Tag: Parkinson’s

Anti-Inflammatory, Parkinson's, Parkinsons, Recipes, vegan

High-Fibre Quinoa Bowl to Support Brain Health

A delicious anti-inflammatory, high-fibre recipe designed to support Parkinson’s healing. Packed with turmeric, ginger, fibre-rich legumes, leafy greens, and omega-3s to nourish the brain and body.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3):

Main Bowl:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups chopped kale or baby spinach
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • 1/2 cup grated or thinly sliced carrot
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder (or fresh turmeric, grated)
  • 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or flaxseed oil (cold-pressed, added at the end)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional Toppings:

  • Hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds
  • Unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • Fresh herbs (parsley, coriander)

Instructions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed quinoa, lentils, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until quinoa and lentils are soft and broth is mostly absorbed.
  2. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, carrot, and zucchini. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
  3. Add kale or spinach and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes until wilted.
  4. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, ground flaxseed, and olive or flaxseed oil.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve in bowls and top with your choice of hemp seeds, herbs, or coconut yogurt.

Tips:

  • For extra creaminess and calcium, stir in 1 tbsp of tahini before serving.
  • This dish pairs beautifully with calming herbal teas for an evening meal such as chamomile, lemon balm, or passionflower in the evening to support nervous system calm and better sleep.

Limbic-Retraining-Cell-Danger-Response-Healing-Brain
Parkinson's

How the Cell Danger Response Blocks Healing—and What Limbic Retraining Can Do About It

What Is the Cell Danger Response?

Imagine your cells as little workers in a town. When life is good, they make energy, communicate with each other, and keep everything running smoothly.

But when a threat arises—like toxins, chronic infections, emotional trauma, or stress—your cells go into survival mode. They shut down normal operations to focus on defense.

This is known as the Cell Danger Response (CDR)—your body’s way of protecting itself from harm.

What Happens When the Cell Danger Response Gets Stuck?

The problem is that sometimes, even after the threat is gone, your body doesn’t switch off the alarm.

When the Cell Danger Response stays active, your body gets stuck in chronic inflammation, poor energy, and immune system confusion.

You can’t fully heal in this state.

Common Triggers for the Cell Danger Response

Your body might enter and stay in CDR due to:

  • Chronic infections (e.g. Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus, mould illness)
  • Environmental toxins (pesticides, heavy metals, mould toxins, pollution)
  • Emotional or physical trauma
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction (the powerhouse of the cells creating cellular energy issues)
  • Ongoing stress (emotional, mental, or physical)

Even when these triggers are removed, your cells may continue to behave like they’re under attack.

Why You Can’t Heal While Stuck in CDR

When CDR is active:

  • Healing and cell repair slow down or stop
  • The immune system becomes overactive or depleted
  • Sensitivities to foods, supplements, and treatments increase
  • You feel wired but tired, with sleep problems and fatigue
  • Inflammation spreads, especially in the brain and gut

In Parkinson’s disease, this is particularly concerning, since CDR can worsen:

  • 🔥 Neuroinflammation (Brain Inflammation) – In Parkinson’s, brain cells are already inflamed. The CDR adds more stress by keeping the brain in “attack mode,” which can speed up damage and worsen symptoms like brain fog, mood changes, and fatigue.
  • ⚡Mitochondrial Stress (Energy Breakdown) – Mitochondria are the cell’s batteries. In Parkinson’s, they don’t work well—and the CDR makes it worse by lowering energy production even more. This leads to more fatigue and poor healing.
  • 💔 Dopamine Loss – Parkinson’s symptoms are due to the loss of dopamine, the brain chemical that controls movement and mood. The inflammation and stress from the CDR can damage these dopamine-producing cells even further.
  • 🔄 Autonomic Imbalance (Nervous System Confusion) – The part of the nervous system that controls things like digestion, heartbeat, and temperature can go haywire. The CDR keeps the body stuck in “fight or flight,” making these symptoms worse.

The Limbic System: Your Internal Alarm Center

The limbic system is the part of your brain responsible for:

  • Processing fear and safety
  • Emotional memory
  • How your body responds to stress
  • Regulating inflammation and gut function

When the limbic system is overstimulated by illness, trauma, or stress, it continues to send danger signals—even after the threat is gone.

This keeps the Cell Danger Response switched on, preventing full recovery.

How Limbic Retraining Helps Heal CDR and Parkinson’s Symptoms

Limbic retraining helps rewire the brain so it no longer stays stuck in survival mode. It signals to the body: “You’re safe now. It’s okay to heal.”

Benefits of Limbic Retraining:

  • ✅ Calms inflammation in the brain and body
  • ✅ Lowers stress hormones that worsen Parkinson’s symptoms
  • ✅ Supports digestion, sleep, and nervous system function
  • ✅ Reduces sensitivity to foods, supplements, and toxins
  • ✅ Encourages neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire and repair)

Real-Life Analogy: Resetting Your Internal Alarm

Think of your limbic system as a home alarm. If it goes off 24/7—even when there’s no intruder—you can’t relax, sleep, or heal.

Limbic retraining resets the alarm, so your body can stop wasting energy on defense and start focusing on rebuilding and restoring.

Popular Limbic Retraining Programs

If you’re ready to try this approach, these are some of the most trusted programs:

🧘 Gupta Program – Combines breathwork, meditation, and brain retraining exercises.

🌀 DNRS (Dynamic Neural Retraining System) – Uses visualization and movement to gently rewire survival patterns.

🌱 Primal Trust – Focuses on somatic healing, safety, and nervous system regulation.

The GUPTA Program offers a 28 day free trial so many start here. The DNRS program has a 7 day free trial.

Simply start with 15 minutes a day. Do not feel overwhelmed and feel you need to follow the programs entirely from the start. The programs may suggest an hour a day but start small and being consistent is best.

Bottom Line: You Can’t Heal in Survival Mode

The Cell Danger Response is a major reason why so many people with chronic conditions—including Parkinson’s—struggle to get better.

Limbic retraining helps calm your nervous system, turn off the danger signals, and shift your body back into healing.

✅ Want to Learn More About Healing Your Body Heal from Parkinson’s?

Sign up for our Healing Program and have 5 one on one telehealth consultations with experienced naturopath Lisa who will guide you on your healing journey.

Parkinson's

Finding it hard to ditch dairy?

So often I hear “but I could never give up cheese!”. Yes you can. Dairy is not only biologically inappropriate, its contaminated, inflammatory, mucous forming and highly allergenic. 

Biologically Inappropriate

When you think about it, humans are the ONLY species that keep drinking breast milk. All mammals have their mothers breast milk, which is biologically appropriate for their species and then they are weaned and eat food. But what do humans do? They are weaned off human breast milk and continue to drink breast milk from another species. Why is this considered normal? Would you drink dog breast milk or monkey breast milk? That would be weird! As an adult would you drink human breast milk or eat cheese made from human breast milk? That would be weird too! But cows, a different species breast milk and cheese is not weird? 😐

Contaminants in dairy

Contamination in milk can happen indirectly or directly. Indirect contamination comes from cows consuming toxins like pesticides, metals, or mycotoxins in their feed, water, or forage. Additionally, antibiotics and hormones used for treatment or growth promotion can enter milk. Direct contamination happens during processing, such as milking, handling, storage, or pasteurization, where milk may come into contact with metals, cleaning residues, or mycotoxins. One published study states “Despite pasteurization and related techniques being the most widely applied to date, they have not demonstrated efficacy in eliminating contaminants.”

But dont I need dairy for my bones you say?

Professor Walter Willet from Harvard University has published various papers showing consuming dairy does not reduce your chance of fractures or osteoporosis. Maintaining optimal Vitamin D levels and weight bearing exercise are key, not dairy. In one of his published papers he concludes, “An adequate vitamin D intake is associated with a lower risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in postmenopausal women. Neither milk nor a high-calcium diet appears to reduce risk”. 

Is dairy connected to Parkinson’s?

In 2017 a published study concluded “Frequent consumption of dairy products appears to be associated with a modest increased risk of PD in women and men.” Another study in 2005 concluded, “Findings suggest that milk intake is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson disease.”

Detox, Parkinson's

Understanding the Brain’s Waste Clearance System

The brain waste clearance system is important for neurological health as it is responsible for the efficient clearance of neurotoxins and metabolic waste from the brain and brain tissue, including soluble proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease such as including amyloid-beta and alpha-synuclein.

The brain waste clearance system, also know as glymph, is a complex network of fluid channels and mechanisms within brain tissue. It functions as an exchange between fresh cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flowing into brain tissue, replacing the interstitial fluid that contains accumulated brain waste. After the brain waste is flushed out of brain tissue, it drains into the lymphatic system for elimination from the body. 

The brain waste clearance system function is sleep-dependent, which has led to renewed interest in the health consequences of chronically disrupted sleep and the importance of supporting high-quality sleep to promote both long and short-term brain and cognitive health. Without adequate sleep or with reduced sleep quality, brain metabolic waste and neurotoxins accumulate in the brain, potentially compromising neurological and cognitive function. 

After clearance from the brain tissue, brain waste ultimately drains into the lymphatic system. Poor lymphatic system function and body elimination processes may influence the efficiency of the brain waste clearance system. 

Improving the glymphatic system can help manage neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s by enhancing waste clearance in the brain and reducing neuroinflammation. Below are steps you can take, with a focus on practical lifestyle changes and interventions that support glymphatic function:

1. Optimize Sleep Quality

  • Prioritize Deep Sleep: The glymphatic system is most active during slow-wave sleep. Focus on achieving sufficient, uninterrupted sleep each night (7–9 hours for most adults).
  • Establish a Routine: Maintain consistent sleep and wake times to support circadian rhythms.
  • Create a Restful Environment:
    • Use blackout curtains and minimize noise.
    • Avoid screens 1–2 hours before bed to reduce blue light exposure.
  • Supportive Supplements: Lemon balm, magnesium, glycine and herbatonin (ingredients in G-Lymph Clear) may promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

2. Maintain Healthy Hydration

  • Proper hydration is essential for the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which drives waste clearance in the glymphatic system.
  • Drink enough water throughout the day but reduce fluid intake in the evening to prevent sleep interruptions.

3. Encourage Proper Sleep Posture

  • Sleep on Your Side: Studies suggest that side sleeping may enhance glymphatic clearance compared to sleeping on your back or stomach.

4. Support Cardiovascular Health

  • The pulsation of cerebral arteries drives glymphatic flow. Improved cardiovascular health promotes this mechanism.
  • Regular Exercise:
    • Engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, or cycling.
    • Aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week.
  • Heart-Healthy Diet:
    • Focus on whole foods, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables and fibre.
    • Limit processed foods, saturated fats, and excessive salt.

5. Promote Lymphatic Drainage

  • A healthy lymphatic system is crucial for removing waste cleared by the glymphatic system.
  • Gentle Movement: Regular movement and stretching support lymphatic flow.
  • Massage Therapy: Lymphatic drainage massage can stimulate lymph flow and aid in detoxification.

6. Manage Stress and Inflammation

  • Chronic stress can impair sleep and increase inflammation, both of which negatively impact the glymphatic system.
  • Mindfulness Practices:
    • Engage in yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises to reduce stress.
  • Anti-inflammatory Diet:
    • Include omega-3-rich foods and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
    • Avoid pro-inflammatory foods like sugar, refined carbs, and processed snacks.

7. Reduce Neurotoxins and Pollutants

  • Avoid exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, heavy metals, and air pollutants, as they can burden your brain’s detox systems.
  • Detox Support: Ensure liver health through a balanced diet, hydration, and foods like cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, kale).

8. Consider Natural Supportive Supplements

  • Supplements that support glymphatic and brain health include BioClinic G-lymph Clear which contains:
    • Ginkgo Biloba: Improves cerebral circulation.
    • Choline: Supports neurotransmitter production and detoxification.
    • Calendula: Promotes lymphatic and systemic detoxification.
    • Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola): Enhances cognitive function and brain health.