WEBVTT
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Have you ever noticed that sometimes your body just starts doing weird things and you have absolutely no idea why?
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Like maybe you've eaten eggs your entire life and suddenly every time you eat them, your stomach is a mess, or your skin starts breaking out, or your joints are aching, you're exhausted all the time, and you're thinking, what the hell is going on?
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I didn't used to have any of these problems.
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So naturally you start Googling things, and that's where it gets really fun because now apparently you have a histamine problem, a parasite, leaky gut, mold toxicity, and probably 14 other things that you didn't even know existed.
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And before you know it, you've spent$300 on supplements, you've eliminated half your diet, and you still don't feel any better.
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But here's what I find so fascinating about the body.
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We tend to look at every symptom as its own separate problem when in reality, so many of our systems are constantly communicating with each other.
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Your immune system is a perfect example of that.
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Most people think their immune system is just there to keep them from getting sick, right?
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You catch a cold, your immune system fights it off, end of story.
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But that is such a tiny piece of what it actually does.
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Your immune system is involved in how your body responds to things in your environment, how it handles damaged cells, how inflammation gets started, and how that inflammation eventually settles back down.
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And it has this really interesting relationship with your gut, your nervous system, your hormones, and even your genetics.
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So when somebody comes to me and says, I don't understand why I'm suddenly reacting to everything.
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Okay, I'm not automatically thinking they need to boost their immune system.
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I'm wondering what's changed, whether there's actually an immune response involved, and what other pieces of their health might help explain it.
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Because sometimes the issue isn't that your immune system is doing too much or not enough.
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Sometimes it's responding to something it shouldn't be, or continuing to respond long after the original problem has passed.
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And sometimes the symptoms have nothing to do with the immune dysfunction at all.
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Okay, that's why the details matter.
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And today I want to talk about this from a few different perspectives because you know that's how we do things here.
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We're gonna get into the biology, we're also gonna connect it to functional medicine, natural medicine, cellular medicine, and the emotional and energetic sides of wellness.
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And I promise, I'm not gonna make you memorize the names of a bunch of immune cells.
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I want you understanding what's happening in a way that actually makes sense when you think about your own body.
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Welcome back to the Being Whole Podcast.
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I am Danny Hole, Board Certified Doctor of Functional Medicine, PhD, and as always, this podcast is for educational purposes and isn't intended to diagnose, treat, or replace medical care.
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If you're experiencing persistent symptoms or have concerns about an immune condition, please work with an appropriately licensed medical professional.
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All right, let's get into it.
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So I want you to think about your immune system a little bit different today.
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Instead of picturing this army inside your body that's just waiting to attack germs, I want you to picture a really sophisticated security system.
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And not just one that sounds an alarm, one that has to recognize who's supposed to be there, who's not supposed to be there, when something actually requires a response and when everybody can calm down and go back to normal.
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Because that is a huge part of immune health that people don't talk about enough.
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Your immune system has to know when to leave things alone.
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Okay, think about everything your body comes into contact with in a single day.
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You're eating food, breathing air, touching things, coming into contact with bacteria, and constantly interacting with your environment.
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If your immune system responded to every single thing as though it were dangerous, life would be pretty miserable.
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And some of you that come to me, that's exactly what your life looks like.
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Okay, so your immune system has ways of recognizing things that are generally harmless and learning not to react in an unnecessary manner.
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And there's actually a name for that.
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It's called immune tolerance, which sounds complicated, but it's really just your immune system knowing when something doesn't require a fight.
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Okay, now when that ability isn't working properly, different kinds of immune problems can happen.
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With allergies, the immune system reacts to something that is usually harmless, like pollen or a particular food.
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With autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly targets parts of its own body.
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And with certain chronic inflammatory conditions, immune activity can be excessive or difficult to regulate.
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So those are three different situations, by the way.
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And I don't want you thinking they're all the same thing just because the immune system is involved.
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This is one of the reasons I have such a problem with the phrase boost your immune system.
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Like what exactly are we boosting here?
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Because if someone has an immune system that's already reacting inappropriately, making their immune system stronger isn't automatically what they need.
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It's kind of like having a smoke detector go off every time you make toast and somebody tells you the solution is to make the alarm louder.
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Well, no, the alarm is already working, but it's working a little too enthusiastically.
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Okay, we need to understand why it's responding.
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And that doesn't mean that we can just turn immune activity down with a supplement either.
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Immune conditions are complicated and some require very specific medical treatment.
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But from a functional medicine perspective, I think it's important to understand the difference between supporting normal immune function and blindly trying to stimulate it.
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Okay, because they're not the same thing.
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Now, something else that I think is really interesting is what happens after your immune system responds.
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Okay, let's say you get a cut on your finger, your body immediately starts doing all of these things that you don't even have to think about.
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It helps stop the bleeding.
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Immune cells come into the area, damaged tissue gets cleared away, and the healing process begins.
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Some inflammation is involved in that.
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We've talked about inflammation in an earlier episode, so I'm not going to go through that entire conversation again, but remember, inflammation isn't automatically bad.
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It's part of how your body responds to injury and infection.
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The important part is what happens next because your body isn't supposed to stay in that initial response forever.
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It has processes that help bring inflammation towards resolution and allow tissue repair to continue.
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And I think that is such an interesting piece of cellular medicine.
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We talk so much about how inflammation starts, but not nearly enough about how the body brings it to an end.
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Your cells are sending messages back and forth throughout this process.
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And some of those messages encourage the response and others help regulate it.
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You may have heard the word cytokines before, and those are some of the chemical messengers that immune cells use to communicate.
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Okay, and then there are other substances involved in helping immune inflammation resolution, right?
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The point isn't to memorize all of this in their names, it's to understand that healing involves more than just starting a defense response.
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Okay, the body also needs to coordinate what happens afterwards.
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Now, different diseases can interfere with that process in different ways.
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And sometimes an ongoing trigger means the immune system has a reason to remain active.
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So when someone has persistent inflammation, the question isn't automatically what supplement gets rid of inflammation.
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Okay, we have to ask what kind of inflammation we're talking about and why it's happening.
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An infection, an autoimmune condition, an injury, and a metabolic disorder can all involve inflammation.
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Okay, but they aren't interchangeable.
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And that's why the root matters.
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Now let's talk about the gut because this connection is honestly one of my favorites.
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We tend to think about the digestive system in this place where food goes.
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It gets broken down and then it leaves the body.
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But your gut is also one of the biggest places where your immune system interacts with the outside world, which makes sense when you think about it.
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Every single day, you're putting things from the outside environment into your digestive tract.
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Your body has to break down food, absorb nutrients, keep potentially harmful organisms from getting into places they shouldn't be, and coexist with the enormous community of microorganisms living in your intestines.
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And a large amount of immune activity is organized around that entire process.
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Your intestinal lining plays a really important role here.
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Okay, I like to think of it as a carefully managed doorway.
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It's designed to allow certain things through while helping keep other things where they belong.
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And right around that doorway, you have immune cells paying attention to what's happening.
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Now add your microbiome to the conversation.
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Those are the bacteria and other microorganisms living in your gut.
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Some of them help break down parts of food that we can't digest ourselves, and they produce substances that can influence the gut lining and immune communication.
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One of those substances is something called butyrate.
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And no, you don't need to write that down.
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I just want you to know that some of your gut bacteria are actually producing substances that your body uses.
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Isn't that wild?
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You eat and you eat certain types of fiber and bacteria help break them down, and then some of the things that those bacteria produce interact with your intestinal cells and your immune system.
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So when I say your gut and your immune system are connected, I don't mean that in some vague wellness sense.
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There's actual biological communication happening here.
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But this is also where the internet gets a little carried away because now every symptom is apparently caused by leaky gut.
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Your skin breaks out, leaky gut, you're tired, ooh, leaky gut, hormones are off, mm, leaky gut.
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And yes, intestinal barrier problems are important in certain conditions, but we can't just assume everyone with a collection of symptoms has a damaged gut lining.
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For example, someone with celiac disease has a specific autoimmune reaction to gluten.
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Someone with lactose intolerance has difficulty digesting lactose, which is the sugar and milk.
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Okay, those are two very different things.
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And neither situation is diagnosed by simply deciding that a food makes you feel bad.
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This is why I don't love seeing people eliminate more and more foods without understanding what's actually happening.
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Because sometimes you end up with someone who's afraid to eat anything, who's not getting enough nutrients, and who's still dealing with the original symptoms.
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And now we've created another problem.
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From a natural medicine perspective, yes, food matters, nutrient status matters, fiber matters, the health of your digestive system matters.
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But the goal isn't to make somebody's diet as restrictive as possible.
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It's to understand that their body needs what their body needs, if anything, and what is actually causing a problem.
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Now, here's where I want to bring genetics into the conversation because people hear that certain genes are associated with autoimmune conditions and they immediately think, oh my gosh, I have that gene.
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Does that mean I'm gonna get the disease?
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Okay, not necessarily.
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Your genes contain instructions that help your body build proteins and carry out different functions.
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And some genetic differences can affect how your immune system recognizes things or how likely you are to develop certain conditions, but a genetic risk factor is not the same as a diagnosis.
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Now, a really good example is celiac disease.
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Most people with celiac disease have certain HLA genetic patterns, but a lot of people have those same patterns and never develop celiac disease.
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So if someone finds out they carry one of those patterns, that doesn't automatically mean they have celiac disease or they need to stop eating gluten.
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It tells us something about genetic susceptibility, and that's one of the reasons that I think genetics can be valuable when they're interpreted correctly.
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Because they can help us understand certain aspects of someone's biology, but we still need to look at the whole person.
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What symptoms are they experiencing?
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What's their history?
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What does appropriate medical testing show?
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Are there genetic findings that are actually relevant to the concern that we're investigating?
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Okay, and I also want to mention that wellness genetic reports and medical genetic testing are not the same thing.
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Not every genetic test looks at the variants needed to assess a particular disease.
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So when I'm talking about genetics as part of the being whole methodology, I'm talking about incorporating appropriate genetic insights into a much bigger wellness picture.
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Okay, not using a consumer genetics report to diagnose immune conditions.
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And honestly, I think this is where a lot of people get confused and overwhelmed.
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Okay, they see a genetic variation and assume it means their body is broken in some way.
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But genetic variation is normal.
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We all have them.
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The interesting question is whether a particular difference is meaningful in the context of that person's health.
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Because if it isn't, there's no reason to build an entire supplement routine around it.
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Now, we can't talk about immune function without bringing hormones into it.
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And I know that we've spent a lot of time talking about hormones already, but this is one of those connections that makes everything even more interesting.
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Hormones help coordinate what's happening throughout the body, and some of them influence immune activity.
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Estrogen is one example.
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It can affect different parts of immune function, although its effects are much more complicated than simply saying it increases or decreases inflammation.
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And we know that certain autoimmune conditions are more common in women.
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There are several reasons researchers think that this may be the case, including hormonal and genetic differences.
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Now, if you're in perimenopause or menopause, you might be thinking, okay, so this is why all of these weird symptoms suddenly started happening.
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Maybe hormones are contributing to some of what you're experiencing, but we can't assume that without testing, right?
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Because changes in sleep, skin, digestion, joint discomfort, and energy can have several explanations.
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And I think that this is especially important for women in their 40s and 50s because sometimes everything gets blamed on perimenopause, right?
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You're tired, perimenopause.
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Your joints hurt, perimenopause.
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You're not sleeping, perimenopause.
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And yes, hormonal changes can contribute to symptoms like these.
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But that doesn't mean we should automatically stop investigating.
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For example, if someone has persistent joint swelling, that's not something I want them dismissing as just another hormone symptom.
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Okay, that deserves medical evaluation.
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And men aren't left out of this conversation either.
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Testosterone and other hormones interact with immune biology and changes in metabolic health, sleep, and hormone status can influence how someone feels.
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The bigger point is that hormones are part of the communication happening throughout your body.
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And that's why I don't like looking at them as though they're completely separate from everything else.
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Now, you know that we've talked a lot about the nervous system throughout this series.
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So I'm not going to make you sit through that entire conversation again.
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But there's one connection I want to make here.
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Your nervous system and immune system communicate with each other.
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And that communication goes both ways.
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When your immune system responds to an infection, some of the messages it sends can affect your brain.
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That's part of why being sick can make you feel exhausted, foggy, achy, and completely uninterested in doing anything.
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You know that feeling when you're getting sick and all you want to do is lay on the couch.
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There's actual biology behind that.
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And on the other side of the conversation, stress and sleep can influence aspects of immune function.
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Now, this doesn't mean that stress automatically causes autoimmune disease or that you can meditate your way out of an immune condition, but it does mean that the body doesn't experience stress, sleep, immune activity, and recovery as completely unrelated or separate events.
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And I think this is especially important for people who are constantly pushing through exhaustion.
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Because sometimes we've gotten so used to feeling tired that we don't even stop to question it anymore.
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We just drink another coffee, keep going, tell ourselves we'll catch up on rest over the weekend, and then the weekend comes and we're catching up on everything else that we didn't have time to do during the week, so we never really catch up.
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But here's the thing: if you're exhausted all the time, I don't want you automatically assuming it's because your nervous system is dysregulated or your immune system is inflamed.
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There are medical causes of fatigue that need to be considered, including anemia, thyroid conditions, sleep disorders, and other illnesses.
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Okay, this is where understanding your body means being willing to investigate instead of assigning yourself an explanation just because it sounds the most familiar.
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Now, genetics also plays a role in this too.
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You can have genetic mutations that can cause you to be like an energizer bunny and power through things.
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Tom T is one of these, right?
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The the um like strength side of this, the superpower of it, is the go, go, go, go, go.
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And because you don't feel like you need to rest, you don't prioritize rest and then you crash and burn.
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Okay, so this is also why we look at genetics as well.
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Now I want to shift gears a little bit because there's something that happens emotionally when your body becomes unpredictable.
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And I don't think we talk about it enough.
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Let's say you've been dealing with digestive symptoms for a year.
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Okay, you never really know what you're gonna feel like after you eat.
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Sometimes you're fine, sometimes you're uncomfortable for hours.
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Now, when someone invites you out to dinner, you're not just thinking about where you want to go and what you want to eat and what you want to wear.
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You're thinking about what you can eat, whether you'll feel sick afterwards, whether you need to leave early, whether you have to wear your baggy sweatshirt and your stretchy pants, and whether you're gonna regret going in the first place.
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Or maybe you're just dealing with fatigue to the point where you make plans on a good day, and then the day comes and you cancel.
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Okay.
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And after canceling enough times, people stop asking.
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Not necessarily because they don't care, but because they're assuming you don't want to go.
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And now something that started as a physical symptom is affecting your relationships and your sense of connection.
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Or maybe you've always been the person who gets everything done and suddenly you can't keep up the way you used to.
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Now, those things can really mess with how you see yourself because so many of us attach our identity to what we are capable of doing.
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We're the dependable one, the organized one, the one who takes care of everything.
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And when our body doesn't cooperate, we start feeling like we're losing a part of ourselves.
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Now, I don't believe our emotions are the hidden cause of every physical condition, but I absolutely believe the emotional experience of living with symptoms deserves attention because you're not just a thyroid, you're not just a gut, you're not just an immune system, you're a person who has relationships, responsibilities, memories, fears, and an entire life happening outside of whatever symptoms brought you here.
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And sometimes that emotional burden becomes a really significant part of someone's wellness journey.
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Now, this is where we're gonna get into the woo side of being whole, right?
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If you if you're new here, you should know I absolutely am obsessed with merging the science with the woo.
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Okay, I love this part because I think there's something really meaningful about looking at health through different traditions and perspectives.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, there's also this emphasis on how different patterns within the body relate to one another.
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And while those traditional patterns aren't the same as modern medical diagnoses, the broader way of looking at that person's experience is um something that I can appreciate because sometimes when someone comes to me, they're not just physically exhausted, they feel emotionally drained, disconnected, like they've spent so much time taking care of everyone else that they don't even know what they need anymore.
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And this is where practices like Reiki, meditation, prayer, or simply creating space for quiet reflection can become extremely meaningful and transformational.
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Not because they're going to diagnose or cure an immune condition, but because spiritual and energetic practices can become part of how someone reconnects with themselves and supports their emotional well-being.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:34.720
And I think sometimes we get so focused on fixing our bodies that we forget what it's like to actually enjoy living in them.
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:43.200
Everything becomes another thing that we need to improve our sleep, our diet, our steps, our hormones, our stress.
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:48.480
And before long, even relaxing feels like something we're supposed to do correctly.
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:54.880
Okay, and I don't know about you, but I don't want wellness to become another source of pressure.
00:21:55.119 --> 00:22:16.319
I want people to understand their biology and make informed choices, but I Also, I want them to have room to just live, to laugh, to enjoy dinner with their friends and family, to sit outside without tracking whether it's improving their nervous system, to do something simply because it feels good, not because they're trying to optimize another pathway.
00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:23.440
And I think that that's an important part of the emotional and spiritual side of wellness that sometimes gets lost.
00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:32.400
Now let's go back inside the cells for a minute because you know that I can't have an episode about cellular communication without bringing up peptides.
00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:36.319
And if you've been listening for a while, you've heard me talk about them before.
00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:45.519
But if you're new here, Cliff Notes version, peptides are short chains of amino acids, and some of them act as messengers in the body.
00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:53.680
And what's so interesting to me is how much of our biology depends on cells being able to communicate with one another.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.319
Your immune cells need to communicate.
00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.920
Your gut cells need to respond to what's happening around them.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:08.240
Your hormones interact with receptors on the cells, and different chemical messengers help coordinate all of these processes.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:16.240
So, the first peptide that we typically hear about in terms of inflammation and immune support is KPV, right?
00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.039
KPV is great for systemic inflammation.
00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:27.119
There's another one called BPC157, and this is great for tissue injury and repair, gut lining, things like that.
00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:32.240
There's also one called thymaalphacine 1, which is to help boost the immune system, right?
00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:47.920
And I think that peptide science is fascinating, but we also have to understand that there is limited research here within the walls of the United States for reasons that we won't necessarily get into, other than when things occur naturally in the body.
00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:59.759
We live in a world where there's not a lot of research put into those things because you can't make money off of things that occur naturally in the body, which is why a lot of herbal supplements also say not FDA approved, right?
00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:07.759
But if you go outside of the walls of our country, other parts of the world have been using peptides for years, if not decades.
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:12.400
Okay, but why you need it is important.
00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:16.160
Which one you need and when is also important.
00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:36.720
Okay, as we are learning more about the ways that our cells communicate and how different signals influence different processes in the body, we have to understand that a pathway doesn't automatically mean that your body needs that one, and it definitely doesn't mean that everyone needs the same intervention.
00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:40.960
Okay, which brings us right back to individualized care.
00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:43.920
Okay, let me give you an example of how I think about this.
00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:52.480
Say two women come in, both in their mid-40s, and both tell me that they're exhausted, their skin has been acting up, and their digestion is a mess.
00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:55.279
On the surface, they sound pretty similar.
00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:02.480
Okay, and if we're just matching symptoms to supplements, we might end up giving them nearly identical recommendations.
00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:05.359
But now let's actually look at what's happening.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:12.960
The first woman has very heavy menstrual cycles, poor sleep, and a history that raises concern for iron deficiency.
00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:18.240
Her clinician evaluates her and finds that she has iron deficiency anemia.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:21.119
Okay, that's an important thing, right?
00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:30.480
Because no amount of guessing about histamine or gut bacteria is going to replace properly addressing her anemia and understanding why she's losing iron.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.160
Now let's look at the second woman.
00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:39.680
She's also exhausted, but has morning joint stiffness, occasional swelling in her hands, and a family history of autoimmune disease.
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:42.160
That raises a different set of questions.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:50.559
Okay, she needs an appropriate medical evaluation for those symptoms rather than assuming her fatigue is just stress or perimenopause.
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.400
And here's the interesting part.
00:25:52.559 --> 00:26:04.480
Both women may be sleeping poorly, both may be under a lot of stress, both might benefit from better nutritional support, but that doesn't mean the main reason they're feeling unwell is the same.
00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:13.599
Okay, and this is why I come back to the importance of understanding the person because the goal isn't to find one protocol that works for everyone.
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.880
That's not possible.
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:21.519
The goal is to figure out which information is relevant and what needs attention first.
00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:40.400
Okay, in the being whole methodology, I use health history, symptoms, comprehensive blood work, genetics, and other tests like gut zoomers and Dutch tests and things in order to get the relevant information I need to create a personalized wellness roadmap for that person.
00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:46.400
Okay, I also incorporate the being hole scan as a complementary energetic wellness tool.
00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:54.559
Okay, it is non-diagnostic, but it does show us the different frequencies in the body and what your body is trying to say.
00:26:55.039 --> 00:27:02.880
Okay, within the wellness side of the conversation, I want to know what that person's foundations look like.
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:04.079
Are they eating enough?
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:05.119
Are they sleeping?
00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:08.079
Are they dealing with ongoing digestive issues?
00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:11.599
Are they taking a bunch of supplements without understanding why?
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:13.680
What does their stress load look like?
00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:16.240
And how is all of this affecting them emotionally?
00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:18.319
Because fit pill fatigue is real.
00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:21.359
You know, peptide injection fatigue is real.
00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:24.640
Just because it's an herb doesn't mean you can't hurt yourself with it.
00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:28.799
Sometimes the best next step isn't adding something.
00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:36.000
Sometimes it's identifying the issue that actually needs attention and stopping all of the random guessing.
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:43.920
Okay, I think one of the biggest misconceptions in wellness is that supporting your immune system means taking something.
00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:49.599
Vitamin C, zinc, elderberry, mushrooms, some kind of immune-boosting blood.
00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:56.000
And look, certain nutrients absolutely play important roles in normal immune function.
00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.200
Zinc is important for immune cell function.
00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:02.319
Vitamin D participates in immune regulation.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:10.160
Protein provides amino acids that your body needs for all kinds of functions, including making immune-related proteins.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:15.519
But taking more of something doesn't automatically mean you're getting more benefit.
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:18.880
And too much of certain nutrients can actually cause problems.
00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:25.200
Okay, for example, excessive zinc intake over time can contribute to copper deficiency.
00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:31.839
Okay, so I don't think the answer is to keep stacking immune supplements because you're worried your immune system needs help.
00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:45.200
It's much more useful to understand whether you have an actual deficiency, whether there's an actual medical condition involved, and what aspects of your lifestyle and nutrition could you support.
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:50.240
And sometimes the things that matter most are not actually glamorous.
00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:58.240
Getting enough sleep, eating enough food, having a variety of diet, moving your body regularly in a way that's appropriate for you.
00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:05.119
Okay, staying up to date with preventative care, um, addressing health concerns instead of just hoping that they go away.
00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:09.680
Okay, these aren't the kinds of things that make for really exciting TikTok videos.
00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:13.119
Nobody's going viral for telling people to eat lunch and get sleep.
00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:16.000
Okay, but these foundations matter.
00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:18.559
Your genetics matter.
00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.599
Are you someone that would benefit from intermittent fasting?
00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:24.480
Or right now, are you ready for that?
00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.400
Because that can cause stress on a body.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.599
And if your body is already stressed, that's the last thing we want to do.
00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:39.359
It matters whether you are looking for functional medicine, natural medicine, conventional medicine, or all of the above.
00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:42.400
Okay, the body still needs the basics.
00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:45.759
We need to understand what is causing the stress.
00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:52.400
So when I think about immune health, I'm not just thinking about whether someone gets sick frequently.
00:29:52.640 --> 00:30:03.759
I'm thinking about how the immune system recognizes what's happening, how it communicates with other systems, and whether there's evidence of a condition that needs medical attention.
00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:10.720
Okay, I'm thinking about the gut because it's one of the first places where immune communication is happening all the time.
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:17.599
I'm thinking about genetics because they can influence susceptibility without determining someone's entire future.
00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:24.559
I'm thinking about hormones, sleep, and metabolic health because those things are connected to how the body functions.
00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:28.319
I'm also thinking about the person who's living with the symptoms.
00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:37.359
Because someone who's been dealing with unpredictable health problems for years may be carrying a lot more than physical discomfort.
00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:45.519
Okay, they may be frustrated, anxious, disconnected, or just plain exhausted from trying to figure everything out on their own.
00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:51.920
Okay, and that's where I think the physical, emotional, and energetic perspectives all have a place.
00:30:52.079 --> 00:31:04.640
Not because they're the same thing, and not because spiritual practices can replace medical care, but because wellness involves more than understanding one laboratory value or one biological pathway.
00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:07.119
The whole person matters.
00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:10.799
And I think that's what being whole is really all about.
00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:14.799
It's not about convincing everyone they have some hidden problem.
00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:18.960
Root cause and saying it's tied to mold or lime or a parasite.
00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:20.880
That is not root cause.
00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:25.440
Okay, it's not about making health more complicated than it needs to be.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:30.400
And it's definitely not about giving everybody the same protocol and hoping it works.
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:39.519
It's about understanding the biology, asking better questions, and making decisions based on what's actually relevant to the individual.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:49.279
So if there's one thing I hope you take away from today's episode, it's that your immune system isn't something you necessarily need to make stronger.
00:31:49.440 --> 00:32:01.119
Okay, you want it to function appropriately, you want it to recognize something needs attention, respond when necessary, and then have the ability to regulate those responses.
00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:09.039
And when you're experiencing symptoms that don't make sense, I don't want you jumping straight to the conclusion that your immune system is the problem.
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:12.480
I want you to get curious about what's actually happening.
00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:17.200
Because sometimes symptoms that seem connected have different explanations.
00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:21.599
And sometimes the connection is something you wouldn't have thought to investigate.
00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:24.559
Okay, that's why I created the Being Whole Blueprint.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:28.400
It's my way of bringing relevant information together, right?
00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:36.640
Your health history, symptoms, blood work, genetics, gut zoomers, Dutch tests if necessary, and complementary wellness insights.
00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:45.359
Okay, so we can develop your personalized 12-week roadmap instead of throwing random recommendations at your symptoms.
00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:52.079
If you're interested in learning more about that, you can visit beinghole.com to explore the blueprint or schedule a scan.
00:32:52.319 --> 00:33:00.319
And if you know someone who's constantly trying to figure out what and why their body seems to be reacting to everything, send them this episode.
00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:08.799
Because sometimes just understanding how these systems work and are connected can change the questions we start asking.
00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:11.119
All right, that's it for today.
00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:13.519
Thank you so much for hanging out with me.
00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:15.920
I'll see you in the next episode.
00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:19.359
Remember, wellness starts at the root.
00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:23.359
Continue being the most whole version of yourself.
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:24.480
Love you bye.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:06.000
Have you ever noticed that sometimes your body just starts doing weird things and you have absolutely no idea why?
00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:18.960
Like maybe you've eaten eggs your entire life and suddenly every time you eat them, your stomach is a mess, or your skin starts breaking out, or your joints are aching, you're exhausted all the time, and you're thinking, what the hell is going on?
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:21.440
I didn't used to have any of these problems.
00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:33.200
So naturally you start Googling things, and that's where it gets really fun because now apparently you have a histamine problem, a parasite, leaky gut, mold toxicity, and probably 14 other things that you didn't even know existed.
00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:39.840
And before you know it, you've spent$300 on supplements, you've eliminated half your diet, and you still don't feel any better.
00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:43.039
But here's what I find so fascinating about the body.
00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:51.759
We tend to look at every symptom as its own separate problem when in reality, so many of our systems are constantly communicating with each other.
00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.719
Your immune system is a perfect example of that.
00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:59.359
Most people think their immune system is just there to keep them from getting sick, right?
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.799
You catch a cold, your immune system fights it off, end of story.
00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:06.239
But that is such a tiny piece of what it actually does.
00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:17.439
Your immune system is involved in how your body responds to things in your environment, how it handles damaged cells, how inflammation gets started, and how that inflammation eventually settles back down.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:24.159
And it has this really interesting relationship with your gut, your nervous system, your hormones, and even your genetics.
00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:29.519
So when somebody comes to me and says, I don't understand why I'm suddenly reacting to everything.
00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:33.280
Okay, I'm not automatically thinking they need to boost their immune system.
00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:41.439
I'm wondering what's changed, whether there's actually an immune response involved, and what other pieces of their health might help explain it.
00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:47.280
Because sometimes the issue isn't that your immune system is doing too much or not enough.
00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:54.480
Sometimes it's responding to something it shouldn't be, or continuing to respond long after the original problem has passed.
00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:58.640
And sometimes the symptoms have nothing to do with the immune dysfunction at all.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.719
Okay, that's why the details matter.
00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:06.640
And today I want to talk about this from a few different perspectives because you know that's how we do things here.
00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:16.159
We're gonna get into the biology, we're also gonna connect it to functional medicine, natural medicine, cellular medicine, and the emotional and energetic sides of wellness.
00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:20.719
And I promise, I'm not gonna make you memorize the names of a bunch of immune cells.
00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:27.039
I want you understanding what's happening in a way that actually makes sense when you think about your own body.
00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:29.199
Welcome back to the Being Whole Podcast.
00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:41.439
I am Danny Hole, Board Certified Doctor of Functional Medicine, PhD, and as always, this podcast is for educational purposes and isn't intended to diagnose, treat, or replace medical care.
00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:49.759
If you're experiencing persistent symptoms or have concerns about an immune condition, please work with an appropriately licensed medical professional.
00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:51.280
All right, let's get into it.
00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.960
So I want you to think about your immune system a little bit different today.
00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:03.759
Instead of picturing this army inside your body that's just waiting to attack germs, I want you to picture a really sophisticated security system.
00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:16.080
And not just one that sounds an alarm, one that has to recognize who's supposed to be there, who's not supposed to be there, when something actually requires a response and when everybody can calm down and go back to normal.
00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:20.800
Because that is a huge part of immune health that people don't talk about enough.
00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:24.159
Your immune system has to know when to leave things alone.
00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:28.800
Okay, think about everything your body comes into contact with in a single day.
00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:36.639
You're eating food, breathing air, touching things, coming into contact with bacteria, and constantly interacting with your environment.
00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:43.599
If your immune system responded to every single thing as though it were dangerous, life would be pretty miserable.
00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:46.960
And some of you that come to me, that's exactly what your life looks like.
00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:56.080
Okay, so your immune system has ways of recognizing things that are generally harmless and learning not to react in an unnecessary manner.
00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:57.919
And there's actually a name for that.
00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:05.360
It's called immune tolerance, which sounds complicated, but it's really just your immune system knowing when something doesn't require a fight.
00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:11.280
Okay, now when that ability isn't working properly, different kinds of immune problems can happen.
00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:18.160
With allergies, the immune system reacts to something that is usually harmless, like pollen or a particular food.
00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:24.639
With autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly targets parts of its own body.
00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:31.120
And with certain chronic inflammatory conditions, immune activity can be excessive or difficult to regulate.
00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.079
So those are three different situations, by the way.
00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:39.120
And I don't want you thinking they're all the same thing just because the immune system is involved.
00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:43.920
This is one of the reasons I have such a problem with the phrase boost your immune system.
00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:46.000
Like what exactly are we boosting here?
00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:53.920
Because if someone has an immune system that's already reacting inappropriately, making their immune system stronger isn't automatically what they need.
00:04:54.079 --> 00:05:02.160
It's kind of like having a smoke detector go off every time you make toast and somebody tells you the solution is to make the alarm louder.
00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:08.000
Well, no, the alarm is already working, but it's working a little too enthusiastically.
00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.519
Okay, we need to understand why it's responding.
00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:16.720
And that doesn't mean that we can just turn immune activity down with a supplement either.
00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:22.800
Immune conditions are complicated and some require very specific medical treatment.
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:32.879
But from a functional medicine perspective, I think it's important to understand the difference between supporting normal immune function and blindly trying to stimulate it.
00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:35.279
Okay, because they're not the same thing.
00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:41.920
Now, something else that I think is really interesting is what happens after your immune system responds.
00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:48.560
Okay, let's say you get a cut on your finger, your body immediately starts doing all of these things that you don't even have to think about.
00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.160
It helps stop the bleeding.
00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:55.920
Immune cells come into the area, damaged tissue gets cleared away, and the healing process begins.
00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.040
Some inflammation is involved in that.
00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:09.120
We've talked about inflammation in an earlier episode, so I'm not going to go through that entire conversation again, but remember, inflammation isn't automatically bad.
00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:13.360
It's part of how your body responds to injury and infection.
00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:20.480
The important part is what happens next because your body isn't supposed to stay in that initial response forever.
00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:28.319
It has processes that help bring inflammation towards resolution and allow tissue repair to continue.
00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:32.399
And I think that is such an interesting piece of cellular medicine.
00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:39.439
We talk so much about how inflammation starts, but not nearly enough about how the body brings it to an end.
00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:43.759
Your cells are sending messages back and forth throughout this process.
00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:49.519
And some of those messages encourage the response and others help regulate it.
00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:58.000
You may have heard the word cytokines before, and those are some of the chemical messengers that immune cells use to communicate.
00:06:58.079 --> 00:07:04.560
Okay, and then there are other substances involved in helping immune inflammation resolution, right?
00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:14.480
The point isn't to memorize all of this in their names, it's to understand that healing involves more than just starting a defense response.
00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:19.279
Okay, the body also needs to coordinate what happens afterwards.
00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:24.160
Now, different diseases can interfere with that process in different ways.
00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:30.319
And sometimes an ongoing trigger means the immune system has a reason to remain active.
00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:37.199
So when someone has persistent inflammation, the question isn't automatically what supplement gets rid of inflammation.
00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:43.199
Okay, we have to ask what kind of inflammation we're talking about and why it's happening.
00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:49.759
An infection, an autoimmune condition, an injury, and a metabolic disorder can all involve inflammation.
00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:51.680
Okay, but they aren't interchangeable.
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.079
And that's why the root matters.
00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:58.879
Now let's talk about the gut because this connection is honestly one of my favorites.
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:04.399
We tend to think about the digestive system in this place where food goes.
00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:06.800
It gets broken down and then it leaves the body.
00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:14.959
But your gut is also one of the biggest places where your immune system interacts with the outside world, which makes sense when you think about it.
00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:20.240
Every single day, you're putting things from the outside environment into your digestive tract.
00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:34.159
Your body has to break down food, absorb nutrients, keep potentially harmful organisms from getting into places they shouldn't be, and coexist with the enormous community of microorganisms living in your intestines.
00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:39.519
And a large amount of immune activity is organized around that entire process.
00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.759
Your intestinal lining plays a really important role here.
00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:48.480
Okay, I like to think of it as a carefully managed doorway.
00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:54.399
It's designed to allow certain things through while helping keep other things where they belong.
00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:59.200
And right around that doorway, you have immune cells paying attention to what's happening.
00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:02.000
Now add your microbiome to the conversation.
00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:07.200
Those are the bacteria and other microorganisms living in your gut.
00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:16.879
Some of them help break down parts of food that we can't digest ourselves, and they produce substances that can influence the gut lining and immune communication.
00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:19.919
One of those substances is something called butyrate.
00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:21.759
And no, you don't need to write that down.
00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:28.879
I just want you to know that some of your gut bacteria are actually producing substances that your body uses.
00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:30.159
Isn't that wild?
00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:41.759
You eat and you eat certain types of fiber and bacteria help break them down, and then some of the things that those bacteria produce interact with your intestinal cells and your immune system.
00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:48.399
So when I say your gut and your immune system are connected, I don't mean that in some vague wellness sense.
00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:52.480
There's actual biological communication happening here.
00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:59.360
But this is also where the internet gets a little carried away because now every symptom is apparently caused by leaky gut.
00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:04.720
Your skin breaks out, leaky gut, you're tired, ooh, leaky gut, hormones are off, mm, leaky gut.
00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:14.799
And yes, intestinal barrier problems are important in certain conditions, but we can't just assume everyone with a collection of symptoms has a damaged gut lining.
00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:20.639
For example, someone with celiac disease has a specific autoimmune reaction to gluten.
00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:26.320
Someone with lactose intolerance has difficulty digesting lactose, which is the sugar and milk.
00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:28.159
Okay, those are two very different things.
00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:33.519
And neither situation is diagnosed by simply deciding that a food makes you feel bad.
00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:40.399
This is why I don't love seeing people eliminate more and more foods without understanding what's actually happening.
00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:49.039
Because sometimes you end up with someone who's afraid to eat anything, who's not getting enough nutrients, and who's still dealing with the original symptoms.
00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.840
And now we've created another problem.
00:10:52.159 --> 00:11:01.200
From a natural medicine perspective, yes, food matters, nutrient status matters, fiber matters, the health of your digestive system matters.
00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:06.000
But the goal isn't to make somebody's diet as restrictive as possible.
00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:13.679
It's to understand that their body needs what their body needs, if anything, and what is actually causing a problem.
00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:24.879
Now, here's where I want to bring genetics into the conversation because people hear that certain genes are associated with autoimmune conditions and they immediately think, oh my gosh, I have that gene.
00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:26.799
Does that mean I'm gonna get the disease?
00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:28.399
Okay, not necessarily.
00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:35.039
Your genes contain instructions that help your body build proteins and carry out different functions.
00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:48.399
And some genetic differences can affect how your immune system recognizes things or how likely you are to develop certain conditions, but a genetic risk factor is not the same as a diagnosis.
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:51.679
Now, a really good example is celiac disease.
00:11:52.000 --> 00:12:02.480
Most people with celiac disease have certain HLA genetic patterns, but a lot of people have those same patterns and never develop celiac disease.
00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:10.639
So if someone finds out they carry one of those patterns, that doesn't automatically mean they have celiac disease or they need to stop eating gluten.
00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:20.799
It tells us something about genetic susceptibility, and that's one of the reasons that I think genetics can be valuable when they're interpreted correctly.
00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:28.000
Because they can help us understand certain aspects of someone's biology, but we still need to look at the whole person.
00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:31.360
What symptoms are they experiencing?
00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:32.559
What's their history?
00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:35.120
What does appropriate medical testing show?
00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:40.960
Are there genetic findings that are actually relevant to the concern that we're investigating?
00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:48.080
Okay, and I also want to mention that wellness genetic reports and medical genetic testing are not the same thing.
00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:53.759
Not every genetic test looks at the variants needed to assess a particular disease.
00:12:53.919 --> 00:13:05.279
So when I'm talking about genetics as part of the being whole methodology, I'm talking about incorporating appropriate genetic insights into a much bigger wellness picture.
00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:10.159
Okay, not using a consumer genetics report to diagnose immune conditions.
00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:15.440
And honestly, I think this is where a lot of people get confused and overwhelmed.
00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:21.279
Okay, they see a genetic variation and assume it means their body is broken in some way.
00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:23.759
But genetic variation is normal.
00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:25.200
We all have them.
00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:33.120
The interesting question is whether a particular difference is meaningful in the context of that person's health.
00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:38.399
Because if it isn't, there's no reason to build an entire supplement routine around it.
00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:42.480
Now, we can't talk about immune function without bringing hormones into it.
00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:51.279
And I know that we've spent a lot of time talking about hormones already, but this is one of those connections that makes everything even more interesting.
00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:57.600
Hormones help coordinate what's happening throughout the body, and some of them influence immune activity.
00:13:57.840 --> 00:13:59.600
Estrogen is one example.
00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:09.200
It can affect different parts of immune function, although its effects are much more complicated than simply saying it increases or decreases inflammation.
00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:13.679
And we know that certain autoimmune conditions are more common in women.
00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:20.720
There are several reasons researchers think that this may be the case, including hormonal and genetic differences.
00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:30.480
Now, if you're in perimenopause or menopause, you might be thinking, okay, so this is why all of these weird symptoms suddenly started happening.
00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:36.399
Maybe hormones are contributing to some of what you're experiencing, but we can't assume that without testing, right?
00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:44.320
Because changes in sleep, skin, digestion, joint discomfort, and energy can have several explanations.
00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:54.159
And I think that this is especially important for women in their 40s and 50s because sometimes everything gets blamed on perimenopause, right?
00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:55.919
You're tired, perimenopause.
00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:57.840
Your joints hurt, perimenopause.
00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:00.000
You're not sleeping, perimenopause.
00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:05.440
And yes, hormonal changes can contribute to symptoms like these.
00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:10.080
But that doesn't mean we should automatically stop investigating.
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:19.679
For example, if someone has persistent joint swelling, that's not something I want them dismissing as just another hormone symptom.
00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:22.480
Okay, that deserves medical evaluation.
00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:25.360
And men aren't left out of this conversation either.
00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:35.600
Testosterone and other hormones interact with immune biology and changes in metabolic health, sleep, and hormone status can influence how someone feels.
00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:41.679
The bigger point is that hormones are part of the communication happening throughout your body.
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:47.840
And that's why I don't like looking at them as though they're completely separate from everything else.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:52.639
Now, you know that we've talked a lot about the nervous system throughout this series.
00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:55.919
So I'm not going to make you sit through that entire conversation again.
00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.480
But there's one connection I want to make here.
00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:02.639
Your nervous system and immune system communicate with each other.
00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:05.519
And that communication goes both ways.
00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:12.080
When your immune system responds to an infection, some of the messages it sends can affect your brain.
00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:20.320
That's part of why being sick can make you feel exhausted, foggy, achy, and completely uninterested in doing anything.
00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:24.559
You know that feeling when you're getting sick and all you want to do is lay on the couch.
00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:26.879
There's actual biology behind that.
00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:33.279
And on the other side of the conversation, stress and sleep can influence aspects of immune function.
00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:51.279
Now, this doesn't mean that stress automatically causes autoimmune disease or that you can meditate your way out of an immune condition, but it does mean that the body doesn't experience stress, sleep, immune activity, and recovery as completely unrelated or separate events.
00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:57.440
And I think this is especially important for people who are constantly pushing through exhaustion.
00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:03.919
Because sometimes we've gotten so used to feeling tired that we don't even stop to question it anymore.
00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:15.119
We just drink another coffee, keep going, tell ourselves we'll catch up on rest over the weekend, and then the weekend comes and we're catching up on everything else that we didn't have time to do during the week, so we never really catch up.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:24.880
But here's the thing: if you're exhausted all the time, I don't want you automatically assuming it's because your nervous system is dysregulated or your immune system is inflamed.
00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:33.119
There are medical causes of fatigue that need to be considered, including anemia, thyroid conditions, sleep disorders, and other illnesses.
00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:42.079
Okay, this is where understanding your body means being willing to investigate instead of assigning yourself an explanation just because it sounds the most familiar.
00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:44.960
Now, genetics also plays a role in this too.
00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:52.079
You can have genetic mutations that can cause you to be like an energizer bunny and power through things.
00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:54.319
Tom T is one of these, right?
00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:02.160
The the um like strength side of this, the superpower of it, is the go, go, go, go, go.
00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.960
And because you don't feel like you need to rest, you don't prioritize rest and then you crash and burn.
00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:10.319
Okay, so this is also why we look at genetics as well.
00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:16.960
Now I want to shift gears a little bit because there's something that happens emotionally when your body becomes unpredictable.
00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:19.839
And I don't think we talk about it enough.
00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:24.240
Let's say you've been dealing with digestive symptoms for a year.
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:27.359
Okay, you never really know what you're gonna feel like after you eat.
00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.720
Sometimes you're fine, sometimes you're uncomfortable for hours.
00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:36.880
Now, when someone invites you out to dinner, you're not just thinking about where you want to go and what you want to eat and what you want to wear.
00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:49.039
You're thinking about what you can eat, whether you'll feel sick afterwards, whether you need to leave early, whether you have to wear your baggy sweatshirt and your stretchy pants, and whether you're gonna regret going in the first place.
00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:56.240
Or maybe you're just dealing with fatigue to the point where you make plans on a good day, and then the day comes and you cancel.
00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:56.720
Okay.
00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:59.839
And after canceling enough times, people stop asking.
00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:04.319
Not necessarily because they don't care, but because they're assuming you don't want to go.
00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:10.880
And now something that started as a physical symptom is affecting your relationships and your sense of connection.
00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:17.359
Or maybe you've always been the person who gets everything done and suddenly you can't keep up the way you used to.
00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:26.720
Now, those things can really mess with how you see yourself because so many of us attach our identity to what we are capable of doing.
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:30.880
We're the dependable one, the organized one, the one who takes care of everything.
00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:36.240
And when our body doesn't cooperate, we start feeling like we're losing a part of ourselves.
00:19:36.480 --> 00:20:04.160
Now, I don't believe our emotions are the hidden cause of every physical condition, but I absolutely believe the emotional experience of living with symptoms deserves attention because you're not just a thyroid, you're not just a gut, you're not just an immune system, you're a person who has relationships, responsibilities, memories, fears, and an entire life happening outside of whatever symptoms brought you here.
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:10.960
And sometimes that emotional burden becomes a really significant part of someone's wellness journey.
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.799
Now, this is where we're gonna get into the woo side of being whole, right?
00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:20.799
If you if you're new here, you should know I absolutely am obsessed with merging the science with the woo.
00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:28.799
Okay, I love this part because I think there's something really meaningful about looking at health through different traditions and perspectives.
00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:35.759
In traditional Chinese medicine, there's also this emphasis on how different patterns within the body relate to one another.
00:20:36.000 --> 00:21:02.720
And while those traditional patterns aren't the same as modern medical diagnoses, the broader way of looking at that person's experience is um something that I can appreciate because sometimes when someone comes to me, they're not just physically exhausted, they feel emotionally drained, disconnected, like they've spent so much time taking care of everyone else that they don't even know what they need anymore.
00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:12.799
And this is where practices like Reiki, meditation, prayer, or simply creating space for quiet reflection can become extremely meaningful and transformational.
00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:26.640
Not because they're going to diagnose or cure an immune condition, but because spiritual and energetic practices can become part of how someone reconnects with themselves and supports their emotional well-being.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:34.720
And I think sometimes we get so focused on fixing our bodies that we forget what it's like to actually enjoy living in them.
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:43.200
Everything becomes another thing that we need to improve our sleep, our diet, our steps, our hormones, our stress.
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:48.480
And before long, even relaxing feels like something we're supposed to do correctly.
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:54.880
Okay, and I don't know about you, but I don't want wellness to become another source of pressure.
00:21:55.119 --> 00:22:16.319
I want people to understand their biology and make informed choices, but I Also, I want them to have room to just live, to laugh, to enjoy dinner with their friends and family, to sit outside without tracking whether it's improving their nervous system, to do something simply because it feels good, not because they're trying to optimize another pathway.
00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:23.440
And I think that that's an important part of the emotional and spiritual side of wellness that sometimes gets lost.
00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:32.400
Now let's go back inside the cells for a minute because you know that I can't have an episode about cellular communication without bringing up peptides.
00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:36.319
And if you've been listening for a while, you've heard me talk about them before.
00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:45.519
But if you're new here, Cliff Notes version, peptides are short chains of amino acids, and some of them act as messengers in the body.
00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:53.680
And what's so interesting to me is how much of our biology depends on cells being able to communicate with one another.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.319
Your immune cells need to communicate.
00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.920
Your gut cells need to respond to what's happening around them.
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:08.240
Your hormones interact with receptors on the cells, and different chemical messengers help coordinate all of these processes.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:16.240
So, the first peptide that we typically hear about in terms of inflammation and immune support is KPV, right?
00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.039
KPV is great for systemic inflammation.
00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:27.119
There's another one called BPC157, and this is great for tissue injury and repair, gut lining, things like that.
00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:32.240
There's also one called thymaalphacine 1, which is to help boost the immune system, right?
00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:47.920
And I think that peptide science is fascinating, but we also have to understand that there is limited research here within the walls of the United States for reasons that we won't necessarily get into, other than when things occur naturally in the body.
00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:59.759
We live in a world where there's not a lot of research put into those things because you can't make money off of things that occur naturally in the body, which is why a lot of herbal supplements also say not FDA approved, right?
00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:07.759
But if you go outside of the walls of our country, other parts of the world have been using peptides for years, if not decades.
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:12.400
Okay, but why you need it is important.
00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:16.160
Which one you need and when is also important.
00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:36.720
Okay, as we are learning more about the ways that our cells communicate and how different signals influence different processes in the body, we have to understand that a pathway doesn't automatically mean that your body needs that one, and it definitely doesn't mean that everyone needs the same intervention.
00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:40.960
Okay, which brings us right back to individualized care.
00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:43.920
Okay, let me give you an example of how I think about this.
00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:52.480
Say two women come in, both in their mid-40s, and both tell me that they're exhausted, their skin has been acting up, and their digestion is a mess.
00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:55.279
On the surface, they sound pretty similar.
00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:02.480
Okay, and if we're just matching symptoms to supplements, we might end up giving them nearly identical recommendations.
00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:05.359
But now let's actually look at what's happening.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:12.960
The first woman has very heavy menstrual cycles, poor sleep, and a history that raises concern for iron deficiency.
00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:18.240
Her clinician evaluates her and finds that she has iron deficiency anemia.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:21.119
Okay, that's an important thing, right?
00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:30.480
Because no amount of guessing about histamine or gut bacteria is going to replace properly addressing her anemia and understanding why she's losing iron.
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.160
Now let's look at the second woman.
00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:39.680
She's also exhausted, but has morning joint stiffness, occasional swelling in her hands, and a family history of autoimmune disease.
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:42.160
That raises a different set of questions.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:50.559
Okay, she needs an appropriate medical evaluation for those symptoms rather than assuming her fatigue is just stress or perimenopause.
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.400
And here's the interesting part.
00:25:52.559 --> 00:26:04.480
Both women may be sleeping poorly, both may be under a lot of stress, both might benefit from better nutritional support, but that doesn't mean the main reason they're feeling unwell is the same.
00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:13.599
Okay, and this is why I come back to the importance of understanding the person because the goal isn't to find one protocol that works for everyone.
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.880
That's not possible.
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:21.519
The goal is to figure out which information is relevant and what needs attention first.
00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:40.400
Okay, in the being whole methodology, I use health history, symptoms, comprehensive blood work, genetics, and other tests like gut zoomers and Dutch tests and things in order to get the relevant information I need to create a personalized wellness roadmap for that person.
00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:46.400
Okay, I also incorporate the being hole scan as a complementary energetic wellness tool.
00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:54.559
Okay, it is non-diagnostic, but it does show us the different frequencies in the body and what your body is trying to say.
00:26:55.039 --> 00:27:02.880
Okay, within the wellness side of the conversation, I want to know what that person's foundations look like.
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:04.079
Are they eating enough?
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:05.119
Are they sleeping?
00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:08.079
Are they dealing with ongoing digestive issues?
00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:11.599
Are they taking a bunch of supplements without understanding why?
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:13.680
What does their stress load look like?
00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:16.240
And how is all of this affecting them emotionally?
00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:18.319
Because fit pill fatigue is real.
00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:21.359
You know, peptide injection fatigue is real.
00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:24.640
Just because it's an herb doesn't mean you can't hurt yourself with it.
00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:28.799
Sometimes the best next step isn't adding something.
00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:36.000
Sometimes it's identifying the issue that actually needs attention and stopping all of the random guessing.
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:43.920
Okay, I think one of the biggest misconceptions in wellness is that supporting your immune system means taking something.
00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:49.599
Vitamin C, zinc, elderberry, mushrooms, some kind of immune-boosting blood.
00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:56.000
And look, certain nutrients absolutely play important roles in normal immune function.
00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.200
Zinc is important for immune cell function.
00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:02.319
Vitamin D participates in immune regulation.
00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:10.160
Protein provides amino acids that your body needs for all kinds of functions, including making immune-related proteins.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:15.519
But taking more of something doesn't automatically mean you're getting more benefit.
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:18.880
And too much of certain nutrients can actually cause problems.
00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:25.200
Okay, for example, excessive zinc intake over time can contribute to copper deficiency.
00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:31.839
Okay, so I don't think the answer is to keep stacking immune supplements because you're worried your immune system needs help.
00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:45.200
It's much more useful to understand whether you have an actual deficiency, whether there's an actual medical condition involved, and what aspects of your lifestyle and nutrition could you support.
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:50.240
And sometimes the things that matter most are not actually glamorous.
00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:58.240
Getting enough sleep, eating enough food, having a variety of diet, moving your body regularly in a way that's appropriate for you.
00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:05.119
Okay, staying up to date with preventative care, um, addressing health concerns instead of just hoping that they go away.
00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:09.680
Okay, these aren't the kinds of things that make for really exciting TikTok videos.
00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:13.119
Nobody's going viral for telling people to eat lunch and get sleep.
00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:16.000
Okay, but these foundations matter.
00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:18.559
Your genetics matter.
00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.599
Are you someone that would benefit from intermittent fasting?
00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:24.480
Or right now, are you ready for that?
00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.400
Because that can cause stress on a body.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.599
And if your body is already stressed, that's the last thing we want to do.
00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:39.359
It matters whether you are looking for functional medicine, natural medicine, conventional medicine, or all of the above.
00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:42.400
Okay, the body still needs the basics.
00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:45.759
We need to understand what is causing the stress.
00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:52.400
So when I think about immune health, I'm not just thinking about whether someone gets sick frequently.
00:29:52.640 --> 00:30:03.759
I'm thinking about how the immune system recognizes what's happening, how it communicates with other systems, and whether there's evidence of a condition that needs medical attention.
00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:10.720
Okay, I'm thinking about the gut because it's one of the first places where immune communication is happening all the time.
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:17.599
I'm thinking about genetics because they can influence susceptibility without determining someone's entire future.
00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:24.559
I'm thinking about hormones, sleep, and metabolic health because those things are connected to how the body functions.
00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:28.319
I'm also thinking about the person who's living with the symptoms.
00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:37.359
Because someone who's been dealing with unpredictable health problems for years may be carrying a lot more than physical discomfort.
00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:45.519
Okay, they may be frustrated, anxious, disconnected, or just plain exhausted from trying to figure everything out on their own.
00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:51.920
Okay, and that's where I think the physical, emotional, and energetic perspectives all have a place.
00:30:52.079 --> 00:31:04.640
Not because they're the same thing, and not because spiritual practices can replace medical care, but because wellness involves more than understanding one laboratory value or one biological pathway.
00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:07.119
The whole person matters.
00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:10.799
And I think that's what being whole is really all about.
00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:14.799
It's not about convincing everyone they have some hidden problem.
00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:18.960
Root cause and saying it's tied to mold or lime or a parasite.
00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:20.880
That is not root cause.
00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:25.440
Okay, it's not about making health more complicated than it needs to be.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:30.400
And it's definitely not about giving everybody the same protocol and hoping it works.
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:39.519
It's about understanding the biology, asking better questions, and making decisions based on what's actually relevant to the individual.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:49.279
So if there's one thing I hope you take away from today's episode, it's that your immune system isn't something you necessarily need to make stronger.
00:31:49.440 --> 00:32:01.119
Okay, you want it to function appropriately, you want it to recognize something needs attention, respond when necessary, and then have the ability to regulate those responses.
00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:09.039
And when you're experiencing symptoms that don't make sense, I don't want you jumping straight to the conclusion that your immune system is the problem.
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:12.480
I want you to get curious about what's actually happening.
00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:17.200
Because sometimes symptoms that seem connected have different explanations.
00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:21.599
And sometimes the connection is something you wouldn't have thought to investigate.
00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:24.559
Okay, that's why I created the Being Whole Blueprint.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:28.400
It's my way of bringing relevant information together, right?
00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:36.640
Your health history, symptoms, blood work, genetics, gut zoomers, Dutch tests if necessary, and complementary wellness insights.
00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:45.359
Okay, so we can develop your personalized 12-week roadmap instead of throwing random recommendations at your symptoms.
00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:52.079
If you're interested in learning more about that, you can visit beinghole.com to explore the blueprint or schedule a scan.
00:32:52.319 --> 00:33:00.319
And if you know someone who's constantly trying to figure out what and why their body seems to be reacting to everything, send them this episode.
00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:08.799
Because sometimes just understanding how these systems work and are connected can change the questions we start asking.
00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:11.119
All right, that's it for today.
00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:13.519
Thank you so much for hanging out with me.
00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:15.920
I'll see you in the next episode.
00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:19.359
Remember, wellness starts at the root.
00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:23.359
Continue being the most whole version of yourself.
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:24.480
Love you bye.
