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Most people think microplastics are the biggest threat from our plastic-saturated world, but they’re completely missing the danger that’s infiltrating our individual cells right now.

Today I’m pulling back the curtain and letting you into my brain to share the five holistic wellness rabbit holes I’m currently spiraling down. 

And trust me, they’re not what you’d expect. I’m a creature of curiosity who loves a good deep dive into scientific research that maybe the public isn’t looking at yet.

But here’s something you should know about me first: I’m not an early adopter. 

I’m a hardcore skeptic who takes everything with a grain of salt until I’ve done my own research and my intuition tells me it’s correct. This is especially important in the holistic wellness space, where people love to talk about topics as if they’re the end-all, be-all for everyone.

From nanoplastics that actually infiltrate our individual cells (way scarier than microplastics) to the incredible research on how specific microbes can literally digest these plastics out of our bodies, I’m sharing what’s got me excited about the future of detoxification. 

I’m also diving deep into light therapy and structured water, and I’m preparing for my first Northern Virginia winter with some interesting tools.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about:

• Nanoplastics vs. microplastics
• The emerging science of microbial detox
• Lux and illumination research
• My thyroid healing journey and why I’m working to get completely off medication
• Structured water skepticism turned curiosity

1. Nanoplastics

We know microplastics are everywhere and what they look like in our bodies. We have been talking about it for years. 

But last year and earlier this year, for the first time, the scientific community has started to understand nanoplastics. These are different from microplastics because nanoplastics get into our individual cells.

Watch this video of Dr. Matthew Campen, who shares what nanoplastics look like in our brain and organs.

Microplastics don’t infiltrate our cells. The bigger problem of microplastics is that they carry chemicals with them, so we get exposed to other things like PFAS and phthalates. 

Nanoplastics are the real threat. Those are the things that are literally getting into our itty-bitty tiny cells, causing gene mutations, oxidation, and all of these major health issues.

There is some really cool holistic wellness research happening into finding ways to detox forever chemicals from our bodies.

One of my favorite podcasts is called Smarter Tech. The host, Nick, interviewed Dr. Marco Ruggiero, who is at the forefront of nanoplastic research. He is studying how microbes can enzymatically digest the nanoplastics out of our bodies. 

That doctor has a very pricey probiotic line, based on his research, which I bought. I’ll report back on that one! 

I actually added a whole clothing section to my Toxin Free in 3 course because of my nanoplastic research. I feel like this is such an important topic in the holistic community.

2. Lux

If you follow me on Instagram, you see me out on my paddleboard on the lake first thing in the morning for a minimum of 20 minutes.

I am obsessed with lux, or the illumination factor of the lighting that is around you, and how important that lux is to every single biological system in our body.

I’ve talked a ton about getting morning sunshine. Morning sunshine triggers every hormonal metabolism. If you are not putting morning sun in your eyes in the morning for 20 minutes, getting it on your skin, you will biologically struggle. Our indoor lighting is absolutely terrible for us.

This is one of the reasons why I’ve been wearing yellow glasses while I’m sitting in front of a computer. It wasn’t until recently that I started really getting into lux, lumens, illumination, and indoor lighting versus outdoor lighting, and I’m just so down that holistic wellness rabbit hole!

I’ve been following Sarah Kleiner Wellness. She talks about this all the time and is a great person to follow.

3. Getting Off Thyroid Medication

I am working so hard to heal my thyroid with the ultimate goal of being completely off of my thyroid medication. I take about 70% of the armour thyroid that I used to take when I first found out that I had hypothyroidism, which was long before I had found out I had Hashimoto’s.

I had to deal with Hashimoto’s first because the antibodies attack your thyroid and create your hypothyroidism. I healed that first, and now I’m really deep on my healing journey, which is why I’m so interested in light and trying to figure out what else is contributing to how long it’s taking me to heal my thyroid. I have come so far, but I still have a ways to go before I can officially completely get off of my medication. 

I get asked a lot why I care and why I want to get off of my medication. Thyroid supplementation isn’t like a multivitamin. I need it right now, but the more that I give my body, the more my body thinks it doesn’t need to make its own, which then impacts other systems in my body. I’m all about root cause healing. I want to heal the root cause (my thyroid), and that will help heal some of my other hormonal imbalances.

4. Structured Water

Many years ago, I had a neighbor who was moving, and she gave me a hydrogen water machine—one that cost thousands of dollars. She talked to me endlessly about the benefits of hydrogen water. I know a lot of people who swear that hydrogen water is the end all be all. 

I drank hydrogen water for an entire year because she couldn’t take her system with her to where she was moving to. I felt zero difference so I just stopped using it.

I don’t think hydrogen water is bad or harmful. It just didn’t do anything for me, so I wasn’t going to continue drinking it.

I have been super skeptical of structured water because of that experience. But the more I studied it, the more it made sense to me— the idea that water requires movement to be fully hydrating and healing.

My whole family has been drinking it now for a week, and we all agree it tastes amazing. I call it fluffy water because it tastes aerated. 

This is another one I’ll have to report back on. If you are somebody who loves and swears by structured water, I’d love to hear from you!

5. Prepping for Northern Virginia Winter

I am preparing for Northern Virginia Winter. I’ve really struggled since moving here. I have a hard time getting up, being my normal happy self, working out, and going outside when it is dark and cold outside. I just wanna live in fluffy, organic cotton sweats and do nothing. 

I think a lot of people feel this way. Based on the research I’ve done on lux, I think it will help me. I’ll still get more lux being outside when it’s cloudy and dark versus staying inside. Now, I have in my head that even when it’s cold and dreary, I still need to go outside, and it makes a difference. 

For many years, I’ve had an infrared sauna from the company SaunaSpace. I recently got a single bulb, which is very different from my red light devices. I love my LED red light devices.

With the sauna space light, you get warmth and full spectrum light. An LED red light is intended for very specific therapeutic purposes. It has two of the most healing spectrums, which come from the sun. I put my red light device on my thyroid every single day, and that has been a big part of me healing my thyroid.

Here are some of my favorites!

• LUMEBOX (40% off)
• BonCharge Red Light panels (code WENDYKATHRYN for 15% off)
• Fringe Heals (code WENDY10 for 10% off)
• SaunaSpace

This is something I believe will help me in those darker, winter months. I’m really excited to report back on how much of a difference it makes for me throughout the winter. 

My Current Holistic Wellness Rabbit Holes

These are the five things that I’m studying and thinking about. I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my brain, and if you enjoyed this episode and you have some other holistic wellness rabbit holes that you would like me to go down and check out, let me know on Instagram.

Resources Mentioned:

• How Plastics are Accumulating Inside Our Brains
• Smarter Tech Podcast
• Sarah Kleiner Wellness
• Mayu Water
• Glow Infrared Therapy Light

Related Episodes:

Episode #15: Heal Hashimoto’s Holistically with Dr. Hannah Lindsey

Episode #122: Red Light Therapy Benefits: Healing Everything from ADHD to Autoimmune Diseases with Dr. Abby Krammer