Tag Archives: glymphatic

Is your brain draining?!

Is your Brain Draining???

Hello Warriors!!

Its that time again for some health tips!!  We’re going to dig into the topic today of your brain drain…

Your brain like everything in your body, is surrounded by fluids.  Our body is bathed in what is called lymph fluid, but your brain and nervous system are bathed in spinal fluid (called cerebro spinal fluid), also called the glymphatic system.  These fluids are basically the plumbing system of our body.  The fluid is essential to get out dead, dying cells from the brain, and nervous system, inflammatory molecules and proteins, old toxins, pathogens, chemicals, and additionally to bring in new cells and food to the brain.

The CSF has other functions as well:
The brain has four fluid compartments: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), interstitial fluid, intracellular fluid, and the blood. The blood is kept separate from the CSF by the blood-brain barrier and blood CSF barrier. Tiny junctions between cells exist in the blood that create the blood-brain barrier, restricting molecules’ access to the brain. The blood-CSF barrier is also formed by tight junctions between choroid plexus cells. The choroid plexus is an area in the brain where a big pool of cells produce the CSF fluid. CSF comprises 10% of the total volume within the cranial cavity, and once it goes through the channels of the brain, it exits into the cervical lymphatic system. Recent studies show that the CSF and interstitial fluid (fluid in the space) are continuously interchanging.

Your brain is made of a lot of fat, and 25% of the cholesterol in the human body is in the brain. However, the blood-brain barrier that prevents molecules from entering also prevents fats from the blood from entering the brain. The brain, unlike the rest of the body, doesn’t receive cholesterol from the liver. The brain synthesizes its cholesterol. A well-managed system transports its supply of cholesterol to the neurons. This transport of cholesterol takes place through the glymphatic system. Fat is essential for our nervous system to work properly, (your nerves in particular are covered in fat) because it transfers signals from one neuron to another. The glymphatic system is very important for the health of our nerves and our brain!!

This system is mostly active at night, so adequate DEEP restful sleep is required for a healthy brain.  If you aren’t sleeping well, let’s talk. Additionally, in order for this important system to flow, there are a few mechanisms that need to take place. CSF is constantly being made in the choroid plexus, which creates a pressure gradient. Respiration is also very important to move the CSF along as well as pulsing arteries in the brain. The chemicals involved in the firing of neurons, called “ions,” drive a process of osmosis which helps pull the fluid through the brain tissue. Such an intricate system requires—you guessed it—balance. Stiff arteries do not allow pulsing, which causes a decline in fluid. This decrease may be why the elderly, in general, are more susceptible to neuro-cognitive conditions, because the lack of pulsing arteries decreases the ability to flush out the brain. Not being able to flush different substances out of our brain, such as tangles of tau in Alzheimer’s disease, a-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease, and superoxide dismutase in ALS, is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.

What’s the best method ???
Cranial work is the BEST known source to move the CSF and to drain your brain!!  When the joints of the cranium are not moving properly, it creates stagnation in the flow of this fluid, and then the brain is sitting in a toxic soup of fluids.  Proper nasal breathing and diaphragm breathing is also KEY to make sure your brain is draining.  If you are a mouth breather, you have a toxic brain with depleted oxygen.  If you are clenching and have TMJ issues you also have stagnation in this fluid.

In addition to cranial work, manual lymphatic drainage working from the outside in is also helpful, although not as impactful as working from the inside out with cranial maneuvers.  Dry brushing and manual lymphatic techniques are extremely helpful to get your pump moving!  There’s many tools and techniques that can utilize these methods from massage therapies, to lymphatic specialists to just some handheld fascia tools.

IT is CRITICAL, to always work on fluids and movement before nutritional work.  The brain needs to DRAIN in order to even absorb the nutrients and detoxing you are trying to do through nutritional work.  Brain fog and headaches are symptoms of a toxic brain.  So, get this system moving, get your breathing better, and watch your brain function improve!!

You’ll find more on this topic in my book Freedom Brain Uncover the Secrets to Transformational Health!!!

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.

Dr. Rachel

Sinus Pressure, Headaches and Puffy Eyes oh MY!

Happy Monday Everyone. It seems like EVERYONE is getting sick or has been this winter. There is definitely some big super bugs going around.  If you read my blog last time, you know that the 5G radiation we are around is definitely a huge contributor to this.  Another I think is that it’s literally in our environment.  You can read more about that in the link below about the corona virus.

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Often with infections it can cause backing up of our lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is your drainage system. Lymph nodes for instance, function as filters, trapping viruses, bacteria and other causes of illnesses before they can infect other parts of your body. It’s extremely important and I think second most important system in our body after the nervous system for function. This is often why you hear of detoxing, detoxing, detoxing.

In order for us to properly get rid of infections, as well as to prevent them, we must have our lymphatic system FLOWING continuously. But what make it move?  Our movement.  This system relies on our body movement and organ movement.  If we aren’t physically moving, or if our organs aren’t moving (because the lymphatic system goes through every part of our body and organs) this system won’t be working well.  Almost every chronic disease has a lymphatic issue. 

Most people think of the lymphatic system as just lymph nodes or your tonsils… In fact, the lymphatic system is HUGE. It’s a network of nodes, vessels and organs which drains lymph from the tissues into the blood. There’s even lymphatic tissue in our small intestine called Peyer’s Patches.

So, since this system depends on movement, it’s pretty important that movement in the body is balanced.

Let’s go back to the head for a second.

(Not my image). Picture of the lymph system in the head and neck.

THERE IS A LOT going on in the head and neck right?!!
It’s definitely more than just tonsils.  This interweb actually continues through your ENTIRE body as well, all around your organs.  The most lymph nodes are actually in our abdomen, so that’s another area I focus on a lot for this system.

Puffy eyes and swelling in the face is usually a sign that this system is congested.  But again, this system can’t flow effectively unless movement happens.  If you’ve been with me for awhile, you know that the Cranial System (Head) moves every breathe that we take. Sometimes these joints in the head though are not moving well.  That means this fluid will back up, like a pump backing up, which causes pressure changes. Additionally, our brain has it’s own unique lymphatic system as well that drains into this lymph system, so we must address it first!

This can often cause individuals to get sinus pressure, congestion, increase in actually getting infections, headaches and allergies. The key is to get this system moving, but in order to do it effectively, we have to make sure the cranial system is moving!  If you just do things like lymphatic massage or dry brushing, which are helpful, but often stagnation will return because the cranial system has not been balanced.  You see in the above picture how much nodes and vessels are close to the jaw joint as well.  This can cause pressure changes in the ear and eustachian tube, which can also affect hearing/balance.

Swelling in any of this system often will have a system effect.  I’ve had individuals with liver stagnation feel a release in their head and sinuses when we started normalizing the lymphatic movement in their liver.

Another point here is oxygen.  With swelling and stagnation in the lymphatic system, there often will be a depletion in oxygen.  Congestion means less nasal breathing and inflammation in the sinuses and respiratory systemThis provides an OPTIMAL environment for infections to live in.  Most infections that we get are what are called anaerobic meaning (hate oxygen).  So naturally when there is an environment with less oxygen, they will move in..

We have to get the cranial system open FIRST, and get oxygen flowing.  Sometimes there is actual structural issues like narrowing of the sinuses and deviated septum for instance.  This definitely also has to be addressed or you will find you or your children constantly fighting infections.  Again, a lack of oxygen will harbor infections. Many individuals with many teeth infections also have airway issues. Of course diet and hygiene come into play, but many individuals that always have continual teeth infections you will find have airway issues, tongue tie and difficulty nasal breathing.

So…. Long story short.  We have to change that pressure system.
First and foremost:

1. Get Craniopathy Care regularly to make sure the FLOW can happen for this fluid. This could often also result in co-managing with a functional dentist to help change that structure.  Remember your nervous system controls your immune system!  If you clench your teeth, you will constantly have congested lymph in your head and neck!
2. Keep your body moving.  Regular exercise and infrared Saunas are great ways to continually take care of your lymph.
3. Eat a low inflammation diet. Get rid of inflammatory foods, like sugars and processed foods/grains.  These cause inflammation in this system.
4. Clear that liver and gut.  Since most of the lymphatic system resides in the gut, it must be important right?  Stop eating toxic foods, or come in for a genetic nutrition session to help clear your detox organs. We can also evaluate and give you immune system support to help keep you protected.
5. Kill the Infections.  CRANIOBIOTIC TECHNIQUE is what I use most in my office to help your immune system kill infections.  Most in the head and neck I find are mold infections because of lack of oxygen.
6. Decrease EMF exposure.  I’ve found that EMF’s are really clogging the liver and lymphatic system.  Go back to my last blog for tips on this matter, get RID of airbuds and bluetooth headphones near your head!
6. Dry Brushing.
7. Lymphatic Massage. 

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For those of you you have been terrified about the corona virus, I got an Infection Vile to check for this infection using CranioBiotic Technique. But just so you know, I would check out this article about its origin.  You won’t find it on the mainstream news.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-02-04-dr-francis-boyle-confirms-coronavirus-an-offensive-biological-warfare-weapon.html?fbclid=IwAR0IvYB6W2HQIajJgdztj1ca0bYQanSeDG9DRSbL2TyinoW442fyZSLNzAQ

OIL OF THE WEEK

This week I’m giving you a recipe for a great sinus opener!!

This one can get your eyes watering so be careful!  Super Tip, I use this while flying.  I just ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water and while on the plane, put a drop of each in and it clears the air and keeps the bugs away!

That is all for now
Have a Happy and Healthy Week.
Dr. Hamel

The Meningeal Lymphatic System. Keeping this well, to keep YOU well!

The Meningeal Lymphatic System.  Keeping this well, to keep YOU well!

Happy Monday Tribe!

It’s been a couple of weeks since our last blog, and a lot has changed.  I definitely have been feeling the weight of the recent laws in California regarding vaccinations throughout the week.  Although extremely discouraging, I know that a wave of change has to come.  The fighting won’t cease, and it really has to stop here.  Prayer works!

Since the weather (for some) is changing, it means that immune systems change.  In fact, our immune system is always adapting. Because of all the increase in vaccinations (people shedding viruses), flu shots (which do NOT give immunity), decrease in sunlight, increase in inside time and EMF exposure, we are just exposed ALOT.
Creating a healthy immune system is a FULL TIME JOB!
Let me tell you!

It requires your internal processing working efficiently, and a HUGE player in that is your lymphatic system. 
This is the clear liquid that surrounds the cells of your body.  Except for cartilage, nails and hair your ENTIRE body is bathed in lymph.  Basically we are a big pool of it!
This is why diseases like: chronic pain or illness like Lyme, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, etc., you will have a lymphatic problem.  It’s a given.  It was definitely a given for me figuring out my healing journey.

If the body can’t rid of cellular waste during the healing process, the inflammation simply stays in the tissues causing pain. If it can’t get out of the body, you can’t get better.

So, since this liquid is everywhere we need to make sure that everywhere is draining and flowing.  One reason I’m very adamant about not having a sedentary life.  Even when you feel very ill, you must try and keep your body moving.  Unlike our circulatory system that is pumped constantly because our our heart beating, the lymphatic fluid is not.

It flows through movement.  And I mean movement everywhere from the head down to your toes.

It’s extremely important for the fluid surrounding your organs to remain in constant motion.  Why?

Because lymphatic fluid is like the plumbing system in our body.  It removes waste and toxins.  That means if it’s not working, then those substances will remain in your body, remain around those organs.


(not my image)

One area we DO not want this to remain is the BRAIN of course.

There is around 501 and 700 lymph nodes in the body depending on the person.  1/2 of all of those are in the stomach/abdominal cavity, and 1/3 of all the lymph nodes of the body are in your neck!  

For the sake of this week’s post I want to talk about the lymphatic system in the brain called the glymphatic system.  By meningeal I mean BRAIN.

Meningeal lymphatic vessels at the skull base drains cerebrospinal fluid.  We need spinal fluid drainage to flow freely so that our nervous system can work efficiently.  This fluid cushions the brain, and serves as a shock absorber for the central nervous system. CSF also circulates nutrients and chemicals filtered from the blood and removes waste products from the brain.

Impaired lymphatic drainage messes with your brain.  You get accumulated macromolecules in the brain when lymph doesn’t work well.  And that in turn will lead to brain inflammation.  In recent research, protein accumulation and aggregation in the brain, such as found in alzheimer’s brains, was linked to a backup of of lymphatic vessels in the meningeal (brain).

In yet another study, blocking meningeal lymphatic drainage aggravated parkinson’s disease like pathology in a mice study. 

I can give you this research if you want.

But in short, it’s suppper important for this system to work in your brain.  It can affect your memory, the way you process, your immune system (don’t want that waste product) hormone and of course the gut brain axis!

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You will get a problem in the gut brain as well.  Cranial brain problems are gut brain problems.
Remember 1/2 of your lymph nodes are in the gut. So, if the majority are in the gut and the brain, makes sense to make sure these two are working at their best right?!!

So… how do we keep this moving to keep up moving out of that toxic zone?!

1.  Make sure you are getting regular cranial chiropractic care. You cannot move this system on your own.  You need someone like myself who is trained to help get your cranial system moving.  If the bones/joint of your head are stuck, this fluid will get back up.  

Remember.  This system moves through motion.  So we must start with your head and work our way down your entire body to make sure there is no tension causing a backup.

2. Another form of body care that’s great is lymphatic massage or electric lymphatic massage.  I will say thought, this DOES not take away from needing #1. Colon hydro-therapy is also helpful to clean out stagnant lymph in the abdomen.

3. Keep moving.  Exercise daily, no matter what it is is so helpful.  Sitting for long periods, computer work, just being in stagnant positions creates a pooling of fluid.

4. Infrared saunas.  Very helpful for increasing circulation and getting that fluid pumping.

5. Nutritional.  There are some genetic components that can back up the lymphatic system.  This was a big factor for me.  It didn’t matter how much body work I got, I got to a certain point where I would plateau.  This being because my natural detox processes in my liver and kidneys weren’t working effectively to clear out what I needed. When I started focusing on this, I needed less massages and lymph clearing as my body was able to do it more efficiently.

When you are fighting infections though, you might need some extra help like those mentioned above even if your internal system isn’t too bad (which it probably is since you got sick!)

This system is really BIG for making sure your immune system is resilient.  So many individuals that come in for regular care are far less sick than those that aren’t.  And they recover more quickly.

Look forward to chatting with you in a couple weeks!!

Dr. Hamel

What does detoxing your brain look like?

Happy Monday!  Last week we talked about the four pathways of elimination that need to be working efficiently for us everyday. If they aren’t, then we get inflammation and chronic conditions like hormone dysfunction, fatigue, skin conditions, ect.  I hope you are all enjoying this month, and as always, if you have topics you want more information on, let me know!

This week we will briefly talk about how your brain detoxes and why this is so important for our health.  As well as tips to increase it’s productivity so that we can optimize our brain function and detox pathways.

We talked last week about the lymphatic system and it’s importance in keeping it flowing.  We have a similar system in our brain it’s called the glymphatic system, or the “brain drain”.

This system was only recently discovered in 2012. It’s uses the cell’s mitochondria (energy system) to remove cellular waste from the brain.  The cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in the brain is what is responsible for draining toxins from brain.  The brain has no lymphatic system, just the CSF fluid.

The kicker here, is this system is especially active during sleep!  That being said if you enhance the mitochondria’s ability during sleep, you will turbocharge this maintenance system and get more cleanup in less time.

In 2013 as well, researchers found that something called “autophagy” is required for healthy brain cell mitochondria.  This is a natural process called autophagy (literally “self-eating”), and it’s the bodies system of cleaning house: Your cells create membranes that hunt out scraps of dead, diseased, or worn-out cells; gobble them up; strip ’em for parts; and use the resulting molecules for energy or to make new cell parts.

It’s like an internal recycling program.  We get rid of faulty parts, stop growths, ect.  When the scientists monitored rat specimens who had difficulty with autophagy, they were fatter, sleepier, had higher cholesterol and impaired brains.

How to increase autophagy to boost the cell’s mitochondrial function:

1. Exercise.  “Regular exercise is the most popular way that people unintentionally help their body to cleanse.”

2. Fasting.  Although I don’t usually recommend skipping meals, occasional fasting is actually beneficial. Practitioners usually forgo food for anywhere from 12 to 36 hours at a time, making sure to drink plenty of water. (You might also want to limit activity to gentle yoga or stretching.)

3. Lower your carb intake.Ketosis, is an increasingly popular diet among bodybuilders and anyone seeking a longer lifespan. The idea is to reduce carbohydrates to such low levels that the body has no choice but to use fat as a fuel source instead.

Ketosis is like an autophagy hack. You get a lot of the same metabolic changes and benefits of fasting without actually fasting.
Keto diets are super high fat (good fats): Between 60 and 70 percent of one’s overall calories should come from fat. (Lots of steak, bacon, and peanut butter shakes are a definite bonus for the keto crowd.) Protein makes up 20 to 30 percent of calories, while carbs are kept below 50 grams per day.

So, increasing good fats, moving and intermittent fasting improve this system.  But what about getting it flowing directly at its source?  What about actually changing it in the brain where it flows in and out of?

That’s right! Cranial care!

Craniopathy care has been proven to increase the CSF flow in the brain and in the entire system.  When there is pressure on the brain from the bones of the head, this fluid cannot maintain its flow.

This means the CSF flow is hindered.  Therefore, the detox pathway is hindered.

Additionally, as I mentioned previously, this system is active entirely during your sleep.  So if your sleep is hindered, or you aren’t getting adequate deep sleep you won’t be detoxing your noggin and body very well.

Sleep can be helped in many ways.

1.  Getting cranial care
2.  Supplementation, including minerals and herbs
3. Exercise
4.  Reducing EMF exposure.  No tv or cell phones in the bed room.  Turn off your wifi in your home every night, and make sure there’s no light in your room.  Completely dark room allows your brain to produce melatonin.  EMF exposure actually calcifies the pituitary which releases melatonin.
5.  Essential Oils and CBD. Certain oils can be really helpful for creating calmness and allowing sleep to happen.