Wholistic Nutrition llc

Not all people are affected by mold mycotoxins equally, and not all autoimmune conditions are driven by mold. However, for many people, a current or previous mold exposure is/was enough to play a role in the development of autoimmunity. A root cause that is still too often overlooked, especially in the conventional world.

As we've talked about in previous posts, mycotoxin illness can present in a multitude of ways, even for those living under the same roof or working in the same environment as others who are being exposed equally.

Do mycotoxins play a role in autoimmunity?

There are several scientific articles showing a correlation with mycotoxin exposure and autoimmunity, through a few different mechanisms listed in the graphic.

Toxic mold exposure can...
•increase inflammation in the body
•disrupt the immune system
•induce a leaky gut
•lastly, mycotoxins can increase cell permeability, get into the cell, and damage the mitochondria

All of which C@vid can do as well and why C@v$d is being called the great unmasker. It unmasks underlying dysfunction that was present and maybe not very evident or addressed. It can also tip people into mcas much like mold toxicity or driven by underlying unknown mold toxicity or colonization, along with other possible underlying overgrowths, toxicities, or pathogens.

All of these factors have been scientifically correlated with the development of the worsening of autoimmune conditions.

Once again, mold is not the only factor in autoimmunity, but it's with checking into.

Curious... have you developed an autoimmune condition and suspect mold as a root cause?

Disclaimer - not medical advice. Always for educational purposes only and to help you think deeper.

The more you know!

We've gotten a lot of requests to talk about ADHD, sensory issues, and other childhood conditions. We work with a lot of kids and we're happy to help. It starts with food.

The ultra-processed food movement has been shown to play a role in various conditions and symptoms in children...
ADHD
Learning difficulties
Behaviors
Sensory processing issues
Depression
Autism
Skin conditions
Immune suppression
GI issues
Poor metabolic health
Decreased locomotor skills

If you start somewhere for your child or children... start with food.

See our previous reel on steps you can take with food to take back their health.

Is food the end all be all? No, but it's a huge piece of the puzzle and the foundation of health.

Is deeper work on the gut, immune system, or toxin load, etc, sometimes necessary? Yes, but we're still going to start with food.

Does the overuse of screens and devices also play a role? For sure, but food still matters.

Let's shift the norm!
Let's get back to basics!
Let's stop rewarding with sugar and dyes in schools!
Let's take one step at a time out of the processed food movement these companies want us in!
Let's dare to be different and help others see it's possible!
Let's take back the health of our children and future generations!

This is not meant to scare. It's meant to inform. To help shed light on what may be contributing to the rise of autoimmunity. To help connect the dots. To help discover why these conditions develop. When we can understand why, we can take action, peel back the layers, make changes to prevent dis-ease and dysfunction, minimize our exposures, toss the toxins, shift our lifestyle, improve our response to stress, change our thoughts, address toxic relationships, test and not guess and with with practitioners who get it if need be.

Our world is ever changing with the addition of toxins. It's important we change, too, step out of consuming toxic products and food, filter our air and water, support detox as a lifestyle and dare to be different or "weird." The norm is becoming disease. Let's be the change and shift the norm back to health and resiliency!

That is where hope is found!

Cheers!

Beyond celiac disease: Going gluten-free can have a positive effect on other autoimmune disease symptoms as well.

Going gluten-free and converting to a whole foods diet can...
Decrease inflammation
Support the immune system
Improve the intestinal microbiome
Decrease the likelihood of leaky gut

If you've been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition or want to avoid one, it's worth exploring how gluten is affecting your body or eliminating gluten for 3-6 months.

Reach out for best ways to test for gluten sensitivity.

There's a lot more to come on autoimmunity, but a gluten-free whole food focused way of eating is a wonderful place to start!

Cheers!

Today, we're taking a look at the whole picture to put it into perspective. It's so easy to be consumed by the thought that this next supplement, peptide, or injection will be a magic bullet. We're surrounded by marketing and it's really good marketing these days. We're also so busy that a supplement or pill sounds way easier than a lifestyle shift.

The truth is, though, it wasn't a deficiency in X, Y, or Z pill that got you here. Let's think deeper than that... it was the lifestyle, nutrition, stressors, and/or environmental toxins that led to imbalance and distress within the body.

Are protocols and supplements often essential on the road to restoring health and building resiliency? Yes, for a period of time, and for specific purposes to help gently detox and restore balance.

For example, it's important to get the body properly draining and detoxing, address pathogens or imbalances, restore deficiencies, support processes in the body, and help ease symptoms along the way with individualized protocols and supplements, however, it's the lifestyle, nutrition, mindset, and non-toxic environment that play the biggest role and keep the body balanced.

It's the lifestyle, nutrition, and environment that provide the solid foundation on which health is restored sustained.

It's...
Blood sugar balance
Nervous system regulation
Hopping of the stress train
Whole food nutrition
A low tox environment
Clean water, food, air, and products
Quality sufficient sleep
Daily movement
The mindset and belief you can get better
Gratitude
Forgiveness
Slowing yourself down
Connecting with nature
Community
Adding more joy and laughter
Purpose and passion
Grounding over grinding
Healing past hurts
Faith

There's no magic supplement or protocol.

It's the factors above that we have to devote our time and energy into while going through the protocols and supplements. It's those factors that will change your life, your family's lives, and generations to come!

It's a wholistic approach, and we're here for it and for you!

When in doubt, double down on the foundations!

Who agrees?

Let's chat about a lesser known cause of acne... mold exposure. These exposures can be present or past and may still be playing a role in your acne if colonization has occurred.

Mold is often associated with respiratory issues, allergies, and other health problems, but its impact on the skin, particularly in triggering or exacerbating acne, is worth exploring.

As you can see from the graphic mold can impact acne in many ways. Through...
Imbalances hormones
Disrupting the gut microbiome
Suppressing the immune system
Leading to nutrient deficiencies
Affecting the skin microbiome
Increasing inflammation

If you have stubborn acne and think you tried everything, I encourage you to work with a practitioner who can dive deeper into mold testing with you, including your body and environment.

This was a huge trigger for me when we were unknowingly living in mold. I tried prescriptions and everything. It wasn't until I addressed the colonization in my gut, detox pathways, and inflammation that I was able to make progress and remain acne free. To this day, if exposed to mold for long enough, I will get a breakout or two.

The body communicates in symptoms... let's listen and take action before they become screams.

Has mold impacted acne for you?
Have you heard of this connection before?

Wow! We are blown away and completely filled to the brim with love and gratitude for all your support yesterday and through the years.

Thank you to the WN team and Jeff for bringing all of this together and serving this community so wholeheartedly. You all are the best, and WN is everything it is and able to serve so many thanks to you all.

Thank you to the hundreds who attended the event. We appreciate each and every one of you and are so proud of your dedication to your health and well-being. My heart is so full seeing all who believe in the power of holistic health.

Thank you to all who have supported us in any capacity through the years.

Thank you to every client through the years, for trusting us on you journey, believing in the process and putting in the work alongside us to better your health and the health of your family and future generations.

Thank you to our families and friends for your continued support, believing in all we do, and always being there for us.

Thank you to all who sent flowers, texts, messages, voicemails, etc. They are deeply appreciated.

Thank you to Live Great Foodtruck and UpNorth Acai for keeping everyone nourished.

Thank you to the Eau Claire Chamber for the beautiful ribbon cutting ceremony and your support.

Thank you to Rocket Construction for building out our dream space.

Thank you to the vendors we carry on the store and your dedication to healthier and safer products for all.

Thank you to those who made the space beautiful for the event with flowers and balloons.

Thank you to Codi and Austin for capturing the event so we could be in the moment.

Thank you, God, for using all that we've been through for a greater purpose and for guiding us in all that we do for your good and to help others.

Yesterday and these last 5 years are more than we could ever have imagined or planned.

Cheers to the next 25 and more events to come!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

There are a few different acne types...
Infection related
Inflamatory
Hormonal
Non-inflamatory

Parasites can play a role in most of these differentacne types, in a direct way (parasite type that live on the skin) and indirect ways (parasites that affect the gut microbiome, the liver's ability to detox, hormones and systemic inflammation).

We've seen many cases of acne improving by properly parasite cleansing (meaning the immune system is supported, detox and drainage pathways are open and supported, the diet is dialed in, and digestion is supported).

Are parasites the end all be all for acne? Typically, no, they are one piece of the puzzle. For some, they are a big piece, and we see dramatic improvements and, for others, a smaller piece, and we still need to address other underlying factors like gut infections, mold toxicity, etc.

It's important not to overlook parasites as potentially playing a role in acne.

I'll share a case in our stories of acne that dramatically improved with parasite cleansing. We still have mold colonization to address and to rebalance the gut microbiome, but parasite cleansing really was a big piece in decreasing inflammation for this individual.

The more you know!

When we look at acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, etc. These conditions are not a result of a pharmaceutical deficiency.

The root cause of these conditions... a high toxin load, pathogens, and living a lifestyle that creates stress within the body, then leads to downstream effects like...

Sluggish detox pathways
Imbalanced gut microbiome
Leaky gut
Hormonal imbalances
Blood sugar imbalances
Nutrient deficiencies
Imbalanced skin microbiome

These then play a role in the development of skin conditions, and may all need to be addressed....but...

To fully rebalance and heal, we have to go even further upstream to the toxins, pathogens, diet, and lifestyle.

There's hope for all of these skin conditions, and that hope is found in addressing the true root causes.

Cheers!

We often hear of the role of diet and stress play in the development of insulin resistance, blood sugar dysregulation, and diabetes. There's another important connection that we have to bring of the conversation, and that's the connection between toxins and insulin resistance.

We've seen numerous times in practice the effect that mold and mycotoxins have on blood sugar. We've seen an HgA1c go from in the 11s down to the 6s by supporting detox from a previous mold exposure. We've seen blood sugar stabilize after moving out of a moldy building.

Mold isn't the only toxin that affects blood sugar and your body's ability to regulate it. As seen in the graphic, environmental toxins also play a role.

This makes it all the more important to live a non-toxic lifestyle to the best of your ability, increase antioxidants and fiber in your diet, practice regular detox therapies like sauna/sweating, along with regular movement, nervous system regulation and supplemental support as needed.

The more you know!

Did you know the connection between toxins and blood sugar?

# #

A flat line is not the goal.

We need rises in blood sugar. We just don't need spikes, especially chronic spikes, on a daily basis.

Spikes may feel like...
- Hungry within an hour or two after eating
- Energy crash
- Sweet cravings
- Trouble sleeping
- Jittery
- Anxious
- Increased thirst
- Headaches
- Inability to focus
- Brain fog
- Rapid heart rate

If this sounds like you, testing your blood sugar so you can correlate your symptoms and become more in tune with your body and why you're feeling a certain way can be a great place to start, while making dietary and lifestyle changes.

Becoming in tune with your body, recognizing when it's out of alignment and making the necessary adjustments without a monitor eventually, and making these changes a lifestyle is the ultimate goal.

Curious... have you tested your blood sugar before? Were toy surprised at the results?

Balanced blood sugar is essential for everyone. It's essential for health, well-being, disease prevention, hormone balance, gut health, fertility, clear and glowing skin, brain health, heart health... really every aspect of health. It is so important that let's all start to look at it as a 5th vital sign.

It's so much more than just preventing diabetes. When blood sugar is imbalanced, it overloads your liver, pancreas, and intestines, driving inflammation that then affects multiple organ systems.

Now that we have the importance of balanced blood sugar established, symptoms of imbalanced blood sugar in the graphic, along with root causes and optimal ranges, we will be sharing more about nutrition, lifestyle, root causes, monitoring blood sugar, supplementation, and more.

Does anything in the graphic surprise you?

Star tuned for our blood sugar Q&A Wednesday in our stories.

If you start your health journey somewhere, start with building a solid foundation of blood sugar balance.

Cheers!

You and your family are all invited! Come celebrate our grand opening at our new location in River Prairie, Altoona! We love a gathering with good food and good company, and we love giving back, so that's what we're doing.

Enjoy food from and Up North Acai (a new acai food truck you're going to want to check out)!

Giveaways that include baskets for mom, dad, kids, gym goers, sauna packages, and more!

A store wide 20% off discount at that time!

Opportunities to chat with us, ask questions, get to know us, learn more about Wholistic Nutrition, and how we serve the Chippewa Valley and beyond!

will also be there, and you will have an opportunity to meet her and learn more about Cranial Sacral Therapy!

We're so excited to celebrate with you all!

Holistic friends really are the best!

What would you add?

Tag your holistic friends to thank them and show them some love!

We're so happy for her and her family! This little girl is feeling back to normal and is able to fully be a kid again!

Recurring or chronic lyme is not just Lyme. There's usually more to the story, even in the case with kids. It's always worth digging deeper.

Happy Wednesday!






*not medical advice, and we don't diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Histamine intolerance and mast cell issues are becoming more and more common, and more people are presenting as super sensitive (more to come on those reasons later).

We receive a lot of questions on where to start and if there is hope.

The answer is yes, there's hope!

This is a general framework on where to start, but please know everyone is different, and what works for your friend with histamine intolerance may not be your gold ticket, and that's okay. There's still hope.

When clients come to us in this state, each case is unique with different root causes, ways in which they respond to various supports, and each timeline is unique to the individual.

The goal is to create safety, calm the mast cells, restore deficiencies, and adopt a non-tox lifestyle, all while identifying and working through their specific root causes to restore a level of health and resiliency.

Cheers!

We are so honored and excited to offer coffee that aligns with our quality standards and values!

Bonus - the couple behind the brand is also fabulous!

Hiker coffee has the highest quality beans, organic ingredients and is free from seed oils, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides.

It doesn't get any better than that!

Cheers! ☕️

Hiker Coffee - COMING SOON!👀
We’re blazing a planet-friendly trail, creating clean craft coffee with the highest quality beans and organic ingredients. Our products are even verified safe and free from seed oils, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides. Now that’s good stuff!

Some of you might even be able to snag a few of the first bags locally at Woodmans, Hy-Vee, Menomonie Market Food Co-op or Wholistic Nutrition llc ☕️

Inspired by a recent conversation with a client about the gut microbiome, food, and the documentary Hack Your Heath that I haven't seen yet. When it comes to proper nutrition for the microbiome, the focus is so often on what to remove (which is important), but what we add in is equally, if not more important.

Diversity is key!

Foods that have been shown to positively impact the GI system, immune system, and overall health include...

🌱Dark leafy greens

🌱Sprouts

🌱Artichokes

🌱Jicama

🌱Broccoli

🌱Onions

🌱Almonds

🌱Pistachios

🌱Berries

🌱Asparagus

🌱Beans

🌱Squash

🌱Potatoes

🌱Salmon/sardines/mackerel

🌱Turmeric

🌱Ginger

🌱Garlic

🌱Bone broth

🌱Bell peppers

🌱Citrus fruits

🌱Nuts n seeds

🌱Manuka honey

🌱Cruciferous veggies

🌱Fermented foods

🌱Rosemary

🌱Thyme

🌱Green tea

🌱Apples

🌱Dark chocolate (cacao, not cocoa)

🌱and more!

Consuming a wide variety of whole foods has a huge impact on your gut microbiome, immune system, brain chemistry, hormones, weight health, and more.

Will everyone tolerate all of these foods once they start to switch over to a whole food diet?

No, start slow and start with well cooked vegetables. If you still don't tolerate some, that may be a sign that deeper investigation (testing) and work may need to be done, and then the foods reintroduced strategically.

If you've switched over your diet, have it dialed in, and are still struggling with symptoms, that is also a sign that deeper investigation and root cause work may be warranted (toxins, pathogens, impaired detox).

Cheers to shooting for 30+ varieties of whole real foods weekly! It's easier than you think!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303825/

It's not a single supplement or protocol.

Are protocols and supplements often essential on the road to restoring health and building resiliency? Yes, for a period of time, and for specific purposes.

For example, it's important to optimize digestion, address pathogens or imbalances, improve detox, restore deficiencies, support processes in the body, and help ease symptoms along the way with individualized protocols and supplements, however, it's addressing the lifestyle, nutrition, mindset, and environment (toxins) that fueled these imbalances.

It's building a lifestyle that restores and maintains health and resiliency.

It's becoming in tune with yourself again.

It's the higher version of yourself that you are able to become in the process.

Tonsils are an important part of the lymph/immune system.

When tonsils are chronically enlarged, we have to ask the deeper questions....

What's impacting the immune system?
Is there a toxin/s at play?
What may be leading to lymph backup?
What may be fueling inflammation?
Is there a structural component involved?

There is so much you can do when you consider the factors that may be playing a role (listed in the graphic).

These will vary by individual and be unique to you or your child but can be very impactful when addressed.

Is there still a chance that, in some cases, surgery is the best option? Yes.

It's also important to know that one study looked at nearly 1.2 million children and the effects of removal on long-term health. That study found that children who had tonsils and/or adenoids removed had a significantly higher risk of respiratory, infectious, and allergic disease over the following years.

Once again, there is no judgment, just something to consider supporting if removal is your best option.

The more you know!

Candida is a fungus that is a natural part of our gut microbiome. When in balance, it aids in nutrient absorption and digestion. When it overgrows, symptoms may start to appear intermittently. If left unchecked, these symptoms may start to worsen, and/or new symptoms that seem unrelated may start to appear.

This could start out looking like constipation, then the constipation becomes chronic, and further on down the road, the child may develop skin rashes, picky eating, or mood dysregulation.

Oftentimes, we notice that children with an overgrowth of candida have trouble concentrating or "fly off the handle" very easily. They may act out at a sibling for no reason, and 5 minutes later, forget it even happened or show little remorse.

Children with candida overgrowth usually love carbs or sugar, and if the overgrowth is significant enough, they may go to great lengths to get their hands on sugar. Even raiding cupboards at night or without permission. This isn't them, this is the candida increasing these cravings.

These are the more common symptoms/ presentations associated with candida overgrowth in kids.

Stay tuned. We'll talk about root causes, too, as well as how we test and help.

Do any of these surprise you?

Haha, oh, the truth to this and probably the reason it takes me days to weeks to months to respond to texts or messages sometimes 😅

Anyone else this way?

Happy Friday!

Inspired by a recent conversation with a client.

Of course, there are exceptions, and there are people and even whole families who absolutely do need to remediate or move and practice mold avoidance (I'm one of them).

However, for some people, some degree of healing is possible while still being exposed to mold.

May ongoing support be needed, yes.
May the end goal still be to get out of mold, yes.

We don't have to wait, though, to start the healing journey and make progress.

Some of the things we've seen improve for clients, with support, while still being exposed to mold include....fatigue, inflammation, vertigo, lyme, constipation, GI symptoms, anxiety, and more.

This greatly depends on the amount of exposure, the types of mycotoxins one is being exposed to, and other factors, and is also why...

Every person and situation must be approached differently.

Dare to be different! Dare to create a new norm! Dare to step out of dis-ease and dysfunction and the rat race! Dare to prioritize you and your family's well-being! It's not being high maintenence, it's essential.

Who's with us?!

What would you add?!

Balancing blood sugar for those with histamine intolerance and/or MCAS can be life changing and is truly foundational.

Think nourishment... an example would be... half of your plate low histamine veggies cooked in ghee or coconut oil, a palm sized portion of protein, a small portion of beans if tolerated or squash/sweet potatoes.

Cheers to another non-supplemental tool in the toolbox!

Mold toxicity is real... and...Healing from mold and the dysfunction created by it is possible.

May this story create awareness around mold toxicity, inspire you or someone who may be in mold, and may this give you all hope!

Yes, there's still some work to do, but this family is well on their way to fully recovering, preventing disease down the road, and living their best life!

I don't think we'll ever be able to read through their story without crying.

Much love!
Always here for you!

Your WN family

Lots of blood sugar questions lately.

Did you know there's more to blood sugar than food alone?

Yes, food matters greatly, but if you're eating protein, fat, fiber, and staying within your carb tolerance and your blood sugar is still erratic.... you may want to consider these other factors in the graphic.

I've seen an A1C go from 11.6 to 5.7 just by working on toxin load, supporting a backed up liver/bile (the liver plays a key role in regulating blood sugar), and addressing a gluten sensitivity. This client had the rest of her diet dialed in for years and still had high blood sugar readings for these reasons (a previous mold exposure was a huge contributor and was still affecting her).

Cortisol matters greatly. When cortiso rises, blood sugar can also rise. Being mindful of things that can raise cortisol too much and send you a blood sugar roller-coaster for the day can have a huge impact. These could include.... coffee before breakfast, working out fasted, rushing, lack of nature/natural sunlight, and bluelight exposure (especially before bed and first thing in the morning).

Oftentimes, we see elevated cortisol at night, and the bluelight is the main culprit. Red lights, blueblocking glasses, and turning off lights can help, as well as getting to bed on time.

The gut also plays a major role in blood sugar balance. A leaky gut can create inflammation, which can reduce insulin sensitivity. Gluten alone can also do this for some people.

A healthy gut and diverse diet produce short chain fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and can help improve insulin sensitivity and metabolism.

Do any of these surprise you?

Oftentimes, when you look up endometriosis, you will find info about how it's a structural, genetic, immune, hormonal, and inflamatory condition. You will also often see that there are no known causes. This can leave you with little hope.

This is not the case we've come to discover throughout the years.

Hope is found when we ask the deeper questions.....
What is driving the hormonal imbalances?
What could be tipping the immune system out of balance?
What is creating and fueling inflammation?
What is turning on my genes?

The most common factors are pictured in the graphic, and I'll share some studies in our stories that back those up. Not that you need a study to make a lived experience valid.

We've seen endo symptoms improve when the liver and bile start working better. When parasites are cleared. When the gut microbiome is balanced. When the diet is converted to anti-inflamatory foods. We had a case where we helped clear mold colonization in the GI tract two years ago, and she was feeling amazing with no symptoms. After staying in a house with mold for two months recently, endo symptoms started to return again. Within one month of supporting mycotoxin clearance from the body, symptoms were 70% better, and the next step is to clear mold colonization in the GI tract again.

Everyone is different, and it's often the perfect storm of a combination of these factors that leads to imbalances, inflammation, immune dysregulation, and hormone chaos.

Please know... These factors are opportunities! These factors provide hope!

This is not medical advice, nor do we diagnose, treat, or cure anything. We help you think deeper, instill hope, and work on optimizing bodily systems through nutrition, lifestyle, and holistic supports.

Cheers to thinking deeper, learning, and making changes!