Amazing Brains: Recent Episodes
Amazing Brains
Amazing Brains – 015 – John Peralta In this episode, Micah sits down with Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer, John Peralta. In the show they cover concepts of flow, biohacking, prehab, and using play as a form of fitness.
Show Notes About John * John met Micah at The Space, a venue in Colorado where a person can come and receive different health services like movement, music and more. * They talked a lot about ‘prehab’ a concept that combines the ideas of preventative medicine and rehabilitation * “If you’re looking to get out of pain, the best things to do are mobilize and stabilize” – John * John uses slacklining to build strength, stability and balance + Not everyone begins on the slackline, there is a progression that can lead up to being able to practice on and use a slackline + Standing on one leg, walking in a straight line, hop on a straight line, and lunging are all ways to build stability for slacklining without actually doing in * “It should feel fun, if it doesn’t feel like fun, you probably aren’t going to stick with it” – John
Flow * Prehab is the prevention of future injury * This all started from a desire to play as hard as he could without dying * He was learning to seek play in his workout, and stumbled upon flow states * If you are so engaged in an activity that you lose sense of self, time, etc, then that is play, that is flow * “There is no distinction between play and flow, they are the same” – John * Flow is what he was experiencing in his ‘play’, so he wanted to find a way to bring that into his workout
Play * Bringing in the experimental process has been huge to adding more flow into his workouts + He believes that doing it that way, provides the most range of movement to apply to his ‘play’ * John encourages listeners to get creative, you don’t need any expensive tools to get active * “The key word that makes play, productive, is adaptability” – John * Movement is such a key component * Play allows you to not take it so seriously, it gives you that sense of childlike wonder * If you’re struggling because your skill doesn’t meet the challenge, then begin with play * The moment you get out of your head, is the moment you drop into flow state
Movement as Medicine * “We create a level of unworthiness when we experience trauma” – John + Movement is finding the connection between healing trauma and hacking flow * Medicine can be anything that you put in your mouth * Medicine can look like sustenance, supplements or substances
Final Thoughts * This crazy life that we are living right now, is supposed to be fun * “If you can find a way t
Amazing Brains – 014 – Dr. Marvin Berman In this episode, Micah sits down with Dr. Marvin Berman, Founder and Director of the Quiet Mind Foundation. In the show they discuss body-mind therapy and breathing techniques.
Show Notes
About Marvin * PhD in Psychoeducational Processes from Temple University * Marvin brings a multimodal and philosophical approach to human optimization, wellness and neuro-degenerative disease
Reasons for Therapy * There are two reasons people want to get help from Marvin, they are unhappy and want to be happy, or they are happy and want to be happier. * “Where does the line cross between feeling good and dealing with all of your issues?” – Marvin * Marvin says that the brain can have a direct relationship with so many other parts of the body like the lungs, the gut, etc * Isomorphic means you can observe a specific principle, operating at a certain level of extraction * When someone has neurosis, they have an inability to express themselves in a certain way * “Flow states can be operationally defined as states in which there is a higher level of capacity to more finely discriminate between similarities and differences.” – Marvin
Breath * Marvin likes to teach people how to breathe normally first, instead of just jumping into learning the 400+ styles of pranayama and breathing * He suggests learning the basic mechanics of functional breath + Checking out the Quiet Mind foundation is a good place to start * There are low cost ways to do neurofeedback at home * Bioenergetic therapy is the breathwork that Marvin approves and supports, which is achieving normal respiration
Links Website
Quiet Mind Foundation
About Dr. Marvin Berman Marvin Berman earned his Master’s and PhD
Amazing Brains – 013 – Uri Carlson In this episode, Micah sits down with Uri Carlson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Founder of Inner Wild Nutrition. Uri is a Breckenridge, CO local but helps clients all over the world. In the show, they talk about her focus on individual lifestyle factors and how she incorporates nutrition strategies that optimize performance, body composition, energy, and overall health, once and for all.
Show Notes
About Uri * Uri lives in Breckenridge, CO * She grew up on an organic farm in Vermont * She came to Colorado and looked for schools to study nutrition * She was becoming an athlete and looking into nutrition for herself * She was her own test subject for learning, now able to provide her expertise to everyone
Individualized Nutrition * There is no one question that applies to everyone, nutrition recommendations are individual * She has everyone log their food intake for 5-7 days to see their starting point + She has her clients use the app, My Fitness Pal * The goal is to incorporate healthy eating habits using TPAs (top priority actionables) * “Recovery is super important but often overlooked” – Uri
Stress * Stress is the most dangerous component + You can be doing everything right but if you’re stressed, it can set you back * Besides the stresses that we deal with as humans, there are also foods that put stress on our bodies + There are non-food ingredients that we eat that aren’t real foods, like artificial, dyed, ingredients + When we ingest those ingredients, our bodies provide a stress response
Diet * Instead of looking at macros in a percentage, Uri says the first thing to look at is protein, then vegetables (3 different kinds a meal), then healthy fat, and then what is the complex carbohydrate * Fats are incredibly important because our brains are around 60% fat + Fat isn’t going to necessarily make you fat, its essential for optimal brain function + Oils, eggs, nuts and other healthy fats should be included in the diet * Uri says she sees Keto work well for people, but it’s a significant lifestyle change + She says she sees people start with Keto, and then they transition into a more long term healthy eating plan that isn’t necessarily Keto * Uri says that her ‘cleanse’ looks like eliminating her added sugar intake for a month * She also says that the key is setting up the environment to make the right meals, buying the healthy foods so that you have them on hand to go to and choose and taking the bad foods out of the picture
Links Website
Amazing Brains – 012 – Noel Ford In this episode, Micah sits down with Noel Ford, CEO of Versus, a mobile, dry sensor EEG headset system. Noel is also a consultant at Tailored Intentions, which is an opportunity for her to expand how she helps people. In the show they talk about how the Versus mobile EEG system uses principles of neuroscience to help the user’s brain learn new skills. They cover many other topics on Neurofeedback, building awareness, healthy choices and more.
Show Notes
Versus * She started as a research assistant and worked her way to leading the company as CEO * Micah says “if you’re not testing you are guessing” * Versus is built to be an out of the box assessment
Neurofeedback * The concept of neurofeedback is measuring brain activity * The Versus uses a process called operant conditioning, the concept of what you get rewarded for you will be more likely to continue + It simultaneously will notify the person through sound, of the state that their brain is in * The Versus EEG headset down-regulates brain activity * “The more that you practice, and the more instant feedback you have about how you’re doing in that practice, the sooner you’re going to see the effects of that practice” – Noel
The Headset * Micah says he likes the Versus device based simply on where the sensors are placed * The headset has 19 channel QEEGs, 19 placements on the scalp + They looked at the protocols that they recommend to clients based on what they were finding in sessions + They took that info and reduced the sensor sites down to 5 main sensors, making the device easy to use from home * “The stories that you tell yourself throughout the day, really truly matter” – Noel
Our thoughts impact our physiology
A device like the Versus headset is a great way to build awareness
Food Choices * Eat the things that are going to make your body feel good + Cheeses in general are inflammatory foods, so yes, they may make you feel inflamed
Links Tailored Intentions Website
Versus Website
About Noel Ford In Noel’s “day job” she gets to lead a company that is trying to bring
Amazing Brains – 011 – Pierre Bouchard In this episode, Micah sits down with Pierre Bouchard. In the show they talk about how to embody self and self actualization. Pierre and Micah discuss different exercises on practicing awareness, how to self actualize, paying attention to feelings that arise in our moments of reaction, and where our reactions stem from.
Show Notes Reactions * “What we don’t know about ourselves ends up running our lives” – Pierre * We have to look at the places in our lives that are causing a reaction in us + Most of our reactions are caused by an emotional and nervous system signature that are set up within us since we were 4 years old + There are so many ways of healing our own psyche and nervous systems * There is acting out (reacting toward a partner) and acting in (saying hateful things about yourself to yourself) * The tightness in your stomach that you might feel arise when something triggers you, can act as a road back to childhood trauma, or whatever is at the root of the problem
Awareness
- We are trained and conditioned to think of ourselves as a brain being carried around
- Pierre asks listeners to bring awareness away from your head and your eyes, and bringing your sight to your feet
- Most of the time, our sense of awareness goes forward
- Pierre says try the exercise of bringing awareness to the backside of you, back of your head, maybe your seat, behind you
- Whatever we focus on we get more of
- In these practices we are learning a stance of productivity
- The absence of sensation is a sensation
- There are some people that don’t sense anything when other people may
- Micah says to be gentle with yourself when ‘numbing the thaw’
- “Every moment you spend mindfully attending to a sensation, you are helping to neurally map it” – Pierre
Final Thoughts * As we start to tune in more into what is unfolding in our lives, we find out so much about what is good for us
Links Website
About Pierre Bouchard
Amazing Brains – 009 – Invictus In this episode, Micah sits down with Sam Peterson and Jeffrey Haughland, Co-Founders of Invictus Project. In the show they talk about the Invictus Project, a mission to empower veterans to live more fulfilled lives by treating the root causes of traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Show Notes About * They both received traumatic blasts while serving terms as bomb technicians in Afghanistan + When they got back they were told to get used to their new normal + Their symptoms kept getting worse and they were only given more pills, which led them to become suicidal * They started researching neurochemistry and neurobiology to find the root cause of their problems * Their goal is to make these treatments the standard of care * “The biggest problem in mental health is that nobody is examining the organ they treat prior to treating, they rely solely on patient reporting” – Jeffrey
Self-Testing * They used their own treatments and therapy model on themselves first * They did Ketamine infusion therapy right at the start * They used TBI Therapy * They mention Wavi Med, a company that made a device they used to scan the brain * They then used hyperbaric oxygen therapy * They also used a nasal, stem cell platelet rich plasma and insulin regimen + Jeff was tested before the stem cell treatment, and then tested again a month after + Voltage output in the brain was increased by 30% + Clarity, focus, emotional regulation were all improved * What they are really trying to do is to bring quality of life to their patients
Invictus Mission * They are looking to have a giant health and wellness facility with Invictus in the back + Healthy eating cafe, sensory deprivation float tanks, yoga facility * The goal is to bring people in the door who have broken brains, fix their brains on a cellular level, get them back to a healthy baseline, and input them directly into programmatic lifestyle modifications and a community of people that are trying to create better versions of themselves
Support * They are always accepting donations * 7 states have already approved hyperbaric use for veterans * They recommend that if anyone is feeling suicidal, to check out the Ketamine Wellness Center in Littleton, CO + Ketamine is the best method for treating suicidal ideation * “We are truly a product out of our environment, and we can modify our environment. Our environment does not have to dictate how we feel” – J
Amazing Brains – 008 – Dr. Tiffany Thompson In this episode, Micah sits down with Dr. Tiffany Thompson, a Therapist blending neuroscience technology with the art of psychotherapy. In the show they cover the brain wave frequencies and what they represent.
Show Notes Self-Actualization * Dr. Thompson says she expects to foresee the issue, but sometimes people’s issues are emotional in nature * Psychodynamic EEG says that there is more than what meets the eye * We are all familiar with the ego, the ‘me’ * There is the personal consciousness, and then there is a collective unconscious
Brain Waves Delta * When you see delta in the EEG, it’s commonly in individuals who deal with grief * It’s also found in individuals who are clairvoyant, a signature of the ‘wounded healer’ * Delta is the slowest frequency * As a baby, we are constantly producing delta * As adults, we produce it in deep sleep * Flow is also called ‘waking delta’ or ‘waking theta’
Theta * We produce theta when the brain is in a state of magic or fantasy * Theta fuels neuro-genesis, new synaptic connections, etc * It’s a frequency that dominates our childhood
Alpha * Alpha is the first frequency of consciousness, being present, being in the flow * “Alpha is the lining of the realms of un-consciousness and realms of egoic, conscious state.” – Tiffany * With enough of alpha, we are able to pull layers from our consciousness and put meaning to it
Beta * Beta is the ego, in terms of identity * In our lives in general, things are okay + “The what if’s’ are what drive a lot of psychological issues, and that’s an ego problem. It’s a glitch in the system, nature doesn’t throw away what works” – Tiffany * Moving into gamma is a way of going beyond the ‘what if’ that plagues us
Gamma * When the brain creates gamma, its production is the expression of an individuated experience * The individuation process is one where your brain comes to realization * It may look like a moment of processing and integrating trauma to where it doesn’t traumatize you anymore
Final Thoughts * The wisdom lives within our DNA * “The god that you seek is your own heart” – Tiffany
Links www.neurofieldneurotherapy.com
About Dr. Tiffany Thompson
Amazing Brains – 007 – Dr. Jeff Tarrant In this episode, Micah interviews Dr. Jeff Tarrant, Doctor of the Neuromeditation Institute. In the show they go into detail on four types of meditation, neurofeedback, practice and more.
Show Notes Meditation * Meditation is mental training * It doesn’t have to be connected to a religious system * It changes the way you perceive things in the world * We can all benefit from meditation + It’s a practice toward shifting your consciousness, a ‘no mind’ state * “If you engage in a practice that is not a good match for your brain, that can be a problem” – Jeff * There is no meditation that is perfect for everybody + There are multiple different styles of meditation, some are more of a mantra practice, and some are more of a quiet mind style
4 Styles of Meditation 1. Focus – the one that most people understand most easily 2. Mindfulness – it’s paying attention in a gentle, soft way, paying attention to what’s happening in the current moment, but not attaching to it 3. Open Heart – loving, kindness and compassion practice, intentionally activating a positive emotional state 4. Quiet Mind – it’s the stereotypical meditation state, where you’re not doing or thinking about anything
- In the Focus style, the frontal lobes in the brain are very engaged
- An increase of Gamma is usually associated with an increase in blood flow
- The default mode network gets a lot of attention in meditation
- It’s primary job is self referencing
- With TM (Transcendental Meditation) you’re focusing on a mantra
Teaching with Neuro Meditation * Jeff comments on teaching meditation to kids and making it more popular in the culture we live in, “We can still teach the skills, but we may need new tools” * “It’s about teaching people to increase their sensitivity to their internal state” – Jeff * The hardest part about meditation is sticking to the routine * Jeff says he works hard on making sure people have a routine, and know the ‘why’ * Micah says meditation is simple, but not easy
Links NeuroMeditation Institute
Email – dr.tarrant@hotmail.com
About Dr. Jeff Tarrant Dr. Tarrant is the founder and Director of the NeuroMeditation Institute and author of the book, “Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain.” Dr. Tarrant received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri in 1997. He is a licensed psychologist and board certified in neurofeedback. Dr. Tarrant has devoted much of his professional career to working with technology-based interventions such as quantitative EEG, neurofeedback, biofeedback, and audio visual entrainment (AVE). He has also trained extensively in a variety of spiritual and meditative practices, including Zen, Vipassana, Ta
Amazing Brains – 006 – Dr. Richard Soutar In today’s episode, Micah sits down with Dr. Richard Soutar, well published author. He is a thought leader, pioneer in the neurofeedback field, and CEO and founder of New Mind Technology.
Show Notes * During COVID, New Mind has been shifting office practices to in-home practices + Richard says that it took a while to get government and agencies to get it to work * New Mind is doing Neurofeedback training for self improvement, for meditation, for relaxation, etc * The way has been paved by all different pioneers
Neurofeedback
- Neurofeedback is awesome because there is a re-wiring, and a real change
- There is a new level of optimal functioning, new socio-emotional levels, just documentable changes
- Richard says that his patients say that “what feels really good, is feeling really good, and being able to make things happen in my life. It feels empowering”
- “Enhancing people’s quality of life is the real goal” – Richard
- After a couple responses, you find ones that are better than the old ones
- And you find the liberty in responding differently, to change your life
- Musicians, visual artists, business people, they all find a new form of creativity
Benefits
- There is one girl who was going to commit suicide, but she changed her lifestyle, her friends, where she lived, her jobs, etc
- Getting into a new space is a shock for some, when they are used to suffering
- With a transcendental state that you can get to on psychedelics, you can only be in that state for so long
- With neurofeedback, you find that space inside of you, and once you learn it and recognize it, you can revisit it often
- People are capable of reaching these ‘high’ states, and it’s learning to recognize where those states ‘begin’ and where they ‘end’ to move within them
- The fear of the pain, makes us cling more tightly to it
- “You can’t break through (pain) by an act of will, you break through it by letting go” – Richard
Frequency and Waves
- Most decisions are made in the feeling brain, not the thinking brain
- There is a fibonacci sequence in the brain waves, and it starts with the heart
- Theta is a great frequency to use to help tap in
- The ‘aha’ moments that people get are little worlds you can actually train yourself to access
- When you grasp for it, you lose it, the flow comes upon you
Final Thoughts
- Micah says that Dr. Soutar’s YouTube channel is a wonderful resource
- Micah says that he can make someone feel be
Amazing Brains – 005 – Dr. Dale Schusterman In this episode, Micah sits down with Dr. Dale Schusterman. They talk about a breathing exercise that balances the hemispheres in your brain and balancing the body through frequency.
Show Notes Frequency * Dr. June Wieder, a chiropractor in California did a lot of research on using tuning forks on the spine + She found 12 frequencies, and each frequency resonates with 2 vertebrae * “Frequency is medicine” – Dr. Dale * Looking at heart frequency, brain frequency, gut behavior, it’s all so aligned * Tuning forks are readily available for people to try at home * Dr. Dale says that when he muscle tests people, you could bring up trauma from 9 years ago * Everyone needs to get reset from time to time, a good massage helps, the neuro-field is great
Breathing Technique * Alternate Nostril Breathing + Use the thumb for the right nostril, and the ring/middle finger to cover the left nostril + You breathe back and forth, holding one nostril (left) and breathing in, and then exhaling out of the left nostril while holding the other (right) + Then you rotate that pattern + It balances the heart to the brain, it’s a good way of centering and calming * Holotropic breathwork can arise emotions very quickly + Guides and sitters are recommended for Holotropic breathwork
Healing * When asking the body what is wrong, you have to be specific to produce healing * People are a lot more open to suggestion when they aren’t in pain
Parasympathetic Protocol * Dr. Dale uses it for chilling people out or helping people sleep * Flow has a lot to do with the parasympathetic system * ‘Rest and Digest’ is very parasympathetic * A lot of people are in a loop of not knowing an answer of when they will feel safe again, and using the parasympathetic protocol is super helpful
“When you start bringing balance in the body, then it frees the mind” – Dr. Dale
Final Thoughts * International College of Applied Kinesiology * P-DTR (proprioceptive deep tendon reflex) + A neurological way of balancing the body
Amazing Brains – 004 – Dr. Elliot Smith In this episode, Micah sits down with Dr. Elliot Smith. In the show, they cover topics including neurotransmitter, chiropractic, gut and mental health.
Show Notes Neurotransmitters * Neurotransmitters are any chemical that the body creates to talk with other parts of the body * Anxiety and depression may be linked to gut health + Science is so young in gut health + The things we don’t know far exceed the things that we do know * We’ve had access to this technology in spiritual healing modalities, and now we can do it on a computer * In the 1900’s, after people would get adjusted, they would be told to sit and relax for 2 hours + Imagine if we had people rest for 2 hours after therapy and biofeedback and chiropractic assistance today?
Chiropractic and Neurotransmitters * The first step for everyone is awareness + The first step is to find that the brain chemistry is off * Dr. Elliot starts with gaba, getting people out of fight or flight, and then reprogramming + When you work on the trauma piece, you reach a deeper healing * When people get into that parasympathetic response, he says he focuses on breathing with them + He finds out what relaxes them, whether that’s intense yoga, exercise, etc. * Dr. Elliot suggests eating healthy all the time, not just dieting * The goal is teaching people what it feels like to be calm, some people just have no idea what that looks like under constant stress and anxiety + Its helping people understand a relaxed state and recognize it and have awareness with it
Prebiotics * Chicory root is where a lot of pre-biotics come from * It starts with understanding what prebiotics are and where they come from * Eat sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, etc + Fermentation does produce some alcohol content * A lot of people don’t realize that large amounts of vitamin C and magnesium cause diarrhea * Its hard in this day and age, everyone thinks that supplements are great, but it differs from person to person + Just because one supplement is good for person A, doesn’t mean its good for person B
Final thoughts * 5htp can help, but it is not good to take with an SSRI, or antidepressant + Serotonin Syndrome is really bad * It’s important to focus on the mind-body-spirit as a whole aspect for health * Proper diet and nutrition, healthy stress relief, and balance all lead to ultimate health
Links Website
About Dr. Elliot Smith
Amazing Brains – 003 – Mike Mallory – Proper Recovery with Rad Roller In this episode, Micah sits down with biomechanics specialist and Co-founder of Rad Roller, Mike Mallory. In the show, they talk about Rad Roller and proper recovery techniques.
Show Notes Roller History * Mike used to work in the clinical environment * Foam rollers and tools are over 30 years old, and patients have been using them since the 1800’s + The revival of the foam roller happened about 15 years ago based on technology and knowledge of the body’s anatomy
Proper Recovery * Stretching, rolling and recovering is important * We live in a culture of bigger, faster, stronger + Less is more at Rad Roller * When you look at how tissues slide and glide over each other, what they are doing, and how the nervous system responds, they are all important aspects when looking at properly rolling + “There is a difference between functional and optimal” – Mike * “We should be the experts of our own body.” – Mike * People always ask Mike ‘what’s the best option, what does science say?’ and Mike answers ‘we have to find what’s best for you.’ * Micah says he leans far in not using metrics when he trains, and listens to his body somatically, and other times he is strictly on the quantitative side, it’s all about finding that balance
Rad Roller * Rad Roller offers online mobility courses + Mike says that for someone who has no prior knowledge or experience, they would be able to understand 75% of the material + Its for everyday people as well as coaches and trainers * What the rollers do, is work with the nervous system to signal change and healing to happen * The rollers promote movement of fluid, but they are also tactical and physically change the shape of your body
Recovery * Sleep is a passive form of recovery * Even just doing housework, if you’re not an extreme athlete, rolling can help * There is the neurological window, an opening to make change + If you roll out your leg, it’s not making just physical change, its changing the nervous system * The number one stage that most people skip in a workout, is the recovery stage * When we become stressed, sometimes it takes a quick 20 minute bike ride to let go of everything and focus at the task at hand more efficiently * Micah says that stress is not a bad thing, but we have to be mindful of when it’s helpful and when its harmful
Links Website
About Mike Mallory and Rad Roller
Amazing Brains Podcast – 002 – Joe Howdyshell In this episode, Micah sits down with Joe Howdyshell, coach of Summit Endurance Academy. In the show, they talk about human peak performance, and creating habits and processes around values.
Show Notes Habits * Time is a crutch + Most people waste a lot of time + The average facebook user is on there for 2 hours a day + Get the phone out of your bedroom, it should not be the first thing you waste time on in the morning * Start habits that are less daunting + Instead of starting with an hour run a day, start with 15 minutes a day * We have 50,000 conscious choices to make a day + “If we want to make the hard choice, we have to use willpower. Habits are choices we don’t have to make anymore. We have to pick the kale over the donut so many times, that it no longer requires will power.” -Joe * It’s a lot easier to build on a habit than to create a new one
Exercise * Exercise is damage, it’s the breakdown of tissue and depletion of energy stores + The body says “I don’t want that to damage me” and so it gets stronger, that’s how exercise works * Joe says his job with athletes is helping them to be very mindful of their self talk, not being super hard on themselves when they did something wrong, and recognizing the things done right * An athlete that doesn’t know how to take a day break from exercise, is going to have a really hard time becoming ‘faster’ because speed requires heavy on some days and full ‘down’ days + “The amount of training has more to do with where you are right now than where you want to be” – Joe * 1 out of 100 people will make money being an athlete, so the question is, why do we do it? + Is it about dominance? Health? Joe thinks it should be about bettering ourselves + It’s all about creating the correct self awareness + You have to do it for the right reasons
Values * Joe says he likes to take athlete’s 20 values, and narrow it down to 10, then to 5, then to 3 + It’s hard to put one value over another because they are all values, they are all good * Sometimes we don’t see our own faults like other people can see + It’s all about being extremely clear with our reflection and perception of ourselves * Micah says he asks himself, “am I being consumptive or productive?”
Screen Time * It can be really bad for some people and really great for others * For some, it’s a distraction, for grandma, whose family lives all over the country, may use facebook as her only means to keep in touch with her family * For a lot of people, it ends up being a distraction
Final Thoughts * “Try it” – Joe * He sees more people not meeting their goals because they didn’t even sta
Amazing Brains Podcast – 001 – Dr. Eryn Scott In this episode, Micah sits down with Dr. Eryn Scott of Mountain River Naturopathic Clinic. In the show, they cover the foundational pillars of health, herbalism and more.
Show Notes About Dr. Eryn Scott * Eryn has a background from Bastyr in Seattle * + She lived in Seattle for school specifically * She completed her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and worked for an herbalist * She was a nanny and preschool teacher * Both of her passions for naturopathy and kids came together and led her to pursue her Doctorate at Bastyr
Foundations of Health * Naturopathic doctors look at the person as a whole, they look at strengths and weaknesses * Common things they look at are sleep patterns, diet and nutrition, the relationship to self, and relationship to community
Sleep * With sleep, the issues are either falling asleep and/or staying asleep + Sleep patterns start with routine * Its best to shut off the electronics, blue light inhibits melatonin production, the chemical cue that helps make our bodies tired * Cortisol helps us wake up, melatonin helps us sleep * Cortisol is the hormone that follows the sun * Melatonin is opposite, it rises with the moon and falls with the rising of the sun * Micah mentions that people justify not sleeping enough * Eryn says that the pattern of sleep depends on age + Babies will typically wake up every two hours of feeding, while the postpartum mother will need much more, but the advice for that mom is to stay in bed or relaxed while feeding
Nutrition and Diet * “I’m a big believer in that what we put into our bodies influences how our body functions, how we feel during the day, our energy levels, our digestion and more.” – Eryn * If you can get kids to have fun in the kitchen with fruits and vegetables, they are more inclined to eat it + Shop for a rainbow of whole foods, avoiding pre-packaged food
Good foods helps our biochemistry in our body to perform functionally
- Avoiding meat and dairy (inflammatory foods) will help your performance
- But the key is to not beat yourself up if you eat a poor meal once and awhile
- Binge eating isn’t talked about a lot, but it’s common
- We binge, and then we feel guilt, and then we eat more to self-soothe
- Food matters both physically and psychologically
- What matters just as much as the food itself is our relationship to food
- Parents are the role model, they need to have the healthy foods available
- There are some kids that won’t even tolerate a green food on their plate
- It’s about starting small, maybe putting a bowl of broccoli on the table, but away from the child and not even mentioning it
- Eryn says she is a big proponent of gardens and getti