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Introduction
If you are like most of us who are microdosing you are doing it to help boost your creativity, presence, insight, and clearance of old patterns that no longer serve us. If you haven’t been microdosing, you’ve surely heard a bit about it by now.
The benefits seem almost too good to be true, given the minimal side effects and high efficacy when compared to their synthetic drug counterparts who strive to achieve the same beneficial outcomes. So how is it that microdosing psychedelic substances can produce such potent and lasting effects with such subtlety?
The key player in this scenario is the central nervous system which so diligently synthesizes magical chemicals to fuel our thoughts, emotions, and bodily functions in its all powerful laboratories (the cells of the nervous system). Serotonin, dopamine,
The central nervous system is by far one of the most complex and misunderstood systems in the human body. Its structures and anomalies are reflected within the microcosm of atomic structures and the macrocosm of the galaxies in the universe. There are over 10 billion neurons in the nervous system paired with more than 100 billion microglia cells that support, regulate, and protect these neurons.
One of the most essential steps that need to take place, before the nervous system can even begin its healing process, is to remove all of the obstacles that stand in the way of that healing taking place. If the root cause of the problem is never addressed, or at least given some attention, then the body will never be able to begin reversing the damage that was caused by the same pattern in the first place.
In order to undo all of the unhealthy choices made during one’s lifetime, there has to be a deliberate conscious effort put toward a shift back to a state of health. An honest look at what the things are in our life that are causing our skin harm can give us a good idea of where we need to start cleaning up our lifestyle choices and environment. .
As much as psychedelic substances and microdosing may be able to rewire the entire nervous system, it’s the little choices we make in our lives everyday that play a larger role in our mental health and wellbeing.
So, let’s dive into some of our favorite ways to benefit our overall health and wellbeing and in turn a peaceful, balanced state of mind.
1. Stay Well Hydrated
Water is essential to help break up stagnation, mobilize toxins, and effectively excrete them from our kidneys. Water is, of course, essential for life. Humans today, in general, do not drink enough water on a regular basis and may go their whole lives in a dehydrated state. Dehydration shows up in many ways in our lives and can often lead to feelings of hunger, fatigue, depression, disorientation, and lightheadedness. If we wish to allow our body to heal itself and optimize it’s systems it must be given ample, high quality hydration, every single day.
The source truly matters when it comes to the water we drink. A nice mineral spring water stored in a glass jug will likely treat you best as it has a balanced level of trace mineral, electrolytes, and won’t leach toxic compounds when being stored in glass. If that’s not available, go for the next best water you can find.
Purified or filtered water typically lacks minerals and can end up stripping the body of vital minerals. Carbon filters such as the Berky filter or regular undersink reverse osmosis filters are great options for those who do not have immediate access to local spring or mineral water. But in these cases make sure to keep some mineral drops or Celtic sea salt around to replenish the minerals that are being filtered out that are essential for proper hydration and bodily function.
Adding some mint, citrus, or cucumbers makes it so much more enjoyable for those who have a hard time drinking water. Making a large batch of strong tea and diluting it in water is also a great option.
2. Avoid Excessive Technology & Social Media Use
“Mounting scientific evidence shows a clear link between social media use with greater rates of social comparison and self-objectification, both being related to lower self-esteem, poorer mental health, and body image concerns. This becomes even worse with night time social media use as it disrupts sleep patterns and prevents deep, nourishing rest.
Flooding the nervous system with neurotransmitters through short term gratification, blasting our eyes with blue light wave frequencies, and being so close to high EMF devices alters the innate cycles that bring balance and health to the body. Not only do social relationships suffer but our relationship to ourselves suffers.
If you are struggling to feel energized, focused, or motivated throughout your days try taking a break from social media use which includes things like Youtube, Pinterest, or Linkedin as they are driven by the same triggers and responses that fuel social media use. Try placing your phone and laptop on the other side of the room when you are ready to go to bed and instead grab a book or a journal and spend some time connecting with yourself.
3. Get High Quality Sleep & Deep Rest
Being sleep-deprived throws the chemical balance of the nervous system into complete disarray. We as a modern society are chronically sleep deprived and often fail to notice how much it impacts our energy and mood. When humans sleep less we often find ourselves in a more negative mood state in comparison to our baseline. Unfortunately, when people find themselves in anxious, stressed, or depressed states they often report having a much harder time getting restful sleep (3). Thus it becomes a negative cycle that feeds into itself, ultimately becoming a detriment to our health and wellbeing.
When we are experiencing anxiety, depression, and stress it may be even harder to get restorative sleep. These are times that the body needs even more rest than usual. One the opposite side
More specifically, REM sleep may enhance the processing of emotional information. It is marked by a reduction neurotransmitter activity and activation of the emotional brain regions during, creating an ideal neurobiological environment for “emotionally stripping” the brain, by de-potentiating prior negative experiences and reducing emotional reactivity
Sleep quality drastically improves with short time to fall asleep, so with that in mind lets go over a few great ways to get to sleep faster and enjoy a night of high-quality rest:
- Watch the sunset. Watching the sunset literally tells the body that it is now night time and that the wind down process for rest can begin. The moment of sunrise and sunset are considered the calmest times of the day, being aware and present in these moments allows us to harness that calm energy to bring ease to our lives.
- Support the brain’s natural melatonin producing capabilities by avoiding blue light and strong bright lights for at least an hour before bed as they prevent melatonin production, a necessary hormone for us to enter easily into our sleep cycle. Try journaling, reading, stretching, and drawing to wind down before bed.
- Keep your bedroom tidy and cool when trying to sleep as clutter in the room will clutter the mind.
- Don’t spend too much time lounging in your bed or doing daytime activities as it will train the brain to associate the bed with engaging activities thus promoting wakefulness. Definitely don’t lay in bed all day and work on the computer or watch Netflix!
- Take some really long, slow, intentional breaths in and out of your nose to calm the mind and relax the body. Try to count your breaths from 1 all the way to 100 without breaking concentration. If the mind gets distracted by a thought, start over from 1. (Described in more detail below).
- Diffuse calming essential oils like lavender, german chamomile, angelica, sage, and bergamot. This will naturally calm the nervous system and create a relaxed ambiance in the room.
4. Declutter Your Mind
The busy little human mind often gets in the way of us being seeing the underlying truth of any situation, keeping us separate from the present moment that is taking place all around us. These days thoughts seem to be quite stressful for many and play a major role in burnout and unregulated nervous systems. What results is typically a cortisol and neurotransmitter imbalance that can greatly affect our emotional and cognitive states.
These are two of our tried and true, favorite ways to remove the clutter from our minds.
Journal
Keeping a journal is one of the most effective ways to create change in our lives. Unexpressed thoughts and emotions root themselves in the body when they are not released. Expressing ourselves in every situation may not always be that is needed in the moment and many of our inner thoughts are sacred. Writing in a journal, in a way having honest conversations with ourselves, allows us to get the thoughts and emotions out of our body and our minds, freeing up new energy that can be focused on improving oneself.
Meditate/Deep Breathing
Meditation is a hit. Many successful individuals and icons today tout the benefits that meditating has had on their lives and ability to be the best versions of themselves. Studies show that meditation and intentional breathing can drastically reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and nervous activity throughout the body. This harmony allows for us to be more resilient to stress, focus on tasks with a clear mind, and feel fulfilled by life. The quiet moments we take with ourselves are precious in a world that is constantly on the run and globally connected through the internet.
Sometimes the simplest way to meditate is to just take slow intentional breaths, feeling the air moving in from your nostrils all the way to the bottom of your lungs. With each exhale feel the release of all the tension and thoughts. There is no goal here. If your mind races your mind races, but just focus on continuously connecting with your breath and you will be meditating before you know it.
5. Mindful Movement
Surprise, surprise… exercise is extremely beneficial for the body and our mental health! Exercise, be it running, surfing, or gardening helps drive more blood to our tissues to flush toxins and metabolic byproducts that may be causing inflammation or pain. Furthermore, it stimulates the release of hormones throughout the body that boost cellular activity and directly increase white blood cell function.
The more a person exercises the healthier they will be, with an immune system that is primed to fight off infections anywhere in the body. A good place to start is by committing to a nature walk outside, everyday, for 10 minutes with no phone, music, or distractions. Simply enjoy the walk and contemplate the environment around you.
For beginners looking to get into moving more, 30 minutes of brisk walking a few times a week can be a good place to start. Finding a hobby or enjoyable sport to play with a community may be one of the funniest and motivating forms of getting exercise, alleviating the association with something that has to be done, to something that is enjoyable to do.
Always make sure to rinse yourself soon after you are finished exercising to clear the toxins off your skin that were brought out with all that sweat. This will stop your skin from reabsorbing them, keeping skin cells healthy and happy.
6. Eat A Healthy Balanced Diet
We are what we eat. The saying will hold true forever, as the body quite literally uses the food it digests to continue on creating new cells and enzymes for the body. With this in mind, it’s clear to see how eating non-nutritionally dense foods packed with artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes leads to dis-ease in the body. The gut is home to twice as many neurons as the rest of the nervous system and relies on many of the same chemicals and neurotransmitters that our brains use to regulate mood, breathing, heart rate, etc.
So when we eat unhealthy foods, not only the gut and its microbiome suffer, but so does the rest of our nervous system. This is why anxiety, depression, and stress dys-regulation can consistently be linked to consistent nutritional imbalances and intake of inflammatory foods.
Eating a healthy and clean diet is not always as easy as one may think, though. Getting access to organically grown fresh vegetables and clean, sustainably sourced meat can be an obstacle for many to overcome. But fret not, there are plenty of ways to start eating a more wholesome and nutritionally balanced diet to get you body the vitamins and compounds it needs to function optimally. Here are a few of our favorite ways to clean up the diet.
Common Culprits
Avoid foods that have been consistently linked to mental health problems are those high in sugar, dairy products, and those containing unhealthy (trans) fats, sweeteners, food coloring, natural flavors, preservatives, and binders. Instead, add healthy foods to your diet, such as those rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon) and healthy greens (kale).
Eat The Rainbow!
Ideally your plate should have most of the colors of the rainbow. These colors represent different vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes that all work together and give you the most diverse and highly absorbable range of nutrients for your body.
Eat More Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates in their whole, minimally processed, and unrefined state often have a lower glycemic index and provide fiber which slows digestion, supports the natural gut microbiome, and keeps blood sugar levels stable. These foods include: oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, teff, whole grain products, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, winter squash, parsnips, and whole fruits.
Eat Lots Of Vegetables
Broccoli, Chard, Collard Greens, Carrots, Beets, Beet Greens, Brussel Sprouts, Lentils, Chickpeas, Quinoa, & Sweet Potato. All these vegetables are great sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. By building your diet around these vegetables it allows your body to detox, reset, and function optimally by supporting brain, liver, kidney, heart, and gut health.
Avoid Food Allergens
The most common food allergens include: Dairy, Grains/Gluten, Sugar, Onion, Pork, Peanuts, Other tree nuts, Soy, Eggs, and Shellfish. Avoid these foods entirely to ensure that you are not triggering any more allergic or inflammatory reactions in your body. Decreasing exposure to any immune reaction inducing foods or compounds is essential to giving our body a break so that it can heal itself.
7. Avoid Common Sources Of Toxins
Limit alcohol and avoid smoking. Drinking alcohol in large amounts can cause a flare of a number skin conditions, such as psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. Drinking alcohol can also dehydrate the skin, which can cause it to look flaky, dry, and dull. Drinking plenty of water and limiting alcohol consumption to 1-2 drinks can help you avoid these issues.
Inhalation of the many chemicals produced by smoking cigarettes can also cause damage to your skin in a number of ways. Smoking decreases the oxygen in the blood, constricts the blood vessels, and can lead to visible signs of premature aging, such as wrinkles and discoloration.
Avoiding GMO and large-scale commercial grown foods is an essential aspect of developing a healthy diet. These foods that are typically grown with high levels of pesticides or absorb toxins from the soil they are grown in interfere with several absolutely critical aspects of the body including hormonal balance and immune function, not to mention they are extremely inflammatory. Canned foods, plastic-packaged food, polycarbonate lined baking tins or pans are typically the source of most toxins found in one’s diet. It is best to avoid these foods completely if possible.
Food additives are used to prevent spoiling or to enhance flavor; they include such substances as preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavorings, and acidifiers.
Avoid harsh cleaning products such as bleach, detergents, or concentrated cleaning solutions. Use plant based scent free laundry detergent and avoid the fabric softener to avoid irritating skin with clothes or fabrics that touch us everyday.
8. Herbal Medicine Allies
Plants are our best friends. Nearly every substance with a potent medicinal function is made in plants and is often the inspiration for many drugs we see used in medicine today. The things plants do better than any drug out there. Complex, full spectrum doses of medicinal compounds allows for strong, lasting effects with minimal side effects. If you are looking for other natural ways to support your cognitive function and mental health, herbal medicine will be a vital tool in your so-called “health tool belt”.
Lemon Balm
A powerful herb with a light and playful side that helps enhance our mood. On the serious side of things it is great for relieving anxiety, tension, stress, shock, and depression.
Damiana
This feel good herb enhances a positive mental space, while relaxing the physical body. Known to increase enjoyment of all things bedroom; both in the quality of dreams and sensuality.
Lion’s Mane
Encourages regeneration of neurons and increases the growth/ maintenance of neural cells. Nourishes deep tissues of the brain by crossing the blood brain barrier. Lions mane’s ability to stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) helps to regenerate neurons, as well as to increase the growth and maintenance of nerve cells. This role, as well as its ability to cross the blood brain barrier, nourishing the deep tissue of our brains, is not found in many substances and is very unique to Lions mane.
Skullcap
Aids in healing the nervous system in an adaptogenic manner. Overall it increases our nervous health, function, and cell communication. This can be great for nervy shooting pains, headaches, numbness, brain fog, fatigue, tremors, and more.
Gotu Kola
Similar brain enhancing effects as ginkgo, by increasing circulation to the brain. Traditionally used to calm mental chatter and enhance meditative states. Gotu kola has similar brain enhancing effects as ginkgo, due to the improvement in circulation to the brain, and the restoring balance it provides to the hemispheres of the brain. Furthermore, it has been used traditionally for its ability to calm mental chatter and enhance meditative states. As a bonus, gotu kola promotes the repair of connective tissue, which is responsible for the structure of our physical bodies.
Ginkgo
Bacopa
Improvement of memory, concentration, mental performance, and cognition is attributed to its circulation enhancing effects. Supports an enhanced adaptation to stress. Bacopa has the ability to improve memory, concentration, mental performance, and cognition overall due to its circulation enhancing effects. It is often used in disorders of the nervous system due to its ability to tonify and restore the body, leading to a better adaptation to stress.
Passionflower
Encourages relaxation; notably soothing tension & neutralizing racing thoughts.Promotes sleep without drowsy effects.
Hops (Humulus lupus)
Promotes restful sleep by diffusing internal worry and anxiety. Famously used in beer for its hypnotic properties, while sharing its family with cannabis. Overall sensation of lightness, relaxation, and ease are felt in the presence of this herb.
Final Reflection
Plants are our best friends. Nearly every substance with a potent medicinal function is made in plants and is often the inspiration for many drugs we see used in medicine today. The things plants do better than any drug out there. Complex, full spectrum doses of medicinal compounds allows for strong, lasting effects with minimal side effects. If you are looking for other natural ways to support your cognitive function and mental health, herbal medicine will be a vital tool in your so-called “health tool belt”.
