Thursday Thoughts: New Insights Into How The Body Influences The Mind

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There’s strong evidence that the mind/body connection is positively correlated, meaning the more balanced your physical health, the more balanced your  mental health ought to be.

Food/Environment:

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Spraying chemicals on the lawns your children and grandchildren play in or in the gardens where you grow your produce that winds up on your dinner table…how can you be surprised with these results? Wake up people! Think about what you are doing. The FDA and government regulations aren’t protecting you–they are protecting their profits. Why do you think Autism rates have climbed so dramatically? One theory is liberal use of pesticides. Maybe you don’t believe that theory, but you can’t tell me you are in “support” of the copious use of poison on our food that IS linked to other defects? Go organic now. Stop using pesticides, herbicides and go organic.

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You can be weed-free and grow successfully without poison. Promise. Continue reading »


Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar

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If the glass bottle of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar from my Balanced Gut, Balanced Mind post caught your eye and you’re wondering how in the world vinegar might be beneficial to your health, then this is the post for you.¹

  And iOrganic Apple Cider Vinegar 16 oz - Click Image to Closef you’re already well aware of the benefits of using raw apple cider vinegar, then I apologize for being patronizing, but, hopefully, this post will provide you with a platform to contribute your own  unique experience using apple cider vinegar.

     The information that I’m providing is by no means exhaustive, I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or licensed health professional.²  This post is based on personal experience and I’d love to hear how it has personally helped you! So if you already use, or have used, apple cider vinegar in your daily regimen, then please comment below with your experience. Continue reading »


Balanced Gut, Balanced Mind?

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Near the end of 2014, I published a post entitled What’s in My Pantry which explained the difference between Probiotics and Prebiotics as well as how they work in synchronicity within the human digestive system to promote Gastrointestinal and Mental Health benefits.

Because April is Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to revisit this topic.   

As was stated in the original post, “there is hard evidence linking conditions such as Autism and Depression to the gut’s microbial residents…”  There is scientific proof that the GI environment and conditions like Autism are linked. 

“In humans, there is some very early evidence of a link between gut bacteria and mental health. A new study from England found that supplements that boost “good” bacteria in the gut (called “prebiotics”) may alter the way people process emotional information, suggesting that changes in gut bacteria may have anti-anxiety effects”.

Gut bacteria plays a major role in our sanity.  Incredible. 

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria (live cultures) naturally occurring in the stomach.  These active cultures help balance gut flora by reproducing more good bacteria.  A good balance helps boost immunity and overall health, particularly the aforementioned Gastrointestinal Health.  Probiotics can be used to treat stomach issues like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), food allergies and lactose intolerance.

Prebiotics are the foods that help the Probiotics along.  They are good bacteria “promoters”.  Prebiotics and Probiotics work together to achieve Gastrointestinal Health.

Gastrointestinal Health is important for more than just happy tummies.  More and more scientific research is pointing towards intestinal bacteria playing an influential role in managing mental disorder symptoms.  Continue reading »



A is For Apraxia

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When it comes to various modes of communication, I’m much more effective via the written word than I am through verbal discourse.  It’s been that way for as long as I can remember.  And if my dialogue happens to be extemporaneous?  Well, then you can just forget hearing me utter anything remotely articulate.  I fall apart, my thoughts and words turning haphazard and rambling.  And in the moment, my arguments become so poorly reasoned, so weakly constructed, that I’m convincing absolutely no one, least of all myself.

I think the difficulty I have with any “off the cuff” exchange has more to do with my being overly influenced by emotion and less to do with any malfunction in cognitive processing.

Because I am both self-centered and myopic, I first consider this theory and how it pertains to me.

“Does this mean that I’m a good writer, but I’ll never be successful because I fall apart in person?   My life is such an embarrassing disaster–nobody will ever believe my work legitimately came from me.  Who will ever take me seriously?”

I then discuss the National Crisis that is ” Kristen and her Writing” at length with my parents, whose unconditional loves bids them do so.  Readers, did you happen to catch that uppercase W?  That may indicate significance.  You might consider making a note. ***Sarcasm***

When they are unavailable to pander to my self-obsessed verbal loop about me and my “Writing”, I debate the concept with any random stranger who makes eye contact at the market, God save them.  Just kidding!  I’d bet most readers aren’t fooled into believing that last statement;  I’m far too socially awkward for that kind of wild abandon.  Unless, that is,  I happen to be with my Dad.  If that were the case, I’d have miraculously gleaned at least iota of his charisma that he seems to radiate in endless supply.  I’ve subconsciously dubbed it his “Host Charisma” which is Warm, Loud and Silly.

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Dad, Me

In contrast, when I am with my Mom, I also absorb a segment of her personality.  When I was growing up, I spent much more time around her than with my dad, so I’d venture to say my personality developed more closely to hers.  She has a Charisma which is Cool, Quiet, and Quirky.

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Me ( At Healthy Weight), Mom, Grandma

Ok, that became tangential very quickly.  I feel pretty sheepish since I’ve spent the last few paragraphs expounding on the direct nature of my writing, but, as evidenced, I get easily distracted in any forum.   ***Incidentally, I’ve switched psychiatric medicines once again, just prior to Christmas actually, and the “Flight of Ideas” symptom should hopefully be curtailed soon.  Getting back to the main point, I’d recently been discussing with reasonable frequency  obsessing over the disparity in communicative skills when my second-youngest brother, Mark, interrupted my mom and I because he was struggling to communicate.  Mark is fifteen years old and has severe Autism.

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Marky (age 15), helping me open a Christmas present, 2015.

Mark was diagnosed at 18 months old and also has Apraxia of speech, which is a motor speech disorder.  This is when there is difficulty connecting speech from the brain to the mouth.  Apraxia affects nearly 65 percent of children with autism.  Do not misunderstand.  This is just one disability of the myriad that comprise his Autism.  Those diagnosed can be anywhere on the spectrum.  Unfortunately, both he and my youngest brother, Aaron, who is thirteen, are on the profound end of the Autism Spectrum.

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My brother, Aaron (age 13) at his first basketball game, 2015

Aaron, while also profoundly Autistic, is slightly higher functioning than Mark, but interestingly, non-verbal.  His Apraxia is worse than Mark’s, but his cognitive ability is more advanced.  He is able to write words and communicate at a rudimentary level to indicate if he is hungry, feeling aggressive, or wants to do an activity.

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Aaron (Age 13) receiving Equine Therapy for Sensory Issues.

Mark’s Apraxia limits him to a few “words” that sound sort of like a baby’s babbling when they’re learning to speak.  He’s very low functioning, and has disabling anxiety, cognitive impairment, and difficulty self-regulating his moods.  Compounding that, he has sensory and pain issues that he’s unable to explain in clear, coherent language.  And unlike Aaron, he’s unable write as an alternative form of communication.

So, for me to talk endlessly about how my brain feels clicking onto that one perfect word, versus how ineffective I sometimes feel speaking in person, well, I guess I should talk about it less and write about it more.


 

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If you are interested in learning more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, check out my other related posts: Autism 101 and Autism Awareness Month.  You can also visit Autism Speaks.org to learn more about Apraxia and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

 


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Autism Awareness Month

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April is Autism Awareness month.

AUTISMAWARE2That fact should be significant to everyone as the prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 68 births.  This means it is extremely likely that your own life will be touched in some way by an individual on the Autism Spectrum.

Autism exists within my own family.  My two youngest siblings, Mark and Aaron, have severe Autism.  They are school-age and non-verbal.    You can check out my Autism 101 post for basic information on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Continue reading »


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Going Gluten-Free Series: Part 2

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Before I continue the “Going Gluten-Free Series”, I have both good news and bad news to report.

The good news is that the high today was 70 degrees.

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The bad news is that I sustained an injury to my left quadricep muscle this week, and for the last two days, I have been unable to run.

Thus, the favorable weather went to waste was not enjoyed (by me) to the fullest extent. Continue reading »


Going Gluten-Free Series: Part 1

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The phrase “Gluten-Free” seems to be popping up everywhere.

The ubiquitous label, which has surpassed even the “low-carb” craze in marketing popularity, is actually worthy of contemplation.

What  does Gluten-Free mean?

          What is a Gluten-Free diet?

First, let’s establish what Gluten itself is:

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten also exists in many whole grain foods related to wheat, including bulgur, farro, kamut, spelt, and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye). Continue reading »