#19] Melissa Manilla: Functional Medicine, Essential Oils, + "Imaginary Friends"

Functional Medicine is the hot new topic in the fitness industry... + for good reason! It's all about identifying + understanding the root cause of disease, + treating the individual rather than the disease. Elisabeth chats with Melissa [@melissa_manilla] on her journey through chiropractic school, as well as all things functional medicine. They discuss essential oils, cupping, the power of the mind, ++ yes, imaginary friends ; ). This is our longest episode to date... but definitely a must listen!

Notes:
-- Dirty Dozen
-- Elisa Test
-- Vitamins I Take Daily
-- National University
-- Melissa's email: manilla.1@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Transcript

spk_0:   0:05
Hi, guys. And welcome to the charge podcast. Today I am with my dear friend and travel, but even lissome call you Manila. Melissa. Um but oh, my gosh, you guys. Right now we are in my bedroom and she just cup to me and an acupuncture on my back. So I'm in aa very Zen mode, like I need caffeine right now, even though it 7 45 at night. But anyways, we are going to talk all about cupping and acupuncture and also chiropractic ce and functional medicine. Because Melissa is in school. Still stir like 95 years, but graduating soon. It's exciting. Um, but yes. Oh, she is learning about all these things right now, and I think it's so cool how functional medicine really is becoming on trend. Thank goodness it took quite a while for that to become trendy. Um, but I just wanted to share more on this subject and also fun. Fact about Melissa. She was on the very first charge exact team at Ohio State, which is years and news news years ago. It's crazy to think about that so cool and he weighs. Let's start with you sharing your health and wellness journey. How about prior to school so prior to college? Perfect. Hi, everybody. And I'm so excited to be here chatting. And I absolutely love charge. Obviously. I'm literally Yeah, like a 1,000,000 years ago. We started it first exact board. I will never forget that. So what charges? Incredible. So I'm so glad you guys are all listening on enjoying this. So, um, I have literally been so extremely passionate about nutrition since the day. I could literally, like, remember,

spk_1:   2:16
Um, my mom

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always jokes with me that as soon as I learned how to read, I would restriction. Really? Yes. And I don't even knew. I didn't even know how to interpret them. But she said I was always curious. Like, what does this mean? Look, I know what vitamins were, but I was in What is this? Do you really have no idea? And she were like calories and just like, ingredients in food. Like I was literally infatuated with, um And it's the strangest thing. Like, I was so born with this because you don't just one day wake up and you're, like, obsessed with nutrition label. Oh, my God. So I grew up really just being in love with that and I had and three really important role models who kind of led me to that. So my mom, I always say my mom is the biggest hippie I know. She was always extremely into health care. That was natural. She, you know, would tell us Hold off as long as you can. Taking Advil until you absolutely needed it. Things like that. You know, we were my sister, and I missed when I said we that's a minute we barely ever were put on antibiotics. She was just very natural. And she stuck in me a young aged Really, Whatever you put in your body is what is well manifested in your body like that will come back out in health and your skin and just everything. Um And then my aunt, who was her half sister, um, was also like the second greatest hippie. She's sadly, second grade. Yeah, you're amazing. But she sadly passed away a couple years ago, but she literally had me taking turmeric shots and drinking golden milk and eating coconut on her back when I was like, 10. But what? So before this even became a thing like my aunt was doing all of this so ahead of the game. Um and she just does how she grew up like her bookshelf shows in Florida. So I only saw her a couple times a year, but her bookshelf was all of these, like medicine books based on plant medicine and based on vitamins and minerals and things like that. What did you say that she does or did? She was a massage therapist and a chiropractor's office. So that's how I first even learned what a chiropractor Waas was from her. She herself Waas. She always wanted to go back to school for nutrition, but she never did she always write about it on her own. But she never liked. Took it upon herself to go back to school, Probably Staley, because it wasn't really a big thing. And she probably was like, What's the point? She was older and happy with her career, is a massage therapist. And that was that, Um, and she passed away really suddenly from cancer, and it was funny. I mean, bittersweet looking back. But she, um, when she was diagnosed with cancer, she actually was one of those people who didn't want to get chemo because she was so scared about the chemicals. And sadly, looking back, we scolded her over and over, even to the end. Really needed chemo like it does have its place. But she was so natural that she didn't even want to do that. Wow. Yeah, Um but so that was kind of where was ingrained in me and I just like I think I was born with this and then my mom and aunt really helped, you know, created even more in me. And then another thing that I always tell people is I swear that not a day in my life goes by without thinking about food or health or exercise or looking at my body and thinking like something about my body, whether it's like my hair looks a little dry today. Oh, that means I don't have enough like good fats in my body. You know, it's just like I some people don't go do without thinking about business or like, accounting or, you know, like you could be like, anything, like gardening or something. Mind is literally like my body or everyone's bodies or something, and I'll be like who They're deficient in this. I could tell by their hair, so thank you. So it's just a very nerdy thing about myself on I just love it. Wow. So then you've always been passionate about nutrition. Went so did you always know? Okay, I want want to be a chiropractor. I know you majored in nutrition in college, right? Yeah. So, no, I I knew from a young age like member in, like kindergarten when you would write like what I want to be when I grow up. I would always right, doctor, because I always was, like, obsessed with the body, just the human body. I think it's the most fascinating thing. And, um, all throughout high school, I always like I knew I wanted to do something with nutrition but also somehow become a practitioner. But I also really liked exercise, and I was very confused how to put it off. And that was like throughout high school. And I was, like, finally, like, You know what? I'm gonna be a dietitian. And then if I decided to go to med school, I can still do that. And that's exactly what I did. So I freshman year I started out with my major of dietetics at Ohio, See, And I think it was my second semester. I we had some class learning about what typical dietitians do in the field. And I was like, Oh, God, this is not what I wanted to dio because sadly only, like 10% I feel like I shouldn't say that Maybe it's a little more of dietitians go on to do, like a lot of food promotion and wellness promotion and deadly lot of them just end up working in, um, feel that they don't necessarily. Yes, they're incredible field, but maybe it's not like their passion. And I was worried that would happen to me. I worry. I was worried I was gonna be working in a hospital just doing two feedings, which, of course, that is to feeding. Yes, it's like cancer patients who can't swallow more babies who have, you know, different disease. And really, anybody could have any on me or something that they aren't able to swallow. God paralyzed people, things like that. It's quite a few dietitians to do that, Um, and of course, that is, those people that do do that are incredible. and that is something that they're passionate about, and that's amazing. But that was just something that I wasn't that into. Look, I didn't want to do that. I wanted to do more health promotion, and the more I learned about dieticians and the internship process, and I was like, Oh, me and like, this isn't exactly what I pictured it to be. I still think it's an incredible career and I wouldn't I probably still would've loved it, but I just wanted more. I wanted to be able to diagnose people and then treat them based on my own discretion. And as a dietitian, you can't really diagnose. You're basically given their diagnosis and then you go with that. So I just really want to be ableto treat a patient from the start to finish

spk_1:   9:05
and have them come to me with an

spk_0:   9:07
issue. Um, so then my I had been going to a chiropractor since I was like, 15 after I had surgery on both feet at the same time, which was the hilarious, and my whole body was kind of thrown out of whack from that. So I went to a chiropractor and he always just said that he could picture me doing it because he knew how much I was in love with health and that I was in love with health. From the standpoint of I never was fined of just giving somebody a pharmaceutical. I'd like to dig and wonder, Why are they like this? Why are they sick or where is this coming from? And I always had that curiosity. Um, chiropractic doesn't that we know that there's a time and a place for pharmaceuticals. Absolutely. Like if you have certain infections or cancer friends and things like that, I mean, you know, quite a few of us, this chiropractor's believe, Absolutely. You need those things, but let's try a different regimen first. That's a little less harmful on the body. So that's just basically a soon as I just looked into the process of going to school for that, it was like a freshman year, and I was like, That's it. I know I want to do this. So

spk_1:   10:13
I went and visited, um,

spk_0:   10:16
two schools, and that was that. I knew I wanted to go to Chicago, and I was like, Okay, I'm a buying. There's no way I'm not getting in, like I told myself that. And then the rest is history. And I'm still in school a 1,000,000 years later. I know the process is different for everyone. But typically, how long is is it chiropractic school? Okay, you know, in a lot of people don't know that about chiropractic school is that it's a So at least I thought it was basically a branch of medical school. Like I thought it was like, Okay, you goto, um, let's just say northwest Texas right here, and chiropractic is like a branch and then other people. On the other hand, thing, chiropractic is like a two year associates degree, so there's a common, like misconception. People don't know what. I didn't know what it was. And until I looked into it together, I think right now there's 11 chiropractic schools across the country. Yeah, it's literally chiropractic school. It's good is called, Um how long does it take? So our school has a minimum time of three years and four months, um, after undergrad and you go year round. So you go throughout the summer and everything. We don't get summer break or anything like that. Um, but that if you want. My schools are really awesome because we have something called flex programs, so you can extend it a little bit to make it. I mean, it's still really stressful, no matter what. That's a big in a little bit less stressful. You can extend it and take one last class this semester, and then you could create it into three years and eight months or four years. Or some people go as long as like, four and 1/2 years. But that's pretty rare. Usually three years, eight months or four years is about the average, and then some people do do the the fast track. The three years, four months just depends on your own personal life, right? And it's cool because since you were on the Flex program, you were able to get a degree and functional medicine. Yes, so that was a big determining factor for me to slow down a little bit. So I knew I do not even remember now when I started looking into functional medicine, but it had to have been like my second trimester. We go buy trimesters and let's explain what functional medicine is for people who don't know Yes, absolutely. So I started looking into it like my second semester and I. There's something called the Institute of Functional Medicine and M D's can be certified in functional medicine. Um, but it's, it seems it's a little bit more common for alternative cam. So that's complimentary. And alternative medicine practitioners are certified a function Messan, Um, but Andy's can become certified in it, And the institute Functional med was, I think it was started by um oh, God, I don't want to mess this up, but I think Dr Mark Hyman has, ah, huge. Basically, he runs part of it, but I don't know who exactly started the institute. But anyways, um, from that institute, there were several master's programs started for functional medicine, and I'm doing one. So it's an online program. It's a full out masters. It's not just like a certificate or anything, and I started that a year and 1/2 ago now, and I'll finish that next March, so it'll take me a little bit over two years, so I'll have a master's degree in nutrition and functional medicine on top of the doctorate of chiropractic medicine. So that's something that I chose to do on my own. So I'm going back to what functional medicine is. Um, basically, we believe that people should be treated from the ground up from the inside out. So we say you come to me and you're having these horrible stomach pains and acid reflux all the time. Pharmacies and conventional medicine doctors would say, Okay, here's some Prilosec, which is an anti acid. Let's just cover up that symptom. And it's like you never had it. Where is also, on the other hand, are like, Well, why do you have this? You know, there shouldn't be. You shouldn't have to put a Band Aid over something. You should fix it so that it heals on its own, and it never comes back. Um, And the problem is, when you put these band aids over these issues, either they're gonna come back and ton fold or you have so many side effects. Um, the side effects of pilots that could be everything from nausea to neurological issues. I mean, it's so extensive. And why would you want to do that to your body? It's scary. Um, so we look at it, say again, you came of us with this horrible stomach pains, we'd say, All right, let's run some stool tests. Let's run. Um, some tests on the bacteria count in your body, um, yeast in your body and things like that to figure out why is happening. And then we heal that Why? And once we heal the why, people, it's our hope is that it never would come back. Um, and if it does come back, you know, we start back over again. We say, Okay, fine. We didn't figure out exactly why. So that you dig even deeper. We do. Hormonal testing is a big groundwork of how we start. So we will start with hormones and blood work toe. Look for micro nutrient deficiencies. We do test for infertility. A lot of our tests are actually from our saliva, so they'll test our saliva for certain things on. We do a C bo test, which is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. And that's actually a breath test. So you breathe into a bunch of tubes, so testing for functional medicine is really it could be strange, and it could be, I mean, it's still test is literally you're pooping into a container and then submitted it and they study your cell. I read it, you know, pretty interesting, but it's really awesome. And then we do neurotransmitter testing, which is basically anxiety, depression, things like that, because one of our biggest things is that especially for neurologic issues and brain transmission issues and things like that, a lot of that actually comes from the gut is I'm sure a lot of people have heard and no, but it is absolutely true. And when we hell, somebody's got nine times out of town, their anxiety and depression is gone. That's exactly what Sarah talked about in the last podcast, which I didn't even realize that. But it makes complete sense. You think about the food that so many Americans are eating right out, so process. There's so many toxins that's exactly and go straight to your brain, and this is a perfect time. Actually, I know that G. M. O's is something I was gonna chat about a little later, but it's actually this fits right in here. So g. M O's is such a hot, trendy, like non GMO food. Don't don't eat that a lot. And I used to all the US I used to think it was like I'm like, No way. There's no way there's any truth to that. And I didn't really understand why until a couple weeks ago, Actually, I went to a seminar and we learned that Deimos is genetically modified organisms and virtually like, unless you're buying all organic all the time and even still, it's gonna it's gonna escape in there. Sometimes everything we have is genetically modified. Our bodies cannot digest those foods in the same way. So there's something called glyphosate. Glyphosate is what is in round up, which is a pesticide that kills the weeds and things like that. So craps congrats. Oh, and crops growing bigger and faster for our food supply and glyph, Asi has recently literally been proven to break down the intestinal lining when it breaks down the intestinal lining. That means that those toxins that you were just talking about can go right into the bloodstream right up into the brain and affect our brain cells. So it is a huge circuit, and when I saw the pictures of the intestine for movie permeability under a microscope completely broken down, I was literally in tears. My nervy self was in tears. I was like, Oh my God, how do people not know this? And it's so sad because, you know, you want to tell everybody, go out by non GMO everything and be healthy and I mean is expensive, expensive to be all organic And do that, especially if you're in college or, you know, in poverty it's means hard. Um, so hopefully in the next couple years, the government, hopefully we'll get some of it under control and start making it a little bit easier for us to get products that are GMO free. But that's a whole other topic on the government stuff. You know, that's something that I don't really know much about. And I don't think it's a scary world out there, so I don't want, you know, that's something that we can't control. Sadly, as of now. So, yeah, that's literally, you know, that's a perfect way to explain, like why people have so much anxiety and stuff in this country while I've seen and maybe we can link it up in the show notes. Those charts that show you what fruits and veggies you definitely should buy organic. Have you seen those dirty dozen. Yeah, I would. I tell everybody, At least follow the dirty dozen, right? If you can't do that, I mean, if you can't, if you can't do that, then you're already giving yourself such an upper hand. Um, you know it and it shouldn't be too hard. There's, like, 12 right? Think about those tall. They maybe don't even eat. So, yeah, you know, that's a really good point. Going back to functional medicine. I'm just curious. The first thing that came to my mind were the flu and then asthma. But I was curious if there were any really common diseases, illnesses, whatever you might call them that can be cured easily through functional medicine that we typically, you know, just take over the counter medicine. So Asma like, is one of my favorite things for actually somebody to come talkto us about. Or so right now I'm doing an internship at a clinic. So when I say come talk to us, I'm not in practice. Yes. So it's not I'm just there. Hang in there listening, but or in my clinic. I am Instant Clinic. But people come to us for more musculoskeletal issues or not functional men, but anyways, so that's what I mean when I say come talk to us. But asthma is actually, um, usually a food sensitivity issue going on. And as soon as you kick that food sensitivity, it's gone because you're so, for instance, Dairy Club. Sure, a lot of people know this and her this, dearie, actually drives your mucus production. So if you're eating foods that are high endearing, you have asthma. You are like gonna fall apart because your lungs are like, Hey, I'm already full of mucus. Um, you know, when you're working out or things like that or I'm really dry, could be the other way. I mean, ask what can present different ways in different people. Um, and you're providing access mucus. Now you're causing more issues of my long says. You know, things come from dairy or food. Sensitivities are once again it could. Some, all from yeast access yeast in the body can drive asthma. Um, things like that are connected. The flu is a messy one because there really aren't. Obviously, there's no antibiotics for the flu. Um, and because different strains pop up so much, it's kind of a tough one. But the biggest thing I could say about the flu is that if you with functional medicine, if you get your body under control to not be inflamed or have a strong immune system, and to get all that nasty crap out your body, that's making it a mess all the time. You already are making yourself such a stronger like warrior when it comes to us. Illness. Sylvan illness comes your way You could fight it off quicker and better. Um, so that's the big thing again. The flu's of Massey one I can never set tell somebody with function was that you could prevent the flu. I wish you could, Fi. I should say you could prevent it a little bit. Be healthy. But sadly, if you're in a room with everybody with the flu, you're probably gonna get it all right. Unless you have, like, the immune system, like you know, God, I don't know, but you know, that's a tough one. But things like even the cold, though the common cold is a lot easier. If you have again a really robust immune system, you get your inflammation down in your body, you cut out dairy. All of that stuff you could cut your cold by, like, 50% alone just by getting rid of dairy. So wow. Yeah. Super simple things like that. What do you think about the flu shot? So So some people listening. My, I agree with this, but I personally don't agree with it. Um, the flu shot. There's so many different strains of the flu. Um, that the flu shot only fights against the strains that we've seen so far. It can't fight for new strains that come about s o. I need to back up with that a little bit. I do believe that people in immuno compromised situations should receive it. So mean by that, so immuno compromised means weaselly elderly. So when you're out, you're over the age of like I push it to, like, 70. I don't even think you know 60 to me. Is that really all 70 year older? You have Ah, lower immune system. S O. You know what? If you're still especially if you're still working when you're 17 you're around people who might be sick all the time. I still say yes sometimes. Still with hesitance. Um, some people will fight. They still think young Children should get the flu shot. I personally don't, um but what's the reason for not getting it? So you're introducing your body too? Something that never would have or even should have been there in the first place. So when you're getting a shot, you're actually receiving a ton of chemicals. Also, when you receive those chemicals, your body is like, Whoa, this is way too much. It will actually attack those chemicals itself. But that's how the vaccine is working. So it's then basically will start toe fire up an immune response to that vaccine. And what that is saying is that it'll mimic that disease that comes in, but by doing so, it actually can turn around and weaken the immune system in that it could be too much of a response for the body. Um, especially for somebody who's going through an autoimmune disease. Your body's already in an attack state all the time. So if you introduce something that needs attacked, even Maur, it's gonna be like, whoa, haywire. This is way too much. Um, but going back to like, even like nurses and things like that, I do still think some nurses, depending on the floors they work in, should be given the flu shot because if they're working with immuno compromised people such as cancer patients, and they come in with the flu strain that they don't even know they have at this moment. But they could pass it to somebody who's really immuno compromised. So for for the day today, people walking around who are healthy, who don't have either jobs or, um are already immuno compromised. I don't really see a need for the flu vaccine, but for those who aren't immune compromise setting, I would suggest it s oh, it's a loaded question. And that is my opinion. With, um, most vaccines. I can't speak for all functional medicine practitioners because we have some that are for all vaccines. We have some hope for zero vaccines. I'm one of those people. Where is a situational thing? Um, I also believe in delayed scheduling so that somebody, if anybody's listening to this that's pregnant or wanting to have kids in the future, which I'm assuming is some people because with mostly women listening to this, I would look into delayed scheduling so it gives the child a bit to build up their immune system on its own before giving themselves a vaccine that just artificially Spike Stevens system. It still is giving some shots, but there's like an absurd amount of shots given to people. It's something like 60 or 70 or something. I don't know within the 1st 2 years, it's something insane. Or that's what that's what the government suggests and we don't need all that s o. Just look into delayed scheduling. Looking toe pick the ones that you really want your sis TV here. I think that is one that I'm like Yes, because, you know, or polio because there's a reason those vaccines were created to get rid of those. So those are ones that I'm like, Uh, yeah, please. You know, But again, I would do to leave scheduled. I wait like a year, get the review system ramped up and good to go and then taken Fight off any weird response? It comes back. So it's very situational. Some people get really, obviously as well no get really passionate about this stuff. Hey, that's okay. This is a good thing. Yeah, but I That's one thing that I don't try to get super into because people get really pissed real quick. So I just Hey, it's a situational thing. I'll talk to a specific person, one they want to talk to about, you know, when they're ready. Right? Wool first schools. Don't you have tohave certain vaccines like the big ones? Yes, I'm assuming. So you actually could do a religious exemption? Yeah. Is that dangerous at all? I wonder. Four things like the tuberculosis and per tuberculosis and polio and things like that. Yes, that's where some people who are really pro vaccine fight for that. And they say, Well, you know, there's a reason these were kicked out of our system or efficiency. Your system living the society basically, and I agree with that. But then people come back and they counteract them. They say, Well, it's been kicked out of our society, so we don't need to worry about it anymore, So we don't need the vaccine, so they literally goes back and forth. Um, is it dangerous? I mean, sure, we've seen those outbreaks of measles and stuff against for kids that haven't got the MMR vaccine, and yes, I'm gonna have to answer that bluntly. I do think it could be potentially dangerous. Um, and we're not gonna We don't live in a perfect world where everyone's going to agree on non vaccination. So then we're all able to build up our immune systems equally. That just will never happen. So again, it's just I would tell everybody looking to delayed scheduling and pick out the really important ones such as polio, MMR and things like that, you know, and weigh your options. And but, I mean, if people choose to do no vaccines, there is ways that you get around it, such as religious exemptions. What religion doesn't believe in that? I am actually unsure of that. I don't know what it is, but do you know that it's fairly simple to get a religious exception? They don't know what exactly religions don't want. That I don't know. Yeah, just saying I am so curious. What amazing stories have you witnessed from either yourself or friends or patients involving functional medicine? Yes. So, um, I will first talk, I guess a little bit about myself, and then I'll touch on, like some one other story that I loved. I'm hearing. So I have been tired for ever. For God. I have just always had horrible fatigue. And, um, it actually all started back when I got really bad mano in high school. And I swear I've just never recovered. I've never felt the same since then, and it's always just been something that I've learned to deal with. Um, and I've been to probably, I think, I think, count, like, six or seven different doctors just saying, Like, why am I like this? You know, this isn't normal, and people will blame it on everything from you Just do too much. And you just you know, you're you, you're in school, you're in college. You're, um you're growing just these two reasons, and I'm like, Well, nobody else feels this way. Why am I feeling like crab?

spk_1:   31:03
Um, and I finally, um, well, in one and one doctor actually in particular sticks out in my mind. It was one of my internal mud doctors, and I just went to

spk_0:   31:17
her for, I think, my yearly exam for school.

spk_1:   31:20
And I just was saying

spk_0:   31:22
how I feel like crap like I'm just like something's wrong with me. Like I'm so tired all the time. I I really thought I was, like, narcoleptic for a while. Like I was like, Oh, my God. I

spk_1:   31:31
could sleep for literally 20 hours, Like, I hope for 15 hours last night. You think it's

spk_0:   31:36
really real struggle

spk_1:   31:38
with it? Yeah. And, um and I got aerobics falsely, but like like, I literally could just let your Baltic. So Anyway, says Doctor, I went thio. She literally looked at me and she said, Let me prescribe you a medicine. I think it will really help you. Um, it's an antidepressant, and I remember staring at her. I'm like, I'm not surprised. It feel great. Like I'm happy. Yeah, depressed. I'm tired. But I'm not like, you know, I didn't I never feel sad. I didn't feel the depression issues, and she's like, Well, this mess I'm gonna give you is a stimulant, so it'll help keep you alert and awake and back. This is I think I was, like, 20 at the time. I didn't know much about, like, health at that point yet, And I was like, Okay, let me try. And I took it for like, I think I took it for a month because she had said Wait, like two or three weeks has to get into your system. And I was like, All right, let me try it. And I did. Nothing happened. And then my mom and I were doing so much research on this drug, and it's called Wellbutrin. For those of you who know it and for those people who are depressed, clinically depressed, Wellbutrin works wonders for them for with clinical depression. But I didn't have clinical depression, so the side effects of it were horrible. What happened? I was dizzy all the time. I was Nash is, um she Oh, yeah, she told me I wouldn't get an appetite that didn't happen. I just you know, like they're just I remember being dizzy all the time and all, And I was so sleepy. I was even, like I was just like, I'm not tired to the point of like, I just, like, drowsy all the time. Like feeling like I took a drug like a Benadryl or something. And so, I don't know, I was just like, Okay now, But that's a common thing that happens, is with functional or conventional medicine doctors. So I'll stay those interchangeably. Conventional conventional is a typical doctor you go to and function Medicine is what we're talking about, so not interchangeably. Sorry. Those are two separate things. Um, but yeah, and I just was, like, upset from that woman on. I was like, Oh, my God, this woman is like, not even listening to me like, clearly there's something wrong and she's just trying to give me an antidepressant, like I'm like, Okay, that's ignite. I'm like, you know, not. Okay, So I went for a couple years and I would go talk to different, like, natural paths. And, um remember my gynecologist at one point, just so many different people. And unfortunately, I still struggle from it a lot. We haven't got into the ground work, but I have found out some amazing things I wouldn't have otherwise found out about if it wasn't for my own research or research of my courts who are functional medicine. People also, um, to unmask, like a little underlying thyroid issue. And also, but this is the story that is incredible to me, is just this Last year I was feeling really sick all the time. I am. I was just utterly exhausted, and I couldn't take it anymore. I was like, This is

spk_0:   34:53
absurd. Like I'm gonna have to either take a semester off school or

spk_1:   34:56
do something like I was feeling so sick. And I went to one doctor again if he was my gynecologist, just for, like, an annual or something. And I was telling them they're like, Let's just do some routine blood work. We did a CBC, which is a complete blood count, and that just basically tells the red blood cells in your body and white blood cells and immune function. Very general. It came back all normal, which was wonderful. But at the same time, I was like Donna and I, you know, nothing's wrong was wrong with me. This is in my head. At this point. I'm like, What's going on? So then a couple months went by, I went back to Oh, I actually had to go to the hospital for some chest pains. I was randomly having, and again they did a complete body count. It was all normal, and I was so confused and I didn't understand, you know, I'm like, OK, so I was wrong, like, this is not right. So

spk_0:   35:49
then finally it took it upon myself in my student clinic. And I said, You know what? This is the most simple thing on Earth, but nobody ever checked my iron and iron is the marker for, like, being exhausted all the

spk_1:   36:03
time. And, um, I had had my hearing checked in the

spk_0:   36:08
past, but not in this last year when I was feeling really lousy and I got the test back, my ferret in which is your iron store

spk_1:   36:16
in your body? I was at a four. The functional level is between 153 100 I was in a 40 my gosh. And when my clinician saw that she actually had to, she called one of her MD friends and said, Does she need a blood transfusion like this? Is that serious? And, um, I didn't end up getting one because my hemoglobin was still OK, which is another marker and love of last confusing. But I didn't have any

spk_0:   36:51
guy one, but it was just It blew my mind away that my iron was completely thrown off and my CBC was completely normal and that those doctors, even though my C B C was normal. Those doctors never took it upon themselves to look further and to think. Okay, this girl is something's wrong. And if it wasn't for functional medicine,

spk_1:   37:14
I never would have done that. Um, and I

spk_0:   37:17
would have gotten so sick. I mean, you can get really sick when you're that Annie mag. And, um, the reason why my C b c was normal because I was taking other supplements B 12 and full late. I was I didn't take fully, but I ate a ton of vegetables, um, was a vegetarian, And, um, I said I was taking Anton supplements. They're actually masking the CBC and making it completely normal, so super confusing. But basically, if it wasn't for function was they never were caught that So that is like a driving reason. I was like, Oh, my God, I love what I'm about to go do like, this is amazing. Um, another quick story, I'll tell, is that, um, fertility. We see women all the time who have gone years without being able to conceive. It is so static. And it's horrible to think, you know, you wanna have kids your whole life, and then you can't and they'll come see us and they'll they have something as simple as, um, I keep bringing this one up, but it's kind of common as excess east in the body and assumes they kick this yeast and get rid of it. And they bring down the inflammation. They get their period and or they get What is the yeast from? So yeast happens from eating. It could happen from eating too much sugar, so yeast feeds off of sugar. So people with a really, um, just to eat a lot sugary little starch. Um, And then, if they're not having proper, like liver cleansing, if they don't have their if their bodies just aren't cleaning things out there correct way he's just build up in the body. Um, it is really common with Americans because of the forts in our foods. So preservatives, a lot of preservatives. Dr. Yeast Growth. Um, eso Candida, if you've heard of Canada, Yeah, he's S O. That's the same thing. So can you go around like anti candidate diets? Yeah, that's just because they're rich East. It's really common. Um, it's super comment and you can actually look at people and kind of tell when they have access. He's usually really puffy. They look swollen. Um, you know everything. They have really big, like puffy circles around there.

spk_1:   39:26
I was like, a lot of times

spk_0:   39:27
they like kids. Which yeast? That's just like some of the things or they could not. It could be other things going on, but usually East looks like that. So, yeah, but that's a perfect example. Like, fertility will come back soon as you kick something else that's going on the body. And it's like, you know, sometimes it blows. My mind is so sad. These women have been going to their gynecologists for years and just put on different hormone replacements or different pills, and nothing ever happens. It was like, Well, they're not. Sometimes those pills air feeding this yeast to making it worse. And it's like it just is crazy to me. And, um, you know what? I'm again. I'm not knocking conventional medicine. All conventional medicine has its place, and I love it, and I believe in it. But it's just looking further. Sometimes some people need that look further, Um, and especially when it comes to creating another life, you know, you have to figure out with Iran. So it's either that has to do with the diet, so limiting something or adding something or taking a vitamin typically or their other things. This would be other things. So you got. Typically, I'd say that's probably the most common. I'm not even necessarily a vitamin. It could be a supplement of, um, a botanical that's an anti microbial. So friends and something called bear brain is an anti microbial um, which means it kills off something in the body. So people see Bo could be given Bear Marine, Um, and that helps kill off that extra bacteria in their system. So it depends. Um, we do there. There is a time and place sometimes to give direct hormones like, for instance, progesterone can't be produced or it can't be that one. You can't really do anything with a sub hunter vitamin. You actually just have to give, like, topical progesterone so it can kind of depend. But most of the time, with diet supplements, we can fix it, and it's so simple, and I mean it's it's hard fight like it's a long journey getting there, but then, once you figure out what's wrong, and you fix it and you do those things. It's incredible what you see. It's I mean, there's people. I just started this internship and I've already seen, like, five people cry because they're just something's fixed or something was fixed. They stopped doing that thing because, you know, they they wanted to eat something that they missed or something, which is a sad part. But they weren't quite healthy enough yet to do it, sending it frustrating, you know? But it's just like it's so cool seeing that stuff, and I'm sitting there on, like, that dream. I see. What is that test that you told me about that you really encouraged people to take where I think that they pretty much have a full body test on what's going on in your blood, your vitamins, minerals. And then they give you something to take specific, like herbs. Forget what that was called. So there's the ELISA test, which tests for sensitivities in the body so that tests for food sensitivities and environmental sensitivity. So if you're environmentally sensitive to certain ingredients are in soaps, things like that. Um, was that the test you were referring to? Oh, I don't think so. Because I remember you saying, Oh, I got this test done. I know your school offers it, and they give you something very specific for your body to take every single day. Oh, home apathy. Yes. Okay. So, homey. Apathy is something that I don't specifically do, because that is a whole fascinating world, potentially something I will look into doing in the future. But usually it's like an extra certificate program. It's Suber complex, but they look at something called a Constitution. So the naturopaths, our school do it, and it's so cool they look at something called the Constitution. They look at your body as a whole, Um, and they ask you questions that are so weird but so cool. Like, they'll literally ask you, like, um, like things like, What do you think about when you're driving a car or some light make you feel or you know just what you're like? What are you talking about? But they literally put these questions into a giant map and forget the guy's name. Who founded this like, nine million years ago literally. Um, but it gives out a whole map basically, and then they give you something called a homeopathic remedy. Based on your Constitution. It is the coolest thing ever.

spk_1:   44:06
Um, I've

spk_0:   44:07
totally recommend people to go do it. It's amazing. I don't specifically do it like it's a It's an extra pretty intense like thing toe learn, but the naturopaths do it. Um, invincible. Do you still take the medicine that they prescribe? No, Um, I only take it so mine was phosphorus that I was given. I only take it when I feel like I'm about to get sick. If I Because I was starting to get over the sex year when I started to get sick all the time. Um, I had a homeopathic intake and they told me phosphorus. And then now, whenever I feel like an itchy throat to make, that'll take my fast forest and, um, it immediately knocks it. And it's so cool. I mean, I still of course, get the random little allergies. Things like that ever soften, but it totally works like it is so, so, so cool. I always say this, but the more you know, the more you don't know. There's just so much to learn, especially when it comes the human body It's so fascinating. That's and that's number one way to know that you love the stuff is when you are drawing, trying to dig deeper and find out more and learn more and wonder more, right? What is the biggest lesson that you hope to teach through being a doctor of functional medicine? Um, it's definitely my biggest message to preach is to care yourself both physically and mentally. Um, there's not enough kind of credit given to like your mental side of your health, Um, and listen to your body. So I really you know, I I I get so sad when you hear somebody say, Look, I've been dealing with this I've felt this way for so

spk_1:   45:48
long and I

spk_0:   45:49
always knew something was wrong, but I just didn't take care of it. It's like, Listen, Thio, even your body is there to tell you something. And if you you know, if you're feeling crappy, don't discredit yourself. Don't just think it's in your head or don't just, you know, worry all day. Like, you know, go try to find out or go get yourself better in a big side of that is mentally as well. So one of my favorite things that I will I will never, never forget about is I was at summer and about chronic pain, and it's a book called World of Hurt and the Woman and I went to one of her talks one time when he was a doctor. Actually, she's a PT. So she's It's Anne O'Connor, Um, but she talks about chronic pain and how people wear their issues like a scarlet letter. And if you for those of you who know what the Scarlet Letter book is, it's like you never can get rid of this the slaughter. You never can get rid of it if you have been walking around with this pain or this, um, fatigue and my he's these issues for so long. Some people forget what it's like to not have those issues, and you have to. You have to have to have to work to get past it and re establish a relationship with your body or with food or with exercise and realize that your mind works in harmony with your body. Um, it's not just your organs are separate than your from your brain. That's not it at all. You have to think positively about your health and think that you're going to get through it, and that's not I don't think enough credit is given in that department. I think people would have. But if it's so much more, there was positive affirmation and things like that. I, you know, that's something that I think a lot of cancer patients go through. I think a lot of people do positive affirmations for cancer patients, and you see the miracles that works and it does work. So that's my biggest messages. Like, You know, don't forget about your mind and listen to yourself. Put it together when you think something is wrong, you know, think and work through it and whether it's physically exercising and mentally working through it, that's my biggest message. Your mind is so powerful. How much we could say so much on that topic. Don't be another you someone you use on like mind. Well, yes. Oh, my gosh. So cool. So speaking of taking care of yourself physically and mentally, what is your self care practice? Um, is I lately have been running around way too much, so this recently has been flying apart, which is sadly hears me over here all day. I'm pretty people healthy. Do this, that I'm, like, literally gone 12 or 13 hours of the day. Yeah, and I when I get home, I literally just go to bed. But the, um so right now I'm being a big hypocrite, but, um, when I have a normal life, I always always, always am listening to calming music. So that's a big thing. I think that helps. Like even if you're driving and I drive in Chicago traffic, look a lot and it's awful, but I always have, like, Trevor Hall or somebody your leg against Roy or something like really calming. And I think that just helps remind really settled down. But then this is one day, even if I am, like, utterly exhausted, I will always meditate in the shower. And I'm waiting for Andy, my boyfriend, to catch on to this Recently. We're taking really long showers. I'm waiting for one day like Peter. What are you doing? You sit down or what? No, it was a Tom because I'm germ phobic my shower and I'm like you. I don't want to think what's been there in the past um, Because living in an apartment so I don't stand there and let the water just, like, hit my back And I'll early to close my eyes And I look calm down because of the animals of our day It's so hard for me to get my mind to shut off And I'm like, I need to relax and I can't do it Unfortunately, when I leaves a shower because I'm gonna go right to it getting myself ready for the next day or the job once play or, you know, if he wants to share out and which is amazing things, but I need we all need those moments ourselves. So I literally will do that no matter what. I don't care. And I'm so exhausted I forced myself to do it because it helps me sleep. I'd be up all night. I also and I remember I told you this earlier. I still find time to do a face mask every at least once a week. Um, you know, I know we've talked about this because we don't know face man actually do anything, but it doesn't matter. Big love. You feels good. Yeah. Um and then I definitely follow a pretty strict ish diet. Um, I eat. I really follow something. It's called autoimmune protocol. Um, for those of you, I don't know if anybody out there follows the paleo mom, but she's a big creator of it. Um, it's basically getting rid of a bunch of inflammatory foods. Um, except the only thing I can't get rid of his eggs. I love it. It's okay. Three guinea. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, like that's like, That's basically what I follow. I drink a Thanh of water. I don't drink caffeine. Um, what you got? I'm not knocking you coffee drinkers and soul. Okay? I just know you're allergic. Thio? Yeah. Fuck back. L B I l I have allergic to cough up of Yeah, I That's like something people like. They're like, Well, no wonder you're tired all the time, like No, I, um and I definitely think sleep is important. Sleep hygiene is something that I feel like some people discredit sometimes. Like they're like, Oh, no. I function great off five hours of sleep, and it's like you might feel okay, but your telomeres, which are your aging part of your DNA, are actually screaming inside there like any sleep. Um, uh, you know, Yeah, you can try for long as you want, you know, to get those five, obviously, but it'll catch up to you whether it's like, you know, on your skin and wrinkles or, you know, just getting sick off and just don't you know, don't forget to sleep and do it when you can. That's, like, so important. And another thing is, you know, definitely toxins. It's also myself care, as I recently transitioned to all tax and free cleaning products and make up um, so beauty counter is amazing non toxic make up and facial lotion company. And I make my own cleaning products now with essential oils and things like that. So just things like that trying to get all that nasty stuff out there get away. Well, I want love to hear. So how do you make your own cleaning products? What essential oils do you? So I use Lemon and I got an idea last time. You know, teacher is a good one. Yeah, he's a really good one. Yeah, you bold Petri lemon. Definitely a lemon on dhe. Then I'll do baking soda. Do baking soda. and a little bit of white vinegar sometimes. Wait. Bangor stank, so well, don't do that. Too often common in water. Um, and that's really it. That's well, deal. Wow. And, um, tea tree will kill the germs. Um, lemon definitely gives it a good smell. Um, but they'll mimic a bleach. You know, you can Google or Pinterest going pinchers and find nontoxic homemade cleaning things. And there's different recipes for toilet cleaner or drain cleaner. You are like there's even one silicon stain removers. I haven't gotten that far. I was gonna say, What do you do for your laundry? So laundry I buy that one. Um, I don't make that one because I was too hard to the five generations. Yeah. Yes, that's what. Yep. This is a way to get Yeah, I just started getting that one, and I like you work out, but, you know, battling because detergents hard to make. Same with shampoo. Conditioner. I still buy that one. I know some people make their own, but that's hard. I've It's really hard to make your own. I got a friend tried to explain it to me, and I tried it one time. I was so greasy. Ugo No, I still buy that one. But again, I give bebe counter now. So yeah, so, No, that's awesome. Let's go back to the inflammatory foods. I love to hear what's on that list for you. Um, so definitely dairy. Um, I still occasionally will eat hard cheeses, Um, or like it's hard. You know, sometimes it's hard to be like, Oh my God, again have any dairy? I still will you sometimes, but Dearie is so inflammatory is it's just a nasty food that humans aren't really meant to consume. Eso dairy is huge. Um, grains. I really like, you know, here's me saying this merely her stay half of a sandwich. But that's what especially, you know, some surfaces again. It's like it's tries as you can, and, you know, that's my biggest goal. Gluten is a huge one. I've recently like really become pretty strict on myself with gluten. Um, that's a huge, huge, huge inflammatory. It's like it's just like, horrible. There's also different, so there's different ways you could take the anti inflammatory and autoimmune protocol. Some people have to avoid all beans, for instance, with that, some people don't have a response. I don't have a response that I could do it. But what in moderation? Um, I also really limit night shade vegetables, which are peppers, tomatoes I plan on, which is so say I really see love like John, which is all of the above. Um, but things like that because it was a really inflammatory and I noticed when I kicked those out, like my body was like, Great. Um, let's see what else is like The main things on that list you can There's a huge extent, extensive list, but those are the main wants, but really, I eat like a soak, like such a creature of habit, which you shouldn't be. You should try to change up your diet, but I eat like the same things every day, which is basically I e playing coconut milk yogurt with, um, no, sugar is a big thing. Sugar is inflammatory to obviously you want pick that, um and I paleo granola. So it's basically just venting nuts and seeds and then blueberries and then lunch. I have a massive salad, which is a bunch of like anti inflammatory vegetables and foods, and then dinner. I literally have like a pile of vegetables. And occasionally I recently became sort of not vegetarian. Touchy subject. I still wish I was, but my anemia iron thing was like, Okay, maybe a year myself here. But I'll have chicken or fish eventually, but, like, you know, just really just listening. Just vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, and, like, fruit is still great, but not like an overload. Obviously, no one like a glucose store. Um, and make your own, like, desserts. Make your own. Last week I made a vegan cheesecake and a date fudge, and there was no sugar, You know, for sure. Dates have sugar, but it's not like actual shit. Yeah. So, So easy. Something so good. I know that you are also huge on all the vitamins and supplements. I remember looking at your medicine cabinet. I was like, Oh, my gosh. So many things. What are maybe three, Or you can name more, but vitamins or supplements that you think have been vital for you? Or that you recommend to the charge community. Yeah, so definitely a B complex, I think because this is college age girls. Definitely. Everyone gets a little run down. Um, and you're drinking alcohol, and when you drink alcohol, you actually deplete your B Vitamins and B vitamins also help for mental clarity. So anybody's trying to study, which is a college beauty complex. Works wonders, I would say There's no harm in taking it every day. Um, I used to be a person that was like taking something every day. You really want that? But that was before I learned about it. You know? No. Like you. You just pee it out. If you're right, it doesn't need it. There's no real harm. Um, vitamin D is a huge one. So on Lee, it's something I read this statistic the other day, actually. Well, in Chicago, at least we only got enough sunlight. Thio restore our vitamin D status is it's something crazy, like 45 days out of the year and in July and August. Otherwise, we just live in a place that doesn't have enough sunlight. Um, even if you live in, like Florida or Arizona or California, sadly, you're probably working in a building, so you're not. You're seeing this fun all day, so it's I think it's like 88% of the Americans are deficient in vitamin D Um, and I would tell people to take at least 1000. I use a day. Um, and you can take a maintenance dose off are Sorry. Maintenance. Those will be 1000. I use a day, and you can start out with an upper or 5000 years day. But, um, I would not vitamin to use a fat soluble vitamins. So you do want to get that level tested before you just go take it. What does that mean? Fat soluble. So that means that your your body will store that s o Where is if it's not fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble, so they get stored in your body. Um, the other vitamins. You just beat him out so they won't harm you. But if you have an overload of vitamin A, for instance, your body hold on to it, and that could be toxic. Um, chances are no. We would have a toxic load from vitamin D, but I don't want to, you know, go suggesting that. And then something happens. You definitely got something. You get tested first and then take your You know, you take up basically huge amount, and then you take a maintenance dose of vitamin D you could take. There's no harm in taking 1000. I use a day as a maintenance. So there's really you really can't harm yourself once you took the whole bottle something, Um, and then another general supplement just for when you're feeling like you're like all it clogged up. Not even no point in time, but not really intestine, just like your bodies and just feeling like it's draining things correctly. And you just kind of feel like you're like all like, you know, cruddy and stuff is milk thistle. Milk thistle is excellent for your liver, um, in liver clearance, so it helps basically recharge your liver. Your liver is like your master drainage organ, so it gets rid of all that gunk in your body that's being held on to, um, so milk thistle is awesome. Activated. Charcoal is another one for when you ate something really crappy, Um, or if you drank a lot, especially like in college, take activated charcoal either right? If you ate it or drank and it'll help bind up toxins, and that gets one of those toxins quicker so this doesn't place much work on your liver, those air like my favorites. And then I have to talk about the one that you just left the name off. Ash Lagonda. Amazing. That's an herb. Um, same and milk thistle is also but ash Lagonda is for something called your adrenal glands, which is come here, master like stress hormones. So if anybody is feeling really stressed out or drained, which is like 99% of the population Oscar grab, it helps just basically, um called it adapted Jin. So basically helps modulate like all of your stress hormones in your body to help you not be not as reactive. And that is stress out all the time. You can't obviously, it's not gonna eliminate trust tapping your life, but it helps you react to them better. So that's another really cool one to take. Um, it doesn't like my favorites that I really I think people could benefit from kind of, no matter what. Yeah, and definitely want to affirm the B complex and vitamin D because it's D three, right? Who's out of these hearings active? Okay, Yeah, because I was actually just at my holistic health doctor today and I was curious, and I asked her because I'm on quite a few vitamins right now, but she said B complex vitamin D three and then fish oil or her and then a programmatic is always really good. But like those 3 100% you should take them every day. Yes, Absolutely. I can Absolutely. Yeah. It was cool to hear that. Same thinks I was like, Yes, that's true truth word. What are some out there holistic health practices that you've seen work? Um, settle. There's something called applied kinesiology. This is more under, like, the chiropractic, muscular, skeletal world. Um, so it basically is. They do something called muscle testing so they'll have a Have you hold a supplement? Let's just say let's take like a fish oil. You hold it in one arm and they'll test your muscles to see if they get stronger week. When you're holding this supplement, and if they go weak when you're holding a supplement, then that means that your body I agree with it. But if they go strong, we're holding the supplement than that made your body will agree with. It sounds so out there. Um it is not evidence based, which means basically, it hasn't been proven with, like with, like, sound scientific studies and stuff like that. But I have seen it work, and I'm not. I don't do that specifically. There's just some people at my school who approaches it, and I've seen it work. And I'm like what it could be by chance, or it could actually work, you know, like I don't know, but it definitely thou there in, you guys should totally, all looking up because some of you might be like this is totally lacking in something you might be like Wall, that's so cool. Um, yeah, but it's got applied kinesiology, but it's definitely super interesting, like very when I first saw it. I'm like, what is going on here? But, oh, yeah, what about some trendy wellness practices that don't work? So definitely my biggest issue right now with a trend that's going around is thick Ito diet. It works amazing for diabetic patients or patients who have severe, glad cement control issues, which was like sugar, um, like sugar control. It also does work for some people with thyroid issues or hormone issues, but my problem with it is that a lot of these bloggers or people who don't have a lot of experience with diets in general are just telling everybody to do chemo diet. That's not good, because you can't tell everybody to do the same diet. Um, diet is justice, personalized as a exercise plan or as a, um, surgery, like you know, you everybody's different, So not everybody's gonna react the same way. You can't just have one go, kiddo. Diet essentially eating a high amount of fat, moderate protein and extremely low carb. If somebody has severe adrenal fatigue, which is basically your stress hormones are messed up, they're gonna respond very poorly to that because you actually need carbohydrates to feed your brain. You need fat to feed your brain. A cz Well, um, but not in this amount. This amount is too drastic for somebody with this really low amount of adrenal energy. They need something. They actually give them immediate energy, such of the car. So that's just kind of my oppa peeve I have. Right now, I am not knocking the key to diet at all. I'm knocking that people tell everybody to do it. That's something that happens a lot of time with friends. I feel like in general is they say, just because it works for me, Everybody should go do this like no, like, just because somebody benefited from Atkins diet a 1,000,000 other people had kidney disease from it, you know? So it's like That's my fear. And because I spend so much of my time looking up nutrition and diet plans for somebody just sit there and tell everybody deduced the same diet just blows my mind and it it's like it's just upsetting because you don't want to hurt somebody. Um, and you could actually make them worse. You know, if you give them a Kyoto diet and you know it's just not That's just something that bugs me. I think about like some trends is that you don't work for everybody. Well, I think just the word die. It typically does it work because you're limiting things, and even when you talk about you know how you're trying to limit your cheese consumption, that's totally fine. But you also recognize Hey, I've might still eat cheese sometimes, and that's totally okay. It's all about balance, and it really is about understanding your body. But I feel like once we start getting rid of limiting those things and just enjoying what feels good in our body and eating what we love and just understanding how food makes us feel like your mind is gonna change. And when your mind changes, your body changes, right? Exactly. And you just hit the nail on the head was saying, When you I realize how you feel after you eat something, that is, I'm actually in a class right now in my master program. It's the psychology of eating and wellness and mind Mind basically like you're mindful eating and realizing you need something you're like, Oh, my God, I feel like crap. So I will listen to that and, um, and in for somebody who, like, you know, say they need to eliminate gluten. Um, gluten is one of those foods. It's hard to eliminate in general, but then when you eliminate it, if you have it even one time, it just comes back. And 10 fold is that It's one of the things that's just like if you're gonna eliminate, you need to do it 100%. We're talking, won't do anything so but without being sad. You fix your body, you fix your got, you get rid of that gluten. And then maybe once your guy you're in per permeability is back. There are some people that you can be like. All right, let's try it. Let's see what happens. But listen to your body if you feel like crap all over again, the nope, that's that. You know? So it's it's just that's exactly it is. You just really need to pay attention to what's going on newly, really. Listen to yourself. Yeah, yeah, I know you are so passionate about this, but you also are so passionate about really everything while this but essential oils. And I definitely wanted to touch on this because I'm just starting to get into a central oils and there's a few that I absolutely love, but I'd love to hear your top five oils and what their benefits are. Yes, so definitely lavender is my like top faves. Um, it's so good for anxiety. And, um, I, personally, like, literally can't sleep without putting it on my rest tonight. Like it is just like amazing what it does for you. Um, there's once there's too specific ones that are actually from da Terra specifically, so they're mixes. But you can look up similar mixes If you use a different oil company. Um, you can create your own sort of mix is but one is called Elevation, and it's filled with a bunch of things. But the two top um, so the three top boils in it are something called Melissa fishing analyst and then you lang laying, which is why L. A. N G and then sandalwood. So those are for positive mood and confidence. It really does help, just like lift your mood. And that's why it's called Elevation. Um, a big one also is something called Digest Zen by da Terra. It's ginger, fennel, Anna's peppermint, the ginger. And that is what really helps that God. And it's just really calmed yourself, making you can rub that one directly on your stomach. Um, but you can also take you can actually also take. This is a common misconception. You can take dough. Terra's intern heard oils internally in very small amounts of you. Dilute them in water. Um, I can't speak for other companies because some companies have fillers in them. that could be a little bit harmful. So this is just from Joe. Tara, this is I just know. What about Botero? Specifically, I don't know about the other companies. There are maybe some other company you can't take internally. I don't know. Um, but digests inferences. You can put a few drops in water and you can actually drink the water, and it can calm your stomach. Um, and then the two other ones. I love our grapefruit. Um, it's really uplifting. And honestly just smells so good in the diffuser on dhe, then Frankincense of frankincense is super expensive. Marchal I little violently $20 but it's incredible for pain and because I'm I'm doing obviously mostly functional med. But I do work with musculoskeletal issues quite a bit, too. And when somebody has, like a joint issue, we'll give them a little frankincense and they can rub it on the joint. And it is literally it has almost the same potency. Is Advil Really? Yes. And you don't know the exact, like amount, but it is literally nature's Advil. So it's in a lot of natural painkillers and all of these it's best if you use a carrier oil with them and a carrier. Oil is basically fractionated. Coconut oil is my favorite, and you mix the oil a couple drops of that with the fraction of Copan oil. Your body absorbs it better because it absorbs the coconut. Oil is a fat, so it gets absorbed better than just the oil by itself. That's if you're putting it on topically and again. Dough, tears, oils most of them you can internally take if you If you don't tear, it specifies which ones you cannot internally take on Dhe. Then if you want a quicker uptake of whom actually, putting it on the bottom of your feet is the best because you're the pores on the bottom, your feet our big sort, absorb it quicker. So say you're going to bite you but lavender on your feet. Or if you have kids, you could put the oil on the feet. So that way they're not like rubbing their eyes or something. I'm going to get the oil or eyes, so yeah, I love them and they're gonna hold up. I guess about oil by like a whole other world. Yeah, we should do a podcast on a cinch oils and be fun. Love, love. Let's talk a little bit about acupuncture and cupping, uh, feel I'm obsessed, especially cupping. I love cupping just because it feels like a really, really deep massage. Um, an acupuncture I'm just starting to get into. But I'd love for you to share kind of what they are and what their benefits are for people who have never tried it before. So I'll start with copping sounds a little easier to explain. So cupping basically separates the top two layers of your skin from each other, which sounds disgusting and crazy, like I don't want that. But what it actually is doing is bringing blood flow into the area, um, and opening that area up to new circulation, and it creates a small injury. So when it creates a small injury, um, it actually then promotes further healing. So when you create something go out, it would have been bruised. That's your body's way of saying, OK, I want to recruit new tissue and new healing agents to this area, so it it kind of just helps those areas hell, and especially with tight muscles, it brings new blood there. So can help break up those little adhesions that you have in there and also with the separation of the top three layers of the skin. Um, it helps break up adhesions. Even Maur. Um, so acupuncture. The difference with the acupuncture is that actually works in channels. Chinese medicine believes that everything runs in a channel. Heard Action's A in watching olders. There's actually 12 12 channels, and then there's eight extraordinary chain. Also, there's punches of channels on and how channels work are. They can either work with the muscular, skeletal pattern that's going on or they work internally or both. So earlier you were talking to me about the back, and I was explaining to you that the back is the bladder channel. Um, but there's also the governing Vessel channel, and there's also the small and chest of small intestine channel. Um, so the small intestine channel, for instance, can work. The points are in the scapula, most of them, you should say, but this also helps with decision making. So people who are really indecisive all the time well, target this small intestines. You, um, or the governing vessel. If you're having a bunch of stress governing vessels helpful for stress, but it also is helpful for the spine. Um, Ally four's a really common one, so that is actually large intestine for and it's right in between your thumb and index finger. It's a huge acupressure point. Also, this point is amazing for people who type a lot or write a lot because or even any less because we tag. So we use their thumbs all the time. That muscle right there gets so tight the point helps release that muscle. But it also is amazing for anxiety and, um, nausea, and it helps sleep. So it just these different channels target different things. Um, and if you ask me how they target the different things internally, it is such a loaded answer that even I still have trouble understanding explain. But basically these ancient Chinese people figured it out, and they knew that this is what would work. But especially with things like anxiety like, Oh my God, I can't say enough how, um, you're how anxiety can be treated with acupuncture. There's something called a Scheinman point that's in your ear, Um, and it literally can, like I actually have a pierced because I I know that I am. It works like it is so cool. So acupuncture can be for internal issues or it could be four musculoskeletal, so that's kind of a difference there. Cupping really isn't too much for internal issues. Um, as far as, like, you know, fertility or, um, anxiety, your things like that. But acupuncture absolutely is for internal issues, but can also be musculoskeletal as well. So it just depends, you know, it could be a little more broad. And then obviously, chiropractic medicine as a whole is for pain and musculoskeletal issues. And but it also could be for internal issues as well. Um, you know, it's just it's such a It's such an in depth answer is how it release toe internal issues from a chiropractic adjustment. But all I can say is it does. But it also chiropractic itself is definitely more for musculoskeletal issues by itself. But in conjunction with all this other stuff. If you can hit those internal issues going on, everyone needs to try a ll three. Yeah, that's for sure. Are there any other holistic practices that you eventually want to be certified in? Um, so right now, I So with this nutrition masters, um, the estate, the functional medicine and nutrition masters. When I got away from that, I can sit for my CCN license, which is basically a certified clinical nutritionist. Um, so I do I'm gonna sit for that exam, is just an exam, and I know that I'll be a ccn. So basically that that way, you know, I hate to say it, but these let these letters after people's names is really only for patients only, but it's so people recognize it. So then they look up now. Oh, she specializes in nutrition. Otherwise, you have no idea what this person specializes in. So that's what that helps with, um, I also want to get a sitter for my diplomat exam, which is a chiropractic on Lee, um, term so differently. They're basically our way of saying specializing. Um, so I'm sitting for the diplomat a in functional or in nutrition, I mean, and then I also will probably send for the differently and acupuncture, But that won't be for another year. I'm I think, because it's very expensive exams. So that right now, yeah, those right now or it. I'm sure I'm like one of people that will never stop learning. So I'm sure I'm gonna be like I want to do this. What is this? But I I think I'm so burned out right now that I'm like, I don't want you again, But I know what's gonna happen. So yeah, I can see, Like massage therapy or even energy work things like that I can totally see you doing Ricky is so doesn't say breaking. Yeah, he is awesome. I I like it so fascinating. I don't know. I definitely right away. I tell you, I never will be a massager. Why you're so good when you're massaging me. I was like, Please don't never stop. The reason why I never will is because it's exhausting. Yeah. Um, Assessor, because those people have, like, hands is like, Will you take on people's energies? D'oh! Especially breaky to you, like, take on their energy. And I'm totally in a path like I pick up on people's energy way too easily. So I feel like I would be like, Oh, my God, I just feel like there was heavy, but, um, besides, there is. I mean, those people are incredible. They work so hard, but I just know Are you tired? Be like working out all day long. Like I couldn't do it. But they're incredible. But I couldn't do it. You know you. Huh? What I have, like, older of like, sick of doing? Well, this is a good time to seg light into my favorite story. I literally so Melissa and I have been traveling many, many years now. We studied abroad together, and I feel like we take international dribs once a year. We're gonna have to figure out what trip I'm coming on with you this year. Have forgot Fero. Um but I literally am, boys. Like when we meet a new person like Melissa, you have to tell this story. I'm just so fascinated every single time. And because we do talk about spirituality in this podcast, I thought this would be relevant. So you got to share again. Um, I'll just let you start. But the storyline is about imaginary friends. Yes, that is a good way to start. Okay, so fluttery lives. Guys listening. Do. Please don't think I'm like a crazy person. Well, you all have over mine Alert your easel in some way. Um Yeah. Okay. So when I was little, it's a long story. Two's priest yourselves. When I was little, I I I don't remember because I was like, a baby, but I guess I would always tell my mom. Okay. Why wasn't Maybe I was talking, but I wouldn't tell her that I would always see a orange bouncing ball in my head. And she probably was like, Okay, cool, whatever. And slowly, why turned about, I think Look, around five, um, I started telling her that I would then see this woman with red hair talking to me all the time in my head. And again, I think my mom was like, all right, wherever my daughter has an imaginary friend. Cool. I think she got nothing of it. Um, and that was that. And I was just telling me that that went on for a couple of years. And this woman, um I always tell people I could still picture her to this day. She would always talk about her husband, John, who died in a boat accident. And I I just I distinctly remember the story, and it was the day he died about accident, and she couldn't find him, and she needed help finding him. She So you're gonna buy him, and, um, they okay, so I remember then finally telling him, um, you know the details again. I was so young. I don't remember exactly what age it was. I think my mom has, like, writing down cause I think it's totally fascinated turned around to this day. But, um, I think my mom slowly was like, Oh, God, this is more than like an imaginary friend like something's going on. Either My daughter is, like, schizophrenic and literally talking to people that are even there or something is wrong, you know? So she's are you getting nervous? And I think she took me to, like my pediatrician and the pieces from was, like, again said, like she's at that age. It could just be an imaginary friend. Um, and I'm I was raised Catholic, So my we never talked like I did with you knows about this, honestly, my dad about this because my dad's very catholic, and I think he was gonna understand in a minute I made it was not open to this, but my mom was like, we need to talkto the priest about it because you know who is this? What's going on? So I think we talked to my priest and my priest. I don't remember exactly what happened there or if I'm even ever actually did. Or maybe she talked to a friend and I don't know what happened with the priest situation. I can't remember. But I remember this kept going on and it was getting worse. This woman would talk to me more and more like daily, and it would be fun. A couple minutes and she would calm and talk really fast. Boys and I could picture her talking to me. And it's not like I was picturing this woman standing in front of me or something, but it was just like, you know what? You could picture someone's face in your mind. It's like, that was that. And she would just say this about this accident over over again. And I finally was like, Okay, this is like, weird. And I think I was getting older at this point, like 10. So I was like, OK, this isn't just like a friend or something anymore. So then my mom at this point was like probably freaked out and she talked to my half or my and who is her half sister, who was very spiritual. And, um, she actually said, You need to take her to a medium. Um, And for those who you don't know what a medium is, it's basically a psychic, but they can also talkto like ghost or your grandparent's. For there's a show on If it was on No, but it's not actually Tyler Tyler the medium or something. He's a Hollywood media when he talks like needles, Grandma's and Grandpa's and husbands wives who passed away a super cool. And I totally have always believed in that stuff Probably my mom always did. Even though I was raised Catholic, my mom was turned Catholic by marriage. So my mom always believed very spiritual, and so I kind of always was, too. I was believed in ghosts and angels and all of that stuff, so I was like, Okay, I'll talk to this medium. So I talked to his medium and drumroll. Basically, what they told me is that it was something called an entity and an entity. You something that links to usually Children, um, and your when you're being basically produce or in your soul. So mediums believe basically that, you know, we're all just a bunch of souls, like floating around that. Like when we die, our souls never truly leave. Um, and people stay. Some people get stuck in. What is that? That transition stage between Habito? Yeah, Purgatory. And when they get stuck there, they'll actually try to link to babies or two young Children to be able to come back to Earth. Um, and this lady linked to me because she was trying to find her husband. And this is where it gets really eerie. Um, my mom has this awful, so on. Take, like, a cassette tape. Your little because that tapes. Um, so she is like the medium reading, and this person is just like a medium thing you see on TV with Tyler Medium, you shall go look up there like talking to the person. But look, you're not hearing anything like they're just like having conversation in their head. But this medium knew everything that was like going on. They knew right away they described what the woman looked like to me. They described what the conversations were, and they described why she was linked to me and she was linked to me basically to my soul. And this happens commonly, I guess, in Children. And they say that that's what imaginary friends are. And a lot of times when the child turns like 45 usually it's gone. Usually they get rid of it because the person leaves their soul, the mind just never like left. And so my essentially, my imaginary friend who was actually a person stuck with me and the most eerie part of this whole story is that we with this medium, I was able to get the information, and I've never looked it up sense because I think I just don't really want to. You don't really want to revisit it. But they were able to find the boating accident that her husband died and it was a true story, and the husband died immediately in. The woman did not. She died in the hospital with Leader, and, um, she was looking for a husband cause she couldn't find him in the hospital. And then she died So super weird again. I don't follow you for like God. This woman is like crazy, but is definitely crazy. But the born where I share this story, the more people say that they've have either similar experiences, everything. Know what I'm talking about on. I think that's kind of cool, because I'm like, Okay, I'm not just one or people share like I've seen my grandma and my grandpa are I've I've talked to them and stuff and I'm like, we gotta thank God. Mine wasn't a family member, but it was just some random person, But still, you know, or when people say that they're little kids will be born right around the time another family member died. And though the little kid will say Always see grandma over there and Grandma's like, not there, you know? So it's just things like that. Like the more you hear it, you really happening here, You hear? It happened with kids. Um, it's really cool, but what it always is me chills, you know? It's like, when's the last time you heard from her? I was in high school, and I was, like, really stressed out. I remember. And I remember she really started talking to me. Oh, yeah. You left that part out, I guess. Um and I basically just have to say over over in my head like, Go away, Please Leave me alone. Like she wasn't there to harm me like these things can't harm you. Let me go. You gonna leave me alone? Let me live my life. But going back to the media on the medium basically had to tell her, like, leave her alone, like you know, she can't help you. She can't find her husband. She's just a kid. Um And then she left and she never came back. Hey, school. When I'm really stressed out on me, I don't remember why or what was going on. Um oh, I was taking a test. I was taking a test. And there's a question about a boat and the name Jennifer. Whatever her name was, I think it was Jennifer. Jackie, and I can't remember again. I don't want my mom. I don't want to think about it. So we're like, think about re looking exactly the details up, but yeah, the question like must have sparked my memory and, like, stressed me out about it. And then she lives randomly showed up in my head again. And I was like, go away like please leave me alone, like in my head. And then immediately it was fine. And then, ever since then, I've never heard summer. And I've told this story so many times, and I know her from her. So that's good. I'm hoping she found her way. Yeah. Uh, wow. Crazy. It's crazy. Thank you for sharing your favorite star already. Well, it has been an hour and 1/2 which is absolutely crazy, but we are going to do some fast personal questions. So whatever comes out of your mind when I ask you these aggression somewhere to breathe, some are harder. But I'm ready. Ready, girl. One word to describe you. Optimists Day workout. You want to try? Probably like karate or something. Something like Really, like, powerful. Yeah. What is your favorite health trend right now? I think, definitely. Um I think like all of this, like, got health stuff. I think everybody's getting on the bandwagon like our guts are second brain, like so you know, Kombucha And, like, fermented foods and stuff like that. Like yeah, like feed your got the healthy stuff. But once you've seen both, you see Bo, then God kill you suffer? Yeah. Yeah, Definitely that. What is a book? Every charge girl should read. The only others? I have so many favorites. Um, I I love the book present over. Perfect. Um five. Sean and Nyquist. Um, I haven't read it, but being president, Yeah, it's really touching on, but right now I'm reading a book called Pillow Pillow. Thoughts were Rachel do I told you that it was pillow talk, and that's to sexual Philo thoughts. But it's a good book to read, like, every night before you go to bed. And it's just like little thoughts of being happy life. And so who's really you? Yeah. What is your favorite treat? Talk of anything. What is your dream job? Oh, God. Definitely something to do with S O. If there was any job out there that was involved seeing this world journaling about it and helping other people, I don't know what that job would be. But I've literally seriously contemplated joining the Peace Corps because I know it's helping people and you could see the world beyond that. I just write about it. But it's something to get out there and see this world, something about traveling makes you realize this world is You're such a small little fragment in this world is so big And you know it's just these little Sometimes the little things don't matter so much, You know, there's just so much world out there And I would love to be able to help other people in this world, But I love it. Write about it too, so that other people could do it. So somebody created jobs. That holds that if any of you guys know, get back on your blogged no less. One block booth. I love you. What is your favorite place? That you ve traveled? Thio. So probably Thailand. I can't. Oh, my God. That place is just so cool. Magic things different and Oh, my God. So what's your next adventure? Fill this fall I'm doing to mission trips. So one in Peru, Um, for a month. And then I'm going to Columbia after that part's not the mission trip part, but that, and then come back for a week. And then I go to South Africa for two weeks for another mission trip. So yeah, super excited. Be Mel You'd like to meet, uh, probably Alice. Sandra move Fuji from She's in spiral ized lager. Yeah, I got her Instagram and her blogger just like so Riel Just, like seems so down Earth Like so fun. Yeah, No, I love telling her to What is your favorite podcast? I Okay, well, this will be funny. I love the Valance wand, but I also love I remember what it was called. Yeah, Cereal. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, creepy was so good. That was incredible. Oh, my gosh. What are you curious about right now? Good health? No, no. Do you mean, like, wanna make your spot in the health world or anything in general? How I'm gonna find time to study for my border? He's kicking my blood. I literally don't have died with studies. Oh, yeah, One words that left and I'm free. But I need to study for it first. You that this? What goal are you most proud of achieving? I always just wanted to be very whether you want. Like, I just always wanted Thio be able to do something that just kind of left a mark on other people. Whether that was, you know, leaving an impact on somebody's memory or, you know, helping somebody out in some way. Um, but I think it honestly is like traveling and seeing this world. I don't think, Sally, you know, a lot of us get trapped in jobs in life and for you know, you're retired, you can see stuff. So that was always, like something I wanted to do and be ableto, you know, take how other people like, get to that and be like, you know, convince them you just do it. You do it, do it, do it, save that money and just do it. And I think that's something like I will never let go off. And, you know, I just I don't know everybody everybody needs to see this world were so small compared to everybody else. And, you know, you think your problems are so small and then you go somewhere where you see a dog walking around with came walk. Was he hit by a car? Well, forget that in Thailand, getting really you just seem so they're really you know, you're just like, wow, my problems at home are literally nothing it might involve. Like what? I'm gonna eat for the week. All right. It's just that's like something. I just I don't care. I mean, this house Well, what I don't even care. You know, Of course, I carry shouldn't say that. But how many people help with functional medicine? I care so much about being ableto tell our people and share about experience of the world. Hopefully help people in this world by mission trips. And that's kind of my new goal is going more trips to help people who need it weigh much more than I do. Absolutely. I love that. What is your personal mission statement? Hard running hard probably is cliches the sounds. So I love two things is never give up your daydream and the world is your oyster. So let's go along with actually what I just touched on. And it's like, Yes, my passion is functional Aston. But my daydream is seeing this world, and I won't ever give it up, no matter what I'm doing. Um, and the world's your oyster. I think it's just like you know, you can do anything you want this world. Just put your mind to it and stick with it. And I you know I don't like sometimes I remember telling you when I first started chiropractic school, I was like, I hate this. I can't do it is impossible. You just don't give up And you know you have. You know, the world is your oyster and go, It'll happen. Your goals will happen if you keep at it, you stick at it. You can do what you want about the mind. Yes. Go back to my last question. What does being hashtag in charge mean? Thio Taking to me it always means taking control of your goals and your dreams. And don't let anybody ever put you down. Big thing, I think, that allow women struggle with his confidence and being confident, not feeling confident enough about doing anything. I'm just certain things. I think it's just like, you know, Don't don't let someone else shake shoot you down and you know, keep it what you want and just really persevere Don't give up and just stay in Stay in charge of your dreams I love that it's so funny that you mentioned confidence because I wrote that in my journal today. I'm like I want to start being more confident cause I am a confident person. But how can I be fully confident in who I am? Because I know who I am. But it's like fully owning who you are in every moment and just being cut. Be confident in your thoughts and your ideas and in your actions. And don't second guess yourself. But I feel like we always second guess ourselves. I'm always like, What do you want to do? Like I don't really know. But it's like deep down we know what we want to d'oh for highest, good and realized. And once you realized that your passion itself, like it's like, you know, just follow that like confidence and stick with it. But it's just like like you said, just like realizing it. It's like hard issue. You know, we all worry about what other people think, whether you want whether you try our knights, who you still d'oh who's like That's tough. Yeah, well, thank you so much, Melissa. This is so much fun. How can people learn more about you? When will you be officially a chiropractor? So people can start going to you for that? So I graduated August on the current debacle is I don't even know where we're going yet. I'm either staying in Chicago or I'm going back to Cleveland, Ohio. So shoutout anybody in Cleveland? Um, I don't know currently yet because I just recently fell into something amazing in Chicago. But I also have something amazing in Cleveland, so I'm really tourney at the moment. But with that being said I do on Instagram, it's more travel and life earlier than it is help related. I do have a health instagram, too, but horrible using it. I just don't take it off cool pictures of my food. And so I had, like, three pictures other, but, um, well, so my instagram is just my name. And then in August, when I graduate, I am absolutely going to start. Most of us star either a Web page of some sort or something for ourselves. I can't do that yet because I'm not licensed, but I will absolutely have something so people could reach me and find out where in practicing what exactly my story is and stuff. But it is I'm being It's my little instagram and Facebook. But man, And if people who do live in Chicago want to see you too, get acupuncture or cupping. Would they be able to do that? Yes. So, um, I know you're really busy, but yeah, no, but unfortunately, I'm going into the last semester of clinic and I actually was switching clinics to a Salvation Army clinic, which goes along with Tyler Gold, that are standing about with helping underprivileged people. It's actually for homeless. Need more people going through rehab. So I'm switching my clinic there. So, unfortunately, I cannot treat the public anymore until August. Just so, um, I could definitely, you know, educate. But I can't. I'm not licensed until August. So in the meantime, I really can't. But I can suggest a 1,000,000 people who do, or my school is called National University of Health Sciences. It's in Lombard. That's a suburb of the city, and you can go there as a patient, and it's all student in terms. So that discounted price and I could absolutely give you suggestions on who to go to my, uh, close friends there. So that's a great idea. We'll put that in the show notes, and then we'll link up your email. Thio, email me questions. Anything you have about functional medicine or anything like that. Perfect, huh? I love it so much. Well, thank you again, Melissa. And thank you everyone for listening. I hope you enjoy this podcast. I know I did. Um, but please rate and review the podcast that helps us so much and stay tuned for next week. See you guys later Charge, girls. Good morning. Yes, I'm talking to you. Was time to get charged up because these days you knew This guy says hi Hands bluer than blue With the sun shining and all the birds chirping to two day is the best day to be alive The miracles appear once you open up your eyes Surprise time to keep living the dream So get up Enjoy the rest of your charge Tain.