What If It's NOT Depression? Podcast

We haven't talked about genetics in quite sometime. The technology around genetics, nutrigenomics testing, and the knowledge base around epigenetics has sky-rocketed over the past 10 years. We no longer need to do the 23&me and filter the raw data through different programs for interpretation.  Dr. Chrissie took her health and her children's health into her own hands when the medical s...

Being a woman can be tough sometimes. We are emotional beings, and because of this, our “complaints” can be dismissed as being emotional, overreacting, and even “PMSing.” However, some people have such severe symptoms, that they are given a diagnosis of a major mental health disorder and handed a prescription for an antidepressant. Yes, there is research that shows that Premenstrual Dysphoric Diso...

I am sure if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve heard me talking about cortisol and the stress response. As I’ve been doing this work with people we usually start with food, do some testing to address the gut, find those nutrients that are missing and replacing them, and removing toxins. However, if you are in fight-flight with surges of cortisol in your body, you won’t get well. This mi...

It’s nice to find a person in the integrative/holistic/functional medicine world who not only treats mental health issues but has literally lived the experience to tell it. She doesn’t just talk the talk; she has walked the walk. She helps others on their journey as well.  Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND brings her lived experience with depression (suicide survivor), anxiety, bulimia, and bipolar disor...

Sometimes it is tough to parse what came first when it comes to events that cause symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms manifest quickly, sometimes there is a delay, and sometimes it’s a culmination of multiple events, what we call “a perfect storm.” A concussion is one of those events and today’s episode is about how to determine if one has had a concussion and still has symptoms from the concussion a...

I had the pleasure of interviewing Deb Matthew MD again. The last time was over two years ago in July 2021. She is always a chock full of information!! As you may know, she suffered for many years because nothing in her medical training helped her understand why she didn't feel good.  She doesn't want anyone else to have to go through that!  Dr. Deb, The Happy Hormones Doctor, is a best-se...

Rhode Island, unfortunately, is not known for innovation, so I’m always excited about different technologies that are available to us, whether it’s to assist with diagnosis or to treat specific conditions. What is new to the area is BrainWaves! BrainWaves is MeRT, which stands for Magnetic EEG/EKG -Guided Resonance Therapy. It is a highly customized use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS),...

Some of you are in psychotherapy presently and have had a nagging problem repeatedly come up again and again. You’re probably tired of talking about it. Yet, you recognize that there is something about it that is preventing you from moving forward in your life. Some of you have left psychotherapy because you’ve decided that talking in circles just doesn’t change it. Small traumas show up as unreso...

When I see patients and make certain recommendations, most people are immediately excited about getting to the bottom of things and focus on the testing and ordering the supplements. Testing and taking pills have been ingrained into us. Many understand that diet and physical movement are important so they get motivated to dive right in and make shifts in habits to incorporate these changes. The ha...

I was so excited to have Dr. Tom O'Bryan on my Vodcast that I got ahead of myself in asking him questions! He is one of my oldest mentors at the Institute of Functional Medicine. I'm glad he made time to talk about gluten and how it can be potentially toxic to the body, including the brain. There is so much research coming out about gluten nowadays that I wanted the foremost expert on glut...

If you’ve been an active patient in the last year or so, you might recall that I have been emphasizing breathwork and meditation in my plans, especially if you are under stress and even more so if you have a high ACE score. ACE is Adverse Childhood Events. I often recommend doing vagal nerve stimulation in my plans, but it’s been difficult getting people to appreciate how necessary it is. Some peo...

Today’s episode is about ear seeds! This is an excellent option for those whose nervous system needs settling and bringing some balance or homeostasis when meditation is not an option. It’s also an excellent option for those who have young children who have issues with texture or swallowing pills. Robin Ray Green, L.Ac, MTCM is a pediatric acupuncture expert. She’s also an accomplished author, spe...

There are many ways to look at breast cancer – the metabolic – taking into consideration the pathways that promote cancer; the environmental – how increased exposure to toxins is becoming a greater influence; the emotional – how trauma, either recent or many years prior, contributes. But simply put, a cancer diagnosis is a very loud message that there is a loss of harmony – usually in more than on...

Have you ever wondered why you are not losing despite following a diet and exercising? Well, you probably never heard of leptin and creating metabolic flexibility. I interviewed Dr. Bindiya Gandhi who calls herself the Leptin Resistance Expert about this very topic.  She is a double board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine Doctor, who helps thousands transform their overall health. Sh...

If you have been diagnosed with anxiety or ADHD, this episode is for you!  For over 20 years Kitti Andrews has been helping people to get unstuck and out of a state of overwhelm by getting their physical and mental surroundings under control by helping them to declutter their space and brain. She is your Thought Organizer.  Kitti has written, directed, and performed over 800 online videos devoted...

In today's society, loneliness has become an epidemic, a silent struggle that many of us face. Research shows that 20-40% of adults and half of our beloved older adults grapple with this heavy burden. But here's the truth: social connections hold the key to healing and belonging. They are the lifeblood that nourishes our spirits and fuels our sense of purpose. However, let's acknowledg...

It's been a while since we revisited how dental problems can impact your immune system and overall health. It's something that most people don't think about especially if they have no acute symptoms or pain. Some of you have learned over the years how much mercury from fillings or hidden bacterial infections from abscesses or cavitations can affect you. It's all about timing and co...

We have another kind of pandemic that few people are talking about and that is EMFs and 5G. There are definite things you can do about this.  We talked about: R Blank's Story The difference between EMF, PEMF, Radio Frequency & Microwave, Thermal Effect What Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) is and that it's recognized as a medical disorder Effects of EMF on Mental Health The Frey...

I am always searching for new ways to help my patients, and I go to the source!! One area where I often see my patients struggle is the area of implementing strategies of stress reduction, breathing, and meditation. Even when one thinks they have mastered it, they continue to struggle when they are faced with a stressor - whether it's day-to-day stress, an acute situation, or chronic conflict....

I’ve waited for months to finally talk to Cynthia Thurlow about intermittent fasting. It’s a method of eating that has so many benefits including treatment of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. However, it’s not for everyone. Listen to this episode to learn all the details and whether its right for you. You might have to listen to it a couple of times, because it's fast-paced and full...

When we think about environmental toxins, we usually think about Flint, Michigan, and the recent train crash and spill in Ohio. The fact of the matter is that we are surrounded by toxins on a daily basis in our own homes, and there are steps that you can take to avoid, limit, and even detox from them. Some of you are on detox protocols; they can be onerous at times. It is important to take the rig...

I’m back in the USA and going to be staying put for a while. For those who didn’t know, I took a little sabbatical from social media and lived in France for 3 months. Upon my return, literally going through customs in mid-December, the hot water heater in our office burst! We lost pretty much everything; we salvaged what we could and put it into storage. We are presently renting a space temporaril...

Things seem to come in threes. Lately, I’ve had a streak of patients having dental issues as a root cause of their chronic diseases. I felt that it was time to talk about how the mouth can be a reflection of overall health and that chronic disease can begin in the mouth. Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, DDS is an author, speaker, and health-based dentist. She calls herself a “functional integrative dentist...

Who couldn’t learn more about what affects sleep and how to improve it? I found someone who could give us another angle to approach sleep improvement other than just practicing “good sleep hygiene”; someone who could speak about factors that are rarely discussed anywhere else. That someone is Deepa Kannan. Deepa is an Allied Functional Medicine Practitioner, Author, and Yogini in her practice, Phy...

I’ve had a lull in my interview schedule on my Vodcast as it seems everyone wants the summer off! It’s “catch-up time” for everyone since so much went to the wayside with the pandemic. So I went with the flow. I plan to have two interviews a month. We will see how that goes! My mission continues to bring to you through various experts, the root causes of depression, anxiety, and other mental healt...