I am a firm believer in the power of diet, as well as the proper care and maintenance of the human body: the combination of these two is the highway to health. 

The low oxalate diet was one of the first things I ever did which reliably helped, where the gains persisted over time, and where I could feel that I was (overall) getting better. However, it wasn’t the only health domino that had fallen over for me: oxalate is often related to histamine intolerance, salicylate issues and even Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) diagnoses. Many of us may have more to handle than just oxalate alone, when it comes to diet and supplements.

But as I work more with those who have more complex issues, including oxalate, histamine intolerance, salicylate challenges and even MCAS diagnoses, I realize that the neuroplasticity of the brain is a big factor in what is happening over time – especially if we have been chronically ill. In one of the most ironic things I’ve read regarding health issues, our brains may have learned to promote inflammation over the course of our complex health journey, and this learning by the brain may be helping to keep us sick. (Excellent resources are available on this topic through the Curable app; you can use the app for free for 6 weeks (at the time I’m posting this). That gives you a decent amount of time to learn what astonishing things the brain can be doing.

Let me say this though – it’s not “all in your head”. That is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever had a practitioner say to me. Also, it’s not about “fault”; we live in a world where we have a mismatch of ancient our ancient biology and nervous systems programming which is geared towards short, acute stressors – this turns out to work against us when stressors are chronic. And it’s not just chronic stressors from the world outside us. Oxalate is a chronic stressor these days, as influencers promote higher and higher oxalate foods as “superfoods” and we are taking in huge daily doses of it. Then add all the other stressors, and our health suffers.

At that point – where our health is suffering – it is our job to respond to where we find ourselves. And it may be much more than just dietary changes that are needed.

To get past the brain’s tendency to wire up the patterns it has learned – including launching cortisol responses or triggering inflammation in response to our emotional state of feeling unsafe, it will be key to dive into best practices for settle our nervous systems. These can include things like the Safe and Sound Protocol (known as SSP, and which my office offers) through to vagus nerve exercises or stimulation, and potentially ancient practices like meditation. We have to tell ourselves that we are safe – we cannot depend on the outside world to do that. And that can be hard because we are sick, and may not have felt safe for a long time.

Meditation has been key here for me. I love my Muse brainwave tracker, which has finally made meditation make sense. Muse is a brain wave tracker, that allows me to understand what I’m doing when I meditate. I simply use the device, and the basic app that comes with the device. My favourite program is the 4 count inhale and 6 count exhale, which sends a clear signal to the nervous system of safety. Nothing fancy about what I do!

The Muse provides a sound scape in the background so that you can easily recognize when your brain is getting “busy” thinking, and when it is calm and focused. For the first time in my life, I can meditate and not get up from the practice feeling confused and irritated, but with a sense of having learned how my brain has been functioning while I meditated. (For those who are data junkies, you get a report of key factors including how calm your brain has been and how your heart rate was while you meditated. Very helpful.)

All that said, if you have not been chronically ill for a long time, your nervous system may not be as big a factor for your healing. But if you have been chronically ill (or stressed) for years or even decades, getting your brain working as your ally is absolutely critical. There is not short cut around it.

Your state of mind matters. Why? Your mind and typical thought patterns will set the stage wherein your body functions. Various kinds of “brain rewiring” or trauma clearing programs can also be so helpful here. (I participate in a coaching program that has an approach to both clear trauma and build positive resilience. This can be game changing.) Your body will either run metabolic processes governed by rest, digest and repair – or it will run processes governed by fight, flight or freeze. Long term bias to fight, flight or freeze is not going to get you health; there’s never time to rebuild, repair, digest, rest.

Vagus nerve stimulation (using various sorts of devices) can support us through a flare of symptoms from histamine intolerance or MCAS, especially where we feel stuck. (I’ve tried a number of these devices.) Our own calm, patient and caring attitude towards ourselves (rather than our frustration and inwardly turned anger) makes a huge difference. Our body is doing its best by us. Turning against it does not improve our chances of getting well. 

There is no silver bullet. (I used to wish there was.) However, there is healing. There are both the habits and practices that we cultivate (self care, commitment to our healing – even where it’s uncomfortable – and management of our brain/ nervous system, etc) and the resources we “consume” (from food to supplements to exposures to appropriate light/ dark cycles, etc) which result in and create health. We have to prioritize all of these things. Short cuts don’t work. 

But you can get there. 

#MCAS #histamineintolerance #lowoxalate #lowoxalatediet #itsnotinyourhead