Healing On A Budget-Guide

Is there anything we can do if we are limited on funds, but want to start feeling better? Here are some of my favorite picks I have found helpful below. They fall into the framework to

  1. Educate yourself

  2. Regulate your System.

  3. Find safe relational support.

  4. Start exploring the parts of your subconscious and process emotions.

  5. Start improving your physical health status by diet and lifestyle changes.

This is avery general list. I understand that if you are sensitive, these things may not work for you right now. There are many nuances and details not mentioned here. I don't currently have time to go into them or all of the resources for my research for every point below. (I'm not yet getting into the many sensitivities you may currently have.) , Listen to your body, if it says no, this isn't right for you. Or if it is saying, yes, this is really helping you.

Education

Therapy

You may be able to find a Somatic Experiencing practitioner below that is also a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist in your state, which would be covered by your insurance.  Search for somatic, IFS, trauma, complex trauma. In my experience, someone that is just informed or familiar with a modality may not be enough to hold space for you, especially if you have more complex things going on.Make sure you call your chosen provider and the insurance company and get the diagnostic codes and make sure that the provider you choose is actually going to be covered.CBT, ACT, EMDR, counseling, and other similar modalities are also probably not going to be deep enough to help you somatically, such as with complex trauma, developmental trauma, a very protective system nervous system, chronic illness, etc.

There may be some licensed providers here as well, that are also Embodied Processing Practitioners, but I don't see a way to search for that yet.

Books

We can learn a lot from just sitting down and reading a few books. They may cost a little money, but are much cheaper to get started with than a therapist or practitioner.Take notes. Research the points you find interesting. Think about how the information applies to your own situation.These are some of my favorites for somatic work I have found.

I've also heard that this book is good, but haven't read it yet.

Regulation

Regulation Tools

All of the following are free regulation toolkits or practices to start to tune into our body. Go slowly. Find which resonate with you the most right now. It is better to just have 2 or 3 regular tools you enjoy, that you regularly practice with through the week, than to try to juggle a ton of different ones.Regulation Toolkit by Drunken BuddhaSelf-Touch

Kidney, Adrenals, Brain Stem, Etc.

Nature Visualization

Breath

Toning

MovementThe cost is very reasonable for what you are getting at only $95. These can be very regulating for the nervous system and helpful for pain as well.

TRE

Relational

Lower Cost Support

The following is not exactly somatic, but it can be a place of support to have a non-judgmental space to express yourself to someone and get co-regulation. Prices are currently $20-40 per call.

Parts Work

Do you have a friend, a colleague, a connection that is also interested in healing and going through a peer support process together?Using these books, maybe you could work through this process together.

I haven't decided on how I feel about AI yet, but a friend of mine has found this chatbot helpful for IFS!

Diet and Lifestyle

See my article HERE on a few helpful foods, snacks, and products I have found helpful.

Foods, Cooking, Water, Toxins

You can start slowly replacing foods for healthier options over time.Check local surplus grocery outletsFocus on more plain and simple staples and consider buying in larger amounts to reduce costs

  • rice

  • corn tortillas

  • flour

  • oats

  • bread

  • beans and lentils

  • apples

  • raisins

  • bananas

  • hamburger

  • chicken

  • frozen berries

  • frozen vegetables

  • sunflower, pumpkin, hemp seeds

  • walnuts

Cooking more foods at home will help you to save money from eating out and help your health by knowing what is going into your meals.Choose nutrients from foods over supplements or pills.Focus on whole foods, fresh foods, real foods, non-processed foods. Switch to more organic foods, but do it slowly over time.Peel and wash your produce, especially if not organic.Eliminate any consumption of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and fats such as crisco, margarine, shortening, etc.Reduce or eliminate your consumption of seed oils such as soybean, canola, sunflower, safflower, corn, peanut and cottonseed. Focus on avocado oil, olive oil, butter and coconut oil if tolerated.  And perhaps occasional lard and tallow lastly.  Butter, lard, and tallow contain vitamin a and some other toxins from the animal's environment and diet.

  • Refined oils may be healthier in some ways as they contain less vitamin a and less free fatty acids and compounds that can affect a sensitive system.

Consider filtering your water, perhaps with a system that retains essential minerals.

Reduce exposure to plastics, aluminum, leached metals, toxins.

  • Choose glass, cast iron, carbon steel, ceramic, and ceramic coated, for food and drink containers and cookware. Avoid non-stick that uses PFAS or similar forever chemicals. Be aware that iron and steel can leach metals, especially if using acidic ingredients.

  • Bake with parchment paper instead of aluminum foil.

  • Choose deodorant without anti-perspirant (aluminum).

  • Choose healthier personal care products, or use less or none!

  • Some say toilet paper might put plastics into your body. Maybe change that if you think it is a big deal! https://mamavation.com/brands/toilet-paper.html

  • Parboil and absorb method for rice to lower the levels of arsenic.

  • Reduce sushi and tuna to lower your mercury levels.

Start listening more to what your body is hungry for or not hungry for.Supply your body with balanced or mostly balanced meals if possible.

  • Starches, proteins, fats, a little sugar, fiber, minerals, vitamins, ferments/gut support foods

Do not eliminate entire food groups unless absolutely necessary. It will most likely cause imbalances later on.

  • I do not focus a lot on greens down below, as they tend to be high in oxalates and vitamin a, and not containing things that you can't get elsewhere from probably safer food choices.

  • Also take caution with potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and anything in the nightshade family, as they can cause numerous issues if eaten regularly.

  • Caution with dairy and as it can cause issues for some, and can contribute to vitamin a levels if doing a lot of full-fat dairy. Also eggs can add to vitamin a levels quickly.

Do not avoid starch, carbs, and some sugar, especially if chronically ill or fatigued.But do not go crazy eating sugar, especially isolated fructose sources like honey and agave. Reduce or eliminate sugary drinks and sodas and high fructose corn syrup.Maintain a varied diet if possible.

  • Rotate foods if possible to not become toxic or deficient in one thing.

Focus on getting mineral rich foods regularly in your foods as you can tolerate them right now. Regularly eat a variety of meats, fish, grains and whole grains, potatoes, beans and legumes, fruits, some nuts and seeds, some oils and fats, some dairy, some eggs, some vegetables, some acidic foods as needed, and a small amount of greens occasionally. Consider keeping your acidic and alkaline foods balanced overall such as with the concept of PRAL(Potential Renal Acid Load.)

Minerals, Fiber

ALL of the minerals are important. 

Copper

  • Whole grains

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Potatoes

  • Sunflower seeds

  • Pumpkin Seeds

  • Hemp Seeds

  • Chocolate

Calcium

  • Dairy

  • Figs

  • Mineral Water

  • Corn tortillas

  • Oranges

  • Canned fish with bones

  • Broccoli

Potassium, Magnesium

  • Coconut Water (may help to add some salt if you are sensitive or ill)

  • Potatoes

  • Apples

  • Oranges

  • Bananas

  • Beans and Lentils

  • Brown rice

  • Avocados

  • Meat

  • Salmon

  • Dairy

Magnesium

  • Pumpkin seeds

  • Hemp seeds

  • Whole grains

  • Beans

  • Dairy

Fiber

  • Beans and lentils

  • Whole fruit

  • Whole grains

  • Vegetables

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Psyllium fiber

Sodium and Chloride

  • Salt food to taste

Zinc

  • Beef

  • Dark meat poultry

  • Fish

  • Pumpkin Seeds

  • Hemp Seeds

  • Beans and legumes

Selenium

  • Fish

  • Meat

  • Dairy

  • Whole Grains

Molybdenum

  • Beans and Legumes

  • Dairy

  • Whole Grains

  • Potato

Boron

  • Grapes and raisins

  • Avocados

  • Almonds

Iodine

  • Fish

  • Dairy and eggs

  • Potatoes

  • Beans

  • Whole Grains

Vitamins

We get vitamins in the food we eat, but the gut can also produce some vitamins such as b vitamins and vitamin k,  and the skin and liver and kidneys can produce vitamin d with sunlight.

Vitamin A Vitamin A in any form can be quite toxic to the liver, kidneys, and entire body over time, especially if one is already imbalanced in minerals or is chronically ill. Try to stay under RDA. Significantly less mcg would most likely be even better for your health, especially if you have a known toxicity or high intake amounts in the past. If eating foods high in vitamin a, eating them with calcium or magnesium can help the body to mitigate the damage, especially calcium.

I do not view any kind of liver or liver oil as either SAFE or NECESSARY or a FOOD.

It might be worth checking into your Vitamin B-12 Status

B Vitamins

  • Meat

  • Grains

  • Dairy

  • Eggs

Vitamin C

  • Citrus

  • Broccoli

  • Sauerkraut

  • Potatoes

  • berries

Vitamin D

  • Sunshine

Vitamin K

  • Greens

  • Broccoli

  • Blueberries

  • Olive oil

  • Cabbage

  • Cheese

  • Meat

  • Eggs

  • Butter

Fermented Food for Gut Health if tolerated

  • Lacto-fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, pickles, etc if tolerated

Citrate for Oxalate Management

  • citrus especially lemons and limes

Big Pharma

Is there a safe way you can reduce or eliminate any of your medications or drugs you are taking? Work with a professional or by following well-researched guidance before making significant changes or reducing your meds.Much of the modern medicine and pharmaceutical industry is built upon fraud and corruption.  Eliminating these toxins or refusing to put this industry's future toxins into our bodies will help us to be healthier overall. All medications and pharmaceuticals, whether prescription or over the counter, are toxic or cause an imbalance in the body to some extent. I will not go into a full debunking yet, but hopefully someday!

  • All medications

  • All vaccines

Support

If you have questions or would like more info or support on the above, check back to my website toward the end of 2026. 

*Notice: I’m glad to provide these resources to empower your personal health journey, not as a substitute for professional medical care. While I encourage sharing links, please respect the intellectual property of Mountain and Meadow Health, LLC. You are responsible for your own health outcomes. Consult with your trusted health advocates before making significant changes. Contact Evan Ritter for professional licensing.”