Tammra Broughton - Registered Holistic Practitioner

02/25/2026

tammrabroughton
🧠 Rules Transformation

In counselling and NLP, words like "should", "must," "have to", "need to" often reveal hidden inner rules we didn’t consciously choose. They’re usually old beliefs we absorbed from family, school, culture, or past experiences… and our nervous system treats them like laws.

Virginia Satir (1916–1988) was a pioneering family therapist and one of the major influences behind Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She noticed people weren’t actually stressed by situations… they were stressed by the rigid meanings and expectations they carried inside.

When the brain hears “I have to” it activates pressure, resistance, and sometimes shame. But when we gently shift the language, the emotional state changes.

Try this reframe:

• “I should exercise” ~> I can move my body when I’m ready
• “I must be perfect” ~> I can learn as I go
• “I have to fix everything” ~> I can help when it’s appropriate
• “I need to please everyone” > I can choose what aligns with me

A helpful pattern:
👉 “I can… when…”

It restores choice, autonomy, and nervous system safety. The behaviour may stay the same but the pressure disappears.

This is called a Rules Transformation in advanced NLP work. We’re not removing responsibility. We’re removing unconscious obligation.

You stop living under internal authority and start living with conscious choice. 🌱

02/17/2026

Join us at Comox Pharmasave for a Living Alchemy Demo and Info Day with Jasmin.

Come learn about fermented whole-food supplements, ask questions, and get personalized guidance on how these products can fit into your wellness routine.

Try the Black Garlic with Avocado on a rice cracker! Yum!

All Living Alchemy products are 20% off today.

Jasmin will also be heading to Pharmasave Cumberland for the last part of the day with the same demo and 20% off sale.

We look forward to seeing you!

All Living Alchemy products are 20% off today

Living Alchemy

02/09/2026

There has been a lot of talk about Creatine lately. One person I trust is Dr. Mindy Pelz https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DbCyrkFoK/

02/04/2026

Pinning here...

01/23/2026

This makes sense!

"Your mast cell activation started after gallbladder removal. That's not a coincidence."

When bile timing collapses, your mitochondria shift into Cell Danger Response—a protective state where energy production shuts down and alarm signals flood your system.

Those alarm signals directly activate mast cells, which release histamine and inflammatory mediators throughout your body.

This creates a vicious cycle: mast cell activation reinforces your hypothalamus's perception of ongoing threat, which keeps the bile-vagus-pituitary loop stuck open, which maintains mitochondrial defense mode, which keeps mast cells firing.
This is why mast cell stabilizers, antihistamines, and low-histamine diets only help temporarily.

You're treating the downstream response while the upstream signaling loop remains broken.

👉 Comment BILE for the full post on the bile-mitochondria-mast cell mechanism

01/22/2026

Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana is one of those books I return to again and again, both personally and professionally.

When Lyme disease and co-infections deeply impacted my nervous system, learning about Polyvagal Theory and working with nervous system regulation became a major player in my recovery. This work helped me innerstand why my body was stuck in survival mode (freeze state) and, more importantly, how to gently guide it back toward safety, regulation, and connection.

Deb Dana translates Polyvagal Theory into practical, compassionate language. She offers simple tools such as awareness practices, guided reflection, and nervous-system mapping that help you respond to stress with curiosity instead of self-judgment.

Key takeaways from the book:

• Understand how the nervous system moves between safety, mobilization, and shutdown

• Learn how neuroception shapes our reactions before conscious thought

• Use practical tools to support regulation and resilience

• Build a kinder relationship with your body and its signals

• Strengthen capacity for connection, rest, and repair

“Anchored makes nervous system science feel human, accessible, and deeply supportive.” ~ Goodreads community review

If you are living with chronic illness, trauma, burnout, or ongoing stress, this book is a powerful companion. Nervous system support is not optional, it is foundational.

Come chat with me at Pharmasave Comox or send me a DM

01/16/2026

Recipe of the week from Karlijn's Kitchen

Healthy Gluten-Free Oat Waffles

Fodmap Friendly

The ingredients for these healthy waffles are super simple, chances are, you already have most of them at home:

40g (about ½ cup) oats – Blend them into oat flour using a blender or food processor. You can also buy pre-made oat flour. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats/oat flour if you need a strict gluten-free option.

~ 1 banana
~ 1 egg
~ 75ml (about ⅓ cup) unsweetened almond milk or any milk of your choice
~ A pinch of salt

Simply combine all the ingredients into a batter, then cook them in your waffle iron.

I love serving these waffles with fresh berries, like blueberries and raspberries, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

This recipe makes two waffles, but you can easily double or triple it if you’d like to make four or six waffles.

Thank you Karlijn!

01/09/2026

Five things I’m loving for health span, consciousness, and transformation. ~ Sara Gottfried, MD

Dear Friend,

Here's a 10-minute micro-protocol that lowers cortisol.

1. Sunlight to the eyes within one hour of waking.

2. Protein 30 grams at each meal.

3. One strength session I can finish in twenty minutes.

4. One act that raises HRV: a walk, breath with longer exhales, or ten minutes among trees.

5. A bedtime I respect.

To your best health, Sara Szal, MD

01/02/2026

C/O Mindy Dr. Mindy Pelz - Fasting Like Girl

Here’s something I see all the time: a woman “fails” at fasting, blames herself, and decides her body just doesn’t work.

In reality, she’s usually following rules built for male biology - not hers.

Misconception #1: “Fasting is the same for men and women.”

Men run on a simple 24-hour testosterone cycle. Women move through monthly shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone - plus the hormonal hierarchy of cortisol, insulin, and oxytocin. When women understand why fasting feels easy some days and impossible others, they stop blaming themselves.

Misconception #2: “More fasting is always better.”
Longer or more frequent fasting isn’t automatically more effective for women. Too much fasting can spike cortisol, suppress progesterone, and slow thyroid function. The goal isn’t fasting harder. It’s fasting smarter and in partnership with your hormones.

Misconception #3: “Fasting is just for weight loss.”
Weight often shifts, but fasting also improves insulin sensitivity, brain clarity, dopamine balance, gut health, and inflammation. These metabolic and hormonal benefits are what make fasting a sustainable healing tool - not just a weight strategy.

Misconception #4: “Fasting means you don’t have to think about food.”
Healing happens in both windows. Women need nutrient-dense feasting to stabilize blood sugar, replenish minerals, and support progesterone. Fasting only works long-term when nourishment is part of the plan.

Misconception #5: “Fasting isn’t safe for women.”
Fasting is incredibly healing when matched to a woman’s biology and life stage. Yes, there are times to avoid fasting, but most women simply need guidance, not restriction.

12/24/2025

The highlight of my day today was when a fella came in after I suggested NAC > N Acetyl-Cysteine a couple of weeks ago after sharing that he was having some serious issues with his lungs and other symptoms.

He came back and not only said his lungs and breathing have improved significantly but he is sleeping better than he can ever remember in his entire life, also that his busy mind and anxiety has greatly reduced.

This brought me great joy. This is where it's at! This makes it all worth it.

I then asked if he wanted to know more about why NAC is likely helping in other ways, and why it's possibly allowing his system to run better.

I explained that NAC is a key building block for making glutathione in the body. Glutathione is often called the body’s “master antioxidant.” It helps protect cells from oxidative stress (cellular damage) and also plays a central role in supporting the liver’s natural detoxification processes.
When those systems are working more efficiently, people often notice improvements in energy, mental clarity, sleep, and overall resilience.

He then reached over and told me was buying two more NAC bottles for his kids! Both of his kids suffer from similar issues and my heart grew just a little more in that moment. What if this really helps them too?

I don't have kids so this brought on a big smile!

Remember to always check with your healthcare practitioner before starting any supplement therapeutically, especially if you are on medication.