Cellular Health Tip #3: Ground daily
Please note that while these lifestyle tips are intended to support your health, please remember, holistic nutrition is not a substitute for medical advice or for your family physician or other appropriate healthcare provider. If you suffer from a medical or pathological condition, you need to consult with an appropriate healthcare provider. A Registered Holistic Nutrition Practitioner is not trained nor licensed to diagnose or treat pathological conditions, illnesses, injuries, or diseases or prescribe medications.
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I am the first person to let go of something that isn’t working in my lifestyle.
I’ve always believed that whatever habits we take on to support our well-being, they should authentically suit us, and we should see value in their use.
If they don’t resonate with us, I think that is argument to let them go.
I am always conducting “mini experiments” in my life, whether its new recipes, behaviours, processes, and activities...all in pursuit of feeling healthier and stronger. (This can make me a bit of a handful for my family, I confess!)
One notion holds true, however, that upon conducting these mini experiments, if I don’t noticed a positive outcome that moves me forward, or that feels like “me”, I’ll drop it, and return to my regular routine.
I’ll acknowledge that I’ve given it a good try, and if I try it again, I’ll strive to approach it in a different way...otherwise how can I expect a different result?
Why am I telling you this?
I share this because mini-experiments are a helpful method to use when you are trying lifestyle changes “on for size,” if you will, especially those that relate to cellular health. Sometimes you don’t know whether it is going to suit you, until you give it a test drive.
That was the case for me when it comes to this week’s tip on grounding.
Grounding is the process of connecting directly with the earth or water. Interestingly, indoor bodies of water are also considered to be grounded, so any contact with water, is in fact “grounding.”
Years ago, I had read all about grounding, and understood that it provided health benefits, but to be honest, the information was all so general – it almost seemed like I could get as many benefits from drinking green tea (which I was already doing), so I never felt the impetus to take the next step to “try it on for size”, integrate it into my daily life for a trial run, and experience what it could offer me.
At the time, I also didn’t understand the relevance of cellular health to our overall health, and certainly didn’t understand that grounding fit into that picture.
All that changed when I was presented with this connection by the cellular health community.
In short, grounding is one of those practices that I know can easily be passed off as low impact, or even pseudoscience. But, before you too dismiss it like I once did, I would encourage you to give it a try, because you might be pleasantly surprised as to how supportive it can be.
It has made it through my very stringent mini-experiment process, and is now a staple in my life.
As weird as it sounds, once you start it, your feet almost start to crave the ground.
As for my own observations, I’ve noticed that it helps me better regulate my energy and emotions. I feel at ease, re-energized, and almost instantly feel relaxed and reset when I do it.
There is no other practice that calms me from a stressful day then whipping off my socks and running around in grass (okay, fine, sometimes I just stand).
Grounding won’t ever be a practice that I let go of – this one is here to stay for me!
Let me help fill in a few pieces about grounding that you might find helpful to know.
Cellular Health Tip #3 – Ground daily
This week’s tip on grounding involves creating some time and space to literally connect with earth (the practice is sometimes referred to as “earthing” as well):
Spend at least 15 minutes a day (or more, if you enjoy it and have the time) in contact with the earth or water with your feet or body.
The easiest is to simply stand barefoot in some grass, but could also be taking a bath or shower.
Why this tip is supportive to cellular health(and your entire body):
Again, it was the revelation that grounding contributes to cellular health (our mitochondria specifically) that made me wake up and take notice of its potential.
The cellular health community is helping us all shift out of an old paradigm of thinking that the only energy source our bodies rely on is from food and water, to understanding that the sun and earth provide us with even more readily usable forms of energy than we were giving them credit for.
Perhaps historically, traditional peoples and cultures intuitively knew or sensed this all along, and it is a notion that has been forgotten (or dismissed).
But, we now have science to back up this intuitive knowing, so let’s look a few ways grounding is supportive to cellular health and our body as a whole:
- the earth is a source of what are called free electrons that can readily enter what is called the “Electron Transport Chain” (oh, no, more flashbacks to grade 11 Biology!) that takes place in our mitochondria. This process allows our cells to create energy to fuel their function
- when we absorb the electrons through our feet, they actually have antioxidant qualities and therefore are protective against oxidative stress, which our mitochondria are particularly susceptible to
- it aids in regulating the nervous system (allowing us to rise up to and return from a sympathetic state – “ready for action” – to a parasympathetic state – “rest and digest”)
- it improves what is called our vagal tone, that is, the function of our vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that connects our brain to different organs, such as our heart, lungs, and even our digestive system. It is part of the nervous system that governs involuntary actions, or the autonomic nervous system, and controls things like heart rate, breathing, and digestion. When we have good vagal tone, these functions are carried out smoothly
- it supports every system in our body that has an electrical component, which is every system in our body (1, 2, 3)
Dr. Laura Koniver, MD is deeply involved in the exploration of the benefits that grounding offer to our health. She very eloquently explains the science behind why grounding is so impactful, and approaches the topic in such a relatable way.
In The REAL Reason Grounding Works, she shares the foundational mechanisms at play in grounding, which as she explains, is a case of connecting with the earth’s direct current (or DC) energy, sometimes referred to as the global electrical circuit.
Not only does the earth operate via DC energy, but so too does every system in our body – so when we “dock” ourselves up to the earth, we are allowing our bodies to become synchronized with this global electrical circuit, where deeper regulation of our body systems can occur.
As she beautifully puts it, we thereby become connected to an open circuit of energy, as opposed to remaining a closed circuit, and disconnected. When disconnected, we feel out of synch, and experience a more pronounced “wear and tear” from life.
If this topic intrigues you, she is a name to look into, with many YouTube videos to watch, and articles written that you will enjoy.
She also shares fascinating studies on how just grounding 15 minutes per day can prompt the body into recalibrating its functions which can result in weight loss, amongst other beneficial changes that the body has deemed as priorities (which may be different than what our own goals). (4)
How to make it happen:
If you’ve been following along with the tips so far (Cellular Health Tip #1 and Cellular Health Tip #2), you’ll know that we’ve already kind of created some rituals around light and dark cycles, through taking sunshine breaks and embracing darkness.
We can actually hitch a ride on the framework that has been created with these new rituals and simply add grounding into the mix.
Remember, you are really just aiming at getting a minimum of 15 minutes in per day (add more as needed or as enjoyed).Where you place it, is up to you.
Here are a few ideas, based on the framework we’ve already talked about:
Morning sunrise + drink your morning coffee + grounding = 15 minutes
Breakfast walk (5 min grounding) + lunch walk (5 min grounding) + dinner walk (5 min grounding) = 15 minutes
Time block breaks (5 min x 4 per day) = 20 minutes
Sunset watching + drink your evening tea + grounding = 15 minutes
It really isn’t too difficult to fit grounding in, when you are already breaking and enjoying the sun and the outdoors.
That said, the biggest challenge you may experience is easily accessing ground during your workday, if your workplace is surrounded by concrete or cement, or getting to ground involves a cumbersome elevator trip.
If so, you’ll likely want to capitalize on a morning and evening rituals to get your ground.
During the day, remember, water is grounding as well, so just mindfully run your hands under warm water in your workplace sinks, if you can’t get out to ground. (Perhaps don’t let the water run for 5 full minutes, but a “mindful minute”, as I call it, can sometimes go a long way).
Once you’ve gotten into the groove with a solid ritual, continue to listen to your body as to when it might be helpful to add these additional occasions to ground.
For example, if I am feeling particularly tired, or stressed from the day or a situation, I will quickly run outside for an extra dose of grounding.
I can say for myself, grounding has been wonderfully regulating on my emotions, which I think you’ll agree is very helpful to having peaceful interactions – whether that is in your work or family life.
Since grounding, I find I lose my cool far less often and if I feel intense emotions coming on, that’s my cue to get outside and get some ground underneath me.
Final thoughts:
I truly hope that you give grounding a test drive and hope that it is as helpful to you as it has been to me.
It’s value really is a testament to how some of the most powerful supports we have for our health are free and all around us – we just have to create a place for them in our lives.
"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." Khalil Gibran
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Acknowledgements, References & Further Reading:
I wish to acknowledge once again, Cellular Health Expert, Justine Stenger, for teaching me the benefits of grounding as they relate to cellular health.
I also wish to acknowledge the wonderful work of Sarah Kleiner and Carrie Bennett within the circadian health community, who generously share their wisdom with the world, and from whom I have learned so much about grounding, and all other ways to improving health through natural methods.
Thank you thank you thank you to all!!
- Quantum Conversations Podcast (Dec 20, 2024). The Science of Grounding: Dr. Laura Koniver on Earth’s Healing Power
- Koniver, L. (Jun 27, 2022). The REAL Reason Grounding Works. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1CNnHL4hiU
- Laura Koniver. Grounding: An Anti-Aging Breakthrough? Trends Gen Med. 2024; 2(3): 1-7. Retrieved from: https://intuition-physician.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/grounding-an-antiaging-breakthrough-3407.pdf
- Koniver, L (Mar 5, 2018). How Ground Promotes Weight Loss with Zero Effort. Retrieved from: https://intuition-physician.com/grounding-promotes-weight-loss-zero-effort/
Menigoz W, Latz TT, Ely RA, Kamei C, Melvin G, Sinatra D. Integrative and lifestyle medicine strategies should include Earthing (grounding): Review of research evidence and clinical observations. Explore (NY). 2020 May-Jun;16(3):152-160. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2019.10.005. Epub 2019 Nov 14. PMID: 31831261. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31831261/
