
What are Mitochondria? Is our environment tampering ruining our Health?
If the saying use it or lose it applies to mitochondria… and I suggest that it does, then it may very well be that environment tampering (or stabilising the temperature or our indoor environments) could very well be ruining our health!
Rather read the transcript?
Here it is…
Hi friends, who of you suffer from pain in multiple areas or know that you are suffering a complex combination of issues? Maybe:
- inflammation
- or an autoimmune disease?
- gut disturbances?
- or chronic unshakable fatigue or exhaustion?
Today I want to talk about cellular health. And how mitochondria are a key component in chronic health conditions, and all that I just mentioned above.
I’m Alexis Weidland, Osteopath at BlossomingMe. And over the last 16 or so years, I’ve helped many people with many different issues. One of the interesting things I’ve noticed is whether you have a complex issue, a chronic health condition; or you’re trying to heal from an injury, there are always small amounts of inflammation (chronic or acute) and mitochondrial dysfunction. And that treating these alongside physical treatment, and with gut healing protocols, where necessary, can be vital to the outcome that you want… Vibrant Health!
So today I’m going to share with you:
- a few ways that our mitochondria can become damaged.
- what symptoms you may notice with mitochondrial damage; and
- two simple and cheap ways you can stimulate more and healthier mitochondria.
How mitochondria become damaged
Firstly, our mitochondria are little factories inside our cells. They produce the energy our cells use to perform the multitude of functions they do every second of every day. Oxidation, inflammation, toxins, and an imbalance within the mitochondrial energy transport chain itself can all damage them.
Interestingly, in our modern societies, many of us enjoy the comforts of heating and cooling of our environment. While this is a great comfort, that same comfort removes our cells’ need to produce energy to keep us warm and activate our cooling mechanisms. And this lack of stimulation actually results in the function of our mitochondria reducing. So the fact that we are tampering with our environment to make us more comfortable, as well as all the toxins that our society now creates – both can cause damage to our mitochondria. And reduces the production and repair of these essential cell components, so it’s a double whammy!


Symptoms you may notice
Okay. So if you’ve got enough mitochondrial damage, then the tissues cannot function well. But the symptoms that you will notice depend on which cells, which tissues, and the location of damage. This means determining if you actually have a mitochondrial dysfunction issue can be incredibly difficult, because there’s no real pattern! The symptoms that you will have will be related to those cells and tissues specifically affected. So it wouldn’t necessarily affect one tissue or even one system. Essentially, any combination of symptoms could be the result of mitochondrial dysfunction!
I’d love you to take a moment and think about your situation. Are you suffering any complaints that might actually be associated with mitochondria? If you’re now thinking…maybe? I’d love for you to comment ‘YES’ below when you watch this video. And if you’re willing, then it would be great to hear some of those symptoms that you are suffering?
Two simple strategies to activate your mitochondria
Now, here are two simple and cheap things that you can do from home:
1. The first is using a personal infra-red sauna.
The heat from an infrared sauna, and the controlled environment, can activate your body’s natural cooling mechanisms. This uses energy and activates your mitochondria. This will boost your natural detoxification process, as well as your cell repair mechanism. And allows your body to activate phagocytosis (that is, the removal of any underperforming cells and mitochondria).


2. The second tip is a cold shower or even an ice bath.
So now, you may not be so ready to plunge into an ice bath, but even adding cold water at the end of your shower can still be enough to activate your normal mitochondrial function improving their ability to keep you warm activating the removal of inferiorly performing mitochondria and supporting you to stay warm and healthy. You just need to start with 10 seconds at the end of your shower and if you dare, you can slowly build up to two minutes at the end of that shower.
Overall, both of these will allow your cells to become more energised and function more effectively!
If you don’t have a sauna and have no interest in purchasing one, there are places where you can use an infrared sauna. This can be done once or twice a week, especially if it’s part of a detoxification protocol, but while it’s not the same, you could also use your bath. Having a lovely warm bath can help activate your heating and cooling mechanisms still! So if you’re going to take a bath, why not make it a relaxing Epsom salt bath or even a detox bath – just make sure you take care, because this extra heat will dilate your blood vessels, and so you could become light-headed as you’re getting out… So instead, maybe you want to sit in the bath longer and let the water run out, and maybe you could even let the cold water flow over you.
Both of these Heating and Cooling activities have the added benefit of activating blood vessels – making them dilate and making them constrict, and this, in fact can be useful over time, in improving your blood pressure control.
Final Thoughts:
Mitochondria are little factories within each cell. They create the ATP (energy molecule) that runs all functions of every cell and without enough…. you have NO ENERGY!
These little organelles are susceptible to damage and mutation by oxidation, inflammation, not enough nutrients, too much waste/congestion, and toxins. Our body keeps our mitochondria functioning well but activating phagocytosis, which removes all underperforming cells and mitochondria and activates repair and production of healthy cells. Just like muscles, we need to use them, or loose them… so we need to stimulate mitochondrial activity by short periods of heat and cold.
Environment tampering creates toxins, which damage mitochondria. And stable, air conditioned temperatures, reduce the stimulation and production of healthy new mitochondria… Both of which can lead to dysfunctional mitochondria and potentially a variety of symptoms. In a way, maybe, our environment tampering, is ruining our health?
But the good news is – YOU can do something about it!
Author: Alexis Weidland
Hungry for more?
Check out our other blogs; send us a question, so we can create content that YOU want to know about… and tune in next week, when I chat more about Mitochondria the gut and YOUR health!
About Blossoming Me
BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage.
Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.
**Disclaimer** The information provided by BlossomingMe, on our website, in our courses, and in our blogs and posts, is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided on this site and social outlets is not, nor intended to be, a substitute for profess
ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.