Up North Natural Health and Wellness

12/15/2025

I would add RLD as well for suggestions to gently get the lymph moving and support the mind and body with relaxation and reducing stress ~ RLD | Reflexology Lymph Drainage.

“Try:

• soft belly breathing
• warm foods + warm drinks
• slow walking
• gentle stretching
• opening the ribcage
• warm showers
• vagus nerve stimulation
• humming or singing
• placing a hand on your chest
• talking to someone safe
• slow-paced mornings
• avoiding cold foods during this time

Your body doesn’t need intensity — it needs safety.”

🧊🫁 The Freeze State: The Nervous System Pattern That Blocks Lymphatic Flow

By Bianca Botha, CLT | RLD | MLDT & CDS – Lymphatica

Most women understand “fight or flight.”
Most have heard of “rest and digest.”
But very few know about the freeze state — a silent, protective nervous system pattern that can completely block lymphatic flow.

And here’s the truth:

So many women are living in freeze without knowing it.
Not because they did anything wrong, but because their nervous system has been overwhelmed for too long.

Let’s gently explore this state, why it happens, and how it affects your lymph, your energy, and your healing.

🧊 1. What Is the Freeze State?

The freeze state (also called dorsal vagal shutdown) is the body’s deepest protective response.

It happens when your system feels:

• overwhelmed
• unsafe
• exhausted
• unsupported
• emotionally flooded
• unable to fight OR run

Your body chooses stillness.
Your energy drops.
Your breath becomes shallow.
Your emotions go quiet.
Your body goes into conservation mode.

Freeze is not laziness.
Freeze is protection.

🌿 2. How Freeze Blocks Lymphatic Flow

Your lymphatic system relies on:

• breath
• movement
• muscle contraction
• warmth
• gentle pressure changes
• vagus nerve activation

But in freeze:

🧊 breath becomes shallow
🧊 movement decreases
🧊 muscles tighten
🧊 fascia becomes rigid
🧊 lymph slows
🧊 circulation drops

It becomes almost impossible for lymph to move — especially through the belly, ribs, neck and pelvis.

This creates:

• swelling
• bloating
• brain fog
• heaviness
• water retention
• chest tightness
• low energy
• morning puffiness

Your body isn’t malfunctioning.
It’s protecting you with everything it has.

🛑 3. Freeze Looks Like Fatigue, But It’s Not Just Tiredness

Freeze can feel like:

• “I have no energy.”
• “I can’t get started.”
• “My body feels heavy.”
• “I want to move but I can’t.”
• “Everything feels overwhelming.”
• “I feel disconnected.”
• “Even small tasks feel huge.”

This is your nervous system going into low-power mode — the way a phone dims its screen to save battery.

🫁 4. Breathing Patterns Change in Freeze

Deep breathing stops.
The diaphragm barely moves.
Chest breathing takes over.

This is one of the biggest lymphatic blockages women experience.

Shallow breath → tight ribs → stuck diaphragm → slow lymph → swelling + bloating.

Freeze is a full-body experience.

💔 5. Emotional Symptoms That Feel Physical

In freeze, emotions become “muted,” but the body carries the weight.

You may feel:

• numbness
• emotional flatness
• difficulty crying
• inability to make decisions
• sense of detachment from yourself
• confusion
• feeling “shut down”

The lymph mirrors this emotional stillness through physical stagnation.

🌙 6. Why Women Enter Freeze More Than Men

Because women’s bodies are wired for:

• connection
• safety
• intuition
• emotional processing
• hormonal cycles

When those systems are overwhelmed, freeze becomes a common survival state.

Add caregiving, responsibility, overstimulation, emotional labour, and trauma…
and the freeze response becomes almost inevitable.

🌿 7. How to Gently Thaw the Freeze State

Freeze cannot be forced open.
It melts with gentleness.

Try:

• soft belly breathing
• warm foods + warm drinks
• slow walking
• gentle stretching
• opening the ribcage
• warm showers
• vagus nerve stimulation
• humming or singing
• placing a hand on your chest
• talking to someone safe
• slow-paced mornings
• avoiding cold foods during this time

Your body doesn’t need intensity — it needs safety.

When safety increases, freeze dissolves.
When freeze dissolves, lymph moves.
When lymph moves, life force returns.

💛 A Final Loving Truth

If you feel stuck, swollen, shut down or exhausted —
you are not broken.

You are not lazy.
You are not failing.
Your lymph is not weak.
Your nervous system is not “wrong.”

You are surviving something your body didn’t have capacity to process.

And your lymphatic system is simply reflecting that truth.

Healing begins the moment you stop fighting your body
and start listening to the stories your symptoms are telling.

Your freeze state is not the end —
it is a pause,
a protection,
a whisper for gentleness,
a call back to yourself. 🌿💛

Your thaw will come.
And your lymph will flow again.

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, lifestyle or health regimen.

12/14/2025

Yes 🎯❤️‍🔥!
I’ve witnessed this need while doing the Emotion, Body, And Belief code with others and including myself!

Many of us carry wounds from childhood — moments when we felt unseen, unheard, or unprotected. Not necessarily (or only) by our parents, but by the world around us.

When we talk about childhood wounds, we often think of parenting, but the truth is, they can come from many places — yes, sometimes from caregivers, but also from school, friendships, cultural expectations, or simply the way the world made us feel small.

Even when parents aren’t the source of the pain though, they do hold the responsibility to help process it — to guide their children in integrating those experiences in a way that makes them feel safe and whole. And for that, a relationship deeply rooted in connection is needed... without which, many are left to carry their wounds alone.

So now, as we grow, we face a choice: to repeat the cycles we were raised in, or to break them.

Becoming the person who would have protected, nurtured, and stood up for your younger self is a radical act of love — not just for your past self, but for future generations. It means setting boundaries where none existed, offering kindness where there was once judgment, and choosing connection — again and again — over control.

And that is the most powerful move you could make — the moment you step beyond the patterns of the past and into something new. That is the move that changes everything.

Because when you heal, you don’t just change your own story — you change the stories of those who come after you...

And that is a powerful thing indeed. ❤️

12/14/2025

Women’s Wellness Wonderland

If you need ideas and suggestions to boost and protect your immune system and regulate your nervous system for the holidays we are here to support and help you find natural ways to guide you through the holidays and support your loved ones as well with healthy creative gift giving!

~ Coming up this Wednesday ~
Wellness, Wonder, and a Little Magic December 17th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Located at Holsum Brew Cafe & Bakery ~ 205 Elm Street, Kalkaska.
Cost is $27 to RSVP for event contact Traci Shetler 231- 252-5918 OR VENMO to reserve your spot:
https://venmo.com/u/tracishetler
Space is limited

➡️ Enjoy a chair massage by Superior Mind & Body by Amy Vipond, Medical Massage Therapist
➡️ Create a custom bouquet or choose from our pre-made floral goodies from Sunday Morning Flowers by Leah Kristin Cox
➡️ Explore and see more of the BYOC Refillery | Northern Michigan, who can supply you with high quality natural detergents, cleaning agents, shower/bath essentials, pet care.
➡️ Give aways from local businesses and sponsors.
➡️ Come and try some tasty treats from The Frozen Oven goodies that are locally made and purchase for filling up those stockings for Christmas!
➡️ Grab a Homemade Vicks rub with Essential Oils from Up North Natural Health and Wellness along with a Make-Take Christmas Holiday Cheer Room Spray with Essential Oils.
➡️ We have Kristen Pluger bringing in some of her non-toxic wellness products such as facial serums, beard oils, healing salves, and MORE!
➡️ Enjoy some delicious and comfy snacks and beverages sponsored by Holsum Brew Cafe and Holsum Wellness!!
➡️ Shop and explore and find stocking stuffers, gifts, and more at Holsum Brew Cafe and Bakery and other vendors!

Event Sponsored by Holsum Wellness Holistic Health & Nutrition and Up North Natural Up North Natural Health and Wellness.

Reserve your Spot as Space is Limited!
Cost is $27 to RSVP for event contact Traci Shetler 231- 252-5918 OR VENMO https://venmo.com/u/tracishetler

Thank you to all involved and participating in this event
Superior Mind & Body, Sunday Morning Flowers, BYOC Refillery | Northern Michigan, The Frozen Oven goodies from Terri Crambell, Kristin Pluger, Holsum Brew Cafe & Bakery, Holsum Wellness Holistic Health & Nutrition, Up North Natural Health and Wellness.

12/14/2025

She thought she was studying milk.
What she found was a conversation.

In 2008, Katie Hinde was standing in a primate research lab in California, staring at data that refused to behave.

She was analyzing breast milk from rhesus macaque mothers—hundreds of samples, thousands of measurements. And a pattern kept appearing that made no sense under the old rules of science.

Mothers with sons produced milk richer in fat and protein.
Mothers with daughters produced more volume, with different nutrient ratios.

This wasn’t random.

It was customized.

Her male colleagues waved it off.
Measurement error.
Noise.
Coincidence.

But Katie trusted the numbers.

And the numbers were saying something radical:

Milk isn’t just food.
It’s information.

For decades, science treated breast milk like gasoline—calories in, growth out. Simple fuel. But if that were true, why would it change based on a baby’s s*x?

Katie kept digging.

She analyzed milk from 250+ mothers across 700+ sampling events. And the story deepened.

First-time, younger mothers produced milk with fewer calories—but much higher cortisol, the stress hormone. Babies who drank it grew faster… and became more vigilant, more anxious, less confident.

The milk wasn’t just building bodies.

It was shaping temperament.

Then came the discovery that stunned even skeptics.

When a baby nurses, tiny amounts of saliva travel backward through the ni**le into the mother’s breast tissue. That saliva carries signals about the baby’s immune status.

If the baby is getting sick, the mother’s body detects it.

Within hours, her milk changes.

White blood cells surge.
Macrophages multiply.
Targeted antibodies appear.

And when the baby recovers?

The milk returns to baseline.

It wasn’t coincidence.

It was call and response.

The baby’s spit tells the mother what’s wrong.
The mother’s body makes exactly the medicine needed.

A biological dialogue—ancient, precise, invisible to science for centuries.

In 2011, Katie joined Harvard and looked at the wider research landscape.

What she found was unsettling.

There were twice as many studies on erectile dysfunction as on breast milk composition.

The first food every human ever consumed—the substance that shaped our species—had been largely ignored.

So Katie did something bold.

She started a blog with a deliberately provocative name:
“Mammals Suck… Milk!”

Within a year, it had over a million readers. Parents. Doctors. Scientists. People asking questions research had skipped.

And the discoveries kept coming:

• Milk changes by time of day (fat peaks mid-morning)
• Foremilk differs from hindmilk (nursing longer delivers richer milk)
• Human milk contains 200+ oligosaccharides babies can’t digest—because they exist to feed beneficial gut bacteria
• Every mother’s milk is as unique as a fingerprint

In 2017, Katie brought the story to a TED stage, watched by millions.
In 2020, she explained it to the world in Netflix’s Babies.

Today, at Arizona State University’s Comparative Lactation Lab, Dr. Katie Hinde continues uncovering how milk shapes human development from the very first hours of life—informing NICU care, improving formula design, and reshaping public health policy worldwide.

The implications are staggering.

Milk has been evolving for 200 million years—longer than dinosaurs walked the Earth.

What science dismissed as “simple nutrition” is actually one of the most sophisticated communication systems biology has ever produced.

Katie Hinde didn’t just study milk.

She revealed that the most ancient form of nourishment is also the most intelligent—
a living, responsive conversation between two bodies, shaping who we become before we ever speak.

All because one scientist refused to accept that half the story was “measurement error.”

Sometimes the biggest revolutions begin by listening to what everyone else ignores.

12/14/2025

I once heard a doctor refer to fascia as nothing more than packing peanuts, a kind of filler material with little significance beyond holding things in place. For a long time, that belief shaped how fascia was taught and understood. It was treated as background material, passive and forgettable. Yet science, when given the chance to look closely, has a way of revealing quiet miracles hiding in plain sight.

As imaging technology improved and researchers began to study fascia in greater detail, an entirely different picture emerged. Through the work of scientists such as Robert Schleip, Carla Stecco, Helene Langevin, and others, fascia revealed itself not as inert wrapping, but as living, responsive tissue deeply integrated with the nervous system. Under the microscope, fascia appeared less like packing material and more like a finely tuned communication network. In some regions, it was found to be even more richly innervated than the muscle itself, filled with sensory nerve endings constantly reporting back to the brain.

Rather than sitting neatly around muscles, fascia behaves more like a three-dimensional spiderweb or a continuous fabric woven throughout the body. Tug on one corner, and the tension is felt elsewhere. Stretch one area and the entire system responds. Fascia blends into muscle fibers, connects across joints, and wraps organs, transmitting force, sensation, and information in every direction. It senses pressure, stretch, and movement the way a musical instrument senses vibration, responding instantly to changes in tone and tension.

This understanding transformed how we view the mind–body connection. Fascia does not simply move the body; it informs it. When emotional stress or trauma occurs, fascia adapts alongside the nervous system. Like a seatbelt locking during sudden braking, it tightens to protect. Like fabric repeatedly folded the same way, it begins to hold familiar creases. These changes are intelligent, protective responses shaped by survival, even when they persist long after the original danger has passed.

Research helped clarify why this happens. Helene Langevin demonstrated that fascia responds to mechanical input and hydration, showing that gentle, sustained touch can influence its structure, much like warm wax can then be reshaped. Carla Stecco’s anatomical mapping revealed the continuity and precision of fascial planes, helping us understand why pain often follows predictable pathways rather than remaining in a single isolated spot. Robert Schleip’s work highlighted fascia’s role as a sensory organ, deeply involved in proprioception and autonomic regulation, explaining why changes in fascia can influence how safe, grounded, or connected a person feels.

Within the Body Artisan approach, this science feels less mechanical and more poetic. Working with fascia is like learning the language of a living landscape. Touch becomes a conversation rather than a command. Pressure is an invitation, not a demand. When safety is present, fascia responds the way frozen ground responds to spring, slowly thawing, rehydrating, and allowing movement where there was once rigidity. Breath deepens, awareness settles, and patterns that felt permanent begin to loosen.

Seeing fascia for what it truly is invites both humility and wonder. The body is not a machine padded with filler. It is a living system of extraordinary intelligence, where structure, sensation, and emotion are woven together like threads in a tapestry. Fascia is one of the primary fibers holding that tapestry intact, carrying both strength and memory.

When we honor this, healing shifts from fixing something broken to supporting something profoundly wise. Given the right conditions, the body does not need to be forced to change. It already knows how to soften, adapt, and return toward balance. Our role is to listen, to support, and to trust the design that has been there all along.

12/12/2025

When we think of hospitals, we expect care and nourishment for healing, but the reality is often quite the opposite. Patients are often fed Jell-O, cookies, and processed foods while they’re already sick. This sends a clear message about how much hospitals prioritize real health and wellness compared to managing symptoms with medications.

Processed foods are typically high in sugar and artificial additives, which can exacerbate inflammation and prevent the body from healing properly. Real healing starts with nourishing the body with whole, unprocessed foods that promote recovery. By focusing on nutrition, hospitals could improve patient outcomes significantly.

Healing should involve more than just pills and machines; it requires nourishing the body with the right fuel. Hospitals should embrace more natural, wholesome food options to truly support their patients' recovery. 🍏🥗

12/11/2025

I’ve seen how small, intentional steps can rebuild body and spirit. One client came to me worn down by chronic pain and a sense of spiritual emptiness. Together we assessed triggers, combined gentle bodywork, breath-based practices and resets, Body Code sessions -- and over time she regained movement, calm, and a renewed sense of purpose. If you’re seeking real change, I invite you to explore a tailored path that honors the whole you. Visit https://wix.to/YypOffn to learn more. 🌿✨
https://wix.to/twm4tfH