My Interview With Cavin Balaster
I enjoyed talking to Cavin Balaster on his Adventures In Brain Injury Podcast. He had an amazing book called How to Feed a Brain: Nutrition for Optimal Brain Function and Repair. We met in Austin at a charity for the Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund and immediately hit it off. When He asked me to do it, I was skeptical that I could contribute much to the subject of brain injury, but after speaking with Cavin for a few minutes, I was convinced I had something to offer. Otherwise, you can hear the interview below.
Cavin and I understand that good health has more to do with things like breathing, nutrients, sunshine, and connecting with one another, not pharmaceuticals and surgeries. Although the latter two items have their place, they should be rare, whereas lifestyle practices should be constant. My recipe for a happy, healthy, vibrant human being can be found here, which explains more on the subject.
Cavin is a survivor. He suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him incapable of eating, talking, and walking for months! His recovery journey began after waking from a 12-day coma… before serious complications arose with the need to induce a second coma. In the months following, Cavin continued to work through brain fog, memory loss, and coordination issues with the entire left side of his body. His left hand was also completely flexed inward, and his left foot was completely flexed, pointing downward. He did not know if he’d ever recover enough to lead a “normal life,” but he vowed that if he did get better, he would pay his fortune forward. He would dedicate his life to improving neuro-rehabilitation, hospital nutrition, and the general practice of medicine.
He used this regained clarity to study even more about how he could recover his brain function. And he began to contact practitioners worldwide to understand better how he could optimize his recovery. I am honored that Cavin thought I could be a member of his healing tribe of healthcare practitioners trying to make a difference.
In this post, we talk about:
How I got into dentistry
How digestion starts in the mouth – How amylase, found in human saliva, turns processed carbohydrates into sugar in the mouth.
How saliva washes away sugar and acid in the mouth.
The origin of fluoride’s use in dentistry, how it was originally found to cause dental problems (mottling or fluorosis), who it can be beneficial for, and who it’s not good for.
Historical evidence of the emergence of cavities in humans.
How chewing forms our jaw bone structure, face, and airways https://amzn.to/3aN8icD
The connection between cavities and heart disease
Weston A Price and nutrition and physical degeneration
How P-gingivalis (which starts in the mouth) is found in both heart disease and alzheimer’s
Food addiction vs. mindless eating
Industrial seed oils and Cavin’s “Guide to Fats and Oils.”
The importance of cholesterol and The Minnesota Study Cholesterol
What to look for in cholesterol panels (HDL to Triglyceride ratio)
Cavin’s article on cholesterol and clogged arteries: Semis and Road Closures
How our jaw structure affects our breathing.
Dr. Solomons’ Free eBook