By popular demand! A bit on the mitochondria. @Joshua Haag @Adriana Skura-Palmer @Vasi Smith Imagine if the engines in your car were leaky. The car turns on and it mostly runs But every time you put gas in, it leaks a bit and overflows into the inside of the car. You keep putting fuel in but it keeps leaking into the car. You fill up the tank and after one trip to the store and back, there is more fuel in the car than in the tank. So you take it to the mechanic. They take a quick look at then tell you. Well, you have too much gas! Just put less gas in the car and drive it around some more so you can use up all that excess gas! So you do! Some of the gas in the body of the car may leak back in the tank since its now on the emptier side. But overall, most of the gas inside the car is still there... And the net result is that the engine does not have access to that gas to make the car run. So as you try to drive it around even more, other parts start to break down. Well, the engines in us are called the mitochondria. They are responsible for transforming the food we eat into the energy we use. And this is exactly what happens when someone is eating plenty of calories but is experiencing fatigue, brain fog, unexplained weight gain, etc. There is plenty of fuel! But the engines are not working. And then they are told to eat less and move more. If the engines are healthy, this might work. Plenty of people use this method and have lost weight. But the modern world makes out engines leaky. Stress, lack of sleep, lack of sunlight, nutrient deficiencies, mineral imbalances, pesticides, heavy metals, artificial lights, emfs, deuterium... We have to fix the engines first. Are your engines leaky? Any of these pique your interest? "Stress, lack of sleep, lack of sunlight, nutrient deficiencies, mineral imbalances, pesticides, heavy metals, artificial lights, emfs, deuterium..."

We did this a few weeks ago, but it feels valuable enough to do it again. Share in the comments below what you currently need help with and/or how you can help others. We have some amazing folks in this community, let's connect! Had a wonderful meeting earlier today, with @Tiffany Noel Taylor . She helped me with my About page and gave me some ideas about how I can spread the word about the Thrive Community. I helped her with some aspects of her health and wellness and referred her to our amazing resident Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. @Abigail Seaver . It felt wonderful to give and receive in this way, to help and receive help, all in one fun chat!

I’ve been thinking about something that came up in Vasi’s post today about emotions — and it really struck a chord with me. Some people (I was one of them) are trying to heal the whole by focusing only on a part. We want to feel healthy, light, vibrant — but we often go straight to the physical: diets, workouts, fasting. And yes, intermittent fasting is fantastic — I’m a huge proponent of it. But sometimes we hit a point where even that stops working. You may normalize your insulin, stick to your plan, and still… nothing changes. That’s usually the moment when the deeper work begins. You see, extra weight isn’t just physical. It’s often a message. A symptom of imbalance not only in the body, but on other levels of our being. We all have different layers — physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual. And true healing means we need to look at all of them. So instead of only asking “How do I lose weight?”, maybe try asking, “What is this weight that I’m carrying?” Because sometimes what shows up as pounds or kilos is really something else — unacknowledged pain, unexpressed emotions, or unresolved experiences from the past. - Could it be a shield your body built to protect you from the world? - Could it be old emotions that never got a safe space to be felt? - Could it be a way of suppressing fear, desire, or loneliness? That was exactly my story. For the longest time, I was drugging myself with sugar — muffins were my best friends. I wasn’t hungry for food; I was hungry for expression, for love, for freedom. The first time I truly lost weight was when I started dealing with my inner world — my fears, my suppressed desires, my buried emotions. Once I did that, everything shifted. My body started to follow the healing that was already happening inside. So if you’re doing everything “right” and still not seeing results, maybe there’s nothing “wrong” with your body. Maybe it's something unresolved from the past that is demanding your attention.

No, not with food, but with Skool groups! I’ve done that with food in the past as well, it’s a pattern I have. I get excited about lots of different foods and before I know it, my plate is full and I feel like I have to eat it all. That’s why leaning into raw veggies works so well for me… I love them and I can eat lots and lots of them and feel vibrant and healthy. It’s a simple bio hack! Interesting how these patterns can manifest in different areas of our lives. Have you noticed any of your patterns with food playing out in other areas of your life? I can’t possibly consume or check in with all the groups that are on my plate, not with the limited time I have to be on Skool. When I look at my groups list, I just feel overwhelmed. My strategy…to use the Grind In process we practice in the Stress Eating Solution that can be used for any sort of addictive behavior. I’ll share in the comments how it works and how I’m using it later today. If you have any ideas for me, let me know! And if I’m in your Skool group and not active in there at all, please forgive me. My plate overfloweth.

There are dozens of amazing healers, coaches, personal trainers, therapists, natural doctors, theater mavericks, and more in this community! Let’s connect and find ways we can support each other! Share below what you do…who do you help with what? Also, share what you most need help with at this time. Then, find and connect with one or two people you might be able to help/support and one or two people who might be able to support you. Let’s connect and figure out ways to support each other, whether it be through a trade, joining each other’s communities, or something else.