Dorothy’s Basket: 5 Health Truths I Picked Up While the World Was Spinning

Creatine, Coffee, GLP-1, Sauna, Blood Stasis

Dear Companions,

Here’s a list of striking revelations overheard in the Healingvrse in between bouts of obsessive international news spiraling.

1. Creatine is a GO!

I’ve noticed a significant impact on brain energy taking Creatine. The effects are rather on par with pharma interventions. Benefits are far reaching not just for muscle, but for brain, methylation, and mitochondrial health. As my Long Covid created significant problems in my brain metabolism here are Neurological Benefits as shared by one of my migraine specialists:

• Neuronal Energy Stability: The brain consumes large amounts of ATP; creatine supports mitochondrial energy buffering in neurons.

• Cognitive Enhancement: Especially in sleep deprivation, vegetarians, or under mental fatigue, creatine improves memory, reaction time, and intelligence-task performance.

• Neuroprotection: Shows promise in mitigating neurological damage in models of stroke, Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury, and depression.

• Migraine Support (Emerging): Stabilization of ATP-dependent ion gradients and voltage-gated channels may reduce neuronal hyperexcitability.

You need to increase your daily water consumption by 1-2 cups of water or you will become constipated! Creatin takes water from your blood and moves it to muscles and other cells in which it is working, leaving you dehydrated if you don’t.

Dose: Build up to 3-5g. When extra tired, I now go up to 10g.

2. Filtered Coffee vs. French Press: What You Need to Know for Your Health

Coffee is a CNS stimulant that works by blocking adenosine receptors (A1, A2A), preventing the brain’s natural “slow down” signal.

This increases dopamine, norepinephrine, and glutamate, leading to alertness, energy, and vasoconstriction (helpful in migraines).

If you drink coffee daily, the way you brew it matters more than you think. According to via Dr Rhonda Patrick:

Unfiltered methods like French press or boiled coffee allow oily compounds called diterpenes (specifically cafestol and kahweol) to sneak into your cup. These can raise LDL cholesterol by 10–30 mg/dL in just weeks—and over time, are linked to an increased risk of pancreatic and respiratory cancers, dementia, and other chronic conditions.

Filtered coffee, by contrast, traps these fat-soluble compounds using paper filters while still letting through beneficial, water-soluble antioxidants like chlorogenic acid.

Most paper filters are made of cellulose (wood fiber) not synthetic plastic – any fibers released are plant-based, not synthetic microplastics. The worst offenders here are plastic-lined coffee cups, plastic brew trays, or single-serve pods (e.g., K-cups).

Simple risk-mitigation tips:

• Pre-rinse the filter for a few seconds with hot water.

• Look for labels such as “oxygen-bleached,” “TCF,” or “no epichlorohydrin" or choose unbleached (brown) coffee filters.

• Transfer brewed coffee to a carafe rather than letting it sit in contact with the filter.

3. GLP-1 Raise heart rate, lowers HRV

Bryan Johnson recently discontinued his use of mini-doses of GLP-1 after noticing a 3 bpm increase in his resting heart rate. He cited an average increase of between 3–10 bpm and concluded that higher doses or longer use would likely lead to even greater changes. For him, that was unacceptable.

Of course, as some noted in the comments, he’s not overweight—so either a) his body is more sensitive to shifts because it’s already operating at peak, or b) the tradeoffs simply aren’t worth it.

4. Sauna Detox: Real Numbers, Real Results

In just 15 sessions—each 20 minutes at 200°F—Bryan Johnson saw a dramatic drop in several environmental toxins in his body. Some became undetectable post-sauna.

Notable reductions:

• 65% drop in 2,4-D (a herbicide)

• 100% drop in MEP and MEHP (phthalates)

• 56% drop in NAPR and HEMA (plasticizers and solvents)

• 100% drop in perchlorate (a chemical found in rocket fuel and tap water)

One important note I learned from my functional doctor: wipe your skin off immediately after shower so you don’t reabsorb these toxins. This is called dermal reabsorption and is plausible but not yet strongly quantified. If you are trying to heal, every bit counts.

5. The Ancient Medicine of Blood Today

People are monitoring their fingernails for the status of their illness via microscope at home in the Healingvrse.

In a growing number of chronic illnesses, including Long COVID, ME/CFS, and neurodegenerative diseases, scientists are observing abnormal clots known as fibrinaloid microclots. These amyloid-like structures resist normal breakdown and can block capillaries, leading to hypoxia, oxidative stress, and persistent symptoms — a phenomenon now thought to underpin many “mystery” illnesses.

To visualize these blockages, researchers are turning to nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) — a non-invasive technique that uses a microscope to examine blood flow in the capillaries at the base of the fingernail. NFC has long been used in rheumatology and autoimmune diagnostics, to assess real-time blood flow disruption and endothelial damage.

What’s especially compelling is the study’s suggestion that this modern vascular picture mirrors ancient medical concepts.

The idea of “blood stasis”, central to Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean medicine, may in fact correspond to the presence of fibrinaloid microclots and blocked capillary flow. It refers to the slowing, pooling, or congealing of blood in the body — believed to cause pain, fatigue, numbness, inflammation, and even emotional stagnation. Ancient texts describe it as blood that is “not moving,” “old,” or “spoiled,” often resulting from trauma, cold exposure, emotional repression, or internal imbalance. Diagnosis traditionally involves observing a purple tongue, sharp localized pain, or a wiry pulse.

With much love from the Healingvrse,

Rebecca