Current Practices
By Bruce Webber
Posted 2025-01-04 in general
I am the sculptor and the clay. That may sound grandiose, and I’ll admit this sculptor is a bit lazy. (Also, does the sculpture serve a purpose?) I have adopted the following practices to improve myself and show up intentionally. I realize that my actions impact those around me and can affect my well-being now and in the last decade of my life.
Reversing Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance, also called metabolic syndrome, is when the cells become resistant to insulin and insulin levels are high. Insulin resistance can lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and erectile dysfunction.
I have insulin resistance and follow a ketogenic (low-carbohydrate) diet with time-restricted eating. This reduces blood glucose levels, which lowers insulin levels. Over time, this reverses insulin resistance. I also exercise regularly, including resistance training and aerobic activity.
Dr. Ben Bikman, a metabolic scientist, is an excellent resource. I recommend his books Why We Get Sick and How Not to Get Sick, and his Metabolic Classroom series on YouTube.
Methylene Blue
Methylene Blue was developed as a clothing dye in the 1800s. (As a dye, it’s used today to stain biological samples.) In the late 1800s, it was used to treat malaria but was abandoned in favor of more effective treatments. In the 1900s, it was found to have antipsychotic and mood-enhancing properties. Recent research has shown that it supports mitochondrial function. To learn more, see Methylene Blue as a Nootropic: Science, Potential, and Usage.
I think this [cordycepin] is going to be like methylene blue. This is going to be one of my everyday things that I will just take forever until I don’t die.
— Dr. Ted Achacoso
Carbon 60
Carbon 60 (c60) is a molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a soccer ball shape. This shape is called a fullerene, or buckyball, named after Buckminster Fuller, who invented the geodesic dome.
c60 has interesting properties and is being studied for possible use in solar cells, batteries, and medicine. c60 can donate electrons, making it an antioxidant. It can also accept electrons, allowing it to act as an antioxidant repeatedly. c60 may support the mitochondria, which produce reactive oxygen species.
To learn more, see What is Carbon 60 (c60).
Note: Do research before taking any supplement and make sure the supplements you take are USP grade. I recommend purchasing supplements from companies that provide third-party testing certificates.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy, a type of photobiomodulation therapy, uses far-red and near-infrared light, which can help the skin, underlying muscle tissue, and other body parts. Like methylene blue and c60, it may support mitochondrial function.
To learn more, see Red Light Therapy: What Is It? and the book The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy by Ari Whitten. Dr. Mike Belkowski, the founder and CEO of BioLight, has an excellent podcast called The Red Light Report that presents research results on red light therapy, methylene blue, and c60.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, promote detoxification, and support the lymph system. Infrared saunas raise internal body temperature and, like exercise, create an adaptive stress response. This may promote mitophagy, the process of breaking down damaged mitochondria and making new ones.
To learn more, see Studies on Saunas & Far Infrared.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields
A Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) device creates magnetic fields that pulse with a given shape, amplitude, and frequency. PEMFs can reduce inflammation and have been used to treat various conditions. It’s thought that the magnetic fields stimulate the motion of ions in and around the cell and support the mitochondria in energy production.
Dr. William Pawluk has studied PEMFs for decades. His article New to PEMF? Start Here provides a good introduction to PEMF therapy.
I also recommend this video series by Dr. Robert Dennis, the creator of the Micro-Pulse ICES PEMF devices:
- PEMF: Clearing up the confusion (part 1)
- PEMF: Clearing up the confusion (part 2)
- PEMF: Clearing up the confusion (part 3)
- PEMF: Clearing up the confusion (part 4)
BrainTap
The BrainTap headset, developed by Dr. Patrick Porter and his team, combines headphones and a visor with LEDs. It produces sounds that include music, binaural beats, and isochronic tones; the LEDs flash with the same frequency. This causes brainwave entrainment, also called frequency following response, which promotes neuroplasticity and can induce different states of consciousness.
BrainTap has been shown to increase heart rate variability, improve sleep quality, increase parasympathetic activity, decrease stress, and improve episodic memory. To learn more, visit the BrainTap research site.
Nonviolent Communication
Nonviolent Communication (NVC), also called Compassionate Communication, is a powerful tool for peacefully resolving conflicts through empathic listening and honest self-expression. NVC empowers us to see and connect with the humanity in ourselves and others. Marshall Rosenberg created and began teaching NVC in the 1960s. To learn more, see my NVC Resources page.
Internal Family Systems
Dr. Richard Schwartz created Internal Family Systems (IFS) in the 1980s. According to the IFS Institute, “IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us. Self is in everyone. It can’t be damaged. It knows how to heal.”
To learn more, I recommend this video series by Dr. Tori Olds:
- What is IFS Therapy?
- How to Find Yourself
- No Bad Parts: Unblending From Protectors in IFS Therapy
- Healing Trauma in IFS Therapy: Unblending from Exiles
- Healing Our Inner Child
Wisdom Sessions
Davida Shakun created wisdom sessions as a form of peer support. The sessions have a simple format that allows participants to access their innate wisdom for well-being and creativity. To learn more, visit the WisdomNet site.
Authentic Relating and Circling
Authentic Relating is a set of practices that allow us to connect deeply and meaningfully with ourselves and others. Circling is one of those practices. To learn more, see What is circling? The Transformative Authentic Relating Practice and Authentic Relating & Circling: 5 principles.