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Interview with Zaid K. Dahhaj pt. 2

• Cannabis and health debate.

• Benefits of red light therapy.

• Holistic approach to parenting.

Diverse Health Modalities:

Cannabis has become increasingly mainstream in recent years. What are your thoughts on its role in health and wellness?

I think cannabis is a tool as with any substance. Many people would find that statement controversial because they have emotional responses tied to their upbringing, politics, and identity to it. Cannabis has the potential to save somebody's life from late stage Parkinson's Disease or it can be abused chronically and destroy one's life in more ways than one.

Red light therapy is gaining traction for its potential benefits. Can you explain its primary advantages and how it fits into a holistic health approach?

Red light therapy fits perfectly into a holistic lifestyle because red light is the most regenerative light wavelength available to us. Almost 50% of sunlight is made up of red light, hence why I'm first and foremost an advocate of focusing on sunlight exposure from the morning to the evening. You'll find higher concentrations of red light at sunrise and sunset which are two sacred times of the day. In regards to its advantages, it shows immense benefit for the skin, eyes, slowing or stopping hair loss altogether, resetting the circadian rhythm, easing conditions that involve chronic pain, the list goes on.

For those interested in integrating red light therapy into their routines, how would you recommend starting? From cost-effective solutions to more advanced options, what are the steps to "red light maxxing"?

The steps to red light maxxing are simple. Do not purchase a red light therapy device immediately unless you live in a very dark climate for most of the year. Otherwise, if you're closer to the equator, get sunlight as much as you can in tandem with my recommendations mentioned earlier here. Getting red light from the sun is, by far, the best way to go about it and it's completely free.

For those who would like to purchase a red light therapy device, I have a lot of experience with Vital Red Light and I'm also an affiliate for them. You can grab any of their devices with the link here. Use code ZAIDKDAHHAJ for 15% off as well.

Becoming Parents - A Holistic Approach:

Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family! As you prepare for this new chapter, what health and wellness routines have you and your significant other adopted?

My significant other and I have adopted many strategies based on timeless principles. I've already been following many of these strategies for years, so I'm grateful to have a significant other who has an open mind and follows my lead.

• We follow all of the light environment recommendations mentioned above

• We both wear blue light blockers on tech and after sunset

• We aim to view as many sunsets as possible

• We routinely ground ourselves at the beach on wet sand

• We both take liver pills (I started getting into it since our midwife suggested she takes it)

• We aim to get as much time outside in nature as possible

• 90% of our diet consists of nutrient dense food (with some unhealthy treats as the other 10%)

• Walking together

• We both use concentrace trace mineral drops and exclusively drink spring water

Those are some that come to mind.

Nutrition during pregnancy is vital. What specific nutrients or foods should be emphasized in a mother's diet?

First and foremost, beef liver pills and concentrace trace mineral drops should be a supplement staple for both mothers who have given birth and those who are expecting. From there, we both work well on an animal based approach including pasture raised eggs, grass-finished meat, wild caught seafood, butter, ghee, coconut oil, raw/VAT pasteurized dairy, organic fruit, raw carrots, well-cooked and peeled potatoes, a few organic veggies here and there.

I've mostly prioritized methylated B-vitamins and Vitamin D3 from sunlight for my significant other during her pregnancy since they're crucial for countless biological processes.

Prenatal care often includes a range of supplements. Do you believe in supplementing during pregnancy? If so, what are the essential supplements for prenatal care?

I do believe in supplementation for prenatal care, but there are a lot of terrible supplements masquerading as great options out there so education is key. Here are the ones we've used so far:

Cymbiotika's methylated B-vitamin complex. This includes L-methylfolate (pregnant women should not take folic acid which is the conventional recommendation), Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin, Adenosylcobalamin, Hydroxocobalamin), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCL), and Fulvic Acid. These forms are the superior ones and they must always be methylated as opposed to the conventional cyanocobalamin. The purpose of this is to prevent neural tube defects. Adding choline from pasture raised eggs also helps with this.

Vitamin D3 (from sunlight only) + Vitamin K2 (from raw/VAT pasteurized dairy consumption).

Beef Liver Pills from Trace Minerals. 500mg per capsule at six capsules daily. These are superior to any prenatal you find on the market and they make a huge difference to the ease of delivery and other things regarding pregnancy.

Concentrace Trace Mineral Drops. This is a powerful electrolyte blend with most of the trace minerals extracted from concentrated seawater. We add this daily to glass bottled spring water.

I consider those the essentials because they cover nearly all bases.

Some other notable ones I had her on were Cymbiotika's Heart Health Formula (Red yeast rice, pomegranate extract, inositol, and CoQ10) and RareBird Paraxanthine coffee.

Many are now considering home births as a more natural alternative to hospital deliveries. Why did you choose home birth over a hospital birth?

We personally chose to opt for a home water birth because we intuitively knew that the holistic route would offer us a better outcome for our newborn and family as a whole. I knew that the education in and of itself would be infinitely more valuable than going down the hospital birth route and that turned out to be resoundingly true.

We've genuinely received a world class education thanks to our curiosity, the help of our midwife (Lisa Marie Oxenham & her husband Richard Oxenham who are two of the best in the United States), and our doula (Becca Godleweski).

A hospital setting in my opinion is terrible for birthing. I acknowledge that centralized medicine serves a key role in acute injuries and illnesses, but birth isn't where they shine. From the artificial blue light environment to the lack of consent when taking your newborn to strangers constantly walking in and out to cutting the umbilical cord immediately to how they go about the birthing process as a whole.

It's reductionist and mechanical at heart and I'm not willing to go through with that unless it's an absolute medical necessity which our midwife has prepared us thoroughly on. For low risk pregnancies, home birthing is a superior option.

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions surrounding midwives and home births. Can you debunk some myths or provide clarity on this choice?

There are certainly many misconceptions about midwifery and home birthing, here are some of them:

Midwives are often thought to be uneducated and unlicensed in the conventional sense. Far from the truth. Our midwife, for example, is a Licenciate in Midwifery and a Certified Professional Midwife in the state of California. She has blown my mind in regards to how much she knows and how she combines intuition and other more specific subjects like spinning babies and many things doctors would do in hospital into her work. In my opinion, she's more educated and qualified than most doctors.

In regards to home birth safety, this study shows that planning a home birth does not increase the risks of perinatal mortality and severe perinatal morbidity among low-risk women, provided the maternity care system facilitates this choice through the availability of well-trained midwives and through a good transportation and referral system.

Outcomes of planned home birth with registered midwife versus hospital birth with midwife or physician: "Planned home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth attended by a midwife or physician."

Women and their partners should be advised that the risk of PPH is higher among births planned to take place in hospital compared to births planned to take place at home, but that further research is needed to understand (a) whether the same pattern applies to the more life-threatening categories of PPH, and (b) why hospital birth is associated with increased odds of PPH. If it is due to the way in which labour is managed in hospital, changes should be made to practices which compromise the safety of labouring women.

Our midwife has an incredible website full of resources on this.

Once your baby arrives, what plans do you have in terms of feeding? Do you lean more towards breastfeeding, or are you considering baby formula?

In regards to our newborn and nutrition, the first 6 months or more is going to come exclusively from the breast milk of the mother rather than the conventional formula slop that is pushed to families today which is loaded with toxic ingredients. There are many ways to stimulate breast milk more efficiently for the mother, mainly relying on the increase of oxytocin through affection, hugs, kissing, and even sex. Anything that raises oxytocin for the mother will increase her milk supply.

Following 6 months or so, mainly prioritizing nutrient dense food newborns are able to eat. We've sourced a few baby food brands that sell their food in glass jars. The plastic pouches are known for microplastic contamination.

Pasteurised Milk:

The debate between pasteurized and unpasteurized milk has been ongoing for quite some time. What's your stance on this?

I'm a firm believer that ultra-pasteurized milk is a poison because it comes from diseased cows that live in their own feces and this form of pasteurization destroys all nutrients, enzymes, and benefits. I'm a lover of both raw and VAT pasteurized milk which is a much better way to pasteurize dairy without sacrificing taste and nutrient profile.

From a nutritional standpoint, do you believe that unpasteurized milk retains more of its original nutrients compared to its pasteurized counterpart?

From a nutritional standpoint, raw (unpasteurized milk) is superior in every way. It has more nutrients and minerals because they're intact. It has more digestive enzymes because they're not destroyed via ultra-pasteurization.

It supplies more energy and nutrition because it comes from cows that always graze on the land as they should be rather than ones stuck in a factory farm lot. Ultra-pasteurization uses a ridiculous amount of high heat for a short period which kills everything good and bad in milk.

Some argue that unpasteurized milk has potential health risks due to the presence of bacteria. How do you weigh these concerns against its potential benefits?

Ultra-pasteurized milk, in general, is a nightmare to tolerate from a digestive perspective because all of the enzymes which are a necessary component of digestion are destroyed during the manufacturing process.

People, especially my coaching clients, anecdotally report having better digestion on raw/VAT pasteurized dairy. Let's go a level deeper though to what I believe is the root cause with the digestive issues.

There are two different breeds of cows (A1 & A2). The majority of milk sold today in the United States is of the A1 variety which is problematic for digesting dairy. The difference between the two variants is the amino acid sequence which impacts how the proteins are broken down during digestion. We've all heard that it's easier to digest goat and sheep dairy products. Why is that? Because they only include the A2 variant.

Buying A2/A2 raw or VAT pasteurized milk is the superior option. Certain breeds are predominantly A2 such as Jersey, Guernsey, Charolais, and Limousin breeds. Other animals like goat, sheep, camel, donkey, yaks, and buffalo also produce milk that mostly contains A2 casein. Even people with lactose intolerance report no symptoms with A2 dairy.

There's a belief that pasteurized milk might be easier on digestion for some individuals. Have you encountered any research or anecdotal evidence that supports this claim? or the claim that unpasteurised is better for individuals with lactose intolerance?

I love to learn from traditional societies, especially in regards to nutrition. I was mainly introduced to ancestral diet wisdom by the work of Weston A. Price who was a Canadian dentist known primarily for his theories on the relationship between nutrition, dental health, and physical health. In 1939, he published Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, detailing his global travels studying the diets and nutrition of various cultures. The book concludes that aspects of a modern Western diet (flour, sugar, and modern processed vegetable oils) cause nutritional deficiencies that are a cause of many dental issues and health problems. The dental issues he observed include the proper development of the facial structure (to avoid overcrowding of the teeth) in addition to dental caries.

Many traditional societies consumed milk in its raw, unpasteurized form. Do you think there's something to learn from these historical dietary practices?

I love to learn from traditional societies, especially in regards to nutrition. I was mainly introduced to ancestral diet wisdom by the work of Weston A. Price who was a Canadian dentist known primarily for his theories on the relationship between nutrition, dental health, and physical health. In 1939, he published Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, detailing his global travels studying the diets and nutrition of various cultures. The book concludes that aspects of a modern Western diet (flour, sugar, and modern processed vegetable oils) cause nutritional deficiencies that are a cause of many dental issues and health problems. The dental issues he observed include the proper development of the facial structure (to avoid overcrowding of the teeth) in addition to dental caries.

Looking Ahead:

Your personal journey is a testament to resilience and passion. What advice would you give to someone just starting on their health and wellness path?

For the average Joe, this is a game of simplicity. My advice is to study the fundamentals because, at the end of the day, only a handful of things matter most in the holistic health game. For those who want to take it to another level, become obsessed and dedicate as much time as you can to both the fundamentals and everything in between.

I would also recommend the glorious trifecta implemented into your routine: Grounding on soil, grass, rock, or sand + Sunlight exposure + Movement.

Lastly, do most of your research on light environment because it's the keystone pillar of health.

Finally, the balance between modern life and natural rhythms, such as circadian cycles, is delicate. Based on your research and experiences, what are some practical daily practices everyone should adopt to maintain this balance?

To maintain a healthy balance between modern life and your circadian rhythm, I suggest the following:

1. Viewing every sunrise and sunset (without sunglasses, contact lenses, and only minimal clothing)

2. Get AM sunlight and sunbathe between 10 AM - 3 PM as often as you can without burning by starting slow

3. Ground your feet as much as possible (ideally to wet sand, grass, soil)

4. Eat a big, protein rich breakfast within 30-60 minutes of waking

5. Finish your last meal by 7 PM (although the earlier, the better)

6. Block all sources of toxic artificial blue light religiously during the day and night (phones, laptops, computers, TVs, overhead lights, other bulbs)

7. Spend as much time as you can outside

8. Eat all of your meals outside under sunlight

9. Finish your last cup of coffee by noon (replace with RareBird coffee if necessary to avoid insomnia and other symptoms)

10. Minimize non-native electromagnetic frequencies (nnEMFs) - unplug devices and items when not in use, don't sleep within a foot of outlets, airplane mode on phone. etc