How the brain talks to the immune system (and why this changes everything) If you’ve ever noticed that stress makes your gut worse, your sleep worse, your mood shorter, and your inflammation louder… you’re not imagining it. One of the main “communication highways” tying all of that together is the vagus nerve—the longest cranial nerve in the body, connecting the brainstem to the heart, lungs, digestive tract, and immune signaling hubs. What the vagus nerve does (in plain English) Think of the vagus nerve as a two-way radio between your brain and your body: - It carries information UP to the brain about what’s happening in your gut, organs, and immune system. - It carries signals DOWN from the brain that influence heart rate, digestion, inflammation, and recovery. This is why vagal tone (how well this system “communicates”) is so closely tied to stress resilience, digestion, mood stability, immune balance, and inflammation. The inflammatory reflex The brain’s built-in “inflammation brake” Researchers describe a specific neuro-immune circuit called the inflammatory reflex—a pathway where the nervous system can turn down inflammatory cytokine output in the body. Here’s the simplified sequence (matching the concept shown in that diagram): 1) The signal starts in the brainstem When the vagus nerve is activated (think: slow breathing, relaxation response), the brain sends output down vagal pathways that can influence immune signaling. 2) The spleen acts like a relay station The vagus nerve interfaces with splenic immune circuitry through the splenic nerve. In this pathway, signaling ultimately leads to norepinephrine release in the spleen, which then activates a specific subset of T-cells. 3) Immune T-cells release acetylcholine This is one of the coolest parts: certain T-cells can produce acetylcholine, which functions like the “final messenger” in this anti-inflammatory circuit. 4) Acetylcholine tells macrophages to “stand down” Acetylcholine binds to receptors (including α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) on macrophages and can reduce inflammatory cytokine release, including TNF-α in experimental models.

This post will be a place where those participating in the Bedrock Reboot Classroom, can post their journal entries, as well as their assignments, including their day 34 before and after "wins."

Most of us aren’t making “food choices.”We’re living inside food stories—handed down by culture, marketing, school, and convenience. Here are five of the biggest ones… and the rewrite that sets you free. 1) The Story: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” What it trained us to do: eat on the clock, not on cues—often starting the day with sugar + starch. Rewrite:“Metabolic flexibility is the goal—not mandatory morning carbs.”Some people do great with breakfast. Some do better delaying it. The win is choosing based on your body, not a slogan. Try this: - If you eat early: make it protein-first (eggs, meat, yogurt, collagen + protein, leftovers). - If you’re not hungry: don’t force it—start with water + minerals, then eat when hunger is real. 2) The Story: “Snacking keeps your blood sugar stable.” What it trained us to do: graze all day → constant insulin signaling → cravings never fully shut off. Rewrite:“Stable blood sugar comes from strong meals, not constant eating.”Many people stabilize when they shift from snacks to real meals. Try this: - Build 2–3 anchored meals (protein + fiber + fat). - If you “need” a snack: choose protein (jerky, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, meat sticks). 3) The Story: “Low-fat = healthy (and saturated fat is the villain).” What it trained us to do: fear real food fats → replace them with ultra-processed “low-fat” products loaded with sugar, thickeners, and industrial oils. Rewrite:“Whole-food fats are functional. Ultra-processed swaps are the trap.”Your hormones, brain, and cell membranes need real building materials. Try this: - Choose: olive oil, avocado, butter/ghee, tallow, coconut (as tolerated). - Reduce: “low-fat” products that compensate with sugar + additives. 4) The Story: “Whole grains are a required health food.” What it trained us to do: treat grains as a foundation—even when they spike cravings, bloat the gut, or wreck energy. Rewrite:“Carb tolerance is individual. Essentials are protein + micronutrients.”Some thrive with certain carbs. Many don’t—especially with insulin resistance, PCOS, fatty liver, autoimmune issues, gut inflammation, or perimenopause.

Did humans suddenly require processed grain at 8:00 AM to survive?Or did we get handed a story—and build our daily life around it? The “Breakfast” story (and why it mattered): The idea that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” didn’t come from ancient wisdom—it was heavily amplified by modern marketing. A widely cited example is a 1940s General Foods campaign used to sell cereal and promote a “good breakfast” as a performance requirement for work and school. To be clear: humans have always eaten in the morning sometimes.But the mandate—“eat immediately, eat carbs, eat packaged”—is modern. THEN (human default): For most of human history, food was: - Seasonal + local - Protein-forward (when available) with fibrous plants - Naturally time-restricted (periods of scarcity were normal) - Minimal ingredients (because “ingredients lists” didn’t exist) Your nervous system was designed for alertness when hungry (“hunter mode”).That’s not starvation—that’s adaptive biology. NOW (the modern food environment): Over the last ~150 years, the biggest shift isn’t that we eat more.It’s what we eat—and how engineered it has become. 1) Ultra-processed food became the default Today, over half of calories in the U.S. come from ultra-processed foods. And historically, processed/ultra-processed foods rose from under 5% to over 60% of the food supply across the last two centuries. Ultra-processed = food designed for shelf life + hyper-palatability, not human thriving. 2) The rise of “always eating” We went from “eat when you can” to structured grazing: - breakfast snack - lunch snack - dinner dessert Constant stimulation → constant insulin signaling → constant appetite noise (for many people). 3) The metabolic disease curve didn’t come out of nowhere Adult obesity prevalence is now around 40% in the U.S. That’s not a willpower failure. That’s an environment failure. And yes—many things contribute (stress, sleep, toxins, sedentary life, meds, etc.).But food is the daily signal that hits your hormones, gut, brain, mitochondria, and immune system.

MORNING — Simple/Beginner Routine (10–30 minutes, no perfection needed) Today I posted my own morning routine on Facebook - for those interested in a paired down beginner version to create consistency and build better habits, I’m posting one here! (my original facebook post is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1MkfaGhPCc/?mibextid=wwXIfr) If you’re overwhelmed, start here. This is the “minimum effective dose” morning routine that builds energy + blood sugar stability. Step 1 (first 5 minutes): Hydrate - 16–24 oz water - Add a pinch of sea salt or electrolytes if you have them Step 2 (within 30–60 minutes): Protein-first Pick ONE: - 3 eggs + fruit (or sautéed veggies) - FAGE full fat (5%) plain Greek yogurt + berries (or Good Cultures full fat fermented cottage cheese) - 1 scoop of I Am Amino - Leftovers: meat + avocado - Goal: ~25–35g protein (start with 20g if that feels hard) Step 3 (10 minutes): Light movement Pick ONE: - 10–20 min easy walk - 5–10 min mobility + stretching - 10 minutes on LifePro Vibration Plate - 3 rounds: 10 squats + 10 wall pushups + 30 sec plank(Keep it easy. Consistency > intensity.) Step 4: Caffeine rules (optional) If you drink coffee: - Have it after water + some protein - Add electrolytes later in the morning if you tend to feel shaky/tired and to replace magnesium loss. Step 5: One anchor habit Choose ONE for the next 7 days: - Protein-first breakfast - 10-minute walk - No phone for the first 10 minutes - In bed 30 minutes earlier That’s it. Do this 5 days/week and you’ll feel a difference. If you want me to personalize this to your body + schedule, fill out the free assessment: https://adobe.ly/41cHOYw Comment back with your biggest struggle: 1. mornings are chaotic 2. not hungry early 3. cravings / coffee dependence 4. fatigue / brain fog…and I’ll tell you which tweak to start with.