Downeast Wellness Integrative Health Services

01/31/2026

I met an incredible therapist that specializes in childhood trauma care. She is local in Bangor!!!

Check out Marquita Myrick at marquitamyrick.com

01/23/2026

I am a functional health provider in Maine and I hear this question from MANY of my patients who need BIG diet changes.

1. Eat to your blood type. Why? Because certain foods react with the proteins and antigens in your blood.

2. Remember portion size. The American diet is wayyyy to generous on portions, and we overeat.

3. Eat foods that have a low glycerin index and don't convert to simple carbs or sugar.

No one on this page should be recommending diets for you, as no one knows your unique health history, however:

Unless you have kidney issues, higher amounts of protein are good. Best proteins are beef, bison, goat, venison ... they have the amino acids your brain needs. Second best proteins are poultry, eggs, and quinoa. Beans are good occasionally, as they also have a high carb load. Pork is not a good meat. People argue with me until they learn that pork is so close to human biology that they can use it in heart valve transplants.

Veggies ARE necessary!!! Best veggies are the green leafy and cruciferous like beet, radish, and turnip greens, spinach, broccoli, kale, cauliflower. Second in precedence are green beans, snow peas, and romaine - type lettuce. The last and VERY sparse options include root vegetables like carrots, taters, sweet taters, celeriac, turnips, radishes, and corn. These are starches and will spike blood sugars. When you eat them, eat them as raw (except taters) as possible. Saute briefly in oils, rather than simmer until mushy or baking.

How do you afford this? MEAL PLAN. FIRST, buy glass storage dishes.

Next, understand grocery economy. Many meats are on sale every week. Shop sales according to meal plans. Buy 1-2 meats per week and portion them appropriately. A whole roasted chicken makes 4-5 meals for two of us. Drummy and thighs one night...baked breasts another night...stir fry a third night with eggs and veggies, hearty soup with leftovers (1-2 meals).

For veggies, you can start a kitchen garden and regrow plants from veggie cut in water. I have not bought an onion in 2 years, as I use this method to propagate scallions from my onions. Also, I keep a dish in tge fridge and put all of my clean veggie scraps in them. At the end of the week, I pulse these scraps and use them to thicken soups or side dishes.

Buy less than perfect veggies on sale.

And no, I did not include tomatoes.... they are a fruit and have a high sugar content. Use these sparingly to flavor dishes or as a garnish.

And last, but not least... avocados are your friend.

09/12/2025

This is BIG!

Stanford scientists have reversed autism symptoms in mice – using brain-targeting drugs.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Stanford Medicine have identified a specific brain region – the reticular thalamic nucleus – as a key driver of autism-like behaviors in mice. And when they dialed down the activity in that region, the symptoms disappeared.

These weren’t small changes. Mice that had been genetically modified to mimic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) showed classic signs: hypersensitivity to sound and light, social withdrawal, repetitive behaviors, and seizures. But when scientists used experimental drugs to reduce neural hyperactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus, those behaviors reversed.

The reticular thalamic nucleus works like a sensory gatekeeper, regulating the flow of information between the thalamus and the cortex. In the autism-model mice, it was firing too much – not just during stimulation, but spontaneously, triggering seizures and behavioral disruptions.

The team went further. Using neuromodulation techniques that allow neurons to be switched on or off with designer drugs, they could silence that brain region – and restore normal behavior. And when they artificially boosted activity in the same region in healthy mice, the animals began to show autism-like symptoms.

One of the most surprising parts of the study? The same drugs that worked in this model are already being investigated for epilepsy.

That’s more than a coincidence: around 30% of people with autism also have epilepsy, compared to just 1% of the general population. This shared brain mechanism may explain why the two conditions so often go hand in hand.

While this research is still in its early stages, it points to a powerful new possibility: that some forms of autism may be treatable by targeting specific neural circuits.

Read the study: "Reticular thalamic hyperexcitability drives autism spectrum disorder behaviors in the Cntnap2 model of autism." Science Advances, 20 Aug 2025.

08/15/2025

We are getting ready to make a major transition and are looking for a Massage Therapist who is interested in working in a clinical practice AND wants to expand their horizons with medical massage / clinical aromatherapy skills.

Send us a message at downeastwellness@gmail.com or leave a message at (207) 619-4886.

08/14/2025

Main Stream medicine is too preoccupied with Cholesterol. At DWIHS, we don't focus on absolute numbers, we look at ratios. Why?

This image says it all!

08/13/2025

Ruth Moore check this and share!

08/12/2025

There’s aromatherapy - and then there’s clinical aromatherapy. When aromatherapy meets science, that’s where the magic happens...

We are SO incredibly excited to introduce a new, fully accredited course for bodyworkers and healthcare professionals that are looking for new skills to help their clients in a way that’s safe, effective, and evidence-based.

Feel free to reach out if you're interested and have any questions!