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Paula Rincon's avatar

Nikko, I noticed no mentions on Vitamin B6 or CoQ10 which are commonly repeated recommendations I see given by practitioners. I was hoping you’d address those in the FAQs perhaps guiding us into why you think they may or may not be useful.

Oh, and last thing, I clicked a couple of links that don’t work just so you know.

(As I was reading, I was frenetically clicking all links and saving as bookmarks for later πŸ˜†πŸ˜…)

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Nikko Kennedy's avatar

Thank you! I’ll check the links. I address B vitamin metabolism in my Folate seriesβ€”my understanding is they are meant to work in harmony together. CoQ10 is also mitochondria/redox supporting, and it is in many of the foods I list in the Folate series. But the doses in supplements are so much higher than you could eat naturally. I am always looking to the sense of taste to guide.

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Paula Rincon's avatar

What a fascinating article. After looking for answers for over a week while dealing with these symptoms I have finally come up with the clear and actionable information I was crazy to find. Thank you for making your time all about women like us!

I just have a few practical questions. Would like to get the trace mineral drops you recommend. Do you have a preferred brand? Also, recommendations for magnesium salts? Why the ACV for the warm water and whey? Do you have a preferred way for homemade whey? Lastly, for high Vit C foods, what are your go-tos? Would love your insights.

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Nikko Kennedy's avatar

Thank you so much for the detailed comments and questions, Paula. This will make the article better in the future as I’ll make some updates on this. But I do most of my shopping through Azure, and here’s where I have listed some of the products I like: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-_VSn4FZoAYAKCZ6ye38lLadUlAh8rq05ad3TgY_ldI/edit?usp=drivesdk Always use your own judgement and sensibility for what is right for you!

ACV can help modulate blood sugarβ€”it should have read water with ACV or Whey with lemon. Whey can boost glutathione production. I make homemade dairy kefir and strain it through muslin cloth overnight to get my wheyβ€”then it is still full of the probiotics, plus I get kefir cheese out of it which is tasty with salt and high quality olive oil, or with jam or honey for sweet. And warm drinks are easier to assimilate and save you energy since your body doesn’t have to heat it up.

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Paula Rincon's avatar

Thank you so much for YOUR detailed answers. You got a reason for everything you recommend! I used to be a kefir making machine (I have a BS in microbiology and have always appreciated the art and science of fermented foods) thank you for reminding me that I should go back πŸ™‚

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Leah's avatar

Nikko, this was very interesting to me, and also over my head! However, I was curious if you had any experience in particular with clients overcoming the NVP/HG to be able to consume the proteins you mentioned? Dietary changes, or taking supplements, when drowning in nausea/vomiting were impossible for me. This is why I appreciate the additional information on circadian rhythm and grounding. That's new to me, and I find it fascinating!

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Nikko Kennedy's avatar

Yes! For women already experiencing these symptoms, a salty protein snack right before bed and in bed in the middle of the night is key, because if you go all night without eating you will wake up feeling very nauseaus and having a blood sugar spike from the body having to dip into its own reserves to prevent blood sugar from going too low. If someone going through this can start getting some protein overnight, they can possibly start to be able to tolerate some in the morning, too. I will say, it is much easier for women if they can start eating a high-protein diet before conceivingβ€”the most successful people with this are those who do that and then in their next pregnancy they are able to avoid the challenges because they start doing the right things at the first sign of symptoms before things escalate.

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Leah's avatar

This is great. Thank you, Nikko! You gave me a lot to think about!

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Jan Yanello's avatar

Nikko, this is a fascinating read. I feel like you popped a whole filing cabinet of resources into the guide and I love it! The reset you recommend parallels much of what I have found to be most effective with clients experiencing NVP/HG, but I absolutely have not been paying attention to light exposure/time spent out-of-doors and how that correlates with symptoms. I so wish I had read this prior to some of my years of fast paced clinical work, with real-time opportunity to observe how working on circadian rhythm/light exposure affected client experiences of morning sickness!

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Nikko Kennedy's avatar

Thank you. I wish all birth workers could get light coaching before starting their training! I think we could really reduce our rates of burnout. Not to mention giving us another way to help the families we serve.

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Natalie's avatar

What a fabulous read. How do you give away this knowledge for free!!?! I can’t imagine the time spent writing this let alone research. Thank you

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Nikko Kennedy's avatar

You are so welcome! Yes, it is a lot of time and energy. This is all working towards print booksβ€”I also have paid options for those who want to support, and all the paid subscribers get my live and video teachings which can go into even more detail πŸ˜ƒ https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/upgrade-to-pro

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Paula Rincon's avatar

I'm a bit hesitant to ask another question, given the time and effort your generous responses require. However, I'm curious about your opinion on IR light lamps for those of us who might miss out on natural infrared exposure some days and happen to have a lamp at home. 🏠 🚨

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