Spiritual Rx: Biblical Prescriptions for Health

This episode is brought to you by Functional Nurse Academy

In this episode, I explore the powerful intersection of biblical healing and modern science. From the healing ministry of Jesus to the medicinal properties of herbs like frankincense and cinnamon, this episode uncovers how Scripture provides a comprehensive blueprint for wholeness. I also discuss how Christian prayer has been scientifically validated by organizations like the Global Medical Research Institute, and how practices like faith, forgiveness, and renewing the mind are backed by neuroscience. Whether you're a believer seeking deeper understanding or a health professional integrating faith into practice, this episode offers practical and spiritual insights that bridge the ancient and the modern.

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This show is also syndicated every Tuesday at 10am EST on The Nurses Report on America Out Loud Talk Radio 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hello, and welcome to the Functional Nurse Academy podcast. This is your host, Melissa Schreibfetter, owner and founder of the Functional Nurse Academy. Welcome everyone. Today, during this show, it's gonna just be me. And I really wanted to talk to you all about biblical healing. What does the Bible say about healing our bodies? Because, you know, we're really finding out that it's possible to integrate health science with biblical truths. And we also know that there have been so many of these health practices that have been scientifically validated that we're seeing that have been in the Bible, such as things like the health benefits of fasting, of certain herbs, of forgiveness, of the renewal of the mind, and even how we now know that it is validated, that the brain is neuroplastic. We have so much science now validating things like neuroplasticity of the brain that we didn't know about before. But then when we kind of go through and we compare these scientific findings to what is in the Bible, a lot of it starts to make sense. So I wanted to kind of start with, you know, talking about prayer, talking about the health benefits of prayer. Because again, this is another area that has been scientifically validated. And I've mentioned before on this show, so when I created the spirituality content of my educational programs for functional medicine, I, you know, to be able to apply continuing education credit to things I need to have recent published literature. And I was shocked. I was absolutely shocked by how many peer-reviewed published case studies there are on the healing in regards to Christian prayer. And it's so interesting because some of these case studies are published in secular journals where they're basically, you know, presenting that, hey, the medical records, the medical staff, the patient, all of that has been reviewed. Everyone's been interviewed. This is what happened. And, you know, they were seeing these very complicated cases, such as blindness or even terminal illness that miraculously recovered after Christian prayer. And, you know, it was kind of funny when I was reading through these studies, it was like, well, if the medical interventions are not effective, then we consider maybe doing some Christian prayer. But I just I just thought it was so interesting because when we look at medicine today and what we put these poor, suffering, chronically ill patients through with all of these different medications and medical procedures that may be invasive and painful if this is published in the literature and it is validated. If we have a patient who is open to prayer, why would we not let them know about this up front? And, you know, I remember when I was, I've shared with you guys before, I kind of went through a functional medicine nightmare. It took me, and I still am very passionate about functional medicine because it makes sense. When you're sick, what is causing that illness? You weren't born that way, you know. Um, we know that over 75% of chronic illnesses are lifestyle nutrition related. So there's that potential that something in your environment may have triggered this. But anyway, when I it took me three years to find a functional provider that helped me. And this functional provider just happened to be a very strong Christian. And I remember in my initial treatment plan, he mentioned prayer. And he even had prayer groups for his patients. And he recommended to have people in your life or your church pray for you throughout your health recovery. And I just think that we can't, we cannot ignore how powerful this is. And again, you know, whenever we're talking about spirituality, religion, of course, it's always something that is permission based. But I really do think that in the landscape of today's healthcare, I think part of informed consent is letting people know, letting them know their options and then giving that, giving them that control to be able to decide what route they want to go with their health. But anyway, specifically biblically speaking, when we talk about where faith and prayer come together in healing in biblical text. So James 5, 16, it says, Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. And then there's also multiple references when you read through the New Testament about Jesus' ministry and all of the different times that he was performing these healing miracles. There was um he frequently mentions faith. And in Mark 534, when he performed a healing on a woman who was suffering from just continuous bleeding, he healed her. And then he said to her, daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. And he references over and over and over your faith, your faith, your faith. And, you know, something else that uh is interesting is the placebo effect. So this is something that has really puzzled medical experts and the scientific community because we don't really understand how the placebo effect works. And the pharmaceutical companies don't really like the placebo effect because they know whatever drug they come up with, they have to be able to beat out that placebo effect. And uh, a lot of people who are well versed in the Bible and Christianity are, you know, we're kind of theorizing. We're like, you know, Jesus talks over and over and over about faith and about how faith can heal. And again, with functional medicine, we are recognizing the mind, body, spirit connection. We have souls, we have a purpose, there is a God, there is a creator. And the brain is so incredibly powerful. There are multiple published studies demonstrating the healing effects of the mind via the placebo effect when someone thinks that they may be taking something that could be healing them, as well as the detrimental effects of the nocebo effect. There actually was a study in uh IBS patients where the placebo group had a 59% improvement. And again, these are the people that think that they are taking some treatment, but really it's like a sugar pill or something like that. Like it's something that's not gonna have a biological effect on the body. So, anyway, with them just taking that placebo, 59% improvement. And then the treatment group had a 58% improvement. And then when we talk about the nocebo effect, this is really interesting. So there was a study on uh patients who were taking chemotherapy drugs, and they were being told, okay, you know, these chemotherapy drugs, they can cause things like nausea, fatigue, hair loss. And, you know, I can see where, you know, we know the mind is powerful. So maybe you're in this trail and you think that you're getting the chemo pill, and then you start feeling tired or whatever. Um, I can see how the mind can kind of come up with that. But what was interesting about this study is some of the people in this study where we're studying the nocebo effect, um, when they believed they were taking that chemo pill, there were several of these patients that actually were losing their hair and they were not taking the chemotherapy pill. So it's just like, how can we possibly explain that? So yeah, yeah, I absolutely am a big believer that the placebo effect that we don't completely understand mirrors these biblical principles that faith can lead to healing. As both, and they both show that belief, you know, whether in treatment or in God's healing power can result in real tangible improvements in health. And there are so many cases of that. And I'll also, so um, I'm gonna reference this again. I've referenced it several times because I think it is just so incredibly amazing. You guys can go to a website and read peer-reviewed, published case reports of miraculous healing that occurred after Christian prayer. That website is global MRI as in medical researchinstitute.org. I think that that is a really wonderful resource to show just to know about, you know, but to share with people who are suffering. Because and I understand how with the medical community, say someone is suffering with a really serious disease. A lot of healthcare professionals don't want to go and give that individual false hope. But just imagine that you're going through something, maybe a cancer diagnosis, something really serious. And then the physician who's not God, some think that they are, but the physician who is not God is like, yeah, you're gonna die in three months. And then the patient goes home and they think that they're gonna die in three months, you know? I mean, just think about how detrimental that that can be to them. You know, we wanna be able to still give them some type of hope because miracles do happen. They absolutely happen. Um, and again, um, we also know we don't really understand why God does what he does or um when he does what he does. But um, you know, there are some people that do experience miraculous recoveries, and then there are people that don't. But I still think it's important to be able to have that faith and hope and in healing. So the Bible also instructs us specifically to take care of our bodies. You know, oftentimes the Bible is referencing the human body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. So in Corinthians 6, 19 through 20, do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own, but you were brought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. So, uh and again, you know, from that Christian perspective, we are able to communicate to God within our bodies, you know? And I know that we are just, especially in America, we are tempted all the time by like craft convenience foods. But that can be like another way of honoring your honoring God is taking care of the one physical body that he gave us. Another one that I think is really great is uh Philippi Philippians four, six through seven. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Oh, I absolutely love that verse. I think that that's a really, really good verse for individuals that are suffering with anxiety. And, you know, with functional medicine, I teach a lot about reducing your toxic burden. Okay. You know, clean food, clean water, don't rub chemicals in your skin. But we also need to think about negative thoughts as toxins. Like, you know, just think about all of this time that people are scrolling on social media and how much negative negativity is there. And um, we know that things like anxiety and psychological stress absolutely contribute to physical health conditions. And, you know, we have seen this in the ACE studies, which is like the adverse childhood event study, where the individuals who experienced more adverse events as children, not only were they more likely to develop mental health issues or drug and alcohol addictions, but they were far more likely to develop physical chronic health conditions. And again, going back to the mind-body spirit, what is going on in the mind affects the body. You know, um, and I'm sure that many of our listeners can relate to this, that sometimes you may go through this crazy stressful event, you know, the uh loss of a loved one, a divorce, financial hardships, whatever it is, and you you feel the physical response. A lot of people feel it in their stomachs, you know, you like you feel it in your gut. And then, you know, how many people do we know of that went through really stressful situations, a lot of physiological stress? And then shortly after, they end up with a serious new diagnosis, like an autoimmune disorder or cancer or something like that. So it really, it really is so connected. And, you know, throughout these biblical tests, God is telling us that it is all connected. So, and um some other things that I think are are really important is seeking the Lord. And, you know, when you seek the Lord, you need to put Him first and seek Him with all of your mind, body, and spirit. And when you have that connection with the Lord, this physical life isn't so scary anymore because you know that whatever happens to you in this world, that um what we have in this world, it is temporary. It is fleeting. Whatever you are seeing right now with your physical eyes, these physical things that you're seeing, um, these things are temporary. It's the things that we cannot see that are permanent, like God and heaven. Like these, these are these are real things. And another thing, you know, I think that this world that we live in is designed to separate us from God. I mean, oh my goodness, just turn the TV on. Like, I mean, what a little coincidence that so much of TV programming is literally the Bible inverted, you know? And uh and another thing, like I was talking about how we are so tempted with crap processed foods all the time. We are also tempted with constant noise. I mean, how many times do you see people and they've got those like earbuds in, or they're constantly on their phone? They have to have background noise in the home. In 1 Kings 19, 11 through 12. It has a really amazing scripture about how we find God, how we communicate with God in the silence. So this scripture says, and he said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord, and behold, the Lord passed by. And a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire, the sound of a low whisper. So that passage is really emphasizing how God speaks to us not through like these loud, dramatic events, but in the stillness and quietness of a whisper, which reminds us to seek Him in moments of peace and reflection. And again, you know, the I feel like how we're encouraged to live nowadays is go, go, go, go, go, busy, busy, busy, busy. And, you know, a lot of times we get stuck in these habits of like, okay, maybe I have like a minute, we'll let me check my phone or my my work email or whatever. So um it's really important. And there's also, I can't remember which verse it is, but it says, I'm pretty sure several times in the Bible, be still and know that I am your Lord. So, you know, we've got to be still, be present, you know, even just look at your calendar, schedule out times that you can just be in quiet and be in peace, and then use that time to connect with the Lord. I promise you, you will not regret it. Um, so there's a couple of other um verses I just love about seeking the Lord because I think that so many people they're like, well, you know, it's not working. Um, it's I'm not connecting with him. But it's like, are you, ask yourself, are you seeking the Lord with all of your mind, heart, and soul? Are you putting him first? If you seek him first, you will find him. Uh Jeremiah 29, 13, you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. Matthew 6, 33, be see first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Proverbs 8.17. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. James 4, 8, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Um, some other things too, you know, sin absolutely separates us from God, guys. So, and again, you know, we're not perfect people, but I think that um and and again, the Bible talks all the time about repentance, forgiveness, that we have a great God who loves us and forgives. And it's such a powerful practice, you know, before you go to bed at night to spend that time just with you and God and reflect on your day. Like, what did you sin that? Did you do anything to sin against God that day? And if you did, ask him for your forgiveness with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul. And then then seek his guidance to um help guide you along the way so that you don't um end up falling into sin again. Again, there's, you know, we live, we live in this world, guys, but we're we're not of this world. So um there are a lot of you know temptations. And just like when Jesus was here, like he experienced those types of temptations that everyday people experience. And there really is a way through it. So when we talk about God's design, you know, well, what I think is so, so interesting. You know, I I love learning about things like herbal medicine, intermittent fasting. Like there's so many tools that we can use that are available. To us that are cost effective. And I'm like, oh, there it is in the Bible, you know. But it's so interesting that there are certain herbs that are frequently referenced in the Bible. And now we're seeing here comes the scientific research validating, like, oh, yes, this herb is extremely medicinal and it's anti-cancer and has all of these other properties. But in the Bible, um, you know, like it does reference um certain foods and herbs that we know are extremely healthy for our bodies. And um also there's other things about um, and I know I'm sure we've all experienced this where someone just gets under your skin and you can't stand it, or you're dealing with like unforgiveness or things like that. Or even some people go down that path to where it turns into hatred. And, you know, those emotions negatively affect our health. And again, someone might do something horrible, horribly evil to you. But you holding on to that unforgiveness, it harms you. Over and over and over in the Bible, it talks about loving your neighbor, forgiveness. It talks about that tremendously. And that's something that I've always struggled with. But then I'm kind of like, you know what? Like, if God can forgive me for my past sins and then die on the cross for me, I can at least forgive this person that maybe has been ridiculous. But anyway, the Bible specifically references loving your neighbor, resting on the seventh day. How many people actually rest on the seventh day, living in community with one another? You know, we're not meant to be isolated and praying and participating in worship. So I'm gonna dive into the rest of that. Um, when I'm just kind of on a roll here, when we come back from break. I do want to pause for a moment to remind our listeners. This show is also syndicated on America Out Loud Talk Radio, on the Nurses Report radio show and podcast. So you can also find me there on any major app. Hello and welcome back. This is Melissa Shribefadder. And I am here today to talk to you about what I think is the most important thing ever, and that is God. And then also, you know, one of my passions in this life and something that I really feel like God has gifted me with is the knowledge and skill set around things like holistic health and functional medicine. And I just think that it is such a wonderful way to blend what we're learning about holistic healthcare with what we are reading in the Bible, with these biblical truths. So I was mentioning before about how the Bible references specific things consistently, like loving your neighbor, resting on the seventh day, community, um, praying and participating in worship, eating healthy foods and all of these wonderful things. And, you know, and and again, I mentioned earlier in the show that the world that we live in, it seems like it's kind of designed to separate us from God, you know. And I mentioned about how if you turn the TV on, it's like the Bible inverted, you know, and and you know, and then also just with how the Bible is instructing us to live our lives, right? To eat real foods, to live in community with one another, um, with the world that we live in, we are bombarded by processed, packaged, fake foods and electronics. You know, I mean, so many people, and we and there's a lot. I this would be like a whole nother show for me that I want to do, but there is uh there's so much research coming out now on how the excessive screen time and all of this time on social media um increases rates of, you know, depression, anxiety, even suicide and teens and and and things like that. And it is so important that we are around other people. It is not the same thing when you are on social media interacting with people or when you are like texting with people or in Zoom calls or whatever. It's important to go and get out in the presence of other individuals. Now, there are some foods of the Bible that I want to talk about that um we now know there's so many health benefits to. And one of the most referenced foods are actually olives. Now, um, there are several studies um in regards to the antioxidant capacity of olives that we know can combat things like oxidative stress and chronic diseases. Um, it they can even boost glutathione levels. And again, you know, glutathione is your body's master antioxidant produced in the liver. A lot of individuals dealing with things like cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome have a lot of oxidative stress. And, you know, the foods that God has created, He has created these foods for us to consume because they are healing to the body. We've got to get away from the man-made foods and eat real God-created foods. Um, so there's also some really interesting things about how, you know, olives can even prevent bone loss. And that's because they're so rich in polyphenols. And they also can help to fight infections. So they inhibit the growth of microbial, viral, and fungal infections, including MERSA, which is a really, really serious infection. And so um, it also helps to improve cardiometabolic health and at-risk age groups. I mean, I could just go on and on and on and on about the health benefits of olives. Another one, another like food, top food mentioned in the Bible, are grapes. What is interesting about grapes is that they are rich in resveratrol, which that is a specific compound that is actually linked to the increased to an increased lifespan. And resveratrol is actually found in grape skins and it enhances mitochondrial and cognitive function. So we also know that they are packed with antioxidants, um, also other nutrients such as vitamin C and manganese, which again, that these are other factors that also support and um help to improve oxidative stress. Now, there are also a lot of anti-inflammatory properties, kind of similar to olives, because they're so rich in the polyphenols, which we know reduce chronic inflammation. And then chronic inflammation just happens to be um a very common root cause of many, many disease processes. And something else interesting about resveratrol is that resveratrol inhibits cancer progression. And, you know, when you think about cancer, this is one of the top, it's one of the top killers in the US. It's a devastating diagnosis for people. And um, another thing that I just kind of floored me, I shared this before, but I had a really good friend that was um diagnosed with breast cancer. And thank God she is well now. She's in remission, but I um helped her with the dietary things because, you know, she went to this top hospital in Nashville that I'm not really a fan of. But anyway, um, so this top, very mainstream hospital had her work with a nutritionist, and a nutritionist told her, Oh, it doesn't really matter what you eat. No, no, just as long as you, you know, are eat low fat, you're good. So, but but again, you know, I I feel like when we just sit down and we think, we just think about these things. We just think about these natural foods. And I I really do think that there is so much wisdom and knowledge in the Bible. Um, you know, as if you're a Christian, you believe that the Bible is the Word of God. And God loves us, He wants our bodies to be healthy because, again, he references our bodies as a temple to the Holy Spirit. So he has created things here on this earth that we can use to heal and support our bodies. Another thing I want to talk about are herbs. I am a huge fan of herbal medicine. All of my listeners know that I absolutely detest the irresponsible and overuse of both pharmaceuticals and it happens with supplements too, guys. So, but however, I do think that, you know, for an example, a pharmaceutical, that can be a blessing in like a, you know, um situation where you may need a life-saving medication like an antibiotic. But then it gets out of control when we have providers that are just prescribing a medication for anything and everything. And especially when we have the providers that, you know, thought it was a good idea to um, you know, push an experimental COVID vaccine on the public. But anyway, that's another, that's a that's a rant for another time. But then we also see this in, you know, the um wellness industry. You know, I mentioned it took me three years to find a good provider because there are just so many people that love money and they want to do what's more profitable, you know, and we see this that like it may be more profitable to push protocols and interventions on people. But but again, I don't want all of that misuse to muddy down the actual herbs and natural tools that do work that really can help to heal the body. So Psalm 104, 14 says, He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth. So I'm gonna repeat that again. Herb for the service of man. So there are so many and I can get like really into this. I really do want to do a show one day on just herbal medicine. But there are herbs that are easy to grow, things that you could like grow in your backyard, guys. If you don't have the time for that, there are companies that do make high-quality herbal supplements. But um, one of the healing herbs mentioned in the Bible is aloe vera. And um, this is really, really amazing here because you know, and a lot of people are familiar with aloe kids are like, oh, it helps with my sunburn and all these things. But there's so much research right now in aloe vera. It's amazing. I mean, it helps to detoxify the body, reduces inflammation, helps with your immune function, supports skin health. So um, per clinical studies, it's been studied with things like constipation, to where um it helps to resolve constipation with the dosage of 100 to 200 milligrams daily. It helps with wound healing, such as psoriasids or other skin infections. And um, with the skin infections, that is 0.5% aloe extract cream three times daily. For high cholesterol and diabetes type 2. We know that statin drugs, which uh do lower cholesterol, right? But you need cholesterol as a building block of your steroid hormones. Your brain needs LDL cholesterol. We see people that go on statins have a higher chance of developing dementia and type 2 diabetes. What are we doing when there are natural compounds? Say that someone's cholesterol is getting high. It's not necessarily the cholesterol that's the bad guy. It's the when cholesterol starts to become elevated, it's kind of like the body has a significant inflammatory response. And as a um as a protective mechanism to the body, the body will produce more cholesterol. It's kind of like there's a fire. And what are we doing in conventional medicine? We're killing off of firefighters. But anyway, um, so um it was found to help with diabetes type 2 and um high cholesterol, probably does that by reducing inflammation, helping with lipid metabolism at the dosage of 300 milligrams in capsules twice per day for at least three months. It also helps with IBS 100 and miles twice daily. Again, I could just keep going. Um, you know, one of the conditions that I have that I have under control, where my endocrinologist was like, oh, there's nothing you can do about your thyroid antibodies for your Hashimoto's. Well, we know that for Hashimoto's disease, 50 ml of aloe vera twice daily was found in studies to significantly reduce thyroid antibodies. And, you know, when we start looking into the medicinal properties of aloe vera, we're like, okay, what is aloe vera? Why is it helping with so many things? So it's actually rich in vitamins A, C, E, B12, folate, choline. It has a variety of inflammation-reducing enzymes. It's also rich in calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, selenium, manganese, sodium, zinc, phenolic compounds, fatty acids. I mean, there's so many. I mean, you know, it's just when you read about this, you're like, okay, how did this just happen from like this like random um bing bang? I mean, it sounds pretty intentional to me that there are herbs that we can use medicinally that have all of these amazing healing properties. And sometimes when the body is struggling and suffering, the body may need some extra TLC. And herbs are just nutrient-dense powerhouses. So, another one that is frequently referenced is cinnamon. And guys, cinnamon is so inexpensive. I mean, you could go to the store and get like whole cinnamon, grind it up, make capsules. Um, you could also mix teaspoons and coffee. I mean, there's so many different ways that you can get cinnamon in your diet. So, what is so interesting about cinnamon? So we see it referenced over and over and over in the Bible. Well, researchers have ranked cinnamon, um, sorry, cinnamon number one out of 26 of the most popular spices and herbs due to its protective antioxidant properties. And we know that it is um, you know, and there's kind of a pattern here when I'm going through these herbs, I'm like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. But cinnamon has all of that. Um, it's neurologically supportive. It helps with individuals who um may be diabetic. It can help to reduce blood sugar. And so um the most studied form of cinnamon is gonna be the cinnamon cassaia or cilant cinnamon. And how you take cinnamon is it's typically divided and taken um with meals. But um, in studies, they've seen that three to six grams daily was found to improve glucose metabolism in those with diabetes type two in eight weeks. And two to two to three grams daily reduced cholesterol, body weight, and waste circumference in eight weeks. There was a meta-analysis that showed doses less than or equal to two grams daily for eight weeks resulted in reduction of blood pressure levels of those dealing with hypertension. I mean, it's amazing. And again, like cinnamon, it's cinnamon, guys. Like it's it's super low risk. And um, one thing I've noticed, I've seen very um, you know, open-minded, good intentioned primary care providers that they don't have the functional training, they're crazy busy, but they're interested in things like this. And I had one client who she was pre-diabetic, and her very kind, open-minded PCP was like, oh, just take some cinnamon. But um, and my client was like, Well, she told me to take cinnamon. Do I just sprinkle it on my toast? And I was like, well, you know, to get the therapeutic benefit, you need to take a therapeutic dosage and you need to take it long enough consistently to see an improvement. And some one of the reasons why people, you know, just fail or um lose interest in using things like um natural remedies such as herbs is we've been kind of conditioned for so long with pharmaceuticals. Say you have a headache and then you take uh ibuprofen or aspirin or whatever, pretty much immediately within 30 minutes, you feel it, right? Um, but again, like medications can, you know, we can see an effect much sooner, but then there's a much longer, you know, there's a much more drastic um, you know, side effect profile. With herbs, they're natural. They work with the body. They can provide the body with what it needs. They can actually help our bodies to heal. But we need to take enough of it, and we need to take it consistently. If you're just taking, you know, a little bit of cinnamon here and there to help with your blood sugar and say that you're type two diabetic, and but you're not taking it consistently, and you're not taking enough of it, you're likely not going to see the therapeutic benefits of this. But um, there's also just um, I mean, there's so many great things that it does. There is even anti-obesinogenic activity, and there are all of these different compounds um which actually increase glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity. When people have issues with, say, insulin resistance, they're going to store more calories as fat. They're going to end up with more of the fatty tissue. And I've had so many people that, you know, have that I've worked with that are experiencing weight loss resistance. And there's ways to resolve this. But again, it kind of makes sense that something like cinnamon that is so high in antioxidants and helps with glucose metabolism could also help with weight loss. Okay, so this one right here, I'm gonna go over one more. Uh, frankincense. So this is this is probably like the most remarkable herb of the Bible. I just, I just think it's amazing. So now frankincense, also um, you know, uh called Boswalia. And when we think about frankincense, it's actually derived from the resin of trees of Boswellia tree. So it's kind of like the sap of a Boswellia tree. And so we know that uh frankincense is like kind of famous in the Bible, you know, Matthew 2.11, the wise men presented frankincense as a gift to baby Jesus. And but what's interesting is Boswalia is an amazing, amazing immune modulator. And so, so it again, it has all of the, you know, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, all of those things. But it is really remarkable um how it can benefit the immune system. And we have seen this explosion of autoimmune disorders in our country. And I'm like, this is not normal. This was not something that just wasn't diagnosed a while back. Like, this is just um there's so much immune dysregulation. And again, there's something causing it, but there are tools that we can use to help to modulate the immune system. And one of the most magnificent studies that I have seen with Boswalia is the there was a study where they were comparing um boswalia with a very high risk pharmaceutical in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Now, ulcerative Is an autoimmune condition that um affects the colon. It can be just debilitating to live with this. It can be very painful. It can result in, you know, weight loss, hospitalization, multiple nutrient deficiencies. The list goes on and on. It's a really can be very, very serious. So they found that Boswellia at a dosage of 350 milligrams three times per day over a period of six weeks was effective in inducing remission in 82% of patients with ul sort of colitis, grade two, and grade three. And the results were actually higher than the remission rate of the chemical drug treatment, sultine and sulfasalazine have a variety of serious, serious side effects. And how how that medication works is there's actually like an immune suppressant effect, which can then later, you know, and it we think about it. Okay, okay, let's go ahead and use a chemical drug to, you know, just artificially suppress your immune system so that your immune system quits attacking you. Um, what could be the uh negative effects of suppressing an immune system? Cancer, reactivation of other infections. And we know that there is an infection and autoimmune connection, whereas Boswalia does not artificially suppress the immune system, it helps to modulate the immune system. And what is really um just disheartening about this is this is a really low-risk herb. And um when patients are being diagnosed with something like ulcerative colitis, they're being told, okay, here's the drug treatment. They are not being informed that there are other options that could also help them. So they're, you know, again, they're not getting the full informed consent. And they think that their option, like this drug, is what they must take to be able to get into remission. So now something that is um with with both alic acid, and again, with any supplement, you want to make sure that this if you buy any supplement that it is GMP verified, that stands for good manufacturing practices, which means it's third-party tested. There have been issues in the past with counterfeit supplements being um distributed through Amazon. So you want to make sure that you go through like a medical practitioner's dispensary and the formulations that we're studying, again, the therapeutic dose, you want to make sure that you're taking a formulation that is concentrated enough. So when you're looking for boswalia, you want to look for 60 to 65% boswellic acid. And again, just to say it, nothing I am saying here is medical advice. Always check with your trusted medical professional before doing anything. Um, but there also are other studies about how um it helps with even with things like asthma, arthritis, IBD. Um, those were dosages of 900 to 1200 milligrams per day that was studied. And uh there's even research on the treatment of osteoarthritis. And something else that's been really interesting is frankincense has been shown to promote apoptosis in cancer cells. That's basically the killing of cancer cells, such as prostate, colon, melanoma, leukemia, and brain. And then um, there's also compounds and frankincense that have the ability to activate ion channels in the brain, which alleviate depression and anxiety. Yeah. And I think this is something else. I mean, there's just so, there's so much with Boswellia. I would love to find, you know, an integrative provider that is using Boswellia to treat their patients. And then just I could, again, something else I could do an entire show on. Um, but again, you know, healing does take patience. And um, I like to recommend the clients that I work with. Um, you know, when you're working to heal the body naturally, it took time for you to get in the place that you are. I remember when I got really sick, it was, gosh, like probably 10 to 15 years of it was like the frog sitting in like, you know, boiling hot water or something. It's like you start to have little symptoms here and there, but you're like, oh, it's not a big deal. You ignore it. And then every year it gets a little worse. And it gets a little worse every year to where, you know, uh, after a few years, there's a significant change in your health. But the body speaks to us in symptoms. You know, when you're having joint pain or you're having fatigue or skin issues, gut issues, that is the body telling you something is wrong. That is your check engine light coming on. And this brilliant naturopathic saying is think about with the process and the time frame of healing, how many years you were sick. You want to anticipate that same number of months to get your body to heal, which is pretty phenomenal that if you've been sick for 10 years, it may take your body around 10 months or so to recover from that. But again, this is something patience, patience, patience, because sometimes with the you know, natural approach, people want things uh right now, you know, and and I get it, especially when you're suffering, but just um remember that it does, it does take time. And, you know, when you're doing things naturally, really lean into those little improvements that you are having and recognize and appreciate them. And I have um, you know, a few more minutes left. Um, so I'm not gonna go too deep into this one. Again, this is also probably like another show I could do on neuroplasticity. So, but basically the concept of neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt in response to learning experiences, environmental changes. And um, these can absolutely be paralleled with biblical principles on renewal and transformation. So um, through the studies of neuroplasticity and limbic system retraining, so we have seen that um, you know, you can retrain your brain by using repetitive practices that rewire the brain, which can address things like anxiety, chronic illness, PTSD. Um, if you just look up Limbic System Retraining, you will find a ton of resources. And there's also like Christian versions of limbic system retraining. Now, um, a biblical reference that I want to mention about the renewal of the mind, Romans 12, 2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Um, here's another one. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable. If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. So those verses um encourage believers to focus on positive, pure, praiseworthy thoughts. And when we focus on these types of thoughts, we can reshape those neural pathways in our brains, which um can really form healthier and more positive patterns and can just be life-changing for so many people. Well, I really hope that this information was helpful to you guys. Um, that is all the time that we have today. Thank you so much for tuning in. And again, if you want to learn more about the Functional Nurse Academy, please feel free to register for our next live webinar. And you will see that link in the show notes. You can also check out Functional Nurse Academy on our social media platforms or on our website at functional nurseacademy.com. Until next time, be safe, be well, and God bless.