Warum das Feuerpferd uns bewegt: Kundalini, Erinnerung und das Tier, das den Weg kennt

By Dr. Catherine W. Dunne | Holistic HealthCare Wexford & Aumvedas Academy
Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure. Practitioner of Reflexology. Expert in Aromatherapy. Specialized in Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages. Proficient in Infrared Treatments. Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist. Tissue Salt Advisor. Pendulum Healing Dowser. Chakra Practitioner. Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner. Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and licensed Nurse.

Der Mensch wusste schon immer etwas über Pferde, das sich nur schwer in Worte fassen lässt.

Steht man in der Nähe eines Pferdes, geschieht etwas, noch bevor der Verstand eingreifen kann. Der Atem sinkt tiefer in den Körper. Das Nervensystem ordnet sich neu. Das innere Gedankenrauschen wird leiser. Es entsteht ein feines, aber deutlich spürbares Gefühl des „Zurückkehrens zu sich selbst“, als erinnere sich der Körper an etwas, das der Geist längst vergessen hat.

Das ist keine Romantisierung, keine Projektion und keine Sentimentalität.
Es ist Resonanz.

Ein Pferd begegnet uns nicht auf der Ebene von Worten oder Konzepten. Es begegnet uns auf der Ebene der Wirbelsäule, des Instinkts und der Wahrheit. Und genau hier – weit unterhalb des denkenden Verstandes – beginnt das Jahr des Feuerpferdes, sich von poetischer Symbolik in etwas zutiefst Körperliches und Reales zu verwandeln.

In vielen Kulturen und Mythologien wird das Pferd mit Lebenskraft, sexueller Vitalität, Mut, Bewegung und der Fähigkeit verbunden, zwischen Welten zu reisen. Doch unter all diesen Symbolen liegt etwas viel Älteres und Einfacheres: Das Pferd bewegt sich aus der Wirbelsäule heraus. Seine Kraft ist nicht erzwungen oder gemacht. Sie entsteht als kohärente Welle, die aus dem Boden aufsteigt, durch den Körper läuft und sich als Bewegung ausdrückt.

Das ist die Sprache der Kundalini.

Wenn ein Mensch ein Pferd reitet, neben ihm steht oder ihm einfach beim freien Bewegen zusieht, erkennt der Körper diese Welle. Das Nervensystem beginnt, sich darauf einzuschwingen. Etwas lange Ruhendes kommt in Bewegung – nicht, weil wir es wollen, sondern weil der Körper sich daran erinnert, wie Energie sich natürlich bewegt. Das ist keine Einbildung. Es ist somatische Erinnerung, tiefer verankert als Kultur oder Glaubenssysteme.

Im Jahr des Feuerpferdes bleibt diese Wirbelsäulenintelligenz nicht leise.

Die Energie des Feuerpferdes weckt nicht sanft, was schläft. Sie entzündet, was bereits aufgerollt bereitliegt. Für viele wird sich dieses Jahr daher nicht wie eine „spirituelle Erwachung“ im meditativen, geordneten Sinn anfühlen. Stattdessen kann es sich zeigen als plötzliche Energieschübe, als emotionale Hitze, die ohne Vorwarnung aufsteigt, als Druck entlang der Wirbelsäule oder im Becken, oder als innere Unruhe, die nach Bewegung verlangt. Gleichzeitig wächst die Intoleranz gegenüber Unterdrückung, Stagnation und unausgesprochenen Wahrheiten – individuell wie kollektiv.

Das ist Kundalini, die versucht, sich durch Körper zu bewegen, die über Generationen hinweg darauf trainiert wurden, stillzuhalten.

Das Feuerpferd fragt nicht, ob wir bereit sind.
Es fragt, wo der Kanal blockiert ist.

Besonders kraftvoll wird dieses Jahr dadurch, dass diese Bewegung nicht beim Individuum stehen bleibt. Der Mensch ist nicht dafür gemacht, isoliert zu erwachen. Trotz unserer modernen Betonung von Individualität sind wir im Kern ein Herdentier – hochsensibel für die Nervensysteme, Emotionen und Zustände anderer. Das Feuerpferd aktiviert nicht nur persönliche Energie, sondern das kollektive Nervensystem.

Deshalb fühlen sich Emotionen ansteckend an. Deshalb breiten sich Unruhe und Wahrheitsdrang so schnell aus. Wenn sich ein Nervensystem aus einer alten Begrenzung löst, spüren es andere sofort. So wie Pferde sich als Feld gemeinsam bewegen und feinste Veränderungen wahrnehmen, werden auch Menschen zurück in eine somatische Kohärenz gezogen – ob bewusst gewählt oder nicht.

Und diese Bewegung endet nicht beim Menschen.

Auch Gaia hat eine Wirbelsäule. Ley-Linien, Gebirgszüge, mittelozeanische Rücken und Vulkangürtel sind Ausdruck vertikaler Energie, die sich durch Materie bewegt. Historisch gingen Jahre des Feuerpferdes häufig mit seismischen Aktivitäten, vulkanischen Prozessen, gesellschaftlichen Umbrüchen und schnellen zivilisatorischen Korrekturen einher. Das ist keine Strafe und kein Chaos um seiner selbst willen. Es ist Energie, die Ausdruck sucht.

Trifft aufsteigende Energie auf Blockaden, entsteht Druck. Darf sie sich bewegen, folgt Transformation. Dieses Prinzip gilt für den menschlichen Körper ebenso wie für den Körper der Erde.

Was das Feuerpferd von uns verlangt, ist daher weder Disziplin noch Unterdrückung oder spirituelles Übergehen. Es verlangt Verkörperung. Bewegung. Ehrlichkeit, die im Körper beginnt und nicht in der Geschichte, die wir uns darüber erzählen. Es verlangt Respekt vor dem Instinkt, Erdung vor Aufstieg und ein Ende der Pathologisierung von Lebendigkeit, nur weil sie intensiv ist.

Dies ist nicht das Jahr, um Erwachung zu erzwingen oder Erfahrungen zu jagen. Es ist das Jahr, um mehr zu gehen, tiefer zu atmen, Hitze aufsteigen zu lassen ohne Panik und überschüssige Energie zurück in die Erde zu leiten. Kundalini ist nicht gefährlich, wenn sie respektiert wird. Instabil wird sie nur dort, wo sie verleugnet wird.

Das Feuerpferd ist nicht hier, um uns zu verbrennen.
Es ist hier, um uns daran zu erinnern, wie Bewegung funktioniert.

Es trägt die alte Erinnerung an wirbelsäulengeführte Kraft, herzgeführten Mut und ein Feuer, das mit der Erde verbunden bleibt. Wenn sich in diesem Jahr etwas in dir regt – Unruhe, Hitze, Dringlichkeit oder Wahrheit – dann versuche nicht, es vorschnell zu erklären.

Höre auf den Körper.
Erde die Füße.
Lass die Wirbelsäule sich erinnern.

Das Pferd kennt den Weg.
Schon immer.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 01 February 2026/Ireland

Why the Fire Horse Stirs Us: Kundalini, Memory, and the Animal That Knows the Way

By Dr. Catherine W. Dunne | Holistic HealthCare Wexford & Aumvedas Academy
Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure. Practitioner of Reflexology. Expert in Aromatherapy. Specialized in Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages. Proficient in Infrared Treatments. Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist. Tissue Salt Advisor. Pendulum Healing Dowser. Chakra Practitioner. Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner. Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and licensed Nurse.

Humans have always known something about horses that we’ve struggled to put into language.

Stand near a horse and something happens before thought can intervene. The breath drops lower into the body. The nervous system reorganises itself. The mental noise quietens. There is a subtle but unmistakable sense of being gathered back into oneself, as though the body remembers something the mind had forgotten.

This is not romance, projection, or sentimentality.
It is resonance.

A horse does not meet us at the level of words or concepts. It meets us at the level of spine, instinct, and truth. And it is here—far below the thinking mind—that the Year of the Fire Horse shifts from poetic symbolism into something far more physiological and real.

Across cultures and mythologies, the horse has been associated with life force, sexual vitality, courage, momentum, and the ability to move between worlds. Yet beneath all of this symbolism lies something simpler and much older. The horse moves from the spine. Its power is not forced or manufactured; it arises as a coherent wave that begins at the ground, travels upward through the body, and expresses itself as motion.

This is the language of Kundalini.

When a human rides a horse, stands beside one, or even watches a horse move freely, the body recognises that wave. The nervous system begins to entrain to it. Something long dormant stirs—not because we decide it should, but because the body remembers how energy is meant to move. This is not imagination. It is somatic memory, carried far deeper than culture or belief.

In the Year of the Fire Horse, this spinal intelligence does not remain subtle.

Fire Horse energy does not gently awaken what is asleep. It ignites what is already coiled. For many, this year may not resemble “spiritual awakening” in the neat, meditative sense people expect. Instead, it may arrive as sudden surges of energy, emotional heat rising without warning, pressure along the spine or pelvis, or a restlessness that demands movement. There may be a growing intolerance for repression, stagnation, or unspoken truths—both personally and collectively.

This is Kundalini attempting to move through bodies that have been trained, for generations, to remain still.

The Fire Horse does not ask whether we are ready. It asks where the channel is blocked.

What makes this year particularly potent is that the stirring is not confined to individuals. Humans are not designed to awaken in isolation. Despite our modern insistence on individuality, we are fundamentally a herd species—highly sensitive to one another’s nervous systems, emotions, and states of being. The Fire Horse agitates not only personal energy but the collective nervous system itself.

This is why emotions feel contagious, unrest spreads quickly, and truth-telling accelerates. When one nervous system breaks free of an old constraint, others feel it immediately. Just as horses move as a unified field—responding instantly to subtle shifts—humans are being pulled back into somatic coherence, whether consciously chosen or not.

And this movement does not stop with us.

Gaia, too, has a spine. Ley lines, mountain ranges, mid-ocean ridges, and volcanic belts are all expressions of vertical energy rising through matter. Historically, Fire Horse years have often coincided with seismic activity, volcanic movement, social uprisings, and rapid civilisational course corrections. This is not punishment or chaos for its own sake. It is energy seeking expression.

When rising energy meets a blocked channel, pressure builds. When it is allowed to move, transformation follows. The same rule applies to the human body as it does to the body of the Earth.

What the Fire Horse asks of us, then, is not discipline, suppression, or spiritual bypassing. It asks for embodiment. For movement. For honesty that begins in the body rather than the story we tell about it. It asks us to respect instinct, to ground before attempting to ascend, and to stop pathologising vitality simply because it feels intense.

This is not the year to force awakenings or chase experiences. It is the year to walk more, breathe deeper, allow heat to rise without panic, and ground excess energy back into the Earth. Kundalini is not dangerous when respected. It becomes destabilising only when denied.

The Fire Horse is not here to burn us.
It is here to remind us how to move.

It carries an ancient memory of spine-led power, heart-led courage, and fire that remains connected to the Earth rather than severed from it. If something stirs in you this year—restlessness, heat, urgency, or truth—do not rush to explain it away. Listen to the body. Ground the feet. Let the spine remember what it already knows.

The horse knows the way.
It always has.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 01 February 2026/Ireland

How Healthy Are “Zero” Soda Drinks?

By Dr. Catherine W. Dunne | Holistic HealthCare Wexford & Aumvedas Academy
Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure. Practitioner of Reflexology. Expert in Aromatherapy. Specialized in Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages. Proficient in Infrared Treatments. Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist. Tissue Salt Advisor. Pendulum Healing Dowser. Chakra Practitioner. Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner. Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and licensed Nurse.

Fanta Zero, Coca-Cola Zero, 7-Up Free, Sprite Zero, Lucozade Zero, Pepsi Max and their likes. Here is a little research I have done for you.

I am looking at the health impact of Zero Diet Sodas and what damage they cause to our body.

“Zero” sodas are marketed as the healthier option because they contain no sugar, no calories, no guilt.
But does zero sugar really mean zero impact on health?

The short answer is no.

Let’s look at what’s actually inside these drinks and how they affect the body — particularly the kidneys, bones, metabolism, and gut.

What Are “Zero” Sodas?
“Zero” or diet sodas remove sugar and calories, replacing them with artificial sweeteners and acids to preserve sweetness and flavour.
They typically contain:

  • Carbonated water
  • Artificial sweeteners (most commonly aspartame, often combined with acesulfame-K)
  • Acids (citric acid or phosphoric acid)
  • Flavourings

They are called “Zero” because they contain no calories, not because they are biologically neutral.

Aspartame: The Ingredient Most People Don’t Question
Most Zero sodas contain aspartame.
Aspartame breaks down in the body into:

  • Phenylalanine
  • Aspartic acid
  • Small amounts of methanol

In occasional use, aspartame is generally tolerated by healthy adults.
Concerns arise with regular, long-term daily consumption.

Effects on the Kidneys
Large population studies consistently show that frequent diet soda consumption is associated with:

  • Faster decline in kidney function (eGFR)
  • Increased risk of chronic kidney disease
  • Higher rates of hypertension and metabolic stress

These effects are not caused by carbonation, but are likely related to:

  • Changes in gut microbiota
  • Increased oxidative stress
  • Insulin and blood-pressure dysregulation
  • Chronic low-grade inflammation

Plain sparkling water does not show these associations.

Effects on Bone Health
Many Zero sodas — particularly colas — still contain phosphoric acid.
High phosphorus intake without adequate calcium can:

  • Disrupt calcium balance
  • Increase calcium loss through urine
  • Reduce bone mineral density over time

Long-term diet soda consumption has been linked to lower bone density, especially in post-menopausal women.

Again, these effects are not seen with plain fizzy water.

Effects on Metabolism and Appetite
Despite being calorie-free, artificial sweeteners can:

  • Trigger insulin release in some individuals
  • Disrupt hunger and satiety signalling
  • Increase cravings for sweet foods later
  • Alter dopamine reward pathways

In practice, many people who consume diet sodas regularly do not lose weight, and some gain weight over time.

The body does not like being tricked.

Effects on Gut Health
Artificial sweeteners can alter gut bacteria, leading to:

  • Reduced glucose tolerance
  • Increased inflammatory signalling
  • Impaired mineral absorption

Gut health plays a direct role in kidney health, bone health, and metabolic balance.

What “Zero” Sodas Are — and Are Not

✔ Better than sugar-sweetened sodas
✖ Not kidney-protective
✖ Not bone-supportive
✖ Not metabolically neutral

They remove sugar, not physiological consequences.

Who Should Be Especially Careful?
This is something no General Practitioner (GP)/Family Doctor or Hospital Consultant tells you.
Regular consumption of Zero sodas is best avoided in people with:

  • Kidney disease or reduced kidney function
  • Hypertension
  • Osteopenia or osteoporosis
  • Diabetes or insulin resistance
  • Migraine disorders
  • Gut sensitivity or IBS

Healthier Alternatives
If you enjoy fizz:

  • Sparkling mineral water
  • Sparkling water with lemon or lime
  • Herbal iced teas
  • Kombucha (in moderation)

If you want sweetness:

  • Small amounts of real juice diluted with sparkling water – this is what I like doing.

The Bottom Line
Zero sodas are not toxic, but they are not health drinks.

An occasional one is unlikely to cause harm.
A daily habit over years is where issues quietly accumulate.

Zero calories does not mean zero impact.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 25 January 2026/Ireland

Solar Plexus Collapse: A Case Study in Feminine Energetic Shutdown

By Dr. Catherine W. Dunne | Holistic HealthCare Wexford & Aumvedas Academy

ABOUT CATHERINE: Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.

Introduction

In recent weeks, a striking energetic pattern has emerged in my clinical and intuitive practice: multiple women presenting with complete chakra lockdown. This is not the common sluggishness or emotional congestion many people carry, but a full-system freeze affecting the Earth Star, all seven primary chakras, and the Soul Star. The pattern is precise, repeatable, and—crucially—collective.

As both a medical practitioner and an intuitive healer, I am documenting this emerging phenomenon to bring clarity to an escalating issue in the feminine field. What I observed in three separate women, each on the same day and with no connection to one another, indicates a larger energetic wave moving through the collective.

What is Full-System Chakra Lockdown?

A full-system freeze presents as:

  • Earth Star: inactive, unresponsive, no grounding dynamic
  • Root to Crown: unmoving, silent, withdrawn
  • Soul Star: disconnected, unlit, sealed
  • Aura: flattened or collapsed inwards
  • Nervous System: in dorsal-parasympathetic freeze (shutdown response)

This is not depression or simple burnout. It is a whole-system protective mechanism; the energetic equivalent of the body curling into a ball to survive.

Why the Solar Plexus Collapses First

Among all chakras, the Solar Plexus governs the greatest range of physiological and energetic functions. It influences:

  • the gut–brain axis
  • digestion and assimilation
  • liver, pancreas, adrenal regulation
  • boundaries
  • will and personal power
  • identity, autonomy, direction

In states of overwhelm, fear, pressure, and emotional overload, the Solar Plexus is the first centre to implode. When it collapses, it pulls the entire Chakra column with it, much like a star folding inward during gravitational overload.

Reopening the Solar Plexus becomes the pivotal step. Without it, the system cannot re-engage, reconnect, or climb out of freeze.

Why Women are Affected First

This wave strongly targets the feminine energetic architecture. Women process emotional and collective tension through:

  • hormonal cycles
  • relational fields
  • intuitive sensitivity
  • ancestral memories
  • social and maternal expectations
  • the psychic responsibility of caretaking others

Men respond to overload differently, often through mental dissociation or emotional numbing. Women absorb; men deflect. In collective compression, women reach freeze first.

Collective Triggers Behind the Feminine Shutdown

The cause of this pattern is not individual but environmental and collective. Key contributing factors include:

  • global instability and heightened fear
  • solar storms and geomagnetic stress
  • emotional overload in the collective psyche
  • information saturation and psychic noise
  • economic tension and survival concerns
  • collapse of social structures and support systems
  • ancestral trauma resurfacing for resolution

The feminine field has become the buffer for humanity’s emotional backlog, leading to widespread energetic collapse.

Case Report: Three Women, One Pattern

In the same month of November 2025, three unrelated women presented with identical energetic architecture:

  • full freeze from Earth Star to Soul Star
  • imploded Solar Plexus
  • diminished will and emotional exhaustion
  • a sense of being overwhelmed, directionless, or depleted

Despite different life stories, each carried the same imprint of collective pressure. In all three cases, the Solar Plexus was the centre demanding immediate intervention.

Intervention: Why the Solar Plexus Was Reopened First

Reactivating the Solar Plexus initiated:

  • return of breath and energetic flow
  • reconnection of the vertical line (Earth Star ↔ Soul Star)
  • release of tension in the gut and diaphragm
  • restoration of personal agency and inner stability

Opening any other Chakra first would have been ineffective or destabilising. The Solar Plexus is the command centre in full-system freeze.

Implications for Healers

Based on this emerging pattern, healers should be aware:

  • More women will present with full-system lockdown.
  • The Solar Plexus must often be addressed first.
  • Grounding techniques may fail until the Solar Plexus reopens.
  • Crown or heart work may overwhelm a frozen system.
  • Emotional containment and safety must be established before energetic reopening.

Healers may find themselves acting as stabilising nodes for the collective feminine field.

Implications for Humanity

This pattern reflects deeper shifts in consciousness. The feminine is reaching its threshold for emotional labour, generational trauma, and societal expectations. The Solar Plexus collapse signals the end of the era in which women silently carry the weight of the world.

A new phase is emerging—one that demands boundaries, balance, and restoration.

Conclusion

The phenomenon of Solar Plexus collapse in women is not isolated. It is a collective response to overwhelming emotional, psychic, and societal pressures. Documenting these cases helps illuminate a larger process unfolding within the human field—one that calls healers to recognise the signs and support the feminine through this transition.

Further study, documentation, and dialogue will be essential as this wave continues to unfold.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 21 November 2025/Ireland

Learning Patience in Childhood — Has It Gone?

By Dr. Catherine W. Dunne | Holistic HealthCare Wexford & Aumvedas Academy

ABOUT CATHERINE: Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.
“Patience, like tea, tastes better when it’s been given time to brew.”

I would like to share a story, as story that reflects the generational differences.
I recently had three young ladies for treatment – friends and I believe them to be in their mid to late twenties.

Before I started the individual treatments, we sat in the living room, fire burning gently. I offered them tea from home-grown plants – my own relaxing, detoxing tea blend – served in a quaint Asian-style tea set.

One of the ladies commented on the hexagon-shaped tea cups. They are small, each just about holding 125 ml. They are tiny compared to the mugs we all use today.

I smiled and began to tell them the story of how I came to own this little set.

The Tea Shop Story

In Germany, we have Tea and Coffee shops. Not the kind, where you sit down for a cup. No. Not cafés. These coffee shops sell loose coffee beans from various countries. They get grounded to your desired strength of taste or sold as the whole bean.
The tea shops were magical places, filled with the scent of faraway lands. You could buy loose teas from every corner of the globe, or even have your own blend created for you.

Now I am 59 years young.


In 1979 or 1980 when I was 13, I saw the most beautiful Asian tea service set in one of those shops. Six hexagon shaped cups, a rectangular shaped tea pot with a bamboo handle, and a small tealight stove. White porcelain with delicate pale blue motifs.


Price tag: 150 Deutsch Marks — about £220 Irish Pounds at the time.
 

The three ladies gasped when I said that.

A Lesson in Patience

I wanted that tea set so badly. I went into the shop and asked if I could pay it off weekly. The owner smiled but declined.

Every week I went back. Every week it was still there. Every week I asked again. This went on for about four weeks.

During that time, I did extra chores at home, bumping up my pocket money. When I had saved 20 Marks, I returned to the shop once more, clutching my little bundle of notes.
I asked the same question and this time I showed her that I had managed to save DM20. Was chuffed with myself. This time, the shop owner must have seen the determination in my eyes. She agreed.

I had my first “account”.

At weekends, I worked at the local garden centre, and every Monday after school, I walked to the tea shop to pay off a little more.

It took me a total of ten weeks to buy my set. I was the proudest kid in town!


When I collected it, the shop owner gifted me a small tin of Japan’s prized Sencha Green Tea … I still have the tin to this day.

That year, I learned something that has stayed with me all my life: intention and focus, the willingness to work hard, and most of all, patience with oneself — they always pay off in the long run.

Old School vs. New School

The three young women looked at me, stunned.: “What????? You had to work for it????”

No”, I said. “I didn’t have to. But I wanted it badly enough, so I had to go the extra mile. And yes, I still have that whole set — and I’m still proud of it.

Watching their faces, it suddenly dawned on me that they had been raised in a different world. A world where things often appear with a click or a swipe. We had to earn what we wanted: one coin, one chore, one small triumph at a time. Patience wasn’t something we were taught; it was something we lived.

You see”, I said, “this generation (pointing at myself) … in our day we had to work for what we wanted. If we wanted ice cream, go to the cinema, buy that teenager magazine Bravo…. We had to work for our pocket money by completing certain chores around the home.”

The Reflection

I was now the one with a stunned look on the face, when I observed their reactions.

I suppose there’s “Old School” and “New School” in everything. But I can’t help thinking that patience, like tea, tastes better when it’s been given time to brew.

And now, I’m feeling old… giggle.

The little tea set that taught me patience and still reminds me of it every time I pour a cup.

What’s something you had to work hard for as a child that something that made you proud every time you saw it?

Share your story in the comments below. I’d love to hear it.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 15 November 2025/Ireland

Seeing with the Hands: How the Body Learns to See Beyond Sight

By Dr. Catherine W. Dunne | Holistic HealthCare Wexford & Aumvedas Academy

ABOUT CATHERINE: Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.

The Seeing Hands: A Journey from Coma to Consciousness

Most people think a coma is like being asleep: dark, silent, empty and yet aware of your surrounding and what was going on around you. But for me, it was the complete opposite. It was the moment everything opened. Not my eyes, but my awareness. At just 7 years old, after a serious post-operative complication, I slipped into a coma that would reshape the rest of my life.

When I woke up, I was not the same little girl.

I had been “somewhere else” – a place without form, without walls, and yet full of presence. I remember it as a soft hum of connection. Of being held in something vaster than the body. And when I returned, it was like someone had turned on an extra sense. Except… it didn’t come through sight. It came through touch.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I never lost the sight in my eyes.

Learning to See – Without My Eyes

In the early days of recovery, something strange began happening. When I touched things or even hovered my hands over people – I felt information. Not just warmth or sensation, but layers. Emotions. Density. Flow. Blockages. Like rivers, jagged stones, or bright currents, moving beneath the skin.

My hands began to see.

Of course, try telling an adult that when you’re 7 and they’ll likely smile, pat your head, and offer you a biscuit.

By nine, I saw energy itself—colours spiralling through the body like living light, the true faces of the chakras (but I didn’t know then that they were called chakras).

We hear often how children and in rare cases some adults, see auras around people. Children believe everyone can, until told differently. I was no different.

But I knew this was real. And, as it turned out, so did someone else.

The Doctor Who Didn’t Laugh

My step-father was an Internist – a logical man, medically trained. But he was also a Reiki Master. Which meant he straddled two worlds: the clinical, and the subtle. When I was 15, his patients with back trouble started showing up at the house. He sent them in with a wink.

“Go on Cathy, take a look at them.”

I would hover my palms and know instantly where the problem was.

Not a guess. Not a hunch. A knowing.

He trusted it. And so did I.

That same year, he attuned me to Reiki Level 1. Not because I wanted to learn how to heal. But because he recognised that I already was a healer  and just needed the keys to the temple I’d already been walking through in the dark.

Seeing Chakras… Differently

Here’s where it gets weird (or wonderful, depending on who’s reading).

At age 9, I began seeing (eyes & hands) chakras—and not the way they’re drawn in books. Not perfect spinning wheels with rainbow colours and petal counts. What I saw was alive. More like watery, pulsing orbs of frequency. Shape-shifting, responsive, and personal. They all have “funnels” adhered to them. The larger ones are to our back and front, one large one pointing towards our head and one towards our feet. In between, there are loads of smaller funnels and they have something, like “strings” connected to them. More about this later.

Some were dim, others bright. Some spun fast, some barely moved.

Later on, I’d find the books, the diagrams, the Sanskrit labels… but none of them matched what I had learned through my hands. The body does not lie. The energy system does not lie. And intuition does not wait for a textbook.

The Turning Point or The Path Wasn’t Learned — It Was Always There

That coma did not interrupt my life. It began it.

It taught me that consciousness isn’t confined to the brain. That healing isn’t only a profession; it’s a memory. I didn’t choose this path. It unfolded through me long before I understood it.

The coma also taught me that consciousness is not confined to eyes or words and that it moves through every cell.

Today, when I work as a medical intuitive, I still “see” with my hands. My hands became translators of that knowing. They felt, listened, and eventually saw. Healing ceased to be observation and became communication, a dialogue between the seen and unseen, between matter and memory.

 I still trust the quiet information that rises through the palms. And I help others reconnect to their own layers of knowing too, because we all have it. We all are it.

Some of us just get thrown into the deep end a bit earlier.

If You’ve Ever Felt More Than You Could Explain… You’re Not Imagining It

Intuition doesn’t whisper in logic – it speaks in sensation. In resonance. In the things we feel before we understand.

The body is not just a vessel.
It’s a tuning fork.

And when we learn how to listen with more than our eyes — healing becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

The Science of Sensory Substitution

Modern neuroscience calls this neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to re-map itself.

  • Fingertips contain more sensory neurons than any other part of the body.
  • In those who lose sight, the visual cortex can awaken to touch and sound.
  • Proprioception and vibration sensitivity sharpen with attention.

In essence, the hands truly can “see.” They translate texture, heat, and electromagnetic change into imagery the mind recognises.

The Subtle Layer — Energy Perception

Beyond the physical nerves lies another spectrum of perception. Every cell emits frequency; every emotion alters the field around it.

When awareness is trained, the hands register these resonances—the difference between calm and chaos, truth and distortion. What science measures as microcurrent, healers feel as life-force.

New Skills – Old Technique

In 2014 I was hospitalised for 3 days. Back in 2013/14 there had been much talk about the Third Eye … how you can switch it off and turn it back on, like a light switch.

I’m in hospital. The lady in the bed next to me, with curtains drawn around her, was pulling my energy. I was too weak to resist her. I then remembered “the flipping of the switch” and so I did.

A mistake I had to learn with to this day.

However, when a seeing person looses their eye-sight, they are taught to “see” and “read” with their hands.

I was discharged from hospital the day before Good Friday. By Easter Sunday I realised, I could not see a person’s chakras. What had happened? “The Light Switch”! Since then I am working on re-opening my Third Eye. But, and here’s the kicker:

I have, since aged 8 (taught to me by my Great-grandmother) always used my pendulum. My Trusted Friend (some people hear me make reference to my pendulum this way).

Translating Touch with the Pendulum

Intuition doesn’t whisper in logic, it speaks in sensation. In resonance. In the things we feel before we understand.

The body is not just a vessel.
It’s a tuning fork.

Over time I introduced a bridge: the pendulum.
Its swing turns micro-responses of muscle and energy into visible motion. The pendulum doesn’t decide; it amplifies—translating what the body already knows and allowing intuition and logic to converse in harmony.

And when we learn how to listen with more than our eyes — healing becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

Practice for Readers — Awaken the Hand-Senses

  1. Rub your palms together until warmth arises.
  2. Hold them a few centimeters apart; sense the subtle magnetism.
  3. Move them slowly toward a plant, crystal, or another person’s hand.
  4. Observe texture, density, warmth, or coolness.
  5. Journal each session for seven days. Note how your language of feeling evolves.

You are retraining the body’s oldest instrument: feeling as knowing.

Bridging Science and Spirit

Science explains the wiring; spirituality explains the meaning. Together they reveal a complete anatomy of awareness.

In holistic medicine, data and divinity are not rivals; they’re dialects of the same truth: the body is conscious, and consciousness is the physician within.

Closing Reflection

The body never loses its ability to see.
When one doorway closes, awareness finds another.

To feel is to witness creation in motion. One pulse, one breath, one infinite conversation through the hands of humankind.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 01 November 2025/Ireland

Hawthorn: A Beginner’s Guide to Its Health Benefits and Uses

By Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.

Hawthorn (Crataegus) is a small, thorny tree that has been used in herbal medicine for centuries. Its leaves, flowers, and bright red berry-like fruits—known as “haws”—have traditionally been used to support heart health, digestion, and overall well-being.

Today, modern research is beginning to confirm what herbalists have long known: hawthorn contains powerful plant compounds that may help protect the heart, regulate blood sugar, and even fight harmful bacteria. In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll explore the benefits of hawthorn, how to use it safely, and what dosage is recommended.


What Is Hawthorn?

Hawthorn is a plant that belongs to the Rosaceae (rose) family. While there are hundreds of species, the most commonly used medicinal variety is Crataegus monogyna. This tree is native to Europe but is also found in North America and North Africa.

How to make hawthorn vinegar - Discover WildlifeHawthorn is often recognized by its small red fruits, which resemble berries but actually contain a seed or “stone,” making them more like miniature apples. The plant has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), European herbalism, and Native American healing traditions for centuries.


Health Benefits of Hawthorn

1. Heart Health and Blood Pressure Support

Hawthorn is widely known for its cardiovascular benefits. Scientific studies suggest it may help:

Improve circulation by dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow
Lower cholesterol and reduce harmful fats in the blood
Support healthy blood pressure levels
Protect the heart with its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

A 2020 scientific review found that hawthorn may help prevent atherosclerosis, a condition where arteries narrow due to plaque buildup. However, if you have a heart condition or take medication for blood pressure, consult your doctor before using hawthorn.


2. Blood Sugar and Diabetes Management

If you struggle with high blood sugar or diabetes, hawthorn may be beneficial. A 2022 review found that hawthorn:

✔ Helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels
Lowers triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood linked to diabetes complications)
✔ Reduces inflammation and oxidative stress in the body
✔ Improves the function of pancreatic cells, which help regulate blood sugar
✔ May help reduce factors that can lead to obesity

While promising, most of these studies were done on animals. More human research is needed before hawthorn can be recommended as a treatment for diabetes.


3. Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties

Hawthorn berries are rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that fights cell damage. A 2021 study found that hawthorn extracts:

Killed brain tumour cells in lab tests
✔ Inhibited the growth and spread of harmful cells

This suggests hawthorn may have anticancer potential, but much more research is needed before it can be considered a cancer treatment.


4. Digestive Health and Gut Support

Traditionally, hawthorn has been used to aid digestion. Studies suggest it may:

Speed up digestion by increasing gut motility
Reduce bloating and indigestion
✔ Act as a natural prebiotic, supporting good gut bacteria

Animal studies show that hawthorn extracts help food move through the digestive tract faster, but human studies are still needed.


5. Antimicrobial and Immune-Boosting Benefits

Hawthorn may help fight infections due to its natural antibacterial properties. A 2020 study indicated that the berries of Crataegus azarolus, which is a hawthorn species that grows in the Mediterranean, may be effective against seven different microorganisms and gram positive bacteria. Antimicrobial substances may kill or prevent the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms:

✔ Were effective against seven types of harmful bacteria
✔ Contained complex carbohydrates and antioxidants that may support the immune system

This suggests hawthorn could be useful in natural cold and flu remedies.


How to Use Hawthorn: Forms & Dosage Recommendations

1. Fresh or Dried Berries

How to Use:
✔ Eat fresh berries in small amounts
✔ Make hawthorn tea (steep dried berries in hot water for 10–15 minutes)
✔ Use dried berries in herbal blends

Dosage:
Tea: 1–2 teaspoons of dried berries per cup, up to 3 times daily


A bottle of liquid with dropper bottles

AI-generated content may be incorrect.2. Hawthorn Tincture (Liquid Extract)

How to Use:
✔ Add drops to water or juice
✔ Usually comes in alcohol or glycerine-based extracts

Dosage:
Tincture: 1–2 ml (20–40 drops) up to 3 times daily


3. Capsules or Tablets

Many people prefer standardized hawthorn supplements, which contain a concentrated dose of the active compounds.

Dosage:
Capsules: 250–500 mg up to 3 times daily

Always check the label of your supplement, as potency can vary.


4. Hawthorn Powder

This can be mixed into smoothies, yogurt, or herbal blends.

Dosage:
Powder: 1–3 grams daily (around ½ to 1 teaspoon)


Safety, Side Effects, and Who Should Avoid Hawthorn

Hawthorn is generally safe, but some people may experience mild side effects, including:

❌ Nausea
❌ Dizziness
❌ Digestive upset

Who Should Avoid Hawthorn?

🚫 Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals (lack of safety data)
🚫 People taking heart or blood pressure medication (may cause interactions)
🚫 Anyone on blood thinners (hawthorn may have mild blood-thinning effects)

Possible side effects and interactions 

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)  notes that scientists have not reported any serious safety problems in most studies of hawthorn for heart failure.

However, it mentions one study that indicated hawthorn worsened heart failure in study participants. This may have been because hawthorn interacted with the drugs they were taking.

This is why it is important that people who wish to try hawthorn talk with their doctor first, especially if they are taking medication.

The NCCIH also states that hawthorn may cause side effects, including:

  • nausea
  • dizziness
  • digestive symptoms

If you have a medical condition or take medication, consult your doctor before using hawthorn.


Frequently Asked Questions About Hawthorn

1. Can I take hawthorn every day?

Yes, hawthorn can be taken daily, but it’s best to start with a low dose and increase gradually under medical guidance.

2. How long does it take to see results?

For heart health benefits, 4–8 weeks of consistent use may be needed.

3. Are hawthorn berries safe to eat?

Yes! Hawthorn berries are not poisonous. But avoid eating the seeds, as they contain amygdalin, which can convert into cyanide in large amounts.

4. What does hawthorn taste like?

Hawthorn berries have a mildly sweet and tart flavour, similar to crab apples.


Final Thoughts: Is Hawthorn Right for You?

Hawthorn is a powerful herbal remedy that has been used for centuries to support heart health, digestion, and immune function. While modern science is uncovering its potential benefits, more research is needed, especially in areas like diabetes and cancer prevention.

If you’re interested in trying hawthorn, start with a tea, tincture, or capsule, and always consult your doctor if you have underlying health conditions.

By incorporating hawthorn into your routine safely and mindfully, you can enjoy its many potential health benefits in a natural and effective way.

I make small batches of Hawthorn Tincture. Small batches at a time, depending on demand. I am lucky to have two types of Hawthorn growing as our natural hedge. The Black-Thorn is the Sloe; related to the Plum family. Making a Sloe Gin with adding plums is most Delicious.

From May onwards in start collecting their blossoms. I dry them and store them until I need them. Usually come Winter, I start making the tinctures. From September I forage the red Hawthorn Berries.

I prefer to dehydrate the berries before using them with the dried flowers from May.

Most Hawthorn Tinctures you purchase from Health Shops or Amazon are 25% alcohol. I use 40%. You get a longer shelf life and usage.

Directions of use for my Holistic Healthcare Wexford (H.H.C.) Hawthorn Tincture:

1 ml or 10 drops, using the dropper, in lukewarm water once daily.

Notes on intake / dosage instructions, type and duration of use:

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or exactly as directed by your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Check with your doctor or pharmacist or nurse if you are unsure.

Dosage:

Adults: Adults take 1 ml or 10 drops H.H.C. Hawthorn Herbal drops once daily.

Usage in case of impaired renal function:

There is no sufficient data for specific dosage recommendations for impaired kidney function.

Usage in children and adolescents

It is not intended to be used in children and adolescents under the age of 18.

Method of administration:

To be taken orally with water.

Duration of use:

In the case of symptoms of unclear cause, self-medication should be stopped after two weeks.

Storage Instructions and Shelf Life:

Keep medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not store above 25 °C.

Shelf life after opening:

6 months.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 28 February 2025/Ireland

THREE MINDS CONSCIOUSNESS

By Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.

In today’s article, I wish to help merge some of the “alternative” healing concepts.
Many know yoga, prana, chakras, meridians, reiki …. But for many, especially those who learnt these modalities online and during the lockdown phase, cannot connect the dots.

I have a hunger for knowledge on chakras since my early teens. While some could see auras, I could see chakras. This changed in 2014, when I was hospitalised … and the lady in bed next to me, was gravely ill, I decided to “temporarily” close my abilities. When I was home, I’d just flick that switch. Right? Wrong! But that is a whole other story I may one day blog about.

So, over the years I learnt various other modalities, in the hope, one day I will reverse that “flicked switch”; from Reiki (I kinda grew up with – family), to Faith Healing, to Acupressure and Meridians, to Cosmic Healing, to Pendulum Healing, so many more modalities and still learning. But no matter what I study, I always try to find that connection with the Chakras – my passion.  With studying and maturity, one starts to “connect the dots” (well hopefully that is the case for us all).

In the world of Chakra, which I know most of you are familiar with now, imagine we place the 7 main chakras of the human into three conscious categories: Upper, Middle and Lower or the Three Tan Tiens.

ROOT ORGANS: Reproductive Systems (male and female)
SACRAL ORGANS: Bladder, Large Intestine, Bottom part of Kidneys
SP ORGANS: Kidneys upper, Adrenal Glands, Small and Large Intestine, Spleen,
Pancreas, Liver, Gallbladder and Stomach
HEART ORGANS: Heart, Lungs and Thymus Gland
THROAT ORGANS: Thyroid, Vocal Cords, Trachea and Oesophagus, Mouth, Ears and
                                        Lower Sinuses
3rd Eye ORGANS: Eyes, upper Sinuses.
CROWN ORGANS: Our physical Brains, Left, Right, Central, Frontal Lobes

Our organs communicate with each other and with our Energy Centers or Chakras and higher. The arrows represent Meridians. Two Meridians I have not shown here, are the Governing and Conception or Functional Meridians.

WHAT ARE MERIDIANS?
Meridians are invisible pathways that connect various organs and systems within the body. According to TCM, there are 12 primary meridians, each associated with a specific organ and its corresponding functions.

TAN TIEN CONSCIOUSNESS
There is a long-standing Taoist practice of cultivating and training consciousness in the Three Tan Tiens, especially the Lower Tan Tien. The consciousness of each Tan Tien is named after its unique focus: The Upper Tan Tien corresponds to the upper or observing mind. The Middle Tan Tien corresponds to the conscious mind of the heart. The Lower Tan Tien corresponds to the feeling and awareness mind. The concept of having multiple brains in the body may seem incredible or farfetched to some. However, my own experience while participating in scientific research as well as information revealed through recent scientific studies combine to make this aspect of Cosmic Healing plausible, accessible, and practical (Grandmaster Mantak Chia).

TAN TIEN ENERGY
Energy in the body can be generated, stored, and transformed by the brain, the sexual organs, and other body organs. However, each of these energy processors is limited in function in some way. The brain, for example, can access and generate energy, but storing energy in the brain is not easy. In the Taoist system, we learn to train the brain to increase its ability and capacity to store energy.
The brain energy, when increased to a certain level, can enable more synapses to grow in the central nervous system and can help turn protein into brain and nerve cells. The organs of the body have a greater capacity than the brain for storing and transforming energy, but their ability to generate energy is limited. The sexual organs, on the other hand, can generate a significant amount of sexual energy (life force). However, the sexual organs cannot store the energy efficiently. When they generate too much energy, considerable amounts have to be discarded. It is like preparing food for one hundred people when only one person is eating. And this “creative” food is the best energy a human has. As reservoirs of energy in the body, the Tan Tiens bring balance to the body’s energy cycle. There are three: the Upper Tan Tien, the Middle Tan Tien, and the Lower Tan Tien. Each Tan Tien is a place where we can store, transform, and collect energy. The Three Tan Tiens feed energy to the meridians, the rivers of energy that flow through the body. The Middle Tan Tien, also known as the Heart Center Tan Tien, is located between the two nipples. It is associated with the fire element. Yet within fire there is always water. The original spirit (Shen) is stored here.
The Lower Tan Tien is in the lower abdomen, at the navel. It is like an empty universe or ocean, and we want to feel a universe of energy here. Within this universe or ocean, there is fire under water, like a volcano under the ocean. The aim of Taoist basic training is to integrate the brain, the sexual organs, the other organs of the body, and the Three Tan Tiens into one system. If the brain generates too much energy, it can store the energy in the organs. If the sexual organs generate excess sexual energy, it can be stored in the organs and the Three Tan Tiens. Without this integration, we waste energy at an alarming rate. Energy is like money. If you make a million dollars a year and spend a million dollars a year, you have nothing left to use in the future. This is the way we live and use energy in our society. We are spending more energy than we are saving, and we are living on borrowed energy, paying very high interest. Our credit will run out very soon. Some healing practices deal only with the spirit and ignore the body and sexual energy. These practices can generate a lot of energy, but if the practitioner is not connected to the organs, that energy cannot be stored anywhere and is lost. Some people practice meditation by sitting quietly, emptying the mind, and relaxing the whole body. However, very little energy is actually generated in this type of practice. Some who get deep into this type of practice find it hard to come back to society, because they have no energy and their mind power does not work well. These people have to depend on others to support them.

THREE MINDS INTO ONE: YI POWER
1. Smile into your heart. Make it feel soft. Make it feel love, joy, happiness, and compassion. Feel the heart energy spiral,
2. Spiral the energy in the upper mind. Lower your upper mind down to the Lower Tan Tien in your navel area.
3. Turn the consciousness in your heart, activated by your love and softness, down to the Lower Tan Tien.
4. With the feeling and awareness mind, spiral together the energy of the three minds, blending them together as one in the Lower Tan Tien.

As you can see, everything is connected. Everything modality has a commonality. All four corners of this planet Earth, learnt the same things at the same time, but interpreted it differently.

Once Humanity understands we are all One and the same, with tons of abilities within us waiting to be tapped in to, then, and only then will this world become a better place.
I am ready for divine, positive changes to come in. Are you?

We are the World.
Give in your heart and you will see that someone cares
‘Cause you know that they can feed them all
Then I read the paper and it said that you’ve been denied
And it shows the second we will call

We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
There’s a chance we’re taking
We’re taking our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a brighter day
Just you and me

Now there’s a time when we must love them all
And it seems that life, it don’t make love at all
But if you’d been there, and I’ll love you more and more
It seems in life, I didn’t do that
… Michael Jackson

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 04 January 2025/Ireland

Let’s Talk about Skin. Do you care about your Skin?

By Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.

We all have heard of the saying: “You are what you eat!”  But what about what we wear?

An organ is defined loosely as any part of an animal (human included) or plant that is adapted for a particular function for example respiration, digestion or excretion. Skin is the largest organ in a human body. It comprises two distinct layers, the epidermis and the dermis. The skin of a 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) adult male weighing around 70kg (154 lb) covers an area of 1.5–2 sq m (16.1–21.5 sq ft) and weighs about 3.8 kg (8 lb 5 oz). By comparison, this hypothetical man’s liver – his largest internal organ – would weigh only about 1.5 kg (3 lb 4.8 oz).

Skin’s function: Protects against pathogens; provides insulation; synthesizes vitamin D; regulates temperature; provides sensation. Here are some fun and surprising facts about skin to help you better appreciate this large organ in your body:

  1. Your skin makes up about 15% of your total body weight.
  2. The average adult has nearly 21 square feet (2 sq m) of skin that contains over 11 miles (17.7km or 17702,8m) of blood vessels.
  3. A single square inch (ca. 6,4516 sq cm) of skin has about 300 sweat glands.
  4. The thickest skin is found on your feet and the thinnest area of skin is your eyelids.
  5. Your skin renews itself every 28 days and sheds about 9 pounds (9lbs = approx. 454mg or 0,454kg) of dead skin cells every year.
  6. Some of the dust in your home may actually be dead skin.
  7. Your skin has some nerves that are connected to your muscles to help you react more quickly to extreme temperatures or pain.
  8. Changes in your skin can often be a warning sign of a medical condition or changes in your body’s health.
  9. There are at least five types of receptors in the skin that respond to pain and touch.
  10. Sleep is vital for healthy, vibrant, and youthful skin.

Now, that’s the scientific part of biology covered.

The Vibrational Frequencies of the Human Body.

Did you know that our body is a form of energy, which is made up of vibration and frequency. And sometimes, one “resonates” with another human.

Bruce Tainio, famous researcher and developer of Tainio Technology found that a healthy body resonates at a frequency of 62-72 MHz, (MHz takes 1 ‘hz’ and multiplies it by a million) and when your frequency drops to 58 MHz, that is when disease starts.

In 1992, Bruce Tainio built the first frequency monitor in the world – Calibrated Frequency Monitor (CFM).


Below are some frequencies listed, that may be of interest:

Human Body

Genius Brain Frequency at: 80-97 MHz

Brain Frequency Range at: 72-95 MHz

Normal Brain Frequency at: 72 MHz

Human Body at: 62-100 MHz

Human Body: from Neck up at: 72-78 MHz

Human Body: from Neck down at: 60-68 MHz

Thyroid and Parathyroid glands at: 62-68 MHz

Thymus Gland at: 65-68 MHz

Heart at: 67-70 MHz

Lungs at: 58-65 MHz

Liver at: 55-60 MHz

Pancreas at: 60-80 MHz

Disease

Colds and Flu start at: 50-55 MHz

Disease starts at: 55 MHz

Candida overgrowth starts at: 55 MHz

Receptive to Epstein Barr at: 52 MHz

Receptive to Cancer at: 42 MHz

Death begins at: 25 MHz

Food

(Fresh foods and herbs ca be higher if grown organically and eaten freshly picked

Fresh Foods / Herbs at: 20-27 Hz

Dried Foods /Herbs at: 15-22 Hz

Processed / Canned Food at: 0 Hz

Frequency is defined as a measurable rate of electrical energy that is constant between any two points. When there is frequency, there is electromagnetic potential. We are being influenced by the magnetic action (or attraction) of the frequencies that surround our lives each day and frequencies influence our state of well-being. Everything has an electrical frequency measured in hertz.

Studies show that negative thoughts lower our frequency on average 12 Hz. Positive thoughts raises our Hz on average 10 Hz. Prayer and meditation raises our frequency on average 15 Hz.

Royal Raymond Rife, M.D., developed a “frequency generator” in the early 1920s. With this he found that with certain frequencies he could destroy a cancer cell or a virus. He found that certain frequencies could prevent the development of disease, and others would destroy disease. Substances with higher frequency will destroy diseases of a lower frequency. The study of frequencies raises an important question, concerning the frequencies of substances we eat, breathe and absorb. Many pollutants lower healthy frequency. Processed/canned food has a frequency of zero. Fresh produce has up to 15 Hz, dried herbs from 12 to 22 Hz and fresh herbs from 20 to 27 Hz.

What Rife proved is that every health disorder has a frequency, which in turn responds (resonates) to a specific (optimal) frequency for its dissolving/healing in the body.

Does Colour have frequencies?

First of all, Colour is determined first by frequency and then by how those frequencies are combined when they reach the eye. Colour is the frequency of visible light, and it ranges from 430 trillion Hertz (which is red) to 750 trillion Hertz (which is violet). Waves can also go beyond and below those frequencies, but they’re not visible to the human eye.

Does Fabric have frequencies?

Fabrics have frequencies and they affect the way we feel. But there’s science behind this too: natural fibres have higher frequencies than synthetic ones and therefore are better for us.
Natural Fibers like linen, organic cotton, and silk offer high vibrational frequencies that enhance energy, clarity, and health. In contrast, synthetic Fibers like polyester and nylon have low frequencies that can disrupt your natural energy flow.
In 2003 a Jewish doctor, Heidi Yellen, did a study on the frequencies of fabrics, in which she showed that a healthy human body has a signature frequency of 100, and wearing a material that measures less than 100 units of energy would compromise our wellbeing. Each fabric gives of a frequency that can be measured in mHz (megaHertZ).  Organic cotton has a tested value of 110 mHz, polyester around 10 mHz.  A diseased person generally measures 15 mHz. Wool and Linen both have a signature of 5000 mHz! That amazing naturally created feature of the fabrics will also give energy to your body as you wear it.  It is important however to not wear linen and wool together, however, as the frequencies in both of the linen and wool fibres run in opposite current directions. If you wear them together, the two frequencies will cancel each other out and bring you to a 0 (Zero).

Here’s a chart with some common clothing fabrics and their corresponding frequencies:

Fabric | Frequency (Hz)

Flax-Linen | 5000 Hz

Animal Wool | 500 Hz

Cotton | 80-100 Hz

Silk | 100-230 Hz

Flax-Hemp | 230 Hz

Rayon | 40-50 Hz

Polyester | 30-40 Hz

Nylon | 25-35 Hz

The concept of clothing fabric frequency is based on the idea that different materials have unique vibrational energies that can affect our physical and emotional wellbeing. Here’s a more detailed explanation:

  • Frequency ranges: The frequencies listed in the chart are generally categorized into three ranges:
    • Low frequency (30-60 Hz): Synthetic fabrics are believed to have a low frequency, which can lead to feelings of fatigue, lethargy, and stagnation.
    • Medium frequency (70-500 Hz): Natural fabrics can promote balance, stability, and comfort.
    • High frequency (550-5000+ Hz): Fabrics are believed to have a high frequency, which can enhance energy, vitality, and spiritual connection.
  • Impact on human energy: Wearing clothing made from low-frequency fabrics can allegedly drain our energy, while high-frequency fabrics can boost our vitality and promote a sense of well-being.
  • Scientific basis: While there is some anecdotal evidence to support the concept of clothing fabric frequency, there is limited scientific research to confirm its validity. Some studies suggest that the human body responds to the electromagnetic properties of fabrics, which may influence our energy levels and emotional state.

Keep in mind that the scientific evidence supporting clothing fabric frequency is limited, and more research is needed to fully understand its effects on human health and wellbeing. Please note that these frequencies are approximate and based on various sources, including Dr. Heidi Yellen’s study. The actual frequencies may vary depending on the specific fabric type, weave, fabric colour and synthetic or organic manufactured colour and manufacturing process.

Summary: Impact on Health

Synthetic garments are often less breathable and can retain heat and moisture, which can lead to skin irritations and other skin problems. What’s more, the low frequency of synthetic fibers can contribute to feelings of fatigue, stress and even general malaise. Some wellness experts recommend avoiding synthetic clothing whenever possible, especially when worn directly against the skin.


Making Conscious Choices for Well-Being

It’s clear that the clothes we wear are not just choices of style or comfort, but can also have a significant impact on our health and well-being due to their vibrational frequencies. Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, hemp and wool offer vibrational frequencies that are harmonious with our bodies, promoting a state of well-being, vitality and comfort. Conversely, synthetic garments, with their low frequencies, can have disruptive effects on our energy and health.

Making conscious choices when it comes to clothing, with a preference for natural fibers, can be a simple yet powerful way of supporting our health and well-being on a daily basis. By understanding the vibrational frequencies of different materials, we can choose clothes that not only fit well, but also resonate positively with our inner energy.

Conclusion:

At the start I mentioned that our Skin is our largest organ and its function is to: Protects against pathogens; provides insulation; synthesizes vitamin D; regulates temperature; provides sensation.
Now that we have a greater understanding of our SKIN, the human’s healthy vibrational frequency, we need to exercise greater awareness on what we allow to be next to our skin and for how long.

Stay well in 2025.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine

CWD 02 January 2025/Ireland

To Take or Not to Take, That Is The Question: The Vitamin D Connection

By Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine and Nurse.

Vitamin D – the right intake

Taking vitamin D is an excellent preventive but also therapeutic measure. Regardless of whether it is an increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmune diseases, degenerative complaints or problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and dementia, a vitamin D deficiency is usually the cause of the action. We explain how you can determine a vitamin D deficiency in the home test, how much vitamin D you need and how you can properly combine vitamin D with calcium, magnesium and vitamin K.

Vitamin D – How to take it correctly?

Vitamin D is particularly known for its bone-strengthening effect. It promotes calcium absorption from the intestine, is involved in calcium incorporation into the bones, inhibits bone loss and also strengthens the immune system.

At the same time, there is hardly a disease that does not develop Vitamin D deficiency would be involved. For example, the vitamin is considered a substance with an anti-inflammatory effect, which alone is reason enough for its positive influence in most chronic complaints – because they all go hand in hand with chronically inflammatory processes.

It is therefore important to pay attention to a healthy vitamin D level. How do you do that? Does the vitamin have to be taken as a dietary supplement? And if so, what is the right income? How to calculate the personally required dose and how to combine the vitamin with calcium, magnesium and Vitamin K?

A deficiency is common

Vitamin D is not a real vitamin. Because real vitamins must be ingested with food. With vitamin D, on the other hand, the body can also supply itself solely through the sun’s rays, since the vitamin is formed in the skin under the influence of UVB radiation.

However, in Central Europe this only works in summer (from around April to September) – and only if you are lightly dressed and do not constantly apply sunscreens with a high sun protection factor. The latter can reduce vitamin D formation in the skin. In Northern Europe you will need to supplement all year round,

The rest of the year, the sun is too low to send enough UVB radiation to Earth. In Central Europe you can only get along well with the help of the sun Vitamin D if you are really in the open air in the warm season to fill up your memories so comprehensively that you can get over the winter well.

However, many people do not succeed in what the modern lifestyle with an hourly stay in closed rooms is not entirely innocent. Therefore, large sections of the population suffer from vitamin D deficiency and should take the vitamin especially in winter.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin

The bone vitamin belongs together with vitamin A, Vitamin E. and Vitamin K to the fat-soluble vitamins. That means two things:

  • There is always something for the absorption of vitamin D from the intestine fat required (see below under “Correct intake: Always with a little fat”).
  • The vitamin can be stored in the body (in adipose tissue and in the liver), which is almost never the case with water-soluble vitamins (B, C).

The advantage is that you don’t have to take vitamin D – once the stores are filled – every day. The organism can draw from a filled store for weeks or even months.

The disadvantage is that fat-soluble vitamins can also be overdosed, which you have to pay attention to when taking them. Because while excess water-soluble vitamins are usually simply discharged through the urine, this is not the case with fat-soluble vitamins. Cases of vitamin A overdoses are therefore known from time to time, for example from regions where fish liver is often eaten. This contains a lot of Vitamin A.

What dose leads to overdose?

As far as vitamin D is concerned, there is usually only the risk of an overdose if very high doses in the form of nutritional supplements are taken over a longer period of time.

50 µg or 2,000 IU per day are the recommended maximum dose in Europe and North America. However, clinical studies show that long-term intake of 10,000 IU daily does not pose any risks. An overdose could occur at 50,000 IU per day and at serum values of more than 150 ng / ml. Wa can then form hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood) – such an evaluation by Indian researchers from May 2011 in Oman Medical Journal.

Ideally, the blood values of vitamin D should be below 100 ng / ml, since primitive people rarely reach higher values, even though they are not dressed in the sun every day. The toxic range clearly begins at 300 ng / ml.

Overdose: from 50,000 IU per day for several months

Various case reports have also become known from 2011, in which an overdose of vitamin D led to complaints.

In a 70-year-old woman who took 50,000 IU daily, the typical symptoms of hypercalcemia occurred after 3 months of taking it: tiredness, walking difficulties and confusion. After stopping vitamin D, however, it recovered completely over the course of five months. It should be noted here that she also consumed over 3 g of calcium daily.

Another case describes a man in whom accidentally taking 2,000,000 IU of vitamin D a day after 2 months led to confusion, exhaustion, excessive thirst and frequent urination.

And in a third case, after taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D daily for six months, a man also observed the typical symptoms of hypercalcemia:

  • Excessive thirst and frequent urination
  • Stomach discomfort, Nausea, vomiting and constipation
  • Bone pain, muscle weakness
  • Confusion, lethargy and exhaustion

Overdose from food or sun?

Since vitamin D hardly occurs in food, you can hardly eat an overdose (unless you eat a lot of fish liver).

It is also hardly possible to get an overdose from the sun’s rays. Apparently, the body has protective measures that stop vitamin D formation via the skin as soon as a sufficiently high serum value is reached.

On a sunny summer day, the body rarely absorbs more than 10,000 IU of vitamin D in –, and only if you spent the whole day almost undressed (bath pants / bikini) in the sun.

Only in extreme sunlight (for years in hot regions all day on the beach) could there be unfavorable consequences of an overdose of vitamin D, but only here if there is a vitamin K2 deficiency and possibly too well-intentioned calcium supply at the same time.

So it is rather the over-dosed intake of the vitamin in the form of a dietary supplement that could lead to problems.

Make vitamin D preparation from mushrooms and sun yourself

We have described here how you can produce a natural source of vitamins from mushrooms: Pure vegetable vitamin source: mushrooms

Of course, this method cannot be used specifically to achieve a certain value in the blood or to remedy a deficiency, since one does not know the actual vitamin D content of the fungi, but one can prepare them accordingly Edible mushrooms Install regularly in the diet, so that in the long term you only have to take low-dose supplements or at some point no more.

The right intake

Below we describe all the factors you need to know for a correct intake of vitamin D. First, it is about which four vital substances the vitamin needs to work properly, then how you measure your vitamin D level and finally we present two methods with which you can find out or calculate the dose that suits you can.

1. Take vitamin K2

When taking vitamin D, it is always recommended to pay attention to a healthy vitamin K2 supply at the same time. Vitamin K2 is the vitamin that fulfills two major tasks in the body:

  • Vitamin K is involved in regulating blood clotting so that no one has to bleed to the smallest wound.
  • Vitamin K conducts excess calcium in the blood into the bones, thus ensuring that the calcium is not deposited on the blood vessel walls or in the form of kidney stones.

Since vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, the amount of calcium absorbed also increases when the vitamin is taken. If vitamin K2 is now missing, the problems mentioned above can arise, i.e. a misdistribution of calcium in the body.

A 2015 study showed in kidney patients that the combined administration of vitamin D and vitamin K reduced the progression of arteriosclerosis (compared to the group that only received sun vitamin).

It is not entirely clear how much vitamin K2 you should take. The recommended doses for vitamin D supplementation vary considerably among experts. Information can be found there, such as B.

  • Taking 100 µg vitamin K2 per 5,000 IU vitamin D
  • Ingestion of 100 µg vitamin K2 per 10,000 IU
  • Ingestion of 100 µg vitamin K2 per 1,000 IU
  • There is also a recommendation depending on body weight: 2 – 3 µg vitamin K2 per kilogram of body weight.

We recommend taking vitamin K2 the following

  • Ingestion of 100 µg vitamin K2 at up to 2,500 IU vitamin D per day
  • Ingestion of 200 µg vitamin K2 in vitamin D doses above 2,500 IU per day

However, also note the vitamin K2 content of your food. If you adapt your diet accordingly and now take in enough vitamin K2 from your diet, you may only have to take vitamin K2 in the first weeks of your vitamin D intake until the stores are replenished and your diet then provides the required vitamin.

Vitamin K2 is available in various forms, we recommend taking Menachinon-7, which is also abbreviated as MK-7. It is vegan and is considered the best resorbable and usable vitamin K2 form.

If you are on a blood thinner or taking other medications that are not so well compatible with vitamin K, the correct intake of vitamin K must be discussed with the doctor as a precaution.

2nd Vitamin A increases the effect

In the presence of vitamin A, vitamin D works better, and the vitamin D level rises higher if vitamin A is taken at the same time – at least one study from August 2020. Read information about this in our article Vitamin D needs vitamin A.. The correct intake of vitamin D therefore also includes vitamin A (about 1 mg per day).

Vitamin A can be ingested via beta-carotene, which is contained in many types of vegetables, because the organism can produce vitamin A from beta-carotene. To do this, however, you should eat vegetables rich in beta-carotene every day, because to produce 1 mg of vitamin A, the organism needs at least 6 times the amount of beta-carotene, i.e. 6 mg. The following vegetables are among the best sources of beta carotene (quantities always per 100 g):

  • Carrots raw 9.8 mg beta-carotene (1.6 mg vitamin A)
  • Spinach raw 4.7 mg beta-carotene (0.8 mg vitamin A)
  • Kale raw 5.1 mg beta-carotene (0.8 mg vitamin A)
  • Corn salad raw 3.9 mg beta-carotene (0.65 mg vitamin A)
  • red peppers raw 2.1 mg beta-carotene (0.35 mg vitamin A)

When cooking, the content does not change noticeably because beta-carotene is not sensitive to heat; bioavailability could even increase due to cooking – see details here: Loss of nutrients when cooking where we explain what you need to look out for when preparing in order to benefit as much as possible from the beta-carotene it contains.

In the study mentioned, the vitamin A level of the participants was originally even normal. Nevertheless, taking vitamin A (together with taking vitamin D) resulted in a higher vitamin D level and also an improved effect of the vitamin.

In particular in the case of acute diseases and at the same time there is a D deficiency or even if the value should not increase satisfactorily despite all efforts, the additional intake of vitamin A or Beta Carotin can be a good help.

3rd Magnesium activates vitamin D.

Since magnesium is required in the body to activate vitamin D and is also consumed in this process, the correct intake of vitamin D also requires an optimized magnesium supply.

The daily requirement for magnesium is about 400 mg for an adult. If you take up this amount of magnesium daily through your diet, you should be well looked after with a vitamin D supplementation of up to 5,000 IU.

However, if you take more vitamin D, you should also take magnesium with this higher dose, between 200 – 300 mg – depending on the magnesium content of the diet. Read details here: Low magnesium levels make Vitamin D ineffective.

  • Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body after calcium, potassium, and sodium. Foods high in magnesium include almonds, bananas, beans, broccoli, brown rice, cashews, egg yolk, fish oil, flaxseed, green vegetables, milk, mushrooms, other nuts, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds, sweet corn, tofu, and whole grains.

4th Vitamin D and calcium are only advisable in certain situations

Vitamin D is considered to be THE bone vitamin par excellence, and it is often believed that the correct intake includes calcium in any case. But this only seems to make sense in certain cases:

  • if e.g. B. the risk of osteoporosis should be reduced in the menopause
  • if osteoporosis is already present and the risk of bone fracture is to be reduced
  • when a low-calcium diet is practiced that delivers significantly less than the 1,000 mg calcium recommended daily

However, if you consume sufficient calcium, you should not take any additional calcium when taking vitamin D (especially at very high doses). This could increase the risk of hypercalcemia.

Correct intake: Measure vitamin D levels in advance!

Proper intake of vitamin D can only take place if you know your actual value and can then calculate the dose that suits you individually or get it said by your doctor.

So get your vitamin D level established first. Otherwise, you may take too little and therefore have no effect. Or you take much more than necessary, which in turn would put unnecessary strain on your body.

Your family doctor (GP), or alternative practitioner can take care of the measurement. You can also do a vitamin D home test yourself at home. For safety’s sake, you should also discuss the result with a doctor or Integrated Medical Practitioner/CAM Practitioner.

Your qualified Integrated Medical Practitioner/CAM Practitioner can also perform a simple test.  But do ask your GP/Family Doctor if he/she can request the laboratory test.

However, the blood drawn itself can have influences on the blood that falsify the result. It is therefore safer to have the test done by the doctor or alternative practitioner.

Correct intake: what dose?

The goal should be a blood value of at least 30 ng / ml, better about 40 to 50 ng / ml vitamin D3 (25 (OH) vitamin D3). The dose that suits you is now calculated from your current value and your desired value –, taking into account the body weight.

In the event of a massive deficiency, the procedure described in the article linked above could not lead to a healthy vitamin D level quickly enough. Therefore we provide you with the method according to Dr. med. Raimund von Helden, author of the recommended booklet Healthy in seven days – Success with vitamin D therapy.

Dr. von Helden divides the intake of vitamin D into two therapeutic parts: into the initial therapy and the permanent or Maintenance therapy.

  • After a deficiency, the initial therapy serves to fill up the vitamin D stores, which should happen as quickly as possible so that the mostly existing deficiency symptoms can be remedied as quickly as possible. It is a single dose. The dose of continuous therapy is then switched over.
  • The continuous therapy provides the amount of vitamin D that is required to compensate for the daily losses and to maintain a healthy vitamin D level in the long term.

Calculation of the dose for the initial therapy

In order to raise the vitamin D level by 1 ng / ml, 10,000 IU are required with a body weight of 70 kilograms. If the body weight is different, recalculate the value proportionally. 7,000 IU per kilogram of body weight should not be exceeded.

For example, if you weigh 70 kg, have an instantaneous value of 15 ng / ml and want to reach a value of 35 ng / ml, then choose a single dose of 200,000 IU as the initial therapy. Weigh only 60 kg, then take about 170,000 IU.

The starting dose is very high. We recommend that you discuss this type of intake with the doctor or alternative practitioner in advance.

Calculation of the dose for continuous therapy

With an assumed body weight of 70 kilograms in turn, 3,333 IU of vitamin D per day or 23,000 IU required per week. Here, too, the dose is calculated proportionally with a different body weight. For the average person in Ireland we can say 5000IU vitamin D per day

If you are in the sun a lot in summer, you can pause with vitamin D during this time. But probably no alarmingly high value would develop if you continued to take it despite sunbathing.

Correct intake: Always with a little fat

If you have vitamin D preparations that are available as powder in capsules if taken with black coffee, water or juice, this leads to absorption of the vitamin, but to a rather low absorption. As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D should always be taken with a little fat. Like a glass of milk or Cholesterol lowering milk drinks or joghurt.

Too much fat is not a good idea either. So if you take the vitamin preparation with a thick lard bread or fatty cheese, you cannot take the ideal dose of it either. Because excessive amounts of fat seem to inhibit absorption.

A 2013 study found that taking vitamin D with 11 grams of fat resulted in absorption 16 percent higher than taking with 35 grams of fat and 20 percent higher absorption than taking with 0 grams of fat.

It doesn’t matter whether you get fat out polyunsaturated fatty acids (Hemp oil, Linseed oil, Sunflower oil), one made from monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, Avocados, Almonds) or one made of saturated (coconut oil).

Correct intake: Topical via the skin

If you cannot tolerate vitamin D preparations or whose vitamin D level simply does not want to rise despite the correct intake of vitamin D preparations, the vitamin can also be applied to the skin, since it can also be absorbed through the skin.

To do this, choose a liquid preparation without unfavourable additives, e.g. Vitamin D3 drops, which only come from vitamin D3 and MCT fats (medium-chain fats from e.g.  Coconut oil) exist. Apply to the forearm, where the skin is particularly receptive

Important note

Disclaimer: This article was based on (at the time of publication) current studies written and checked by doctors, but may not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, replaced so not to visit your doctor. So, discuss each one Measure (whether from this or another of our articles) always first with your doctor.

Vitamin D – the right intake

Taking vitamin D is an excellent preventive but also therapeutic measure. Regardless of whether it is an increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmune diseases, degenerative complaints or problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and dementia, a vitamin D deficiency is usually the cause of the action. We explain how you can determine a vitamin D deficiency in the home test, how much vitamin D you need and how you can properly combine vitamin D with calcium, magnesium and vitamin K.

Vitamin D – How to take it correctly?

Vitamin D is particularly known for its bone-strengthening effect. It promotes calcium absorption from the intestine, is involved in calcium incorporation into the bones, inhibits bone loss and also strengthens the immune system.

At the same time, there is hardly a disease that does not develop Vitamin D deficiency would be involved. For example, the vitamin is considered a substance with an anti-inflammatory effect, which alone is reason enough for its positive influence in most chronic complaints – because they all go hand in hand with chronically inflammatory processes.

It is therefore important to pay attention to a healthy vitamin D level. How do you do that? Does the vitamin have to be taken as a dietary supplement? And if so, what is the right income? How to calculate the personally required dose and how to combine the vitamin with calcium, magnesium and Vitamin K?

(If you are for the Vitamin D blood values If you are interested in what value indicates a deficiency and which is just correct, read the link above (under Vitamin D).)

A deficiency is common

Vitamin D is not a real vitamin. Because real vitamins must be ingested with food. With vitamin D, on the other hand, the body can also supply itself solely through the sun’s rays, since the vitamin is formed in the skin under the influence of UVB radiation.

However, in Central Europe this only works in summer (from around April to September) – and only if you are lightly dressed and do not constantly apply sunscreens with a high sun protection factor. The latter can reduce vitamin D formation in the skin.

The rest of the year, the sun is too low to send enough UVB radiation to Earth. In Central Europe you can only get along well with the help of the sun Vitamin D if you are really in the open air in the warm season to fill up your memories so comprehensively that you can get over the winter well.

However, many people do not succeed in what the modern lifestyle with an hourly stay in closed rooms is not entirely innocent. Therefore, large sections of the population suffer from vitamin D deficiency and should take the vitamin especially in winter.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin

The bone vitamin belongs together with vitamin A, Vitamin E. and Vitamin K to the fat-soluble vitamins. That means two things:

  • There is always something for the absorption of vitamin D from the intestine fat required (see below under “Correct intake: Always with a little fat”).
  • The vitamin can be stored in the body (in adipose tissue and in the liver), which is almost never the case with water-soluble vitamins (B, C).

The advantage is that you don’t have to take vitamin D – once the stores are filled – every day. The organism can draw from a filled store for weeks or even months.

The disadvantage is that fat-soluble vitamins can also be overdosed, which you have to pay attention to when taking them. Because while excess water-soluble vitamins are usually simply discharged through the urine, this is not the case with fat-soluble vitamins. Cases of vitamin A overdoses are therefore known from time to time, for example from regions where fish liver is often eaten. This contains a lot Vitamin A.

What dose leads to overdose?

As far as vitamin D is concerned, there is usually only the risk of an overdose if very high doses in the form of nutritional supplements are taken over a longer period of time.

50 µg or 2,000 IU per day are the recommended maximum dose in Europe and North America. However, clinical studies show that long-term intake of 10,000 IU daily does not pose any risks. An overdose could occur at 50,000 IU per day and at serum values of more than 150 ng / ml. Wa can then form hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood) – such an evaluation by Indian researchers from May 2011 in Oman Medical Journal.

Ideally, the blood values of vitamin D should be below 100 ng / ml, since primitive people rarely reach higher values, even though they are not dressed in the sun every day. The toxic range clearly begins at 300 ng / ml.

Overdose: from 50,000 IU per day for several months

Various case reports have also become known from 2011, in which an overdose of vitamin D led to complaints.

In a 70-year-old woman who took 50,000 IU daily, the typical symptoms of hypercalcemia occurred after 3 months of taking it: tiredness, walking difficulties and confusion. After stopping vitamin D, however, it recovered completely over the course of five months. It should be noted here that she also consumed over 3 g of calcium daily.

Another case describes a man in whom accidentally taking 2,000,000 IU of vitamin D a day after 2 months led to confusion, exhaustion, excessive thirst and frequent urination.

And in a third case, after taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D daily for six months, a man also observed the typical symptoms of hypercalcemia:

  • Excessive thirst and frequent urination
  • Stomach discomfort, Nausea, vomiting and constipation
  • Bone pain, muscle weakness
  • Confusion, lethargy and exhaustion

Overdose from food or sun?

Since vitamin D hardly occurs in food, you can hardly eat an overdose (unless you eat a lot of fish liver).

It is also hardly possible to get an overdose from the sun’s rays. Apparently, the body has protective measures that stop vitamin D formation via the skin as soon as a sufficiently high serum value is reached.

On a sunny summer day, the body rarely absorbs more than 10,000 IU of vitamin D in –, and only if you spent the whole day almost undressed (bath pants / bikini) in the sun.

Only in extreme sunlight (for years in hot regions all day on the beach) could there be unfavorable consequences of an overdose of vitamin D, but only here if there is a vitamin K2 deficiency and possibly too well-intentioned calcium supply at the same time.

So it is rather the over-dosed intake of the vitamin in the form of a dietary supplement that could lead to problems.

Make vitamin D preparation from mushrooms and sun yourself

We have described here how you can produce a natural source of vitamins from mushrooms: Pure vegetable vitamin source: mushrooms

Of course, this method cannot be used specifically to achieve a certain value in the blood or to remedy a deficiency, since one does not know the actual vitamin D content of the fungi, but one can prepare them accordingly Edible mushrooms Install regularly in the diet, so that in the long term you only have to take low-dose supplements or at some point no more.

The right intake

Below we describe all the factors you need to know for a correct intake of vitamin D. First, it is about which four vital substances the vitamin needs to work properly, then how you measure your vitamin D level and finally we present two methods with which you can find out or calculate the dose that suits you can.

1. Take vitamin K2

When taking vitamin D, it is always recommended to pay attention to a healthy vitamin K2 supply at the same time. Vitamin K2 is the vitamin that fulfills two major tasks in the body:

  • Vitamin K is involved in regulating blood clotting so that no one has to bleed to the smallest wound.
  • Vitamin K conducts excess calcium in the blood into the bones, thus ensuring that the calcium is not deposited on the blood vessel walls or in the form of kidney stones.

Since vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, the amount of calcium absorbed also increases when the vitamin is taken. If vitamin K2 is now missing, the problems mentioned above can arise, i.e. a misdistribution of calcium in the body.

A 2015 study showed in kidney patients that the combined administration of vitamin D and vitamin K reduced the progression of arteriosclerosis (compared to the group that only received sun vitamin).

It is not entirely clear how much vitamin K2 you should take. The recommended doses for vitamin D supplementation vary considerably among experts. Information can be found there, such as B.

  • Taking 100 µg vitamin K2 per 5,000 IU vitamin D
  • Ingestion of 100 µg vitamin K2 per 10,000 IU
  • Ingestion of 100 µg vitamin K2 per 1,000 IU
  • There is also a recommendation depending on body weight: 2 – 3 µg vitamin K2 per kilogram of body weight.

We recommend taking vitamin K2 the following

  • Ingestion of 100 µg vitamin K2 at up to 2,500 IU vitamin D per day
  • Ingestion of 200 µg vitamin K2 in vitamin D doses above 2,500 IU per day

However, also note the vitamin K2 content of your food. If you adapt your diet accordingly and now take in enough vitamin K2 from your diet, you may only have to take vitamin K2 in the first weeks of your vitamin D intake until the stores are replenished and your diet then provides the required vitamin.

Vitamin K2 is available in various forms, we recommend taking Menachinon-7, which is also abbreviated as MK-7. It is vegan and is considered the best resorbable and usable vitamin K2 form.

If you are on a blood thinner or taking other medications that are not so well compatible with vitamin K, the correct intake of vitamin K must be discussed with the doctor as a precaution.

2nd Vitamin A increases the effect

In the presence of vitamin A, vitamin D works better, and the vitamin D level rises higher if vitamin A is taken at the same time – at least one study from August 2020. Read information about this in our article Vitamin D needs vitamin A.. The correct intake of vitamin D therefore also includes vitamin A (about 1 mg per day).

Vitamin A can be ingested via beta-carotene, which is contained in many types of vegetables, because the organism can produce vitamin A from beta-carotene. To do this, however, you should eat vegetables rich in beta-carotene every day, because to produce 1 mg of vitamin A, the organism needs at least 6 times the amount of beta-carotene, i.e. 6 mg. The following vegetables are among the best sources of beta carotene (quantities always per 100 g):

  • Carrots raw 9.8 mg beta-carotene (1.6 mg vitamin A)
  • Spinach raw 4.7 mg beta-carotene (0.8 mg vitamin A)
  • Kale raw 5.1 mg beta-carotene (0.8 mg vitamin A)
  • Corn salad raw 3.9 mg beta-carotene (0.65 mg vitamin A)
  • red peppers raw 2.1 mg beta-carotene (0.35 mg vitamin A)

When cooking, the content does not change noticeably because beta-carotene is not sensitive to heat; bioavailability could even increase due to cooking – see details here: Loss of nutrients when cooking where we explain what you need to look out for when preparing in order to benefit as much as possible from the beta-carotene it contains.

In the study mentioned, the vitamin A level of the participants was originally even normal. Nevertheless, taking vitamin A (together with taking vitamin D) resulted in a higher vitamin D level and also an improved effect of the vitamin.

In particular in the case of acute diseases and at the same time there is a D deficiency or even if the value should not increase satisfactorily despite all efforts, the additional intake of vitamin A or Beta Carotin can be a good help.

3rd Magnesium activates vitamin D.

Since magnesium is required in the body to activate vitamin D and is also consumed in this process, the correct intake of vitamin D also requires an optimized magnesium supply.

The daily requirement for magnesium is about 400 mg for an adult. If you take up this amount of magnesium daily through your diet, you should be well looked after with a vitamin D supplementation of up to 5,000 IU.

However, if you take more vitamin D, you should also take magnesium with this higher dose, between 200 – 300 mg – depending on the magnesium content of the diet. Read details here: Low magnesium levels make Vitamin D ineffective.

  • Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body after calcium, potassium, and sodium. Foods high in magnesium include almonds, bananas, beans, broccoli, brown rice, cashews, egg yolk, fish oil, flaxseed, green vegetables, milk, mushrooms, other nuts, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds, sweet corn, tofu, and whole grains.

4th Vitamin D and calcium are only advisable in certain situations

Vitamin D is considered to be THE bone vitamin par excellence, and it is often believed that the correct intake includes calcium in any case. But this only seems to make sense in certain cases:

  • if e.g. B. the risk of osteoporosis should be reduced in the menopause
  • if osteoporosis is already present and the risk of bone fracture is to be reduced
  • when a low-calcium diet is practiced that delivers significantly less than the 1,000 mg calcium recommended daily

However, if you consume sufficient calcium, you should not take any additional calcium when taking vitamin D (especially at very high doses). This could increase the risk of hypercalcemia.

Correct intake: Measure vitamin D levels in advance!

Proper intake of vitamin D can only take place if you know your actual value and can then calculate the dose that suits you individually or get it said by your doctor.

So get your vitamin D level established first. Otherwise, you may take too little and therefore have no effect. Or you take much more than necessary, which in turn would put unnecessary strain on your body.

Your family doctor (GP), or alternative practitioner can take care of the measurement. You can also do a vitamin D home test yourself at home. For safety’s sake, you should also discuss the result with a doctor or Integrated Medical Practitioner/CAM Practitioner.

Your qualified Integrated Medical Practitioner/CAM Practitioner can also perform a simple test.  But do ask your GP/Family Doctor if he/she can request the laboratory test.

However, the blood drawn itself can have influences on the blood that falsify the result. It is therefore safer to have the test done by the doctor or alternative practitioner.

Correct intake: what dose?

The goal should be a blood value of at least 30 ng / ml, better about 40 to 50 ng / ml vitamin D3 (25 (OH) vitamin D3). The dose that suits you is now calculated from your current value and your desired value –, taking into account the body weight.

In the event of a massive deficiency, the procedure described in the article linked above could not lead to a healthy vitamin D level quickly enough. Therefore we provide you with the method according to Dr. med. Raimund von Helden, author of the recommended booklet Healthy in seven days – Success with vitamin D therapy.

Dr. von Helden divides the intake of vitamin D into two therapeutic parts: into the initial therapy and the permanent or Maintenance therapy.

  • After a deficiency, the initial therapy serves to fill up the vitamin D stores, which should happen as quickly as possible so that the mostly existing deficiency symptoms can be remedied as quickly as possible. It is a single dose. The dose of continuous therapy is then switched over.
  • The continuous therapy provides the amount of vitamin D that is required to compensate for the daily losses and to maintain a healthy vitamin D level in the long term.

Calculation of the dose for the initial therapy

In order to raise the vitamin D level by 1 ng / ml, 10,000 IU are required with a body weight of 70 kilograms. If the body weight is different, recalculate the value proportionally. 7,000 IU per kilogram of body weight should not be exceeded.

For example, if you weigh 70 kg, have an instantaneous value of 15 ng / ml and want to reach a value of 35 ng / ml, then choose a single dose of 200,000 IU as the initial therapy. Weigh only 60 kg, then take about 170,000 IU.

The starting dose is very high. We recommend that you discuss this type of intake with the doctor or alternative practitioner in advance.

Calculation of the dose for continuous therapy

With an assumed body weight of 70 kilograms in turn, 3,333 IU of vitamin D per day or 23,000 IU required per week. Here, too, the dose is calculated proportionally with a different body weight. For the average person in Ireland we can say 5000IU vitamin D per day

If you are in the sun a lot in summer, you can pause with vitamin D during this time. But probably no alarmingly high value would develop if you continued to take it despite sunbathing.

Correct intake: Always with a little fat

If you have vitamin D preparations that are available as powder in capsules if taken with black coffee, water or juice, this leads to absorption of the vitamin, but to a rather low absorption. As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D should always be taken with a little fat. Like a glass of milk or Cholesterol lowering milk drinks or joghurt.

Too much fat is not a good idea either. So if you take the vitamin preparation with a thick lard bread or fatty cheese, you cannot take the ideal dose of it either. Because excessive amounts of fat seem to inhibit absorption.

A 2013 study found that taking vitamin D with 11 grams of fat resulted in absorption 16 percent higher than taking with 35 grams of fat and 20 percent higher absorption than taking with 0 grams of fat.

It doesn’t matter whether you get fat out polyunsaturated fatty acids (Hemp oil, Linseed oil, Sunflower oil), one made from monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, Avocados, Almonds) or one made of saturated (coconut oil).

Correct intake: Topical via the skin

If you cannot tolerate vitamin D preparations or whose vitamin D level simply does not want to rise despite the correct intake of vitamin D preparations, the vitamin can also be applied to the skin, since it can also be absorbed through the skin.

To do this, choose a liquid preparation without unfavourable additives, e.g. Vitamin D3 drops, which only come from vitamin D3 and MCT fats (medium-chain fats from e.g.  Coconut oil) exist. Apply to the forearm, where the skin is particularly receptive

Important note

Disclaimer: This article was based on (at the time of publication) current studies written and checked by doctors, but may not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, replaced so not to visit your doctor. So, discuss each one Measure (whether from this or another of our articles) always first with your doctor.

I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.

Catherine
CWD 21 December 2024/Ireland