Caffeine Usage and Tolerance Reset Guide

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Other than water, coffee and tea are the most popular beverages worldwide, both of which contain caffeine. Caffeine is a neurostimulant which has a variety of effects on the brain and body, most notably caffeine increases attention, arousal, power output, and fat oxidation. Beyond the simple pleasure in enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, people use both beverages, as well as other forms of caffeine, for increasing focus, productivity, and to help stay awake. In moderation caffeine usage poses little risk to health and for most people caffeine usage is beneficial to overall wellness.

In this guide we discuss the psychological benefits of caffeine if used in moderation, what those dosages are, the symptoms that may arise with caffeine overuse, caffeine withdrawal symptoms, how to reset a caffeine tolerance, and recommendations on the best ways to consume caffeine.

How Caffeine Works

The main mechanism of action that explains caffeine’s effects throughout the body is that it blocks the effects of the naturally occurring neuromodulator adenosine.

Adenosine is one of four nucleoside building blocks to DNA and RNA, which are essential for all life. Adenosine mono-, di-, and triphosphates, also known as AMP/ADP/ATP, are organic compound that provides energy to many of the cellular processes vital to life. Adenosine causes sedation and relaxation when it acts upon its receptors.

The chemical structure of caffeine

Caffeine binds to some of the same receptors as adenosine, acting as competitive antagonists and in the process blunting the sedative effects of adenosine. Caffeine’s effect on adenosine changes the activity of neurotransmitters noradrenaline, acetylcholine, dopamine, and others. When caffeine is overused adenosine receptors alter in behavior away from normal and as such the behavior of the important aforementioned neurotransmitters is also changed.

If caffeine is being over used at dosages of >3 mg/kg bodyweight per day, then it takes several days or weeks of caffeine abstinence to return all systems back to normal. With moderate usage (<3 mg/kg) overnight abstinence from caffeine is sufficient in preventing tolerance formation in central nervous system adenosine receptors systems. If you don’t drink more than a couple cups of coffee or tea in a day, and you don’t drink any at night, then it’s unlikely that you have a caffeine tolerance.

Beneficial Effects of Caffeine

There’s the common saying that coffee makes the world go around, and it’s such a popular beverage because of it’s caffeine content of approximately 95 mg per cup of coffee. Caffeine is a mild and relatively safe stimulant that has a number of beneficial health effects. Because caffeine blocks adenosines sedative properties, caffeine is an energy boost for the brain and body. For most people, caffeine usage in moderate dosages at <300 mg/day has the following beneficial effects:

• Caffeine improves simple and choice reaction time

• Caffeine increases the speed of processing new stimuli

• Caffeine increases alertness and reduces fatigue in low arousal situations such as in the early morning, when working at night, when experiencing a cold, with sleep loss, or it can even remove the sedative effects of certain drugs

• With illnesses such as the common cold, caffeine can improve mood

• For tasks requiring sustained attention, caffeine increases alertness and vigilance when already in a normal alert state

• Caffeine eliminates the sleepiness produced by the consumption of lunch

• Caffeine usage during the day reduces the slowing of reaction times seen at the end of the day, helping maintain performance levels

• Caffeine at night maintains the performance of individuals as seen during the day

• Fatigued people show a larger performance boost from caffeine than well-rested people.

• High consumption of caffeine (2-3 cups of coffee everyday for long periods of time) is associated with better mental performance in the elderly.

• Caffeine reduces depression

• Caffeine improves fat oxidation and power output

The standard scientific definition of caffeine moderation is <300 mg per day. The beneficial effects of caffeine start at around 30 mg which is the amount found in a cup of green tea.

When doing performance tasks, the beneficial effects of caffeine are most pronounced when circadian alertness is low. Little evidence suggests there are any impairments following the consumption of normal amounts of caffeine, and while caffeine changes alertness levels, it does not noticeably increase or decrease distractibility.

The benefits of moderate caffeine usage discussed here are what the majority of people who use caffeine will experience. That said, everyone is as different on the inside as they are on the outside, and individual response to caffeine consumption can vary quite a bit among individuals.

Caffeine Sensitive Individuals and Caffeinism

If sensitive to the effects of caffeine, then potential negative side effects of caffeine usage may appear at doses below 3mg/kg bodyweight per day. For others, these symptoms may appear at doses above 3 mg/kg. The main negative symptoms of caffeine which are sometimes experienced include:

• Sleep loss

• Increased anxiety, especially if stress is encountered

• Reduced fine motor control, aka jitteriness

To feel the negative symptoms of caffeine usage, one typically has to consume amounts greater than 300 mg/day. Studies that have shown these negative effects using dosages of 6 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or bolus doses such as 600 mg at once.

Daily intake of caffeine in the range of 1000 mg and beyond is known as caffeinism, and at these very high intakes the associated symptoms are virtually indistinguishable from severe chronic anxiety. Anyone that suffers from anxiety is recommended to keep their caffeine intake below 300 mg/day, and if especially sensitive to the effects of caffeine, then lower than 100 mg/day is my recommendation.

How Long does it take for Caffeine to Kick In?

Peak plasma levels of caffeine occur 15-45 minutes after ingestion and begin to decrease from there. The plasma half-life of caffeine is 5-6 hours. If 100 mg of caffeine is ingested, as would be found in a cup of coffee, then caffeine blood concentrations will be highest for the first 2 hours and then decrease steadily.

Metabolism of Caffeine

Most of the beneficial effects of caffeine follow a linear dose-response relationship (that is, the more given the bigger the effect) up to about 300 mg. Beyond 300 mg the beneficial effects typically flatline or even begin to decrease again as undesirable symptoms like anxiety and jitteriness may develop.

How Caffeine and Cortisol Interact

Caffeine has an effect on cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that most notably rises and falls everyday as part of the circadian rhythm. In concert with light and temperature, it’s a peak in cortisol blood concentrations that causes someone to wake up in the morning.

When caffeine isn’t used regularly, then caffeine will cause a robust increase in cortisol during morning, afternoon, or evening usage. When consuming caffeine on a daily basis, then morning caffeine usage doesn’t impact cortisol significantly but afternoon caffeine usage will elevate cortisol blood concentrations for up to six hours. Even if caffeine creates an afternoon cortisol increase, cortisol levels will drop to normal levels by nighttime.

Since it is the circadian rhythm and cortisol which plays a large part in the wake and sleep cycles of the body, it is important to be mindful of caffeine usage throughout the day and to limit usage of caffeine to time windows that won’t affect normal sleep, unless that is the desired goal. A good rule of thumb to follow is to not have any caffeine after 2 pm.

Caffeine and Sleep

The fact that caffeine reduces or removes sleepiness means that it can interfere with normal sleep. Caffeine’s interactions with normal sleep at night depend on how much is taken and when. If large amounts of caffeine are consumed shortly before bed, then for most people sleep will be disturbed.

Caffeine in these situations increases sleep latency, which is how long it takes to fall asleep, and caffeine also decreases sleep duration. The latency increasing effect of caffeine occurs in the first half of the night and reduces as caffeine is metabolized. Interestingly, people who use caffeine frequently will report less sleep disturbances than people who are infrequent users. Infrequently using caffeine makes the effects of caffeine more pronounced as less tolerance has developed, as it is with me. I am caffeine sensitive because I rarely enjoy more than 100 mg of caffeine on any given day.

Green tea is a common source of caffeine, though weaker than coffee, and it’s worth pointing out that green tea also contains an amino acid known as L-theanine. L-theanine has been shown to improve sleep quality because it helps stabilize and increase in amplitude 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves. As the body and mind wind down at night in preparation for sleep, brainwave frequency decreases from predominately 12-30 Hz beta brainwaves to alpha brainwaves and lower. Deep sleep is characterized by strong 0-4 Hz delta brainwaves and REM sleep is characterized by strong 4-8 Hz theta brainwaves.

Green tea is a unique caffeine containing beverage because consumption of green tea in the morning or early afternoon will provide the user the same beneficial effects of caffeine that many get from coffee while simultaneously improving their sleep at night. L-theanine has also been show to reduce anxiety and to help with the jitteriness that caffeine can cause in high doses. It’s for these reasons I don’t drink coffee often and instead prefer green tea, as it’s a better nootropic compound that also improves gut health and metabolism.

Is 200 mg of Caffeine a lot?

For the average person, 200 mg of caffeine in a day, either taken at once or spread out across 2+ usages, is a moderate amount of caffeine. 200 mg of caffeine would equal about 2 cups of coffee or a few cups of tea.

For a sensitive individual, 200 mg of caffeine can be a significant amount that may cause unpleasant side effects such as anxiety and jitteriness. I’m caffeine sensitive myself, especially if I drink coffee on an empty stomach, and I know that if I have more than 100-150 mg of caffeine at once I become shaky, experience symptoms of low blood sugar, and in general feel unwell. One reason I am caffeine sensitive is because I don’t use large amounts of caffeine often. I drink green tea around 4-5 times a week but even with 3 cups of green tea throughout the day I don’t ingest more than ~100 mg of caffeine.

Since caffeine takes 15-90 minutes to reach peak blood concentrations, I recommend only having one caffeine containing beverage at a time and then waiting to see how you feel. I only recommend the usage of foods that naturally contain caffeine like coffee, tea, or yerba matte, and I advise avoiding high-dosage caffeine containing beverages that are full of sugar, artificial flavors and colors, and other chemicals of questionable nature. The research is clear that when consuming caffeine as found naturally in food products such as coffee and tea, it’s rare to experience negative side effects and most people will intuitively control their caffeine intake to maximize the positive benefits.

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are generally the same as those experienced by caffeine sensitive individuals. The main symptom is headache, followed by increases in anxiety and generalized fatigue. Since the adenosine receptors are recalibrating from the removal of caffeine, extra drowsiness and feelings of low energy may be experienced.

Unless a severe caffeine tolerance has developed, caffeine withdrawal is typically fairly mild and lasts a few days at most. If large amounts of caffeine (>3 mg/kg bodyweight per day) have been consumed for months without break, then caffeine withdrawal will be more severe and can be quite difficult. Most people are able to control their caffeine intake to maximize the benefits while limiting the negatives, but for those whose caffeine usage has gotten out of hand, resetting their caffeine tolerance is highly recommended for overall health reasons

How to Reset Caffeine Tolerance

Heavy habitual caffeine usage leads to an insurmountable tolerance in which more caffeine usage no longer leads to any useful effects except for it’s ability to delay sleep. To reset a caffeine tolerance, the two main methods strategies are to reduce caffeine usage slowly over time, or to completely stop caffeine usage over a period of time. Let’s examine each.

Weaning off Caffeine

The first method available for resetting a caffeine tolerance is to slowly reduce caffeine usage over the course of 2-6 weeks. If consuming 600 mg of caffeine daily, then reducing caffeine usage by 100 mg per week until reaching zero would cause little if any withdrawal symptoms. Once no caffeine is being used, staying at zero usage for a few weeks is recommended. Caffeine’s effects on adenosine receptors in the brain are not yet fully understood and it’s likely best to cycle off from caffeine from time to time in order to return to normal baseline brain activity, and this goes for all users.

While weaning off caffeine it’s also useful to narrow the consumption time window. If coffee is normally consumed anywhere from 6 am to 6 pm, narrowing these hours to 8 am to 12 pm will create less of an impact on cortisol and be beneficial for the overall circadian rhythm.

Quitting Caffeine Cold Turkey

The second method for resetting a caffeine tolerance is to stop all usage of caffeine immediately. While quitting caffeine cold turkey is the fastest method in resetting a caffeine tolerance, it’s also the most likely to produce noticeable withdrawal symptoms. Some individuals don’t do well with weaning off things slowly and though the withdrawal effects may be more severe, they may be most successful with a complete halting of all caffeine. If quitting caffeine dead stop, then a tolerance may be gone in as little as one week, though it’s typically best to stop caffeine usage for 2-6 weeks before reintroducing caffeine back into the diet in moderation.

The Importance of Ritual

Drinking coffee or tea every morning creates a daily habit, and the enjoyable ritual of brewing a steaming cup may be one of the reasons why it’s tough to break the habit of using caffeine. In this case, the ritual of brewing a cup of coffee or tea can be used to one’s advantage. If a heavy coffee drinker, brewing green tea doesn’t break the ritual but provides only about 1/3rd of the caffeine that coffee does, while also having the aforementioned heath benefits that go beyond just those of caffeine. Brewing a cup of decaf coffee also works, though it contains <10 mg caffeine per cup. Mixing regular and decaf coffee into a blend is one way to brew coffee of certain caffeine concentrations.

While rare, if dealing with a caffeine tolerance as a tea drinker, switching to a non-caffeinated peppermint tea for example is a great option. Peppermint tea is tasty and fantastic for brightening the mood while improving gut health.

The Coffee Bean Method

Another effective way of weaning off excess caffeine consumption, more specifically from coffee, is to use coffee beans.

Instead of brewing less coffee day by day, quit coffee cold turkey and have a few coffee beans available at all times. If caffeine withdrawal symptoms appear, simply eat a single coffee bean and move on. At the beginning many coffee beans may be eaten, but fairly quickly into the reset they’re only rarely or no longer needed and the caffeine tolerance is gone. To make it extra effective, eat dark chocolate covered coffee beans! The theobromine found in chocolate is similar to caffeine in effect but functions differently metabolically and won’t affect a caffeine tolerance reset.

Want a Better Coffee?

Coffee can be made better with the addition of a few herbals that support cognition and energy metabolism while have general synergistic effects on health and longevity. I call this herbal coffee blend a dark mocha, learn more about how cacao, cinnamon, chaga mushroom, and cistanche will revolutionize your relationship with coffee.

Switch from Coffee to Tea

While coffee has a bunch of wonderful health effects when consumed black and with no sugar, it’s often a vehicle for more sugar, cream, and calories to enter into the body. Coffee can also overstimulate the digestive system to hurry on up, negatively impacting normal gut motility unless constipated (which requires examination in and of itself).

Because of it’s lower caffeine content, green tea is a gentler way to enjoy the benefits of caffeine while reducing the negatives like increased anxiety and jitteriness. Additionally it’s really easy to add other herbs to green tea and create herbal tea blends that can be used for various medicinal effects. In general I recommend you check out the herb section of this website and explore the many uses and health benefits of herbs more!

I purchase my green tea from two places, Mountain Rose Herbs and Pique Tea.

Mountain Rose Herbs has a bunch of different types of green, white, black and other teas, as well as many other herbs which can also be brewed into tea. For green tea simply heat water to 170 F (75C), pour, and let steep for 5-8 minutes.

My favorite way to brew green tea is part of a vitality blend which also includes ginger root, Siberian ginseng, and Reishi mushroom. All the products from Mountain Rose Herbs are organic and are very cost-efficient.

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If convenience is the ultimate goal, then Pique Tea sells tea crystals in small packets which are incredibly easy to use and can be dissolved into hot or cold water. I like their ginger green fasting tea and matcha green fasting tea, available separately or together. Pique Tea has dozens of different teas available in their unique tea crystal packets at different quantities, and even if you primarily brew your tea using using loose ingredients like I do, having some tea crystal packets on hand comes in handy more often than you’d think. Use WILDFREEORGANIC for 5% off at checkout

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I hope you found this guide on caffeine and how to reset a caffeine tolerance useful. Overconsumption of caffeine can lead to undesirable effects and many people who overuse caffeine feel trapped because they don’t want to experience the withdrawal symptoms which can be quite unpleasant. If you know someone who is searching for guidance on how to reset a caffeine tolerance, please share with them this guide, they’ll be glad you did!

References:

1. Smith A. Effects of caffeine on human behavior. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002;40(9):1243-1255. 10.1016/S0278-6915(02)00096-0

2. Lovallo WR, Whitsett TL, al’Absi M, Sung BH, Vincent AS, Wilson MF. Caffeine stimulation of cortisol secretion across the waking hours in relation to caffeine intake levels. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2005;67(5):734-739. 10.1097/01.psy.0000181270.20036.06

3. Juneja L. L-theanine—a unique amino acid of green tea and its relaxation effect in humans. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 1999;10(6-7):199-204. 10.1016/S0924-2244(99)00044-8

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Performance

Calisthenics, Weight Training, and Isometrics for Physical Development

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There are many ways to train the physical body for increased strength, vitality, health, and performance. Each training modality is different in where and how it stimulates the systems of the body, and the adaptations that occur. While there are many ways to exercise, three common methods are by using bodyweight exercises (calisthenics), by lifting weights, and using isometrics (zero movement exercises).

Calisthenics is a form of resistance training which relies solely on the movement, weight, and tension of the body. The simple pushup, squat, or pullup are the most common examples of calisthenics exercises, though more advanced gymnastic movements such as muscle-ups, planches, and levers all apply.

With weight training, force is produced against objects of various weight such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. Machines and strongman training implements like stones and logs also are types of weights. Weight training is scalable by increasing or decreasing exercise weight based on methodologies such as progressive overload.

Isometrics are exercises that involve zero movement, and this can be done resisting the force of gravity using weights, or pushing/pulling against immovable objects. Holding a plank is an isometric exercise, as would holding the open position of a dumbbell fly, or pushing as hard as possible against a large boulder. Isometric exercises can be used to precisely target stabilizer muscles or to generate max force safely.

I have trained with all three modalities for years and have experience in their best use and application. Let’s dig into each exercise modality, how they overlap, and their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Calisthenics, weight training, and isometrics done together can build a strong, resilient, and aesthetic body

Calisthenics for Beginners

The most immediately approachable training methodology is calisthenics. People of all shapes and sizes can use bodyweight movements of different leverage patterns to exercise to a degree appropriate for their body. Vinyasa yoga is a great example of calisthenics exercise with many different movement patterns that stimulate the whole body and can be easily scaled for anyone.

Another example of how calisthenics can be scaled to anyone can be understood using the squat. If a trainee is in great shape and free of injury, they can perform jump squats to increase power output, building muscle and strength in the process. If a trainee is overweight and/or injured, then assisted squats can be done, using gymnastic rings/TRX and a reduced range of motion, both safely deloading the body. As a trainee becomes stronger and more fit, the squat movement pattern can be increased in difficulty and complexity to create further adaptation stimulus.

A basic progression squat progression would be: assisted squat -> parallel squat -> deep squat -> shrimp squat -> pistol squat

Calisthenics exercises have the benefit of being performable just about anywhere. Some advanced moves like pullups and muscle-ups require a bar to hang from, but for most calisthenics exercises all that is required is some open space to move in.

Calisthenics also has the benefit of stimulating and strengthening stabilizer muscles throughout the body. Calisthenics exercises are all open-chain and the entire body must work in symmetrical balance to perform movement correctly. Posture is very important, and when programmed correctly, calisthenics will improve posture while strengthening the connective tissues of the body at the same rate muscular development occurs, reducing the risk of injury.

Calisthenics is a very balanced and safe method for improving the physicality of the body while also increasing other desirable characteristics such as endurance, flexibility. Calisthenics also improves metabolism and it’s not uncommon to build muscle while loosing body fat at the same time while practicing a lot of calisthenics. Calisthenics is great when the primary goal is to lose body fat.

Calisthenics Pros

• Can be performed nearly anywhere

• Improves posture

• Strengthens the body symmetrically

• Increases muscle mass and connective tissue strength

• Calisthenics exercises can be used for endurance training safely

• Most exercises are compound and target multiple muscles at once

• Easy to exercise in nature for other health and wellness benefits (nature bathing, fresh air, grounding, sunlight vitamin D production)

Calisthenics Cons

• Lower upper limit on muscular growth compared to weight training

• More advanced movements are best learned with coaching

• Progressive overload is not as easily applied as it is with weights

• More difficult to isolate and develop a single muscle

Weight Training for Beginners

When sheer muscular size and maximum strength is desired, weight training is the best way to exercise the body. Isolating muscles and applying progressive overload to them is easily accomplished with free weights. Large closed-chain compound exercises like barbell squats and deadlifts stimulate muscular growth and central nervous system adaptations throughout the entire body in a way calisthenics and isometrics can’t match. In addition, weight training can be very precise in application for the stimulation of small muscles to strengthen and grow. The biggest and strongest people on the planet, bodybuilders, powerlifters, and strongmen all use weight training as their primary training modality.

Injuries are also common in these sports, sometimes only minor, sometimes very severe. This is because with weight training it is much easier to develop muscular imbalances. The most successful athletes combine weight training, calisthenics, and isometric exercises in order to stay balanced in muscular, strength, and connective tissue development.

When it comes to dramatically transforming the physicality of the human body, weight training is unequaled. With faith and hard work it is possible to transform from weak and lanky to big and strong using weights and progressive overload. It’s not uncommon for men to add 50+ pounds of muscle to their frame over many years using weight training. Calisthenics will create a beautiful aesthetic body, but weight training has the benefit of allowing the trainee to precisely sculpt the physique in anyway they wish. For women bodybuilders training the glutes, upper chest, and shoulders while tightening the midsection creates the coveted hourglass figure and improves the waist-to-hip ratio closer to the biologically attractive 0.7.

Weight Training Pros

• Greatest potential for lean body mass and strength gains

• Unparalleled ability to shape and sculpt the body

• Weights can range from light to heavy and with proper guidance can be used safely by all people

• Many people use weights, and though experience levels vary, most gym-goers are very friendly and help others learn exercises, provide tips, etc.

Weight Training Cons

• Increased risk of injury if small supportive muscles and connective tissues aren’t developed at the same rate as larger muscles.

• Preexisting muscular imbalances can lead to improperly overloaded joints and muscles, increasing risk of injury

• Weight training requires access to weights, either purchased or at a gym.

• Weight training environments such as the gym can be intimidating for many

Isometrics for Beginners

An isometric exercise is a static muscular tension pattern held for time that involves no concentric or eccentric movement. Every different joint angle of a movement or exercise can be held as a isometric contraction, and as such 1000's of different isometric exercise patterns are possible.

The benefits of isometric exercises is that no joint movement is required, making isometrics a good alternative to conventional exercises when a trainee is injured or returning to exercise after a period of detraining. If weak at a certain point of an exercise, such as the midpoint of an overhead press, an isometric performed at that midpoint can be used to build strength at that specific leverage, improving overall force mechanics for the lift. With the overhead midpoint isometric exercise, force can be directed upwards, inwardly, or outwardly depending on what muscular activations are required to break through the sticking point. Isometrics are like calisthenics in that they don't require any specialized equipment to perform and can be performed with bodyweight exercises, but isometrics can also be done in the gym with barbells/dumbbells/machines, or with specialty-made isometrics equipment.

Isometrics have a remarkable ability to improve mind-muscle connection. By taking movement out of the equation, it’s easier for a trainee to feel how force is loading joints and muscles with a particular posture, and in this way isometric exercises can be very effective at building muscle and strength because the trainee learns how to better control the force they generate. Most isometric exercises involve pushing or pulling against an immoveable object, and this allows a trainee to generate maximum force without any risks inherent with movement. This maximum force generation ability of isometrics makes them very effective exercises for strength development as they dramatically increase muscular innervation, better connecting the mind to the central nervous system and musculature of the entire body while also better aligning the body, joints, and fascia into safe positions which force flows through easily.

Isometrics Pros

• Can be performed anywhere and in a million different ways

• Supportive to both calisthenics and weight training

• Very useful in recovery from injury

• Increases mind muscle connection and helps with sticking points

• Builds strength and can be used to preserve strength when away from the gym

• Can be performed during other wellness activities such as walking, meditation, and breathing exercises.

Isometrics Cons

• With poor posture, isometrics can load joints instead of muscles

• Isometrics have no measurable way of recording force output without sophisticated devices not commonly available (whereas a weight is a quantifiable load)

• Isometrics that involve maximum force generation create a large stress adaptation response which can be deceiving in its scale to new trainees, requiring more recovery time than they realize

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How to Start with Exercise

A combination of calisthenics, weights, and isometrics will transform anybody into a fitter, stronger, and more resilient individual.

Each of us was given a tremendous gift when born into a human body, and exercising physically in order to reach your maximum human potential is one way to celebrate the beauty of life and to thank the forces of creation. Benefits of physical training include happiness, health, and looking good!

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

— Socrates (470-399 BC)

If you don’t know where to start with physical fitness, I offer coaching services with meal plans and workout routines custom tailored to your individual situation and needs. Coaching at the beginning of a physical transformation or during times of low willpower offers valuable motivation and support that can make the difference between making a positive change or sticking with the status quo.

Use the email contact form to get in touch with me and to schedule your first wellness coaching session.

Five Steps to Manifestation

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Manifesting is the metaphysical practice of changing reality using the quantum power of being human. With a certain level of consciousness and conviction, frequency of attraction can be changed to your benefit and attract whatever you desire. Once basic meditation practices have been established and ritualized, then introducing affirmations and manifestation practices into your larger spiritual practice can benefit your life, from small to life-changing ways.

The material universe that dominates our reality is a dimension of reality of a certain frequency. The holographic universe theory states that all the dimensions of the universe spring from a non-local source, call it God, Source, or the Force. With the right rituals, Homo sapiens with brains, body, and voice are able to change how reality manifests from the non-local field.

Though it is possible, manifesting rarely happens on the instantaneous timescale and more often takes continuous input and time to come to fruition. The strength of the manifestation signal (warping of reality fabric) is one input in determining how quickly manifestation happens. Continuous or pulses of manifestation waves of increasing intensity (willpower) will successfully manifest many goals if done long enough to sufficiently remake reality into the same frequency being generated endogenously through manifesting meditation and rituals.

Prerequisites to manifesting are the ability to clear the mind with strong internal awareness and create focus. Your words, thoughts, and body posture all affect the final manifestation pulse wave you create, so you must be as balanced as possible. Be careful what you wish for! Being highly specific with what you want is best and if the manifestation is successful, the accuracy of the manifestation leads to greater confidence in the method actually working. Like a positive feedback loop, after initial success with manifesting, belief in the power of manifesting grows and as a result the success of manifesting increases. Make manifestation rituals a regular part of your lifestyle and as success builds it will become second nature.

Below is a five step manifesting method that I have used to manifest into my life beautiful people, a six-figure job, financial independence, and abundant love.

Establish your Vision

No manifestation will be successful if the desired outcome isn’t clearly defined. Whatever is chosen to be manifested will be manifested, so if someone wants financial independence and chooses to achieve this by focusing on manifesting a new higher paying job, then if successful they will manifest a new higher paying job, though a better job doesn’t necessarily mean financial independence. It’s important to manifest the final desired outcome, and to make that vision extremely clear in focus.

If manifesting financial independence and leaving it open in outcome, the final result of the manifestation practice might be a complete curveball like winning a lottery/sweepstakes or receiving a surprise inheritance, neither of which are job dependent. If manifesting simply abundance, a successful final outcome might be financial abundance, an abundance of friends, an abundance of resources, an abundance of effectively whatever your subconscious desired at the time since the type of abundance wasn’t consciously defined.

Be very specific in manifesting certain desires and also manifest larger waves to accompany them. With the financial independence example, this could mean defining the vision of, focusing on, and manifesting the following:

1. A successful independent business

2. Growing financial investments

3. A reduction in expenditures

Manifesting all of the above creates a complex waveform that propagates through the universe, and with enough input and belief, this wave will attract the very things and conditions that were desired.

One of the key factors in successfully manifesting anything is having absolute faith that it will happen. Having faith is often the hardest aspect of manifesting, so if just starting off being consistent in practicing manifestation rituals is very important in order to make sure the grand goal is a success. Once manifestations begin to happen, faith in the process develops and with this, future manifestations are believed to be all the more possible. The more “far-flung” the manifestation (as you see it), the more input and faith will be required to overcome internal doubts, and therefore having the confidence and self-worth in yourself that you are capable of attracting these things and are worthy of them is paramount in being successful in manifesting anything.

Create Space for Manifestation

Once a vision of what is to be manifested has been outlined, either in your head or ideally written out very clearly, it’s time to create a space for the manifestation ritual. Since it is the willpower and focus that you put into the ritual that determines how strong your manifestation is, it is vital that there are ZERO distractions in your environment.

Establish a Space

Find a space large enough to feel comfortable in that doesn’t restrict your movement. For the duration of the ritual, this should exclusively be your space unless performing a group manifestation. During a manifestation ritual you may feel called upon to stretch, dance, do some yoga, self massage, sing, or basically anything that feels good and right in the moment, so ensure that whatever space you choose can accommodate whatever may arise. Choose an area and location where you can fully express yourself in love and bliss without any outside forces present which can shame or cast judgement on you or the ritual.

Choose a Time

Find a time when your space will be quiet. Dawn is a powerful time for manifesting as most people are still asleep and the world isn’t loud and busy yet. You can envision the power of your manifestation growing like the sun rising over the horizon. Night time rituals also work well due to the world being quiet and free of noise. When I say noise I mean sound as well as thought noise and manifestation noise from others. Everyone is manifesting at all times whether they realize it or now, much of it is collective manifestation. The clearer the individual manifestation signal you can broadcast out into the universe free of outside static, the better. If far removed enough from the hustle and bustle of society, ideally in nature, then performing a manifestation ritual during the day also works. It’s always better to perform a manifestation ritual at any time rather than not perform one at all because the conditions weren’t perfect.

Remove any Distractions

During a manifestation ritual all electronics should be off and far removed from the ritual space. Poorly trained and excitable pets should be sheltered away from the ritual space for as long as is safe and needed. Appliances and anything that makes excess noise and vibrations should be off as well.

Consider your lighting

If indoors, natural lighting is best in order to stay aligned with the circadian rhythm. If early in the morning or late at night, strong daylight temperature bulbs (4500 - 6500k), which promote intense beta 12-30 Hz beta brainwaves, should be turned off. Lower frequency 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves and 4-8 Hz theta brainwaves are more creative in nature and will propagate better through space based on electromagnetism physics, so choosing dim low-kelvin lighting sources like candles which shift brainwave patterns to alpha and theta rhythms are best. If skilled in visualizing with your third-eye gaze mental picture, then manifesting in complete darkness can be very powerful.

Utilize Energy Focus Points

Objects like crystals, runes, and water can help the manifestation processing by assisting in the process of weaving patterns of what you desire. Using material objects like crystals can help you organize your thoughts and place certain attributes into certain objects. A complex manifestation can have many parts and conditions, and it’s important to remember them all and invoke them as necessary and in the appropriate order. In effect you’re creating a visual reminder with an object and increasing the energy of the ritual space.

From right to left. TOP - Rose quartz and citrine. BOTTOM - Gebo, Fehu, Wunjo

For example, if manifesting a love relationship into your life, you could utilize rose quartz, citrine, and the elder futhark runes of Gebo, Fehu, and Wunjo. Rose quartz to symbolize love, citrine to symbolize your open heart, Gebo represents balanced harmonious relationships, Fehu represents Venus, the moon, and love, and Wunjo represented happiness and joy. Knowing the attributes of these things, or imbuing symbolism into objects makes a manifestation ritual all the more powerful. If you have objects from your life with deep meaning and powerful memories attached to them, then if appropriate using these objects in a manifestation ritual will be very powerful as you’ll pull from deeper levels of faith and belief when working with these sentimental objects. Using actual money during a financial abundance manifestation for example will help you anchor into the manifestation ritual to really visualize the wealth you wish to have.

Water is a material which holds onto and carries energy and information exceptionally well, so utilizing water during a manifestation ritual is a good thing to do. This can be a bathtub of water that you infuse with your manifestations which you then soak in. It can be a cup of tea that you infuse with your manifestations which you then drink, or it can even be your own body which is ~75% water. From personal experience I can say that hot bathtub manifestation rituals are very powerful in effect. Draw a hot bath, infuse it with the juice of a lemon, herbs, essential oils, bentonite clay or a similar clay, Epsom salt, and coconut/olive/chia/castor oil. You can add cannabis tincture to the water if you want to further increase the full body experience; add whatever you want to the water which will aid you with the manifestation. For example I add the lemon juice to cleanse the water of chlorine and to invigorate my immune system, the epsom salt recharges my magnesium levels, strengthening my bones and balancing my hormones, clay aids in detoxification of my body, and oils nourish skin and hair. You can chant your manifestations into the water as you apply these additions, and then when you soak into the tub allow yourself to feel these forces you have invoked to seep into and invigorate your body.

Breathe

With an established vision and space chosen, it’s now time to begin the ritual. Every ritual begins with calming and clearing the mind, and the best way to do this is with breath work. Close your eyes and start with long deep breaths, four seconds in and four seconds out works well here, with a slight pause at the top of the inhale and bottom of the exhale. During the initial breathwork there should be zero thinking of the manifestation and any other thoughts surrounding that, only focus on breathing. Feel your diaphragm, ribs, and chest expand and contract. Pay attention to how you feel, observe your state of mind passively and begin calming all your systems. Let out some big sighs, allowing the body to relax and enter into a parasympathetic state. Imagine a glowing white light in the center of your being and then expanding to fill your space brings clarity of thought to mind and dispels any negative thoughts and influences. If negative thoughts are popping up, it is during the breathwork portion of the ritual that you can dispel them safely. If you are unable to transcend beyond negativity then STOP the ritual, plan it for a later date, and practice yoga and meditation until those thoughtforms are worked though and passed. Proceeding with a manifestation ritual with any impurities will manifest those impurities at whatever strength given, either consciously or unconsciously.

Depending on skill and experience level, the initial breathwork can take a few minutes to thirty plus minutes. If proper space was created for the ritual, time should be of no concern, so follow your intuition for how long you need to perform the breathwork until you feel ready. Breathwork can be done standing, seated in lotus, laying down in shavasana, or in any position that is comfortable for an extended period of time. Change postures as needed, and the more open and symmetrical the body posture the better.

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Follow your Intuition

With mind clear and vision set, it is time to state the desired manifestation(s). Thinking what you want to manifest is important, visualizing what you want to manifest is very effective, and chanting or speaking what you want to manifest with confidence is the most powerful. Writing down and journaling is also an effective method which has the benefit of being archivable and can be returned to, making repeat rituals especially easy. Combine all these methods of communication for best effect. With thinking, visualizing, speaking, and journaling, you must believe what you are saying for it to come true.

let’s say you are far away from the goal of owning a house debt-free, the first time you think “I manifest into my life a house debt-free”, you might not fully believe what you are saying. This is okay, with each repetition of the statement “I manifest into my life a house debt-free”, your faith and belief that you can manifest this desire will increase. Practice makes perfect. The more confidence in your beliefs you are, and the more you can state your manifestation desires with conviction, the more effective the ritual will be.

Following a premade manifestation script will be limiting because it doesn’t account for your individual experience at that moment. Following your intuition is important, and with all the other factors in place by this point, now let your intuition guide you. If you are struggling in believing a manifestation will come true, then reflect on why that is and do whatever is necessary to work that self-limiting energy out of you. Perhaps your work that energy out by moving your body through dance or yoga, or maybe that’s taking a pillow and hitting the ground with it a few times to burn off steam. It can also be sitting in quiet reflectance with a cup of hot tea or journaling what exactly it is you are feeling. Once all self-limiting beliefs are cast out of the space, then the ritual can proceed. Going through the motions without full conviction will not result in a successful manifestation, you have to be able to feel the magnetic energy being created for what you’re manifesting. In effect you’re telling the universe that you can bear the responsibility of what you desire, be it a new home or relationship, and if you don’t actually want that responsibility somewhere in you consciously or otherwise, then you won’t receive it. The universe will only provide to you what you can responsibly take care of.

Following your intuition during the manifestation ritual may see you increase or decrease the scope of your manifestation as your discover precisely what it is you need/desire. Rome wasn’t built in a day, accept whatever teachings come your way and listen to the guidance of your higher spirit in order to manifest appropriately and responsibly. You don’t want to manifest something that will ruin your life, so be very careful and intentional in what you choose.

Reaffirm your Manifestation

With the ritual now coming to a close, reaffirm any manifestations made and spend time with each one, letting the truth and belief of it sink into your soul. Rise from the ritual having shed any bad habits and self-limiting beliefs and accept with grace the new consciousness that is you. A manifestation ritual is very much a spiritual death and rebirthing process, and to successfully manifest you must be willing to let go of your prior identity in order to step into the new consciousness that you, your higher spirit, and God created together.

Making it here (yes this article!) is a sign that you’re being guided towards these spiritual practices for a reason as planned by your higher spirit and God. Take the time to learn these practices and utilize them as often as possible. For example you can have a big manifestation ritual in the spring to help your garden grow, and anytime you enter into the garden henceforth repeat the manifestations created with the first ritual. If manifesting health and well-being, after the first manifestation ritual, you can repeat the affirmations chosen every time you eat or drink. With a meal you can say “Thank you God for this food you have provided me, may it heal and regenerate my body and grow my vital life force energy”. Pairing visualizations with mini manifestation rituals like this is very effective and it is small practices like these done consistently that are responsible for many of the miracles that occur.

Together the human mind, body, and soul have a powerful influence on the creation of reality as we know it, and with the right knowledge and practice, anyone can manifest whatever they desire into their individual reality.

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Useful Resources for Manifesting

In my manifesting practice I have found the following tools and resources especially useful.

1. The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot. As a geophysicist I am fascinated by the junction of physics and metaphysics, and the holographic universe theory provides a neat path for scientifically understanding how phenomenon like manifesting are not only possible but a latent skill everyone possesses. Michael Talbot did a great job explaining the holographic universe theory and supporting it with endless research and historical accounts. Reading this book will increase your faith in the manifestation process tenfold.

2. Green tea and Chamomile Tea. Green tea and chamomile tea both promote 8-12 Hz alpha brainwave activity and help stabilize the rhythms of the heart, making it easier to enter into a calm meditative state of mind and body. Both green tea and chamomile are very good for your health for these reasons and more are one of my favorite wellness tools that I use consistently.

3. Elder Futhark Runes. Learning the ancient runic system used by the Celts, Germanic tribes, and Norse peoples has allowed me to very easily summon certain primordial forces of nature simply by chanting the runes desired. I began my study of the runes with the books A Practical Guide to the Runes by Lisa Peschel and Runes for Beginners by Lisa Chamberlain. I bought my first set of runes painted in stone, which were good to start with in learning the symbols, and after some time studying with the beginner set I performed the full ritual of creating my own set of runes using the traditional methods. Tarot cards and other archetypical symbols have the same effect here is the runes.

4. Crystals. All the shapes and colors that crystals come in already provide a useful substrate for manifesting, and learning of their metaphysical properties only increases their usefulness in manifestation rituals. At the very least they are visually pretty and help promote a joyful happy state of mind.

5. Psychedelics. Psychedelics like THC-rich cannabis and psilocybin containing magic mushrooms change brainwave harmonic frequencies and help the user to experience reality in a different way. Seeing reality manipulate is one way to cultivate the belief that the fabric of reality is manipulatable. Psychedelics open up the energy channels of the body, so they must be used very responsibly and only in nurturing supportive environments. Do not use before the age of 25 and USE RESPONSIBLY.

Disclosure: Mountain Rose Herbs and Amazon affiliate links are used throughout the article, and Wild Free Organic makes a small commission when a purchase is made through those links. This does not affect the purchase price and the proceeds go towards the growth of Wild Free Organic. Thank you for your support.

Biofield Tuning - Electromagnetic Sound Healing

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

When examining health and wellness from a holistic perspective, we must see beyond just diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors. The energetic state of the body and mind have a wide ranging and powerful effect on an individual’s health and wellness. Energetic state influences how much energy someone has at their disposal for physical or mental endeavors, their state of mind and brainwave patterns, and whether the possibility for disease exists. Linked to the energetic field of the body are consciousness and emotions (1,2). Present emotional status and past emotional history have a strong effect on the mind and body.

What we believe manifests into reality at different strengths depending on the conviction of the belief, and this principle holds true for beliefs incorporated into oneself in the past. The further back in time a belief is stored, usually the more unconsciously the associated behaviors will manifest.  Beliefs can be positive or negative, and everyone’s unique combination of beliefs makes them who they are. It is through their interactions with belief systems that many alternative healing methods work, be it plant medicine ceremonies, meditation, yoga, or sound healing.

Biofield tuning is a very powerful type of sound healing interacts with the human electromagnetic field in order to discover and heal deep unconscious emotional trauma and limiting belief systems that would have been difficult for a seeker to discover on their own.

What is Biofield Tuning?

Biofield tuning is a type of sound healing that uses metallic tuning forks to interact with the electromagnetic field of the human body, otherwise known as the biofield. The human biofield extends on average 2 meters out from the center of the body and a biofield tuning specialist is able to feel and manipulate this electromagnetic field using tuning forks of different frequencies. According to biofield tuning theory, the magnetic field lines furthest away from the body are those associated with early life, and field lines closer to the body correspond to more recent history. As a result the biofield also can be read as a timeline of past experiences and emotions. Unresolved trauma will manifest in the biofield as discordant energy which a biofield tuning specialist can detect by the shift in vibrational and auditory frequency of the tuning forks.

Emotional trauma and limiting belief systems manifest themselves in the human biofield as “knots”, warped magnetic field lines that correspond to energy blockages in the body. An experienced biofield tuning specialist is able to interact with biofield knots, discover past emotional trauma, and with a clear mind, receive the information stored in the biofield to guide the seeker towards resolution.

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The Power of Belief and Holographic Theory

To fully understand the power experienced emotions and belief has on one’s existence*, let’s take two individuals who experienced different upbringings, Jack and Joe. Jack was always told he was smart from a young age, and as Jack grew up layers of beliefs that he is smart were built. Jack’s internal deep set belief that he is smart manifested in reality as him actually being very intelligent.

On the other side of the spectrum, if Joe was told from a young age he was dumb, Joe will have built up a belief system that he is dumb which then will manifest itself into reality as his stupidity.

Until Joe dismantles his old belief systems that he is stupid, he will not be able to unlock his full potential. Specific deep set beliefs can be very hard to change as these beliefs actually manifest into reality in such a way as to impede the identification and healing of that belief system. Most everyone has beliefs that do not serve them hidden in blind spots, and this is where bringing in a coach or healer to identify these self-limiting areas of belief is so valuable. Repairing and changing belief structures that do not serve the individual or collective is a requisite step required for complete health and wellness to be achieved. Until all self-sabotaging, limiting, and deleterious beliefs are replaced by beliefs that serve to grow an individual consciously, emotional baggage can manifest as limitations, injury, and disease.

*Holographic theory explains this phenomenon, and for more information on holographic theory I suggest you read the book The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot.

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My Experience with BioField Tuning

Being a geophysicist who has an understanding of how biofield tuning works from a physics perspective, and also being a holistic wellness practitioner, having the opportunity to have my biofield tuned was very exciting. Experiencing the physics of biofield tuning to discover self-limiting blind spots and past emotional blockages was a unique synthesis between self wellness and the physics of our universe that I live to better understand and educate others on.

Biofield tuning specialist Angie Bahm of Sound Healings Edmonds was the first person to examine my biofield. I went into the session with an open mind once the session started I found it easy to maintain a deep state of meditation throughout. Through my grounding and meditation practices, my earth star and soul star chakras were identified as being well balanced. By examining my biofield timeline, Angie was able to find unresolved childhood emotional trauma that I had held onto since the age of five, which is when my parents divorced. I have very few memories from this time in my life and everything that I experienced during that turbulent time was stored in my unconscious. By realigning my magnetic field corresponding to that time, Angie was able to offer insight into the emotions I experienced and provided me closure on self-limiting beliefs that I had developed.

To learn more about biofield tuning and to watch my biofield tuning session live, you can watch the video at the top of the article. You can also read the book Tuning the Human Biofield: Healing with Vibrational Sound Therapy written by Eileen Day McKusick, the founder of biofield sound healing therapy.

I wish all of you the best in resolving any past emotional blockages and limiting belief systems you may possess. The wellness journey is never-ending as there is always room for expansion, every step forward takes one closer to their true purpose.

References:

1. Murphy T. Solving the “Hard Problem”: Consciousness as an Intrinsic Property of Magnetic Fields. Journal of Consciousness Exploration & Research. 2019;10(8):646-659.

2. Beck R. Mood Modification with ELF Magnetic Fields: A Preliminary Exploration. Published online 1986.

Disclosure - Affiliate links to Amazon are in this article, from which I receive a commission. The purchase price remains the same if you use the affiliate link, and the commission is used to grow Wild Free Organic. Thanks for your support.

How to Overcome Fear

Article by Emily Wojcik - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

I have a deep desire for keeping my emotional energy flowing. Fear is one emotion that stops everything dead in its tracks. When I let emotions sit, they (like food) can go undigested and become toxic to the health, wellness, and balance of my whole being.

Take a breath with me

1. Relax your jaw and facial muscles. Let your shoulders down. Surrender any other tension you may be feeling in your body.

2. Breathe into the newly relaxed space within you, gifting yourself with as much expansion as is comforting.

3. Surrender the mind into an effortless concentration as you absorb the following perspective.

This is a safe space for all who read:

There are moments in our lives that trigger us: our hearts sink into our guts (and our butts) when we learn about something that terrifies us or we find ourselves in a precarious situation.

The world stops for an eternal moment.

• Our emotions flare.

• Our physical bodies show tangible signs of disruption.

• Our minds race around in circles to find anything to hang on to-- any semblance of familiarity, comfort, justification or reasoning.

How do we manage ourselves when we are experiencing all of this?

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The Physiology of Fear

The autonomic nervous system (the part of the body that functions without conscious thought) is the aspect that responds to fear first. It sets off a series of chemical reactions throughout many parts of the brain and into the rest of the body.

Blood vessels constrict, heart rate and breathing increases, muscles contract, sweat beads.  

We may even feel our body wants to extricate the food we were in the middle of digesting. *cue reminiscent love for the previous meal </3

Since we are faced with varying degrees of stimuli, our bodies will have varying responses. Our subconscious beliefs, programming, and conditioning come to the surface. This can be what our bodies remember from previous experiences and/or how our parents and ancestors responded to fear.

Do you know how your body responds to fear?

You may be thinking: Emily, why would I want to know that? I don’t want to feel any fear ever.

It’s not the slightest bit fun. In fact, feeling fear in my body scares me just as much (if not more) than the trigger itself.

I have to agree… it’s not in my Pleasant Experiences Category either. But I am capable of feeling fear ripple through my mind, body, and emotions and that makes it a wonderfully viable aspect of me to observe and artfully master.

Okay, Emily, fabulous… how do we go about that? Below is the approach I take.

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Four Steps to Overcoming Fear

1. Tune into the Breath

There is extraordinary power in Presence. We can absolutely get wrapped up in and overwhelmed by the physical body’s response—that is ultimately what makes emotions such a real experience: the physical body responds to a cascade of chemical reactions and produces new sensations. Those sensations can absolutely be alarming and don’t necessarily make it easier to consciously process the situation.

By breathing deeply and slowly, you welcome your full focus to witness how the inhales and exhales feel. Pulling your awareness into the present moment allows busyness to subside, anxiety and worry to disappear. Physiologically, slow deep breathes share oxygen with every cell and slow the heart rate. You’re giving yourself permission to become centered, grounded, and rational when surrendering into that state.

2.  Drop into the body

Imagine your awareness dropping like a rock in a pond into the root of your pelvis. You can begin to breathe in more deeply into the body; really feeling your vessel. Fear challenges everything that we know about ourselves. It’s an extremely intimate experience. It is empowering beyond measure to witness and BE with yourself during your most vulnerable moments.

3. Drop any inner resistance by relaxing the mind

When we hit a limit of how much we think we can handle; we unconsciously tense our bodies. Here is a challenge to change behavior: allow stimuli, information, and emotions to flow through you without resistance. You step into your Higher Seat of Consciousness when you make the choice to observe yourself and experiences.  I learned about equanimity and neutrality when I sat in Vipassana for 10 days. I’ve personally found this to be highly beneficial for a deeper and more thorough understanding of myself and the situation at hand.

4. As it is safe to do so, sit with it

Light a yummy smelling candle, dim the lights, get a soft blanket—soothe your senses as a way to be gentle and kind to yourself. Mastering the fear response is not an easy human lesson. Remember how deeply you love yourself, and make this part as sensationally delicious as possible to ease your way. Hold safe space for your Self to feel every suppressed thought and physical sensation that has been building up pressure, friction, and conflict within you. You can gift yourself with this intentional space to feel and process emotions that are held in your field and your physical body.  Being purposeful with this process can hold the subconscious “Things to Process” door wide open. This is both an effective and efficient way to process and integrate emotional pain: going all in and feeling it fully.

This four step practice is definitely character building. The emotions don’t decrease in intensity, but we can choose to be empowered to respond in new ways to our lived experiences. Once I was able to embrace the courage I needed to develop a deep sense of Trust with myself, I was able to grant myself full permission to process emotions in a satisfying and effortless flow.

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The Connection between Fear and Gut Health

Fear is such a powerful emotion that it interacts significantly with the physical body. One place that fear has the greatest impact is the digestive system. Depending on how strongly and how long fear is experienced, it can affect gut motility (the time it takes food to transit through the digestive system), the level at which food is digested, and how at ease you feel throughout digestion. Since being in a fearful state can degrade gut health, having poor digestion will leave you more vulnerable to experiencing fear. Prioritizing gut health with the FoodFast method while at the same time utilizing the meditation practice above will allow you to overcome fear triggers and responses that previously may have been crippling.

Overall, this is an amazing way to level up your your relationship with yourself and deepen into a successful gut health journey.

I love you

Be well,

Emily

How Athletes Benefit from Cannabinoids

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cannabis and its cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) have been used for thousands of years recreationally, medicinally, and spiritually. Cannabinoids exert effects on the endocannabinoid system in the body, which changes conscious experience, enhances the mind-muscle connection, increases heart rate while reducing blood pressure, and downregulates pain receptors. Used responsibly, the combined physiological and psychological effects of cannabis make it an effective plant medicine which can be used for a variety of wellness purposes. For athletes, cannabinoids can be used to heal from injury faster, reduce pain, modulate satiety, and increase athletic performance.

Athletes benefit from CBD and THC in a variety of ways. CBD and THC are anti-inflammatory compounds that activate the endocannabinoid system, a bioelectric pathway which runs parallel with the nervous system throughout the body. Because of this unique pathway cannabinoids deliver anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects to locations difficult to reach with other herbs or modern drugs. The anti-inflammatory and pain reducing effects of cannabis can be applied locally via creams and oils, or full body effects are possible with the use of tinctures, edibles, or dry vaporization. With the right dosing, combining local and full body application of cannabinoids has powerful therapeutic effects.

Table of Contents:

1. Use Cannabis to Heal from Injury

2. Use Cannabis to Increase Athletic Performance

3. Use Cannabis to Heal the Digestive System

4. Use Cannabis to Rest Better

5. How to Use Cannabis

6. Choosing the Right Cannabis

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Use Cannabis to Heal from Injury

The anti-inflammatory and pain reducing effects of cannabis is most useful for athletes when an injury is sustained. Cannabinoids help the body to heal better, and by reducing pain, restorative healing methods like muscle and joint flossing which regrow joint cartilage can be performed with less discomfort. Pain is the body’s way of bringing conscious attention to a problem that needs addressing, and in this manner it is helpful biofeedback as to what the problem is and how to fix it. When a muscle or joint injury is sustained, the fastest way to heal the affected area is to utilize a multi-faceted approach by eating an anti-inflammatory diet, utilizing heat therapy (via a sauna, bath, or heat wrap), and begin mobilizing the effected area slowly and safely. Mobilization is especially important as it increases blood flow to the site of injury, improves proper movement patterns (best done with the help of a professional), and broadens range of motion.

The degree of mobilization possible depends on the level of injury. Only a small amount of mobilization may be possible depending on the severity of the injury, for example just wiggling the toes after rolling an ankle may be all that is safely possible to start. Mobilization of an injured area done just to the edge of pain progressively and consistently will speed up the healing process and strengthen the weakened tissues. Utilizing cannabinoids, athletes can reduce pain signals to more appropriate levels while performing mobilization exercises and stretches, reducing stress and fatigue which increases the rate of healing. For optimal athletic performance, injury is to be avoided at all cost, and if an injury is sustained, then healing the injury as fast and completely as possible in order to get back to training and competition is of the utmost priority. Cannabis use can help prevent injury and if injury does occur, cannabis can speed up the healing process.

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Use Cannabis to Increase Athletic Performance

Because of how cannabinoids are transported and used throughout the body, cannabinoids increase the ability to perceive hyper-localized muscular contractions and proper movement patterns. For bodybuilders, being able to feel a muscle is known as the mind-muscle connection, and bodybuilders utilize enhanced muscular sensory awareness to better target certain muscle groups for selective growth to achieve better aesthetic symmetry. For athletes in other sports, the mind-muscle connection can be used to better connect with movement patterns important for that sport. This could be a golf swing or the throw of a ball. Proper mechanics will improve power output while reducing energy usage by increasing movement efficiency. Because cannabis enhances kinesthetic awareness, it can be used to better feel and therefore learn higher quality movement patterns.

Cannabis for many people also improves endurance. Lower blood pressure and a faster heart rate increases time to exhaustion and can allow an athlete to push beyond limits normally encountered. Another reason cannabis can increase endurance is due to its psychoactive properties. Cannabis high in THC changes brainwave patterns to make it easier to enter into a flow state. It is being able to enter into a flow state that separates the best athletes from their peers who may become distracted or anxious in the same situation. Cannabis can help an athlete learn how to enter into a flow state easier and how to maintain it for longer, and with practice this can be done naturally without the use of cannabis.

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Use Cannabis to Heal the Digestive System

Due to the stress of training and competition, and the need for ample fuel, it is common for athletes to suffer from gut problems like leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and food intolerances. Gut health problems are especially prevalent among weightlifters. Gut inflammation is one of the primary symptoms of a dis-eased gut, and the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis can be used to ease gut inflammation. The digestive system is a high blood flow group of organs, and when dry-vaporized or consumed via a tincture or an edible, cannabinoids exert some of their anti-inflammatory effects on the digestive system directly before circulating throughout the rest of the body. Oils and creams can also be applied to the skin of the stomach and navel area. Cannabis usage calms an inflamed gut and eases stress on the digestive system, allowing food to digest more regularly and completely. If suffering from gut health problems, combining cannabis and the FoodFast Method is an effective way to heal the gut and begin digesting food better, thereby improving overall wellness and athletic performance.

Cannabis can also be used to modulate appetite. For some athletes, eating more food may aid in building muscle and increasing strength, while for other athletes reducing appetite may help with cutting body fat and leaning out. Many people report an increase in hunger when using cannabis high in THC, though individual effect will vary. For cutting calories, the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is an effective appetite suppressant, reducing hunger and increasing satiety. THCV is a rare cannabinoid found only in certain strains of cannabis, Durban Poison being the most common high THCV strain, containing up to 1% or more of the unique appetite-suppressing cannabinoid.

In the context of athletic performance where layering on small 1-3% performance increases can make the difference between first and last place, athletes who use cannabis to take more direct control over their gut health and appetite are afforded an extra edge.

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Use Cannabis to Rest Better

Equally as important as training is resting. Without adequate rest and recovery, adaptations to the training stimulus will be impaired and more effort will have been expended for less effect than possible. If a training session was too stressful on the body, or an injury occurs, cannabinoids can be used to help the body self-regulate down into a less stressful parasympathetic state. While in a parasympathetic state the body rests and digests, assimilating new nutrients into the connective structures of the body, healing inflamed tissues, and performing cellular autophagy. When in a parasympathetic state long enough, cortisol lowers to healthy baselines which is necessary for proper hormone health and to avoid adrenal fatigue, a problem common to athletes who push themselves to the edge.

High CBD to THC cannabis strains or products promote relaxation and calm the body and mind down. For many people cannabis improves their sleep dramatically, and this is the most important parasympathetic state the body enters into on a daily basis. Improving sleep is the best way to enhance recovery and therefore one of the best ways to improve athletic performance. Tinctures, edibles, and topicals are the best way to use cannabis to enhance rest and recovery.

Note - Peak athletic performance can disrupt hormone health heavily, and any way an athlete can maintain a healthy hormonal system using safe practices is to be encouraged. Cannabis usage can lower testosterone levels if used in excess.

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How to Use Cannabis

There are many different ways to use cannabinoids and they all have differences in effect. Oral consumption will be the broadest in effect, have the longest duration, but will take up to an hour to begin feeling relief. When consuming cannabis orally it is very important to dose properly, as too many cannabinoids ingested especially of the THC variety can be very potent in their psychoactive effects. It is best to start with a small dosage (1-5 mg) and if zero to little effect is felt, consume more only after an hour or more has passed. Individual tolerance will determine how many milligrams of CBD and/or THC are required for medicinal effect, so start small until you know your individual limits.

Dry vaporization of cannabis flower provides instant relief and has a moderate body effect, though more condensed in the torso and head as the cannabinoids are absorbed into the bloodstream by the lungs. With dry vaporization the effect is shorter in duration than with oral consumption and therefore more easily dosed. I use and recommend dry vaporizers from Healthy Rips.

Healthy Rips sells many different handheld dry vaporizers which are very efficient in volatilizing cannabinoids, and all of their vaporizers are fairly priced. My personal favorite vaporizer is the Fury Edge. The smaller Fury 2 is also a nice product and more affordable.

Fury Edge features:

• 2300 mAh Battery, adjustable session timer between 3-7 minutes

• Temperature range of 280°- 430°F

• Chamber capacity 0.175g to 0.205g

Cannabis lotions and creams are absorbed transdermally and can provide localized relief. it can take up to thirty minutes to begin feeling the effects though the onset is usually rapid. CBD creams are fairly common and inexpensive, and while there are cannabis creams, lotions, and oils that contain THC, they can be hard to dose properly and are expensive. When combining cannabis topicals with other methods of consumption, it is my recommendation to only use CBD topicals in order to avoid dosing too much THC. CBD is the cannabinoid most responsible for pain and inflammation relief, and for this reason CBD topicals can be very helpful for any athlete looking to enhance performance via the reasons listed above.

Note - Smoking of flower is to be avoided as smoke contains many carcinogens and temperatures above combustion destroy cannabinoids. Oral consumption, topical application, and dry vaporization are healthier options for using cannabis and preserve more cannabinoids in the process.

The wellness effects of cannabis are best felt when a small amount of THC is used alongside CBD, and to minimize the psychoactive effects of cannabis and for best therapeutic effect, a ratio of 1:1 to 4:1 is ideal (CBD:THC).

The most powerful way to use cannabis is to combine them all for localized and full body effect. Depending on the dosage the effect can be quite strong so be well prepared with a place you can stretch and rest with no looming responsibilities and use your best judgement. The amounts given are generalized and should be adjusted according to your individual tolerance and body type.

Full Body Cannabis Healing and Pain Relief Protocol:

1. Ingest a 5mg CBD or 1:1 tincture edible.

2. Thirty minutes later apply 100% CBD cream to any painful or injured trouble areas as well as on the bottom of the feet and along the spine (areas of high nerve density). Any remainder on the hands rub in.

3. Thirty minutes after topical application dry vaporize CBD and/or THC flower as much as necessary for medical relief and relaxation. Dry vaporizing 0.1 - 0.2 grams is typically enough when combined with the edible and creams.

Note - This cannabis protocol is made more effective when combined with grounding. Grounding is a method of resetting the charge of your bioelectrical system to that of the Earth, which has healing and anti-inflammatory effects.

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Choosing the Right Cannabis

When choosing cannabis flower or a product to use, you must consider the energetics the plant experienced during its growth. Was the cannabis grown indoors or outdoors? With pesticides or without pesticides. Were fertilizers used? Was the plant told it was loved? The life a cannabis plant experienced influences the effect the cannabis will have on your body. This is true with all foods and substances, and for a plant with mild psychedelic properties like cannabis, these considerations are especially important. Cannabis grown biodynamically is the best option, with the second best option being organically grown cannabis. When buying cannabis flower or products confirm that zero pesticides were used as pesticide residue if ingested or vaporized can be dangerous.

Cannabis is an incredible plant medicine which has many wellness uses for regular people and athletes alike. Please use cannabis responsibly and not until brain structure is fully developed (>25 years old). Please consult with a holistic wellness practitioner before using cannabis.

Share your experiences using cannabis for rest, healing, or athletic endeavors in the comments below.

Disclosure: Healthy Rips affiliate links are in this article, from which I receive a commission. The purchase price remains the same if you use the affiliate link, and the commission is used to grow Wild Free Organic. Thanks for your support.

Underarm Care Complete Guide

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

On the human body, the armpit, or what we’ll refer to as the underarm mainly, is the connection point between the arms and the torso of the body. After puberty, underarm body hair begins to grow for both sexes and pheromones are produced. For mate selection (aka your love life), pheromones play a big role, influencing mood, focus, and sexual response of your partner (1). The underarm is also the location of a network of 20-40 small axillary lymph nodes, small organs part of your immune system responsible for draining lymph.

With its varied functions and structural location, the underarm is a very important part of the body worthy of attention and not destined solely to be smelly and sweaty. With a good diet, exercise, proper grooming, and consideration of the application of any chemicals applied to the underarm, unpleasant body odor won’t exist, perspiration will be minimal, and the lymphatic system can function as desired for optimal wellness.

The Importance of Underarm Lymph Nodes

Lymph is a clear or slightly white/yellow fluid very similar to blood plasma that consists of about 95% water, plasma proteins, and lymphocytes (white blood cells). Lymph nodes are responsible for processing and returning to the blood any fluids that have seeped out of capillaries and now circulate among the tissues of the body. Cells dump waste into the extracellular space also, and without a well-functioning lymphatic system toxins and debris quickly accumulate, leading to cellular damage and feelings of lethargy and stiffness. During this process of circulation and cleansing through the lymphatic system, expended lymphocytes are processed and any microorganisms encountered in the lymph fluid are destroyed. The lymph nodes of the underarm perform this function for the neck, chest, upper arms, and underarm areas.

Cross-section diagram of a lymph node - CC4.0 by Cancer Research UK

Because of the immune function of lymph nodes, certain cancers like breast cancer can be detected in the lymph nodes if the cancer has spread enough. Similarly, when dealing with an infection, it is common for the lymph nodes of the body to swell due to the increased demand of draining lymphocytes and clearing toxins placed upon them. A wellness check to perform everyday is to gently feel the lymph nodes of the neck and underarms to ascertain their status. A quick 30 second massage keeps the lymph nodes free of inflammation and functioning properly. After the milky lymph is processed, the plasma is drained back into the blood stream. Any failures of the lymph nodes to completely detoxify lymph into plasma will recirculate toxins back into the blood stream near entry to the heart, causing cardiac inflammation and a secondary immune response. This is to be avoided at all costs.

Illustration showing inflamed (red) lymph nodes. CC4.0 from www.scientificanimations.com

Besides manual massage, another way to assist in the proper functioning of the underarm lymph nodes is to practice yoga. Because of its highly varied movement, yoga helps to move and drain excess lymph around the entire body. In kundalini and kriya yoga, special attention is given to the underarms via certain poses and self-massage involving the arms, side body, and rigorous breathing. In general vigorous flow, inversions, and twisting poses aid in reliving lymphatic congestion by getting lymph moving again throughout the body, and if an inflamed lymphatic system is causing health issues, regular yoga practice can help to restore optimal health.

How to Reduce Underarm Sweat

How to stop underarm sweat naturally is a question many people ask without truly believing it is possible. In fact it’s quite simple though it might take some time before seeing the full results of any efforts made. Dietary and lifestyle changes will have the biggest impact.

To reduce underarm sweat a few things must be done:

1. First, chemical laden antiperspirants and deodorants must not be used. The use of these underarm products only exacerbates the sweat and odor issue over time.

   • Essential oils can be used instead for odor and sweat control, recommendations for that later in the article

2. Second, the diet must be altered to remove chemically contaminated foods, highly processed foods, excess simple sugars, and any foods that are intolerant or allergenic to the body.

   • A simple prescription for this is to remove all wheat, added sugars (sweets), and flours (acellular carbs) from the diet. Better for establishing long-lasting beneficial eating behaviors is to replace highly processed foods over time with health promoting foods like whole and unprocessed vegetables (squash, leafy greens, cucumbers, etc), fruits (bananas, blueberries, kiwis), seeds (pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds), nuts (cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds), and pulses (lentils, beans, peas).

3. Proper skin and hair hygiene must be maintained. This means regular showers which scrub the underarms with a natural soap like Dr. Bronner, as well as trimming of the hair. Shaving or a close cut of the underarm hair is best to minimize the microbiome colony that lives in the armpit.

The sweat glands of the underarm push toxins out via sweat. Sweating is one of the reasons heat therapy is so effective at healing the body from injury and trauma. With ample water intake the body has enough water at its disposal to detoxify through the sweat glands without placing the body into a state of dehydration. Toxins and unwanted chemicals being the nasty things they are create less than desirable smells, and in this way body odor can be a great indicator or overall health and wellness. If your body odor is minimal and/or doesn’t smell unpleasant, then your body is in a fairly detoxed healthy state. If your body makes even yourself gag and others are repulsed by it, then that’s an indication that some major health issues are at hand.

When body odor and underarm sweat are encountered, it is common to layer on deodorant and antiperspirants. Chemicals from deodorants and antiperspirants don’t just layer on the skin of underarm where applied, they actively absorb into the body*. Antiperspirants purposefully clog the sweat pores of the underarm with micronized metals like aluminum in an effort to stop the bodies ability to sweat from there, therefore disrupting the natural detoxification process that the body is undertaking if there is a lot of underarm sweating. Micronized metal particles are damaging to the body and brain. When the body doesn’t need to detoxify heavily, underarm sweat is rare and minimal, occurring mostly when needed to cool the body down from the potential of heat exhaustion.

*Note - A simple way to feel this chemical absorption process is to apply a small amount of peppermint or tea tree oil to the armpit. After a few minutes and lasting up to half hour you’ll feel the oil used absorbing deeper into the underarm.

Detox Safely with Fasting

The body is in a state of active detoxification when it is being exposed to undesirable compounds. This can be through diet, environmental exposure, etc. If postponing the detoxification process and storing toxins in bodyfat, then you may feel fine and think there is no problem other than weight gain. If you have no toxins in you whatsoever then you’ll feel great. It’s when you’re actively detoxing that you feel poorly, may sweat a lot, stink, have acne, rashes, and more.

By removing food from the diet during a fast, one of the major sources of toxins in a normal lifestyle is eliminated. Fasting provides the body relief from detoxifying and allows for mindfulness to be applied to the situation in order to understand exactly where the toxins were coming from.

What Causes Underarm Odor?

Armpit odor is a combination of many factors. As previously discussed, the diet and internal state of the body have a big impact on the chemicals released by the underarm sweat glands. Some of these chemicals might be inherently smelly, while others might be part of a chain of events which eventually leads to an unpleasant odor.

The sweat that comes out of the armpit sweat glands is nearly odorless. The breakdown of proteins found in sweat, and how the underarm microbiome responds to these chemicals, is the primary driver of body odor. A higher concentration of apocrine glands (scent glands) which produce sweat with higher concentrations of proteins are located at the underarms. If the body is pushing a lot of chemicals and proteins out through the sweat as a detoxifying measure, there will be more body odor. If the underarm microbiome is balanced and the body is healthy, only minimally releasing proteins out through the apocrine scent glands, then there will be minimal body odor and the attractive smell of pheromones is more likely to be pleasantly noticed by members of the opposite sex.

The Armpit Microbiome

A large and permanent population of microorganisms lives on skin of the human underarm as it’s warm, moist, and usually shielded from UV radiation (sunlight). The underarm microbiome subsists by biotransforming the natural secretions found in sweat into odorous molecules. The resident microbiome mostly consists of Gram-positive bacteria of the genera Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium. The compounds produced by the armpit microbiome which are odorous are short and medium-chain fatty acids, thioalcohols, and pheromones (2). All of these compounds evaporate at body temperatures and it is the microbiome of the underarm which transforms the proteins found in sweat into these compounds.

Every species of microorganism is unique and prefers a certain type of environment. The microbiome of the underarm is an important component of the biological system, so the goal when dealing with unpleasant body odors is not in the elimination of the microbiome but rather the shifting of the microbiome towards favorable species. Corynebacteria are a commensal microorganism particularly associated with the creation of bad sulfurous odors. They are aerobically based but can also exhibit a weak fermentative metabolism (carbohydrates to lactic acid) under certain conditions. Corynebacteria are fastidious and have complex nutrient and environmental requirements for their growth, and therefore having bad body odor is a key sign that the bodily systems are out of balance, creating an environment where a slow growing commensal microorganism can become a pathobiont.

One way to effectively select against pathobionts and pathogens is to practice proper hygiene, eat healthy, and use natural anti-microbial essential oils like tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil.

The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of essential oils also make them great in treating acne, aiding the immune system and helping the skin to regenerate.

Essential Oils as Natural Deodorant

Essential oils can be used as a natural deodorant and also to shift the microbiome of the underarm favorably away from bad odors. Application is easy and the cost is cheap compared to most underarm products.

There are many different types of essential oils, and the three that I have experimented with by applying them to the underarms are peppermint oil, lavender oil, and tea tree oil. These three essential oils are all anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and have a pleasant smell to them.

To apply essential oil to the underarms, place 2-5 drops into the palm of your hand and run the oil all around the underarm. If you have sensative skin then dilute with a carrier oil like chia seed oil. Repeat this as often as desired! I usually carry a small bottle of lavender oil with me and do this 1-3 times a day depending on my activity level and the weather. The absorption of tea tree oil and peppermint oil are especially noticeable, with both creating a cooling effect as they absorb into the skin.

If you have sensitive skin, do not apply the oil directly, instead diluting it with water or a carrier oil like chia seed oil. For any essential oil, before first use test the diluted oil on a small section of skin to test for allergic reactions.

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Peppermint Oil Benefits

• Has a fresh pleasing scent

• Creates an invigorating feeling as it is absorbed

• Provides relief from itching and muscle pain. Soothes the skin.

• Inhibits the production of certain bacterial toxins

Note - Avoid peppermint oil if you you have a G6PD enzyme deficiency or take certain medications where the inhibition of enzyme CYP3A4 is problematic. Consult your doctor.

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Tea Tree Oil Benefits

• Has a clean fresh scent

• Has a slight sensory stimulating effect when absorbed

• Poses strong anti-microbial and anti-fungal effects, effective against acne

• Natural insect repellant

• Reduces Inflammation and boosts wound healing

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Lavender Oil Benefits

• Has a soothing scent few take offense to

• Has a calming and relaxing effect

• Has powerful antioxidant properties

• Relieves pain, heals burns and cuts

Note - Be careful with lavender oil if using medications for sleep and depressive disorders. Avoid if undergoing anesthesia soon (1-2 days before).

My trusted supplier for organic essential oils is Mountain Rose Herbs. They have hundreds of essential oils and blends which can be used for natural hygiene methods, aromatherapy, cleaning solutions, and much more!

All of these oils can be used for underarm, skin, and hair care. Lavender and chamomile oil aromatherapy is especially useful for treating sleep disorders. Tea tree oil is a strong anti-fungal good for athletes foot, nail infections, and dandruff. Chia seed oil is gentle and moisturizing to the skin and hair, good for fascial work, containing high levels of ALA Omega-3 fatty acids, and acts as a good carrier oil for other essential oils which are best diluted.

The essential oil starter pack I recommend is:

• Chamomile oil

• Tea tree oil

• Peppermint oil

• Lavender oil

• Chia seed oil

Mountain Rose Herbs is also my trusted supplier of tea products I use for the different natural herbal teas I brew.

Herbs can be used to improve sleep, reduce inflammation, fight viral infections, and more.

References:

1. Verhaeghe J, Gheysen R, Enzlin P. Pheromones and their effect on women’s mood and sexuality. Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2013;5(3):189-195.

2. James AG, Austin CJ, Cox DS, Taylor D, Calvert R. Microbiological and biochemical origins of human axillary odour. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2013;83(3):527-540.

3. Winkelman WJ. Aromatherapy, botanicals, and essential oils in acne. Clinics in Dermatology. 2018;36(3):299-305.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

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How to choose Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

With reality warping chemicals, it is very important to consider the energetics and how they affect the experience. Cannabis is one of the most popular psychedelics people use worldwide to raise their level of consciousness.

Cannabis is a gentle quick-growing plant which produces cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Cannabis plants can grow to 2 meters tall or greater, and have good root systems which are electrically coupled with the Earth. Cannabis flowers into buds, which is where the majority of the cannabinoids are concentrated. Cannabinoids interface with the endocannabinoid system in the human body. The endocannabinoid system runs parallel to the nervous system, and it is through this shared overlapping footprint that THC, CBD, THCV, and other cannabinoids have their time dilation and psychedelic effects on the human experience.

When choosing a cannabis flower to use, either through an edible or dry vaporized, you must then consider the energetics the plant experienced during its growth. Was the cannabis grown indoors or outdoors? With pesticides or without pesticides. Were fertilizers used? Was the plant told it was loved?

With these considerations in mind, biodynamic cannabis is the best choice for all reasons. Biodynamic farming methods are based outdoors, use zero pesticides, and use natural land-derived fertilizers like compost. The people growing the cannabis on the biodynamic farm are also more likely to be spiritually evolved and freer of stress. The closer the alignment of the cannabis growers to source-energy, the better the users cannabis experience will be. When using cannabis at a noticeable dose, reality will warp in the direction of the energetic imprint the overall environment imparted on the cannabis plant during it’s growth. Plants remember and have behavior. Chemicals and changes in the physical environment also imprint the cannabis plant with information.

The consciousness of the grower and the environment in that location will be the consciousness experienced by the user. Cannabis flower being grown biodynamically from a highly evolved spiritual person could lead to a spiritual awakening when used. On the other end of the spectrum, cannabis grown in darkness with heavy chemicals attended to by stressed and/or fearful workers will confer upon the user a radically different experience. More broadly, the energetics of an environment will affect the consciousness of everything in that environment.

With laws around the world changing as they are, cannabis is increasingly becoming available. If unable to grow cannabis yourself in your own energetic environment, then the user must be fully conscious when choosing which cannabis they purchase. Using bud grown in a low frequency environment will lead to a lower frequency vibrational state being experienced, with higher frequency being desirable. The benefit of outdoor growing is that the energetic imprint of mother Earth’s consciousness can have the biggest effect on the energetics of the cannabis. The Earth is superconscious compared to a human being, and the more wild yet abundant in resources (water, light, nutrients, etc) a growing environment has, the bigger the imprint Earth will have on the growth of the cannabis. In fact this is true for any organism.

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2021 Cannabis Crop (1 male 3 females) about 1 month before harvest

This is my best result growing cannabis thus far. I created a mini hügelkultur in the bottom of this large pot, starting with a layer of decomposed stump in the very bottom, then dandelion leaves, native mushrooms found in the nearby creek environment, then wood chips and topped with a composted 100% natural potting soil. This cannabis is being grown 100% biodynamically, with no fertilizers or pesticides being used. This was an extremely low maintenance grow, as I was away for the summer, and I was impressed by how well they all did considering all they were given were water. Using the hügelkultur methods and preloading the containers with natural resources was a big help in creating a self-sufficient ecosystem for the cannabis and other organisms to thrive in.

This guide can be applied to food, water, air, and other resources we all depend on. When stuck in a stagnant low energetic state, examine the environment, food, water, air, and people you surround yourself with to better understand what factors are dragging you down and then strategize how to change the energetics you consume and surround yourself with.

How to Establish Schumann Brainwave REsonance

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! All YouTube videos are of my production.

The Schumann resonances are global electromagnetic fields in the 7-45+ Hz frequency range, overlapping human brainwaves in frequency and photonic power. The magnetic field strength of the Schumann resonances and brainwaves is the same at around 1-10 pT.

The human brain produces Schumann resonances though thoughts and cognition. Neurons of the hippocampi in particular, the part of the brain (located on both sides) responsible for memory, learning, focus, and new brain cells, pulse at an approximate 8 Hz frequency. Under unique circumstances, the brain can pulse in widespread electric synchronicity, enabling energy and information transfer between all parts of the brain simultaneously, reorganizing consciousness in the process. High-frequency widespread brainwave synchronicity is like a symphony, it requires a conductor, and the metronome the body uses is the heartbeat and the 7.8 Hz Schumann resonance.

Energy and information is stored in electromagnetic waves, and both energy and information are valuable to life. A sudden idea gives you great success! Physical and mental energy enables you to accomplish your desired objectives every day.

The Earth environment creates electromagnetic waves at Schumann frequencies (7.8, 14, 20, 25-26, 33, 39, 45 Hz) due to lightning strikes (all frequencies), earthquakes and seismic stress (10-30 Hz), and solar interactions with the ionosphere (all frequencies). The magnetic field of the Schumann resonances is carried easily through the atmosphere without much attenuation, whereas the electric field of the Schumann resonances is carried easily through the Earth’s surface as telluric currents without much attenuation. To best connect with the Schumann resonances are need to interact with the electric field component and the magnetic field component.

Human biology enables connection to the Earth’s magnetic field component of the Schumann resonances.

Air isn’t a great conductor of electricity so you won’t receive an energy boost from synchronizing your brainwaves to the Schumann resonances, but the magnetic field is well equipped to facilitate information transfer. Ferromagnetic cellular organelles in the brain known as magnetosomes have high magnetic orientation capabilities, and by vibrating with the frequency of the Schumann resonances, endogenous electric currents in the brain are stimulated via Faraday’s Law. These eddy currents may be of a low intensity, but when then synchronize to the Earth’s electric field of the Schumann resonances via earthing, it provides a strong enough timing signal free of charge that the brain can then devote its energy to endogenously creating the higher frequency waves of the Schumann resonances.

If the process can be repeated through skill most easily acquired through deep meditation, then those higher frequency signals can begin to trigger in the brain through the exogenous input and the brain can again step up the frequency of its endogenous energy consuming brainwaves. The higher the final frequencies achieved, the more information can be transfered and reorganized across the entire brain and nervous system

Faraday’s Law: An electric field is produced by a changing magnetic field

This is the base science of how the human brain and Earth’s Schumann resonances can enter into deep electromagnetic synchronicity with each other, opening up the Human-Gaia connection, a vast source of life wisdom. The fill in your understanding of this theory, watch my video below:

Now if you have the time and want to begin developing this skill of establish brainwave resonance with the Earth, I have a five minute wellness experiment for you as well as tools and resources below.

First, tune into your breath…observe it. How do you feel? Take note of your current mood.

Keep your focus on your breath and simply observe your existence. If you wish you can take notes of your experiences.

If you’re not already, find a quiet location free from electrosmog, like a park. Find your breath and slowly settle the mind down. Lie down or sit in lotus and listen to 7.83Hz Schumann Resonance binaural beats on low, just at the edge of audio detection. For best results use a pair of headphones. Binaural beats create brainwaves in the auditory nerve at the chosen beat frequency, and are useful in priming brainwave synchronicity at frequencies of your choosing, in this case the foundational and most power mode of the Schumann resonances.

When you achieve a deep meditative state and your imaginative centers are alight, you may find yourself having breakthroughs, insights, and epiphanies. Likewise, whatever you think or visualize now is broadcast into the Schumann resonances and vibrates around the world at the speed of light, circumnavigating the globe about 8 times per second. In connection to the Earth’s natural energy fields, you can begin to explore your energetic connections with others, places, and yourself. With a very slow heart rhythm, you can connect to the sub 1 Hz frequencies of the planet and be closer to the experience of the implicate order, the place beyond space and time where all possibilities exist. To learn more there research David Bohm and the holographic theory of consciousness.

What are the Schumann Resonances?

The Schumann resonances are ultra-low frequency 7.83Hz electromagnetic wave produced naturally by the Earth's electrical discharges in the atmosphere and by seismic stress. Because of their ultra-low frequency and long wavelength, it is able to pass through almost all materials, including the hard rock geology of the Earth, and exists worldwide.

Electromagnetic Power Density Plot of an undisclosed location. Y Axis = Amplitude, X Axis = Frequency.

Notice the high-amplitude spike at 50Hz; this is due to a 50Hz power grid.

All evolution on our planet which includes human evolution has occurred in the electromagnetic interference pattern of the Schumann resonances at 7.8 Hz, 14 Hz, 20 Hz, 25-26 Hz, 33 Hz, 39 Hz, and 45Hz. The video below is my beginner’s guide to the Schumann resonances.

Theta and Alpha Brainwaves

The frequency of the strongest (foundational) Schumann Resonance is 7.83Hz, which is the same frequency of theta and alpha brainwaves we produce being at the junction. Theta brainwaves are observed when in a relaxed, creative state of mind and also during lucid dreaming. Alpha brainwaves are observed when in a more alert and calm focused creative state of mind (1).

Brainwaves are very much a chicken and the egg scenario. The activities someone is doing, and the mood they are in, will determine what brainwaves are predominantly being generated. On the flip side, the mental state of mind and mood can be altered by selecting for certain brainwaves. One way to exert some control over this process is with binaural beats.

What are Binaural Beats?

A binaural beat consists of two waveforms at different frequencies that when propagating together combine into a lower frequency and high amplitude waveform. This is also known as a beat frequency and displays simples concepts of physics (i.e stacking waveforms) in action.

Binaural beats have the capability of entraining brainwaves (2), which makes them an excellent tool to use if desiring a enter into a certain brainwave pattern. 7.83Hz binaural beats played under parasympathetic conditions will promote relaxation, calm, reduce stress, enhance creativity, and improve general mood and well-being.

Binaural beats are most effective with headphones or a large speaker, but can also be played from a laptop, phone, or tablet effectively.

Learn the science of how binaural beats work with the following video: Binaural Beats - How They Work

Binaural Beats, Brainwaves, and the Schumann Resonance

The Schumann Resonance is electromagnetic radiation. The frequency of the sound waves from the video above are the same 7.83Hz, but they are not electromagnetic radiation. What the Schumann 7.83Hz binaural beats do though is entrain the brain to naturally begin producing Theta/Alpha brainwaves around or at the frequency of 7.83 Hz.

Modern electromagnetic manipulation from the electrical grid, radio stations, cell towers, WiFi routers, and other technologies have polluted the natural EMF spectrum which has lowered the signal-to-noise ration of the Schumann Resonances. In the context of health and wellness and the human bioelectrical system a noisier and less stable electromagnetic radiation background is disadvantageous.

Electromagnetic resonance between the human body and the world at large is not fantasy but scientific fact due to the physics of electromagnetism. Electromagnetic background radiation can be responsible for common health ailments like high blood pressure and anxiety (3,4).

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Okay here’s where we end the experiment!

First, tune into your breath. Just observe it, don’t change its rhythm.

Now take note of how you feel, your mood, and your recent thoughts.

How does it compare to the start of the experiment?

There can be many different outcomes from this small experiment, so please share your observations in the comments below in order to create a larger dataset. Include any relevant details that help others understand your experience better.

To continue the “experiment” of observing how you feel and your mental changes during Schumann Resonance binaural beats, combine the effect with a nature immersion guided meditation with the video above. Schumann Resonance mode two 14Hz binaural beats are combined with the pleasing white noise of different waterfalls from Oregon, USA for a calming and empowering meditation all in less than five minutes!

Naturally Produce the Schumann Resonance

Binaural beats at a frequency of 7.83Hz are a tool you can use to best position yourself to naturally produce brainwaves at a frequency of 7.83Hz. Since the Schumann Resonance is a relatively strong electromagnetic wave that exists nearly everywhere, 7.83Hz binaural beats will help you to enter into electromagnetic resonance with the Earth-generated Schumann Resonance, promoting clarity and calm while creating a stronger spiritual connection with Mother Earth. For a more complete explanation as to what the Schumann Resonance, watch The Schumann Resonance | what is it? video or scroll up to where it’s embedded at the top.

For a long-term holistic effect that will improve your well-being and assist you with your spiritual growth, I suggest you leave the 7.83Hz binaural beat video quietly on loop on a dedicated device tucked away in the corner of your house somewhere.

To make reaching the Schumann Resonance brainwave state of mind easier, I suggest drinking green tea, which naturally helps to increase Alpha brainwaves. A cup of green tea in the morning creates a far more joyful and productive day than a cup of coffee, plus your gut health improves with it and you’ll lose body fat. That’s too good of a combination not to try.

For a greater understanding of this topic, both scientifically and spiritually, I highly recommend you read the books:

• The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot

• Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov.

Disclosure: The links above are Affiliate links which do not affect your purchase price. The referral I receive helps to support the creation of new conscious media through my YouTube channel and my website Wild Free Organic. These two books have transformed my life, I highly recommend you read them thoroughly and prepare to have your world shaken in the best of ways!

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References:

1. Raymond J, Varney C, Parkinson LA, Gruzelier JH. The effects of alpha/theta neurofeedback on personality and mood. Cognitive Brain Research. 2005;23(2-3):287-292.

2. Huang TL, Charyton C. A comprehensive review of the psychological effects of brainwave entrainment. Altern Ther Health Med. 2008;14(5):38-50.

3. Mitsutake G, Otsuka K, Hayakawa M, Sekiguchi M, Cornélissen G, Halberg F. Does Schumann resonance affect our blood pressure? Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2005;59:S10-S14.

4. Ray R. Isochronic Tones in the Schumann Resonance Frequency for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Descriptive Exploratory Study. Saybrook University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2017. 10618726.

Bioelectric Field of the Heart and Resonant Electromagnetism

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Preface - To fully understand this science and logic of this article read the text and watch the videos embedded in order they are displayed. To best understand cardiovascular health the concepts explained below are fundamentally important. Bioelectricity is at the heart of how the heart works.

The heart through its iron-rich blood pumping action creates electrical currents in the body. Magnetic fields are generated from electrical currents, and resultingly the heart has a magnetic field, observable as shown with the magnetocardiogram below.

The heart sustains life, and if the heart is damaged then the body dies very rapidly, sometimes even instantly. What this tells us is that the electrical currents created by the heart are fundamentally important for life. Without an active bioelectrical field, energy stops flowing and death occurs.

We also know the physics of resonance. You can witness it when a singer shatters a crystal glass with their voice. Another easy example to understand resonance is when there are two tuning forks separated by an octave. One is struck and begins to create sound while the other an octave separate picks up the vibrational energy emitted from the first fork and begins to hum its own note in resonance. Billion dollar skyscrapers are built with with the utmost respect for the resonance frequency of the ground they rest on, and poor engineering can end in catastrophe.

So what about the heart, or larger the bioelectrical currents of the human body. Do they have resonance?

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Frequency Resonance of the Heart

The answer is yes. The physics of waveforms and frequency is the same, whether it’s electromagnetic or sound. The magnetic field of the human body is always interacting with the magnetic fields of other objects. Closest to us and largest object is the Earth, which has a massive magnetic field. The Sun and other planets have magnetic fields of their own. So does the modern electrical grid.

Note - frequency of 1 Hz means one wavelength per second. 60 Hz would be sixty cycles per minute. 0.5 Hz is one cycle every half second.

The plot above shows magnetic field noise amplitude on the Y-axis and frequency on the X-axis. This plot was created by taking the data from a magnetometer and applying a Fourier transform to it, which split the signal into it’s constituent frequencies and relative amplitudes. The graph starts at 0.5 Hz and goes all the way to 500 Hz.

The highest amplitude signal with this plot is exactly at 60 Hz. Why? The electrical grid of the United States runs at 60 Hz. 60 Hz electromagnetic noise blankets nearly the entire county, it is ubiquitous. Only in remote unelectrified wilderness is high-amplitude 60 Hz noise not observed in the background electromagnetic radiation.

The heart generates energy with a heart beat. It contracts and relaxes, pumping blood and current throughout the body, driving all activities. When energy demands increase, heart rate increases correspondingly. The average resting heart rate is 60 beats per minute. Aha! The heart being a organ which can vary its frequency to match its energy demands, can also vary its frequency when at rest to match a strong resonant electromagnetic field. When in resonance, energy flows from one system to another, and in this way the heart can conserve energy.

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Bioelectrical Resonance Frequency for Wellness and Longevity

Considering the above, we can begin to understand that resonant electromagnetism is incredibly important when considering cardiovascular health. Animals with faster heartrates die sooner.

The adult mouse has an average heartrate of 600 beats per minute (also in resonance with 60 Hz electromagnetic noise). The average mouse also only lives for 1-2 years, a short amount of time compared to a human who on average in the healthiest countries lives to 80+. On the lower frequency end of the spectrum, whales have a heartrate of 8-10 beats per minute and can live for centuries.

Fasting heartrates are linked to poor cardiovascular outcomes, and it is generally desirable to have a slower yet stronger heartrate. The issue here is resonance.

When 60 Hz noise from the electrical grid, or even higher frequency noise from other sources like cellular radiation is dominant in the background, the human bioelectrical field will resonant at those frequencies. Heartrates go up, as do health conditions.

In the preindustrial age, the dominant background electromagnetic frequency was the Schumann Resonance, which has a fundamental frequency of 7.83 Hz. Electromagnetic radiation still existed, but it came from natural phenomenon and generally would be low amplitude compared to the electromagnetic field of the Earth.

Back to our magnetic field noise plot, we see that 60 Hz noise circled in red is in fact the highest amplitude energy captured on that day at that particular location (just a normal day in the city). Even the Earth’s strong magnetic field noise we see from 0.5 to 10 Hz (the rising slope to the left) is drastically lower by orders of magnitude. If you live in an industrialized urban area, then you are exposing yourself at all times to 60 Hz electromagnetic noise and it’s harmonics (see as the many other spikes in the data).

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Wellness and Longevity Takeaways

Without fully understanding the health implications of electromagnetic energy manipulation, humans have built civilizations on top of electrical technology. From backbone 60 Hz electricity to 5G cellular now in the GHz range (millimeter wavelengths), the background electromagnetic field is being manipulated without full conscious understanding by a few and without the agreement of the collective.

In the absence of fully understanding the effects EMFs have on health and wellness, it is best to be cautious. We need to consider the time spent each day near strong magnetic fields, and more broadly the total time spent in certain electromagnetic conditions. My recommendations are as follows:

• Spend time grounded: Take your shoes and socks off at the beach or at the park and connect your bioelectrical field to the Earth. Purchase a grounded bedsheet and sleep grounded in resonance with the Earth for 8 hours every night. Doing this immediately places 1/3rd of your time everyday in resonance with the Earth, whose electromagnetic field we have coevolved with for millions of years. Grounding reduces inflammation in the body and

  • Grounded Bed Sheet - Amazon

• Limit your screen time: Using a laptop, TV, phone, or tablet increases your EMF exposure. New 5G devices rely on directional networking, which beam 600 MHz to 300 GHz high-energy EMFs directly to you.

• Wear shungite: The mineral shungite minerals has radio shielding and radio absorbing properties to reduce the levels of electromagnetic radiation with a frequency 10–30 gHz and electric fields with a frequency of 50 Hz (1).

• Limit microwave use: When in use microwaves emit strong EMFs.

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References:

1. Mosin, O. V., and Ignat Ignatov. "The structure and composition of natural carbonaceous fullerene containing mineral shungite." International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research 6.11-12 (2013): 9-21.

Gut Health for Strength Training

To Grow, you need to Eat

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated July 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

More calories need to be consumed than expended to increase lean body mass and muscle. Physical strength can increase slowly when metabolism is in homeostasis, and to gain strength at a faster rate eating 500 more calories daily will grow useful lean body mass.

So after deciding to make strength training a primary endeavor for health, it’s a known requirement to eat 250 - 500 calories per day in surplus. This additional load of food requires greater work from the gastrointestinal system, and therefore more gut stress is likely to be experienced.

The equation for increasing strength and building muscle by increasing dietary consumption is further complicated by how well food is digested.

• All food eaten is processed perfectly efficiently (100% nutrients captured)

• Food processed with occasional waste (25% not captured)

• Food processed with constantly inefficiency (50%)

• Food processed poorly (75%)

• Zero useful processing (diarrhea) or intake of calories (fasting).

If food isn’t being digested efficiently, then even if calories are consumed in excess for building muscle and strength, those calories and nutrients won’t be utilized by the body and stagnation will occur. It’s rare to be at 100% perfect food absorption or zero food absorption, and most people because of their gut health are somewhat wasteful and inefficient at absorbing everything they eat.

When the goal is to building muscle and strength, and digestion inefficiency is an unknown, then it becomes very difficult to calibrate how much extra food must be eaten to be absorbing the nutrients needed in slight excess for healthy lean body mass to be added. On top of that, if digestion is inefficient and therefore the 250-500 extra calories aren’t absorbed as desired, then if even more food is eaten in order to offset digestive inefficiency, then digestive inefficiency usually will increase even more. It’s a blurry line that makes the whole situation complicated, and it’s for this reason that having good gut health is a prerequisite for any proper strength training cycle to be successful.

Ectomorphs or hardgainers, people who struggle to gain weight yet eat a lot of food, most typically blame their lack of results on an extremely fast metabolism, and there is some truth to that, but the bigger causal factor is usually poor gut health or exaggerated food intake.

Tip - Healing the gut often will heal adrenal fatigue

How to Heal the Digestive System

The first and most important goal with wellness is to be healthy. If you’re very weak to the point of detriment, then strength training improves overall wellness.

When sticking to the goal of maximum wellness and understanding the dynamics of eating on overall anabolism it becomes clear why healing the gut is the first step in pursuing any muscle building endeavors. Once the gut is healthy and processing food consistently at above a 90% efficiency, then a serious strength training routine can be started.

Exercise is acutely stressful on the body, and it is this stress that helps stimulate the body to adapt by growing muscle and getting stronger. Exercise stress also stresses the digestive system, as exercises places a lot of force onto the muscles and tissues of the core. If the digestive system is already functioning poorly and high-intensity exercise is placed on the body, gut health decreases even further and the systemic inflammatory load is to great for adequate recovery to occur.

With a healthy and well-functioning digestive system, systemic inflammation that exercise transiently creates is resisted and nullified with normal rest and recovery. Turmeric and curcumin supplements, cannabis (CBD/THC), and piperine (derived from black pepper), all have anti-inflammatory properties that target the digestive system can also help lessen the impact of exercise stress on the gut. In addition to those useful herbs and supplements, there are a few main factors at play that determine gut health. In a loose order of importance:

• The state of the microbiome (diseased or symbiotic)

• Food eating behaviors

• Eating food allergens (creates massive inflammation)

• Food state of matter (unprocessed to super processed)

• Diversity of foods eaten (eat all the colors!)

• Macronutrient ratios

  • Too many added sugars are bad

  • Not enough fiber is bad

  • Low fat and low protein diets are suboptimal for most

• Dietary consistency (are consistent nutrients being eaten weekly?)

All these factors are important for gut heath, and if they are all not in order or functioning for an individual’s biologic needs, then there is a weakness in the diet, digestive system, and metabolism that ultimately needs to be resolved.

If more than 1 or 2 of these requirements for a well-functioning digestive system are out of balance, then it will take time, willpower, and strategy to restore gut health to optimal. Fixing one or two issues at a time in order of importance until all issues have been dealt with is the best way to proceed.

Through my own personal 10 year experience in healing my gut from a state of disease to function, I have learned how to do this, and I have written about gut health as a result.

Once the digestive system is healthy, chronic inflammation from the gut is reduced to normal levels (the normal rigors of digestion), allowing the immune and hormone systems to properly function once again. At this point the body is well primed for a strength-training program can be followed for many months or possibly years with the goal of increasing lean body mass and strength.

I have written a six month strength training routine for people who are ready to begin strength training to follow. Month one starts with full body workouts and then progresses in complexity from there. Growth enhancing methods like the Cistanche Cholesterol Protocol can also then be cycled on and off at maximum effect.

Gut Health for Strength Training

It’s important to exercise, from activities such as walking, hiking, and gardening to more vigorous activity such as lifting weights at a gym. If the digestive system is poorly functioning and the microbiome isn’t improving digestion, then stressing the body further with excessive ego-driven exercise will be a huge wellness setback. It is not recommended to completely stop exercising, but the frequency, volume, and intensity of exercise should be reduced to a beneficial baseload that allows the body to heal from other hurts.

If you are an intermediate to advanced trainee, then shifting gears to healing the gut for the long-term benefits can result in a loss of some muscle and strength in the short-term. Once the digestive system is healed and properly functioning though, when strength-training frequency and intensity is increased again, muscle memory kicks in quickly and strength and muscle quickly return. With a healthy digestive system, new muscle and central nervous system adaptations can be built at maximum efficiency and in the shortest amount of time.

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Ready to Heal Your Gut?

sale

Holistic Gut Health Guide eBook

Sale Price:$12.95 Original Price:$18.95

Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Purchase

Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

---

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Microbiome and Behavior

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated July 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

If I may usurp the microbiome throne, I would bring attention to the profound effect toggling nutrients on/off has on the human microbiome. A microbiome is a characteristic microbial community which lives in a reasonably well-defined habitat with distinct physio-chemical properties (1). Without an influx of nutrients, microbiomes cannot exist.

Fasting, this is refraining from all nutrition besides water for a length of time, is capable of completly reversing gut dsybiosis and restoring proper digestive function. Fasting is our normal physiological state in-between feeding, and the longer you go without nutrition in any form, the more pronounced effects from fasting you feel. For example the lining of the intestines, the epilithium, heals increadibly fast by up to 20% a day, when their is little-to-zero lumen in the gut.

The human body and mind require nutrition to function, and it is important for overall wellness to stay well fed with ample micronutrients, macronutrients, and other more exoctic compounds like phytonutrients. That said, solving gut dysbiosis solely through dietary and supplemental measures will be inefficient compared to methods which incorperate toggling nutrients on/off. To heal, the body requires it, and additionally microorganisms multiple increadibly fast, and can survive without nutrition themselves for some length of time. Those pathogens survive even longer if they have eroded away the muscus lining of the gut and establismed biofilms. A period of fasting can completely eliminate pathogens, biofilms, and parasites faster than it can completely eliminate the symbiotic microorganisms we want preserved. With a nutrient dense refeed schedule of the same length of the fast after the fast, no new pathogens will be introduced into the microbiome while the body reuptakes nutrients and symbionts establish new territory and multiple.

We know that their exists a bidirectional gut-brain connection wired by the nervous, blood, and endocannabinoid system. The microbiome can trigger the vagus nerve and cause behavior adjustements to the brain (2). Likewise the brain can choose which foods to eat which determine the composition of the microbiome. With a healthy microbiome, the triggering of the vagus nerve might manifest as a thought or feeling to eat vegetables or for something else you body is deficient in, such as fiber, fats, and micronutrients. When the microbiome is pathogenic, you might feel triggered to eat unhealthily, or perhaps you experience food cravings. With enough self-consciousness, it is possible to ignore this behavioral commands from the microbiome, which wants to be fed with what it wants most, and instead make an informed decision on what is best to do for your overall wellness. But when awareness is not present, then thoughts can turn into actions and be repeated into behaviors. To use a metaphor, a microbiome that triggers the brain for low nutrient quality food, has effectively compromised the central processing unit of a computer with a virus.

The most effective way to reset the gut-brain connection is to reset the digestive system. A 48-hour fast will eliminate nearly all pathogens, and with a proper refeed schedule, the microbiome can evolve to synergism. This work also requires behavioral resets, for long term gut health success cannot be had without addressing this aspect of the problem. During a fast, behavior can be reset to a more holisitic mindset as low-quality triggers are removed and replaced. For behavioral resetting, the refeed after a fast is critically important, as it is also in refeeding the body after a period of zero nutrient intake.

High calorie foods, fruits, and vegetables that are all gentle on the stomach are best. Avocados and coconut are excellent in being very nutrient dense, while fruits and vegetables provide many micronutrients in addition to paired carbs and fibers. The refeed schedule should be as long as the fast that is undertaken, with an understanding that the longer the fast the more impressive the results will likely be but all the more important it is to follow a proper refeed.

With willpower and following precise instructions, the well-grooved signals from the vagus nerve firing for junk food can be easily ignored, as new more beneficial pathways between the brain and symbionic microbiome develop. Reseting behaviors and creating new habits requires time, and any loose signals from pathogens which slip through successfully could led to the feeding they require for survival. The trick in eliminating gut dsybiosis is to make sure you understand the human mind and behavior. Just as important as the gut health protocol being followed is the behavioral protocol that needs to be assigned.

---

Ready to Heal Your Gut?

sale

Holistic Gut Health Guide eBook

Sale Price:$12.95 Original Price:$18.95

Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Purchase

Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

---

Fasting provides a neat set of instructions that gastroenterologists can issue to their patients, given proper safeties in place. As an example, if the patient is overweight, then fasting will switch the body to buring bodyfat, which may or may not contain stored toxins which will stress the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Fasting and autophagy (cellular cleanup) has been used to completely reverse auto-immune conditions, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, help patients suffering from neurological conditions such as narcolepsy, and is protective against chemotherapy treatment. Once the main systems of the body are in well-enough shape and/or controls are in place, then fasting can be prescribed clinically for people with gut-dsybiosis. Knowing the patient’s wellness situation is of utmost important before triggering such a big metabolic switch. Some questions asked may be uncomfortable, but knowing exactly what gut dsybiosis symptioms they are experiencing can be used to design the fasting and refeeding protocol. Diarrhea has to be treated differently than constipation. Mental health issues, inflammation, skin issues can all be linked to gut health issues. Bloating and gas are also signs that a patient has a microbiome dsybiosis.

Fasting removes all nutrients from the digestive system, with existing food/lumen typically emptying out completely after 48-72 hours. As the digestive system empties, the stress of digestion decreases and eventually all the organs which are involved in the digestive process can switch gears to cellular repair and regeneration. This regeneration process happens most meaningly during a fast of extended duration, with consistent intermittent fasting, or consistent OMAD (one meal a day, 24 hour fasting).

Typically after 2 days, the body switches ketogenic and bodyfat begins to be burned for energy exclusively. If toxins are stored in the bodyfat, then flu-like symptoms may be experienced, as known as keto-flu. Someone who is overweight, inactive, and with gut dsybiosis is likely to experience this, and should come prepared. There are certain herbal remedies which can increase the efficacy of a fast and also mitigate any negative symptoms experienced.

• Green tea increases fat oxidation, levels out the brain into alpha wave lengths, and is rich in plant polyphenol antioxidants which aid in the repairing of the gut (3, 4, 5, 6).

• Milk thisle flavonoids known as Silymarin support liver function by maintaining protective glutathione levels (7).

• Turmeric curcuminoids and other turmeric compounds it possesses are rapidily taken up by the gut and are powerful antioxidant healers and more important powerfully anti-inflammatory (8, 9)

• Sulforaphane has these functions too, being a powerful anti-inflammatory derived from cruciferous vegetables, targeting the bloodstream better than turmeric, improving immune functon throughout the body (10)

• Papaya enzymes can aid in digesting food, especially for the first few refeed meals after a fast when the microbiome is still newly reshaped and growing.

• Wormwood, clove, black walnut hull, and oregano oil are natural adaptogenic antimicrobials, killing pathogens and parasites while being gentle on symbiotic microorganisms.

Natural herbs like these can be used to assist in the evolving of the microbiome and behavioral transition from low-quality to high-quality vagus nerve triggers. The microbiome will always be able to influence the mind of its host, but it can be done symbiotically and cooperatively.

Beneficial behaviors need to be established to ensure minimal to zero gut-health issues continuing forward. Additionally, A well-rounded diet of fats, carbs + fibers, protein, and diverse micronutrients, from relatively unprocessed superior quality sources (organic, non-gmo, pasture-raised) will ensure the gut functions normally, and therefore all nutrients the body and mind receive henceforth are of the highest bioavailibilty. “You are what you eat”, and this truth has not changed.

The mind and body cannot function to their maximum possible potential when low-quality nutrients are being received, the culprit of which is behavior. Low-quality behavioral food patterns people have existed and relied on for years now can be difficult to reset. In this instance, a longer month-long period consiting of many shorter fasts, or a single long fast, can be successfull in repatterning behavior. A single long fast of seven days is shorter in total duration than a month from a patterning standpoint, but more difficult to execute safely and to the benefit of the patient. A month long period of intermittent fasting with 48 hour fasts once a week will be similarily effective in repatterning, but possibly be harder to execute as willpower drains over time.

In either setting, if the patient sticks to the protocol 80% effective and no medical emergency is encountered, then success will have been made in evolving the microbiome and repatterning food behaviors. The more precisely followed the fasting and refeeding schedules, the more effective the strategies will be. Conscious awareness of the gut must developed by the patient for long-term success, and it is the hope that a strict fasting/refeeding schedule, plus keeping a daily digestive system journal, establishes this long term gut-microbiome-wellness consciousness. Cannabis usage can assist with this, and when CBD dominant flower is dry-vaporized, it also calms inflammation in the gut (11), inflammation being a key ingredient in developing a systemic disease such as an auto-immune condition (12), heart-disease, or cancer. Most diseases begin in the gut.

Once gut consciousness is developed, then whatever further tools/protocols the patient has experienced and knows to work will be willingly reused to further improve the situation. Stabilizing the mind during the day (feeding hours) to alpha brainwaves from the L-theanine in green tea makes resetting food behaviors easier to accomplish as the brain is functioning at a higher cognitive level. When having green tea consitnetly for this purpose and its other benefits, it is then important to be mindful of the effects caffeine has on the body and circadian rhythm. Lastly alcohol is to be completely avoiding during any gut healing endeavor. Alcohol kills microorganisms indiscriminately, stresses the liver, and throws metabolism into haywire. Alcohol is not good for wellness and will not help the patient establish a healthy symbiotic microbiome.

With this information and theory now laid out, we will now establish the framework in more specific actionable details. Let’s start with a simple 48 hour fast and refeed schedule.

48-Hour Fast and Refeed Instructions:

Schedule

Day Zero - 3 meals, fast begins (after dinner)

• The last meal eaten will be dinner, with no food happening after 6 pm. The meal can be what the patient decides, but with an emphasis on being healthy. Two servings of squash (~300 grams) will be included with this meal and is the last thing to be eaten, all together.

• 1 gallon (4 liters) of filtered water will be spread out and consumed daily. 16 oz before bed and immediately after waking are a good place to start.

• At 6 pm day 0, the digestive system of the body is filled completely up. If the patient had 3 meals that day, then their stomach, small intestine, and large intestine will all contain food, lumen, and partly individualistic microbiomes. By 9 pm, the stomach is now empty and begining to repair from the stress of digestion. After sleeping a full eight hours, by 8 am the patient is now 14 hours into the 48 hour fast. A 16 hour intermittent faster would refeed at 10 am with this schedule.

Day One - Fasting, 1 gallon water

• With a 48 hour fast, no food is eaten though at this 16 hour mark. Instead, a cup of green tea can be had anytime in the morning, from 6 am to 10 am. This is determined by every individuals unique circadian rhythm. The green tea assists the healing process in the stomach and also the small intestine as food moves out of there. Green tea also provides clarity of thought through alpha eave generation. If well-fed on day 0, day 1 of a fast is typically easy to achieve and of high energy. If feeding on day 0 was sporactic and lacking nutrients, then day 1 will be harder as the dysbiotic microbiome begins triggers the gut-brain connection for nutrients of any quality.

• By 6 pm day 1, 24 hours have elapsed, and when performing a short 24 hour fast to control food cravings, you would refeed here. This is known as OMAD, or one meal a day. As night settles in, energy demands decrease, and with a little extra willpower, it is not difficult to begin getting ready for sleep and go to sleep without eating.

Day Two - Fasting plus first refeed meal (dinner)

• After another 8 hours of restful sleep, by 8 am on day two 38 hours of fasting have been completed. With zero food intake, the brain has begun its own cellular cleanup, pruning synapses associated with the low-quality behaviors we’re selecting against. 10 more hours o no food and just water takes the patient to their first refeed meal.

• By 8 am day 2, one or more bowel movements will have occured since the start of the fast, and now the stomach and small intestine are completely emptied of lumen. The large intestine may or may not have fully emplied yet depending on the patients gut motility. Another cup of green tea has the same helpful benefits as before on day 1, and now also sulforaphane and milk thistle can be added for liver and blood support. A dsybiotic gut typically has weak tight-junctions, and therefore inflammatory particles and microorganisms can slip into the blood stream, causing a base-load immune response.

• Energy and behavioral volatility may be experienced during the final 10 hours of the fast from 8 am to 6 pm. Ensuring the patient has a low-stress easy routine set for the duration of the 48 hour fast helps the patient stay on-track and safe with their fasting schedule. Walking helps to energize the body and stablize energy levels, while some downtime focused on simple mental activities like meditation, writing, reading, or watching educational content are easy to pass the time with, requiring little calories. For fasting to be maximally successful and safe for resetting the digestive system and gut dysbiosis, these lifestyle factors need to be communicated to the patient and understood for their importance. Heavy exercise is best avoided during a fast, though certain types of yoga are fine, like yin yoga.

• At 6 pm of day 2, the first refeed dinner is eaten. The food ingredients for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner refeed meals are below. This refeed dinner is light and easy to digest, easing the digestive system back into work and reestablishing a more productive symbiotic microbiome. Papaya enzyme is used here to help break down the food. Eating small bites and chewing each bite thoroughly will reduce food particle size and therefore reduce the demands on the microbiome to process the nutrients down into sizes that can pass into the bloodstream. No food after the dinner refeed, just water if thirsty.

Day Three - Refeed

• The 48 hour fast has been broken by the first dinner refeed meal, but this meal also marks the beginning of a 16 hour fast, from dinner to brunch. This intermittent fast will make it very clear to the patient how they respond to the dinner they ate since their will be no food before or after it for 16 hours. Intermittent fasts are benifically healthy in numerous ways (13).

• From 10 am to 12 pm the patient can refeed with either a large breakfast or lunch. This meal will be the primary caloric replenishing meal for the patient after the fast, as the first refeed dinner was small in order to ease the patient back into digestion.

• After brunch, no snacks are consumed other than some nuts or pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are calorically dense with healthy fats, contain appreciable fiber and protein, and are high in commonly deficient minerals. Pumpkin seeds are also good at killing parasites.

• 1 gallon of filtered water is consumed evenly throughout the day.

• At 6 pm the second refeed dinner is eaten. This meal is the same as it was on day 2 just larger in volume. No food is consumed after dinner.

Day Four - Refeed

• Now the patient can decide to resume a 3 times a day eating schedule (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or a 2 meals a day feeding structure, breakfast + dinner or lunch + dinner being the most common. If the 2 meal structure is preferred, then day three can be repeated. For the purpose of this guide, we will guide the patient back to a 3 meal food schedule.

• At 8 am a refeed breakfast is eaten, with no snacking in-between breakfast and lunch.

• At 12 pm a refeed lunch is eaten, with some snacking of nuts or pumpkin seeds allowed in-between lunch and dinner.

• 1 gallon of filtered water is consumed evenly throughout the day.

• At 6 pm the final refeed dinner is eaten, and then the patient can begin making their own food choices hopefully guided by increased gut-health consciousness and better behaviors. If following a month long plan, then this 3 meals a day or intermittent fasting schedule focusing on food quality and no food alergens is followed until the next 48 hour fast, one week later.

In this way, after multiple repititions, the microbiome will have been sufficiently reset to symbiosis, the brain will have pruned bad synapses, and food behaviors will have been changed. Within this framework is the task of making sure the patient consumes enough calories and required macro and micronutrients over the entire duration of the digestive reset. If the patient is carrying excess bodyfat, then the caloric concern is not as warranted, but stored toxins in the bodyfat, and the potential flu-like symptoms that might be encountered during detoxifying must be considered clinically.

By the end of the full month, or even just after a single four day bout, especially if journaling all aspects of gut health, symptoms, experiences, feelings, and thoughts was done, the patient will now be much more cognisant and mindful of their gut health, diet, mental state, and how they are all connected. Journaling for 1-2 months is typically successful in identifying any food intolerances or allergies they might have without the need for an elimination diet. For patients with these or suspected having these issues, intermittent fasting is more effective in intolerance/allergy diagnosis than a 3 meals a day schedule, as there will be less blurring of the effects between different meals.

Refeed Meals

Dinner

1. 10.5 oz (300 grams) squash (butternut, zucchini) lightly roasted

2. 2 oz (55 g) of raw mixed salad greens and/or spinach. No additions or dressing

3. 1 large avocado

4. 3 oz (85 g) Cassava chips

Notes: The first refeed meal on day 2 will be half the amounts above. Avocado and cassava chips are eaten first providing the body with much needed fats and elecrolytes. After 48 hours of fasting the body will now be ketogenic so the fats from the avocado will be processed efficiently. The carbs from the cassava chips will begin shifting the body back out of ketosis gently. Next the bulk of the meal is eaten, which is squash. Zucchini and butternet squash contain good fiber, helping to scrub the intestines clean, and is a natural food source for symbioic microorganisms which otherwise might exist in nature on the vegetable itself or in the soil. Eaten last are the salad greens, containing ample water-soluable micronutrients as well as fiber and protein. Food timing is important.

Note: Buying all organic non-gmo foods is important for the refeeding process. Whoever undergoes this fasting schedule is not just refeeding themselves with food but also the makings of a new microbiome. The patient is best served consuming the lowest amounts of pesticides possible and food grown from healthy soil. Washing fruits and vegetables with a baking soda rinse helps to remove pesticide residues. Organic food from a farmer’s market is ideal and still cost-effective.

Lunch

1. 1 orange

2. 1 cup of cooked brown rice

3. Protein - Either 4 oz (114 g) of mushrooms, beans, or fish protein. No beef, poultry, or pork.

4. 1 oz (28 g) of a fermented food like kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, kombucha, or others.

5. 2 oz (55 g) of raw mixed salad greens and/or spinach. Olive oil and soy sauce can be added as a dressing.

Notes: The orance is eaten first in order to grow the microbiome, improving its ability to digest the incoming meal. Then the rice, protein, and fermented food is eaten. The salad is eaten last. Chopsticks are best used for this meal, as it forces smaller bites to be taken and lengthens the time it takes to complete the meal, improving digestion. Raw unpasteurized nuts or pumpkin seeds can be snacked on to satiety after this meal through to dinner, also contributing their microbiome communities to the symbiotic one you are establishing in your gut.

Breakfast

1. 2-3 large pasture-raised eggs

2. 1 potato (homefries, hashbrowns, baked), using butter or avocado/olive oil. Ketchup may be used.

3. Fruits or a fruit smoothie (1 orange, 1 banana, 1 lemon, 10-15 strawberries).

Notes: For vegans, the eggs can be replaced with mushrooms, beans, or lentils. The strawberries can also be used with or replaced by other berries like blueberries. Organic strawberries have signifigantly less pesticides and are the recommended purchase. The potato contains resistant starch, carbs, and many micronutrients. These 3 foods can be eaten simultaneously and will provide a very solid base of nutrition and energy for many hours. Eat to satiation but don’t stuff your stomach till you’re unconfortably full. Listen to your body and stop eating when appropriate. Therefore these recommended amounts of foods are variable based on individual needs and wellness preferences.

Supplemental Help (natural herbs)

For the herbs prescribed above, here is the dosage information and high-quality sources you can purchase. Not all these need to be used, though at a minimum the green tea is highly recommended as it makes fasting signifigantly easier.

Green Tea

• 1-2 cups a day inbetween 8 am and 4 pm.

Milk Thistle

• 200-300 mg Silymarin daily, taken with lunch.

Papaya Enzymes

• 1-2 servings of papaya enzymes, taken with dinner. Can be taken with other meals too if desired.

Turmeric

• 2-3 grams of turmeric powder, with or without standardized curcuminoids. Taken with breakfast or incorperated in food (avocado is a good choice, the fats present improving the bioavailibility of the curcuminoids).

Sulforaphane

• 50 - 100 mg a day, taken with lunch. Easy sources include brocolli sprouts, cabbage, or in supplemental form.

Wormwood, Clove, Black Walnut Hull

• 5-15 pills of SCRAM taken after dinner

Oregano Oil

• 300-400 mg taken after dinner.

In the context of a 48 hour fast and 2 day refeed, these herbal supplements are fine to take and will improve outcomes, but should not be taken daily forever. For a gut flareup, SCRAM, oregano oil, and turmeric work well. Papaya enzymes can be used to help food digestion. Sulforaphane is a powerful anti-inflammatory which can be used for any reason (gut flareup, headache, viral infection, injury). Milk thistle should only be used when placing the liver under stressful conditions (drinking alcohol, fasting if overweight/obese, prescription or commercial drug use).

4 Days to Success

With this theory of the digestive system, microbiome, behaviors, and neurology established, it is easy to understand the power of fasting in reversing gut dsybiosis. Fasting intelligently prescribed toggles the nutrient on/off master switch, from which cascades a series of important biological events such as autophagy, ketosis, and synaptic pruning. Once this reality of health is experienced and understood by the patient, then they have a powerful tool they can use to favorably alter their gut health at any point in the future given certain safety precautions best discussed with their primary care physician. Sometimes a 16 hour fast is all that is needed, other times longer duration fasts are more effective in healing the digestive system and guiding the microbiome to a more symbiotic state.

Our health is our responsibility, and it is up to us to make the most important health desicions there are to make. If you have a suspecicion that something is wrong with your gut, then you’re probably right. Normal gut function is 1-2 regular wipeless poops a day with no gas or bloating. Yes that is possible. No one can do for you what you need to do to establish a healthy digestive system, but clinicians, doctors, and natural health practitioners can guide you along the way. When not in a state of dire need, natural alternatives are safer than prescription drugs and much more gentle on the detoxifying organs of the body.

Fasting is one of the master switches for wellness, and much care must be taken when undergoing any fasting technique. If at any point blood sugar drops dangeously low and the patient feels dizzy, stablilize by sitting down and consume the refeed diner asap, no matter the time. It takes practice to improve your ability to fast without nutrients for extended periods of time, this is especially true for increase fat oxidation and metabolism. Once stabalized and healthy a few days later, the 48 hour fast can be attempted again, hopefully more successfully. The average 1st world citizen has never gone without food for more than 24 hours, and while the biology of the human body can go without food potentially for months, it is best to take the exploration of fasting for health cautiously and patiently. Green tea fasting is highly recommended as it increases the odds of success by aiding in the gut healing process, altering brain wave activity, and increasing fat oxidation.

The tea I use for my green tea fasts, from intermittent to 72+ hours, is Pique Tea. Pique Tea uses cold brew extracted green tea leaf products from pesticide-free sources for maximum potenency (antioxidant capability, polyphenols) and reduced risk of chemical exposure. They sell green tea blends specifically for fasting, of which I prefer their matcha and ginger Green Tea Power Bundle, as well as a variety of other green teas, herbal teas, and immune support products. If you use the coupon code WILDFREEORGANIC, you’ll receive 5% off your order and help support Wild Free Organic in funding operations. Amazon referral links also help support Wild Free Organic.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

References:

1. Berg G, Rybakova D, Fischer D, et al. Microbiome definition re-visited: old concepts and new challenges. Microbiome. 2020;8(1):103.

2. Bonaz B, Bazin T, Pellissier S. The vagus nerve at the interface of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Front Neurosci. 2018;12:49.

3. Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, et al. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999;70(6):1040-1045.

4. Cooper R. Green tea and theanine: health benefits. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2012;63(sup1):90-97.

5. Kubo Isao, Muroi Hisae, Himejima Masaki. Antimicrobial activity of green tea flavor components and their combination effects. J Agric Food Chem. 1992;40(2):245-248.

6. Benzie IFF, Szeto YT, Strain JJ, Tomlinson B. Consumption of green tea causes rapid increase in plasma antioxidant power in humans. Nutrition and Cancer. 1999;34(1):83-87.

7. Hackett ES, Twedt DC, Gustafson DL. Milk thistle and its derivative compounds: a review of opportunities for treatment of liver disease. J Vet Intern Med. 2013;27(1):10-16.

8. Tilak JC, Banerjee M, Mohan H, Devasagayam TPA. Antioxidant availability of turmeric in relation to its medicinal and culinary uses. Phytother Res. 2004;18(10):798-804.

9. Aggarwal BB, Yuan W, Li S, Gupta SC. Curcumin-free turmeric exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities: Identification of novel components of turmeric. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013;57(9):1529-1542.

10. Guerrero-Beltrán CE, Calderón-Oliver M, Pedraza-Chaverri J, Chirino YI. Protective effect of sulforaphane against oxidative stress: Recent advances. Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology. 2012;64(5):503-508.

11. Goyal H, Singla U, Gupta U, May E. Role of cannabis in digestive disorders: European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2017;29(2):135-143.

12. De Luca F, Shoenfeld Y. The microbiome in autoimmune diseases. Clin Exp Immunol. 2019;195(1):74-85.

13. Mattson MP, Longo VD, Harvie M. Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing Research Reviews. 2017;39:46-58.

How to get Rid of Parasites

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

From disturbing television shows like Monsters Inside Me to parasite warnings given to those traveling out of country, the threat of parasites looms in the public conscious, but is rarely given real serious thought. Most often, parasites are only believed to affect those living in third world countries, or our beloved cat and dog companions…the truth unfortunately is much more disturbing.

Talking about parasites that possibly live in the digestive system (or worse) isn’t a feel good topic, but it’s important because unless you know you’re free of parasites, it’s a possible pathogenic attack vector that can influence your behavior and damager your health. At the end of this article you’ll be armed with tasty foods you can add to your diet which will deter parasites and a more complex anti-parasite action plan. For anyone interested in gut health this is a topic that requires familiarization.

Unidentified hookworm on the left, and a Strongyloides sp. filariform staged larvae on the right

How Many People have Parasites?

At minimum 14% of the U.S. population has been exposed to Toxocara, and more than 60 million people in the United States are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis (an unfun situation). Another very common parasite affecting 3+ million people in the United States is Trichomonas, and another 300,000 people are infected with the parasite that causes Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. These numbers totaled form a significant portion of the U.S. population, a country with “low parasite prevalence”. As most parasite infections go undiagnosed and scientific studies carried aren’t comprehensive in scope, the actual percentage of the population infected with parasites is likely much higher.

From the CDC:

A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. Parasites can cause disease in humans. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not.

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Are you Ready to Heal your Gut and Microbiome?

This article on parasite removal is packed full of useful and actionable information, and I highly encourage you to read it, but if you’re tired of reading and piecing information together from various articles to find the gut health answers you seek, then the Holistic Gut Health Guide is for you. I wrote the Holistic Gut Health Guide to best help you heal any gut and microbiome dysbiosis problems you may have by providing you the best scientific and holistic information available on the topic and then educating you on the most effective natural methods I personally used to heal the severe gut health problems I had for many years. No gut health problems are unsolvable, and I’m here to help you solve yours.

Holistic Gut Health Guide

Price: $12.95 $18.95

Information:

• 88 Pages, 12 Chapters

• Published July 2022

Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on. Gut health problems range from inconvenient to debilitating and are never fun to experience, and luckily healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards greater symbiosis can be done safely and effectively using natural methods like dietary and lifestyle changes, fasting, herbalism, certain exercises, and more. The Holistic Gut Health Guide provides the information and framework you need to finally heal your gut and begin enjoying the best health of your life.

In this eBook I share what I’ve learned works for me and others I’ve helped as well as the best available science on gut health. Not everything I discuss is backed by rigorous science. Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge yet, but considering its effectiveness I believe it will be with greater public awareness and time. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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Helminthic Therapy

Parasites, since they feed from their host either directly or indirectly, rob the host of energy and cause fatigue, lethargy, and anemia. In most situations, having a parasite infection is a serious health concern (1). Since parasites are able to interact with their hosts in very complicated ways, in rare circumstances having a parasitic infection will alleviate the symptoms of larger health concerns.

For example a tapeworm can mitigate the effects of gross calorie overconsumption by feeding on those nutrients itself, or a parasite can feed off elevated blood sugar levels, helping to lower blood glucose to more normal parameters. Parasites have also been shown to have interesting effects for those with autoimmune issues (mostly digestive based), as the parasite unwillingly will redirect the immune response away from the body onto itself. Helminthic therapy as it’s known is being researched for therapeutic uses, but in almost all health situations being completely free of parasites is best.

Parasites can Alter Behavior

If you suspect you have a parasite infection or think you felt them moving, the feeling can be sickening. Coming to the realization that parasites live inside you will create a strong visceral reaction of wanting them out of your body. And there is good reason for this visceral reaction because parasites can kill. Parasites can also influence human behavior (2, 3), making you do things that perhaps you might not have otherwise. Parasite driven behaviors can manifest as unhinged outburst, anger, a craving for sugary foods, and other self-destructive behaviors.

What can develop is a “parasite brain”. Just like how a pathogenic microbiome releases strong neurotransmitters that cause food cravings, a desire for junk food, and fatigue, parasites can exhibit similar effects on the body and mind. Unless you have strong conscious awareness of every action you take and how you feel, parasites and the microbiome can sometimes highjack behavior as described, influencing your actions in a way that best suits their survival instead of yours.

How Parasite Infection Occurs

1. Drinking contaminated water

2. Eating uncooked or undercooked meat

3. Exposure to feces

Typically, the parasite enters the body through the digestive system, and some parasites live permanently in the digestive system. Worms are the most common digestive parasite, and these can be roundworms, tapeworms, threadworms, hookworms, and more. Amoebae and other microorganisms are also common. Tapeworms as long as 30 ft and greater have been extracted from unfortunate folks around the world, and tapeworms can live for up to 30 years, causing long-term serious health issues which are difficult to diagnose.

Parasites found in bad water include guinea worm, schistosomiasis, amebiasis, cryptosporidiosis (Crypto), and giardiasis. To avoid catching parasites from contaminated water, boil the water for 10-15 minutes or use a backpacking water filter.

Parasites from sushi are dramatically on the rise, having increased 283‐fold for Anisakis spp. from 1978 to 2015 (4). Fish farming is to blame, with heavily polluted unnatural conditions existing in most farmed fish operations worldwide. To reduce your risk of parasites from raw fish, always consume sushi, nigiri, and/or sashimi with a lot of raw ginger, and buy only wild caught or New Zealand sustainably farmed fish.

The most common parasite from pork is Taenia solium, otherwise known as the pork tapeworm, which can infect the digestive system, muscles, and brain of its host. The pork tapeworm can be contracted when eating uncooked meat, and has been fatal in thousands of cases, with victims having had their brains and muscles eaten out by the larvae. With the modern livestock industry raising pigs in deplorable conditions, it is best to avoid all pork, both for your health, and also to reduce your risk of contracting Taenia solium.

The most common parasite contracted by humans from feces is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis. Mice infected with toxoplasmosis exhibit changed behavior, actively seeking out areas smelling of cat urine (whereas normal mice avoid these areas). The full effects of Toxoplasma gondii on humans is not known, but headache, poor coordination, confusion, and seizures can occur. Most infections are asymptomatic, but if the infection becomes latent, then tissue cysts can form and persist for the lifetime of the host. These cysts and the latent infection is associated with numerous disease burdens and neural alterations.

This is not an exhaustive list of what parasites humans can get, merely a glimpse.

Where Parasites Live in the Human Body

As discussed, parasites can infect both the digestive system, which is still “outside” the tissues of the body, and also human body tissues such as muscle and brain tissue. Most commonly, parasites live in the digestive system, and are members of the microbiome. From mouth to anus, the digestive system is the path food and water travels through the body so nutrients can be absorbed for metabolism and growth. Until nutrients both from broken down food and metabolites produced by the microbiome (such as short-chain fatty acids) pass through the gut-blood barrier and into the blood stream they still exist outside the body. Weak tight junctions of the gut make it easy for microbes and parasites to slip into the nutrient-rich blood stream, causing a chronic immune response and systemic inflammation, which if left unaddressed will lead to autoimmune issues, food intolerances/allergies, and potentially life threatening diseases like IBD, Crohn’s, and Celiac disease.

If you’re wondering how to get rid of parasites in humans, the digestive system is the best place to start. There exist herbal supplements that contain herbs rich in tannins which are tough on parasites but relatively easy on the body. Synthetic anti-parasitic drugs are very strong, and unless you have a serious infection as diagnosed by a medical professional, it is better for your health and understanding of the situation to start with natural remedies. This is especially true for those who don’t have hard evidence of a parasite infection, but want a non-damaging way to investigate and potentially flush parasites out of their digestive system.

Natural anti-parasitic remedies like wormwood, clove, oregano oil, and black walnut hull are very effective at killing parasites at all their different life cycles (5), and when these herbs are combined with fasting, parasites can be expelled rapidly and the digestive system can heal fully. A full parasite removal plan is below, but first let’s diagnose the symptoms of having parasites.

How to Know if you Have Parasites?

Intestinal parasites like simple energy sources like sugar, so the first thing to do which will help dramatically with a parasite cleanse is to break a sugar addiction if you have one and remove all added sugars from the diet. Eliminating excess sugar an other empty calories has it’s own wellness benefits in addition to helping starve out parasites. If you’re struggling and eating too much sugar, the best thing to take away from this article is to master your sugar consumption. Many of the 100+ health issues common today are born out of a poor diet, bad gut health, and chronic inflammation, and without the right dietary conditions in place, no parasite removal plan will ultimately be successful.

Parasite infections can cause a slew of health issues, and these unfortunate health symptoms can also be caused by other factors. It is important when discovering your health problems and fixing them to patiently pursue all possibilities and experiment safely. With time and faith, the root causes of your health issues can be identified and the appropriate dietary, environmental, and behavioral changes can be made to return to good health and wellness.

You might have a parasite infection if you have any of the following chronic health issues:

• Anemia

• Chronic fatigue

• Muscle pain

• Constipation and gas

• Diarrhea

• Itchy anus

• Bloating and cramping

• Joint pain

• Jaw pain

• Teeth grinding (bruxism)

• Insomnia

• Hives, rashes

The more overlapping symptoms from above you have, the more important it is to uncover if your gut health is as it should be and to do what you can to improve your situation.

Natural Treatment for Parasites

As already discussed, the first step for parasites is to eliminate sugar from the diet. Added sugars, heavily processed acellular carbs (i.e. flour), and junk food must all go. Following the FoodFast Method is one way of improving diet while also incorporating fasting for maximum health benefit.

The second thing that can be done is to include anti-parasitic foods into the diet. These foods are natural and healthy, with pumpkin seeds (6), garlic (7), and dried papaya seeds (8) being especially effective. Lectin found in cucumber seeds have also shown promise for intestinal parasite therapy (9). The compounds and oils found in these four foods are anti-parasitic and anti-microbial while not being harmful to human health.

Pumpkin seeds in particular are a very nutrient-dense food which should be added to the diet regardless of parasite or not.

Cucumber, garlic, pumpkin seeds, and papaya seeds can also be eaten preventatively to ward off parasites.

The third step would be fasting; abstaining from food for a period of 24-72 hours. A 48 hour fast is excellent at resetting the digestive system, helping to heal the tissues of the gut while also shifting the microbiome to a more helpful symbiotic state. A 24-48 hour fast is easily accomplished with a little bit of preparation and common sense and will starve or seriously stress any parasites living in the intestinal tract. The stress from nutrient deprivation weakens pathogens, making the other other steps taken more effective, particularly step 4.

The fourth step is to supplement with natural anti-parasitic herbs like oregano oil, wormwood, clove, and black walnut hull, which parasites can be directly killed by. A combination of these herbs can be found in natural parasite cleansing supplements, and typically a herbal parasite cleanse is run for 14-30 days. These four herbs used together will kill adult, larvae, and eggs.

The supplement I recommend for this is SCRAM by HealthForce SuperFoods. I purchased SCRAM for my own experimentation, and I was impressed by the quality of the product. All the ingredients are TruGanic certified, which means they are third-party tested for botanical identity, pesticides, GMOs, heavy metals, microbiological activity, and gluten. Opening up the bottle, you can smell the intense aroma of the clove, and with a dosing of 10 caps a day, you’re receiving enough active ingredient to kill and drive parasites out of the body.

To condense and summarize, parasites can be removed from the body using a four step method.

Parasite Cleanse

1. Remove added sugars, acellular carbs, and junk food from the diet.

2. Incorporate anti-parasitic foods into the diet like pumpkin seeds, cucumber, garlic, and oregano.

3. Begin fasting occasionally, starting with 16 and 24 hours fasts and progressing to 48+ hour fasts as safe and appropriate. Green tea fasting is particularly effective.

4. Run a natural anti-parasitic supplement protocol involving oregano oil, wormwood, clove, and black walnut hull. I recommend using oregano oil and SCRAM.

My Experience with SCRAM

On the supplement label, it is stated that SCRAM can be used to:

“Help promote optimum microbial balance and cleansing in individuals with a healthy digestive system and intestinal tract”

When I first began using SCRAM, I was already at the very end of a years-long journey to heal my gut. For me, doing a parasite cleanse was the final item on the checklist. Even though my gut health was exceptional at the time, I wanted to explore all avenues, and using SCRAM (which could also help further balance my microbiome) was a good idea.

I purchased two bottles so I could run the parasite cleanse for longer than the typical 17 days. I ran the full SCRAM protocol of 10 pills a day for 22 days.

I never noticed any negatives from using SCRAM. Many people report experiencing a deep cleansing of their gut (diarrhea), but since my gut was healthy, it easily adapted to the anti-microbial effects of the supplement. I apparently don’t have any parasites in my digestive system, because I found no traces in my stool. What I noticed using SCRAM is that it was a great supplement for balancing the microbiome.

5-10 pills of SCRAM a day will kill off any pathogenic microorganisms causing gas or bloating, normalize intestinal motility, and firm up stools. This effect can cause slight constipation at the beginning for a couple days. Outside of using SCRAM for a dedicated parasite removal, they can also be used whenever the gut feel unbalanced and requires a little help.

I was surprised by how well packed these pills are, the herbal mixture came out fluffy and was very pleasantly aromatic. You’re getting a great value with SCRAM

A parasite cleanse involving oregano oil and a product like SCRAM is best done with a gut that is already in okay shape. While I wouldn’t say that supplementing with SCRAM was particularly stressful, any change to a digestive system already at maximum stress can cause problems. In instances like that, fasting or a liquid diet are the two things which can begin healing the gut.

SCRAM is a safe an effective supplement, but it’s step four because steps 1-3 are more important as it relates to parasite removal. If the digestive system is unhealthy or diseased due to many different factors, a parasite cleanse will not solve all the problems present and may complicate the situation. When you begin pushing back against parasites and/or a pathogenic microbiome, the microorganisms that are being selected against will be everything they can to improve their situation, from increasing junk food cravings to creating irrational mental urges and behaviors through neurotransmitter production.

Having a sound diet is the foundation of all health success, and for parasite cleansing it’s no different.

Confirming your Results

When parasites leave the body you’ll find them or pieces of them in the stool. Some parasites are too small for detection while some parasites like worms are visible to the eye in stool. Parasites found in stool can be alarming, but this is a good sign that treatment is effective. If doing everything right and no parasites are found, then there was likely no parasite infection in the first place. If you suspect that you still have parasites, then visit a medical professional for an assessment and possibly more serious treatment.

As it relates to all health matters, you have to trust your gut instincts. Best of luck!

References:

1. Alum A, Rubino JR, Ijaz MK. The global war against intestinal parasites—should we use a holistic approach? International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2010;14(9):e732-e738.

2. Flegr J. Effects of toxoplasma on human behavior. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 2007;33(3):757-760.

3. Thornhill R, Fincher CL, Murray DR, Schaller M. Zoonotic and non-zoonotic diseases in relation to human personality and societal values: support for the parasite-stress model. Evol Psychol. 2010;8(2):147470491000800.

4. Fiorenza EA, Wendt CA, Dobkowski KA, et al. It’s a wormy world: Meta‐analysis reveals several decades of change in the global abundance of the parasitic nematodes Anisakis spp. and Pseudoterranova spp. in marine fishes and invertebrates. Glob Change Biol. 2020;26(5):2854-2866.

5. Tagboto S, Townson S. Antiparasitic properties of medicinal plants and other naturally occurring products. In: Advances in Parasitology. Vol 50. Elsevier; 2001:199-295.

6. Li T, Ito A, Chen X, et al. Usefulness of pumpkin seeds combined with areca nut extract in community-based treatment of human taeniasis in northwest Sichuan Province, China. Acta Tropica. 2012;124(2):152-157.

7. Ankri S, Mirelman D. Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic. Microbes and Infection. 1999;1(2):125-129.

8. Okeniyi JAO, Ogunlesi TA, Oyelami OA, Adeyemi LA. Effectiveness of dried carica papaya seeds against human intestinal parasitosis: a pilot study. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2007;10(1):194-196.

9. Mukherjee PK, Nema NK, Maity N, Sarkar BK. Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber. Fitoterapia. 2013;84:227-236.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Gut Health

5 Incredible Health Benefits to Pumpkin Seeds

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Pumpkins are a large squash that can grow to exceptional size, used the world over for Fall decorations and made into pumpkin-flavored treats like pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes. The real treasure of the pumpkin is their seeds. Pumpkin seeds have many notable health benefits, from their excellent micronutrient and macronutrient profiles to their anti-microbial and anti-parasitic effects. Learn the top five reasons why you should regularly include pumpkin seeds into your diet.

In a world that’s go go go and fixated on supplements for correcting nutrient deficiencies, pumpkin seeds are the ultimate snack. Pumpkin seeds are very high in zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, and phosphorus, while also having appreciable amounts of vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin E, and choline. If you are taking a supplement for one of the minerals listed above, you can replace it by adding pumpkin seeds to you diet!

Pumpkin Seeds Micronutrients

Pumpkin seeds are packed full of vitamins and minerals and are especially notable as a rich source of magnesium and zinc, minerals deficient in most of the modern population. A ¼ cup of dried and shelled pumpkin seeds contains 64% DV manganese, 57% DV phosphorus, 48% DV copper, 45% DV magnesium, and 23% DV zinc. Pumpkin seeds also contain appreciable amounts of B vitamins 1, 3, 5, and 9 as well as choline and vitamin E. The recommended daily value for magnesium is 400 mg, and ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds contains half that amount.

Pumpkin Seeds are High in Minerals

Values from a 1/4 cup of dried and shelled pumpkin seeds. Y-axis is % Daily Value

Pumpkin Seeds Notable Vitamins

Values from a 1/4 cup of dried and shelled pumpkin seeds. Y-axis is % Daily Value

Magnesium deficiency can cause high blood pressure, reduce vitamin D synthesis, worsen asthma, lead to sleep disorders like insomnia, cause mental illness, and increase bone fragility. Pumpkin seeds because of their high magnesium content can be incorporated into the diet to help improve sleep quality and reduce mental illness. Low levels of zinc can weaken the immune system, delay growth, lower testosterone levels, can cause psychological disorders, and reduce the ability to heal from wounds. Solely for the magnesium and zinc eating pumpkin seeds is highly beneficial, and eating pumpkin seeds has other major health benefits in addition to those two minerals.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant best known for its ability to minimize damage from free radicals. The recommended daily intake of vitamin E is 15 mg/day, and only 21% of the global population reaches this threshold daily (1). What’s unique about the vitamin E found in pumpkin seeds is that it comes in a wide variety of forms, with alpha-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, alpha-tocomonoenol, and gamma-tocomonoenol all being versions of vitamin E found in pumpkin seeds. Alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active form of vitamin E, yet gamma-tocopherol is the most common form found in the North American diet, and pumpkin seeds contain both.

The vitamin E content of pumpkin seeds is a good illustration of the concept of vitamin and mineral complexes. Micronutrients found in whole foods come in complexes containing other micronutrients, phytonutrients, macronutrients, and much more. The structure of food also has an effect on it’s digestibility and the bioavailability of the micronutrients it contains (2). An isolated vitamin or mineral supplement, often synthetically derived and taken without food, will not be as bioavailable or holistic in its effects as micronutrients derived from whole foods.

Including a 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds into your diet everyday has the potential to eliminate many of the daily micronutrient supplements or multi-vitamins you may take, and the vitamins and minerals from pumpkin seeds will be much more bioavailable than those from pills.

Pumpkin Seeds Macronutrients

Pumpkin seeds have a very favorable macronutrient profile. The same ¼ cup of shelled pumpkin seeds has 10 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber (mostly insoluble), and 16 grams of fat split into a balanced mix of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats. The three most satiating macronutrients are fiber, protein, and fat (with refined sugar being the worst), and pumpkin seeds contain predominately all three!

Pumpkin Seed Micronutrients

Pumpkin seeds are truly the ultimate grab-n-go snack because a few handfuls will keep energy levels high by increasing fat metabolism, satiate the microbiome with fiber, and provide a sizable amount of protein for use as amino acids. For these reasons, if you suffer from junk food cravings, pumpkin seeds would be the ideal snack to eat to reduce or eliminate the cravings. Fasting also can be used to reduce food cravings, and to learn to identify them in the first place.

Pumpkin Seeds are Anti-Parasitic

Raw dried pumpkin seeds have been used the world over for their anti-helminthic effects, and an amount like the ¼ cup of seeds used earlier is enough to disable, stun, or kill parasites in the body without causing harm to the host (3). Parasitic infections are common in immune compromised people in which a low diversity pathogenic microbiome is often a common association. Autoimmune diseases are increasingly rapidly the world over caused by a myriad of issues such as increasing pesticide use (4) and declining immune system health, and parasite infections are silently becoming more and more common. Industrial feed lot operations for beef, pork, chicken, and fish are highly contaminated in blood, pus, and feces, and it is in these conditions that parasites thrive and enter into the food supply.

Regularly incorporating pumpkin seeds into the diet can help cleanse your body of parasites, pathogenic microbes, and fungal infections, while also keeping you protected from future exposure. Raw pumpkin seeds, being unpasteurized, also can help repopulate and diversify the gut microbiome with symbiotic microorganisms that will work with the host instead of against it (as is the case with pathogenic microorganisms).

Pumpkin Seeds are Anti-Inflammatory

Pumpkin seeds contain beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid which has anti-inflammatory properties, and when pumpkin seeds are added to diet, they show an efficacy on par with anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing anti-inflammatory symptoms of arthritis (5). The anti-inflammatory effects of pumpkin seeds are from a combination of its healing anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and-microbial effects on the gut, in addition to the useful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients like beta-carotene.

With most people in western society suffering from chronic inflammation, any addition to the diet which is anti-inflammatory is a huge plus and will help return the body to a state of balance. Resetting the digestive system with fasting can greatly help with lowering systemic inflammation throughout the body, and pumpkin seeds are a great food to break a fast with.

Pumpkin Seeds are Good for the Heart

Pumpkin seed oil has been shown to reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol and raise HDL “good” cholesterol significantly (6). Pumpkin seeds contain oleic acid, linoleic acid, pectin, and phytosterols, with these compounds highly responsible for the total blood cholesterol reduction. Blood pressure is also reduced notably by pumpkin seed oil, and as pumpkin seed oil is derived from pumpkin seeds, eating the seeds would have the same effects.

Pumpkin seeds through their beneficial healing effects on the gut reduce systemic inflammation which is a leading factor in causing heart disease, and their fiber, fat, and protein content stabilizes blood sugar levels. Heart disease has many complicating factors such as stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, but much of this boils down to the systemic chronic inflammation caused by poor gut health, an unbalanced pathogenic microbiome, and a highly stress immune system. Because of these mechanisms, and through its constituent elements, that pumpkin seeds ultimately are a very heart healthy food.

In addition to pumpkin seeds, pushups improve heart health drastically if done regularly. An action plan for someone suffering from heart disease, or someone more predisposed to heart disease, would be to do 50 pushups and eat a 1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds everyday.

The many Health Opportunities of Pumpkin Seeds

It is amazing how pumpkin seeds so perfectly address many of the common health issues that plague western society. With topsoil increasingly being depleted, and fruit and vegetable nutrient content decreasing as a result, pumpkins are still able to extract from the soil significant levels of vitamins and minerals which many people are dietarily deficient in while being able to grow to incredible size. The unique macronutrient profile of pumpkin seeds is satiating while simultaneously shifting the microbiome to a healthier state and healing the gut.

Through its positive interactions with the digestive system and because of its abundant phytonutrients, pumpkin seeds have a noticeable impact in reducing inflammation, with inflammation being a large driver for hundreds of health issues and diseases. As a result, the simple addition of ¼ cup of raw shelled pumpkin seeds to the diet regularly can reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, sleep issues, mental illness, arthritis, and more.

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References:

1. Péter S, Friedel A, Roos FF, et al. A systematic review of global alpha-tocopherol status as assessed by nutritional intake levels and blood serum concentrations. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2015;85(5-6):261-281.

2. Hiolle M, Lechevalier V, Floury J, et al. In vitro digestion of complex foods: How microstructure influences food disintegration and micronutrient bioaccessibility. Food Research International. 2020;128:108817.

3. EI-Aziz A. Antimicrobial proteins and oil seeds from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata).

4. Herbicides. Wild Free Organic.

5. Yadav M, Jain S, Tomar R, Prasad GBKS, Yadav H. Medicinal and biological potential of pumpkin: an updated review. Nutr Res Rev. 2010;23(2):184-190.

6. Majid AK, Ahmed Z, Khan R. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on cholesterol fractions and systolic/diastolic blood pressure. Food Sci Technol. 2020;40(3):769-777.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Experience From a Three Month THC Break

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

From the dates of August 20th, 2020 to November 14th, 2020 I took a break from all cannabis containing THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid. During this time I did consume small amounts (5-15 mg) of CBD here or there via gummies, and there was one CBD pre-roll I enjoyed, but I did not experience the effects of any psychoactive THC during this time. Having used THC regularly for the past few years, and then abstaining completely for 3 months, was a very enlightening experience.

Before I share what I learned from taking a 3 month THC tolerance break, I will share what I learned after four years of cannabis usage.

Four Years of Cannabis Experience

I first started experimenting with plant medicine around the age of 25. Before this I had never used cannabis or any other plant medicine because of the knowledge of how the brain is still developing until the age of 25. The brain still exhibits plasticity and the ability to change beyond 25, but most of the large structural changes are made from -9 months to 25 years of age.

At first I only consumed cannabis infrequently when with friends, and we burned our bud. Within a few months, I decided to pursue my understanding of cannabis further by purchasing a small oil vaporizer, which gives pre-measured doses of 2.5 mg and then shuts off. The quality wasn’t good like cannabis flower, but the ability to measure how different amounts like 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 mg made me feel was interesting and useful for a new user like myself.

Once that ran out, I began to consume cannabis more regularly. Knowing the benefits of vaporization over combustion I purchased some vaporizers from Healthy Rips, starting with the Fierce and then followed by the Fury Edge, both products I highly recommend. At times, I was consuming cannabis daily, sometimes many times a day, though never with huge amounts. I only used flower with my vaporizers, and dry herb vaporizers are so efficient at cannabinoid extraction that even with sometimes daily usage I never used more than 1 gram a week. I only purchased top shelf flower (the quality of which varies more than you’d expect), and as I learned the benefits of CBD I began to almost exclusively vaporize THC:CBD blends, from 4:1 to 1:4.

Exploring cannabis plant medicine and learning how to use it was a game changer for me for many reasons, and there were also some drawbacks.

Cannabis for Gut Health

When I first started using cannabis, I had serious gut health problems that I was actively working on healing. I had IBS, leaky gut, many food intolerances (with gluten being the worst), and a fructose intolerance. The anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis helped to soothe my gut issues and improved my digestion. Cannabis didn’t heal my gut…I was able to do that with a combination of mindfulness, dietary changes, fasting, and digestive supplements, but it did help to reduce uncomfortable symptoms and this allowed me to better address the bigger issues at hand (damaged intestinal tight junctions, pathogenic microbiome, inadequate vegetable intake).

Cannabis and Alcohol

Cannabis dramatically reduced my consumption of alcohol. Cannabis is stimulating and energizing for me, and I enjoy these effects much more than the depressing effects of alcohol. For social engagements, I began to use alcohol much less, instead using cannabis via dry vaporization. Removing alcohol from my life except in very rare circumstances has improved my mental health and has also dramatically helped with my gut health.

Cannabis opens the Third Eye

Cannabis opened my third eye and what was once a very slow spiritual progression began to increase exponentially. Pairing cannabis with meditation and yoga broadened my awareness, helped me to look inwards and discover my self. When used responsibly and with intention, cannabis can raise your consciousness.

Cannabis and Shadow Work

Cannabis opens spiritual “doors”, not only upwards but also downwards, and when I was using cannabis the most heavily, a light was shined on some inner work I need to do. This is often referred to as shadow work. Emotional trauma, dark truths about yourself, pain, fear, anxiety…all of this and more is hidden in our shadow selves. To become whole and fully aware of yourself, good and bad, and therefore to have more conscious awareness of your actions through life, it is important to explore both the light and dark inside. Shadow work cannot be ignored forever, and for the best healing results it needs to be done in a safe supportive environment.

Cannabis, specifically THC, can expose the shadow to the light, and if unaware or unprepared for this, it can be overwhelming, causing its own trauma and suffering. If I could go back in time I would caution my younger self to be aware of these effects and to use cannabis more responsibly and only in safe supportive environments.

Cannabis and Lung Health

For lung health, smoking cannabis flower is much worse than vaporizing it, but the inhalation of hot air below combustion temperatures (440 F) still can impact the health and function of the lungs. When consuming cannabis 4+ times a week, I coughed more and I had increased mucus production in the nasals. Vaporizing cannabis was therapeutic in that it was often the only time (before I started meditating frequently) I would take long deep breaths and enjoy that corresponding sense of calm, but vaporizing cannabis flower isn’t a zero impact event. It’s very important to have a regular breathing practice independent of any tobacco or cannabis usage.

Cannabis and Depression/Anxiety

Depending on your internal belief system, cannabis can make you more prone to be depressed or anxious. Because of its effects on time, using cannabis brings stronger awareness to the past and/or the future if the mind wanders there, and thinking about the future can be an anxious endeavor. Using cannabis daily definitely increased my anxiety, but it also made me more aware that I had anxiety, whereas before I was unaware of my anxiety and how I subconsciously changed my actions in order to avoid situations that made me anxious.

How cannabis is grown has an impact on the physical, mental, or emotional effects you experience. Outdoor, sun grown, biodynamic bud will tune you to a pleasing frequency as the plant itself experienced a pleasing life. Consume cannabis from a plant that had a stressful life under artificial lights, pesticides, and disconnected from the Earth, and your high may be stressful too.

Cannabis and Earth/Plant/Animal Connection

Using cannabis expands your awareness into the greater sphere of consciousness. Using cannabis over the past few years has made me more aware of the Earth and the fellow creatures we inhabit our beautiful planet with. All of us share and depend on the same resources. I now better understand the needs of plants, animals, and other humans and have grown much more empathetic.

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In 2022 I stepped away from cannabis quite notably and have cut back my usage dramatically. Now I use CBD cream for the occasional pain and inflammation sore spot, or I enjoy some THC cannabis if i’m guided to it and it is of a high quality. I wrote my thoughts on why I’ve created more space in my relationship with the plant which I know many habitual users of cannabis will find useful.

My Experience with a Three Month THC Break

I decided to take a long duration THC tolerance break for a few reasons. First, I was traveling to a state where cannabis is legal only medically, so instead of getting a medical card I saw the move as an opportunity to clear my system. I took a long step back from THC cannabis so I could more clearly see how it was effecting me physiologically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was also curious to see how fast cannabis cleared my system.

About a week after I stopped using cannabis, I took a five level THC pee test that showed that all THC had cleared from my system, which I was very surprised by. Since then I have taken other THC pee tests at various points during cannabis usage and after stopping usage and have noticed the following:

1. I clear cannabis from my system quickly, for others this may not be true

2. Vaporizing cannabis allows it to clear your system quicker as it’s not inhaled along with tars produced by smoke

Five faint lines meant I was below the detectable THC limit of 15ng/ml within a week of stopped usage. A previous test during regular cannabis usage placed me in the 50-100 ng/ml range.

For the first few weeks into the t-break, I noticed that while cannabis isn’t addictive like nicotine or sugar (and I didn’t experience any withdrawal symptoms), there was a longing for the state of mind it used to put me into. I had clearly created a groove in my brain by cannabis that I liked, and while these urges were never strong, there were there. Occasionally seeing cannabis related content didn’t help, though after a few weeks it didn’t trigger me any which way. This “longing” effect lasted 4-6 weeks, and for this reason a t-break shorter than a month won’t experience as strongly the benefits I am about to describe.

About six weeks in, I felt that I reached a point of complete desensitization to THC. I no longer missed cannabis in the way that I did prior, and I felt more strongly rooted in the present. I had a CBD pre-roll at the halfway point which contained no THC, and overall the pre-roll was a fun and calming experience, though a little hard on the lungs. It didn’t affect my t-break in any way I could tell.

The biggest benefit to going through a long THC break was that it improved my ability to be present and in the moment. While drifting into future possibilities can be fun and enlightening, and THC consumption makes this easier for me, no longer did these future possibilities create a sense of anxiety. My mind was less distracted and worried and I was better able to clear my mind and fully utilize all my senses to be more receptive to what is happening around me. Overall I’m happier! Consistent cannabis usage for me created a sense of tunnel vision, and while this can be used to increase focus, enter into a flow state, and get a lot of work done, it clouds your peripheral vision. There are many many things I missed when I used cannabis more regularly than if I had been in a more balanced state.

After not using THC for nearly 3 months, I discovered I am much more confident and no longer have any anxiety. I began meditating almost daily during this time, so the effects of this are partially due to my meditation practice. My period of cannabis sobriety made me more aware of the importance of eye contact and the confidence behind it, and now I enjoy direct and long lasting eye contact with others as it lets us understand each other’s mental and emotional state better. I can form stronger connections with people faster than before.

If struggling to break usage of THC or cannabis in general, then using a dry vaporizer to vaporize other herbs can ease the transition. The habit of smoking or vaporizing isn’t broken but cannabis is no longer used. Herbs good for vaporizing independent of cannabis include peppermint, chamomile, green tea, among many others.

Reintroducing Cannabis

After 3 months of not using any cannabis containing THC, I dry vaporized about 0.2 grams of a 2:1 CBD:THC blend using the Fury 2 by Healthy Rips. I vaporized this small bowl of cannabis flower twice, once at 365 F and again at 385 F. The first bowl I didn’t feel the effects of, and after the second higher temperature run I experienced a subtle psychoactive effect.

I was watching Hamilton (which is absolutely excellent), and I found I was better able to empathize with the characters and understand their struggles as if I was actually there. Using cannabis took me out of my present surroundings and immersed me into the late 1700’s. I also found myself relating that history and those experiences to the future and I was exploring the parallels of life across the ages. It was fun!

Overall I found my reintroduction to THC to be thought-provoking and enjoyable. It did cause me to completely lose track of time and I lost a lot of my awareness for the present, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. I don’t think this is purely a drawback as sometimes it is good to disconnect; it all depends on the frequency of usage. I also think that if used less frequently, the ratio of CBD:THC can be increased while still experiencing a similar psychoactive effect. This should cause less negative interactions.

The Fury 2 is Healthy Rips entry level herb vaporizer. It can heat herb from 320 to 430 F using convection and conduction technology. It has a stainless steel chamber and glass vapor path.

Overall I am very glad to have done an extended THC break, I found the whole process to be very illuminating and I have a much clearer understanding of how cannabis effects me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Going forward, I am going to be much more intentional with my cannabis usage, saving it for purposeful explorations of spirituality, time spent in nature, or for healing activities like cannabis yoga. While I won’t impose upon myself a strict schedule of when I can use and can’t use cannabis, I don’t see myself using cannabis daily going forward. I want each experience to be maximally potent while also not being frequent enough for any long term effects such as brain chemistry changes or general haziness to develop.

A THC-break is just one way of incorporating discipline into ones life. Practicing abstinence builds emotional maturity, whether you are temporarily abstaining from alcohol, sex, cannabis, sugar, technology, or much more.

If you are currently a heavy user of cannabis, or you’ve never taken a long t-break after you first began using cannabis, I highly recommend you take a long THC fast, record your experiences, and reflect on what you learn from it all. Remember cannabis is a powerful plant medicine best used responsibly and not by anyone under the age of 25.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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