Anselm Integrative Wellness, 602 E Park Street, Taylorville, IL (2026)

03/22/2026

Boy… let me tell you… I can be good… really good….at telling you all what to do to help restore your health… including my own! But let me also tell you that what I am really bad at is finding a trick to make it easy to follow the individualized plan I make for you… and that includes good ole me again.

You see… it takes discipline… something I personally have lacked when it comes to food for many years… When I changed my lifestyle habits for Ashley… it was easy…. And l felt good… healthy….you would think I would have stuck with it after she passed… but nope… I started self medicating with all the things… diet Pepsi... Processed foods… social media… all the things we have considered normal and safe in the past, blaming our genetics on all our health issues, when actually the whole time many of those health issues have been our body’s way of telling us to stop filling it with junk!

Well, my body didn't just scream with my latest health scare… it shouted it from the mountain top…a mind going completely blank for 3 hours should be the warning to make health a priority… stick to that low histamine, low oxylate, low salicylate food lifestyle… (I have histamine intolerance, MCAS, asthma, MTHFR generic mutation and I am post menopausal🥴)…but even now… 4 days out… with continuing brain fog and fatigue… I continue to slip… (ate a portillos hot dog for lunch yesterday… not one thing on it I should have for the next 8 weeks!… literally not one!!)

The biggest challenge in my wheelhouse is convenience… we are spoiled (even me)…we literally can drive up to a window and grab our food without ever having to turn on the stove or open a refrigerator door….but that convenience is slowly killing us…We don't just need to make changes… We must!

So just like I do for my patients… I sat down and made myself a plan… a protocol. Even though I know what I need to do in my mind… I made myself a week by week…step by step plan to follow….

Today, I am going to sit down and plan my week… make sure I have what I need to make it more convenient to do…to stick to... And make what food I am consuming something to look forward to eating… not something that tastes like cardboard! Find things to make health just a little easier to maintain… because it should be a natural way of living… not an inconvenience...

Hope to see you on the journey!❤️

03/20/2026

Yesterday I posted about my hospitalization… I am not going to go in depth regarding too many of the details… aka the why… but I was diagnosed with transient global amnesia….(look it up and the most embarrassing trigger was mine 😂)….

I experienced 3 hours of amnesia… 3 hours of my life I totally do not remember… my short term memory did not record…If my husband hadn't told my what I said and/or did during that time period, I am not even sure that I would have known something did…

All the imaging, labs etc were totally negative… I was actually told by the ER doctor that I got an A plus for my labs and imaging…..and neurology told me I had the best brain he had seen all day…nothing medically wrong was found….but I have 3 hours of my life… totally blank.

When asked why… I was told… they have no answers but have seen it a few times… 1 to 2 per 100,000…. 4% chance of it happening ever again…..Lucky me🥴….

But… when you look at it from an integrative perspective, I was at a higher risk than most… histamine intolerance…. MCAS…. MTHFR genetic mutation… me to a T… the risks all there and conventional medicine looked at me like I had two heads when I tried to talk further about it…and I don't think it was because they didn't care… I honestly think they didn't have a clue to what I was asking…outside the conventional medicine box so to speak… (but it is slowly making its way there…. Just not here yet).

Did I need conventional medicine? certainly! I needed to rule out all the bad stuff… stroke… heart attack… brain aneurysm… cardiac event… but when all of those were ruled out…. they left me with no answers…no plan… they didn't even send me home with a prescription… I guess at least that is a refreshing change!

That's where integrative wellness comes in… I know the probable root cause… I know what my body is telling me… and I know what I need to do to help prevent another occurance.

We need to be our own health gatekeepers… and we probably do need a guide along the way… but we need to be responsible for our own health… Conventional medicine is great for ruling out the bad stuff and giving us clues for finding the root cause… but it takes more than that for true health… we do need to find that root cause…rhen find a way to navigate to better health.

When I was asked who my primary was… at 64 years old my answer was I don't have one… haven't had one for the last 10 or more years🥴….when I broke foot I went to urgent care…another blank stare from conventional medicine… and yes, I know I need to find one….but I check my labs twice a year (you can too)… and I monitor my blood pressure etc… if I ever needed one, I most definitely would have gotten one…. But up to this point I really haven't had the urgent need for one… so I procrastinated.

And I am not saying don't get a provider… what I am saying is be picky…find someone who will work with you… an educator not a dictator…someone who won't look at you like you have two heads when you mention something outside of the conventional wheelhouse. Someone who doesn't just write a prescription and send you on your merry way… most prescriptions should also come with a list of lifestyle changes to get you off of said prescription in the future… in addition to the list of a million side effects.

I guess what I am trying to say is… be the guide of your own health… find someone you trust and that will help guide you… a real supporter in health….don't let someone tell you what to do…find someone that will help
you navigate the way on your terms… educate you… be a sounding board.…life is to short to just pop a pill and hope for the best… you need to understand the hows and the whys and make the necessary changes….

We are way too dependent on shortcuts… they all come with side effects… more problems…And we are responsible for our health… no one can fix it for us even if they say they can. Only we can do that.

Remember….It’s progress over perfection… and little changes really do start to add up!

Angie❤️

03/19/2026

Currently watching Netflix documentary… The Plastic Detox

03/19/2026

The past couple days gave me a perspective shift I didn’t know I needed.

I spent the last 2 days in the hospital. And before anyone worries—I am completely fine. Truly. 🙏

But I walked away with something far more valuable than reassurance… I walked away with clarity.

When you’re in that environment—watching the pace, the alarms, the medications, the constant monitoring—you realize just how quickly health can change. And how much of what we see every day didn’t start overnight.

It’s not usually one big catastrophic event.
It’s years of small, quiet patterns:
– what we eat
– how we move
– how we sleep
– the stress we carry
– the things we ignore

And it builds.

Sitting there, I kept thinking… this is exactly why I care so much about what I do.

Lifestyle isn’t a trendy buzzword.
It’s the foundation.

We can’t control everything—life will always have unexpected turns—but we can stack the odds in our favor in powerful ways:
• nourishing our bodies with real food
• getting sunlight and movement daily
• supporting our nervous system
• reducing toxins where we can
• honoring rest

These things matter more than most people realize… until they’re forced to.

This experience didn’t scare me—it grounded me.
It reminded me that prevention is not extreme… it’s essential.

So if you’ve been putting off a change, waiting for the “right time,” or thinking it doesn’t really matter…

It does.

Progress over perfection. Always. 🌿

— Angie
Anselm Integrative Wellness

02/26/2026

Glyphosate: What People Should Know

Proven and and Suspected Adverse Effects

Cancer Risk
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as 'probably carcinogenic to humans.' Some countries have gone as far as prohibiting its use.
Research continues to be ongoing. With its known disruption of the gut microbiome and destruction/dysfunction of mitochondria… it only makes sense that it could have a big impact on the development of cancer.

Gut Microbiome Disruption
Glyphosate targets a pathway used by many bacteria. Emerging research suggests it may alter beneficial gut bacteria, reduce microbial diversity, and potentially contribute to intestinal permeability ('leaky gut').
A disrupted gut microbiome has been associated with inflammation, immune imbalance, autoimmune conditions, and metabolic disorders.

Metabolic Health & Weight Loss
Environmental chemicals are being studied for their potential role as 'obesogens.' Proposed mechanisms include altered gut bacteria, low-grade inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and insulin resistance. Human evidence directly linking glyphosate to weight gain is still limited and under investigation but signs are there.

Endocrine and Hormonal Effects
Some laboratory studies suggest possible interference with hormone signaling and thyroid function. Human data remain inconsistent.

Liver and Kidney Effects
High-dose exposure in animal studies has demonstrated oxidative stress and liver enzyme changes. Occupational exposure is a primary concern (farming and lawn care being of huge concern).

Where Is Glyphosate Found?
Residues may be found in conventional grains, legumes, processed foods, some animal products, and water sources in agricultural areas.

Practical Steps to Reduce Exposure
• Choose organic grains when possible.
• Wash produce thoroughly.
• Use filtered water in agricultural regions.
• Avoid glyphosate-based w**d killers at home.
• Support gut health with fiber-rich vegetables and fermented foods.

Final Thoughts
Glyphosate remains one of the most debated agricultural chemicals. Research continues to evolve. Reducing overall toxic burden while supporting gut and metabolic health only makes sense… Why take the risk?

02/25/2026

🌾 Foods That May Contain Glyphosate

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide in modern agriculture. It is applied in two primary ways:

1️⃣ On genetically engineered (GMO/bioengineered) crops designed to tolerate glyphosate
2️⃣ As a pre-harvest drying agent (desiccant) on certain non-GMO crops

Because of these uses, glyphosate residues have been detected in a variety of foods.

⸻

🌽 If It Is GMO/Bioengineered, It Automatically Falls Into This Category

The majority of GMO crops grown in the United States are engineered to tolerate glyphosate. These include:

• Corn
• Soybeans
• Canola
• Sugar beets
• Cotton
• Alfalfa

These crops are commonly sprayed with glyphosate during the growing season. As a result, foods made from them may contain trace residues.

Common food ingredients derived from these crops:

• Corn syrup
• High fructose corn syrup
• Corn starch
• Soy protein
• Soy lecithin
• Soybean oil
• Canola oil
• Sugar (from sugar beets)
• Cottonseed oil

⸻

🌾 Oats & Wheat (Often Non-GMO but Commonly Sprayed Pre-Harvest)

Glyphosate is sometimes used as a desiccant shortly before harvest to dry crops evenly.

Foods in this category may include:

• Oatmeal
• Breakfast cereals
• Granola
• Wheat products
• Pasta
• Bread
• Crackers
• Barley
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Peas

Even if these foods are not genetically engineered, they may still test positive for glyphosate due to pre-harvest application.

⸻

🥣 Processed & Packaged Foods

Because corn, soy, canola, and sugar derivatives are common in processed foods, glyphosate residues may appear in:

• Snack foods
• Protein bars
• Baby foods
• Plant-based meat substitutes
• Energy drinks
• Baked goods
• Sweetened beverages

⸻

It can also be found in meat and dairy products because of the grain fed.

_____

🌎 Environmental Exposure

Glyphosate is also used in:

• Home lawn care
• Golf courses
• Roadside w**d control
• Public parks

Trace exposure can occur from environmental sources in addition to food.

⸻

🏷 What About Organic?

Certified organic farming standards prohibit the use of synthetic glyphosate.
However, trace environmental contamination is still possible due to drift or soil persistence.

⸻

🔎 Important Context

• Regulatory agencies establish residue limits considered safe for consumption.
• Testing studies periodically evaluate glyphosate levels in food.
• Ongoing scientific debate continues regarding long-term exposure.

02/24/2026

🌾 How Glyphosate Moves From Field to Food

Now that we’ve defined glyphosate, many people ask:

“If it’s sprayed on w**ds… how does it end up in food?”

Here’s the educational breakdown 👇

⸻

🌱 1. It’s Applied Directly to Food Crops

Glyphosate is used in two main ways:

• W**d control during growth – Some crops are engineered to tolerate glyphosate, allowing farmers to spray fields while crops continue growing.
• Pre-harvest drying (desiccation) – In certain crops like wheat and oats, glyphosate may be applied shortly before harvest to help dry plants evenly.

Because glyphosate is systemic, it moves inside the plant and can be present in the harvested grain.

⸻

🌾 2. It Moves Through the Plant

Glyphosate:
• Is absorbed through leaves
• Travels through the vascular system
• Can accumulate in seeds and grain

Those seeds become flour, oats, cornmeal, and other food ingredients.

⸻

🌧 3. Environmental Movement

Although glyphosate binds tightly to soil, it can move beyond the original field through:

• Rain runoff
• Soil erosion
• Spray drift
• Irrigation water

Trace amounts have been detected in some surface water and rainwater samples.

⸻

🐄 4. Animal Feed → Food Chain

Many livestock consume corn and soy grown with glyphosate.
Small amounts have been detected in:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Meat

Levels are supposed to be regulated and monitored.

⸻

🛒 Foods Where Residues Are Most Commonly Reported

🌾 Grain-based foods
• Wheat products (bread, pasta, crackers)
• Oats (oatmeal, granola, cereals)
• Barley and rye

🌽 Corn-based foods
• Cornmeal
• Corn syrup
• Corn starch
• Snack foods

🌱 Soy products
• Soybean oil
• Soy protein
• Processed foods containing soy lecithin

🥣 Processed foods
Because corn, wheat, and soy are common ingredients, residues have been detected in some packaged foods.

Tomorrow I will post on the adverse effects on health.

02/23/2026

I will be covering this topic all week… starting with the basics…

🌾 Glyphosate: An Educational Overview

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. Here’s a simple breakdown of what it is, where it came from, and how it relates to GMO crops.

🔬 What Is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is a synthetic herbicide (w**d killer).
• First synthesized in 1950 by the Swiss company Cilag
• Herbicidal properties discovered in 1970 by chemist John E. Franz at Monsanto
• Introduced commercially in 1974 under the brand name Roundup

🌱 How It Works
Glyphosate works by blocking a plant enzyme pathway called the shikimate pathway.
This pathway is necessary for plants to produce certain essential amino acids. When blocked, the plant cannot grow and eventually dies.

This pathway exists in plants, fungi, and some bacteria — but not in animals.

🚜 How It Is Used
Glyphosate is used for:
• W**d control in crops like corn and soybeans
• Field preparation before planting (How wheat is exposed)
• Post-harvest field management
• Lawn and garden w**d control
• Roadside and utility vegetation management

It can be applied by ground sprayers, aerial spraying, or handheld equipment.

🌽 Glyphosate & GMO Crops
In 1996, Monsanto introduced “Roundup Ready” crops.

These crops were genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate. This allows farmers to spray fields after crops have emerged, killing w**ds without harming the crop itself.

Common glyphosate-tolerant crops include:
• Soybeans
• Corn
• Cotton
• Canola
• Sugar beets

Glyphosate can be used on non-GMO crops, but GMO crops were specifically developed to withstand it. The adoption of glyphosate-tolerant crops led to a significant increase in glyphosate use globally.

🌍 Regulatory Review
Glyphosate has been evaluated by agencies worldwide, including:
• Environmental Protection Agency (USA)
• European Food Safety Authority
• World Health Organization

Different organizations use varying review methods and have published their findings accordingly.

⸻

02/22/2026

This week I am going to post about glysophate. What it is… what it is used for….where it is found in our food and environment… how it damages the gut amd therefore our health… and how we can avoid it and therefore protect ourselves from the bottom on up…We are never going to get the solutions we need any other way! Stay tuned❤️

02/21/2026

****WARNING!!! OPINION PIECE*****

There is a lot going on in the world right now…Most of what is reported is the bad stuff… I try to check the news once or twice a day to make sure nothing major has happened and then I tune it out… the anxiety and stress that is caused by the evil in our world today can have a huge negative impact on our health… it’s best that we not to totally ignore what is going on… or at least, I think so…but maybe just to touch base and then turn our attention to what is good.

So where do we find the good? I have seen a lot of arguing on social media… how can you support a certain candidate and/or political party?… and then I read just as valid of a point from the opposition… and there my friends is my point… there is so much corruption in our world today that we are never going to find a solution “out there”…. It is going to have to begin locally… and I mean really locally… One person… one house… one family… one neighborhood… one town…. One county…. You get my drift… WE can’t wait on anyone to save us… we have to do it… and it starts with kindness… Kindness to ourselves through taking care of our health and that of our loved ones… and acts of kindness done to others whenever we can.

Taking care of our health impacts our physical health… random acts of kindness takes care of our mental health… and those two things combined just might change our world.

There is so much that we can do that can have a positive impact through kindness…and it doesn’t have to be huge… it can be as small as a smile at a stranger… dropping off food at the food pantry… call someone you know is hurting… plant a garden that’s just a little bigger so you have some to give away…shovel the elderly neighbors sidewalk and/or check if they need something from the store…If we turn our attention to making sure we do positive things each day… and away from complaining about each other on social media… we might just find those reasons to complain get fewer and fewer…and our mental health gets brighter❤️

02/13/2026

A lot of these centers are being proposed in Illinois… one right in this area….we need to understand possible impacts…

Data Centers: The Hidden Infrastructure of Our Digital World — At What Cost?

We stream.
We scroll.
We store.
We search.

But behind every click is a physical building — a data center — and their footprint is growing rapidly across the U.S., including here in the Midwest.

Let’s talk about what that means.

🌎 Environmental Impact

Data centers require:
• Massive amounts of electricity (often 24/7)
• Large-scale water usage for cooling
• Land development and infrastructure expansion

Depending on energy sources, this can increase:
– Carbon emissions
– Strain on local power grids
– Water table depletion in drought-prone regions

Some companies are investing in renewables — which is promising — but energy demand from AI and cloud computing continues to rise dramatically.

⸻

🏥 Physical Health Considerations

Current research suggests:
• Diesel backup generators can affect local air quality
• Noise pollution from cooling systems may impact nearby residents
• Increased grid demand can raise electricity costs for communities

EMF exposure outside facilities is generally within regulatory limits — but long-term cumulative exposure in high-density tech corridors is still an area needing more independent study.

Correlation ≠ causation.
But correlation does warrant thoughtful investigation.

⸻

🧠 Mental Health & Social Impact

This is the part we talk about less.

Data centers support:
• Constant connectivity
• Increased screen time
• Digital dependency
• AI-driven content algorithms

Research consistently links excessive screen exposure to:
– Increased anxiety
– Sleep disruption
– Attention fragmentation
– Social comparison stress

The infrastructure that powers our digital lives may indirectly shape our nervous systems.

⸻

⚖️ A Balanced Perspective

Technology is not the enemy.
Innovation is not the problem.

But scale matters.
Transparency matters.
Community input matters.

We deserve:
• Honest environmental assessments
• Clear reporting on water and power use
• Ongoing independent health research
• Policies that balance growth with human wellbeing

Progress over perfection 🌿
But progress with awareness.

⸻

If you live near a proposed data center, I encourage you to:
✔ Ask questions
✔ Review environmental impact statements
✔ Request community meetings
✔ Stay informed

Curiosity is not conspiracy.
It’s responsible citizenship.

02/12/2026

🌿 Gardening: The Most Underrated Health Prescription 🌿
(And it doesn’t come in a pill bottle.)

At Anselm Integrative Wellness, we believe healing doesn’t start in the pharmacy… it starts in your backyard.

Here’s why gardening might be one of the best things you can do for your body AND mind:

🥕 1. Better Nutrition (Literally at Your Fingertips)
Homegrown produce is:
• Higher in phytonutrients
• Harvested at peak ripeness
• Free from hidden preservatives
• Encourages more vegetable intake

When you grow it, you eat it. And when you eat it fresh, your mitochondria thank you.

☀️ 2. Sunshine = Natural Hormone Support
• Boosts Vitamin D
• Supports immune function
• Improves mood
• Regulates circadian rhythm

Morning sun exposure helps reset your metabolic clock and supports better sleep at night.

💪 3. Functional Exercise
Gardening isn’t just “yard work.”
It’s squatting, lifting, bending, pulling, stretching — all natural movement patterns that:
• Build strength
• Improve flexibility
• Support bone density
• Lower blood sugar

No gym membership required.

🧠 4. Mental Health Reset
Studies show gardening:
• Lowers cortisol
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves focus
• Decreases symptoms of depression

There’s something grounding (literally) about putting your hands in soil.

🌱 5. Organic Matters
Choosing organic — especially when you grow it yourself — reduces exposure to:
• Glyphosate
• Synthetic pesticides
• Hormone-disrupting chemicals

Less toxic load = less burden on detox pathways = better long-term health.

Is organic always perfect? No.
Is it a step in the right direction? Absolutely.

Progress over perfection.

If you’re overwhelmed, start small:
🌿 A pot of herbs
🍅 One tomato plant
🥬 A raised bed

Your body doesn’t need perfection. It needs consistency.

Who is planting something this season? 🌼
Tell me what’s going in your garden!

Anselm Integrative Wellness

03/22/2026

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