As I’ve said so many times before, it is physiologically impossible to heal and repair while we are in the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is the “rest and digest” or “mate and ovulate” mode. It is literally like a light switch, you are in one or the other. We need both. We need both light and darkness. If our light is too bright, we are blinding. If our flame is too big, we burn out. We need adequate darkness and sleep to heal and repair.

To reduce the fear and mystery around cancer and disease, let’s simply look at the body like an automobile. As I write this, I am here in Detroit with my daughter and son-in-law, so it makes sense to do so. This is a functional approach and the wave of our healthcare future. Each part is connected to the other and serves a function in the body.

The kidney, the liver and the lungs are like the fuel filter and carburetor.  They keep the engine (body) clean and running. Food and oxygen are like the gasoline you put into the car.  Engines can run on different types of fuel. They are built differently. You need diesel fuel for a diesel engine. The car cannot run without a fuel filter. It will sputter and spit and eventually stop running. It doesn’t matter how hard you press on the accelerator. Eventually it will not go. A car that has a stuck accelerator (stuck in SNS drive) will either run out of gas or crash and burn. This sometimes is called adrenal stress and fatigue.

Nutrition is NOT the food you eat. It is what is absorbed. If you have a hole in your gas tank (aka leaky gut or intestinal permeability), it doesn’t matter what you eat. Not only does the gas not get to the engine, it can create other problems in the car. Gas on a hot engine can create a fire. Same with the human body. Food and chemicals that get into the bloodstream create inflammation in the body. The body sends cholesterol and iron to the bloodstream (the highway) to put out the fire. Cholesterol and iron are the firemen and are markers of inflammation that you can monitor in blood tests. Elevated homocysteine is another (blood test) inflammatory marker and is also a sign of needing more vitamin b12 and folate (gasoline) in the diet.

This is new medicine. This is the new paradigm. Neither I nor most doctors were taught nutrition in nursing or medical schools. Functional medicine is beginning to change that. Functional Diagnostic Nutritionists are trained to do functional tests to look for subclinical hidden stressors in the body.

Often you can see evidence of erosion long before you get an actual hole in metal (and the body).  The earlier the detection, the easier the prevention.

For instance, an elevated MCV(mean corpuscle volume), or the size of your red blood cell is also a clinical sign of the need for essential nutrients, again vitamins B12 and folate. Anything over 90 is suboptimal. It is also subclinical, meaning it won’t be flagged on the test result, so your doctor or nurse may not recognize this important healing opportunity for you.

Education is empowerment. Understanding the functions of the human body can empower you to be your own healthcare advocate and healthcare detective.

Why is folate (not to be confused with synthetic folic acid) and vitamin B12 important? The body uses them for energy production and detoxification. They are actually produced and assimilated in the gut (the gas tank and the fuel lines). The body eats them up when you are under stress. Signs and symptoms of deficiency include anxiety, depression, brain fog, neuropathy and more. Don’t waste your money on cheap vitamins that have folic acid in them. Look for bio-available forms like methyl-tetrahydrofolate or methyl-cobalamin instead. This is fuel that the body can actually use. Folate is necessary to prevent miscarriages. It is also necessary for energy production and detoxification. You need it to make the car run. Folate deficiency has been linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive dysfunction and birth defects. [1]

Some people have a genetic snp where you cannot convert synthetic folic acid to folate. This can add to toxicity in the body. It can clog your fuel filter. If your fuel filter backs up, so does your carburetor. It effects your liver.

The liver, the lungs, the kidneys and the skin are your major detoxification organs. When they are clogged, this indicates toxicity in the body. These are your warning lights on the dashboard. This is your wake up call. This may mean the wrong fuel or needing some additives (or supplements) to make the fuel more efficient. It may mean an oil and filter change to clean out the system (detoxification).

This is why the power on your plate is profound. 

You also need the right fuel mix for optimal performance. If you are under stress and in fight or flight mode, you do not produce the necessary stomach acid required for B12 and iron absorption. Almost all of our patients who have iron deficiency anemia are taking proton pump inhibitors. These also prevent the body from secreting stomach acid which you also need to break down proteins into amino acids (in addition to B12 and iron absorption). You need amino acids for growth and repair.

Can you now see the direct connection in your thoughts (fear) and your ability to heal and repair? Our thoughts are like the master control that control the functions in the body.

Breath, like air, is also essential to the right fuel mix in the gasoline to make the body and car run.

The body follows the mind. The mind follows the breath. (Cancer cells are anaerobic, they live without oxygen and feed on sugar, like fermentation. Oxygenate the body to kill them.)

• 1. Change your breathing patterns to consciously change your mind and your body.
• 2. Drink clean filtered water. link here
• 3. Eat the right diet for your unique body.  Eat clean fuel, free from toxins, pesticides, fungicides and GMOs so you don’t gum up your systems.

Simple solutions.

Carpe Diem.

With Love & Gratitude,

Lisa Jackson