I Don’t Feel Safe: How Childhood Beliefs Impact Insulin and Whole-Body Health
Sometimes, when we set out to help others, life has a way of showing us the bigger picture. Often, it starts with our own family.
My Journey to a Whole-Body Approach
For those who listened to my chat with Melissa from Centre of Healing, you’ll know a little about my journey to becoming a facilitator.
It began with a desire to support people from a whole-body perspective, not just through nutrition, but emotionally too.
My interest in the connection between the nervous system and nutrition grew from raising my children, who had previously been diagnosed with ASD. I intuitively explored alternative approaches through lifestyle and food, and while they made a difference,
I knew something was missing.
It was the year my daughter, aged eight, was diagnosed with PANDAS and experienced a nervous breakdown triggered by a teacher, PTSD. Her mental health became my focus.
While we addressed symptoms, I knew that reducing inflammation required a holistic approach: supporting the body, the vagus nerve, the parasympathetic nervous system, but also acknowledging the undigested emotions stored within.
That’s when I realised I needed to go beyond nutrition: somatic work, subconscious regression therapy, and psych nutrition became essential. Western science, I discovered, often falls short; nutrition is barely covered in medical training, yet it has the power to unlock understanding of mental health and its drivers.
Insulin: More Than Just Sugar
Research increasingly supports diets like Mediterranean and ketogenic approaches for mental health conditions, epilepsy, and bipolar disorder. These diets improve insulin sensitivity, which plays a critical role in both mental and physical health. Yet, for me, it goes deeper than diet,
it’s about root causes.
Insulin is not just about sugar, it’s about safety.
It acts as an environmental trust signal. It tells our cells:
“Resources are available.”
“You can store, repair, and rest.”
But this signal only works if the body believes it is safe:
Food will come again
Threat is not imminent
Energy does not need to be conserved for survival
The Belief That Shapes the Body
When a child grows up in an environment of:
Unpredictability
Emotional neglect
Fear, shame, or hyper-responsibility
Chronic stress
They carry a deep internal belief:
“I don’t feel safe in my environment.”
This belief shapes the body’s response:
Nervous system stays on alert
Cortisol levels remain elevated
Inflammatory signalling increases
Energy is prioritised for survival over growth
This adaptation is protective, but it comes at a cost.
Chronic inflammation interferes with insulin signalling, destabilises brain energy, and increases vulnerability to mental health challenges. Insulin resistance is not dysfunction, it’s the body saying:
“I can’t trust what comes next.”
Supporting the Whole Body
The good news is that restoring insulin signalling and with it a sense of safety doesn’t require pharmaceuticals alone. It comes from:
Predictable meals
Consistent rhythms
Warmth and nourishment
Being listened to and feeling seen
Reduced emotional vigilance
These are not “soft” interventions, they are biological signals the body understands.
For me, supporting my daughter meant learning to see the whole picture:
emotional, physiological, and environmental
And now, in my work with others, it’s the same principle. Healing begins where safety, trust, and understanding intersect.
Why This Work is My Passion
This work is my passion because I’ve lived the journey myself, understanding that true healing requires looking at the whole body, both emotional and physical.
We cannot support others fully if we do not first attend to our own inner terrain.
That’s why I create programs specifically for carers, parents, and those who hold space for others.
When we nurture ourselves, process our own emotions, and address root causes, we become the change we wish to see. We break generational cycles, see the bigger picture, and are able to hold safe, compassionate space for those in our care, truly supporting them from the inside out.
It’s never too late to start this journey.
If you’re ready to support yourself and those you care for, book a discovery call with us today.
Together, we can explore your path to healing, resilience, and whole-body support.
