ZigZag Nutrition

I’m embarking upon a series here called “What does the Bible say about…?” In this first edition, I’m going to dive into some higher-level perspectives before we dive into much more in depth details in future posts, such as prayer, fasting, eating veggies, using essential oils, etc.I believe the Bible presents us with much wisdom to unpack that we can take into consideration as we hope to strive for our very best lives on this side of heaven. I mean this in practicality, but also in thematic volumes we can learn to listen to as we navigate a very strange world we currently live in compared to the context within biblical times.This is the audio version for the original post published here.Thank you for listening.You can find other episodes here on Substack or Spotify (and Apple Podcasts in weeks to come).ZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.Thank you for being here. Please consider sharing this story with a friend or use it as a catalyst for conversation. See you next time! 🤙You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Why You Need to Listen to Your Nervous System… 👇Because at the end of the day, every symptom you have is a gentle (or loud) whisper your body is trying to speak to you as it longs for alignment and healing. Today, we’re going to dive into how something as hidden and under-explored as a spinal subluxation can be negatively impacting your feelings of anxiety, depression, even constipation and paranoia. Yes, this is another personal lesson from yours truly. And yes, I recommend you go see a chiropractor for spinal adjustments, preferably one that understands wholistic health and potentially is adept in the atlas orthogonal adjustment technique as well. I can’t tell you how many times I have successfully diagnosed someone I know struggling with unexpected relentless anxiety, nervousness, or an extremely alarming LOCKED IN state of fight or flight as having a subluxation in their spine. Some are worse than others. Some people have a bodily hypersensitivity more loud than others. The most important thing I can ever recommend to clients and patients for the longevity of their health journey is to KNOW THYSELF. You will forever be in the VERY best position to both listen to your body and better understand what your unique body needs in any unique time of your life. Use the physicians, use the coaches, use the doulas, use them all for your support, but at the end of the day you also have to listen to your body’s innate communication signals and you have to honor what your nervous system is ready for.As I have just recently found Dr. Erica Matluck here on Substack, I’m already a fan.The following image really speaks volumes beyond what I have time to explain today, and it touches on many things I have been discussing with other health professionals and even friends behind the scenes. It seems to me that we have been in the middle of a great awakening over the last few years and we have reached a new checkpoint along that journey to all be faced with a deep realization of our detached relationship we have with our very own nervous systems. (I’ve shared a recent Instagram post I made about this below) 💪 Today’s Episode is brought to you by Designs for Health. You can find several high-quality products on their website via my virtual dispensary. 🙌I’ve also included 4 of my current favorite products linked below to learn more. * Creatine Monohydrate - a product I recommend to nearly every client* Sleep Complex - a product I recommend to clients truly challenged with insomnia and difficulties with sleep onset or trouble getting to sleep* Aloe - a pretty easy product to include in any gut healing process* Digestzymes - a core component of any gut repair protocol to help people struggling with poor appetite, poor digestion, constipation, gas, bloating, or overall sluggish digestionUse code “ZigZag20” for 20% off; this offer is good until December 2024.ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts & support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.💡 Today’s Big Idea 👇You Can Connect the Dots to Promote Your Health & Healing JourneyLearn more by clicking play and listen to today’s full episode. Do me a favor and make sure to like, comment, follow, share this post with a friend or family member you think would enjoy this content. Last but not least, feel free to provide a 5-star rating and leave a review. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Any amount of effort you put in to help support the show helps the show grow and reach more people to make more of a positive impact in the lives of others. Thank you!Updates from Insta:ZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.Thank you for being here. Please consider sharing this story with a friend or use it as a catalyst for conversation. See you next time! 🤙You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInCheck out last episode below. Don’t forget, you can find ZigZag Nutrition on Spotify now too! Go give the show a follow and 5-star rating. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

On Thursday, I suffered a pretty terrible sprain in my right foot and ankle. I’m going to save you from any photos of the baseball sized swell that formed on the top and side of my right foot, but I’ll share some photos along the journey here below in today’s written story. Today’s podcast is going to explore the relationships of how our physical health and in particular, how injuries and labels we allow ourselves to carry can leave an impression on our integrated mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing. In today’s episode I’ll be talking to you off the cuff a little about how I feel about injuries, labels, and how we often are our own worst enemy and hold ourselves back much more than necessary. In fact, I believe…The more negative labels we carry, the more we will negatively think and feel about ourselves. If we recognize our need for physical movement is an absolute fact, we can plan to structure around our daily rhythms that can help support our healing process with other positive experiences that can substitute / support us in times when we won’t have the same level of natural muscle-moving serotonin and endorphin release like we might get from exercise. Now, I know that was a mouthful, but I’m quite confident you understand what I’m talking about here. Instead of staying cooped up inside all day, letting my mental and emotional health decline along with my temporary physical movement hiatus, I am actively pushing and pursuing time with friends, little moments of walking when I can get them, and as much sunlight as my skin can handle. In addition, I’ve been taking phone calls for clients and receiving unexpected phone calls for friends since the injury as well. As a natural extrovert, my people time is ACTIVE healing recovery time. You see, we get to choose how we live our lives. We get to choose our own form of hard, as they say. And I refuse to let cabin fever take my sanity….ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.“I just want you to know that you have a lot greater opportunity to change your life for the better than what you probably ever gave yourself the chance to believe.”Make the Most of Every MomentLife is but a game. Humor. Chaos. Beauty. In every moment. We get to choose how we want to respond to this game called Life. The whole time I was sitting there in this small little waiting room was, “It would be nice to take one of these home. I wonder if my insurance would cover it…?” 😂Humor is incredibly helpful when we get to see this life as a wild experience, entirely unpredictable, but always full of unexpected blessings, brokenness, and healing along the way. I’m grateful for my peace of mind in moments like these. Gratitude is the Best Attitude 💫The first thing that came to mind when I snapped this photo and shared it on Instagram was my caption, “At least she matches….” I’m someone who tends to believe that unrealistic optimism paired with a “realist” type of perspective is one of the best ways to navigate this world with unexpected unfortunate events. We can’t change what has already happened, so we might as well make light of it and enjoy the journey. And a lot of this goes back to foundational principles of psychology. * Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset* Internal Locus of Control vs. External Locus of Control* Optimism vs. Pessimism vs. NihilismWe all come into our formed identity and personalities with some sort of bias, but that doesn’t mean we can change our mental frameworks, change our minds (literally) and take on new paradigms. “People don’t live up to their desires, they live according to their standards.” - Tony Robbins“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry FordAs I have mentioned before, if you want to change your life you need to change the way you think. If you don’t want to shake the binge drinking alcohol, late nights out with your friends on the weekends to ignore the pain and self-neglect of the work week then go ahead and keep thinking the way you do.If you want to keep using nicotine, caffeine, or sugar as your broken crutch to brace your self-care instead of doing the deep work to truly heal your longing spirit and strengthen your soul, go right ahead.But some people desire more. Some people desire change. Some people go so far as to make something BETTER their standard for tomorrow.You have to transcend your reality today and project yourself into what you want your life to look like in the future in order to get there.You must commit yourself to radical changes — as your standard operating system — if you really want to live a radically different, much improved life.So, whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are most certainly right.ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts & support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.Related Stories to Catch Up On for Additional Reading:Rethink How You Think to Break Through Your Broken False Beliefs.3 Behavioral Modifications to Transform Your HealthLearn from my mistakes and take the chance to take your health in a better direction.ZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.Thank you for being here. Please consider sharing this story with a friend or use it as a catalyst for conversation. See you next time! 🤙You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInCheck out last episode below. Don’t forget, you can find ZigZag Nutrition on Spotify now too! Go give the show a follow and 5-star rating. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s podcast is by far the most important podcast I have ever released. This recording has been sitting on my computer for over 40 days until I felt fully comfortable and ready to share. It’s been a slow resolve for the mountain of emotions I felt that day.I needed to take some time to get back to balance and homeostasis. There were a lot of emotions I needed to calmly and slowly let go of. Partially, sure, for the fact that I was fasting because I felt like God was nudging me all weekend to get me ready for some sort of energy shift to happen. Which it did happen. That is for sure. And I can’t help but imagining this as a quasi baptism of sorts. Spiritually speaking it is nothing of the kind of genuine baptism that comes with giving one’s life to Jesus Christ, and maybe I’m just over spiritualizing all of this. But to me, it was tremendously meaningful and felt like God was poking at me all weekend as I was pleading with Him to show me something, to move me in some way, to rid me of the stagnant and negative energy and emotion I had been feeling for the past few weeks. In his mysterious ways, He brought me into something that I needed - to save the 13-yr old boy who also needed me, to save him. And at the end of the day, God saved us both. It was such a challenging swim and stressful time to say the least. I hope you listen in with great attention. This one is coming off strong from the heart. I recorded today’s episode just a few hours after the events unfolded on July 7th, 2024 while my mind was still loose and my emotions were still raw. I hope and pray I never lose the experience and what it provided me in my life. Right place, right time. 🌟 Lord willing, God made a way. 💫As part of today’s episode I also had plans to talk to you all about my 3-day social media fast and 24+ hour fast over this same weekend. I’m sharing all about that in the beginning of today’s heartfelt episode about how I saved a 13-year old boy from drowning in the river. My Private Facebook Community was the first to get a glimpse of what was to come from today’s story. If you want to jump in the group, we just added 100+ new members in the past few days. Join here. The Local Newspaper (and other media outlets) reported on the story too. You can read more about the events in local newspaper stories that written about what happened. Yes, that’s me, written in the fold as the “passerby” or the “bystander” depending on what story you read. I’m thankful and grateful I as able to not just stand by, but that I was mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually fit enough to take action to go save this kid. I’ll be talking about that and much more in today’s episode. Tune in, and tell me what you think about the whole ordeal. Are you going to make sure that you and your family know how to swim?! Surely, I hope so after hearing my story today.…The 13-year-old juvenile shared that he was swimming alone in the water near the confluence of the Driftwood River and the Flatrock River when he began to struggle to swim. The juvenile then began to call out for help.The adult male, age 29, who was on the park’s trail, heard the cry for help, [spotted] the juvenile and entered the water [to go after him].The Columbus Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to caution community members about the dangers associated with swimming in rivers. Unlike a swimming pool, rivers may have strong currents that can create challenges for even a strong swimmer. Rivers may also contain hidden obstacles that may not be visible above the water. These obstacles may trap or snag a swimmer which could lead to drowning. If swimming in a river, never swim alone and consider a flotation device. Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman said, “We salute the efforts of the passerby for his courageous act of helping this child.”ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.ZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.Thank you for being here. Please consider sharing this story with a friend or use it as a catalyst for conversation. See you next time! 🤙You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInCheck out last episode below. Don’t forget, you can find ZigZag Nutrition on Spotify now too! Go give the show a follow and 5-star rating. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Today I wanted to take some time to talk about some of our invisible superpowers as practitioners, as patients, as people in our community to instill encouragement, positivity, optimism, hope, and overall empowerment in the lives of other people who’s lives we the the chance to walk with. There is such an opportunity for us as human beings in coexistence with our natural world and coexistence with other natural human beings in our communities to be activators of health and wellness.And we don't give enough credit to this, especially in the world of health and wellness and hospital care.I think one of our core responsibilities as practitioners, as medical doctors, as health professionals, is to make sure that we give encouragement, that we promote hope and positivity and optimism for patient care.We’re going to talk about this and a whole lot more in this today’s episode. Click play and listen in. Like ❤️ comment, and share with a friend, fellow patient or fellow healthcare worker you think would enjoy today’s conversation. ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts & support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriberZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.Thank you for being here. Please consider sharing this story with a friend or use it as a catalyst for conversation. See you next time! 🤙You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInMore information and examples on the power of Spreading Healing Positive Energy. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Recently, I had the chance to work directly with my friend and colleague in holistic health, Daryl Roberts from Balanced Alignment to learn more about the unique perspectives of Ayurveda in relationship to my own personal health and wellness journey. As you know, I am a fan of all things holistic health and wellness, from TCM to German New Medicine and Ayurveda and more. I’ve always enjoyed learning more about ancient medicine philosophies as I believe there to be much truth they have known for hundreds to thousands of years that we tend to often forget or have led to purposefully forget. In today’s video, I wanted to give a brief testimonial - albeit somewhat scatter-brained, unscripted and impromptu in the moment while on a walk. I hope you enjoy and consider exploring your options for health and healing with my friend and colleague, Daryl Roberts. Best and many blessings fam 💙 ✌️💫You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | “X” Twitter | LinkedInZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

From a place of first principles, let us start off by defining our terms. Cannabis, or Hemp, is the name of the plant. Weed, marijuana (or other miscellaneous names) refer to various products that are made from the cannabis plant. These terms are often used interchangeably but really are quite different. The cannabis plant contains about 540 chemical substances, some of these you may have heard about before. Some maybe not. Marijuana THC vs CBD, CBG, CBN: What’s the difference? What are health benefits of each? Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - THC is the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state. Some cannabis plants contain very little THC. Under U.S. law, these plants are considered “industrial hemp” rather than marijuana. 🌿Drugs containing cannabinoids may be helpful in treating certain rare forms of epilepsy, nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, and loss of appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS. In addition, some evidence suggests modest benefits of cannabis or cannabinoids for chronic pain and multiple sclerosis symptoms. Cannabis isn’t helpful for glaucoma. Research on cannabis or cannabinoids for other conditions is in its early stages.Learn more here: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health🎧 In today’s audio podcast 🎤I focus on the relationship of cannabis to mental health, specifically the use of weed / marijuana and its influence on the psychiatry and psychology of a person. What we must understand always - in all aspects of health and wellness and personalized medicine - is that context is critically important. There are countless niche and nuanced aspects of this conversation I’m sure we could have. But for the purposes of the perspective I wanted to share today, I want you to keep in context the perspective I’m holding space for - one in which is focused on the use of marijuana and the impact to kids, youth, young adults, and society at large. You’re welcome to share your perspectives in the comments below or check out some of my community’s favorite stories related to today’s topic linked below. 👇ZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | “X” Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

THIS Japanese Word Will Radically Change Your Life"A motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living."Pulling from the Wonderful World of Wikipedia:ikigai as "a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living". More generally it may refer to something that brings pleasure or fulfilment.The term compounds two Japanese words: iki (生き, meaning 'life; alive') and kai (甲斐, meaning '(an) effect; (a) result; (a) fruit; (a) worth; (a) use; (a) benefit; (no, little) avail') (sequentially voiced as gai), to arrive at 'a reason for living [being alive]; a meaning for [to] life; what [something that] makes life worth living; a 'raison d'être'.You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | “X” Twitter | LinkedInListen to the full episode in this week's audio podcast. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Your thoughts and words shape your life experience. Your brain and body are constantly responding to every word you speak and every thought you think. Want to read more about the power of your belief systems? Take a peak at one of my favorite posts on the topic below! 👇👇👇 (click the pretty butterfly or the cute kiddo or both)Find yourself in the midst of the shadows and think about taking that next step of personal growth you’ve been thinking about. Keep awesome people around you.Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | “X” Twitter | LinkedInZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Well, hello there.It's been a while since I've released an episode.I wanted to give a little update on why it's been so long since I've released an episode and give some perspective on what's to come for the future.Life has been biiiiiizy. I have some projects in the works and more ideas to build and grow this community with higher value offers I think you will love. * Virtual Book Club (topics could be: Women’s Health, Gut Health, or others (Direct Message Me if you want to be put on the wait list!) * Virtual Coaching Collaboration with a Functional Nutrition trained RD who specializes in Gut HealthI talk about these more in depth in the audio from today’s post. ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | “X” Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Personalized Precision Medicine offers us the chance to dive into someone’s daily routines and apply particular nuanced care strategies to optimize health and wellbeing. In my own practice as a health coach and dietitian, I find over and over that people do not fully understand how their body feels with the movement they push it to perform. Furthermore, they do not feel their mind, body, spirit connection in relation to the movement they perform. Unfortunately, these intimate ties have been formerly severed in the human experience in recent times.Most people I meet don’t reflect on how their creatine and caffeine combo pre-workout they take in the evening to prep for their evening workout routine after day job work schedule is likely negatively impacting their nighttime routine and disrupting their natural sleep cycle.ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.Welcome back to ZigZag Nutrition.Today, I’m going to discuss the connections between sleep, stress, movement, and physical activity. In functional medicine or precision medicine we strive to tailor movement and exercise recommendations based on someone’s unique needs to support their optimal wellbeing. If we are not careful, too much exercise can drive us towards adrenal burnout and nutrient depletion. Additionally, depending on the timing and intensity of exercise it can be helpful or harmful to someone’s sleep pattern.I’ll dive into all these details and more in today’s podcast.If you have any questions or want specific support in your health and wellness journey, let me know.Let me know in the comments below if you have any personal hints, tips, strategies that you’ve learned work well for your movement and exercise routine. Some of my community’s favorite posts related to today’s topic are linked below if you want to take a look around.But without further ado, click the play button and let’s dive in. 🎧Today’s music is brought to you by, Music: Blue Dream Musician: CheelPs. support this community by sharing this message with at least two ✌️ people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Today you are going to learn 3+ foundational daily practices to support your brain with one last recommendation that is likely going to shock you!Your health is within your hands if you so choose to take it. This is not a stressful event, but a joyful reunion and communion for you to come back within your mind-body-spirit connection and take good care of your whole self. Welcome back to ZigZag Nutrition.Today, I’m going to talk us through some of the most powerful ways to improve focus and cognition with simple tips and lifestyle tools within our reach. I’m not talking caffeine, nootropics or nicotine. Each of the strategies I’ll share today are absolutely free for you to use. Let me know in the comments below if you have any personal hints, tips, strategies that you’ve learned work well for you to support energy, focus, attention, and overall cognitive performance. Some of my community’s favorite posts related to today’s topic are linked below if you want to take a look around.But without further ado, click the play button and let’s dive in. 🎧Ps. support this community by sharing this message with at least two ✌️ people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to ZigZag Nutrition.Today, I’m going to discuss one of the often overlooked pieces of the puzzle related to the obesity epidemic. As I share in the audio, this is not the time for me to talk about BMI, body image, body positivity or the like. I am strictly sticking to the conversation of what is causing obesity around the world, but most specifically in America. What aspects of this equation are we not talking about enough? What are we missing? As you will soon find out, quite a lot actually. They don’t teach you this in nutrition school. Some of my community’s favorite posts related to today’s topic are linked below if you want to take a look around. But without further ado, let’s dive in. 🎧Theories of ObesityObesogens - chemicals that may promote obesity by interfering with your metabolism and hormones. Evidence shows that human exposure may start as early as in the womb. Their impact may even affect future generations. The most common contaminants found in food that are considered to be potential obesogens include estrogens, such as diethylstilboestrol and genistein; organotins, e.g., tributyltin; fluoro actanoates; bisphenol A and bisphenol S (BPA & BPS); diethylhexyl phthalate, and the growing concern for PFAS forever chemicals in drinking water. Additionally, we have several other sources of obesogen exposure in our daily life from environmental pollutants to toxic cosmetic beauty products, pesticides and insecticides like Prallethrin, and much more. We also can classify chemical compound obesogens under the umbrella of endocrine disrupting chemicals, otherwise known as EDC, which are in nearly every room of your house, car, and office. This is just one of the reasons why understanding environmental medicine as part of functional systems biology is so important. We have to understand there are an infinite number of net negative effects by exposing ourselves to hundreds of these harmful chemicals on a daily basis whether it’s because we care about obesity or any other number of related diseases affected by these chemicals. What they don’t teach you in nutrition school Weight gain is about more than just calories in vs. calories out. Historically, there are two major theories to describe the rise in obesity around the world: 1) the energy balance model (EBM) and 2) carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM). We also have the REDOX theory that points to the oxidation-reduction processes within the body as the body adapts to environmental stimuli misaligned from optimal biology, such as the influence of sedentary lifestyles, processed foods, and certain substances can push communication signals in the body that drive pathways for obesity. Lastly, there is a fourth model that takes a look at human exposure to environmental chemicals during critical developmental periods, but also across the lifespan, and their impact for altering metabolic pathways, hormonal regulation, inflammation, immune function and more that can play a significant role in driving obesity in human physiology. As you can imagine there are several leading factors that are driving the obesity epidemic around the world, much of which can be reflective of diet and lifestyle changes but still there is more to this equation. Beyond just food and substances, we also have to consider the particular influence these intakes have on different organ systems throughout the body and their various respective interdependent metabolic functions. Next, if we go deeper still to consider how these influencers act at the cellular level, from disrupting the gut microbiome, driving insulin resistance, altered food-mood behaviors, inflammation and more, we can start to understand how the simplified model of obesity that solely focuses on Calories In vs. Calories Out is outdated and ignores the chance at critical thinking to better address etiology and outcomes of this disease process. 🧬 And despite what Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford of the Biden administration’s team for adapting the USDA’s 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee might tell you, you actually do have a lot of potential influence within your hands to positively improve your life, your health, and happiness. Obesity cannot be summed up and dismissed as primarily a “Genetic Disease,” as she consistently claims on public television. She is a doctor specializing in obesity medicine (supposedly) and she comments that diet and lifestyle have little to do with weight gain at all. 🙄 Which I hope we can all unanimously roll our eyes to in unison. 🙄In my opinion, this is just another sign of the corporatized capture of education, narrative, and financial influence of big pharmaceutical giants as Calley Means and others have been pointing out for quite some time, she has a significant conflict of interest when it comes to this topic of obesity. She is either ridiculously misinformed or a shill to promote a focused pharmaceutical approach to “treat” obesity with expensive drugs and costly side effects. And yes, they are even trying to recommend this as the first-line treatment for children, along with surgery in some cases. What a message to share with young people… this is effectively what they are saying…“Listen up, you have no power to improve your life. Take these pills. Let’s drug you up as early and as often as possible while the ultra-processed food giants continue to feed you poison. And don’t you worry, if this doesn’t work then there’s always the chance at surgery. We will take care of you. Don’t worry your sweet head to make any changes, just sign the dotted line to be our lifelong customer and we’ll take good care of you.”According to reports from the CDC and many others like OurWorldInData.org, the percentage of obese American adults only continues to climb, now at levels above 40% in some regions, a rapid rise from levels around 30% in 2017. The rates for childhood obesity have increased as well, obviously made worse through the pandemic. My friends and readers of this community…This is the time to stand up for truth, to not go quiet into that good night, not to be shy, but to be authentically genuine to speak truth openly and honestly in hopes to lead more people and wake up those who are sleeping or under a spell by those who capture the narrative and intend to rewrite history for themselves. As always, I implore you to dig deeper, ask more questions, seek more answers, and continue to learn and grow in your communities and our connected community here as well. If you haven’t already, go ahead and press play to listen to this week’s audio podcast as a complement and insightful addition to this week’s written story.Today’s music is brought to you by, Music: Blue Dream Musician: Cheel Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Friends, welcome back to ZigZagNutrition - my place to explore all things health, wellness, healing, and meaning in the world we live. This is my newsletter that I started almost 3 years ago now (wow) to give us a chance to explore all things health and wellness with the freedom to learn the true fundamentals of health and healing.Substackoffers us that chance in the age of unimaginable censorship across most modern media.I’ve been writing for over a decade now and have always had an inkling of a call to try to encourage, educate, empower, and inspire others. You can expect all of that here.ZigZag Nutritionexplores at complex topics across holistic health, integrative & functional medicine, offering insights about our broken healthcare system, natural & alternative health, health optimization, nutritional psychiatry, and data-driven tools to inform and elicit change behavior like never before. (and more).ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.My goal with this newsletter is - and has always been - to serve you, to support you with insight, information, and inspiration to improve your health and improve your life for the better. Some of my community’s favorite posts are linked above if you want to take a look around. Today, I’m going to share some of my personal thoughts and beliefs around today’s public discourse around health, wellness, obesity drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and even our recent debacle with the covid-19 vaccination crisis. I’m also going to share some of my reflections after watching the political dogmatism we’ve witnessed over the last several years. I talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his road to the white house. I talk about common ground and common sense in political discourse. He is by far, the only candidate I have seen in my lifetime speak with truth, love, honesty, and authenticity. It resonates. And he is resonating with many more people in the holistic health and wellness world. He understands root cause. He understands nuance. He understands systems biology. And I can’t help but celebrate his candidacy. And I’ll tell you why in so many words in this week’s video. ps. I just happened to notice Dr. Mark Hyman recorded a recent episode with RFK Jr. AFTER I uploaded this video. Gotta love great timing. He is our common-sense candidate. He is our healthy alternative. He is our chance at approaching common ground and calming down the inflammatory conditions of our politics in this country. I was talking to a colleague this week about a thought I had while on a morning walk…“Most people don’t like Biden. Many people don’t like Trump. Why not take the common sense approach and choose a healthy alternative?” In all things, I’m here to call us to something greater and to practice my subtle chance at leadership with truth, love, and empathy as the roots of all my actions. I’m only here to help. Love you all. 💙 ✌️If you can do me any favor, would you please like, comment, and find something meaningful that stuck out for you and share with others?This is how we grow our collective conscious and elevate our ideas around health, healing, and transcendent love and appreciation to one another. We live life with others, and we share life with others. Thank you for being here, now let’s listen in!Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Friends, Welcome back to ZigZagNutrition - my place to explore all things health, wellness, healing, and meaning in the world we live. My goal with this newsletter is - and has always been - to serve you, to support you with insight, information, and inspiration to improve your health and improve your life for the better. I’ve written to you over the last 2.5 years and it’s been a labor of love. I hope you have enjoyed our time together and look forward for more to come. If you can do me any favor, would you please like, comment, and find something meaningful that stuck out for you and share with others? This is how we grow our collective conscious and elevate our ideas around health, healing, and transcendent love and appreciation to one another. We live life with others, and we share life with others. Thank you for being here, now let’s dive in!I went on a run this week after work and the colors were dazzling. The river running by was magical and inspiring. I believe there’s a deeply meaningful reason why we are drawn back to nature as humans. I think there’s a reason why we love it. But isn’t it so funny that it is actually so remarkable to us today when ancestrally speaking, living in and of nature in the great outdoors was always our home. We are nature. The river and the trees are like cousins we only see a couple times a year. The colorful forest floor and leaves still hanging in the oxygen rich forest are like a long-distance relationship we only get a chance to embrace a few times each season when put the world on hold and actually commit the time. Today I’m sharing some thoughts on all these things on nature and meaning. Take a listen and tell me what you think or how you can relate. Love you all. 💙 ✌️Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedInFor more ways to support my work, check out the sponsors affiliate links below where I share some of my favorite tools, tips, and products to help people just like you live their best life possible. In full health and happiness. Striving always.| Purity Coffee - Do you drink Coffee? Are you focused on quality? - Organic Coffee Crafted for Health - A few of the reasons why people love Purity Coffee. They are leaders in quality for the consumer coffee industry.* Mold-free* Mycotoxin-free* Certified organic and tested free of pesticides and other contaminants* Specialty grade for exceptional taste and highest quality beans* Regeneratively and/or biodynamically farmed for sustainabilityUse code “ZZN20” at checkout for a 20% discount on your first purchase. This week I’m brewing up some of their medium roast coffee titled FLOW. | Biocidin Botanicals | Biocidin Botanicals offers powerful natural solutions that address today’s complex needs with simplicity. Still centered on the 18 herbs in our flagship formulation — used worldwide by integrative and naturopathic doctors for over 30 years. | A natural solution for our times and a nurturing environment for all who work here. Use code “ZZN10” at checkout for 10% off your order. Personally, I use the Biocidin Defend mouth spray every single day!| BON CHARGE | Science backed wellness products to optimize your sleep, wellbeing and recovery | Red Light Device, Blue Light Blocking Glasses, Sauna | use code “ZigZag” at checkout for 15% off your order. Personally, I use the red light bulbs at night and try to use the blue light blocking glasses when I remember. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

What else do you want to know? Let me know in the comments below!Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

ZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why we need to be mindful of marketing, the absolute absurdities of everyday life, and when it's not the best thing to be part of the world’s top 1%.Today I'm going to be discussing one of the more frustrating things that happened to me on a routine trip to the grocery store and the gas station.Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and provides a chance to learn more about this serious condition. Obesity puts children at a higher risk for developing a variety of chronic health conditions and diseases.According to the CDC, here are some stats on childhood obesity measured from 2017-2020. Many would now suggest that due to the pandemic, increase in ultraprocessed food consumption, sedentary lifestyles, and increased screeentime and stress levels for children that the rates for childhood obesity today would be greater than the statistics below. * The prevalence of obesity was 19.7% and affected about 14.7 million children and adolescents.* Obesity prevalence was 12.7% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.7% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 22.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds. Childhood obesity is also more common among certain populations.* Obesity prevalence was 26.2% among Hispanic children, 24.8% among non-Hispanic Black children, 16.6% among non-Hispanic White children, and 9.0% among non-Hispanic Asian children.* Obesity-related conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, and joint problems.Article - for additional reading: 50 Ways to Reduce Childhood Obesity in Indiana. Past Stories I’ve Published on the the topic:3 Startling Statistics on Children’s Health Today* 1 in 5 kids today are obese — many more are overweight or obese.* 1 in 3 kids today are expected to experience some form of diabetes in their lifetime.Children's Mental Health: Another look 👀 Because They Deserve It* About 16.5% of school-aged children had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the United States in 2016. CDC report (1 in 6 kids)* 3.5 million American children are now taking Ritalin and similar medications for ADHD, up from only 150,000 or so in the late 1970s. That comes to about one out of every 23 children from four to 17 years old.September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention MonthHow to Help Someone You KnowIf you know someone who is at immediate risk of suicide, call 911 right away. It can be difficult when someone you know expresses thoughts about suicide, but you can show support by doing the following:* Talk. Your willingness to express your concern for the person in crisis can be the first step in getting that person help.* Listen. Being an active listener is another way of reminding a person in crisis that they are not alone.* Remain Present. Your physical and emotional presence in the person’s life makes a difference. If you are worried about their safety, get help from a mental health professional immediately.* Call or text 988. Last year, 988 was activated as a new three-digit dialing code. When someone dials 988, they will be connected to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This confidential support line is available 24 hours a day to provide free help to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10. It’s a time to remember those affected by suicide, to raise awareness, and to focus efforts on directing treatment to those who need it most.Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable.Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can help save lives. Learn about behaviors that may be a sign that someone is thinking about suicide. Learn by visiting nimh.nih.gov/suicideprevention.What Are The Warning Signs of Suicide?Warning signs that someone may be at immediate risk for attempting suicide include:* Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves* Talking about feeling empty or hopeless or having no reason to live* Talking about feeling trapped or feeling that there are no solutions* Feeling unbearable emotional or physical pain* Talking about being a burden to others* Withdrawing from family and friends* Giving away important possessions* Saying goodbye to friends and family* Putting affairs in order, such as making a will* Taking great risks that could lead to death, such as driving extremely fast* Talking or thinking about death oftenOther serious warning signs that someone may be at risk for attempting suicide include:* Displaying extreme mood swings, suddenly changing from very sad to very calm or happy* Making a plan or looking for ways to kill themselves, such as searching for lethal methods online, stockpiling pills, or buying a gun* Talking about feeling great guilt or shame* Using alcohol or drugs more often* Acting anxious or agitated* Changing eating or sleeping habits* Showing rage or talking about seeking revengeAdditional Research and Reading on the topic of Medication induced / related Suicidal ideation, something we certainly don’t talk about enough. Risk of Suicidal Behaviors and Antidepressant Exposure Among Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis of Observational StudiesPatients who take SSRIs may experience side effects such as violent behavior, mania or aggression, which can all lead to suicide.Depression is a complex issue caused by biological, genetic, environmental and psychological factors. SSRIs are generally thought to treat depression by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin in the brain. This leads to higher levels of serotonin in the brain, a neurotransmitter thought to positively influence mood, sleep and emotion.But this can result in mood swings and may lead to worsening depression or anxiety. Taking more than the recommended dose or suddenly stopping use of antidepressants can increase a patient’s chance of experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors.What begins as withdrawing from friends and activities and a loss of interest in work can escalate to harming oneself. In clinical trials and public use, there have been cases where antidepressant users have thought about, attempted or actually committed suicide.Suicide and Antidepressants: What Current Evidence IndicatesAnd I’ll share this tweet from one of the many physicians I follow online. I care about this topic deeply and have followed medical doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists from around the world that explore this topic with an open mind. I’ve learned a lot over the years and continue to learn more. Men’s Mental Health:* Nearly 80% of suicides are men. * US male suicide rate is 3-4x that of females, accounting for 79% of suicides - around 105 daily.* Each day, nearly 12 men in the UK die by suicide.* Suicide is a leading cause of death for men under age 50.* In the United States, suicide is the 2nd most common cause of death for men under the age of 45.* In Canada, suicide is the 2nd most common cause of death for men under the age of 50.* In the UK, suicide is the largest cause of death for men under the age of 50.I will writing about this more in coming weeks, but common “talk therapy” does not sufficiently serve men struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide. Men deal with different problems than women, and deal with problems differently than women. Common talk therapy is much more of a feminine approach to therapy. Listen to the whole episode this week to learn more about these differences and hear some of my thoughts and experience with this concern. Ps. share this message with two people who could learn something from this story. Thank you!You Can Find Me on the socials for more engaging content, health hints, and sharing stories on all things holistic health and wellness:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedInZigZag Nutrition is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

I firmly and fundamentally believe that every person is running. 🏃‍♂️ 💨 🏃‍♀️ 💨If you look around, you’ll see it too.If you look in someone’s eyes. If you listen to their voice. If you notice their subtle behaviors. If you truly pay attention, you’ll see it.👀Fundamentally, humans are either running TO something or running away FROM something. At the core of this idea is a deeper lesson for us to think about. 🤔How we talk to ourselves. How we consider ourselves a victim or victor in our own story… or if we even consider ourselves an active character at all. We humans work and live through stories. Storytelling was our first science and dissemination.Storytelling was our first teaching and guidance. Storytelling has always been with us and always will be.🤯We orient our entire lives around the stories we tell ourselves or the stories we believe about others and ourselves. Whether you like it or not, your life is being written as part of a story. 📘The only question is, who have you let hold the pen?🖋Fundamentally, we are running TO or running FROM.I’m diving into this concept on a deeper level this week in my Wednesday Wellness audio session as part of my broader newsletter on all things Health & Healing. 🌱Make sure you’re subscribed to read & listen in!👇👇👇You Can Find Me on the socials:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Youtube  Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Listen now | Social Connectedness | The untold story of social connectedness in society today and what it means for your overall health.----You Can Find Me on the socials:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Youtube  Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

This week I have left us with an open conversation on all the things we decide to put on our plates (and even the things you don’t actively decide to put there). Every week we have 7 days. Every day we have 24 hours. We each share the same 24-hour day. How we use those hours is incredibly important for the trajectory of our lives. Let’s be mindful of what we put on our plates each day. Is each item on our plate working for us or against us, supporting our health or slowly taking it away. We hold only so much space on our plates and each inch matters. Unfortunately, we often overburden our plates without much forethought or foresight. We take on too much. We forget to say no. We forget that every yes means a no to something else we were previously committed to. In this Wellness Wednesday edition I’ll share more on this metaphor and give you a few examples from my own life that hit home with me.All the socials:· Instagram 📸 🌱 🌶️ · Facebook 😼📚· Twitter 🐦 🐥 · LinkedIn 👔 👨‍⚕️ 💼· Youtube 🎥 💡 Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Walk. Hum. Be Marry. The Vagus nerve connects your brain to your neck, chest, abdomen, and gut – and plays a vital role in regulating your stress levels, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion.“Truth without Grace is brutality and Grace without Truth is illusion.”If you liked today’s topic, you’ll love this article here: 3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health in 2023: These are non-negotiable if you actually care about your health. I also write a lot about ADHD and holistic health tips, such as how movement can be used as medicine for those with ADHD symptoms. Prescribing Exercise for ADHD. “Exercise performs just as well as the leading medications.”Weekend Reading: Comprehensive Vagus Nerve & PTSD article. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s newsletter, I’m diving into some of the underrated views on ADHD and ODD, such as the potential advantages, gifts, and abilities for those who carry these diagnoses. Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

This weekend’s newsletter focuses on some of the issues facing the family in today’s society. In today’s audio, I share one of the best tools I have to share to help families who are focused on prioritizing family meals eaten at home together. This is a powerful ritual, though widely overlooked today. Read more about the benefits in the stories below! ZigZag Nutrition is a loved by readers ready to learn and grow. To receive support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you! Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Despite the fact that today’s post I made on Meta / Instagram / Facebook for this BIG ANNOUNCEMENT was NOT APPROVED 🙄 thankfully I have other means of communicating with fractions of my audience. It’s so incredibly frustrating what degrees of censorship / tolerance we have today.Anyway…I HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TO TELL YOU ABOUT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE AUDIO TRACK BELOW 👇👇👇I’m launching a BRAND NEW PROGRAM focused on Type 2 Diabetes titled “Roadmap to Reversal” and I’m super excited to take a closer look at this extremely expensive and wildly wayyyy too common condition we see today. Diabetes can cause serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. In 2017, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes was $327 billion in medical costs and lost productivity.Just imagine what those numbers would mean today, with increased rates ever growing (even in kids!) and the impact of inflation. It’s been estimated that People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of $16,752 per year, of which about $9,601 is attributed to diabetes.Current estimates show that 1 in 3 Americans will develop diabetes sometime in their lifetime. Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy and results in too much sugar in the bloodstream. Over time, this can cause serious health problems and damage vital organs. Most people who have diabetes have a shorter life expectancy than people without the disease.The opportunity to improve the lives of people with Diabetes is endless and always growing. This country and it’s health systems (food, healthcare, education, and more) MUST make a massive change to prevent Diabetes and work to reduce symptoms, improve patient outcomes, and promote higher Quality of Life (QoL).Grateful for you joining me in this journey. PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Only here to help. Stay Well. 💪 Stay Blessed. 💙P.S. Audio is 100000x easier to listen to and follow the newsletter if you download the Substack app, which I HIGHLY recommend. I’ll leave the link below. 😎p.s.s. I may have accidentally miscalculated my age in today’s audio. I never keep track, but after reviewing some math I’m happy to clarify, I am 28 years old! 😂Much Love Ya’ll, Have a Terrific Week! Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to ZigZag Nutrition at jonathanisbillrd.substack.com/subscribe