Heal Yourself: Body ~ Mind ~ Spirit

Heal Yourself

Body ~ Mind ~ Spirit

Sandie Gascon

Heal Yourself

Copyright © 2021 by Sandie Gascon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

The statements in this book are not validated by the FDA. The author is not a qualified medical doctor and makes no claims to be so. The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any of the methods or products used in this book as a treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems. The intent of the author is only to offer information to be used exclusively as an educational tool of a general nature to help you on your journey for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any information in this book for yourself, the author and publisher are not liable for any losses, injury, or illness you may suffer by relying on information given. Use at your own risk. The author makes no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or effectiveness of the information in this book and makes no warranty as to the accuracy of that information. Please consult your health care practitioner before making changes to your medications, diet, supplements, and exercise programs.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-5387-9 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-5386-2 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-5388-6 (eBook)

This book is dedicated to

my family, my greatest spiritual teachers.

Contents

Introduction

Why a Whole-Body Approach Is Needed to Heal

How to Read This Book

My Journey to Health

Part 1. Body

Different Types of Practitioners

The Body Bank Account

Supplement Mindset

Nutrition

Reducing the Toxic Burden on the Body

Foundation Tests

Balancing Neurotransmitters

Oxalates

Thyroid

Detoxification Pathways

The DUTCH Test – Adrenals and Sex Hormones

Heavy Metal Detoxification

The Gut

SIBO

Root Causes of Symptoms

Anxiety

Depression

Insomnia

IC and Chronic Vaginal Issues

Fatigue

Weight Gain

Candida and Chronic Yeast Infections

Skin Issues

Headaches and Migraines

Lyme, Mold, and Chronic Viral Infections

Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, Tingling, and Numbness

The Mind-Body Connection

Part 2. Mind

The Importance of Meditation, Mindfulness, and Mindset Training

Releasing Blocks to Mindset Training

Understanding the Cortisol Response

The Biology of the Brain

Letting Go of Negative

The Laws of Attraction

Universal Consciousness

Self-Care and Self-Management

The Stages of Consciousness

The Stages of Enlightenment

Empowering Language

Protect Your Energy

Building Confidence and Self-Love

Mirror Work

Celebrate Success

Focus on Your Strengths

Find Your Inner Coach

Create Your Ideal Life

Activate the Laws of Attraction

Empathy

Conscious Parenting

Tips and Exercises for Conscious Parenting

Limiting Beliefs

Limiting Beliefs Transformed to Empowering Beliefs

Building Healthy Relationships

Face Your Fears

Guilt and Resentment

Money Mindset

Self-Sabotage and the Upper Limit Principle

Turning Inward

Part 3. Spirit

Passion and Purpose

How to Meditate

The Benefits of Meditation

Types of Meditation

Creating a Meditation Space

Creating a New Habit

Waking and Bedtime Meditations Introduction

Waking Meditation

Bedtime Meditation

Core Daily Meditations

Inner Joy Meditation Introduction

Inner Joy Meditation

Inner Joy Mini Meditation

Become the Observer Meditation Introduction

Become the Observer Meditation

Become the Observer Mini Meditation

Healing the Past Meditation Introduction

Healing the Past Meditation

Healing Light Meditation Introduction

Healing Light Meditation

Healing Light Mini Meditation

Loving Kindness Meditation Introduction

Loving Kindness Meditation

Loving Kindness Mini Meditation

Qigong Meditation Introduction

Qigong Meditation

Qigong Mini Meditation

Create Your Ideal Life Meditation Introduction

Create Your Ideal Life Meditation

Create Your Ideal Life Mini Meditation

Affirmations for Health Meditation Introduction

Affirmations for Health Meditation

Affirmation for Health Mini Meditation

Chakra Meditation Introduction

Chakra Meditation

Chakra Mini Meditation

Releasing Pain Meditation Introduction

Releasing Pain Meditation

Releasing Pain Mini Meditation

Cosmic Sound Meditation Introduction

Cosmic Sound Meditation

Cosmic Sound Mini Meditation

Continuing Your Meditation Routine

A Gift We Can Give Our Planet

Appendix

Detoxification Pathways

Phase One Detoxification

Phase Two Detoxification

The Sulfation Pathway

The Glucuronidation Pathway

Glutathione Conjugation Pathway

Acetylation Pathway

Amino Acid Conjugation

The Methylation Pathway

Sulfoxidation Pathway

Phase Three Detoxification

Genetics Test Analysis

Organic Acids Test Analysis

Blood Work Analysis

CMP (Complete Metabolic Panel)

CBC (Complete Blood Count)

Lipid Panel

Iron Panel

Thyroid Panel

Additional Markers

DUTCH Test Analysis

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Why a Whole-Body Approach Is Needed to Heal

In modern allopathic medicine, we find doctors specializing in only one area of the body or a single aspect of health such as endocrinologists, immunologists, gynecologists, rheumatologists, and so on. Each area of the body is isolated as though they are not connected.

When I first started coaching, my business coach emphasized the importance of finding a niche. Even in the functional and holistic world there are niches. Practitioners specialize in hormones, adrenals, candida, Lyme Disease, and so forth. Just like in allopathic medicine, many holistic practitioners tend to focus on treating only one area of the body as though nothing is connected.

I thought long and hard on what my niche would be. Due to my own experience healing from chronic illness, I was unable to pick one. I knew that regardless of what symptoms or diseases are present, the entire body, mind, and spirit must be addressed as a whole because everything is connected. As you will see below, each system is important, and none can be left out.

The brain is the master organ. If it isn’t balanced, nothing else will be. Sadly, the brain is left out by most practitioners. Most are not trained in balancing neurotransmitters. Few understand the genetics behind the enzymatic processes in the brain and how to analyze test results, nor have they heard of amino acid therapy to balance neurotransmitters. Amino acid therapy was my first step to healing as I was getting off of Effexor (antidepressant); it was my catalyst. In working with hundreds of clients, I have seen balancing neurotransmitters be the missing link, which is why we will spend a lot of time discussing it.

General nutrient deficiencies need to be addressed right from the get-go as do mitochondria (our energy generation centers). If our bodies are not able to efficiently produce energy, healing will be at a standstill. Any stressors on the body deplete nutrients. Deficiencies then lead to dysfunction and imbalances, which cause the body to no longer be able to cope with stress. It becomes a vicious cycle. We interrupt the cycle by removing stress and giving the body the tools that it needs in order to repair itself. The foundation tests I use in my program will show what the body needs for both of these areas.

Detoxification pathways are the next most important part of healing. New discoveries in genetics show us how our enzymes of detoxification are impacted by our genes. Since delving into the world of genetics, my success rate and the time it takes me to help people see results have improved dramatically. Being able to customize our supplements based on our genes is an amazing scientific discovery. Milk thistle, turmeric, methyl donors, and so many other supplements are not beneficial to everyone. These popular supplements can actually do more harm than good. Many health-minded people claim they are working on their detoxification pathways, but in reality, without testing, they are throwing paint at the wall and hoping it will stick.

Many practitioners place a big emphasis on treating adrenals and sex hormones whenever a client complains of fatigue. While adrenals and sex hormones do play a role in energy levels, the saliva panel many practitioners are still using to test them is outdated. I have found that imbalances and dysfunctions in adrenals and sex hormones tend to be due to dysfunctions in other systems such as detoxification pathways, deficiencies, mitochondria, and neurotransmitters. Since adrenal function is impacted by chronic stress, fear, and depression, I prefer to first address mindset and get foundational support on board before testing adrenals and hormones. This gives the body enough time to rebalance hormones and adrenals itself with the tools we give it.

The thyroid is another area I see people concentrate on with limited success. Many doctors have not even heard of Reverse T3. In some countries, the test is not even available; as you will see in the Thyroid section, you cannot see a true picture of what is going on without this test. Thyroid dysfunction is a result of other dysfunctions in the body. I test it early on using a full blood panel, but as with sex hormones and adrenals, I prefer to first support other systems.

Healing the gut and detoxing from heavy metals are done last in my program because through experience, I have found gut work to be unsuccessful in most people until the rebuilding and rebalancing steps are in place. The mind needs to be in a calm state with little stress for gut work to be successful. When the stress response is chronically active, the immune response is suppressed, and it is difficult to eliminate pathogens. We need the body on board to help us remove the pathogens. Detoxification pathways must be functioning well; otherwise, killing pathogens will create a toxic burden that is too much for the body to handle, and the person will end up having to stop. The stress itself on the body would make it unsuccessful, even if they were able to complete their protocol.

Diet is another factor to increase the chances of clearing pathogens. I have found that in order for gut work to be successful, eating a ninety percent whole food diet is necessary. Many practitioners make clients go on a strict diet right away. This is rarely successful because people feel isolated and deprived. They become depressed, then at some point, they end up with feelings of shame when they binge on unhealthy foods due to intense cravings. Having time to slowly transition to a balanced diet is ideal, and my program allows for time before gut work to make this transition while we rebuild and rebalance the body.

Most people believe their gut, or pathogens like candida or Lyme, are causing their symptoms. I have found it is actually imbalances and deficiencies in the body and issues with detoxification pathways causing these issues. Once these are addressed, the symptoms go away, enabling us to easily clear up the root causes. The root causes are the overall body burden: stress, toxins, pathogens, and metals. It ends up looking like the chicken and the egg paradox: which came first? I believe stress causes dysfunction, which leads to symptoms and disease. Most practitioners try to kill the pathogens or remove the toxins by force, which often results in the person becoming sicker. Their body is unable to handle any more stress. I turn the process around and work with the body so it can heal. I remove the emotional stress, reduce toxin exposure, run tests to identify imbalances and deficiencies, aid the body in repairing detoxification, and then, when it is ready, assist in removing pathogens and metals. First, I clear parasites, protozoa, and biofilm. Then, I address bacteria in the large intestine. After that, SIBO and yeast are eliminated if still present. Last, if needed, I address any systemic pathogens. During gut work, gentle binders are used to clear metals. The body wants to be healthy; it just needs the tools and time to heal.

Here is an overview of my healing program for the average person. Some people with certain genetic mutations require another round of blood work before Phase Two to ensure detoxification pathways are functioning. They also may need further testing. These are more complex cases. I have focused on the basics of the program in this book. It is truly a whole body, mind, and spirit approach.

Phase One: Rebuild, Rebalance, and Repair

•Nutrition: slowly move to a ninety percent whole food diet

•Begin mindset training and meditation

•Order Organic Acids, genetics, and blood work testing

•Rebalance neurotransmitters

•Support mitochondria and thyroid

•Address nutrient deficiencies

•Repair detoxification pathways

•Order DUTCH Test and support adrenals and hormones

•Rerun blood work or further testing, if needed

Phase Two: Remove Stress

•Order gut tests

•Address parasites, protozoa, and biofilm

•Begin safe/gentle heavy metal detoxification

•Retest to ensure success and address bacterial dysbiosis

•Address SIBO, yeast and other systematic pathogens

How to Read This Book

This book is divided into three parts and covers my entire healing program. Part One focuses on the body and goes over testing, science, and supplements. Part Two focuses on the mind and is all about mindset training, learning to be aware of one’s thoughts, and noticing how they are affecting the body. Bringing peace to the mind is vital when trying to heal from chronic illness. Here, I share tools I have discovered throughout my journey that you will need in order to shift to a peaceful, healing state. Part Two also covers how to achieve success in health, relationships, and finances. Part Three focuses on Spirit and is all about meditation and how to find your passion and purpose. Two-thirds of the book are about mindset and meditation because it is equally, if not more important to healing than the science of the body. I believe by the time you finish this book you will agree with me.

The best way to read this book is to start with Part One: Body. Ideally, order the three foundation tests when you get to that section. While waiting for test results, work on changing your diet to a balanced, whole food diet. Instructions for this are in the Nutrition section. Finish reading Part One: Body in order to understand the full process.

Then, move to Part Two: Mind. Once you get to the Self-Care and Self-Management section, take some time to apply the tips there. Then read a bit of Part Two: Mind each week while starting on the meditations in Part Three: Spirit. Once you receive your test results, use the corresponding sections in the Appendix to assist in analysis. The test analysis sections are science-based. If you find the information is overwhelming, find a knowledgeable practitioner to help you design your protocols. Continue working on Part Two: Mind and Part Three: Spirit while implementing supplements from your test results. Then finish rereading and moving through Part One: Body as you complete each step.

My Journey to Health

Like most babies in the 1980s, I was not breastfed. On my baby calendar it says: Wouldn’t sleep through the night. Gave Pablum, slept better. This was at six days old. My poor gut. No wonder I would often scream for hours on end. I was fully vaccinated to the schedule at the time. Throughout childhood, my teenage years, and most of my twenties I suffered from reoccurring Strep throat infections. Antibiotics were the norm for me, usually prescribed three to four times a year.

At age seven, I had my first migraine. I still remember that day. I remember the pain. I was at my aunt’s trailer. I can smell the trailer. I can see the couch and the ceiling, feel the material on my body, and hear myself screaming. My head felt like it was going to explode, and I felt so nauseous. The lights were so bright and every sound was piercing. How can a child articulate such pain that would later cripple me as an adult?

The migraines persisted and became more frequent as I got older. It took a while to realize that scents were a big trigger for me. Everyone was still smoking indoors, which did not help. I had asthma and was on multiple inhalers. When I began menstruating, I started to not sleep well; I was up most of the night and slept much of the day. I started having phases of mania that allowed me to stay up and go-go-go for days. It would be followed by a period of migraines, depression, extreme nausea, and intense cravings for junk food. I would need to be in my room with the lights out and a pillow and an ice pack on my head. The cycle would last two weeks, then repeat. I missed a lot of school. Over the years, I tried every drug on the market for migraines but had no success.

Growing up, we ate the standard American diet: meat, some veggies, and lots of pasta. I ate mostly cereal with milk. I loved candy. Those were my staples, and processed carbs were my go-to up until my mid-twenties when I discovered natural healing.

My childhood was stressful, and my teen years even more so. Stress was constant. I found solace riding my horse, C.L. Riding was my escape. I was always a bit overweight, and that contributed to insecurities and eating disorders. I started binging and purging when I was fifteen years old. I was put on Meloxicam for swelling and pain in my knees that came and went. It was worse in the cold Canadian winters.

I suffered from Raynaud’s for as long as I can remember. I did not realize it was not normal until my twenties. I thought everyone’s hands and feet went white when they got cold. In high school, I caught Mono and missed three months of school. I felt terrible but enjoyed not going to school. School was always easy for me, and I felt it was a waste of time sitting at a desk when I could easily teach myself from the textbook in much less time. I was blessed with an amazing photographic memory, which I had until I started drinking alcohol as a teen. I spent many weekends binge-drinking at parties.

At nineteen, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Depression. I was entering university at that time, and my goal was to be a doctor so I could find a cure for migraines. I was prescribed Effexor, as my mother was taking it and it helped her.

The Effexor stabilized the intense mood swings and reduced my migraines. I would still get them in response to scents, stress, or car rides, but the duration and intensity was reduced. The medication also turned me into a zombie. I was unable to feel many emotions, but at the time, not knowing any better, it was an improvement.

In my mid-twenties, I started thinking about becoming pregnant. I was doing research on it and came across some information on Effexor babies. I knew how bad the withdrawals were if I missed a dose of the medication. I could not imagine a baby going through that, so I tried to get off it. Not knowing any better, I tried cold turkey. It did not work. The brain zaps and migraines were too intense. I would end up in the shower, running cold water over my body while vomiting. The doctors would not believe me when I told them what happened. Your brain needs the medication, they said. It was then, in my third year of university, I decided I no longer wanted to be a doctor. I could not morally prescribe a drug that caused these side effects and was impossible to stop taking.

After a lot of contemplation, I decided to become a massage therapist. I had always been great at giving massages without training and figured I could be even better with training. I would still be able to help people, just in a different way. I finished my last year of university, receiving a four-year honors degree in Biomedicine, and I moved three hours from home to go to college. I was able to fast-track the three-year program to two years and skip over many courses due to my prior education. This was ideal, as I was raising and homeschooling my eight-year-old niece at the time. The reduced course load meant we could spend more time riding our horses.

In my last semester of massage therapy, right before exams, I developed a high fever and severe neck and body pain. I was brought to the hospital, where they thought it was meningitis and forced me to have a lumbar puncture. They said I could not use the phone until I did the test. It was a traumatic event. I was terrified to get the lumbar puncture and did not want to do it, but I was worried about my niece. I had left quickly, so I needed to check in with the babysitter and contact my parents so they could come help me. A stool test then revealed I had food poisoning, so the lumbar puncture had been performed unnecessarily. I was sent home and told I would get better in time. I had high amounts of Campylobacter, which caused severe diarrhea for two weeks. I lost twenty pounds. All my college testing was delayed because I was so weak. This was the turning point in my health. It had never been great before, but it took a turn for the worse.

Over the next year, I graduated from college and started work as a massage therapist. I slowly got my strength back and put the weight I had lost back on. I started to develop pain in my hands and feet. After the lumbar puncture, I started having severe pain in my back at the insertion site. I also developed numbness and weakness in both legs. The left leg was so weak and numb I could not mount a horse on the left side. I had all sorts of tests and they could not find anything wrong. I was so upset about the damage, as I had not wanted the lumbar puncture to begin with.

The following spring, I started to have a heart arrhythmia. I ended up in the hospital because my heartbeat was erratic. I was hooked up to a heart monitor. I had a missing T wave. The doctor prescribed a beta blocker. No, thank you, I said. I already had one medication I was unable to stop taking. When I described all my symptoms, he sent me to a rheumatologist for further testing.

A few months later I saw the rheumatologist, had some tests, and was diagnosed with Lupus. As I was waiting for a diagnosis, I met someone with Lupus. At the time, I thought it was a coincidence, but now I see it as synchronicity. She was fifty years old, but she looked eighty. She told me not to take the medications. That, of course, resonated with me. She said the medications had destroyed her immune system, and her kidneys were failing. She told me to research natural remedies. The day I was diagnosed with Lupus, I said no, thank you to the script of Plaquenil, despite my doctor’s warnings that I would die without it. I went home and started my natural healing journey.

The first thing I found was a book on healing Lupus with raw foods. I read it and believed it. I went cold turkey from a completely processed food diet to a raw food diet. As you can imagine, that did not go too well. Over the next year, I tried my best to maintain a raw food diet. I would feel so good on it but was so hungry, despite eating 4000 calories a day. I tried different fuel ratios: higher fat, higher protein, and higher carb. None of them lasted for long. I was so frustrated and angry with myself that I was unable stick to it. I kept trying, determined to find the willpower.

In June of 2012, the Effexor stopped working. It had been an extremely stressful year. Our horses had massive injuries that cost thousands of dollars, and shortly after that, my car broke down. Then the migraines returned. I was tired and unable to keep up with my already reduced workload. I had two people living in our house just to help with rent. I decided to move back with my parents.

The next year was rough. I fell into a deep depression. I tried seeing a psychiatrist. Her solution was for me to take more medications, and I didn’t find she helped with talking through any emotions. Her office was also heavily scented, and I soon stopped going. Group therapy was the only other option and again, more fragrances. I went on social assistance and what little money I had went to trying raw vegan and various other diets like Paleo, AIP, low FODMAP, GAPS, and the candida diet. None were sustainable, and many made me feel much worse. Others worked only temporarily. Each failed attempt fed my feelings of depression and self-loathing.

In 2013, I came across a podcast episode by Shawn Stevenson called 4 Steps to Ensure a Disease Diagnosis Doesn’t Kill You. It was about letting go of labels and changing focus to healing. There was an intense shift inside of me, as I realized I had become the disease. I would always tell people I had Lupus. It had become my identity. I was being fed by various Facebook groups, all of them focused on illness and symptoms. I had been operating in victim mentality by blaming: my parents for my poor diet, the doctors for prescribing medications, and the particular doctor for forcing the lumbar puncture. I was also blaming society and the media for promoting and allowing these foods and toxins to be made.

After the shift, I unlabeled myself from Lupus. I started stating, My body is sending me a message. I will figure it out. I am healing. I will heal. I became determined to figure it out if it was the last thing I did. I had renewed hope and determination. I was going to reach my goal of being healthy no matter what. I began to research nonstop. I was focused on trying different diets. As mentioned earlier, some worked for a time and then I got worse, some made me super sensitive, and others just made me feel terrible.

My mom had introduced me to meditation when I first started having migraines. I had used it on and off to help with pain and staying calm, but I had strayed from it during the year of depression. With the shift in focus to healing, I got back into it. In a meditation, I asked the question: Why am I unable to tolerate foods the same way as others do? Eric, my boyfriend at the time (now my husband) ate whatever he wanted with no issues, and he was healthy. In the meditation, the answer came: A healthy body can tolerate food. Work on getting your body healthy. Food is not the problem.

My research changed. I switched focus to the biochemistry of the body instead of diets. I used my training in Biomedicine, in particular my minor in Neuropsychology, to look at the chemistry of the brain. I researched the mechanism of action behind beta blockers, which I had been prescribed (and refused to take) for my heart arrhythmia. I researched the science behind how a beta blocker works: it blocks dopamine action on the heart. The research shifted to how to naturally lower dopamine. I found out about amino acid therapy. Everything clicked. I was on an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor), which works by slowing the breakdown of serotonin. When serotonin goes low, dopamine goes up. I realized that all I had to do was raise my serotonin, so I started using amino acid therapy to help support my brain.

I also discovered on forums that in order to successfully get off Effexor, you needed to open the capsules and remove one bead a day. I asked my pharmacist, and he said, No, you cannot open the capsules. He offered no other suggestions, so I opened the capsules. There were 494 beads. I remember saying to myself This is going to take a while. I began the slow journey of going off Effexor. It took about a year and a lot of patience. It was so tempting to take out more beads. Whenever I went too quickly, I would end up having to backtrack and let the withdrawals pass, which wasted more time.

During that year, I started taking various supplements and doing cleanses to work on my liver and gut. I was researching every minute of the day, not in Facebook groups, but instead immersing myself in the science behind how the body works. Shawn Stevenson’s podcasts introduced me to the world of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN). I wanted to take the course and knew that once I got better and returned to work, I would pay off my student loans and save enough money to do it. I wanted to use the tools and knowledge I was learning to help others.

I was able to get off of Effexor. It took a few months of being off it for my brain to really stabilize. I was flooded with emotions I had not felt in so long, and it took a lot of work to find balance. I was able to get the Lupus antibodies down, my energy up, and my brain healthy. I decided it was time to go back to work as a massage therapist and began the process to get my license back. I also began working locally, helping to coach people on their health issues.

The only thing I was unable to see improvement in was my skin. I had suffered from Cystic Acne since I was a teen. I tried everything and often was doing multiple things at once. It really had not bothered me when the fatigue and pain was crushing. Now that those were better, I wanted clear skin. Huge cysts on my face and back were unappealing. I decided to try lowering my estrogen, as estrogen dominance can cause skin issues. I started high doses of a supplement called DIM (Diindolylmethane), did high fat Paleo, and added in a nice, high dose ascorbic acid protocol.

It was a recipe for disaster. I ended up with pain in my urethra. I went to the doctor, who checked for infection, but nothing was there. The pain started to spread to my bladder. I did not understand, as I was doing all the right things. The pain was so bad I would have gladly traded it for what I had gone through with Lupus symptoms and migraines. A urologist diagnosed me with Interstitial Cystitis. Researching online was devastating, as I found so few people who were successful at treating it.

I was back to work. I had started my own mobile massage therapy business, and I was in high demand. I was working hard but getting through each client’s appointment was torture. I often had to