IG: BDNF: what is it, why do I want more, and how can I get more? ⁠🧠 ⁠ So my latest health nerding deep dive has been into my own GENOMICS and I am HOOKED. Ho-lee-cow people, this stuff is interesting.⁠ ⁠ I recently received my results of @thednaco ‘s Comprehensive Clinical Profile and have been BLOWN AWAY by the information about my genomics I received.⁠ It has has explained so much about my body, health and even my personality, and in such, what I can do to optimize it.⁠ ⁠ So BDNF: one of my weak areas is the BDNF gene, in which my particular genotype is associated with suboptimal production and levels.⁠ ⁠ Womp, womp ☹️, because we really want solid levels of BDNF. ⁠ ⁠ BDNF (aka brain-derived neurotrophic factor), is a protein that protects neurons and plays a role in creating new ones (neurons are cells within the nervous system that transmit info to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells). ⁠ BDNF essentially acts like a growth hormone for neurons and is vital for thinking, learning, and a higher level of brain function. Plus, it turns out that levels of BDNF are lower in those with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, so increasing one’s levels of BDNF is a first line of defence against these neurological diseases. ⁠ ⁠ But the good news is that we take steps to increase our BDNF (essentially activating the gene that turns on BDNF) by:⁠ •caloric restriction⁠ •curcumin (think TURMERIC, and add that shit to everything)⁠ •DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid⁠ •intermittent fasting⁠ •exercise⁠ •intellectual stimulation⁠ •meditation⁠ •being in a state of ketosis⁠ ⁠ The more of these things you can do / add to your daily life, the better chance you have of having more BDNF and thus better brain function and disease prevention. ⁠ ⁠ Cool, right?⁠ ⁠ Now wondering what the heck this photo is of?⁠ It’s bone broth cauliflower soup that I’ve stacked with turmeric for my daily dose of curcumin. Which of these BDNF boosters will YOU try?

BDNF: what is it, why do I want more, and how can I get more? ⁠🧠
⁠
So my latest health nerding deep dive has been into my own GENOMICS and I am HOOKED. Ho-lee-cow people, this stuff is interesting.⁠
⁠
I recently received my results of @thednaco ‘s Comprehensive Clinical Profile and have been BLOWN AWAY by the information about my genomics I received.⁠
It has has explained so much about my body, health and even my personality, and in such, what I can do to optimize it.⁠
⁠
So BDNF:
one of my weak areas is the BDNF gene, in which my particular genotype is associated with suboptimal production and levels.⁠
⁠
Womp, womp ☹️, because we really want solid levels of BDNF. ⁠
⁠
BDNF (aka brain-derived neurotrophic factor), is a protein that protects neurons and plays a role in creating new ones (neurons are cells within the nervous system that transmit info to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells). ⁠
BDNF essentially acts like a growth hormone for neurons and is vital for thinking, learning, and a higher level of brain function. Plus, it turns out that levels of BDNF are lower in those with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, so increasing one’s levels of BDNF is a first line of defence against these neurological diseases. ⁠
⁠
But the good news is that we take steps to increase our BDNF (essentially activating the gene that turns on BDNF) by:⁠
•caloric restriction⁠
•curcumin (think TURMERIC, and add that shit to everything)⁠
•DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid⁠
•intermittent fasting⁠
•exercise⁠
•intellectual stimulation⁠
•meditation⁠
•being in a state of ketosis⁠
⁠
The more of these things you can do / add to your daily life, the better chance you have of having more BDNF and thus better brain function and disease prevention. ⁠
⁠
Cool, right?⁠
⁠
Now wondering what the heck this photo is of?⁠
It’s bone broth cauliflower soup that I’ve stacked with turmeric for my daily dose of curcumin 🤤. #medicinalfoods.

Which of these BDNF boosters will YOU try?
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#BDNF #genomics #functionalwellness #DNA #healthandscience #wellness #holistichealth #thednacompany #gettested #fasting #ketosis #turmeric #exercise

IG: Catching up on work today surrounded by just some of my zillions of houseplants. Green is a colour you should definitely have in your home—HP’s are so good for your environmental health. And also, from a design perspective, cuz I just think they make a space look and feel SO GOOD

Catching up on work today surrounded by just some of my zillions of houseplants. Green is a colour you should definitely have in your home—HP’s are so good for your environmental health.
And also, from a design perspective, cuz I just think they make a space look and feel SO GOOD!
🌵🌱☘️🌳
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#houseplants #indoorgarden #gardener #addgreentoyourhome #houseplantsgalore #design #home #greenthumb #houseplantsarecoolnow

IG: Hey summer, you can come back now! ☀️ This little fam would love our local green forest hikes and waterfalls back! Nature is so good for the soul and our overall health

Hey summer, you can come back now! ☀️
This little fam would love our local green forest hikes and waterfalls back! Nature is so good for the soul and our overall health🙌🏼
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#summermemories #waterfallswims #foresthikes #naturebathing #sunshine #getoutside #familytime #holistichealth #functionalwellness

IG: Every put grassfed butter on your grassfed steak? I highly recommended 😆😆😆 Hoping this beauty lunch inspires you to make some delicious and nutritious choices this weekend

Every put grassfed butter on your grassfed steak? I highly recommended 😆😆😆
Hoping this beauty lunch inspires you to make some delicious and nutritious choices this weekend! #happyfriday
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#avocado #ferments #sauerkraut #grassfedbeef #grassfedbutter #sunflowersprouts #bigsalad #delicious #realfood #lovefat #nomnomnom #happyweekend #glutenfree

IG: “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” —Mahatma Gandhi Just a reminder that your attitude, outlook, thoughts and even verbiage (words we use on the daily) have a huge impact on what transpires in your life. Just as you would be mindful of the food that goes into your mouth, you should also be mindful of the thoughts, ideas, information, images, music etc. that you put into, or release from your head space. Here are a few simple thing you can do to create the ultimate attitude and invite in more positive energy: 💁‍♂️give someone a compliment daily 📝write down 3 things you are grateful for every day 💖tell someone you love them 💬become aware of negative words you’re using, and replace them with neutral or positive words (i.e. replace “I hate that” with “I don’t LIKE that” or “that is bad” with “that is not GOOD”. I could write a whole separate post on language shifts.) 🚫avoid watching the news and avoid hanging around overly negative people (easier said than done sometimes) ✅understand and accept that your current situation is largely the result of choices you have made, which also means that you have the power to make alternate choices moving forward 👍try to see, and BE the good in all circumstances • What are your tips for inviting in all the good stuff?

“Your beliefs become your thoughts.
Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your values.
Your values become your destiny.”
—Mahatma Gandhi

Just a reminder that your attitude, outlook, thoughts and even verbiage (words we use on the daily) have a huge impact on what transpires in your life.

Just as you would be mindful of the food that goes into your mouth, you should also be mindful of the thoughts, ideas, information, images, music etc. that you put into, or release from your head space.

Here are a few simple thing you can do to create the ultimate attitude and invite in more positive energy:
💁‍♂️give someone a compliment daily
📝write down 3 things you are grateful for every day
💖tell someone you love them
💬become aware of negative words you’re using, and replace them with neutral or positive words (i.e. replace “I hate that” with “I don’t LIKE that” or “that is bad” with “that is not GOOD”. I could write a whole separate post on language shifts.)
🚫avoid watching the news and avoid hanging around overly negative people (easier said than done sometimes)
✅understand and accept that your current situation is largely the result of choices you have made, which also means that you have the power to make alternate choices moving forward
👍try to see, and BE the good in all circumstances
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What are your tips for inviting in all the good stuff?
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#beliefs #thoughts #words #actions #habits #outlook #positivity #love #reframing #tryit

IG: We know we should be drinking lots of water, but what about eating our water?⁠ ⁠ We tell our clients to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day (so for a 150lb person, this would be 75 ounces / day).⁠ ⁠ But many of us forget, or maybe don’t even know, that food contributes to this amount too!⁠ ⁠ Our ancestors didn’t have continuous access to clean drinking water, so they often ate their way to hydration, choosing foods high in water content, and we can do this too!⁠ ⁠ Did you know?⁠ 🥗Iceberg lettuce and celery are both 96% water.⁠ 🍍Pineapple is 87% water.⁠ 🍓Strawberries are 92%, raspberries & cranberries are 87%.⁠ 🥒Cucumber is 96% water, zucchini and radish are 95%.⁠ 🍉Watermelon is 92% water.⁠ 🍑Peaches are 88% water and apricots are 86%.⁠ 🌱Spinach is 96% water.⁠ 🍅Tomatoes are 94% water.⁠ 🍊Grapefruit is 91% water and oranges are 87%.⁠ 🍈Cantaloupe is 90% water.⁠ 🍚Cauliflower is 87% water.⁠ 🌶️Sweet peppers are 92% water.⁠ ⁠ HYDRATION, peeps! Yet another reason to eat real foods from the earth 👊🏼⁠ ⁠ What’s your favourite high water food? Cauliflower is my jam ⁠

We know we should be drinking lots of water, but what about eating our water?⁠
⁠
We tell our clients to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day (so for a 150lb person, this would be 75 ounces / day).⁠
⁠
But many of us forget, or maybe don’t even know, that food contributes to this amount too!⁠
⁠
Our ancestors didn’t have continuous access to clean drinking water, so they often ate their way to hydration, choosing foods high in water content, and we can do this too!⁠
⁠
Did you know?⁠
🥗Iceberg lettuce and celery are both 96% water.⁠
🍍Pineapple is 87% water.⁠
🍓Strawberries are 92%, raspberries & cranberries are 87%.⁠
🥒Cucumber is 96% water, zucchini and radish are 95%.⁠
🍉Watermelon is 92% water.⁠
🍑Peaches are 88% water and apricots are 86%.⁠
🌱Spinach is 96% water.⁠
🍅Tomatoes are 94% water.⁠
🍊Grapefruit is 91% water and oranges are 87%.⁠
🍈Cantaloupe is 90% water.⁠
🍚Cauliflower is 87% water.⁠
🌶️Sweet peppers are 92% water.⁠
⁠
HYDRATION, peeps! Yet another reason to eat real foods from the earth 👊🏼⁠
⁠
What’s your favourite high water food? Cauliflower is my jam 😍.
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#hydrationfromfood #eatrealfood #functionalmedicine #functionalnutrition #holisticnutrition #organicfood #rainbowfood #drinkyourfood ⁠

IG: Dreaming of: dirty barefeet in deep green grass, cultivating life energy in the form of edible plants 🤗. Aka, gardening. For now, re-potting and rearranging my vast collection of indoor greenery a zillion times will have to do 😆. How do you get your green fill? 📷@saramonikaphoto

Dreaming of: dirty barefeet in deep green grass, cultivating life energy in the form of edible plants 🤗.
Aka, gardening.
For now, re-potting and rearranging my vast collection of indoor greenery a zillion times will have to do 😆.
How do you get your green fill?
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#gardentherapy #gardener #garden #growingfood #raisedbedgardening #barefoot #earthing #gettinginthegreen #healthylifestyle #outdoorlife #plantlady
📷@saramonikaphoto

IG: Not all meals have to be pretty, but colorful is important! 🌈🌈🌈 Eating a rainbow of varying foods is SO important to ensure we are receiving the micronutrients and antioxidants our bodies need to thrive. So do your best to make sure your meals contain a little bit of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white/tan/beige each day. I don’t usually eat breakfast but on weekends, a late breakfast sometimes goes. Today we’re having local pastured eggs and bacon with turmeric and black pepper, sliced avocado and tomato with sea salt and olive oil, blackberries, a sprinkle of hulled watermelon seeds, homemade kimchi and a dollop of avocado mayo. Do you make an effort to eat the rainbow? Let me know

Not all meals have to be pretty, but colorful is important! 🌈🌈🌈
Eating a rainbow of varying foods is SO important to ensure we are receiving the micronutrients and antioxidants our bodies need to thrive. So do your best to make sure your meals contain a little bit of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white/tan/beige each day.

I don’t usually eat breakfast but on weekends, a late breakfast sometimes goes.

Today we’re having local pastured eggs and bacon with turmeric and black pepper, sliced avocado and tomato with sea salt and olive oil, blackberries, a sprinkle of hulled watermelon seeds, homemade kimchi and a dollop of avocado mayo.

Do you make an effort to eat the rainbow? Let me know! 🌈
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #organic #realfoodbreakfast #ketostyle #paleostyle #realfuel #eattherainbow #colorfulmeals #fuelyourbody #micronutrients #antioxidants #nomnomnom #sogood