Transforming Health Through Nutrition, Empathy, and Research

What happens when we create space for honest conversation? 🤔

On October 23, 2025, in West LA, something remarkable unfolded. Not just another panel—but a true “town hall” where people courageously shared their lived experiences at the intersection of recovery and psychedelic medicine.

The voices that emerged:

* Treatment providers admitting what they see behind closed doors
* Recovery advocates wrestling with their own transformations
* Clinicians sharing both miracles and concerns

What struck me most wasn’t the expertise on stage—it was the vulnerability in the room. People named their truth, even when it challenged conventional recovery wisdom.

We held space for ALL perspectives:

* Those who found healing through plant medicine
* Those who maintain traditional sobriety paths are sacred
* Those still figuring out where they stand

No dogma. No judgment. Just humans exploring together.

What questions are you sitting with around recovery and emerging treatments?

Panelists: @drjoycebraverman @yeshaiablakeney_ @kalenflynnmd @skylightpsychedelics @mistamarcos

Grateful to so many others: @_deanmoses @bobby.gillam @miracleworkher @d.a.wiss @amyquinnlcsw @daveg_limitless @embodiedalchemycoach @mysticvessel_music @leisureproject.co

Leave a comment to let me know what topics to cover at my next event!!! Complex issues only 🫶🏼

The food industry just launched a new “transparency” coalition, and I want you to see what’s actually happening here.

PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, General Mills, Tyson, and Kraft Heinz have formed Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT). They say they want to cut through confusion and ensure clear ingredient information. Sounds good, right?

Those of us who know the playbook aren’t buying it. They’re calling this what it actually is: a coordinated effort to block stricter state food safety laws and prevent future protections from passing.

This is the playbook we’ve been tracking for years—the same strategy Big Tobacco used. When states start passing laws that threaten their business model, they don’t reformulate. They federalize and water down protections under the guise of “uniformity.”

What gets me is the timing. California banned certain additives. West Virginia went after synthetic dyes. More states are proposing ingredient-specific restrictions. And suddenly, industry needs a “transparency coalition” that happens to advocate for federal pre-emption of these state laws?

I’m here to help you see the patterns. The fact that this coalition exists tells us something important: public pressure and state-level action are working. They wouldn’t spend millions on this if it weren’t threatening their bottom line.

Keep asking questions. And don’t fall for PR campaigns dressed up as consumer protection.

California just passed AB 1264, and nobody’s talking about it.

By 2032, schools will phase out “ultraprocessed foods of concern” - foods linked to behavioral issues, metabolic disease, and yes, addiction-like eating patterns in kids.

The food industry has fought this for DECADES. And look, I get it - some nutrition professionals are worried this will create “food fear” or orthorexia. But here’s what they’re missing:

We’re not talking about demonizing foods. We’re talking about a policy that finally acknowledges what the research has been screaming: the food environment matters. Kids’ developing brains are vulnerable. School food accounts for a significant portion of their daily intake.

The bill even bans artificial food dyes by 2027 - substances that have required warning labels in Europe for years, while American kids have been the test subjects.

Here’s the part that gets me fired up: they’re using peer-reviewed science to define which foods are “of concern.” Looking at links to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and behavioral issues. Checking what other countries have already banned. This is evidence-based policy, finally.

But (and there’s always a but) - they’re exempting USDA commodity foods. Which we can unpack another day, regarding corporate capture.

Look, I’ve been in the trenches of the nutrition field. I’ve seen the conflicts of interest. I’ve watched well-meaning professionals get co-opted by the agendas of food companies. This isn’t perfect, but it’s a step forward.

We need nuance. We need to protect kids without creating disordered eating. We need to change the food environment while respecting food culture and access to food.

California’s doing something. It’s messy, it’s slow, but it’s movement.

What do you think - should your state do this too? Or is this government overreach? I actually want to hear both sides.

Drop a comment. Let’s discuss it like adults who care about children’s brains.

#schoolnutrition #ultraprocessedfood #mentalhealth #nutrition #wisemindnutrition

The Fledgling Society was birthed from a pocket of recovery enthusiasm in West LA. Young people enthusiastic about a better life and helping others achieve the same. That enthusiasm still exists today. However, many folks (including myself) have evolved. Rigidity and dogma no longer serve us, but they are definitely part of how many of us got here🧎‍➡️

After many years of leading a recovery workshop on Zoom, we have decided to end it and many folks from the group will be starting smaller in-person workshops📚

Today we celebrated the end of another workshop cycle and started a 14-mile walk, to keep some of the customs alive…🚶🏻‍♂️

My heart is bursting with love and gratitude for all the people I have healed with over these last 19 years, particularly those from the workshops! ♥️

Onward 🌱

#fledglingsociety

Every health choice you make is filtered through invisible programs - your family’s fears, your culture’s rules, your group’s beliefs. But what if becoming conscious of these puppet strings is the key to true health freedom?

Swipe to discover why you crave what you crave, why wellness trends hook you, and how to access the wisdom beneath your programming.

This isn’t about perfect nutrition. It’s about conscious choice. And it changes everything. 🧠✨

#FunctionalMedicine #MentalHealth #Nutrition

Your brain is filtering out most of reality - but what if your anxiety or depression is actually your consciousness trying to break free?

Discover the 5 filters controlling your perception and the simple practice that can expand your awareness tonight 🧠✨

This isn’t woo-woo. It’s neuroscience meeting ancient wisdom. And it might just change how you see everything.

#Consciousness #BrainHealth #Mindfulness #HealingJourney

I’ve been diving deep into gut-brain research for years, and the anxiety connection still amazes me. What we’re seeing in the latest studies isn’t just correlation - it’s a complex dialogue between our microbes and our nervous system.

When I work with anxious clients, I often see the same pattern: restricted diets, high stress, maybe some digestive issues they’ve learned to ignore. Their gut bacteria tell a similar story: reduced diversity, fewer of the calming strains, and more inflammatory species.

Here’s what matters: specific strains, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium breve, aren’t just random bacteria. They’re actively producing neurotransmitters and communicating with your vagus nerve. They’re part of your body’s natural anxiety regulation system.

But let’s be real…taking a probiotic isn’t going to cure your anxiety. What we’re talking about is supporting your body’s own regulatory systems while you do the deeper work. That might mean therapy, lifestyle changes, addressing trauma, or medication when needed.

Some bacterial changes are linked to anxiety changes from solid research. Understanding your gut-brain connection isn’t about finding a magic pill but having more tools to support your mental health journey.

Your anxiety is valid. Your search for solutions is valid. And yes, your gut health is one piece worth exploring.

What’s been your experience with the gut-anxiety connection? Your insights always teach me something new.

#guthealth #anxietyawareness #mentalhealthmatters

After 13 years of sitting across from people as they share their deepest struggles with food and health, I’ve learned something profound: we’re not really fighting about carbs vs. fat or plants vs. meat. We’re fighting about belonging, identity, and the desperate need to feel safe in our own bodies.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched someone’s shoulders drop when they realize I’m not going to judge their food choices or tell them they’re “doing it wrong.” The relief is palpable. Because here’s the truth - behind every fierce dietary stance is usually a story of pain, healing, or hope.

Maybe you found keto after years of brain fog lifted. Maybe plant-based eating finally quieted your inflammation. Maybe intuitive eating freed you from decades of diet prison. Your story matters. Your experience is valid. And someone else’s different path doesn’t diminish yours.

This is my invitation to step out of the nutrition wars and into something more healing - actual conversation. Where can we hold space for the fact that different bodies thrive differently? Where your healing journey and someone else’s can coexist without canceling each other out.

I’ve seen too many people suffer in silence because they were afraid their way of eating was “wrong.” I’ve seen too many practitioners miss the chance to truly help because they were too busy being “right.”

What if we tried something different? What if we led with curiosity instead of certainty? What could open up in that space?

Drop a comment about what food philosophy has helped YOU heal. Let’s practice holding space for all our stories.

#dbt #wisemind #wisemindnutrition #nutrition