How Humans Heal

Dr. Doni Wilson struggled for decades to solve her numerous health issues and heal her body. With focused determination, she healed herself and in doing so, discovered the Dr. Doni Stress Recovery Protocol ™. On this show, you’re going to hear from Doctors, nutritionists, and experts along with Dr. Doni who will give practical advice and wisdom to help you heal your body. This is How Humans Heal!

#208 Holistic Wellness for Women: Embracing a Multifaceted Approach to Health and Empowerment with Katie Wells 04/19/2024

#207 Navigating Abnormal Pap Smear Results: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing HPV Naturally 04/11/2024

#206 Metabolic Inflexibility and Weight Loss: Risks of New Drugs vs. Holistic Solutions with Märcelle Pick 04/05/2024

#206 Metabolic Inflexibility and Weight Loss: Risks of New Drugs vs. Holistic Solutions with Märcelle Pick In this episode, I'm really looking forward to introducing you to Märcelle Pick, a functional medicine practitioner and nurse practitioner who has specialized in women's health since 1983. She's written books related to women's health, adrenal health, as well as weight and nutrition. She's here to talk with us about the risks of using GLP-1 agonist medications for weight loss. Märcelle has a lot of concerns about these medications because they are so new and not well understood, and they're not addressing the underlying cause of weight gain, which is metabolic inflexibility. I feel this is SUCH an important topic to cover, especially at this moment in time when so many of you are hearing about and thinking about taking these medications. That’s exactly why I’m excited to share this conversation with an expert to help you in your decision making. For those of you who are interested in getting my help to reset your blood sugar, leptin, and ghrelin, while eliminating inflammatory foods and supporting detoxification, I definitely encourage you to check out my New 14-Day Detox Program. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), and for access to the tests I mentioned in this episode, it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). We’re here to help you! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Connect With Marcelle: Schedule A Chat With Dr. Doni: Join The 14-Day Detox: Read the full episode notes and find more information: MORE RESOURCES FROM DR. DONI: Quick links to social media, free guides and programs, and more: Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/30688543

#205 LEEP vs Escharotic Treatment for CIN2 and CIN3 Cervical Dysplasia 03/28/2024

#204 Solving Chronic Fatigue: A Naturopathic Approach to Restoring Energy with Dr. Jenny Tufenkian 03/21/2024

#204 Solving Chronic Fatigue: A Naturopathic Approach to Restoring Energy with Dr. Jenny Tufenkian In this episode, I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Jenny Tufenkian. She is a naturopathic physician from the Pacific Northwest but she's helping people around the world with fatigue and particularly with long COVID type fatigue symptoms. It's always so wonderful to get to connect with another naturopathic doctor and to share more about naturopathic medicine and how we think about health issues. I find that fatigue is one of the most common symptoms for people to have. The thing about it is there's a lot of possible underlying causes. The important thing to know is that healing is possible. Yes, it can feel like an overwhelming and even impossible journey at times, especially if you've been dealing with chronic fatigue or other health issues for a long time. But our bodies have an incredible capacity to heal when given the right support. It's not always a linear process and it does take work and commitment. But small steps over time can lead to profound transformations. Don't give up on yourself. Keep seeking answers, keep advocating for your health, keep believing that you can feel better. We’re here to help you! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Take Dr. Jenny’s 5-Minute Fatigue Quiz: Take Dr. Doni’s Stress-Type Quiz: Read Dr. Doni’s Book: Set Up A Call With Dr. Doni: Read the full episode notes and find more information: MORE RESOURCES FROM DR. DONI: Quick links to social media, free guides and programs, and more: Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/30480293

#203 The 6 Connections Between HPV and Menstrual Health Issues 03/14/2024

#202 How to Improve Your Relationship with Dr. Sarah Salzman 03/08/2024

#201 The 5 Ways HPV and Leaky Gut are Related 02/29/2024

#200 The Future of Mental Health with Dr. Srini Pillay 02/23/2024

#199 Healing HPV Before, During and After Pregnancy 02/15/2024

#198 Hashimoto’s Disease and The Hashimoto’s Summit with Annie Maldonado 02/08/2024

#197 HPV Treatment Options: Proven Strategy To Get Rid Of HPV 02/02/2024

#197 HPV Treatment Options: Proven Strategy To Get Rid Of HPV In this episode I cover naturopathic treatment for HPV virus. There are over 150 different strains of the HPV virus but I’m particularly interested in the high risk strains associated with cancer risk – cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer for women, as well as oral and penile cancer for men. More and more women are finding out they are testing positive for high risk HPV. My work is to help those women go from fear to empowered that they can follow an effective strategy to get HPV to negative and prevent HPV-related cancer. We need a comprehensive treatment protocol - not just one diet change or mushroom extract. We must fully address imbalances that are leaving you susceptible and transform your health physically, emotionally and energetically. I created a training for practitioners to teach them how to use this protocol so we can reduce HPV-related cancers worldwide. I hope this has been helpful. Please reach out with questions or if you'd like help addressing HPV personally or for loved ones. You can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV Program to implement my protocol. You can also set up a one-on-one appointment here: Please subscribe to my newsletter and to this podcast so you are sure to hear the very next episode of How Humans Heal. We’re here to help you! LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Set Up A Call: HPV Program: Read the full episode notes and find more information: MORE RESOURCES FROM DR. DONI: Quick links to social media, free guides and programs, and more: Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29764513

#196 Healing Pelvic Pain with The Cooch Ball with Jana Danielson 01/25/2024

#196 Healing Pelvic Pain with The Cooch Ball with Jana Danielson This is how you heal pelvic pain! Our pelvic floor impacts our overall health – it sets the foundation for posture, mobility, organ and bowel health, stable moods and comfortable movement. So, tune in as we go through: • Pelvic Floor Conditions are Common But Not Discussed • What is the Pelvic Floor? • The Pelvic Floor and Overall Health • Pilates Inspired the Invention of the Cooch Ball • How to Use the Cooch Ball • Benefits and Improvements from Using the Cooch Ball • Applications Beyond Pelvic Floor Health • Applications for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Related to HPV The pelvic floor is an area that is often overlooked and not discussed openly, but it impacts our wellbeing! Pelvic pain causes many health problems such as bladder and bowel issues and even sexual dysfunction. Women suffer with pelvic pain, vaginal pain, as well as urinary frequency, urgency, and incontinence. And standard medical approaches don't offer long-term solutions, so women are often feeling stuck with symptoms, and not knowing what to do. Most people don't realize the pelvic floor is actually part of our core. By including the top and bottom - the diaphragm and pelvic floor - when training core strength, we build an integrated functional unit. Everything connects to the pelvic bowl so a weak and unhealthy pelvic floor will cause everything else to be out of balance! Supporting pelvic floor health can benefit people struggling with HPV and abnormal pap smears too! Chronic HPV infection often relates to tension and decreased immune function. And pelvic congestion prevents blood flow. So, addressing pelvic floor dysfunction will improve circulation and oxygenation and these will help deliver nutrients to improve immune function in the pelvic area, to clear this virus. Addressing pelvic floor dysfunction can really have far-reaching impacts on our overall health and wellness. And that’s why in this episode of How Humans Heal I interview Jana Danielson @thecoochball. She's the founder and creator of the Cooch Ball, which she designed to help people with pelvic pain and pelvic floor issues. Learning pelvic floor and core coordination through breathwork, good posture and using tools like the Cooch Ball can have a huge impact on our pelvic health. If you would like to learn more about Jana and The Cooch Ball you can visit her website (https://si421.isrefer.com/go/coochball/drdoniwilson/) If you are ready to get rid of this virus right away, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12 Week Program here (https://doctordoni.com/hpv12) For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues it is best to meet with me one-on-one. You can set up an appointment here (https://doctordoni.com/work-with-me/). Please subscribe so you are sure to hear the very next episode of How Humans Heal. We’re here to help you! /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29652673

#195 Breaking Down the Myths Around HPV with Dr. Doni 01/18/2024

#195 Breaking Down the Myths Around HPV with Dr. Doni In this episode I cover 5 most common myths when it comes to HPV or human papilloma virus. As a doctor, midwife and clinical nutritionist, I want to take a stand and be part of changing women's healthcare in order to prevent HPV-related cancers, which are actually increasing worldwide. It is absolutely outdated how the Western medical system handles HPV. Women turn to doctors hoping for solutions, only to be told to "wait and see" if it progresses to cancer or just get invasive surgical procedures which don't kill the virus. You deserve trained guidance in clearing HPV without fear, shame or confusion. I've made it my life's purpose to offer women that guidance. That's why I make this the focus of my practice and my business, to be able to give you a place, a safe space and place where you can access help, you can access information and resources, and you can implement it so that you also can break free of these myths and break free of HPV. You are not alone, and you absolutely can get your life back. If you would like to learn more about my approach to getting rid of HPV I encourage you to sign up for the Heal HPV Worldwide Workshop here. If you are ready to get rid of this virus right away, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12 Week Program here where we go into depth about all the common susceptibilities I find, and how to effectively address them. Please subscribe to my newsletter and to this podcast so you are sure to hear the very next episode of How Humans Heal. We’re here to help you. LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: HPV 12 Week Program: HPV Worldwide Workshop: Read the full episode notes and find more information: MORE RESOURCES FROM DR. DONI: Quick links to social media, free guides and programs, and more: Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29549173

#194 Busy Brain and Stress: Supporting your Body and Mind to Recover with Dr. Romie Mushtaq 01/11/2024

#193 How Toxin Exposure Increases HPV Risk with Dr. Doni 01/04/2024

#193 How Toxin Exposure Increases HPV Risk with Dr. Doni In this episode I'm going to be talking about HPV or human papilloma virus and how it is that toxins and toxin exposure are making you susceptible to this virus. Most times when we hear about the HPV virus, we hear about how to prevent exposure to the virus. Yes, there are many types of HPV virus that we're exposed to through sexual activity. However, studies show that most all of us are exposed to this virus at some point in our lives. The important focus, I find, is to look at what's making us susceptible to the HPV virus so that we can take steps to protect ourselves and prevent the associated cancer risk. So tune in as we go through: * Exposure to HPV * Toxins That Can Increase Susceptibility to HPV * How Toxins Disrupt the Body * The Role of Detoxification * The Risks of Detoxifying Without Expert Guidance * Keys to an Effective Detox I encourage you to think about detoxing in a way that encompasses physical, emotional and energetic levels - getting toxins out while preventing new ones coming in. The 14-Day Detox Program I develop guides you through effective detox step-by-step. Patients who complete this program are able to resolve HPV and get it to test negative faster than those who don’t follow the detox program. It is absolutely possible to detoxify safely and effectively so your digestion, hormones, immune system and nutrient levels can come back to optimal. It is best to work with an expert who can guide you to get the benefits from a detox, without you feeling worse. Then you'll be better able to protect yourself against viruses like HPV. I'm so glad you joined me today! Please subscribe to my newsletter and to this podcast so you are sure to hear the very next episode of How Humans Heal. LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: 14-Day Detox Program Detox Masterclass Heal HPV Worldwide Workshop Say Goodbye to HPV Program MORE RESOURCES FROM DR. DONI: Quick links to social media, free guides and programs, and more: Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29346588

#192 The Therapeutic Power of Castor Oil for Women’s Health with Dr. Marisol Teijeiro 12/28/2023

#192 The Therapeutic Power of Castor Oil for Women’s Health with Dr. Marisol Teijeiro In this episode I'm excited to talk with my friend, Dr. Marisol Teijeiro, about all the ways castor oil can help women with health issues. Everything from menstrual symptoms, to joint pain and digestive issues, to stress and HPV, can all be helped by applying this simple oil to your skin. Originally a naturopathic doctor for over a decade, Dr. Teijeiro became passionate about empowering patient self-care for healing. She focused completely on helping people use castor oil therapeutically. She refined castor oil protocols and tools to make at-home therapy practical and achievable. So tune in as we go through: * Dr. Marisol's Journey with Castor Oil * Castor Oil Pack Benefits and Unique Properties * Quality Considerations for Castor Oil * Liver Support and Detoxification with Castor Oil * Hormone Balance Support Across the Menstrual Cycle * Stress Relief with Castor Oil Packs * Castor Oil Pack Methods & Materials Dr. Teijeiro wants everybody to discover castor oil’s benefits faster than her decade-long journey. We must recognize the power within this tiny magical bean, used medicinally since ancient times, now with properties science is only rediscovering today. Our modern era needs this ancient wisdom supporting health and self-repair more than ever. I talk about castor oil packs in BOTH my 14-day Detox Program and Say Goodbye to HPV Protocol. So if you plan to join me in a program or are already in one of my programs, be sure to get your castor oil at the link here so you can follow along. LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Dr. Doni’s Detox Program Dr. Marisol’s website: – use the code DRDONI for 10% off any order of $59 or more! MORE RESOURCES FROM DR. DONI: Quick links to social media, free guides and programs, and more: Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29262848

#191 Fixing 3 Nutrient Deficiencies to Get Rid of HPV with Dr. Doni 12/21/2023

#191 Fixing 3 Nutrient Deficiencies to Get Rid of HPV with Dr. Doni In today's episode I want to talk about the three most common nutrient deficiencies that I find in my patients who have HPV virus testing positive. Testing positive for HPV is becoming increasingly common, so this information is important for everyone to protect themselves. So, tune in as we go through: · HPV Testing and Abnormal Cell Development · Why Nutrient Deficiencies Make You Susceptible · Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Patients with HPV · How to Identify and Solve for: Protein Deficiency, Iron Deficiency and Vitamin D Deficiency HPV Testing and Abnormal Cell Development More and more women are being tested for HPV and finding out they test positive. They then often have to go through various invasive procedures to check for abnormal or even cancerous cell development. In conventional medicine, the only solution is to remove any abnormal cells, but they can't stop the virus from causing recurrent abnormalities. This is why I research how to help women stop this cycle and avoid HPV-related health issues. Men can also have HPV and related cancers, but currently there is no screening for them. So men, this applies to you too - pay attention to nutrients that make you susceptible. When I review complex cases of women with recurring abnormalities over decades, I look for why this virus persists. Often there are key nutrient deficiencies making them continually susceptible. Addressing deficiencies empowers the immune system and protects cells, stopping the cycle. Deficiencies don't show on standard bloodwork, but show in neurotransmitter imbalances and recurrent viral infections and abnormalities. Restoring nutrients strengthens the body to clear infections itself. The first deficiency I find over and over is a lack of protein in the diet. We focus on getting healthy carbs and fats, but protein often lacks. You need protein with every meal, at least 30g 3 times a day or 20g 4 times a day. Reasons Protein Deficiency Increase HPV Susceptibility: 1. Without adequate protein and amino acids, we can't make sufficient neurotransmitters to manage stress, which suppresses the immune system. 2. Building a healthy immune system itself requires plenty of amino acids from protein. How to Identify Protein Deficiency: 1. Track your diet and calculate daily protein intake. Shoot for at least 0.36g per pound of body weight. 2. Low neurotransmitter levels on a urinary neurotransmiiter test can indicate protein/amino acid deficiency. This requires specialized testing. 3. Bloodwork won't show low protein until you are seriously deficient with a major health condition. Restore Protein Levels: Calculate your needs and include protein at every meal from sources like chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, protein powder, etc. Those on plant-based diets should especially ensure adequate protein intake. The second nutrient I commonly find deficient is iron. Even those without anemia can still have insufficient iron stores. Measuring ferritin specifically shows your iron levels. Ferritin below 50, especially below 30, is too low. Those with heavy menstrual bleeding are at high risk of low iron. Iron's Roles: 1. Making red blood cells to carry oxygen for cellular health 2. Supporting immune function 3. Protecting cells Restoring iron levels helps the body regain control over HPV. Those on plant-based diets often lack sufficient iron as well. Be sure to identify non-heme iron sources and intake levels to avoid this deficiency. The third common deficiency I see is vitamin D. Many people, especially those living further from the equator with less sun exposure, become deficient in vitamin D. Some absorb or store vitamin D more effectively than others based on genetic factors, so individual testing is important. Vitamin D is critical for: 1. Bone health 2. Immune function 3. Preventing many types of cancers Take aways from this episode: It’s important to consider nutrient deficiencies as contributing to HPV and cervical cancer risk. Nutrients are not usually checked on standard blood work. It is best to work with an expert who knows which tests to do and how to address them effectively with clinical nutrition. There are many other factors contributing to risk of HPV related cancers. I teach about them and how to identify and address them in the Heal HPV Worldwide Workshop and Say Goodbye to HPV Program. By taking your health into your own hands, it is possible to stop HPV virus from causing abnormal cells. I look forward to your questions and comments and I definitely encourage you to subscribe and join me for the next episode of How Humans Heal so you don’t miss new updates and topic discussions related to overcoming frustrating infections like HPV. If you would like to learn more about how I can help you fend off this virus for good I encourage you to watch my HPV Masterclass here. I will also be hosting a live HPV Workshop soon. You can learn more about it here. If you are ready to get rid of this virus right away, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12 Week Program here where we go into depth about all the common susceptibilities I find, and how to effectively address them. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29186933

#190 Healing Emotional Eating: A Guide to Finding Peace with Food with Tricia Nelson 12/14/2023

#190 Healing Emotional Eating: A Guide to Finding Peace with Food with Tricia Nelson In today’s episode I interview my friend Tricia Nelson. She is an emotional eating expert, bestselling author and speaker, including a Tedx Talk, based on how she healed herself. She also has her own Heal Your Hunger Show where she helps people break the patterns of emotional eating. Her website: Tricia's Emotional Eating Origins Tricia explains that her emotional eating likely started extremely early, as she has memories of always feeling excited around food. She loved eating, cooking for others, and bonding over meals from very young. When her sister lost weight and called herself an "emotional eater," Tricia initially dismissed it as silly since in her mind, she just genuinely enjoyed all aspects of food. However, in adolescence, Tricia began gaining weight rapidly, topping out around 50 extra pounds which was really tough. She hated feeling overweight and embarrassed. She tried to deny it at first, but began observing major differences between herself and friends around eating habits. For instance, they would leave half of decadent desserts while she felt intense drive to finish all desserts entirely, even after crossing the point of comfort. She started frequently overeating significant amounts, like full bags of chips with pints of ice cream, without planning to eat more than a normal portion. This led to feeling painfully over-full and anger afterwards. Still, the cycle continued as the urges overpowered her self-control strengths at the time. Tricia made consistent efforts from young adulthood into her 30s to try healing her conflicted relationship with food, that she finally accepted was complicated for her. She turned to restrictive diets, intensive exercise plans, various pills and potions, therapy appointments, 12 step programs and more. But the patterns continued and her weight fluctuated up and down wildly - losing large amounts when sticking to plans initially through deprivation tactics, but inevitably regaining the weight each time. With the help of a mentor, Tricia learned skills to deal with the deep emotions that drove her overeating. This helped much more than short-lived willpower alone. From her own transformation, she developed the Heal Your Hunger Program. It is a step-by-step program to guide people to change emotional eating patterns from inside themselves instead of strict dieting. The focus helps build sustainable abilities like self-soothing, self-worth, and listening to body signals. By learning new skills for self-care and tuning into needs, Tricia gained long-term balance around food. Her weight stabilized at a healthy point by addressing root causes. She inspires hope for overcoming food struggles through overall wellbeing versus extreme restriction that never lasts. Signs of Emotional Eating Tricia notes that occasionally overindulging isn't necessarily concerning on its own. However consistent loss of control around food intake coupled with negative consequences sets up an “emotional eating” dynamic. Major red flags include: · Feeling extremely frustrated and conflicted about your habitual relationship with food. · Frequently overeating far past fullness, stomach discomfort or what your mind knows is enough. · Weight erratically fluctuating up and down over spans as short as weeks or months. · Requiring different sized clothes on standby to accommodate rapid weight gains and losses. · Struggling to stick to any healthy eating plan or program for more than days or weeks time. Overeating exists on a spectrum from mild to severe. For example, overdoing it once on vacation is relatively harmless. But full addiction with severe health and life impacts is the extreme. Figuring out where your struggles land on this range can inform next steps. Tricia offers a quiz to reveal your specific habits, history and challenges. This helps identify suitable support approaches. However, she stresses self-compassion is essential. Why? Because emotional eating unconsciously starts as a coping mechanism, even when not healthy long-term. Emotional Eating Roots and Personality Tricia stresses that emotional eating arises from lifestyle patterns and personality traits at the core - not from a lack of education on nutrition fundamentals as most assume. Some of these patterns include: · People pleasing – a strong need to make others happy. It often leads to overgiving - doing too much for others while neglecting our own needs. Over time, overgiving drains our energy and builds resentment. When stressed, it's common to crave sugary "treats" as a fast way to boost our mood. The thinking becomes "I deserve this because I do so much for everyone else." This people-pleasing trap fuels unhealthy emotional eating. · Poor boundaries with overdoing – we often go past healthy limits while trying to get everything done. We make long to-do lists and feel we must finish them, even if it becomes too much. Pushing too hard prevents us from recharging properly. Going full speed for too long raises stress. Then we crave quick food energy to help us keep coping with an overloaded schedule. This unhealthy pattern happens when we don't set reasonable limits and listen to signals that we need rest. · Perfectionism and self-criticism – setting extremely high expectations for yourself. Self-criticism means always judging yourself harshly. These traits lead to anxiety as the inner critic berates your efforts. To temporarily quiet the critical inner voices, it’s common to reach for sugary treats or other substances. This provides short-term soothing and distraction from the high pressure of perfectionism. For many people, patterns of using food to self-soothe start indirectly from difficult childhood experiences. Trauma or adversity in childhood shapes automatic responses that last through life. Food gives needed comfort when young. However, this coping habit backfires long-term. Over the years, it can lead to health issues, shame, and low awareness of what inner emotions trigger stress eating. We lose touch with what fuels the behavior when we overly rely on eating to help push through challenges. Making progress on unhealthy patterns requires self-compassion, not self-criticism. We need understanding for how early life shaped automatic responses, not judgment of current struggles resulting from past wounds. Healing starts with recognizing how innocently coping habits began before taking hold through life. Cultivating Balance through Self-Care Rituals Self-care rituals can help create balance around food relationships holistically. These include: · Daily meditation to reduce anxiety and connect spiritually. · Reading personal growth or spiritual literature to positively feed the soul. · Journaling for self-awareness and emotional healing. · Light exercise like walking outside daily for activity without adrenal burnout. · Getting support from others. Starting healthy rituals builds mental resilience over time. It creates new response paths in the brain for handling stress. This counters the automatic habit to grab quick comfort foods when under pressure. Those foods may have soothed in the moment before but now mainly cause health problems. These new rituals are better alternatives to high-calorie, salty/sweet snacks. Things like taking time to meditate, set boundaries, or do emotional healing work. They provide true nourishment long-term versus just a momentary sugar-rush bandaid. The key is slowly reducing reliance on unhealthy food options while starting to incorporate meaningful self-care habits. Balancing both sides - limiting old patterns and cultivating new wellbeing practices - helps make change stick. Navigating Social Pressures Skillfully There are effective ways to avoid peer pressure, especially during the holidays. For example: · Practice politely saying “no thank you, I’m good” without feeling pressured to provide lengthly personal explanations or excuses. · Remind yourself persistently that others’ visible surprise or questioning of your choices stems from their own inner mental and emotional processes - it’s not your responsibility to sooth their discomfort or change deep habits in the moment. · For tense situations, gently complimenting the speaker on their cooking efforts often allows to exit the situation smoothly. The key is setting healthy boundaries for yourself while respecting others may make different choices. You always deserve to listen to your body and say no to foods that don’t align with your health, even if others have different habits or opinions. You get to choose what fuels your body in line with your needs and goals. In short, stand confidently in your own truth and respectfully allow others theirs, even when they question your path. Decline offering foods if your body says no, regardless of another’s perspective or traditions. Select nourishing options serving your personal health journey. Understanding and Overcoming Sugar Addiction Tricia explains how regular sugar and artificial sweeteners can be extremely addictive and harmful. She reveals how powerfully they hook the brain and damage health, often quietly without people noticing. Even fake sugars can fuel sugar cravings rather than reduce them. Tricia created a 5-day “quit sugar challenge” to help break this addiction. It offers step-by-step education, coaching to build resilience, and healthy sweet alternatives that won’t hook the brain. This enables people with strong sugar cravings to still enjoy delightful flavors. Participants make tasty foods like chocolate pancakes and paleo fudge bars without causing energy and mood swings from blood sugar spikes and crashes. This program helps change your tastes so you want less sugar. It strengths your inner voice to make better choices for yourself, without doubting your worth. The program quiets the inner critic inside all of us that sabotages our goals. Making this small but powerful shift steadily cuts sugar cravings over time. This allows you to better hear your body’s own wisdom about what healthy foods it needs most. Going through this short sugar detox program has been shown to help people who eat emotionally to break their sugar addiction. It helps stop cravings and energy crashes related to sugar highs and lows. By clearing sugar from your system for a short period, it becomes easier to tune into what your body specifically needs, rather than just craving sugar. This opens the door to understanding and responding to your unique body’s signals, instead of overriding them with sugary foods. As mentioned above, emotional eating normally develops early as a coping mechanism to provide comfort or quick distraction from any form of suffering or trauma during our childhood. It is critical for surviving traumatic and challenging experiences we went through while growing up. At first, emotionally eating sugary foods feels like it gives relief. But for most people, over time it backfires. It becomes an unconscious habit to reach for sugar to feel better, without thinking. Quickly, this can grow into a full-blown dependence on sugar and unhealthy substitutes. True healing starts with self-compassion. We need to acknowledge that this coping mechanism started innocently before taking over. Looking carefully at contributing factors, like people-pleasing tendencies, allows us to respond differently moving forward. We can consciously choose self-care rather than falling into numbing or depriving habits. Establishing new rituals like setting boundaries, meditating, emotional healing, and reading uplifting material can slowly override automatic unhealthy drives. With commitment to daily practice, limited backsliding, and community support, whole life transformation happens from the inside out. Thousands now live free from food obsession through Tricia’s practical, spiritual guidance. Her method helps replace unconscious emotional eating with conscious self-care. If you would like to learn more about Tricia and how she can help you, you can sign up for her Quit Sugar Challenge. You can also find her on Instagram @tricianelson_ and Facebook Heal Your Hunger. If you want to learn more about Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/29083868

#189 The 5 Foods to Avoid to Help Your Body Clear HPV 12/07/2023

#189 The 5 Foods to Avoid to Help Your Body Clear HPV Hi, I'm Dr. Doni Wilson, and today I want to talk about HPV—or human papillomavirus—and specifically the five foods to stop eating if you're working on fending off HPV. The Issue with HPV Here's the thing: We are most all exposed to HPV virus at some point in our lives. That includes men and women. And certain strains of HPV are associated with cancer risk. So, to find out that HPV is positive, which often happens when women go to get a pap smear, and more often are being tested for HPV and being told that it's positive, it can be quite scary. My Experience Helping Women So that might be why you're listening to this video freaking out thinking, "Oh my gosh, I'm HPV positive," or "HPV keeps showing up positive," or even that the HPV is causing abnormal cells on your pap smear or worse. And you feel like you just want to get out of this situation and get rid of this virus as fast as possible. And I understand—I help thousands of women every year to do exactly that in my practice. What I find is even women who've been following my protocol for months—because oftentimes women who follow my protocol even within three months will find that HPV goes to negative—but sometimes if it hasn't gone away within six months and I go back, and we start digging, and we say, "What is still making this person susceptible to HPV?" How Dietary Changes Can Help I'm a naturopathic doctor and midwife, and I've been helping women to address HPV virus for over 23 years. And one of the best ways to do that—to actually help your body, your immune system protect you from this virus—is by making dietary changes. Now, of course the conventional medical system and most medical practitioners are not trained in nutrition. And so they are not aware of the potential of dietary changes to help your body fend off HPV. But I'm here to tell you and report back to you from all the patients who've worked with me that making dietary changes absolutely can make a difference. And women every week are coming back to me telling me how their pap is now negative and the HPV is negative. And not only that, but it's staying negative over years, over a period of time. So this is why I feel so motivated to be able to share this information. An Effective Dietary Protocol I have a whole protocol that I use in my practice. But today I want to focus on the top five foods that I see make the biggest difference when women are able to take them out of their diet—for at least a period of time until the HPV goes to negative. #1 - Refined Sugar So, the first food on that list is really something that's usually an ingredient in foods, and that's sugar. And when I say sugar, I'm referring to refined sugar like a spoonful of white sugar or brown sugar. That's the kind of sugar that we're talking about. I'm not talking about sugar necessarily from natural sugars, say from fruits and vegetables. We want to have some fruits and vegetables in our diet. But refined sugar can reduce immune system function for hours after you consume it. So if you're having sugar even once a day—a spoonful of sugar or equivalent to that—then it's going to be reducing your immune system's ability to protect you from all different infections, including HPV. Now just imagine if you're having sugar in your diet multiple different times of day—it's continually reducing your immune function. And a lot of times sugar is in our diet and our beverages without us realizing it. So I encourage you to take a closer look at the food you're eating—even your protein shakes, even beverages that you think might be healthy. It's worth it to take a look at the ingredients. And if you see sugar, or sugar cane, or sometimes sugar comes in as other names like dextrose and sucrose, these all mean sugar. If there's sugar in your food—in your sometimes it's in processed food, sometimes it might be food that you're grabbing on the go, or your morning coffee or latte maybe containing sugars—these sugars are reducing your immune function and making you susceptible to HPV, as well as other health issues. So number one is to start really paying attention to sugar and start reducing it in your daily intake. #2 – Gluten OK, number two, to me, is gluten. Remember, I've been at this for a couple of decades. And I do very specific testing with my patients to identify issues with gluten—specifically gluten sensitivity. And in some cases, we're also testing for celiac disease if we see severe symptoms and severe signs of gluten issues. And what I consistently find over and over again, case after case with HPV and abnormal pap smears, is gluten sensitivity. Actually, at least one out of four of us has gluten sensitivity. I think it's actually more common than that. Humans in general just don't digest gluten very well. Gluten is in rye, barley, spelt, wheat, and anything that has wheat in it—not just whole wheat, but it could be anything made from wheat or rye, barley, spelt has gluten in it. And so you might be getting gluten again numerous times a day if you're having something made from wheat or containing gluten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You're getting gluten multiple times a day. And gluten for everyone is inflammatory. Gluten is known in research to cause something called leaky gut, which is damage to the intestinal cells. And this is really important when it comes to HPV. And you might be wondering why. Because you're like, "Well, the HPV is in the vagina.” It also, by the way, can exist in the anal rectal area and oral area." But most times we're identifying it in the vaginal area. And yes, there is a connection between your digestion and your vaginal area. So if you're consuming gluten and it's causing inflammation and causing damage to your intestinal cells—that's causing inflammation to circulate around your whole body, including to the vaginal area. Gluten also disrupts the bacteria in the digestive tract. This is well established in research. And I can share the references. When we have disrupted bacteria in our digestion, it is known to disrupt the microbiome vaginally. And this is another way that gluten makes us susceptible to HPV. So you'll notice in my language I'm talking about susceptibility to HPV. It's not just about exposure. Remember, most all of us are exposed to this virus, but it only has the opportunity to cause abnormal cells in a certain percentage of the population. What's different about that percentage of the population? Well, one thing could be that those people are more susceptible to inflammatory changes and microbiome changes due to gluten exposure. And so what I recommend with women who work with me in my practice is we test for food sensitivities and find out if gluten is an issue. And then we start eliminating gluten from their diet, and we start to see major changes in their health—not just HPV—but so many things improve about their health, including their digestion and their skin and their hair and their hormones and their energy and their focus and their sleep. So much more improves. So, yes, you could just start to eliminate gluten from your diet. I think that is a good place to start. And then if you really want to know more about whether you have leaky gut and are there other foods to avoid, I would recommend doing a food sensitivity panel. And I will put a link to the test that I recommend. #3 – Dairy OK, so number three—and this also comes back to the food sensitivity panel and what I see as major food problems for women who are experiencing HPV—and that's dairy products, including anything made from cow's milk except butter. Butter is usually is OK, but anything else made from cow's milk—from yogurt, cheeses, even whey protein powders—is an issue because of the proteins in dairy, not the sugar. The sugar in dairy is called lactose, and some people are not able to digest lactose and may experience digestive issues from it. That's not so much the issue for HPV. With HPV, the issue is the dairy proteins—casein and whey. And so if you're consuming dairy products—even if you just have milk in your coffee or even if you just have cheese every so often—it could be an issue when it comes to HPV, because it's inflammatory. The inflammation dairy causes in the digestion then spreads throughout your whole body. And it makes you susceptible to infections. A lot of times people who have dairy sensitivity also are prone to sinus infections and skin issues, but absolutely can make you more prone to HPV. And this is a thing, then, with the HPV—which normally our bodies can clear and get rid of—it sticks around longer and it has more chance to cause abnormal cells. #4 – Eggs OK, so number four, which I think might surprise you, is eggs. Now, a lot of people don't realize that they're reacting to eggs. And I'm not just talking about egg yolks. I'm talking about egg whites. And the issue is that once leaky gut exists—once the intestinal cells are not as healthy as they should be, which happens when we're exposed to stress and toxins and gluten—we end up with leaky gut. And then eggs, which we all think are healthy and we eat eggs—a lot of women I talk to are eating eggs almost every single day—the eggs are leaking through the intestinal lining undigested. And that egg protein is then triggering an immune response because the immune system thinks it needs to protect you from this foreign protein. That's what our immune system does. It protects us from a foreign proteins. So when egg protein comes through, the immune system is busy trying to protect you from it and it's not doing as good of a job protecting you from the HPV virus. So one way to know for sure if you're reacting to egg or egg whites in particular is to do the food sensitivity test I recommend, which is from a lab that I've been working with for many years. I have cross tested it with other labs. I constantly review other food sensitivity panels. And what I find is that this particular lab gives us the clearest results—the clearest information to know for sure if you need to eliminate eggs from your diet. Now, I want to make sure while we're talking about dietary changes for you to understand that it's not going to be necessary for you to avoid these foods forever. A lot of people worry, "Oh my gosh, how am I going to avoid these foods the rest of my life in order to protect myself from HPV?" But that's not necessary. Because once we help your body to heal—once we help your body to heal leaky gut, restore healthy digestive function and microbiome and healthy immune function—then in most cases you're able to add these foods back into your diet. So I'm not suggesting, that you need to avoid these foods forever. I'm suggesting that these are foods that are common in our diet that are actually making us more susceptible to HPV virus. And if we can identify that specifically for you and eliminate those foods from your diet while we heal your digestion, heal your body, rebalance your immune system—you're going to be better able to protect yourself from HPV going forward, even if you reintroduce those foods to your diet. #5 – Alcohol So the fifth food I want to talk about is really a beverage, and that is alcohol. What we discover is that women who drink alcohol on a regular basis are more susceptible to HPV. And I’m talking about any type of alcoholic beverage—liquor, beer, wine, or any other beverage containing alcohol. All forms of alcohol reduce immune function. if you have one drink a week, it is probably not enough to be an issue, but if you're finding yourself having, let's say, two glasses of wine or having one or two glasses of wine more than once a week, then it could be making you more susceptible to HPV. And it's when women finally do make the commitment to taking alcohol out of their diet, out of their life for a period of time—sometimes for three to six months—along with doing everything else in my protocol including supplements and suppositories, they finally are able to get HPV to go away. Again, my goal is to help your immune system learn how to protect you from HPV. It doesn't mean you're going to have to forever avoid alcohol. At the same time, women often report to me that they feel so good without these foods and alcohol and sugar in their diet. They end up realizing, "Wow, I feel so much better. My energy is better, my mood is better, my sleep is better, my skin is better—everything is better! Why would I want to go back to eating and drinking all the things I was eating and drinking before that were making me not feel so good?” When I guide women to follow a maintenance plan, we figure out what you're going to continue now that you've transformed not only your health related to HPV, but you’ve transformed your life. You become empowered about protecting yourself from HPV-related cancer as well as many other health issues. At that point you can reevaluate what you want to bring back into your diet and your life—even potentially on an occasional basis—but knowing that you're the one who gets to decide what you're eating. You're the one who gets to decide what you're drinking. And you're the one who gets to be in control of your health and your ability to protect yourself from HPV as well as other health issues. Thank you so much for joining me. If this video was helpful, I'd be happy to hear about it. Please like and subscribe. And definitely join me for the next video where I'll soon be sharing more tips about protecting yourself from HPV. If you would like to learn more about how I can help you fend off this virus for good I encourage you to watch my HPV Masterclass here. I will also be hosting a live HPV Workshop soon. You can learn more about it here. If you are ready to get rid of this virus right away, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12 Week Program here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28976763

#188 How Psilocybin Microdosing can Reset our Nervous System with Aya Allison 11/30/2023

#188 How Psilocybin Microdosing can Reset our Nervous System with Aya Allison In today’s episode, I’m speaking with coach and educator Aya Allison, who specializes in psilocybin microdosing. We’ll be talking in depth about microdosing—what it is, the science behind it, the latest research in this emerging area of psychedelic medicines, and practical guidance for those considering exploring it as an option. I’m so excited to be digging into this conversation with Aya, who is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in guiding clients through psilocybin protocols safely and effectively. As a mindset coach and microdosing specialist, she is perfectly positioned to provide the public with much-needed education and support around integrating plant medicines into mental healthcare regimens. Given the overwhelming crisis of anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric conditions we currently face—not to mention a general disconnection from our true selves and nature at large—I believe we need every tool at our disposal. Psilocybin and other entheogens clearly have tremendous potential for healing individuals and our society as a whole if used consciously. I’m thrilled we get to have this discussion today. The Growing Interest in Psilocybin Microdosing First I ask Aya to explain more about the growing interest and use of microdosing she's seen lately. She traces when folks started asking her about tiny doses of mushrooms back around 2014-2015, as underground chatter increased among plant medicine circles. Lately more and more people struggling with mood problems have been learning about microdosing magic mushrooms to find relief because meds and therapy haven't helped them. Instead of just getting diagnosed and taking meds with bad side effects, they want to try a natural route of using tiny doses of mushrooms to transform their inner world for the better. Many come to Aya first to learn about this approach and see if it's a fit before moving forward. They have worries about safety, laws, amount to take, and what results could realistically be. Most of all, Aya stresses the importance of fighting ignorance by equipping these psychologically vulnerable yet curious folks with the best knowledge available, empathic support, and community belonging. Random experimenting without proper plans or watching could risk bad outcomes and waste this healing opportunity. The Mental Health Emergency Looking more at why people are considering this, we talk about the total failure of Big Pharma medicine to fix the worsening mental health epidemic with mood disorders, suicide risk, disability, and general disconnect from one's self. This is a crisis everywhere. In America alone, 1 in 5 adults now live with a diagnosable condition; youth depression/anxiety has climbed over 50% since 2020, signaling an alarming future trend if we don't respond effectively. Yet standard treatments fail most people. Psych meds temporarily reduce symptoms at best before 80% relapse within a year, finding their illness even harder to treat after stopping/re-starting them multiple times. Talk therapy changes thinking patterns but doesn't fundamentally transform someone's core being. Clearly a giant gap exists between where we stand today and people living fully whole, happy, peaceful lives no longer dependent on substances or counseling to feel sane, self-love, meaning, and fulfillment. This is exactly the promise of plant medicine like magic mushrooms used wisely under care - to reconnect us with our natural power to heal and feel alive inside. Aya says it helps dissolve the make-believe walls that make us feel separate and sick - so we can remember we are naturally well and whole already. Aya's Personal Journey with Psychedelics When asked what called her to explore this view 7 years ago, she shares bravely about her past battles with heavy depression - planted by childhood trauma and running in her family - which regular medicine failed to fix. Feeling skeptical yet desperate, as a last hope she courageously turned to Ayahuasca, a plant medicine from South America. She describes the shocking rebirth process it caused, making her confront and integrate decades of stored pain and false identities to uncover an indestructible inner light within all people. In an instant, her years-long darkness ended; she felt restored to hope, purpose, freedom and unconditional self-love she’d never known before. She emphasizes preparation was key - had she not focused seriously on self-care, mindfulness, and processing her emotions enough ahead of time, the journey could’ve overwhelmed rather than freed her. With proper readiness, miraculous healing happens quite naturally. She testifies these plant medicines hold power if someone is called to them. But wise guidance remains crucial for safety. Her quest for truth and multifaceted healing then expanded more formally into shamanism, nature-based spirituality. As she coaches others through change with plant substances now, she increasingly sees intricate links between mental illness, immunity, digestion, nerves, sustainability, psychology and spiritual awakening. Micro vs. Macro Doses of Psilocybin To explain key words she mentioned about dosage levels and experiences, I distinguish between micro and macro doses of mushroom containing psilocybin; share that ceremonial use often means higher, consciousness-altering macro doses while microdosing means taking sub-perceptual amounts for more subtle mental/emotional benefits over time. She agrees a microdose doesn’t cause a psychedelic effect. Aya clarifies an actual psychedelic experience kicks in around 2-3 grams of psilocybin. Microdosing is in the range of 50 mg of psilocybin and still results in significant healing of the nervous system. Everyone’s sensitivity varies widely though based on brain chemistry, setting, mushroom strength, etc, so effects stay quite individualized and deeply personal. One might not notice changes occurring within initially. But the huge combined feedback on how microdosing psilocybin mushrooms improves thinking, emotional regulation, social skills, creativity and brain communication confirms something special happens for most at proper amounts. It basically fine tunes pathways instead of hijacking them like prescription antidepressants; gently strengthens connections over weeks like bodybuilding rather than suddenly overloading capacity. Just as higher mushroom doses cause temporary altered states of consciousness by impacting brain chemicals, tiny doses still positively influence critical networks, literally rewiring thought patterns, emotional triggers and habitual behaviors slowly over time for the better. And unlike pharmaceuticals, mushroom ingredients develop no physiological addiction or withdrawal. Legality Remains Complex We discuss current policies and regulations concerning growing, accessing and responsible usage of psychedelic containing plants like mushrooms which remain federally prohibited, similarly to how cannabis once was. It is important to understand one’s regional legal landscape and penalties. But encouragingly, certain locations decriminalized or introduced bills permitting medical access and research. Overall authorities make psychedelic related cases lowest enforcement priority compared to drugs causing harm. Still banned in the U.S. however, transporting mushrooms across state lines or dosing in public remains completely illegal until policy changes as science compellingly proves therapeutic efficacy. Which means underground access may quietly thrive in some areas as symbolized by native use rituals for communing sacramentally with nature since ancient times. But political winds now shift as pioneering cities pass laws stopping unjust jailing for personal growing/use. Oregon legalized therapy centers; other states put medical access on legislative agendas. We stand at the genesis of a historic paradigm shift around psychedelic therapies. Standard Microdosing Protocols When asked about dosing strategies, Aya shares sage advice she gives people for getting the most from microdosing - like journaling, intention setting, community support or coaching check-ins. Protocol details get debated though across practitioners. James Fadiman who did original microdosing research suggests taking .1g mushroom powder every 3rd day for a month before some days completely off. Compare to Dr. Stametes who likes “stacking” microdoses with bonus lion’s mane mushroom chunks for enhanced benefits. Aya personally recommends starting with half doses every other day - or full days off if very sensitive - while journaling changes in bodily sensations, moods, thinking, behaviors or dreams. Continue minimum 10-12 weeks before reevaluating extending the cycle. Natural symptoms may signal slightly higher doses needed. Customizing one’s frequency and amount means attentively noticing subtle feedback in concert with professional consultation. Each person sensitively self-calibrates unique embodiment needs meaningfully this way once properly informed. Are Psychedelic Changes Sustainable Long Term? We also discuss doubts whether microdosing induced insights, newfound neural links or behavior shifts last once stopping or dependency develops needing continual mushroom activation. Valid worry; especially when medications often accompany withdrawal symptoms after temporarily subduing symptoms without resolving root causes. But unlike addictive, toxic medications, Aya assures zero evidence suggests any dependency tendency from mushroom-based psilocybin. In fact the opposite - they powerfully curb addictive patterns! The mushrooms basically reset the nervous system, enabling lasting positive changes, not unlike installing new software. The authentic self realized or old traumas released remain available within afterwards too, just maybe needing occasional “tune-ups”. Ultimately they strengthen personal freedom, not replace it. First microdosing trains the brain’s pathways until we pedal freely ourselves feeling more able to navigate life and it’s challenges. Training Practitioners in Psychedelic Medicine When asking about her educational initiative for healthcare professionals, Aya describes founding Heroic Wellness exactly for this purpose: to develop legal training systems delivering mushroom assisted psychotherapy properly once policy allows clinical practice. This work gets desperately needed today; underground options fail ethics standards as demand balloons for healing support with plant journeys. Without proper set, setting and integration care afterwards however, bad outcomes manifest for the emotionally and energetically sensitive. The outdated disease label and medication fix model totally misses the multidimensional nature of consciousness. More holistic approaches using plant medicine have the potential to help more people. Healing unfolds through RELATIONSHIP nurtured by skillfully attuning to complexity of inner landscapes opened during entheogenic experience. Thus proper presence, gentle guidance and compassion creates optimal conditions for awakening - as the best doctors understand too. Entheogens Explained After introducing “entheogen,” an unfamiliar word, I ask Aya to define its meaning and why it fits better than “psychedelic” or “hallucinogen” for plant medicines like magic mushrooms or Ayahuasca. She says it comes from “generating the divine within” - implying substances eliciting short yet deeply mystical states of oneness, euphoria, infinity, clarity into Truth behind normal senses. Whereas “psychedelic” suggests escapism without personal integration. Ancient wisdom cultures prized plant entheogens as sacred portal opening mediums for ritual, divination, adolescent rites of passage, and healing. Careful protocols and reverence prevailed universally, which Aya advocates restoring today. Hence “entheogen” differentiates compounds occasioning awakening and embodiment rather than just distractive trips as “psychedelic” misleadingly implies for some. It resumes honoring time-tested shamanic respect she argues legalization absolutely necessitates incorporating rather than dismissing. Mixing Psilocybin Microdosing with Other Medications Lastly I ask about potential complications or interference augmenting microdoses with existing pharmaceutical prescriptions, over the counter supplements or common health conditions in case safety concerns arise for those interested but using other things concurrently. Aya reassures hardly any recorded interactions manifest since dosing stays so sub-perceptual, unlike recreational ranges. It won’t impair bodily/metabolic functioning noticeably at tiny amounts either. And given the brain chemical specific effects, psilocybin seem unlikely to worsen side effects, diminish intended benefits of treated symptoms or cause dangerous synergistic reactions with medications. In fact integration may benefit tapering off unneeded medications under medical guidance. They awaken our inner doctor healing capacities restoring natural balance rather than overriding them as dependencies can. Of course conservative dosing and transparency with one’s doctors stays vital. Closing Thoughts In closing, I sincerely thank Aya for openly illuminating the immense potential of mushroom family plant medicines like psilocybin to catalyze radical healing transformations - of both individuals and society collectively. When supported conscientiously by professionals, they provide unprecedented opportunities for healing, connection and meaning for all. If you would like to learn more about Aya and how she can help you, you can visit her website here. You can also check out Aya’s app here or connect with her on social media at @aya.allison (Instagram). You can schedule an appointment with her here. If you want to learn more about Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28875008

#187 How Gratitude Can Change Your Life 11/22/2023

#187 How Gratitude Can Change Your Life In this episode, I discuss the profound healing power of gratitude while providing practical, evidence-based guidance on how you can cultivate it daily, even in the these modern stressful times. I am a burnout expert and I can guide you to recover from stress while in that mix of stress, and that's one of the key differences about what I teach and what I help my patients to do when I help them to recover from whatever health issue they're experiencing. Understanding Stress and Its Impact on Health The various sources of stress we're exposed to—emotional, physical toxins as stresses, infections and injuries—cause the symptoms and health issues we experience. So the best way to reverse those health issues is to reverse the impact of stress. To do that, we first need to understand how stress is affecting you uniquely. For this, we need to first fond out your stress type. I developed a quiz called the Stress Type Quiz. I'll put the link so you can take that in case you haven't already discovered your stress type. By knowing your stress type, we can understand how stress is impacting your cortisol and adrenaline levels, which are the stress hormones made by the adrenal glands. Understanding how stress has disrupted your cortisol and adrenaline, we have one key piece of the puzzle of solving the impact of stress on your system and how we can then optimize cortisol and adrenaline to get you recovered from stress even if you are still of course—most all of us are still in the midst of stress day in and day out because we're humans, and humans are exposed to stress constantly. Stress is inevitable, but recovering from it is possible. It's not about avoiding all the stress; it's about helping us to recover from stress. But we have to individualize your approach to recovery from stress based on exactly how stress has caused imbalances in your body, mind, nervous system and so on. Understanding each person's unique stress response is key. Stress causes imbalances in our cortisol levels. And when you have imbalanced cortisol, that's what ends up causing the health issues, and we know that when people have optimal cortisol levels they live longer because they have less health issues. So we all should be aiming for optimal cortisol levels. The Healing Power of Gratitude Where does gratitude come into play with this? The way I think about gratitude is it's one of the tools we can use to help us recover from stress and actually one of the cool things about gratitude is that it works for all the stress types. Gratitude is really a healing medicine. It literally is a medicine that you can access within yourself without having to swallow a pill, without having to pay for anything. You can access it at any moment in time 24 hours a day and anywhere you're located. Gratitude is accessible, free, and available anytime. There are so many studies showing over and over again that it can help us not just mentally and emotionally, and I'm gonna be talking about that in detail. It can help us on a physical level. Amazingly, there's quite a lot of research on it. Gratitude helps in both emotional and physical ways. The research supporting gratitude is substantial. The Science Behind Gratitude Gratitude helps to stimulate dopamine levels, which gives us the ability to think and make decisions and enjoy. It's also connected with reward and pleasure so we want to have adequate dopamine. Dopamine is key for brain power, reward, pleasure and enjoyment. · Gratitude also increases serotonin, one of our calming neurotransmitters. · It increases oxytocin, which is what we usually think of as a bonding hormone or the love hormone. · I think about oxytocin as one of our anti-stress hormones. So gratitude boosts our bonding hormone oxytocin, an anti-stress hormone, as well as serotonin. So how wonderful that we can with practicing gratitude boost our anti-stress hormone oxytocin as well as endorphins in general, which are also anti-stress, anti-pain messengers in our bodies. This can be so simple and yet effective. Gratitude stimulates helpful anti-stress and anti-pain messengers in the body. It's simple yet powerful. You set aside your perfectionism and you get in touch with your intuition—what just comes to you when you think of what do you feel grateful for—because you wanted to be simple, quick and easy, whatever comes to your mind first. What do I feel gratitude for in this moment? When practicing gratitude, set aside perfectionism. Get in touch with intuition and keep it simple—whatever comes to mind first. Literally writing it down can actually help, so you can think it, you can have a thought about gratitude, and that's powerful. But then when you write it down it even gets more power toward the effectiveness of gratitude. Writing down gratitude is also very powerful, even more than just thinking grateful thoughts. Expressing gratitude and finding more ways to do that and allowing it...I think sometimes we we just weren't taught this, so we end up not knowing how to do it right. We don't really know how to express gratitude well and so it takes practice. We just have to learn how to feel it. We may not have been taught how to express gratitude growing up. It takes practice to learn how to feel and express it. Practicing Gratitude I'm hoping that helps you get a sense of what gratitude can feel like and look like and to see how it can be expressed: to say "thank you, you mean a lot to me and you've made a big difference in my life." And I'm so grateful for the people who have been able to be there to support me in my process. Gratitude can be expressed by saying "thank you" and appreciating people who have made a difference. Here are some additional tips for practicing gratitude: · Write in a gratitude journal. · Send thank you notes, texts, or emails. · Verbally express gratitude to people in your life. · Try a gratitude meditation. · Consider psychedelic plant medicines which can induce profound gratitude. · Microdosing psychedelics may also help with gratitude. I have traveled in different areas of the world to experience different psychedelic plant medicines for—because I'm constantly loving to travel and research other cultures and types of medicine—and in the use of psychedelic medicine such as ayahuasca and psilocybin, one of the main benefits I have experienced is an immense sense of gratitude. Psychedelic medicines work on our nervous system also as anti-stress medicines to help us reset the stress response and recover from stress and trauma, and one of the ways they do that is by increasing our sense of gratitude. There have been times when I've been in a psychedelic retreat or ceremony and had experiences of being filled with a sense of gratitude—literally tears pouring out of my eyes feeling like my heart is so open and warm—and literally feeling more gratitude for the people in my life and the patients I've been able to help and the patients that have taught me so much about all of this. I wouldn't have all of this knowledge or experience without the people who've come and trusted me to help them with their health. If you're ever interested in or called to using psychedelic medicines even in microdoses, I encourage you to check out prior episodes and blog articles about that here, and I'm happy to connect with someone to help you get more information. I have immense gratitude for those I've been able to help and who have helped me gain this knowledge. And I feel such a huge amount of gratitude for all of you who are listening in, who are joining me here, who are reading my book and practicing these things I'm teaching and benefiting from it—because that's what I love to do. I love to be able to provide this information so people can benefit, and when people do get to benefit from it I feel a huge amount of gratitude for that connection that we have. I also feel deep gratitude for my readers, listeners and patients who allow me to help them. It's meaningful to make a difference through sharing this helpful information. I'm here to express that gratitude so that we can all really learn what that's like: to intentionally choose gratitude and benefit from it. So thank you again so much for joining me here at How Humans Heal. If you have not already, I would love for you to subscribe and join my newsletter list so that you hear when the next episode comes out. I will be here as your stress and burnout recovery expert to help you every step of the way to understand stress—how it impacts us and how you can take steps to recover from stress—and in doing so reverse so many other possible health issues that you might be dealing with. I intentionally express gratitude and invite you to join me on this journey of learning, healing and empowerment. Please subscribe if you'd like to receive more episodes and information to recover from stress, which can reverse many health conditions. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal using Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. We also invite you to join Dr. Doni’s New Stress Mastery C.A.R.E. Program. This 4-week virtual experience provides personalized solutions to help you recover from burnout and rejuvenate your mind and body based on your Stress Type®. We start by having you take our proprietary quiz to uncover your unique stress profile. Are you a Stress Magnet? Sluggish and Stressed? Night Owl? Or another one of the 5 types? Your Stress Type tells us how your body and mind have been impacted by stress. Think of it as your version of "stress mode" or burnout. It's important to know your Stress Type because the way to successfully recover from burnout needs to be customized based on your Stress Type. Even your SelfC.A.R.E. needs to be fine-tuned based on your Stress Type in order get you all the way to Stress Mastery! In just 4 weeks, you'll optimize cortisol and adrenaline levels, reduce symptoms by 50% or more, regain mental clarity and productivity, improve sleep quality and heart rate variability and establish healthy lifelong habits. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28759973

#186 Transform Anxiety to Resilience with Dr. Traci Potterf 11/16/2023

#186 Transform Anxiety to Resilience with Dr. Traci Potterf In this illuminating conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking with functional medicine practitioner Dr. Traci Potterf about the power of holistic healing for anxiety. She and I have both been helping people with anxiety and burnout in general for many years, so this was a perfect opportunity to see how our approaches align and overlap. Dr. Traci Potterf holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology and is a functional medicine practitioner with extensive training in mind-body therapies. She describes herself as an "anxiety detective" helping clients get to the root causes of anxiety. Dr. Traci teaches people to understand anxiety as the body's cry for help, not a personal failing or something you must accept lifelong. Her multifaceted, individualized programs help clients address anxiety through nutrition, lifestyle “makeovers”, stress resilience practices, and nervous system healing. After healing her own health challenges, Dr. Traci was inspired to support others on their journey to wellness. She is passionate about illuminating the path to joy, meaning, and possibility by merging ancient wisdom, emerging science, and the magic inherent in every human. Reframing Anxiety as a Health Messenger Anxiety exists on a spectrum, ranging from tension and muscle tightness to full-blown panic attacks. At the physical level, symptoms may include jaw clenching, gut issues like constipation or loose stools, headaches, insomnia, hormone imbalances, heart palpitations, and more. Mentally, anxiety manifests as excessive worry about hypothetical future scenarios, catastrophizing, ruminating on negative possibilities, and feelings of being completely overwhelmed. Our conventional medical system has wrongly pathologized anxiety as a genetic brain defect requiring medication. But humans lived for thousands of years without widespread anxiety disorders. Anxiety is simply the body's smoke alarm signaling that something is out of balance in the inner or outer terrain. The nervous system is saying "ouch" in the only way it knows how. Rather than immediately medicating to silence the nervous system's signals, we must approach anxiety as a teacher. It provides an opportunity to tune into the body's wisdom and discover what requires healing. Trying to ignore or override anxiety without addressing the root issues provoking it is like disabling a smoke detector while your house burns down. How Modern Life Impacts Our Nervous System With our epidemic of chronic stress and toxicity in the modern world, most people now live with some level of anxiety. Here are several contributing factors: · Diet high in processed foods, sugars, chemicals and industrial seed oils provokes inflammation throughout the body and brain. This impairs cellular functioning, hormone regulation, detox processes, and neurotransmitter balance. · Dehydration prevents optimal delivery of nutrients and removal of toxins. Lack of structured, energized water also reduces the voltage that powers energy flow. · Toxins like heavy metals, mold, infections from pathogens like Lyme, and EMFs directly disrupt the nervous system. They derail neurotransmitters and damage tissues. · Trapped emotions and unprocessed pain or trauma from the past remain stuck in the nervous system and bodily tissues if never addressed. This perpetual loop feeds anxiety. · Sleep deprivation and constant overstimulation from electronics disrupt natural biorhythms needed for health like cleansing cycles. This stresses physiology. · Negative thought patterns like excessive self-judgment keep us feeling unsafe and on high alert. The mind perceives threats everywhere. · Social isolation and lack of community fails to meet our core human needs for belonging and intimate connection. Lack of oxytocin and bonding creates distress. · Suppression of innate human needs for pleasure, joy, play, and meaning leads to loss of purpose. Without a felt sense of meaning, anxiety brews. Even with genetic susceptibility based on temperament, we can mitigate these lifestyle and environmental triggers through functional medicine approaches that support the body's innate wisdom. Principles of Holistic Healing Healing anxiety requires a truly holistic approach that addresses body, mind and spirit simultaneously. A foundational piece is healing and nourishing the physical body by removing sources of inflammation, promoting detoxification, and providing the building blocks for recovery. Eliminating inflammatory foods like sugars, processed carbs, industrial oils and adopting an organic whole foods diet can cool inflammation. Also adopting an organic whole foods diet centered around vegetables, healthy fats and clean proteins and staying well hydrated with clean, filtered water. Checking for infections, hormonal issues, autoimmunity, blood sugar imbalance and addressing these underlying issues provides support. Promoting hydration, key nutrients like B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and using targeted botanicals and nutraceuticals further aids recovery. Gentle detox protocols help offload toxins and calm inflammation when indicated. Sauna therapy, massage, dry brushing, castor oil packs, and other techniques enhance detox. In the interview, Traci shares her personal journey of discovering she had mold toxicity, and how recovering from it has helped solve anxiety. Since anxiety fundamentally represents nervous system dysfunction, we must specifically heal and regulate the nervous system, not just treat the physical body. Key strategies for regulating the nervous system include: · Establishing routines aligned with natural circadian and seasonal bio-rhythms. This supports hormonal balance and healthy nervous system activity. · Optimizing sleep duration and quality allows neural regeneration and tissue repair. Melatonin and sleep hygiene practices boost sleep. · Reducing stimulation from electronics, screens, excessive noise, and artificial blue light. This calms the hyperexcited nervous system. · Engaging in play, pleasure, movement, and nature immersion practices. These discharge tension and cultivate embodiment. · Incorporating research-backed stress resilience techniques like breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, chanting, and somatic practices. These alter the brain and repattern nervous system responses. · Processing old traumas and stuck emotions through journaling, therapy, EMDR, tapping, and other energy psychology methods. Safely releasing old pain prevents anxiety. Anxiety frequently feeds on distorted, negative thought loops and unhelpful cognitive patterns. We can work to reframe anxious thinking by noticing anxious thoughts and cognitive distortions without judgment and developing the observer self. We can challenge distorted thoughts by asking questions like "Is this definitely true?" and "How do I know this to be fact rather than my fearful interpretation?" This way we can reframe anxiety narratives into more positive mental scripts aligned with self-trust. We have to be able to release limiting beliefs about our own inability to get well or successfully manage anxiety. We have to realize that we have more strength than we realize. We can also practice allowing all emotional experiences to flow through without exaggerating their meaning or significance and practicing present moment mindfulness to break identification with anxious thoughts. Since human beings are bioenergetic systems, we must also address the spiritual and energetic roots of anxiety. Spending time in nature, adopting daily pleasure practices, moving stagnant emotional energy, freeing the body through dance and creative expression, fostering community and intimacy, engaging in spiritual practices, and cultivating meaning uplift your overall frequency. Honoring the Nonlinear Journey Back to Wholeness Traci and I also talked about how true holistic living means embracing all facets of being human. This includes sitting with painful or unpleasant emotions when they arise, not just seeking high-vibe states and positivity. Avoiding our feelings can worsen anxiety. We need full expression of our inner experience and realize the importance of self-compassion when anxiety feels overwhelming. Judging or beating yourself up will only worsen matters. Each person's path is unique and nonlinear. There will invariably be ups and downs, breakthroughs and backslides as part of the journey. What matters most is continually realigning with your core values and making progress from a place of radical self-love. Expanding your self-knowledge allows you to create a lifestyle that is sustaining and enlivening for your unique mind-body needs. As you learn how to care for yourself in the ways your system requires, you will no longer need willpower or self-force to make positive choices. Pleasure, meaning, joy and health become synonymous. Investing fully in your own healing journey, though often challenging, pays exponential dividends. Having compassionate community support and guidance from skilled practitioners accelerates progress through difficult times. But at its core, healing anxiety means rediscovering your innate wholeness, remembering you are more than your anxiety. When you reclaim your power to shift your inner landscape on all levels, the physical manifestations change as well. You "feel your way free" and unlock possibility for profound holistic transformation. Dr. Doni’s Approach to Anxiety I have been helping patients recover (yes recover) from anxiety and burnout for over two decades. Even though we are led to believe that anxiety is permanent, my patients have proven that is not true. I also used to experience severe anxiety myself, and that motivated me to solve it once and for all. Now I use my proven Stress Recovery Protocol to guide patients to address their mental health issues and burnout based on their Stress Type. I first recommend measuring your cortisol levels at four times of day, as well as adrenaline and neurotransmitter levels. By knowing the exact imbalances in your adrenal function and nervous system, I can then guide you to address them using amino acid therapy, as well as herbs and nutrients, known to bring cortisol, adrenaline and neurotransmitters back to optimal. I also guide you to implement my C.A.R.E. Protocol, which involves clean eating, adequate sleep, recovery activities and exercise based on your Stress Type. To give you a sense of what is involved, here is a summary of Beneficial Modalities for Healing Anxiety Naturally: Nutritional Approaches · Eliminate inflammatory foods, such as sugar, gluten, dairy, based on your food sensitivities – here is the test I recommend · Gut healing to address the gut-brain axis with herbs and digestive enzymes – find my Leaky Gut Program here · Adrenal support using adaptogens and nutrients – Based on your Stress Type® · Methylation support to optimize neurotransmitter metabolism – find my Methylation Program here · Amino acids like tryptophan, glycine, GABA for calming – Based on my Stress Recovery Protocol® Herbs and Natural Agents · Nervine herbs like passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm to soothe nerves · Adaptogens like ashwagandha, rhodiola, ginseng for resilience – Based on your Stress Type® · Support your cannabinoid system – herbs and CBD · Nootropics for cognitive support like lion’s mane mushroom and more – Based on your Stress Type® · Magnesium, l-theanine, omega-3s for calming and mood regulation – Based on my Stress Recovery Protocol® Body-Centered Healing Practices · Breathwork, mindfulness meditation, chanting, yoga, and Qigong · Somatic techniques, polyvagal exercises, breathwork · Nature immersion and forest bathing to restore · Trauma release exercises, EMDR, neurofeedback · Bioenergetic therapies - acupuncture, sound healing, tapping Lifestyle and Plant Medicine Approaches · Sleep hygiene, light exposure, digital detox, balancing rest and activity · Community support, relationships, intimacy, pleasure practices · Nature immersion, gardening, grounding, ecotherapy · Creativity, dance, journaling for expression and embodiment · Psychedelic therapy with plant medicines I hope these suggestions provide a helpful starting point for those seeking to craft a personalized holistic healing program. Please reach out if you would like guidance assembling your own integrative anxiety relief toolkit. With an open heart and willing spirit, true and lasting transformation is absolutely within reach. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Traci and how she can help you, you can visit her website here. You can also connect with Dr. Traci on social media at @drtracipotterfphd (Instagram) and @Inner Genius Health with Dr.Traci Potterf, PhD (Facebook). If you want to learn more about Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. We also invite you to listen in to Dr. Doni’s FREE virtual masterclass - Calm in the Storm: Research-Backed Techniques for Healing Your Body and Mind. This masterclass will equip you with a toolbox of techniques and a personalized action plan so you can find inner peace and heal the impact of stress based on your Stress Type. You'll leave this masterclass with research-backed skills to bring calm to the chaos within - and maintain resilience in the face of external stressors. And know next steps you can take to recover. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28676208

#185 Beat Burnout and Recover Faster by Knowing Your Burnout Type 11/09/2023

#185 Beat Burnout and Recover Faster by Knowing Your Burnout Type In this episode, I want to thoroughly cover the signs of burnout, the different types of burnout patterns, and most importantly, how you can recover based on your unique individual burnout type. I'm passionate about this work because I've been through burnout myself multiple times and had to figure out how to recover. Stress is a part of life - but with the right tools you can feel energized and empowered instead of depleted. Now I've made it my mission to guide others through the step-by-step process of overcoming burnout and coming back to vibrant health. It's deeply gratifying to help people get their lives back after years of merely surviving. What Is Burnout? Burnout is a condition defined as chronic stress leading to emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. The key signs of burnout include lack of energy, anxiety, poor sleep, trouble focusing, and various physical symptoms. The term burnout has been loosely used for many years, but it has recently been officially defined as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization. However, there is still a stigma attached to experiencing burnout or other mental health issues related to chronic stress. I want to emphasize that burnout can happen to anyone, at any age, whether you have a job/career or not. All generations go through periods of burnout, but recent studies indicate that Gen Z (born 1997-2012) reports the highest rates of burnout at 91%, compared to other generations. Why are Younger Adults More Susceptible to Burnout? There are several potential reasons behind this: · Going through the pandemic during critical developmental years · Entering the workforce post-pandemic with less experience interacting in-person · Fears over job stability and finances · Tendency to overwork and not establish boundaries · Less life experience coping with high stress However, while burnout may be more prevalent among Gen Z currently, it's important to understand it can happen to anyone when stress is unmanaged over long periods without adequate recovery. The chronic stress response takes its toll on the body and mind. That’s why recognizing the signs of burnout within yourself is so important. 5 Key Areas When Identifying Burnout 1. Energy Level - Do you feel like you have very low energy? Difficulty getting out of bed, needing naps, relying on caffeine to get through the day can indicate compromised energy due to burnout. 2. Mood - Is your overall mood lower? Are you unable to enjoy activities you used to find pleasurable? Do you feel unmotivated, apathetic, sad, or excessively worried? This can manifest as anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. 3. Sleep - Have you noticed your sleep is disrupted? Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, waking early, or insufficient sleep are common signs of burnout. 4. Focus - Are you unable to focus or concentrate like you used to? Do you experience brain fog, distracted thinking, or an inability to complete tasks? Focus and cognition are impaired. 5. Physical Symptoms - Look out for any of the following physical symptoms as potential signs of burnout: headaches, stomach upset, muscle aches, skin issues, hormonal imbalances, difficulty conceiving, susceptibility to illnesses (HPV positive, abnormal pap), or increased inflammation and pain. How Chronic Stress Leads to Burnout When we encounter any type of stressor (emotional, physical, or toxic), our body’s natural response is to release cortisol and adrenaline - our primary stress hormones. This stress response is very adaptive and helpful for short bursts of stress or dangerous situations. However, when stress is constant, and/or traumatic, and we don’t get adequate recovery, our stress hormones can become depleted or imbalanced. Our adrenal glands that produce cortisol and adrenaline struggle to keep up with the high demand. Sometimes this is referred to as “adrenal fatigue” or dysautonomia. I prefer to use the term “adrenal distress.” Over weeks, months or years of chronic stress, this causes the symptoms of burnout to emerge. It looks different in each person based on many factors. Through two decades of stress research, I’ve identified 5 major burnout patterns that can occur depending on a person’s stress type. 1. Stress Magnets: Characterized by elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels. This is the most classic type of burnout that many people assume is the only version. 2. Blah and Blue: The opposite pattern of low cortisol and adrenaline. These individuals feel unable to handle any more stress. 3. Night Owls: Normal cortisol during the day but high levels at night, disrupting sleep. 4. Sluggish and Stressed: High cortisol but low adrenaline. They feel fatigued and overwhelmed. 5. Tired and Wired: Low cortisol but high adrenaline. Excess nervous energy but crashing. The reasons these different patterns evolve are quite complex, involving genetics, metabolism, early life experiences, etc. I dive much deeper into the science behind the 5 stress types in my book, Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. How Can We Recover from Burnout? Recovering requires a targeted approach based on your individual burnout pattern. One-size-fits all suggestions rarely work for recovery from burnout. This is because diet, sleep, exercise and stress management affect each burnout type differently. Let’s consider some examples: · A Blah and Blue stress type needs to exercise less than a Tired and Wired. Too much exercise makes them worse. · Night Owls require earlier bedtimes, no screen time at night. But Stress Magnets need mindfulness before bed, not necessarily earlier sleep. · Adaptogens like Rhodiola help blah & blue types but aggravate stress magnets. This is why I created a free quiz to identify your burnout type based on your symptoms and cortisol/adrenaline levels. You can take it here. Once you understand your burnout pattern, I can then guide you on the nutrition, sleep, exercise, recovery activities and stress management that will work for your unique situation. Then you can start to feel better! With the right support, your adrenal glands can absolutely heal and recover from burnout, it just takes strategic care catered to your stress type. There are some foundational steps that benefit anyone recovering from burnout. I call this the C.A.R.E. protocol: C - Clean Eating: Follow an anti-inflammatory diet high in vegetables, fruits, clean proteins. Remove inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy and excess sugar. Stay hydrated. Time meals for steady energy. A - Adequate Sleep: Make sleep a priority. Keep a consistent bedtime/wake time. Limit blue light exposure at night. Create an optimal sleep environment. Nap if needed. R - Recovery Activities: Build in small breaks during the day. Spend time in nature, listening to music, meditating, laughing, praying, dancing, reading, being creative, cuddling pets. Find things that bring you joy and relaxation. E - Exercise: Get regular exercise, but modify the duration and intensity based on your burnout type. Some need more energizing exercise, others require gentler movement. The C.A.R.E. basics give your body the fundamental nourishment and rest it needs to start recovering from burnout. But you can optimize your C.A.R.E. protocol by customizing it specifically for your stress pattern. In my book I guide you step-by-step on how to tailor your nutrition, sleep habits, recovery activities, exercise routine and stress management to your unique burnout type. Whether you tend to be a stress magnet, blah and blue, night owl, sluggish and stressed, or tired and wired, you'll discover exactly how to recalibrate your C.A.R.E. protocol to target your imbalances and get back to health. With the properly tailored changes, your adrenal glands and stress hormone levels can reset. This restores energy, mood, sleep, focus and physical health. You begin to feel like yourself again. Just as essentially, you establish resilience against future burnout. That way if stress ramps up, you're prepared to handle it without plummeting back into burnout. I'm very excited to teach more on this topic at my upcoming free masterclass "Calm in the Storm: Techniques for Healing Your Body and Mind." This will empower you to master your stress - not by trying to eliminate it altogether, but by understanding your body's needs and patterns. Stress is simply a part of life. There will always be stressors and even intense "storms" that come along. But once you know your stress type, you gain tools to stay resilient and healthy during these challenges. You learn how to quickly self-correct when you feel stress creeping up again. That way small issues don't spiral into major burnout. You create lasting habits for thriving through life's ups and downs. In the Calm in the Storm Masterclass, we'll cover: · Identifying your unique stress type with warning signs · Fine-tuning your C.A.R.E. protocol by stress pattern · Advanced nutrition, supplements and lifestyle tips · Cultivating daily joy and relaxation · Rewiring your beliefs around stress · Creating community for ongoing support I hope the information today gives you more insight into burnout - its subtle warning signs, different patterns it can take, and how recovery can be tailored to your unique needs. Please subscribe and continue joining me for more episodes focused on recovering from stress and burnout. And absolutely reach out to me if you need extra support customizing your own burnout recovery plan. Now that you understand the various burnout types, we can collaborate to create an individualized protocol to restore your health, energy and joy in life! My team and I can help identify your specific burnout pattern, the root causes, which areas to prioritize, advanced testing you may need, optimal supplements, and personalized lifestyle changes. With proper individualization, most people fully recover from even years-long burnout. You regain mental clarity, physical vitality and emotional stability. Your body resets and you establish long-term resilience against stress overload. My own journey fuels my commitment to support you in reclaiming your energy, sleep, mood and health. I hope you feel encouraged knowing there are solutions and you are not alone! Stay tuned for more. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal using Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. If you are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, anxious, tired, or just not feeling yourself you can join Dr. Doni’s FREE virtual masterclass – “Calm in the Storm: Techniques for Healing Your Body and Mind” where you will get a personalized action plan so you can find inner peace and heal the impact of stress. You'll leave this masterclass with research-backed skills to bring calm to the chaos within - and maintain resilience in the face of external stressors. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28570878

#184 Unlocking The Power of Quantum Healing with Dr. Catherine Clinton 11/02/2023

#184 Unlocking The Power of Quantum Healing with Dr. Catherine Clinton In today's episode, I'm excited to be speaking with Dr. Catherine Clinton, a naturopathic doctor who has been practicing for over 15 years. She is an expert in quantum healing and quantum biology. Dr. Clinton's Extensive Background in Natural Medicine Dr. Clinton has always taken a holistic, natural approach in her practice. She focuses on helping patients understand how reconnecting with nature can support healing from a wide array of health conditions. These include autoimmunity, mental health issues, gastrointestinal disorders, hormone imbalances, infections, autoimmunity, anxiety, depression, migraines, and more. Even from a young age, Dr. Clinton was drawn to natural medicine and fascinated by the body's innate capacity to heal itself. She decided to become a naturopathic doctor because she wanted to get to the root causes of health issues, not just treat superficial symptoms. Throughout her career, Dr. Clinton has continued learning about new holistic modalities while also studying ancient healing systems like Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. She believes we need to honor the wisdom of indigenous cultures that understood the intimate relationship between humans and nature. Dr. Clinton's clinical expertise combined with her passion for bridging ancient wisdom and modern science makes her perfectly suited to explain the emerging field of quantum biology. She has a gift for synthesizing complex concepts into accessible language for patients and students alike. An Introduction to the Field of Quantum Biology So what exactly is quantum biology? In essence, quantum biology examines biological processes through the lens of quantum physics. It looks at how quantum phenomena like entanglement, tunneling, and coherence affect living systems. Quantum physics evolved out of remarkable discoveries in the early 20th century that revealed the strange, almost mystical world of subatomic particles. In this quantum realm, regular physics do not apply. Particles can exist in two places at once. They can also remain connected over long distances in ways that defy our normal understanding of space and time. For a long time, quantum phenomena were only thought to occur under tightly controlled lab conditions at extremely cold temperatures. But quantum biology explores how life hijacks these bizarre quirks of the quantum world to enable its amazing feats. Some key topics within the field of quantum biology include: · The role of electron flow in facilitating biochemical reactions. Rather than simple games of chance, evidence suggests finely orchestrated energy exchanges. · How water inside the body structures itself to support health. Certain molecular configurations of water provide an optimal "terrain" for cells. · The impact of vibration, frequency, and resonance on biological functioning. Our cells and tissues tune into various frequencies that modulate their activities. · The interconnected nature of physiological systems. The old mechanistic view of separated bodily systems is giving way to models of intertwined communication and feedback loops. · The influence of our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs on our biology through mechanisms we are only beginning to grasp. Researchers are discovering that living organisms exploit quantum effects to enable biological processes. Quantum biology reminds us that we are energy beings embedded in a web of energy. It reveals the constant interplay between our external terrain and internal terrain. As pioneers in this emerging discipline, we must tread carefully to build on empirical science without veering into pseudoscience. Quantum biology holds great promise to expand the boundaries of health and healing for all of us. The Critical Importance of Structured Water in the Body One particular area of focus in quantum biology is structured water inside the body. Dr. Clinton has studied extensively the pioneering work of Dr. Gerald Pollock from the University of Washington. His research shows that next to cells and tissues, our bodies contain a previously unrecognized "fourth phase" of water with very unique properties. This special structured water consists of hexagonally stacked sheets of molecules that form what looks like a honeycomb lattice. Standard H2O has a more random molecular arrangement. But structured water molecules align in a repeating hexagonal pattern due to their hydrogen bonding. This allows it to function in some rather astonishing ways. For one, the structured water zone is negatively charged. This negative charge enables the seamless flow of energy within the body that powers our every biochemical reaction. In addition, the voltage created by structured water zones maintains optimal cell membrane potential and mitochondrial function critical for health. Researchers are still teasing out all the roles of structured water, but its importance cannot be overstated. Structured water provides the ideal molecular terrain for our cellular constituents to carry out their activities. However, certain factors can degrade structured water, potentially contributing to disease. These include: · Dehydration - Not obtaining sufficient structured water from regular hydration. · Poor diet - Eating foods that promote cellular inflammation and oxidation. · Toxins or infections - Which damage tissues and impair metabolic processes. · Lack of natural light - Our primary source of the infrared frequencies that build structured water. · Excess stress - Which causes electron loss, lowering cell voltage provided by water layers. · Physical trauma - Which can alter water structures in the brain and nervous system. · Overuse of electronics - These emit EMFs shown to degrade structured water. Fortunately, there are many simple, natural ways we can enhance structured water levels to support optimal health. These include: · Regular hydration with clean, filtered water. · Eating an antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory whole foods diet. · Exposure to gentle infrared energies from sunlight, heat, or near infrared bulbs. · Grounding to replenish electrons that maintain the water battery. · Exercise, since movement generates structuring infrared frequencies. · Reducing EMF exposure by limiting device time and using shielding. · Stress relief practices like meditation, yoga, time in nature, and social connection. By better understanding water as a living matrix that communicates information, we can learn to optimize it in our bodies. This provides the ideal terrain for resilience and regeneration. Additional Ways We Can Benefit from the Science of Quantum Biology In addition to water research, many other insights from quantum biology can help optimize wellness when applied properly. Spending time in nature helps us reconnect and restore depleted energy. The natural frequencies permeating the outdoors entrain our systems. Forest bathing research proves time outside literally alters our nervous system state. Exposing our bodies to variable temperatures promotes adaptability rather than a static climate. Heat and cold cues build mitochondria and antioxidant reserves. Practices like contrast hydrotherapy leverage these effects. Allowing circadian rhythms to flow naturally by reducing artificial light at night. Our bodies require dark to initiate key phases of detoxification, brain cleanup, and hormone balance. Grounding the body helps replenish electrons we lose coping with chronic stress. These electrons increase the negative charge of our water battery. Walking barefoot is free grounding. Identifying and processing stored emotional traumas. Unresolved grief and pain creates blocks in our bioenergetic fields. Energy psychology techniques clear traumas stuck in the body and psyche. Cultivating healthy relationships is an antidote to an epidemic of disconnection, which manifests as disease. Loving bonds help satisfy our core need for belonging. Choosing natural, uncomplicated solutions helps us tend to our inner and outer terrain—the foundation of health. Ancient wisdom recognized that supporting the body's self-healing abilities cures most ills. Practicing gratitude, compassion and presence may beneficially structure water in our bodies. Positive intentions imprint information fields that surround us. The more we understand our quantum nature and reciprocal relationship with the unified field of the cosmos, the better we can support wellbeing. Remembering Our Inherent Interconnectedness is Foundational to Health At its core, quantum biology reminds us that we are inseparable from the world around us. Air, water, sunlight, earth—we are intimately woven into the fabric of nature. Yet so often we forget just how fundamentally our minds and bodies rely on this interconnectedness. Many chronic diseases stem from losing touch with our terrain and environment. Yet even small steps to honor our bond with nature, animals, loved ones, and our own bodies and minds can tangible improve our health. We have become experts at manipulating our external world, but often at the expense of internal balance. Reclaiming health in the modern world requires rediscovering and honoring our bond with nature, each other, and our own deepest selves. This may mean: · Making time for grounding activities like gardening, forest bathing, earthing, and contemplative time near water and other natural features. · Adopting circadian-aligned routines supporting natural biorhythms of activity, waking, eating, and sleeping. · Developing present moment awareness through mindfulness practices that disentangle us from constant ruminations that generate stress. · Fostering community and heartfelt human connections that satisfy our inherent needs for belonging and intimacy. · Slowing down and simplifying some aspects of 21st century life so we can listen to our body's signals about what it needs. Quantum healing entails rediscovering our wholeness. When we embrace our interconnection with all of life, balance and wellbeing naturally follow. The transition from feeling separate and overwhelmed to feeling connected and empowered holds the key to quantum healing. Catalyzing Our Own Healing Journeys No matter one's current state of health, small steps to honor our bond with nature, animals, loved ones, and our own bodies and minds can tangibly improve our wellbeing. With greater knowledge of our quantum biological nature, we can more consciously direct our mind, body and behaviors in alignment with wellness. We may find ourselves naturally adopting habits and practices that optimize the parameters needed for self-healing. However, knowledge alone is not enough. We must also cultivate self-trust and self-care. When we view even small positive changes through the lens of compassion rather than criticism, it supports consistency. Our nervous systems do not like pressure and timelines. Patience allows slow but steady progress. What matters most is refocusing each day on our inner alignment with qualities like love, joy, community, presence, and peace. Our outer terrain effortlessly follows where we lead it from the inside out. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Catherine and how she can help you, you can visit her website here. You can also connect with Dr. Catherine on social media at @dr.catherineclinton (Instagram) and @Dr. Catherine Clinton, ND (Facebook) for mental health tips and inspiration. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal using Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, anxious, tired, or just not feeling yourself? Chronic stress takes a tremendous toll on our mental and physical health. But there are proven techniques to counteract its impact and cultivate calm and resilience - even in chaotic times. Join Dr. Doni’s FREE virtual masterclass - Calm in the Storm: Research-Backed Techniques for Healing Your Body and Mind. This masterclass will equip you with a toolbox of techniques and a personalized action plan so you can find inner peace and heal the impact of stress. You'll leave this masterclass with research-backed skills to bring calm to the chaos within - and maintain resilience in the face of external stressors. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28497392

#183 Meditation: The Complete Guide to Unlocking Its Life-Changing Benefits 10/26/2023

#183 Meditation: The Complete Guide to Unlocking Its Life-Changing Benefits In today’s episode, we’re going to fully explore the profound practice of meditation. I’ll explain what meditation is, the vast scientific research validating its benefits, and provide an in-depth guide to incorporating meditation into your daily self-care routine. Regular meditation practice has been shown to reduce stress, increase happiness, improve health, and transform one's life in countless positive ways. By learning to quiet the mind and be present, you can tap into this amazing mind-body medicine free of charge. So let’s dive deep into the what, why, and how of meditation! What is Meditation? Let’s start with the basics – what is meditation? Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention completely on the present moment in order to settle and calm the mind. It falls under the larger umbrella of mindfulness, which involves maintaining awareness of your experience in the here and now. With meditation, the goal is to clear your mind from its usual frantic pace of thoughts about the past and future so you can be fully present. This creates mental space to process emotions, access deeper parts of yourself, and become more attuned with your mind and body. On a biological level, meditation induces shifts in your brain waves from the activated beta waves of normal waking life to slower alpha and theta brain wave patterns. Alpha waves are the bridge between conscious focus and deep relaxation where you are awake but very calm and centered. Theta waves tap into the subconscious mind and are restorative for the nervous system. Other brain frequencies like delta and gamma may also arise during deep meditation. Being able to move your brain waves between these different states gives you greater control over your state of consciousness. The more you meditate, the easier it becomes to access a meditative state of mindfulness as you go about your day. The Science Validating the Benefits of Meditation Now that you understand the state of being meditation facilitates, let’s explore the vast scientific research revealing its profound benefits for both mental and physical health. Study after study continues to show that meditation dramatically improves wellbeing on multiple fronts. First, meditation has been proven to enhance mental health in significant ways: · It effectively reduces anxiety and lifts mood. Meditation calms the nervous system and has been shown to be as effective as medication and therapy for treating anxiety and depression. · It substantially decreases stress levels by lowering inflammatory stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Meditation returns the nervous system to a balanced, relaxed parasympathetic state to counteract chronic stress. · It elevates focus, concentration and attention span by producing increased alpha and theta brain waves that optimize cognitive function. Meditators often describe developing a “laser focus” from practice. · It builds emotional intelligence by helping you observe emotions as transient events in the mind, increasing emotional regulation and EQ. · It also enhances working memory and increases gray matter volume in brain areas related to cognitive function like the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Additionally, research has revealed powerful benefits of meditation for physical health: · It lowers blood pressure by dilating blood vessels through soothing the nervous system, enhancing healthy circulation. · It reduces heart rate by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, improving heart rate variability and vagal tone. · It decreases systemic inflammation by lowering inflammatory stress hormones and chemicals, helping resolve inflammatory conditions. · It bolsters the immune system by increasing natural killer cells, neutrophils, T-cells, and anti-viral proteins that fight infections. · It promotes deeper, more restorative sleep by facilitating falling asleep and staying asleep, and increasing regenerative slow wave and REM sleep. · It supports healthy longevity by boosting telomerase, an enzyme that repairs and lengthens telomeres – the protective caps on chromosomes that regulate aging. · It effectively manages both acute and chronic pain, with meditators requiring less pain medication due to altered pain perception. Furthermore, the combination of relieving mental stress and resolving physical inflammation means meditation can help reverse challenging chronic health conditions including: heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, GI issues, chronic pain, depression, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. For any illness related to chronic stress, inflammation or mind-body imbalance, meditation can be a crucial part of effective treatment and prevention. Given the wide-ranging benefits of meditation for optimizing mental, emotional and physical health, it’s no surprise research also shows it can significantly increase lifespan. By reducing causes of mortality like heart disease, hypertension, inflammation and stress, studies report meditators have on average a 29% lower risk of early death compared to non-meditators. The deep rest, anti-aging effects and protective benefits of meditation lead to longer, healthier lives. When you take into account the full breadth of research, the evidence for meditation is simply overwhelming. This free, accessible mind-body practice has the power to profoundly enhance your relationships, work performance, physical vigor, emotional balance, mental clarity, stress levels, and overall wellbeing. It’s one of the most impactful health habits you can cultivate. How to Start a Meditation Practice Now that you understand the incredible science-backed benefits, let’s turn to how you can start experiencing these transformative results yourself through a regular meditation practice. Here are my top tips: First, get clear on your intention - why do you want to start meditating? What are your goals? Do you want to reduce anxiety, sleep better, gain inner peace, improve concentration, resolve a health condition, or something else? Setting a focused intention will motivate you to persist. Next, establish a consistent practice time that fits your daily routine – first thing in the morning and in the evening before bed are popular choices. Decide when meditation will work best for you. Block out time in your calendar and treat this window as non-negotiable to build the habit. Create a designated meditation space in your home that is quiet and tranquil. Light candles, play relaxing music, or use other cues to trigger a calm mindset when entering your practice area. Sit in the same spot daily. Get as physically comfortable as possible. Sit cross-legged, kneel on a cushion, sit in a chair, or lie down – whatever allows your back to be straight while relaxing any tension. Adjust positions whenever needed during practice. Start with breathwork for a few minutes before transitioning into formal meditation. Take long, slow deep breaths focusing on the sensation of inhaling and exhaling to activate relaxation responses. Bring your full attention to your chosen object of focus – either your breath or a repeated mantra. Return your focus gently whenever the mind wanders. Observe thoughts non-judgmentally, letting them pass by without engaging. Set a timer for your desired practice length when starting out, even if just 5-10 minutes. Slowly build up your meditation time to 20, 30 minutes or longer. End slowly by reconnecting to your body and environment. Jot insights and reflections down in a meditation journal after each session. Review regularly to see your progress and optimize your practice as needed. Be patient with challenges - difficulties are normal and will pass. Additionally, explore different types of meditation to find the styles you most enjoy such as walking, movement, chanting, visualization, loving-kindness, or chakra meditations. Take classes, read books, listen to talks, and attend retreats to continually deepen your knowledge and experience. The key is to make meditation a daily ritual just like brushing your teeth. Regular practice is what delivers the immense mental, emotional and physical transformations, even if some days feel more connected than others. With patience and persistence, you’ll be amazed at the positive life changes that unfold. Starting and Sustaining an Effective Meditation Routine To set your meditation practice up for ongoing success, here are some additional pro tips: Sit daily – Make meditation non-negotiable by practicing at the same time every day, just like brushing your teeth when you wake up and before bed. Skipping days makes it harder to stick to the routine. Start small – Don’t be intimidated by sitting to meditate for 30+ minutes if you’re new to it. Even just 5-10 minutes daily provides immense benefits. Slowly increase your practice time. Be consistent – Sit at the same time and in the same space daily to establish your ritual. Moving your meditation time around makes it harder to sustain consistency. Use guided meditations – If your mind has trouble settling, use an app, audio or video guide to walk you into a calm state until you can enter it directly. Attend retreats – Deepen your practice exponentially by attending weekend or multi-day intensive meditation retreats offered widely. Immersing yourself accelerates progress. Find community – Join local in-person meditation groups or online communities to gain inspiration, accountability and support on your journey. Read books – Dive into the many excellent books on meditation to troubleshoot obstacles, deepen understanding and augment motivation. Keep learning – Take classes, workshops and trainings from experienced teachers to evolve your practice and comprehension of meditation. Apply mindfulness – Bring meditative presence into everyday activities like eating, exercising, working and conversing to integrate mindfulness into living. Be patient – Remember that taming your mind’s tendencies takes time and patience. Persist through difficulties calmly without self-judgment. Trust the process – Know that inner transformation happens subtly over time with regular practice. Don’t get discouraged early on. Trust the process. By embracing meditation as an indispensable part of your self-care routine – just like adequate sleep, nutrition and exercise – you’ll be amazed at the positive changes that unfold in your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Actualize Your Fullest Potential Through Meditation I hope this comprehensive guide gives you confidence in the extraordinary benefits of meditation, and a roadmap to start optimizing your health through establishing a consistent practice. Make meditation a priority and see your stress dissolve, mood lift, focus sharpen, and sense of inner peace expand. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you! Please reach out if you need any support on your meditation path. I’m excited for you to actualize your fullest wellness potential through this life-changing ancient practice backed by an abundance of contemporary scientific research. You have an incredible inner world waiting to be discovered. So get started today! Just sit, breathe, and be fully present. If you want to learn more about how use meditation to recover from stress and trauma, and how to heal using Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. I hope this overview presented some new possibilities for improving your own mental and physical health or supporting loved ones on their journeys. Please know that healing is absolutely within reach. As we just saw, small steps add up to big transformations over time. You deserve to reclaim your best health and most vibrant, balanced life. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28434155

#182 Rewiring Your Brain Using Neurofeedback Therapy with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge 10/19/2023

#182 Rewiring Your Brain Using Neurofeedback Therapy with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge In today's episode, I'm excited to be speaking with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge. She is an integrative and pediatric mental health expert specializing in the field of neurofeedback therapy. Dr. Roseann is the founder and director of the Global Institute of Children's Mental Health. She is also a Connecticut Certified School Psychologist, Board Certified Neurofeedback Provider (BCN), podcast host of “It’s Gonna Be Ok! with Dr. Roseann” as well as founder of Dr. Roseann LLC and creator of the new Neurotastic supplement line. Dr. Roseann's Extensive Background in Mental Health With over 30 years of experience working in mental health, Dr. Roseann has dedicated her career to helping children and families improve conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD and various learning disabilities. She has always taken a holistic, natural approach in her practice. Even from a very young age, Dr. Roseann knew she wanted to go into the field of psychology and psychiatry. When she was just 5 years old, a friend of her mother’s asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Out of the blue, Dr. Roseann responded “I want to be a psychiatrist.” Of course, later on she realized that psychiatrists focus more on medications, whereas psychologists utilize counseling and therapy. Nevertheless, this childhood premonition set her on a path to becoming an expert in children’s mental health. Throughout her education and career, Dr. Roseann focused on gaining as much hands-on experience as possible. She actively volunteered and completed internships to refine her skills. She quickly discovered that her passion was working with children and families. Dr. Roseann found that she felt a deep sense of empathy for these clients. She also realized that when children receive the right help, their brains are extremely adept at absorbing positive changes. These changes can then last a lifetime due to neuroplasticity in the developing brain. Dr. Roseann witnessed countless times how a child’s struggle became an impetus for the whole family to improve their mental and physical health. Once the parents saw improvements in their child from natural solutions, they became much more open to making changes in their own lives as well. In this way, the child’s difficulty actually became an opportunity for growth, change and healing for the entire family unit. This inspired Dr. Roseann to continue refining her integrative techniques to help children thrive and set them up for a lifetime of mental and emotional wellbeing. An Overview of the Neurofeedback Process Neurofeedback falls under the umbrella of biofeedback therapies. It takes advantage of the brain’s neuroplasticity or ability to form new neural pathways throughout life. Neurofeedback utilizes technology to train the brain to produce healthier patterns of brain wave activity. In a nutshell, neurofeedback works like this: The person is hooked up to a computer via electrodes on the scalp that can detect the frequency of electrical signals from different regions of the brain in real-time. The computer provides instant auditory or visual feedback when the brain produces the desired brain wave pattern. For example, you may hear a pleasant tone or see an animated figure on the screen. This positive reinforcement teaches the brain to repeat these types of beneficial brain wave patterns. Over time, the brain learns to operate with healthier levels of activity in key areas. This can drastically improve symptoms. Then these healthy changes stick around even after the neurofeedback sessions end. Some key points about neurofeedback: · It has been around since the 1960s and now has over 3,000 research studies demonstrating its effectiveness for a wide array of conditions. · It is non-invasive and has minimal side effects for most people when done properly. · It creates lasting changes in brain function that persist even after the sessions are complete. · Conditions that research shows neurofeedback can improve include ADHD, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, addiction, insomnia, traumatic brain injury, concussions, migraines and more. · It has also been used for peak performance training in high achievers without health conditions. · Typical sessions last about 30 minutes and are done 2-3 times per week. · The average treatment plan consists of about 20-30 sessions over a course of about 6 months. But some people need more or less time. · It can be done in a practitioner's office or through home-based equipment and video sessions online. QEEG brain mapping is necessary before starting neurofeedback. This allows to see exactly which regions of the brain need to be retrained. Then you can have extremely precise neurofeedback protocols targeting an individual’s specific needs. Dr. Roseann shared an example of a client she has with chronic Lyme disease. The woman had been doing neurofeedback targeting anxiety, but her progress had plateaued. So Dr. Roseann ordered a follow-up brain map. She could then see that one specific area of the brain was still highly over-activated. Though this region was tiny, it was likely contributing to the stuck point. So Dr. Roseann modified the neurofeedback protocol to focus intensively on calming down just this one small dysregulated area. On a follow-up visit shortly after, the client already reported noticeable improvements in her anxiety levels. The brain is incredible in how specific interventions can create cascading benefits throughout the whole system. It is ideal to identify a practitioner who specializes in your particular condition to optimize the results. The Keys to Successful Mental Health Recovery Neurofeedback, while extremely powerful, is not a magic bullet on its own. We also need to learn new behaviors and lifestyle habits to replace ingrained patterns that contribute to conditions like anxiety or poor focus. A regulated brain doesn’t automatically know what to do. We need both top-down training of brain activity itself with neurofeedback, along with bottom-up adjustment of daily habits. For example, empowering parents with tools and strategies to improve their children’s focus or mood struggles. Relying solely on medications fails to provide these behavioral change tools. Similarly, neurofeedback alone also will not necessarily teach new behaviors. We need to address the bi-directional relationship between brain activity patterns and ingrained daily habits. We need both aspects to see a lasting mental health transformation. We also need to build a lifestyle that will support our brain and nervous system including: · Stress management skills like meditation, breathing exercises, spending time in nature · Counseling and processing trauma, grief or difficult experiences · Prioritizing bonding time with loved ones · Identifying and enforcing proper boundaries · Cultivating hobbies and activities that bring joy and relaxation · Learning to protect our nervous systems from excessive stimulation and input · Letting go of negative thought patterns and self-criticism Without these behavior changes, it’s all too easy to fall back into dysregulation and reactive states, even if the brain has been retrained. The brain-behavior connection truly goes both ways. Nutrition is another element that we need to address. Factors like blood sugar balance, hydration, gut health and food sensitivities play a major role in mental health. Magnesium is one especially important compound for the brain and nervous system. Unfortunately, chronic stress depletes magnesium reserves quickly. Magnesium supplementation can provide fast improvements in focus, anxiety, sleep quality and more in those with deficiencies. It is also important to address factors like gut inflammation, infections and environmental toxins in order to resolve mental health conditions at their root. Mental health is not simply a matter of inadequate neurotransmitters or faulty brain wiring, though those do play a role. We must look at the whole system to facilitate true healing. The bottom line is that mental health recovery requires consistently making ourselves and our self-care a top priority. Unfortunately, chronic stress has almost become normalized and expected today. Yet this level of strain on our minds and nervous systems is clearly unsustainable. Even small but regular actions can add up over time to bring our nervous systems back into balance. This is protective against inflammation, cognitive impairment, emotional reactivity, immune dysfunction and so many other effects of excessive stress. Starting with as little as ten minutes a day of breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, journaling or other calming practices can work wonders. When we model this type of self-care and stress resilience for our children and loved ones, it provides them permission to also take time to recharge and reset. Our close relationships thrive when we are fully present. Making self-care non-negotiable ultimately allows us to be more available for others. We also need to view even small steps in a more positive light. Our culture often focuses on perfectionism and rapid transformation. But in reality, it’s consistent tiny changes, when done with patience and compassion for ourselves, that enable us to climb to new heights. You Are Not Defined by Your Diagnosis A diagnosis does not have to define our futures. There are countless reversal stories of conditions like autoimmunity, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression and more in people who were willing to believe in the possibility of change and take ownership of their own healing journeys. A diagnosis provides important clues about where to focus our efforts. But it is not permanent or all-encompassing. We can decide how much power we give it over our lives. We always have the opportunity to learn more about what our bodies and minds might need to restore balance and function. We need to reconnect with what our symptoms are trying to communicate. From this place of curiosity and compassion, we can then seek the right support to explore our root causes and the multifaceted steps to genuine healing. Next Steps to Begin Your Own Healing Process If you would like to learn more about Dr. Roseann’s neurofeedback programs and supplement line, you can visit her website here . You can also tune in to her podcast here. Her NeuroTastic supplements are available online here. You can also connect with Dr. Roseann on social media at @drroseann (Instagram) and @Dr. Roseann (Facebook) for mental health tips and inspiration. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal using Dr. Doni’s Stress Recovery Protocol® which involves optimizing cortisol and adrenaline levels using nutrients, herbs and C.A.R.E.™, her proprietary program to support clean eating, adequate sleep, stress recovery and exercise, you can read all about it in her book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here. I hope this overview presented some new possibilities for improving your own mental health or supporting loved ones on their journeys. Please know that healing is absolutely within reach. As we just saw, small steps add up to big transformations over time. You deserve to reclaim your best health and most vibrant, balanced life. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28368812

#181 Fending Off Viruses to Get Back to What You Love 10/12/2023

#181 Fending Off Viruses to Get Back to What You Love In this episode, I want to help you be prepared to fend off viruses so you can get back to doing what you love faster. This includes cold viruses, flu viruses, COVID, and other viruses causing issues like sinusitis, laryngitis, bronchitis—any inflammatory issue in the upper respiratory tract or lungs. Especially now, during cold and flu season, these are the things I make sure I have on hand when traveling or at home. I want to prevent catching a virus, but also help my body fight it off quickly if I do get sick. Here are several reasons why: First, I want to recover faster to resume my usual daily activities. When you feel congested, have a headache, sore throat and are tired, it’s hard to do your normal routine even from home. I want to recover faster to spend time with loved ones. When sick, I can’t be around my granddaughter or go to dance class. I want to get better to do what I love. Also, I want to try to prevent needing antibiotics or steroids if possible. Antibiotics disrupt gut bacteria, causing leaky gut and susceptibility to other health issues. It’s better to avoid them unless the infection is bacterial. Steroids like prednisone disrupt blood sugar, metabolism, immunity and adrenal function. If necessary, we need them, but better to avoid side effects using natural anti-inflammatories to heal faster. My third goal is to prevent the next infection. Catching one virus makes you prone to more. Patients tell me they get infection after infection spending winter sick. I want you to recover fully the first time to avoid getting sick again. This includes what to do after to prevent the next infection. So, our main goals are: · Recover faster to resume daily activities and time with loved ones · Avoid antibiotics and steroids if possible · Prevent the next infection Recognizing the First Signs of Viral Illness It’s important to pick up on your own body's typical first symptoms that a viral illness is starting to take hold. Common early symptoms are sore or scratchy throat, sneezing, congestion, feeling feverish, and fatigue. When these symptoms first appear, it's a sign your immune system is ramping up and fighting off an infection. The earlier you take notice and start to support your body, the milder the illness will be. Delaying just a few days allows the virus to proliferate and prolongs recovery time. Some people may not show obvious early symptoms however. If your immune system is sluggish, the virus can multiply for days before you feel sick. In this case you can take immune-enhancing supplements preventively when you know you have had viral exposures. This compensates for a slower immune response. How to Take Action at the First Sign of Illness Pay attention to symptoms—your body’s first signals. Think back to when you last got sick—you likely had less sleep, more stress, sugar and alcohol. Immunity decreases, infections increase. We tend to go into denial, wishing we won’t get sick despite a sore throat and congestion. It’s better if we notice the symptoms quickly so we can act fast. Take action at the first inkling of illness, even if exposed to someone sick. Delaying worsens and lengthens it. When sick, immediately prioritize how to get more rest. At the first sign, cancel plans saying you caught a virus and need to heal. Then care for yourself using these steps to recover faster. Get some sun for vitamin D, even 10 minutes helps. Sauna with red light therapy is great. Light signals aid immunity. Have remedies on hand versus ordering when sick. Start immediately at first signs. Quick action is key to shorten recovery time. Contact my office if you need help with dosing. Choose healthy foods—chicken soup, bone broth, chicken, turkey for protein. Salads, veggies, fruits contain antioxidants and vitamins. Avoid dairy and gluten which are inflammatory. Consider pre-made organic soups if you don’t feel well enough to cook. Protein shakes work well—pea or bone broth protein. Eat small meals every 3-4 hours, even if appetite decreases. Stay hydrated. Avoid sugar and alcohol which decrease immunity. Get outside for some sun if possible, Sleep more because your immune system works while you rest. Cancel plans, focus on healing. Then get back to a normal routine faster and avoid spreading your illness. Understanding Viral Symptoms and Fever When your immune system creates congestion, it’s in an effort to get rid of the virus. Sneezing and coughing is also to move the fluid and virus out. Sore throat is inflammation, which is your immune system fighting the infection. Fevers help— viruses can’t survive high heat. If you feel feverish or have a 99-100 degree fever, that’s good. Rest and allow yourself to be hot to help your immune system. Take a hot shower or bath and sleep to heal. Stay hydrated to prevent high fevers. Drink water with sea salt for electrolytes and herbal tea, not caffeine, sugar or alcohol which decrease immunity. With rest and heat, most fevers stay around 100 degrees to kill viruses. If 103-104 degrees or higher, reduce it. Children’s temperatures over 102-103 need attention. Hydration helps. A lukewarm washcloth (not ice cold) can lower a high fever. Monitor fever to know if you need medication. Using herbs and nutrients first may prevent the need for medications. If fever disrupts sleep or you have signs of bacterial infection, use fever-reducing medication as needed in addition to natural remedies. Bacterial infections cause higher fevers and yellow/green phlegm. A little green phlegm in the morning is normal from laying down. All day green phlegm or coughing it up indicates bacteria. Then consider antibacterials or antibiotics. Try herbal antivirals first to avoid antibiotics if possible. If improving with natural remedies, keep at it. If not, use antibiotics. Natural approaches can be supportive if antibiotics are needed. The first steps when sick are: · At first signs, cancel plans to rest and heal · Stay hydrated with water, herbal tea (avoid sugar/alcohol) · Take hot baths/showers and nap · Monitor fever under 100 good, if 103-104 reduce gently Choosing the Right Supplements and Dosing Next is choosing the right supplements. Everyone is different, and there are thousands of options. Prioritize the most important. Experiment to see what works for you. Have your favorites on hand. Some love oregano oil, olive leaf is great. Mushrooms like shiitake, maitake, reishi are excellent for immunity. Use in cooking, in tea or capsules. Strategic combinations are best, with the most effective ingredients in one product vs. many bottles. I’m more likely to take 1-2 products consistently than juggle many. Herbs and nutrients metabolize within hours, so frequent dosing matters—morning, midday, evening, bedtime. One dose per day only helps briefly. What to take I always have silver on hand. Silver liquid or nanoparticles of silver in water help against viruses and bacteria. Squirt in mouth/nose, swallow, use topically. I also take Hesperidin. It’s a plant-based natural antihistamine. Synthetic antihistamines have more side effects. When sick, the immune response increases histamine—causing runny nose, sneezing, sore throat. Antihistamines reduce this, not inhibiting immunity. They allow better virus/bacteria defense by reducing congestion where bacteria can grow. Plant-based hesperidin requires frequent dosing. Immune Support by Nature Empowered contains vitamin A, C, zinc, astragalus, elderberry—antiviral and immune supportive herbs. Take morning, midday, evening, bedtime. Immune Support Plus contains vitamin D, NAC and quercetin. NAC helps recover faster and thins phlegm. Quercetin is also anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. If you might get sick, take Immune Plus 1-2 times a day. Increase dosing if ill. Add silver, hesperidin if sick. Consider extra vitamin A for immune boost—up to 50,000 IU twice or four times daily for a week or two. It is directly antiviral for respiratory tract/lungs. Vitamin C – use frequent smaller doses. 500 mg four times daily is better than 2,000mg at once which can cause loose stool. Vitamin D optimize before illness, increase dose when sick. Take bromelain or Sinatrol containing bromelain and berberine if increased coughing, congestion, or ear plugging from inflammation. Bromelain is anti-inflammatory. Berberine fights bacteria. Take 500-1000mg of bromelain 2-3 times daily. If bacterial signs—yellow/green phlegm, high fever— berberine helps avoid antibiotics. Take 500-1000mg twice daily. Keep going with natural remedies, use antibiotics if needed. Natural approaches help antibiotics be more effective. Seeking Medical Care While most viral illnesses can be supported at home, it’s important to seek medical care in the following circumstances: · If fever climbs over 102-103°F - use cooling techniques and stay hydrated to keep it in a safe range · If phlegm becomes yellow/green - this can indicate a secondary bacterial infection that may need antibiotics · If chest congestion and breathing difficulties develop - immediate medical care is needed in this case · If illness lasts longer than 10-14 days without improvement - further care may be needed for complete recovery If asthma, pneumonia, or acute breathing distress occurs, or very high fevers develop, it’s important to promptly seek medical help. Otherwise, implementing these natural treatments at the very first signs of viral illness often allows fast recovery without needing medications. Individualized Programs for Optimal Results Every person has a unique body makeup and reacts to illnesses and supplements a little differently. While my protocols work very well for most people, I recommend connecting with me if you need help personalizing your approach. My team can advise on advanced testing to pinpoint your needs, optimal dosing, priority supplements, and diet and lifestyle adjustments specific to your body. Custom tailoring the virus recovery plan is important, and guidance is available. You should tune into your body's signals as soon as viral illness threatens, and immediately supporting your immune system's efforts with the natural tools we mentioned. Early action is vital and can dramatically shorten sick time and prevent complications of viral infections. My goal is to help you partner with your body for a quick and complete recovery. I put together a Cold and Flu Recovery Guide, which you can download for free here. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal so that you can fend of infections better, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. If you’re interested in a safe and effective body, mind and spirit detoxification that will actually make you feel better and that you can do without affecting your daily routine, you can check out my New 14-Day Detox Program here. In the Detox Program I teach you to connect with yourself, and use mind-body tools, such as biofeedback, to process emotions. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28295624

#180 The Power of Healing Stories with Casey Hibbard 10/05/2023

#180 The Power of Healing Stories with Casey Hibbard In today’s episode I'm interviewing Casey Hibbard. She is the founder of the Rebuilding My Health website and podcast. She is a journalist who became a storyteller about health and healing. Now she shares the healing stories of many, while looking for the common denominators of healing amongst those stories, to be able to inspire and support others along the way. Casey’s Healing Story After being a journalist and a corporate writer for a long time she began having health issues after the birth of her son. It started with digestive issues and progressed to fatigue and weakness, joint pain, brain fog, vision loss and even autoimmunity. She was not getting answers from the conventional medical framework and decided to go outside of conventional medicine and finally found her underlying health issues’ causes. This helped her identify that she suffered from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, leaky gut, food sensitivities, H pylori, candida parasites, her pancreas wasn't working well, she had many different infections like Epstein Barr and others. And so, she started a healing process, which took a few years of addressing the underlying causes of her health issues, peeling back the layers and almost immediately went on an anti-inflammatory diet and saw symptom relief within days! She started working on her gut infections, balancing her microbiome, did some toxin work and detoxification and she slowly started to get better and better, even to the point where her autoimmunity disease was gone. This painful process inspired Casey to start telling other people's stories where they were overcoming and reversing conditions that many people think are not reversible or fixable. She decided these stories should be shared so other people going through the same issues could benefit and find hope in them. Common Health Issues and Their Underlying Causes in People’s Stories Having experience interviewing has been critical in knowing what questions to ask in order to uncover healing stories. Almost like an investigative process, to get to the most relevant part, you need to really get to the points that are important for understanding what the original causes are and what's going to help them heal. It’s super interesting and fascinating to come across all these different conditions and diagnoses. Many times there are common themes of what the underlying causes are and what people are doing that is working to make them feel better. You can probably break it down to four or five different major things. Number one would be diet changes and almost everybody in their stories say they start feeling better within days. It's not like it’s a one-size-fits-all diet. There are certain things that help over and over like avoiding gluten, dairy, and sugar, but other than that it can be pretty individualized when you talk about food sensitivities. Food is definitively a huge factor in our health. We are what we eat, and our health will most likely be determined by it. Food can be our medicine but, depending on what we're eating, it can also be a major source of inflammation and illness. This is so interesting because it gives some sense of control over illness. People realize that they are not hopeless and that they can make changes to their diets that will eliminate inflammation and pain. Again, this is really, very individualized, and the person has to find which foods cause inflammation in their system. Probably 99% of the stories have a diet element where they saw change because of food changes. Another common element in healing stories is gut healing. There are stories where people have greatly reduced anxiety, eliminated infections, and even treated rheumatoid arthritis by optimizing their gut bacteria. It is not just how well you are digesting and absorbing your nutrients, but also the health of your gut bacteria. Our gut bacteria has influence all over our bodies including our nervous system, hormones, brain, vagina, etc. The gut is interconnected with everything else. If you have imbalance in the gut, then autoimmunity is more likely, viruses are more likely, anxiety, depression, skin issues, etc. When we heal the gut everything else gets better. A third common element in healing stories is toxins. There are so many cases of people healing from dementia, degenerative diseases, neuropathy, depression, even seizure disorders, by detoxifying their bodies and their environment. So many practitioners are not used to people recovering from these conditions because they are not addressing these underlying causes. Doctors are maybe giving a medication to prevent the progression, but in the healing stories, people often say, “no I'm not taking that as an answer, I'm going to do whatever it takes to heal.” Then they end up transforming their health. It’s definitely inspiring for other people going through the same problems. It all Comes Down to Stress In many stories there is a point where stress comes up. There is almost always a stressful triggering event like they got a divorce, or had a death in the family, or moved, or lost their job, or sometimes all of these things happening all at once. Sometimes it is sustained stress from a relationship, or work, or whatever. Often people describe having to recover from stress in order to heal and many cases they healed after they resolved the stress exposure. It is surprising how many times people say, “I did all these other things, but I didn't really heal until I got out of the stressful situation”. We have to take a look at how stress has affected us. For example, toxins create stress in the body also, so detoxifying is part of getting rid of a source of stress. And then stress of all types (whether toxins or psycho emotional stress) affect digestion so the more we heal the gut, the more we're helping the body recover from stress. We need to be proactive in helping our bodies recover from stress. So, we take out the stressful foods, we take out the stressful toxins, we help our body with gut healing, and rebalancing hormones, and nutrient deficiencies, and supporting our adrenal glands, and balancing our cortisol and adrenaline, and so on, and we ultimately end up healing. The Healing Process is Not a One-Size-Fits-All It is critical to be able to get access to a practitioner who understands what we are going through and can support us in our own healing process. Healing needs to be individualized. The diet changes are not one-size-fits-all, the gut healing and what needs to happen is not the same for everyone. Even the adrenal healing is not the same for everyone. Finding a practitioner and the testing that's going to give us the information we need, can really make the difference in a successful protocol. The standard medical system has led us to believe that we need to address separate health issues one by one. People aren't necessarily looking for the whole healing journey. They're usually looking for how to fix digestion or autoimmunity. It turns out that no matter the diagnosis, what is required is a healing journey. It is also important to have help with where to begin. How do you go through diet changes, gut healing, detoxification, adrenal recovery so that you end up getting all the way to an overall healthy state? That is also where an experienced practitioner can make a difference. So many people have seen 20 doctors before they decide they need to look outside the standard medical framework in order to get some answers. That process ends up leading people to feeling empowered and educated by doing their own research and trying to find someone who can really help them heal. The most supportive practitioners help people by letting them know that they are present to guide them through their process and that they will help them to not be stressed by the experience. Practitioners need to help educate their patients and guide them in accessing the information they need in order to heal. People nowadays are their own health advocate and they're the ones making the lifestyle changes and decisions. Practitioners should give their patients the information that can help them along the healing path to hopefully make it more efficient and successful. You Are Not Your Diagnosis Sometimes what can happen in the conventional medical system is there's a diagnosis made and then the person feels kind of stuck with that diagnosis. It’s important to understand that a diagnosis is not permanent; it can change. With almost all of the chronic illnesses, the diagnosis can be reversed. There are tons of autoimmune reversal stories, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Lupus, MS, and more. It is so inspiring to see that happen. People can then step back, rethink and say, “hey is this really the definition of myself or my life or who am I really in this life?” Your medical diagnosis doesn’t have to define you. The diagnosis can change and at the same time there's an important level of acceptance too. It’s important to reconnect and recognize what your body is trying to tell you and what you need to do to help your body heal. There has to be belief. A belief that it's possible to heal. That you're going to take the necessary steps and have that outlook in life that anything is possible. That mindset is super powerful across many healing stories. Sometimes people can be overwhelmed and asking themselves “how am I going to do this” and yet at the same time sometimes it's these small changes that add up to big changes in the long run. Some of the simple stuff can be the most powerful, like the anti-inflammatory diets can be super powerful and then people say the joint pain is gone or the brain fog is gone. When they start to see progress, and they realize it’s something that they can do, a huge mindset change happens. Also, simple things like implementing the acronym C.A.R.E., starting with clean eating and adequate sleep, recovery activities and exercise. Those are things that we can do every day and they can have a huge impact on our health. We lose track of all this because we get very distracted with all the external messages and to do lists, and we put ourselves last, and we can lose sight of the importance of the foundational daily activities and how essential they are for us and our well-being. Once you start feeling better, you realize what your body needs in order to maintain that feeling and it becomes a lot easier to keep this new lifestyle. Sometimes all we need is a little bit of inspiration from others to remind us what they're doing and that we can do it too. If you want to reach out to Casey and learn more about how her healing stories can help you, please make sure to check out her Rebuilding My Health website. She is also on social media as @rebuildingmyhealth (Instagram) and @Rebuilding My Health (Facebook). You can also check out her Rebuilding My Health Radio Podcast. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal so that you can be better and more present in your relationships, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. If you’re interested in a safe and effective body, mind and spirit detoxification that will actually make you feel better and that you can do without affecting your daily routine, you can check out my New 14-Day Detox Program here. In the Detox Program I teach you to connect with yourself, and use mind-body tools, such as biofeedback, to process emotions. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28235621

#179 How to Help Your Body Clear HPV 09/28/2023

#179 How to Help Your Body Clear HPV In this episode I'm going to be covering how I guide women to get HPV virus to negative and keep it negative. I feel is extremely important for women around the world to know that it is possible to support your body to clear HPV. What is HPV? HPV is the human papilloma virus and it's a very widespread virus. Most all of us will be exposed to it at some point in our lives, and it’s associated with risk of cancer - cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, anal cancer, oral cancer and in men, penile cancer. More and more women around the world are finding out that they're positive for the HPV virus. I think that the standard medical system is not doing enough to help these women to address this virus and prevent it from causing abnormal cells. Right now, what's happening around the world is medical practitioners will do a pap smear to test for abnormal cells on the cervix, which is important because this way we can identify abnormal cells hopefully before they turn into cancer. Then, if severely abnormal cells are present, practitioners will remove the abnormal cells or remove the area where the abnormal cells are located. The issue is that these procedures don’t kill the virus so it can continue to cause abnormal cells over and over again. Many women are going through years of addressing abnormal cells caused by HPV without practitioners being able to help them prevent it. This is really upsetting to me because for more than 20 years I have been helping women address this virus and get it to negative so it stops causing abnormal cells. Through many years of practice, I have been able to identify a protocol based on what I find to be effective at successfully helping women eliminate the virus and be free of the risk of cancer caused by HPV. You Need a Strategic Plan to Get Rid of HPV What I find helps is to make a very clear and strategic plan. A plan that can guide women out of the state of stress that is caused by HPV and into a heroine’s journey of healing and supporting their bodies to protect them from the virus. We know that the human body can fend off HPV. This has been shown and proven. So, what I find is helpful is to start with the question: why is it that for some women their body is not fending off the virus? And when we ask that question, we start to uncover susceptibilities. These susceptibilities are leaving women vulnerable and if we don't address them, the virus can remain positive for years. Studies show that having a diagnosis of HPV increases the level of stress for women. This is because there's so much misinformation and lack of guidance around this virus. Women are then stuck in a state of fear and stress, and that stress actually ends up increasing the risk of cancer. What we need to do is understand how stress impacts us each as individuals so that we can then reverse those effects. For me, the best way to identify susceptibilities is to think about it in terms of how stress, trauma, and potentially abuse in a person's lifetime has then had an impact on their mind and body, which is then leaving them vulnerable because of the imbalances caused by stress. If we can identify those imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, and other effects of stress, and address them, we can rebalance and give the body what it needs to heal. Then the body can fend off HPV. I've seen this in my patients time and time again. What Are the Common Susceptibilities to HPV and How Stress and Trauma Play a Role Let's start with stress. When we're exposed to stress and trauma (even from our childhood and not just psycho emotional stress, but also physical stress, toxins, infections, injuries, etc.) we are exposed to a whole cascade of reactions in our bodies. We do have a healthy stress response system that helps protect us from stress, but the issue is that often we're exposed to ongoing stress and so our stress response system never gets a break. We are living in a constant state of stress or what I call stress mode. We're going from one thing on our To Do List to the next. We have work, we have family responsibilities, we have financial responsibilities, we go from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night and we hardly have a chance to do any kind of stress recovery. What happens in that situation is it disrupts our stress hormones (our stress hormones get stuck either too high or too low) cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are made by the adrenal glands and what happens is our adrenal glands go into a state of dysfunction which has a negative influence on our bodies. If cortisol or adrenaline are either too high or too low, your body is experiencing it as if you're still in that stressful situation because the hormones are reflecting a stress response. So, in order to heal we need to get the cortisol and adrenaline back to optimal and effectively erase all traces of the impact of stress on your stress hormones and your physiology. If your cortisol and adrenaline remain too high or too low, it can cause other disruptions in the body which then also make you susceptible to HPV. For example, digestion can get disrupted by stress and cortisol or adrenaline imbalance. We can develop something called leaky gut where our food is leaking through the intestinal wall and triggering food sensitivities and inflammation. We end up not digesting our food well, not absorbing our nutrients, which leads to nutrient deficiencies, weakening our immune system and our body’s ability to fend off HPV. This also results in imbalances in the gut microbiome, and we know now from research that there is a connection between the gut microbiome and the vaginal biome. When there’s an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome, bacteria and yeast can overgrow, inflammation increases, and this all increases the risk of HPV. In addition to disrupting digestion and vaginal health, stress and imbalanced stress hormones can also disrupt our other hormones including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. This also leaves us susceptible to HPV. Thyroid and insulin function can get disrupted by stress, leaving us susceptible to HPV. Imbalances in our blood sugar levels can increase the risk of HPV as well as other health issues. Irregularities in the menstrual cycle (irregular periods, heavy periods, and fibroids) caused by stress can lead to anemia from heavy bleeding. Anemia can be due to iron deficiency, B12 and/or folate deficiency. All of these nutrients are important for helping to fend off HPV. Also our neurotransmitters become depleted when we ae under stress. Serotonin and GABA (our calming neurotransmitters that help us counterbalance stress) become depleted which means we're even more affected by stress. Dopamine can also be affected by stress. Toxins as a stress are an issue because they can disrupt the digestion and microbiome, and also decrease antioxidants in the body, overwhelming liver detoxification, which can also affect the way that we detoxify estrogens, adrenaline and other toxins. In this way, toxin exposure makes us susceptible to HPV. Other infections including COVID can make us susceptible to HPV. There's now research showing that the COVID virus, which most of us have been exposed to, can increase the risk of HPV related cervical cancer. Any trauma and abuse we might have been through makes us susceptible to HPV. Particularly narcissistic abuse has been shown to increase risk of HPV related cancer, so if you have any kind of history of abusive relationships whether in childhood, in your work environment, or in your intimate relationships, that also increases the risk. How to Recover from Stress to Get Rid of HPV We can recover from stress. It is not about getting to zero stress. Some stress is necessary and even healthy for us to function. It’s about giving your body the support it needs to recover from stress. To do that we need to first identify how stress has affected you uniquely, we need to figure out what it is for you and what we can do to help your body recover. The first step is to do some testing that we can get from standard labs and blood work. We just need to be able to know exactly which test to order which is what I guide women to do in order to help them identify nutrient deficiencies and hormone imbalances. From there we're going to need to use some specialty tests if we want to know if there is leaky gut and food sensitivities, or if we want to know cortisol and adrenaline levels throughout the day. Then we can address them very specifically. The treatment is different for high cortisol than for low cortisol for example, so we need to know what's happening for you specifically. A good way to start is with my stress type quiz. In this quiz I guide you through questions that help us discover your imbalance of cortisol and adrenaline, which is what I call your stress type. Now, if you really want to know exactly what your cortisol and adrenaline are up to, you're going to want to do a urine and saliva test through my office. This way we can identify your exact levels and then I can help you to get those levels back to optimal. In doing so we effectively eliminate any traces of the impact of stress and we support your body to clear HPV, as well as many other health issues. What About Supplements and Natural Remedies for HPV? The strategic plan to get rid of HPV plan includes natural substances in addition to recovery from stress. There are a number of nutrients and herbs that support the immune system and others that are directly antiviral. Some of them you've probably heard about but the issue I find is that most women who come to meet with me are not taking clinically effective doses to get HPV to negative. So, what I do is guide you to determine the best doses for you. Because of my background and my experience, I know which substances and doses are going to be most effective. The important thing here is to individualize it for you. Otherwise, you’ll keep trying and trying, not getting anywhere, feeling more frustrated, and HPV will still be there. Sometimes it does require that you persevere, that you put yourself into this vulnerable state of prioritizing yourself and looking at the routines in your life and what is your body telling you. We have to learn to listen to the signals our bodies are giving us and have awareness also for our thoughts and our emotions. This is why I also encourage women to learn mind-body techniques even as simple as breathwork, biofeedback, guided imagery and meditation, because we can use these tools not only to be anti-stress signals to your body, but also to guide your body in the direction you want it to go. We change from a state of fear and stress to a state of being empowered and in charge of our health. I call this the heroine's journey. If you are dealing with HPV and you've been trying everything you can find and you're looking for more solutions to get this virus to leave you alone, whether you currently have abnormal cells or not, whether you have mild, moderate, or severe abnormal cells, or potentially even cancer cells, I can still help you to get this virus to stop and to go to negative, so you can move on with your life. Just imagine if we could actually decrease the rates of cervical cancer from third most common cancer to off the list. I believe that it's absolutely possible to decrease risk of all different kinds of cancer associated with HPV by implementing this approach, thinking it through, using the science and the clinical information to help more women get rid of this virus for good. If you are ready to get rid of HPV for good, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here. To learn more about my approach, listen in to the HPV masterclass, available now. If you want to learn more about how stress and trauma affect us, and how to heal so that you can be better and more present in your relationships, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. To know your Stress Type, which is your unique cortisol and adrenaline levels based on how stresses have affected your adrenal function, you can take the quiz I developed. You can find the Stress Type® Quiz in the book and on my website. Then, if you’re ready to start rebalancing your cortisol and neurotransmitters, to help your adrenals reset after stress exposure, you can start by ordering this home test kit. And you can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Online Program to guide you here. If you’re interested in a safe and effective body, mind and spirit detoxification that will actually make you feel better and that you can do without affecting your daily routine, you can check out my New 14-Day Detox Program here. In the Detox Program I teach you to connect with yourself, and use mind-body tools, such as biofeedback, to process emotions. For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here. We're here to help you! Connect with Dr. Doni: Facebook Instagram YouTube Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: - Additional Resources: If you want to work on your gut health and microbiome you may want to sign up for my Heal Leaky Gut Program () where I teach you how to heal leaky gut with my proven protocol. If you’re interested in learning more about my approach to healing HPV you can find my new HPV Recovery Guide here (). If you are tired of this virus and are really committed to erasing it from your life forever, you can sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV 12-Week Program here (). You can also sign up for my Stress Warrior Program here (). Also, if you want to learn more about how to recover from stress so that you can get back to feeling your best, you may want to read my book Master Your Stress Reset Your Health (). In the book, I also share the quiz I developed to help you identify how stress has affected you specifically by knowing your Stress Type. You can also take this Stress Type Quiz online () For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment with me here () Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. /episode/index/show/drdoni/id/28167989

How Humans Heal

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