My Hot Take on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
There has been a dramatic increase in the delving out of the label of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. A label that often comes with a strong antihistamine prescription, like Benadryl times ten, and a “we don’t have a cure for this” statement. Per usual, I hold a different perspective. Let’s dive into this together.
Basic Function of Mast Cells
We need to start at the beginning by understanding what mast cells are here to do for us, before we start hating on them. Mast cells are a type of white blood cell that act as part of our first line of defense. They are here to protect us from organisms that wish to conquer or injure our body. As a part of that defense, mast cells carry the ability to release granules rich in mediators that activate the immune system and incite the inflammation process. Mediator is an overarching term that includes: histamines, tryptase, heparin, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, cytokines, and chemokines. When the body is balanced and functioning healthfully, it will gratefully embrace this appropriate initiation to defend itself. Once the organism has been dismantled or destroyed, the body will follow up with the second half of this process. It will downregulate the inflammation response, deactivate the immune system and clear dead pieces of the organism as well as any toxins it released as it died. We need and want healthy mast cells! They are our protectors.
Mast cells can be found in connective tissue and mucosal regions of the body, think anywhere the body comes into contact with external or environmental elements and needs to take action to protect you. This includes your skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and brain. These organs are hot spots for mast cell habitation and as a result the main areas we observe and feel their activity.
Okay, so how did we go from protector to aggravator and receive the label or the symptoms of mast cell activation syndrome?
Mast Cell Dysfunction & Overactivation
Just like any part of the body, normal healthy function can go array when there is a natural vulnerability in your physical make up or you have navigated years of emotional weight, environmental toxins, and lifestyle stressors or you are meant to experience this for the benefit of yourself and others or the most likely case if you’re reading this… all the above.
Mast cells can overreact, overprotect, overrespond. This can create a heavy soup of mediators in your system that soak your body in all the symptoms of immune alarm and inflammation. If your body is not able to move through the second half of this cycle and counterbalance by downregulating and closing out the activation, you will be stuck in the first half of this response.
Symptoms of being stuck in hyper or continuous mast cell release (known as degranulation):
Vasodilation (lowered blood pressure)
Dramatic internal temperature changes
Itching
Hives
Rashes
Nerve tingling
Flushing
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
GI symptoms, like cramping
Tissue remodeling
Coughing, wheezing & shortness of breath
Anxiety
Over time due to chronic inflammation: hair loss, brain fog, neurotransmitter malfunction leading to major mood changes, aching swollen joint, skin conditions like acne, numbness, autoimmune activity, rapid aging, cancer, etc.
Causes of Mast Cell Dysfunction
When you’re in this state it can feel maddening, exhausting, and frightening because you have no control and every time you think you’ve identified and mapped out what’s causing your reactions something surprises you. The reason for this is that there are many many many factors that activate mast cells and when your capacity bucket as I call it is filled to the brim, the tiniest drop can send the bucket into overflow. Foods that are “healthy”, homes that you swear are mold-free, clothes that are toxin-free, supplements that are anti-inflammatory… you know what I’m talking about. I lived this for years too and to be honest when I’m not reducing my bucket regularly, I still occasionally can see glimpses of it.
When your capacity bucket is filled to the brim, your mast cells become extremely and unnecessarily reactive. Meaning that elements that should not trigger mediator release can and often will, because the mast cells are in such a heightened alert state that they’re easily startled, even by helpful new guests (think supplements) and safe regular visitors (think food) or upset and irritated by normal and natural functions (think hormone fluctuations throughout your menstrual cycle).
This is a very pulled back view of the dysfunction, but I find it helpful to not get caught up in the weeds, because the reality is we (the scientific community) don’t fully grasp the biological functions of the human body, despite the fact that we love to act like we do. The one thing we do know for sure, is that the causations of immune dysregulation vary from person to person based on their past and current state. We call this epigenetics. In other words, exactly what I said above. This is why we release labels in my practice and focus on the make-up and contents of your capacity bucket. This is how I find success, maintain hope, and enjoy a freedom from western constraints on what is and is not possible for the body. The body is brilliant and I’ve watched, experienced, and guided it towards recovery from “uncurable” mysterious states many times.
So how did we get here and how can we reverse and reduce this overactive response of our protector cells?
Uncovering Your Layers & Triggers
Whenever we are looking at the body for clues as to why it’s sending us messages, we have to start at the beginning. How are you wired? What is your physical map? I personally use your astrological and human design charts paired with your family and personal health history to uncover this. Your astrological and human design charts show us where you are strong and where you have vulnerabilities. We look at what signs, elements, digestive tendencies, and planets dominate your body to determine for example whether you are naturally more firey or cool, able to detox effectively or struggle to clear, prone to digestive efficiency or sluggishness, quick to recover from infection or linger and lean towards chronic conditions.
Once we know your starting point, then we add your parents relationship with their bodies (what you came into the world carrying), the environment you grew up in, the toxin exposures your body has had to navigate, whether or not you possess the trait of natural and/or developed sensitivity, and the burdens you are currently carrying to indicate the fullness of your body’s capacity bucket. I also see great value in ordering insightful labs to provide data that further backs all of this up. It’s always good to see yourself from multiple angles, especially when you’ve been drowning in confusion and have lost trust in yourself and medical providers. I like to pull panels that evaluate your blood levels, mediator release, gastrointestinal state, neurotransmitter expression, mycotoxin presence and more.
By assessing all the above I can get a strong understanding of you and why you’ve arrived here, then together we can confirm a roadmap to reduce reactions and enable recovery.
A General Roadmap & Recommendations for Reaction Reduction
I always prefer to work 1:1 so that I can be very targeted and involved, in order to make this process seamless and efficient, which is why I created my Concierge Reset offering that keeps me in continual conversation with you. To me, it’s vital that you navigate this tender and hypersensitive experience with sensitivity and quick support.
FUNCTION & DETOX
This is where I do the deepest work. We get your body back up and running by opening up your detox pathways so that your body can start clearing its bucket on its own, without pushing. This is very important. Never push your body until you know you can clear effectively. Then we’ll step in with sweepers to start gently moving all the built-up toxins, inflammation, and overall debris out. As your digestive engines start rolling again, we’ll work on increasing your capacity from whatever angle is best for you based on what we’ve learned. As your bucket empties further and we have space to safely and gently move, we can begin to address some of the burdens your body has taken on and make larger steps. This often looks like a gut microbiome reset, followed by toxin clearance, and if still needed, thyroid, adrenal, and brain recovery. Everyone’s journey is different, but the downstream effect of this work is that your reactions will subside (usually within 1-2 months) and all the other imbalances that you want to see resolve, like your hormones, will happen naturally as a downstream effect of a lowered bucket, increased capacity, clear internal communication and healthy function.
DIET
You can soften your reactions by incorporating a histamine-free and reducing diet. There are foods that contain histamines and foods that do not, but do activate mediator release in the body once consumed, so avoiding both is key here. The caveat I have here is that I don’t consistently see this making a huge difference. For some, it is dramatic and for others, it doesn’t seem to do much other than stress them out further. So please consider your personal state and situation before jumping on a restrictive diet. If the burden of navigating foods is high for you, then the stress of it all can be just as activating for you as eating histamine-rich food… If you want my personal guidance around this, book a single session and put in the request your desire for histamine diet guidance and I can walk you through it.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Supplementation is so nuanced, especially with MCAS. You need to choose the most impactful forms and appropriate dosing titrations. Not all supplements are the same. In fact, most do not work when you have an overflowing capacity bucket, due the height of internal dysfunction this represents. You really need to know what you’re doing if you venture alone.
Also, these supplements will not resolve MCAS, they will only give relief when you take them. True recovery requires addressing your capacity bucket and resetting your body so that you are resilient and able to eat anything, live anywhere, and be amongst any type of person without a reaction.
Okay, now that I’ve said my piece here is my general list of natural supplements that can stand alone or be paired with medication for acute relief. May it offer you relief. If you need support with dosing, book here or join my concierge reset for my full involvement and care.
DAO (Diamine Oxidase)
Mechanism:
Enzyme that breaks down histamine in the small intestine before it enters the bloodstream. Only really works if you have mast cell reactions in the gut.
Helps prevent histamine overload from high-histamine foods.
Does not affect mast cell release of histamine or systemic histamine already circulating.
Especially useful for histamine intolerance, MCAS with GI symptoms, and reducing flares from food triggers.
Comparable to:
Digestive enzyme therapy, but specifically for histamine degradation in the gut.
Acts like a localized antihistamine in the gut, reducing histamine uptake rather than blocking receptors.
Complements H1 blockers (like loratadine) and mast cell stabilizers (like quercetin), but works through a different mechanism—histamine breakdown instead of receptor modulation or inhibition.
Ideal Form: very high-dose porcine-based capsule
QUERCETIN
Mechanism:
Mast cell stabilizer.
Inhibits histamine release and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α).
Modulates intracellular Ca²⁺ by blocking VGCCs.
Comparable to: Cromolyn sodium, H1 antihistamines.
Ideal Form: liposomal (the option below has low citrus oils, which normally I don’t recommend, but this blend work well for even my most sensitive clients)
Synergy: Works well with Vitamin C and CoQ10
VITAMIN C
Mechanism:
Stabilizes mast cells.
Antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress from EMFs.
Decreases histamine levels (both synthesis and blood concentration).
Comparable to: Antihistamines and anti-inflammatories.
Ideal Form: Camu Camu AND ascorbic acid, not just ascorbic, liposomal, avoid citrus oils
MAGNESIUM (especially Magnesium Threonate or Glycinate)
Mechanism:
Natural calcium antagonist – competes with Ca²⁺ entry via VGCCs.
Relaxes smooth muscle, supports nerve function, reduces hyperexcitability.
Comparable to: Calcium channel blockers (e.g., verapamil).
Ideal Form: Capsule, plus liquid. Bonus: body and foot baths with magnesium flakes
OMEGA FATTY ACIDS (EPA/DHA)
Mechanism:
Suppress inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes (balance against arachidonic acid).
Reduce IL-6, TNF-α.
Stabilize cellular membranes, including mast cells.
Comparable to: Leukotriene inhibitors (e.g., montelukast).
Ideal Form: fresh cod liver oil
RESERVATOL
Mechanism:
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol.
Inhibits NF-κB activation and cytokine release.
Protective against EMF-induced oxidative damage.
Comparable to: NF-κB inhibitors, anti-inflammatory drugs.
Ideal Form: liposomal or liquid
CURCUMIN
Mechanism:
Potent inhibitor of histamine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes.
Downregulates NF-κB and COX-2.
Comparable to: NSAIDs, anti-inflammatory biologics.
Ideal Form: Liquid, high bio-availability, avoid citrus oils and black pepper
GLUTATHIONE
Mechanism:
Master antioxidant.
Detox support and scavenging of reactive oxygen species.
Downregulate mast cell hyperactivity.
Comparable to: multiple IVs (these only last 15 minutes in the body…)
Ideal Form: topical spray (I LOVE AuroWellness) or high-dose liposomal
VITAMIN D3, K2 & A
Mechanism:
Immunomodulatory: helps balance Th1/Th2 response.
Can reduce mast cell-related inflammation and barrier dysfunction.
Comparable to: Immune modulators.
Ideal Form: High-bioavailability liposomal
MELATONIN
Mechanism:
Powerful antioxidant.
Modulates immune responses and protects against oxidative stress, especially in CNS.
May calm mast cell activation in brain tissue.
Ideal Form: plant-based and very low-dose
Reclaiming Agency With the Big “C”
Spoken in hushed tones. It sparks an almost reverent terror within all who hear it or speak to it. As a result, it’s been placed on its own pedestal within the medical community and given an almost god-like position that perhaps it does not deserve…
Reality of Cancer Discussion
Many in the holistic health and wellness community avoid speaking to cancer and all the misinformation surrounding it for fear of being sued or cancelled. But dancing around it has only fed the fire of its mysteriousness.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that it doesn’t bring up fear in me as well, but what I wonder is if other conditions shouldn’t receive the same, if not more, priority? There are many health imbalances and conditions that are just as heavy and impactful and if addressed with the same seriousness as cancer could prevent cancer. They all should be discussed with the same intentionality and transparency.
You and I and every human around us are carrying cancer cells, right now, in our bodies. And along the same vein, we are also carrying viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens. It’s not about creating or maintaining or even returning to a state of sanitization.
You are an organism here to co-exist with other organisms. Cancer cells are a part of this ecosystem. I even wonder if at some point science will uncover an element of necessity to their presence. Just as they have so many other natural residents and functions within the human body. Whenever we think we’ve mastered and captured the body, we are humbled and shown there are still eons and eons of layers undiscovered or grasped.
A Shift in Focus
Instead of focusing our efforts on the end result of cancer, perhaps we should be going upstream to the numerous exposures, infections and emotional triggers that instigate the expansion of cancer cells within the body. It’s now understood that cancer is not genetic-based, but instead developed in response to your inner-terrain and on-going environment, known as epigenetics. It’s the slow and steady reduction of immune strength and influence that allows cancer to gain more and more dominance. Despite the messaging our present medical community seems to promote, cancer does not just appear out of nowhere. It may feel like that because up until the moment of diagnosis the patient appears normal or is told their symptoms are normal, when in reality they are just common and not note-worthy enough for insurance to payout for deeper insight.
To be clear, the various forms, likelihood and speed of metastasizing are not my area of expertise at all. I am in no way pretending to be an authority on the subject, instead I consider myself a highly invested outside observer. My proficiency lies in the nuanced and holistic practice of curating resilience and long-term health. All of which involve the lead up to and prevention of a cancer diagnosis. From this point of view, I want to initiate discussion about the importance of prevention and even when diagnosed, continued caution before stepping into dramatic action like removal surgeries or chemotherapy.
Choosing an Approach to Cancer
I would label most cancer treatments as last-ditch efforts, ideally saved for emergency moments when death is actually imminent, not just projected. There are a wide range of therapies available that should be considered, even within the US, that can retrain the body to kill, neutralize or turn cancer cells back into healthy cells. The standard treatments discussed with patients are typically the most damaging available and yet they are presented as the only options.
Dare I call this an overreaction? I can hear you saying – better too much than too little! Is that true though? Look, I understand. Really, I do. When you have the fear of God put in you from childhood about the big “C” you are primed and even craving a full missile attack as soon as you hear that diagnosis.
Before you launch though, hear me out. Let’s look at a milder situation that has a similar mentality – antibiotics. Doctors got into the habit of seeing them as the cure-all for everything. I have received countless stories from clients describing flippant prescription of powerful multiple-round antibiotics without proper lab collection or even a basic body assessment to support the treatment. Antibiotics are not harmless and alter the microbiome in a way that can change biology drastically and quickly. The massive gut-based medical conditions rampant among humans these days are very much tied to this sadly common, flagrant antibiotic overuse. I feel we need to heed this example as a warning.
For example, the standard go-to of chemotherapy is not a one-stop shop for cancer. Just like antibiotics, it takes out both the beneficial as well as the harmful and puts the body in a place of great immune vulnerability that makes it incredibly difficult for the body to rise to full health again. Nothing is impossible and the body is brilliant, but why take the risk of potentially taking your body out before the cancer even does it?
This is purely my opinion, but I would put good money on the possibility that most cancer treatments are actually what ends the patient’s life, not the cancer itself.
I’m for education. I believe everyone deserves access to the full range of choices and a complete understanding of the consequences of each. These days, that requires self-empowered research. Doctors in our current medical system rarely have the time, support, or brain power to expand their wheelhouse of knowledge. They’re also bound by what’s been approved by our regulating agencies – agencies that are most likely bought out by the very companies that profit from the standard cancer treatments and are also far behind other countries in considering and accepting newer, advanced forms of treatment. I feel it’s all a game, so I am a fan of opting out through self-education and research. It’s up to you to bring the options to your doctor, and if they’re not open, find a new one. It’s that clear cut…
It’s About Prevention
Again, my area of expertise is prevention by resetting the body for resilience, not cancer treatment or recovery. I curate bodies that keep cancer at bay or if it does get a foothold, there is little fear, pure trust in their body’s ability to recover, and confidence to choose whatever option they deem healthiest for their body. My clients don’t fall for the scare tactics, pressure or disempowerment, and they select medical professionals who believe in the brilliance of their body.
Let’s talk more openly about cancer. Let’s soften the fear and acknowledge that most of us will encounter it in some form in our lifetime. Release the power it holds over you through discussion and real awareness. You are stronger than you know!
Reminder: Please run everything medical by your preferred licensed provider.
Rebirth Your Body at Home Between Shoots: 3 Potent Therapies
You made it. The set high is still present, but as you fly home you recognize the intensity of the last few months and its toll on your body. You need to recover. Another project is hitting in 3 months and you need to be at 100% again. All you want to do is curl up and hide away in your home cave…
What if I told you that you can do both, at once – hibernate and recover?
Yep. I’ve got you. Let’s break this down. Keep it simple. Keep it at home. And rebirth your body for resilience.
Top 3 Therapies for Quick Recovery
My specialty is stacking and using your time efficiently. We can activate healing, multiple layers at once, and we will do it. Let’s look at my top 3 recommendations.
#1 Hyperbaric Chamber
This is the most powerful reset available to you. I refer to it as the healing nap. You lay or sit in a well-spaced chamber and rest or sleep while breathing pure oxygen under increased air pressure. It feels very similar to flying in a plane cabin. If you tend towards claustrophobia like me, we will set you up with a larger chamber, so you feel at peace. The options on the market are incredible right now, so we can find you the perfect match. I am a connoisseur of chambers.
The impact of spending time in a hyperbaric chamber is systemic – meaning it affects your entire body in one fell swoop – and initiates a massive reset and recovery of your stress-handling organs. Your soft tissue organs, like your brain (think hypothalamus and pituitary), adrenals, and thyroid gland, absorb the potent oxygen you’re breathing at a heightened rate due to the cabin pressure. This pure oxygen is like heavy luscious rain for your organ’s dehydrated crispy soil, it soaks, nourishes and revitalizes instantly at the cellular level – a deeply powerful experience for the body.
Chambers can be rented and delivered to your home between shoots or if you love it as much as I think you will, you can invest in your own chamber to use at home whenever you want. I love doing home visits or virtual tours to match clients with their best fit.
It’s vitally important to move through this therapy with an understanding of your body’s starting state. If you have chronic symptoms or labels like Lyme, MCAS or any autoimmune condition, please work with me to create a custom schedule to prevent healing reactions. If you’re simply fatigued and wanting to revitalize yourself, follow my general recommendation below to start!
General Recommendations
for personalized guidance, please step into my Concierge Reset
Ideally space these out with 1-2 days in between for your body to utilize the cellular jumpstart it received during the session. As a reminder, I specialize in serving the sensitive body, so even this general recommendation is tailored with that in mind.
1st week: 60 min 3x a week
2nd week: 90 min 3x a week
3rd week: 90-120 min 2x a week
4th/5th week: 120 min 3x a week
6-8th week: 120 min 4x a week
9-12th week: 90 min 3x a week
#2 PEMF, Light & Infrared Heat Stack
Revive your skin, reset your energy, and deepen your natural sleep recovery in one quick pre-bed session. This stack is like getting a hug from the most-motherly human in your life, leaving you soul settled, your body grounded, and your mind refreshed. You will emerge reborn!
I recommend enjoying this stack 2-3 hours after eating dinner and 1 hour before bed. Shower and climb under your fresh sheets right after this therapy for the most powerful impact. Your body will use this gift of support throughout your overnight rest and after a few weeks you will wake up each morning feeling like a new human. Just writing about this makes me want to do it right now! It’s hard to top this feeling…
There are a couple of ways to create this combo of tools. You can have multiple tools or use a system that includes all of them in one – my preference. I have my favorites that are very easy to keep in your home and even have an aesthetic appeal if you find you keep leaving it out for convenience.
Bonus Note: If you were exposed to any kind of toxin while shooting, mold, for instance, then you will want to add in the correct binders to enhance clearance. See me for this customization.
This Marriage of Modalities Can Provide:
Nervous system regulation with the power of PEMF frequencies
Activation of your cells’ engines to promote clearance and regeneration
Lymphatic movement to detoxify and enhance immune system recovery
Common Results:
Glowing skin
Toxin clearance
Bounding energy
Restorative sleep
Toned and sculpted body
Sharper mind
Immune resilience
Fast recovery
General Recommendations
for personalized guidance, please step into my Concierge Reset
1st week: 15-30 min 3x a week
2nd week: 30-45 min 3x a week
3-6th week: 45 min 4x a week
6-10th week: 60 min 3x a week
11/12th week: 45 min 4x a week
Please wear organic or natural cotton clothing. Ideally, get in naked. Always, always, shower directly afterwards. Do not let the sweat dry on your skin. The toxins will be reabsorbed.
#3 Focused Nutrient Rebuild
We can’t skip the necessary step of re-nourishing your vessel post-shoot! Often, the extreme places you go to embody your role and express the story drain you deeply. Your brain and nervous system don’t know the difference between reality and your imagination. In other words, your body thinks it just went through the highs and lows of the world you and the crew created. So… your recovery should match the level of intensity and depth of this. At times, I would even say this is PTSD-level work.
Obviously, every shoot varies, but often clients return from a shoot and their labs show massive deficiencies simply because they lived in full survival mode for the entire 4-6 months. The late nights and early mornings, subpar food, extreme temperatures, heavy makeup turnover and olympic-level brain requirements all take a toll on the body. If you do not enter the shoot with robust nutrient stores, you will be dragging your war-torn body home.
My approach is not just about recovery, it’s also about preparation and prevention. Just as you prepare for a role mentally and emotionally, so you can prepare for it physically. Capacity is everything when it comes to resilience in this industry. As you recover from your last shoot, you are also rebuilding to enter your next, ready for game time.
The last thing you want is to get an opportunity you’ve dreamt about and not be able to give it your all because you’re depleted and not functioning at full tilt. Please don’t find yourself here.
When we’re considering nutrient levels, we want to keep it succinct and potent, so that you’re not taking a hoard of random filler supplements or navigating a complicated diet regimen. We do this by incorporating a custom powerful morning cupper and targeted nutrient protocol, based on lab testing and your innate areas of vulnerability within the body. I use advanced personalized labs and astrological mapping to uncover your nuanced needs. The supplements are therapeutic and in forms that hit the body almost instantly, meaning we’re able to shift you quickly and profoundly. I am a supplement savant. I love this work.
General Recommendations
for a personalized tonic and protocol, please step into my Concierge Reset
To do this on your own, a great place to start is with the Blood Type diet. Also uncover your Human Design digestive style and weave this into how, when and where you eat. Pair it with the foundational supplements and the baseline tonic.
Mêrfleur Baseline Tonic – source ingredients here
1 tbsp Collagen Powder
1 tbsp Cacao Powder
1 tbsp IAG Powder
1 tbsp TOCOS
1 tsp of MSM
1 tsp Inositol (Balanced B8)
1/8-1/2 tsp Matcha
*Optional: 1/8 tsp Peppermint Extract
*Optional: 1/2 tsp Raw Honey or Sucant
Combine with hot spring water and stir well to dissolve fully. Sip with breakfast. If you get jittery, reduce the cacao powder amount and make sure your meal has a fat, protein, and carb within it.
Re-Nourishing Supplement Basics
Magnesium: glycine and/or taurate
Probiotic: native and/or transient
Aloe Vera Juice: 2-4 oz on an empty stomach every morning
HCL: with every meal
Enzymes: with every meal
Adaptogens & Nootropics to match needs: rhodiola rosea, astragalus, kava, etc.
Glandulars for depleted organs – thyroid, adrenal, kidneys, brain, ovaries, etc.
Empower Yourself With Delegation
May your recovery be quick and robust! If you desire support and delegation of this portion of your process, connect with me for concierge reset care. You’ll have an on-hand expert with you everywhere you go and will never have to navigate your health alone again. Reset your body with me and return to your work reborn and resilient.
Your Health Impacts Humanity
Your calling is a cultural need. Humanity needs healthy artists. When you sink into your work, you reflect humanity back to itself and keep our hearts tender, our egos in check, and our minds open. Your health matters.
Reminder: Please run everything medical by your preferred licensed provider before proceeding.
GABA as a Non-Addictive Solution for Racing Thoughts & Body Anxiety
Anxiety in Artists
Waking up feeling soft, integrated and grounded in your body, this is the dream. It’s also the rare experience for the creative spirit. With your heightened imagination and ability to see all angles of every situation, it’s very easy for your mind to accelerate. Your body can follow this and ramp up quickly to match. Lying in bed first thing in the morning and feeling your heart and mind racing is an overwhelming way to start a day. The morning should be a time of gentle entrance into the world, full of softness.
Knowing you, you’ve already been weaving yoga, breathwork, and meditation into your days to naturally ease the anxiety. Avoiding caffeine, herbal teas, eating upon waking, getting natural sunlight in your eyes first thing… you’ve been doing it all and yet it still isn’t fully resolving. It helps some days, but isn’t enough on other days. I hear you and get it.
Foundational Causes of Anxiety
You need a deeper support for those tough mornings. Perhaps you even need to look into your biological or emotional status to address the foundational sources. When it comes to anxiety, these are the areas I consider:
Biological
Gallbladder Congestion
GI Pathogens
Adrenal Hypo/Hyper Function (cortisol issues)
Reduced or Elevated Hormone Release
Toxin Burden (mold spores, mycotoxins, endotoxins, heavy metals, etc.)
Emotional
Unprocessed Stored Emotions
Attachment & Relational Wounds
PTSD
You do not have to be perfect to experience peace, but these areas should be reviewed and addressed if they are strongly affecting your body’s function or your ethereal state.
Natural Solution for Quick Relief
Whether you choose to address the above or not, a solution for the here and now until you find everyday ease is amino acid therapy. Amino acid therapy is my go-to solution for bringing you to a place of resilience now. It is non-addictive and can provide temporary ease if not full relief until you are able to go deeper.
Amino Acid Therapy: GABA
GABA stands for gamma-aminobutyric acid and is one of the brain's most important inhibitory neurotransmitters. It supports communication between brain cells (neurons) and ultimately slows down the rapid interactions that can occur. When it is at healthy levels in your body and brain you feel calm, cool, and collected. Often times a downstream effect of the foundational imbalances I listed above is neurotransmitter deficiency. GABA is commonly low in sensitive artists, especially when your schedule demands constant production and performance. Always being “on” can quickly deplete the body’s natural GABA reserves if your body’s foundations are already rocky.
The good news is that GABA can be taken as a supplement. The body absorbs and utilizes it very quickly, so you’ll feel the calming impact within 15 to 45 minutes of consumption, especially if taking your correct dose in the form and manner that suits your body.
Neurotransmitter Lab Testing for Anxiety
If you have time to test your neurotransmitter levels, I highly recommend it. This allows us to confirm exactly what you need. At times, excess GABA can also create the same symptoms as deficient GABA or another neurotransmitter imbalance could be at play. Testing cuts right to the problem and makes it very clear what will work and will not work without much experimentation. You can book a single session plus labs with me and order the Brain/Mood or Brain/Mood + Stress panel right HERE.
Dosing
If you need support ASAP and a 2-3 week turnaround time for testing is not an option or you want to combine your options and try GABA while you wait for test results, in case you can get some relief right away, then do it!
Here’s how to dose, if you’re trying it on your own. Please remember this is general advice as I do not know your starting state or full symptom presentation, but it may be enough to get you rolling. There is a lot of nuance in dosing, so I share this as an overarching guide.
Start low and slow. GABA comes in a couple forms. Begin with pure GABA capsules to keep it simple. I recommend no more than 100 mg per capsule, less if you can find it. Look at the fillers, avoid supplements with a long list of additional ingredients, like dextrose and rice flour. I do not recommend getting mutli’s or blends. Save that for later once you know how you respond to GABA on its own. Quality and effectiveness is everything when it comes to supplementation. I’ve included a few starter brands below for you to try.
Take away from food or other supplements so you can clearly observe how you feel. I recommend opening the capsule and pouring ½ on your tongue. Observe how you feel after 15-45 minutes. Set an alarm clock or ask a friend or partner to give you feedback on how you are acting 1 hour later. If they observe you smiling more, laughing or just seeming generally lighter, you know you’re on the right track! If you feel nothing, then the next day try it again, pouring 1 full capsule on the tongue. Continue increasing in this manner, but you only need to pour the first capsule on your tongue. You’re sending a message to your brain that the nutrient is available so that it responds quicker. If you cannot stand the taste, I added chewable options below for you to try as well.
If you feel more irritable within 15-60 minutes, then you know GABA is not the right fit and I would highly recommend testing your neurotransmitters.
Please note: if you’re on medication, consult with your prescribing physician before adding any additional mood balancers.
Once you find your right dosage, you can take regularly until you resolve your foundational imbalances or you fill up your GABA deficiency tank. You may find that after some time you need less support to feel good. This means that you gave your body what it needed to resolve the underlying imbalances, even if that was just the space of having a calm nervous system from taking GABA to bring everything back into working order, and it is now producing enough GABA on its own. Eventually, you will not need it and can keep it in the house for highly stressful seasons when you need extra care.
A peaceful grounded morning is possible for you. Give your mind and body the extra support and space they need with amino acid therapy.
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Reminder: Please run everything medical by your preferred licensed provider before proceeding.