

Yes, it’s amazing how many women report improvements with seed cycling.  here is the post Claire is referring to: https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4QrYyJnjv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[Bernadette]

Hi Rana, quercetin is a natural flavanol commonly found in fruits and vegetables (i.e. onions, apples, berries, buckwheat, citrus fruit) and works as a potent antioxidant in the body.

It has many uses and is often suggested for various circumstances but it does also have some warnings to be aware of:

1. It suppresses histamine release from mast cells, calming the immune system (and therefore allergic and asthmatic responses)*  It’s often formulated with other synergistic ingredients (e.g. bromelain, vitamin C, nettles – better taken on an empty stomach to be a helpful addition).
-Dosage: 500-1000 mg, 1-2x per day as needed (occasionally 3rd dose per day, short-term is fine), starting a full month prior to strong seasonal allergy time.

2. It dilates blood vessels by increasing nitric oxide production and reduces blood pressure in those with hypertension**
-Dosage: 500mg 2 x daily

3. It reduces inflammation from LDL oxidation*** and potentially reduces triglycerides (early data)****

4. Quercetin can help raise low glutathione levels (our body’s most powerful antioxidant and main detoxifier of heavy metals)*****
-Dosage: 500mg 2 x daily

5. Quercetin is contraindicated while one is taking antibiotics. It may inhibit COMT SNPs (part of phase 2 detox), which may increase risk of estrogen-mediated cancers; caution if COMT is already slow.******

Hope this helps answer your question as to when/what it is used for.

References:
* http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22470478 
** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9718001 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17951477 
*** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20828867 
**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23359794
******http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584901008127
******https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/81/2/316/1656122

[Bernadette]

Hi Jen, I usually recommend my clients test every 3-4 months if they’ve been supplementing with zinc and/or copper. Maybe even sooner if it’s a really high dose (50mg zinc per day for example).

[Bernadette]

Hi Claire – in some cases, early puberty is normal. In other cases, a child should see a doctor so I would recommend speaking to an endocrinologist first and foremost if you’re concerned.

From a functional perspective, I speak a lot on social media about endocrine disrupting chemicals. These are ever so present in our day to day lives, which are definitely impacting children’s hormones as well.

Going through the Beginner’s Health Roadmap and beginning to “detoxify” your environment at home is always recommended. You may have seen this post of mine on social media. You can also find more info in this handout on toxin avoidance in the Resources. 

[Bernadette]

Yes you’re correct, Dubai’s air quality has been in the red lately (and ranked the highest air pollution in the world!) according to https://www.iqair.com/. 

There are always exceptions and nuances depending on where you live. Use your best judgement. If the air quality is very poor and it’s very windy, it’s better to keep windows shut and run an indoor air filter instead.

But when it’s not windy and the air quality is better, it’s definitely worth improving the air quality inside our homes by opening windows, weather permitting.

Great question. I think I’ll add a clarification note inside the module and link IQ Air’s air quality index website as a reference.

[Bernadette]

“Normal” to conventional doctors means absence of disease. So no, having bad periods that requires monthly medication is NOT normal. It’s typically a sign of estrogen dominance, which usually happens as a result of 1 or all 3 of these scenarios:
1.  Exposure to xenoestrogens – outside sources of estrogen from environmental chemicals like phthalates, glyphosate, triclosan, parabens, etc which have estrogenic effect in the body. You may have seen this post of mine on social media. You can also find more info in this handout on toxin avoidance in the Resources. 
2. Lower progesterone to estrogen ratio. Are you peri-menopausal? Is there a PCOS dynamic that can lead to anovulation and therefore no progesterone production? Possible insulin resistance?
3. Lack of hormone clearance. Once we make and use hormones, we need to clear them from the body. Being on birth control depletes B vitamins which are needed for phase 1 detox. Are you constipated and not flushing toxins and spent hormones in stool? Is there gut microbial overgrowths perhaps causing a re-circulation of spent hormones? Is there liver-biliary tract congestion?

Do any of these resonate with you? You’ll also want to focus on the gut healing section in the Gut Health Masterclass because of your regular consumption of pain killers.

As rapid relief while trying to address your potential root cause(s), it’s been shown that high dose GLA (~1000mg per day in split dose with food) in the luteal phase of their cycle, helps counter the prostaglandins that cause the painful cramps. 1-2 Tbsp crushed flax seeds daily, and raspberry leaf tea can also help.

Some women also find that Vitex (chaste tree berry) helps. 1,000mg 1 or 2x per day in the 2nd half of the menstrual cycle (luteal phase) has shown to boost progesterone naturally by enhancing ovulation.

Hope this helps give you some direction with your practitioner.

[Bernadette]

 correct – oxide is not recommended for oral supplementation. Just for the deodorant recipe since it’s for topical use and more cost effective. Magnesium oxide taken orally can cause diarrhea and is very poorly absorbed.

[Bernadette]

Any type will work, but magnesium oxide is typically more cost effective. Let me know how it works out for you! Keep it mind it’s very white when you apply it on, and after some time, you’ll need to remix it because the oil will separate. I’m going to try adding in an emulsifier to help it stay blended but just haven’t gotten around to trying it.