What No One Tells You About Your Cycle, Your Gut, and Getting Pregnant with Dr. Samantha Ess (008)
Release Date: 07/02/2025
The Vitalist
In this episode, Dr. Keiko sits down with Marina Ortega, founder of Scottsdale Hydrotherapy and Trust Your Gut, to explore the fascinating and often misunderstood world of colon hydrotherapy. Marina shares her personal journey from debilitating constipation and chronic illness to becoming a leading voice in gut health and detoxification. Together, we dive into the science, history, and surprising emotional layers of gut healing. You’ll learn why supporting your drainage pathways is essential, how the gut is directly tied to immunity and mood, and what you can expect if you’re curious about...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
From growing up in a cult religion to facing years of childhood trauma, autoimmune disease, and a body in constant distress, Wes Kress’s story is not one of defeat, but of radical transformation. In this episode, Wes opens up about the hidden feedback loops that keep us stuck, the biology of emotional pain, and why true healing has nothing to do with fixing yourself and everything to do with listening to the truth your body has been telling you all along. We explore the patterns that wire shame into survival, why most people unknowingly run from the very thing that could set them free, and...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
In this episode of The Vitalist, master life coach Micheline Green invites us into the complex terrain of true transformation. Drawing from over two decades of experience, including her early work investigating child abuse and her training in Integral Coaching, Micheline reveals what it really takes to shift deeply embedded patterns. Together, we explore: Why real change happens beneath the psychological immune system How fear shows up in disguise: as rage, anxiety, depression, or numbness The role of the “loving witness” in releasing trapped emotion Autonomic signatures beyond fight,...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
What if the stories you’ve been telling yourself—about your worth, your happiness, your healing, aren’t the truth? In this raw and revelatory episode, Brittny shares her journey from high-performing “happy girl” to a deeply embodied woman rewriting generational patterns. From hiking Mont Blanc on her honeymoon to navigating postpartum anxiety and uncovering childhood trauma through motherhood, Brittny holds nothing back. She’ll show you how a single belief like “everything is figureoutable” can become a lifeline, why you can’t outthink a dysregulated nervous system, and how...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
What if music isn’t just something we hear, but something our bodies remember? In this powerful episode of The Vitalist, Grammy-winning composer, producer, and sound healing pioneer Barry Goldstein joins us to explore music as medicine. From heart coherence to brainwave entrainment, Barry breaks down how rhythm, intention, and vibration interact with the nervous system, emotions, and even the cells of the body. He shares his journey from burnout as a mainstream record producer to becoming a “musitarian”, someone who uses sound to uplift humanity. Through personal stories, scientific...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
Let us be real with you: most people aren’t actually afraid of failure, pain, or fear itself. They’re afraid of being still long enough to feel any of it. In this episode, Dr. Keiko sits down with Akshay Nanavati, a former Marine, ultra-endurance athlete, and author of Fearvana, who went from addiction and self-harm to attempting the first ever solo ski crossing of Antarctica, pulling a 420lb sled. And no, this isn’t about becoming fearless. It’s about building the courage to face the parts of yourself you’ve been running from. We talk about: Why fear isn’t your enemy, it’s...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
In a world that praises the hustle and drowns us in noise, what if the most rebellious thing you could do… is get quiet? In this soulful conversation, Dr. Keiko sits down with Elaine Glass, author of Get Quiet, transformational coach, and former dental hygienist, to explore what actually happens when we stop doing and start listening. Elaine has sat with over 40,000 people. She’s heard their fears, their stress, their longing for peace. And what she’s found is something we all need to hear: healing doesn’t happen in the noise. It happens in the stillness. You’ll hear the story...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
If you’ve ever wondered why your cycle feels off, what your gut has to do with your fertility, or how to actually prepare your body to conceive, this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sammie pulls back the curtain on what most women were never taught about their bodies. From cycle literacy and hormone balance to gut health, environmental toxins, and the truth behind “unexplained infertility,” we dive into the real, root causes that impact your ability to get pregnant and how to heal them. Whether you're just starting to think about having a baby or you've been trying...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
Your feet aren’t just for walking, they’re the foundation of your posture, your performance, and even your longevity. In this episode, Dr. Emily Splichal, functional podiatrist, barefoot science expert, and founder of Naboso, breaks down the overlooked role of the feet in whole-body healing. You’ll learn why 10 seconds of single-leg balance predicts your lifespan, how foot posture impacts your spine and pelvis, and why the way you’re walking might be limiting your mobility, stability, and overall strength. We dive into: The $0 exercise Dr. Emily gives all her patients How your feet...
info_outlineThe Vitalist
What if the most powerful meditation practice didn't require a cushion, app, or even quiet, but a single piece of chocolate? After 11 years in the Himalayas, living in a cave and studying with Tibetan masters, Lisa Reinhardt returned to the modern world with a mission: to demystify meditation and make presence feel deliciously accessible. In this insightful episode, Lisa shares how she founded Wei of Chocolate and discovered that something as simple as intentionally eating chocolate could soften the nerve system, awaken the senses and reconnect us to our fundamental goodness. ...
info_outlineIf you’ve ever wondered why your cycle feels off, what your gut has to do with your fertility, or how to actually prepare your body to conceive, this episode is for you.
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sammie pulls back the curtain on what most women were never taught about their bodies. From cycle literacy and hormone balance to gut health, environmental toxins, and the truth behind “unexplained infertility,” we dive into the real, root causes that impact your ability to get pregnant and how to heal them.
Whether you're just starting to think about having a baby or you've been trying for months (or years), this episode will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and more connected to your body than ever before.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Natural medicine transformed Dr. Sammie’s childhood health from daily oxygen treatments for asthma to thriving as an athlete with no inhalers. (1:50)
From food to environment to emotional load, what you put in your body changes everything. (2:32)
Dr. Sammie’s calling was written in her family's generational story of conception challenges. (3:20)
Most women are never taught the three phases of their cycle, follicular, ovulation, and luteal, yet these phases govern everything from energy to conception. (4:30)
The surprising truth? Many women don't know if they’re ovulating. Learning the rhythm of their body creates deep empowerment. (6:20)
How to tell if your cycle is truly “regular” and why the luteal phase holds keys to your hormonal harmony. (7:00)
PMS may be common, but it isn’t normal. Cramps, mood swings, and cravings are data, here’s Dr. Sammie’s advice. (8:00)
Dr. Sammie’s foundational prescription: quality sleep, Mediterranean-style eating, hydration, and daily movement. (8:30)
The biggest threat to hormone balance? The questions no one’s asking, especially around stress, emotions, and suppression. (9:40)
How plastics, pesticides, even K-cups are hijacking hormonal balance. (10:40)
Your labs are not just numbers, they’re a map showing how your body responds to stress, inflammation, and resilience. (11:30)
Debunking ‘Unexplained’ Fertility. There’s always a reason. It may not be obvious, but it’s not ‘unexplained.’ (12:45)
70% of your immune system lives in your gut and it directly impacts your ability to conceive. (14:30)
Your fertility window begins 3–6 months before conception. That’s when your body is setting the stage. (15:30)
Coming off birth control isn’t one-size-fits-all. Endometriosis? Wait. PCOS? Start now. Strategy matters. (16:30)
Menstrual cycle irregularity is normal in adolescence, but pain, nausea, or vomiting may signal something deeper like endometriosis. (17:55)
Epigenetics proves it: what your grandmother ate, felt, or endured shapes your body today. (19:30)
Dr. Sammie’s favorite tracking method: The Fertility Awareness Method. (21:40)
The story of how one woman paused IVF to heal her gut and conceived twins naturally. (23:00)
The liver can regenerate from the brink of cirrhosis. What else might be possible when we trust the body’s wisdom? (24:30)
When a woman says, “I don’t trust my body,” Dr. Sammie helps her ask: Is my body failing me—or is it trying to communicate something deeper? (25:00)
RESOURCES:
Connect with Dr. Sammie Ess
Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next.
Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast
Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving