[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell just an update. The technical team said everything is working fine. Can you please try and let me know if you’re still facing problems. It’s working from my phone now as well. It took a few seconds for the page to load, and I had to login again, but then it worked fine. Please let me know if you’re able to access the info.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Sara, we have a handout with healthy snacks HERE for ideas and inspiration.

In terms of airplane food specifically, it’s possible to carry hard fruits and vegetables, but you must make sure to consume them before landing wherever you’re going. Most countries don’t allow fresh produce when entering, so you have to consume them before reaching customs. Here are things I’ve taken with me on the plane before:

apples, cucumbers, carrots, celery. On longer international flights, I’ll carry an avocado (I ask for a spoon and just break through the skin and scoop it out)

olives in a small container

homemade trail mix with roasted, salted nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, etc), dried raisins

for my kids, I’ve packed homemade popcorn and rice cakes

for protein, I’ve packed natural turkey jerky or biltong’s (available at Organic Foods & Cafe). These help keep you fuller longer because it’s high in protein.

Another option is to purchase snacks once you arrive. Before I travel, I’ll research the area to try and find nearby organic markets or supermarkets with organic sections. My first stop is usually a healthy shop to stock up on healthy food and snacks. Things like squeezable nut butter packs, dehydrated seed crackers, dehydrated mungbean/green pea crackers are things you can keep on hand as well that don’t need refrigeration.

Hope these ideas help!

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell oh no! The same is happening to me on my phone! Thanks for letting me know. I’ve alerted the technical team and hope they fix the issue asap. In the meantime, do you have a computer you can try using instead? The links are opening fine from desktop. Please let me know if that works for you too.

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell look into mast cell activation to help you understand what may be happening all over your body. If the body is overwhelmed with toxins and cannot detoxify efficiently, the immune system will set off an inflammatory cascade setting off mast cells everywhere.

The burning and fire and sweating you feel at night sounds like an adrenaline response – once again, like the body sounding an alarm bell to a stressor, possibly histamine driven which isn’t uncommon at night. If you continue going through the Sleep Optimization program, you’ll see I discuss that as a possible cause along with rapid relief solutions to try.

This is why I strongly believe that you need to work on eliminating toxins AND rebooting the autonomic nervous system simultaneously.

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell as Daniel mentioned, please don’t think that your body can’t detox. It absolutely CAN. It’s just that you’ll need to pay closer attention to living a low-tox life.

So to answer your question of what you can do… there’s A LOT! And I’m glad you’re in B Better, because we break it down into bite-size pieces for our members to be able to take actionable steps.

But before I get into some initial recommendations, I just want to touch on the source of possible mercury and heavy metals. You mentioned you got breast implants in 2013. Unfortunately, these do come with a 5-10 year life expectancy and can contain upwards of 50 different heavy metals which attract and harbor mold growth as well. Here’s a post I did on “breast implant illness” I’d like you to read. There is a growing trend of women choosing to explant. You can search #eplant on Instagram for example to see other women’s stories. Would this be something you would consider doing? Searching for the right doctor is key.

Now going back to my original reply, here is what I feel will get you “unstuck”:

Determine source of heavy metal / mercury burden – so I would check with your doctor on the status of your breast implants if you haven’t checked recently

Prioritize elimination of toxins – you’re on the right track for sure thinking about saunas and enemas. You’ll want to make sure you stay really well hydrated and replenish electrolytes if choosing to do these therapies. You’ll find THIS VIDEO on opening drainage pathways insightful. And this is the video about the order in which it should be done. But you should also be focusing on eliminating as many toxins around you as possible. For that, I recommend you go through the entire Beginner’s Health Roadmap as a good starting foundation.

Support the autonomic nervous system (prioritizing sleep is included in this part) – EMDR is wonderful. You can also add in the Gupta Program. I also encourage you to go through the Sleep Optimization Program to work on Sleep Hygiene and find a rapid relief remedy to help you stay asleep in the meantime.

One other important note. Those without a gallbladder should consider supplementing with ox bile during their main meals to replicate what their organ was doing. Please watch THIS VIDEO for more info on gallbladder support.

There’s a lot more I can share, but don’t want to overwhelm you at this point. If you focus on what I’ve shared above and go through these videos and programs, you’ll already be well ahead of the game and hopefully starting to feel improvements.

Please let me know if you have any questions in the meantime. We’ll be here every step of the way.

[Bernadette]

@Bahareh Safapour you’re probably right about your sensitivity to mushrooms. Does Organifi’s Chaga Chai use the same or a different mushroom? Do you notice the same effect when you consume mushroom in whole food form?

[Bernadette]

@Bahareh Safapour Oh! King Coffee is made from mushrooms and not coffee beans??? I looked it up and found a Vietnamese coffee called King Coffee. I guess I was looking at the wrong site…

[Bernadette]

@Bahareh Safapour interesting observation, but just goes to show you how individualised the topic of nutrition has to be.

In this specific case, my guess would be that your intolerance could be related to the type of beans they use or the processing methods. I’m assuming you checked ingredients and there are no additives right?

Some beans are more acidic which can be irritating. And coffee contains compounds like chlorogenic acids (antioxidants), which can also affect the digestive system in some.

That would be my best guess. Your body knows best. It’s an easy fix – choose an alternative. ☺️

[Bernadette]

@Bahareh Safapour yes, likely pushing detox too quickly. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a toxic burden, but moreso that there was a strong need for B’s and it’s pushing the detox process too quickly.

B complex #6 is usually something I recommend after being on something like Basic B Complex for at least 2 months since the #6 formula has a much higher dose of B6 in it.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Rhondine sorrell thank you for sharing your labs and answering Daniel’s questions. Very helpful. A few things really stood out for me as I was going through your case.

1.Your recent HTMA shows mineral derangement, which means that the toxic elements in the hair do not necessarily reflect the amount in the body and that there is likely a mercury problem.

Another suspicion of mercury burden is having a history of lower WBC, RBC, platelets, and hemoblogin. In fact, I discussed a similar case in THIS VIDEO inside the Interpreting Basic Blood Chemistry course which you may find insightful. A mercury burden affects bone marrow where WBC and RBC are made and can create a high amount of physiological stress which will impact thyroid function and in turn, lead to compromised immune function. This can make one prone to viral surges, pathogens, etc.

What’s more, mercury binds to methyl groups and can bind to B12 for example and prevent it from getting into cells which can lead to neuropathy/tingling and affect the nervous system. I suspect this could have been at play early on before all the surgeries.

Another marker that can point to oxidative stress in the body is lower total bilirubin. You can learn more about that marker in this video HERE.

With mercury toxicity, we want to focus on methylation and glutathione synthesis. We need to able to methylate to make glutathione (our most potent antioxidant). But to methylate well, we need nutrients. B12, B9, B6, selenium and good protein digestion. So if you’re low in B6, and you don’t have an appetite to eat protein, and have sluggish digestion from low thyroid function, guess what, it’s a real catch 22!

The biggest question I have now is, do you have or did you ever have amalgam fillings in your mouth? Or do you consume or have you ever consumed a lot of fish at any point in your life? Or any other known exposures to mercury such as a broken fluorescent light bulb?

What’s clear is that your body is having a really hard time eliminating toxins. There’s a genetic factor at play for sure, but don’t let that make you feel victimized. There’s a lot you can do that’s within your control, and that’s what you should focus on. Remember, you were well before all of the surgeries, correct? Medications are drugs that need to be detoxified. In an already compromised detoxification system (including a missing gallbladder!), that in itself can be a major contributor that added to the toxic burden in your body and probably made the cup overflow so to speak.

What you need to focus on is emptying your toxic bucket. So rather than adding stuff into your body, I want you to start thinking about therapies that will help you eliminate stuff from your body. Your body not tolerating supplements is a clear sign it’s overwhelmed. Listen to it and go really slow.

Your body is in a sympathetic dominant state right now. Therefore, your other focus should be on helping it “feel safe”. You said it yourself. You feel “stuck”. I would encourage you to look into the Gupta Program to help rewire your brain and encourage a more parasympathetic state where healing can happen. He offers a free trial HERE.

I would also encourage you to get outside and ground daily on a natural surface (let me know if it’s cold where you live) for as often and as long as you can. This is a natural anti-inflammatory, can help with sleep, and stimulates the parasympathetic process. Don’t underestimate its power!

The next priority is sleep. Are you still waking up nightly? This is foundational and will help with nervous system regulation. I have a sleep optimization program HERE which I encourage you to go through if that’s still an issue for you. Please let me know and I can guide you further. But from your DUTCH test last year, that high cortisol spike at night will definitely keep you up. Sleep hygiene, calming teas, l-theanine before bed, etc can all be helpful.

So to summarize the priorities that I feel will get you “unstuck” are:

Determine source of heavy metal / mercury burden

Prioritize elimination of toxins

Support the autonomic nervous system (prioritizing sleep is included in this part)

Waiting to hear from you regarding my questions above.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Lana Zambarakji – supplements should be given on an individual basis based on their unique needs so it’s a difficult question to answer without knowing much else.

But what I would encourage you to do is use a resource like Examine.com to look up specific supplements for more information about the benefits, how it works, side effects, recommended dosages, studied conditions it may help with, contraindications, etc.

Here’s the one for NAC to help you make a more informed decision for your parents.

In general, NAC is a safe supplement for the majority when taken as directed on the bottle, and 3 months is not an excessive duration either.

With a B Complex however, since it can help support Phase 1 liver detoxification, if someone has a very strong need for it, it can get their system going too quickly, and make them feel worse. That’s why we always say to start low and slow with B vitamins, and to also ensure they’re a methylated form. I’ve had some clients open up capsules before and just add a sprinkle over food and ramp up dosage from there… it all depends on the individual.

Hope that helps gives you some things to think about. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Bernadette]

@Alyssa Ishizu trust your gut instinct regarding the causes of hypochlorhydria. Are you still under a lot of stress? This is often a big factor that can keep people from truly getting well because we’re not designed to be in a sympathetic state all the time. Naturally, when the body is stressed, all digestive secretions are reduced, which can give H Pylori (an endemic bacteria) the opportunity to overgrow and further contribute to hypochlorhydria. So focusing on stress reduction measures is key. There are many ways to help the body “feel safe”. If you’d like to share more about the stressors in your life, I’d be happy to offer tools and therapies that might help.

Why do you suspect zinc and B vitamins are at play? Do you not consume enough animal proteins? Zinc is commonly measured in blood. If you can get an RBC zinc, that would give a better indication of cellular zinc (vs. what’s in the blood at the time of the blood draw) and the need to supplement or not. I also like to measure copper and ceruloplasmin along with zinc since copper and zinc compete with each other. This could help you figure out if zinc insufficiency is potentially a cause.

The same with B vitamins. It’s possible to test serum vitamin B12 but keep in mind that it’s affected by what you consume the night before testing. So avoid B supplements and zinc/B-rich foods at least two days before testing to get a better baseline measure. For serum B12, I like to see it above 600pg/mL.

Regarding excess sugar/carbs, I find that when my clients start adopting the VPF+C principle, their cravings for carbs and sugar disappear because the body is properly fueled with the macronutrients it needs and blood sugar levels are stable. You can learn more about my VPF+C principle HERE inside the Beginner’s Health Roadmap course. You can also watch the diet analysis video to help you apply the VPF+C principle to your diet, and then watch dealing with cravings to help you make necessary tweaks. Happy to take a look at your food journal (which is attached in the diet analysis video).

Regarding the dosage and duration of HCL supplementation, it really depends on whether or not you’ve addressed the cause. But what I can say is that most of my clients are on it for at least 3 months, and over time their body starts to tell them when to reduce the dosage because they’ll start to experience a mild burning sensation. That’s a good sign, and just means that it’s time to reduce the dosage. You can read THIS handout on how to do the HCL dosage challenge.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and if you’d like to share about the stressors.

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell wow thank you for sharing your story – and I’m so sorry about everything you’ve been through so far. I admire your persistence to get better and find a way to optimal health. I’m glad you’re here with us.

There’s a lot to unpack so I will get back to you tomorrow with a proper response since it’s getting late for me now but just wanted to acknowledge your message and let you know we will do our best to support you one step at a time.

Just a few notes and questions please before I log off…

Would you mind sharing your OAT, Lyme result and Dutch test results with us? You can crop out any identifying information if you’d like. You can attach them right here in the post.

I remember your question on the live with Dr Perry. For my very sensitive clients who can’t tolerate the slightest supplements, there’s often nervous system dysregulation involved. Have any of your natural health practitioners recommended working on the autonomic nervous system before taking any supplements? Has anyone ever recommended programs like DNRS or Gupta Program? Have you done any work like that before?

I’d also be curious to see your latest blood test results if you have any, especially a CBC and CMP that includes liver and kidney profiles.

Looking forward to your reply.

[Bernadette]

@Sheetal Ramchandani you shared a link to zinc carnosine and another one to betaine with pepsin. Is that what you meant to send or were you trying to show me 2 types of HCL support?

[Bernadette]

@Sheetal Ramchandani Matula tea and HCL can be taken at the same time but away from each other. Matula should be on an empty stomach and betaine mid-meal.

In the HCL dosing challenge instructions, you’ll notice it mentions that if a person can’t tolerate any dosage of betaine at all, then a period of gut healing is needed first. Keep that in mind.

From experience, HCL support is often needed longer than just 2 weeks. Remember to ask what caused hypochlorhydria in the first place? What created the environment for H Pylori to overgrow? For example, if it’s caused by low thyroid function, then it’s a good idea to support the body with HCL support while addressing thyroid health. Makes sense?