June 14, 2024

The Silent Killer That's Sabotaging Your Mental Health with Michelle Brown

The Silent Killer That's Sabotaging Your Mental Health with  Michelle Brown

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Struggling with mood swings or anxiety? Discover how nutrient imbalances could be the root cause as expert Michelle Brown shares transformative insights on blending functional nutrition with traditional herbalism for holistic healing.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by mood swings, anxiety, or depression without understanding the root cause?

Many people struggle with chronic mood disturbances without realizing that nutrient imbalances could be the hidden culprit. But Michelle is here to shed light on this often overlooked connection and provide a holistic solution.

By the time you finish listening, you'll discover:

  • Key nutrient deficiencies that can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders
  • How functional nutrition and traditional herbalism can be used to create personalized therapies
  • The transformative impact of addressing nutrient imbalances

Don't let unresolved mood issues continue to impact your quality of life. Michelle's expertise can help you uncover the underlying nutritional factors and regain balance naturally.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE BROWN


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LEARN MORE:

Empowerment Hour: What you need to know about weight loss medications
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Chapters

00:00 - Exploring Mood & Nutrition Connection

04:09 - Nutrient Imbalances in Mood Disorders

18:14 - Functional Nutrition and Personalized Therapy

25:21 - Nutrient Therapy for Balanced Mood

30:02 - Empower Your Health Journey

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.541 --> 00:00:17.574
It's amazing to me that these healers were able to find ways to connect with plants that actually could balance the body, and it was all really science right, like they were just observing and watching and noting what would change in the body with even these traditional approaches.

00:00:17.574 --> 00:00:23.559
But it was a very different lens and I think that's what really fascinates me about herbal medicine.

00:00:24.562 --> 00:00:37.085
Welcome to Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics, part of the Pharmacy Podcast Network, a must have resource for pharmacist entrepreneurs seeking to enhance patient care while enjoying career and life.

00:00:37.085 --> 00:00:45.201
Join us as we pivot into nutrigenomics, using pharmacy and nutrition for true patient focused care.

00:00:45.201 --> 00:00:51.207
Explore how to improve chronic conditions rather than just manage them.

00:00:51.207 --> 00:00:55.023
Celebrate entrepreneurial triumphs and receive priceless advice.

00:00:55.023 --> 00:00:59.133
Align your values with a career that profoundly impacts patients.

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Together, we'll raise the script on health and pivot into a brighter future.

00:01:04.106 --> 00:01:08.373
Hello and welcome to Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics.

00:01:08.373 --> 00:01:16.325
I'm Dr Tamar, lawful, doctor of pharmacy and certified nutritional genomics specialist.

00:01:16.346 --> 00:01:29.433
Today we are looking into balancing our emotions through the lens of nutrition and holistic wellness, and let me tell you I've had my fair share of days where I felt like a boat tossed around in a storm of emotions Anxiety, mood swings, that unexplainable feeling of being off.

00:01:29.433 --> 00:01:31.316
I'm sure you can relate.

00:01:31.316 --> 00:01:36.471
In the vast and complex world of our genetics, our genes impact our mental health.

00:01:36.471 --> 00:01:47.787
For example, the variations in the MTHFR gene can significantly influence our emotional and mental landscapes, sometimes contributing to feelings of anxiety, depression and mood swings.

00:01:47.787 --> 00:01:53.506
Emotions are often seen to take their reins, leaving us feeling powerless in their wake.

00:01:53.506 --> 00:02:01.165
For more about the MTHFR mutations, check out episode 39 of Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics.

00:02:01.966 --> 00:02:11.370
Now, although genetics may influence our mood, within this knowledge lies our power the power to understand, the power to adapt and the power to heal.

00:02:11.370 --> 00:02:20.046
That's why I'm thrilled to introduce today's guest, michelle Brown, a seasoned expert who stands at the intersection of functional nutrition and traditional herbalism.

00:02:20.046 --> 00:02:25.889
Michelle has spent years uncovering the hidden links between our mood and the nutrients we take in or don't.

00:02:25.889 --> 00:02:31.164
She'll help us untangle the web of nutrient imbalances that could be silently impacting our lives.

00:02:31.164 --> 00:02:37.466
So if you've ever found yourself wondering why your mood is on a never ending roller coaster, then you're in the right place.

00:02:37.466 --> 00:02:41.825
Michelle's insights might just be the key to finding your balance, naturally.

00:02:41.825 --> 00:02:47.604
So, michelle, thank you for joining us on Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutri-Genomics today.

00:02:47.604 --> 00:02:50.491
Let's kick it off with diving into your story, michelle.

00:02:50.491 --> 00:02:59.330
What inspired you to explore the connection between mood and nutrition, and have you had any personal experiences that solidify this path for you?

00:02:59.659 --> 00:03:12.163
Well, definitely, I think, like a lot of people who get into functional medicine and functional nutrition, we often come into this work from our own personal journey with some of these struggles, and so that's definitely true for me.

00:03:12.485 --> 00:03:22.600
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in my thirties but interestingly, I'd struggled with my thyroid for probably a couple of decades before that and my mood right.

00:03:22.600 --> 00:03:34.765
And even in high school I struggled with eating disorders and depression, and yet I was this like straight A student and you know it would have been the end of the world for me if I would have gotten a B.

00:03:34.765 --> 00:03:41.846
So definitely a lot of kind of just stress and trauma as part of that story as well.

00:03:41.846 --> 00:03:51.372
And so for me that seemed kind of the natural next step as I was working to figure out my own health journey, that I can help other people with this as well.

00:03:51.372 --> 00:04:09.334
And so that's what I've been doing for quite a few years now, and I really love helping both men and women around the world to really work through why they're struggling with their mood, their energy, and you know, a lot of times what goes along with that is chronic health issues, chronic pain, and they're all connected, right?

00:04:09.373 --> 00:04:20.790
We say in functional nutrition world that everything is connected, and it's really true that is so true, and I'm looking forward to diving into your approach to how it all connects.

00:04:20.790 --> 00:04:37.088
You have a holistic view of health and it draws from a system's perspective, so could you take us through how you conceptualize that interplay between various systems in the body when you're treating patients with chronic mood disturbances?

00:04:37.548 --> 00:04:40.964
yeah, so, yeah, right, like they're all, everything's connected right.

00:04:40.964 --> 00:04:58.666
And it is a systems-based approach where we know that, like, if someone's struggling with their mood, isn't it interesting that often they're struggling with other things, whether it's digestion or chronic pain, like I mentioned, or thyroid issues, like all of these things start showing up because of this connection.

00:04:58.666 --> 00:05:05.680
And I'm always bringing it back to kind of this foundation of what is that connection between all of these systems.

00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:22.987
And often it's inflammation and nutrient deficiencies that are driving a lot of this disruption in the way our bodies should be working normally and I feel like our bodies know how to heal right, like our bodies know what to do to heal.

00:05:22.987 --> 00:05:32.963
If we cut our finger, we get a scab and in a few days or weeks, right, and that scab finally heals and falls off and our finger looks normal again, hopefully Right.

00:05:32.963 --> 00:05:34.547
So our bodies know how to heal.

00:05:34.687 --> 00:05:48.824
So why do so often we get stuck right In these patterns of chronic health issues or mood issues and what's that connection between these different symptoms showing up in the body?

00:05:48.824 --> 00:06:03.466
And yet there's this connection and we know that things like inflammation and nutrient deficiencies actually shift the way the body works right, the way that our hormones function the way our neurotransmitters function, our immune system right.

00:06:03.466 --> 00:06:08.091
There's that autoimmune component to my Hashimoto's diagnosis, right.

00:06:08.091 --> 00:06:12.983
Like my, immune system wasn't able to do what it shouldn't be able to do normally.

00:06:12.983 --> 00:06:25.189
It was actually misfiring and showing up in a very different way for me than a normal healing response, and so that's where I think we need to take it back to this foundation right Of what's happening in the body that's shifting.

00:06:25.189 --> 00:06:35.516
I think we need to take it back to this foundation right of what's happening in the body that's shifting the way the body works, because when we fix that, then the body can do just what it's meant to do and heal yeah, I agree with you 100%.

00:06:35.555 --> 00:06:36.177
That is so true.

00:06:36.177 --> 00:06:40.213
The body is designed, it's created and already knows what needs to be done.

00:06:40.213 --> 00:06:46.142
We just have to make sure we're supporting it on our end to do what it needs to do, what it's capable of doing.

00:06:46.142 --> 00:07:09.009
And I'm going to get into a little bit, asking you about maybe some specific nutrient imbalances that can affect anxiety and depression, and integrating traditional and functional approaches with mood disorders, because your expertise is both functional nutrition and traditional herbalism.

00:07:09.009 --> 00:07:16.353
So can you share how you actually blend these approaches in creating personalized nutrient therapies for mood imbalances?

00:07:16.939 --> 00:07:35.127
Yes, that's a fun topic because I love both of these approaches, right, we have this kind of cutting edge traditional or functional medicine approach that really is starting to look at the gut and the microbiome and things that you know we didn't even know existed, you know, even a few hundred years ago, right?

00:07:35.127 --> 00:08:13.189
And yet, you know, with our traditional approaches to healthcare, which were often a very much an herbal medicine based approach and we didn't have that knowledge in in traditional times about the gut, microbiome and genes and all of these things, and yet it's amazing to me that these healers were able to find ways to connect with plants and find plants that actually could balance the body right, and in ways that they were able to see this herb has this impact on the body, whereas maybe a different herb has a very different way of impacting the body.

00:08:13.189 --> 00:08:22.660
And it was all really science, right, like they were just observing and watching and noting what would change in the body with even these traditional approaches.

00:08:22.660 --> 00:08:29.374
But it was a very different lens and I think that's what really fascinates me about herbal medicine.

00:08:29.374 --> 00:08:38.158
Is this different lens we look through, like when I'm looking at someone with my kind of herbal, clinical, herbalist lens.

00:08:38.158 --> 00:08:41.080
I'm looking at their energy right in the body.

00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:53.322
And when I say energy, I'm just talking about herbal energetics, where we know that certain herbs are very warming or maybe drying, or you're mentioning kind of having a cold earlier, right.

00:08:53.361 --> 00:09:00.648
So you know, for someone who has a cold, maybe they're noticing a lot of mucus and coughing, right, we're coughing things up.

00:09:00.648 --> 00:09:07.450
There's a lot of, there's a lot of moistness there, there are herbs that are drying, so we can bring in these herbs that balance the body.

00:09:07.450 --> 00:09:17.847
And that's really kind of going back to the functional medicine approach, where it's the same concept but we're just using a different lens to get to the same answer, right.

00:09:17.847 --> 00:09:18.048
We're.

00:09:18.048 --> 00:09:27.374
We're looking at what's causing that inflammation, right, which is too much heat in the body, from that herbal perspective, and then cooling herbs can help to balance that.

00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:47.029
So, even though it's a really different lens, it's like they're still approaching things with the same goal in mind, right Of bringing balance back into the body and finding that root cause of what's driving this disruption of our normal physiological responses.

00:09:47.029 --> 00:10:09.006
So I think that functional medicine and herbal medicine really complement each other beautifully, and herbal medicine is a connection with our past and with our past generations and with the earth in one sense, right when we have these gifts from the earth or from God that we can use to bring balance back into the body.

00:10:09.006 --> 00:10:18.259
So I just love being able to combine those two modalities and I find a lot of people are really interested in herbal medicine as well.

00:10:18.259 --> 00:10:22.191
But it's kind of a lost art in a sense, right like it used to be.

00:10:22.191 --> 00:10:34.721
Like I mentioned the medicine that was used in traditional times, and some of that has been displaced by modern pharmaceuticals and I think there's a place for both.

00:10:34.721 --> 00:10:42.291
I want to get back to some of these traditional herbal approaches that really help bring that balance back into the body.

00:10:42.812 --> 00:10:48.754
Yeah, thank you for sharing that and it's definitely is complimentary to me with you hearing you explain it.

00:10:48.754 --> 00:10:58.461
It only makes sense that they're used together to functional medicine, part of it traditional, and with the herbalism or traditional methods as well.

00:10:58.461 --> 00:11:08.796
Now can you go into the type of key nutrient imbalances that you see most often when you work to support your clients, particularly with anxiety and depression?

00:11:08.796 --> 00:11:09.337
What do you see?

00:11:10.110 --> 00:11:23.804
Yeah, so you know it's interesting as I started really putting the focus on the nervous system, biology in the work that I do, because you know I see the nervous system is really the key right that drives everything in the work that I do, because you know I say the nervous system is really the key right that drives everything in the body.

00:11:24.306 --> 00:11:31.740
It's our, our response in our body to where we're looking out at the world and we're asking, like, am I safe in the world?

00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:48.397
Right, and you know we, we live in a society today where, for the most part, most of us, you know, may live very stressful lives but at the same time, we tend to feel safe, right, Like I I'm looking behind me now and there's no tiger getting ready to jump out and get me Right.

00:11:48.397 --> 00:12:00.779
And so you know, our nervous system though that's what it's always doing, like it's always kind of scanning the information that is coming in from our physical senses and and answering that question Am I safe, am I not safe?

00:12:00.779 --> 00:12:20.677
And of course, it may be the things that we're actually physically looking at or seeing or touching or smelling, but we also can begin to build patterns into our nervous system, for instance, if we went through a trauma, and maybe even just a physical trauma, right, like a bad car accident.

00:12:20.677 --> 00:12:36.658
Our body went through this experience where it wasn't safe, and then it can start to wire that into the nervous system and, just like we were talking about inflammation and nutrient deficiencies, well, our nervous system response is another one of those foundational things.

00:12:36.658 --> 00:12:50.758
Because if we live in a constant state of not feeling safe in our body, that's going to show up in our physiological responses, our hormones, our mitochondrial function, everything, right, that has to do with how we feel.

00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:57.659
And so when I'm working with my clients, I'm always thinking of this from this nervous system perspective.

00:12:57.659 --> 00:13:03.212
And all of these things, again, they're all related, right, they all interpacked one another.

00:13:03.212 --> 00:13:23.395
And so if we're low in even key nutrients, that can be something that can decrease this capacity of the nervous system to feel safe and that's going to show up as anxiety or depression or, you know, maybe just the sense of not being, okay, overwhelmed, right, not being safe in the body.

00:13:23.395 --> 00:13:36.583
And so it's really interesting how, as we support the nervous system biology with nutrients, by addressing that inflammation, we can actually shift this ability of the body to feel safe.

00:13:36.583 --> 00:13:42.634
And that, again, right, Impacts everything else the hormones, the mitochondrial function, the all of it, right?

00:13:43.398 --> 00:13:56.789
And so, when I'm thinking of nutrients that impact our nervous system response, some of the biggest players are zinc, our copper, our vitamin B6, our magnesium.

00:13:56.789 --> 00:14:03.013
Those are probably the four top ones for me, and then I would add antioxidants to that list as well.

00:14:03.013 --> 00:14:16.413
Just all of our antioxidants, vitamins a, vitamin c, vitamin e, selenium, glutathione, right, um, and even our polyphenols from our fruits and vegetables and our herbs can be a big player there.

00:14:16.413 --> 00:14:21.082
So let's talk about each of those a little bit really quickly, if that's okay.

00:14:21.082 --> 00:14:31.095
Yeah, sure, when I think of zinc and vitamin B6, why are these so important for our nervous system response and how, how do they impact our mood?

00:14:31.576 --> 00:14:53.530
Well, we know these nutrients are cofactors in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, right, like serotonin and dopamine, and so think about it, right, if we're low in these co-factors, we aren't going to be able to build these neurotransmitters, which are, of course, the chemicals that are, like our feel good chemicals in the brain, right?

00:14:53.530 --> 00:14:58.839
So if we're low in serotonin, that's going to show up for someone as depression.

00:14:58.839 --> 00:15:03.184
That's going to show up for someone as depression, just low energy and low capacity to handle stress.

00:15:03.184 --> 00:15:14.702
Maybe that person, like I was in high school who struggled with eating disorders and eating patterns like reaching for sugar or carbs, especially in the late afternoon or evening.

00:15:14.702 --> 00:15:31.369
And it's actually really interesting we can actually assess for these low neurotransmitters based on these specific symptoms or personality traits or patterns that show up for people when they're low in these specific neurotransmitters.

00:15:31.369 --> 00:16:10.282
So I look at serotonin, gaba, I look at endorphins and I look at dopamine and actually have an assessment that I give my clients and I can share that with your audience, if you want as well where we can start checking the boxes right, where, if we're low in dopamine, right, we're going to have trouble focusing, we're going to be really scattered, we may be having trouble completing tasks, we might reach for food just for energy and to get focused, and maybe that's caffeine or coffee or chocolate, right, something like that, to just kind of help the brain focus, and so we start kind of piecing that together and it really helps me to see what might be going on.

00:16:10.282 --> 00:16:12.335
And the same thing with these nutrients.

00:16:12.355 --> 00:16:16.253
So if we're low in zinc, that can show up in very specific ways.

00:16:16.253 --> 00:16:20.783
For instance, maybe poor wound healing can be a sign of low zinc.

00:16:20.783 --> 00:16:38.710
Other signs of low zinc can be ridges in the nails, it can be irritability and B6, right, it's also a player there with zinc in terms of the mood support right in the neurotransmitters, of the mood support right In the neurotransmitters.

00:16:38.710 --> 00:16:43.395
And it's interesting how zinc and copper have a really kind of intimate relationship in the body as well.

00:16:44.350 --> 00:17:05.058
And one thing we've seen in the work that I do is that if we have too much copper in the body, that can show up as irritability, anxiety, maybe angry outbursts, right, things that show up as this agitated state because of this inflammation stemming from a copper excess.

00:17:05.058 --> 00:17:10.420
So when I'm working with clients, I'm testing them for low zinc, for too much copper.

00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:16.655
I look at their ceruloplasmin right, which is telling me how their body's using copper.

00:17:16.655 --> 00:17:34.882
So those are some of the main nutrients that I'm looking at and it's really fascinating how I can give someone an assessment and when they just start ticking the boxes I know, oh, we're likely dealing with a copper excess or low serotonin or low zinc, right.

00:17:34.882 --> 00:17:43.317
We can actually assess that and then I know where to target my testing and my interventions to help bring the body back into that balance right?

00:17:43.369 --> 00:17:51.440
Yeah, that is something I was gonna ask you about with the assessments, because indeed it's important to assess so we can identify what the underlying issues are.

00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.435
Methylation may be one of them.

00:17:53.435 --> 00:17:56.557
So is this assessment that you refer to?

00:17:56.557 --> 00:18:05.679
Is that the main tool you use, or are there other methods that you've found to be beneficial in uncovering these less recognized imbalances?

00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.249
Yeah, so the assessments are what I start with.

00:18:08.249 --> 00:18:13.761
I actually have a couple of different ones that kind of help me to guide where we're going right.

00:18:13.761 --> 00:18:17.695
There's a lot, you know, with functional nutrition and functional medicine in general.

00:18:17.695 --> 00:18:26.961
Right, there are a lot of really interesting, I think amazing kind of targeted functional testing out there that can be done, and I think that's really exciting.

00:18:26.961 --> 00:18:29.314
We have the this testing available now.

00:18:29.354 --> 00:18:42.164
That wasn't there, you know, even a decade or so ago in many cases, but I find that it can get really expensive, right, a lot of people just don't have the money to spend thousands of dollars on testing and shouldn't have to.

00:18:42.846 --> 00:19:03.517
And that's where I think the assessments can be really helpful, right, because if I assess someone and you know if they're not having any signs of a copper excess, then they probably don't have copper, because if they did have too much copper, then they would be having the symptoms, right, and so that's where those assessments can be really valuable.

00:19:03.576 --> 00:19:16.086
They really help me to target where do we need to focus with this person, and maybe then you know that next step might be the testing, depending on different situations, and in some cases I don't use testing.

00:19:17.950 --> 00:19:35.599
I work with clients from around the world and sometimes some of the specialty testing you mentioned methylation, for instance that is another area I look at because it really impacts mood and can show up right if we're not methylating well, can show up as depression or anxiety or any number of mood issues.

00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:53.240
But for some people I might recommend like a methylation panel and if they live in an area where that's just not an opportunity, they don't have access to that testing or different reasons why they can't get that then at least having the assessment I can start to bring in some cautious support.

00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:58.471
Now the testing is really great because if I have testing and results back, then I really know.

00:19:58.471 --> 00:20:05.355
You know we can really target this based on testing and you know see how it corroborates with the symptoms.

00:20:05.355 --> 00:20:11.417
But we can even work around that with just the assessments if we need to, if we don't have access to testing.

00:20:11.999 --> 00:20:13.102
Thank you for sharing that, Michelle.

00:20:13.102 --> 00:20:29.366
Now, when it comes to personalization of these therapies in a digital age, how has your shift towards a more digital interaction and even remote consultations influenced the way you customize your nutrient therapies and track your progress of the clients?

00:20:30.309 --> 00:20:31.491
That's a great question, right.

00:20:31.491 --> 00:20:38.042
Going online has really changed a lot of things for the work that we do really for the world right Right.

00:20:38.423 --> 00:20:39.265
It's really interesting.

00:20:39.265 --> 00:20:51.340
I mean, there's definitely been the problems that it's brought up right, Like the loss of just being around other people and having that, you know, kind of social aspect of our lives has been often shifted.

00:20:51.340 --> 00:21:06.465
But you know, in some ways, that technology has brought a lot of good things right, Like I'm able to connect with people, like I said, around the world that I wouldn't you know, obviously wouldn't be able to if it wasn't for, you know, being able to meet online A lot of the work that I do.

00:21:06.465 --> 00:21:13.113
It's great that we have the opportunity because I can do that online.

00:21:13.113 --> 00:21:18.720
You know, I'm not a body worker or, you know, a massage therapist or something where you would need to be in person to actually work with someone.

00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:31.255
But you know, it still can have its challenges, right, Like you think, there you lose a little bit of the person personality or personal interaction by just talking to someone on a screen.

00:21:31.355 --> 00:21:37.368
But the payoff, I think, or the trade-off, is that I am able to meet with people on a more regular basis.

00:21:37.368 --> 00:21:38.992
That's really convenient.

00:21:38.992 --> 00:22:02.210
I mean, like I know for myself, like having to get out of the house right, like drive to an appointment is like oh man, we've gotten really spoiled about just being able to do everything online, and so I think for a lot of people, having that option to just meet online and make things easier is a really great benefit, especially for someone who's struggling with their mood.

00:22:02.210 --> 00:22:24.832
I mean, I have a few clients who are not able to leave their house because of either anxiety or other chronic health issues that just make it really difficult for them to get out, and so being able to meet with someone like that online is a really, really a great benefit to where a world of technology that we all find ourselves in yeah, it's definitely a convenience.

00:22:24.852 --> 00:22:28.769
I know there are many people who prefer to meet in person and for me, locally.

00:22:28.769 --> 00:22:32.740
If that's something they want to do, that's something I'll do for them as well.

00:22:32.740 --> 00:22:45.741
But I do group coaching, so mainly my meeting is if I'm there working on their exercise routine, I'll say, hey, come join me in the gym or let's go to the park around the corner and this location, so they get that in-person interaction, which does make a difference.

00:22:45.741 --> 00:22:53.290
But the digital age makes things so convenient and we can have a much farther reach, as you've mentioned.

00:22:53.290 --> 00:22:58.040
Now, Michelle, are you able to share some client stories?

00:22:58.040 --> 00:23:04.141
A client story with us where you were able to address a nutrient imbalance that led to improvements?

00:23:05.002 --> 00:23:06.211
Yeah, absolutely.

00:23:06.211 --> 00:23:19.041
A lot of what I do start with with clients is just looking again at the testing in terms of these what I call biochemical imbalances, so copper excess methylation issues.

00:23:19.041 --> 00:23:41.034
And I also look at pyroluria, right, I can give my clients an assessment and pyroluria is a genetic issue that can cause someone to excrete zinc and vitamin B6 at a high rate, and so there's that deficiency that shows up as anxiety, overwhelm, depression, just a lot of sensitivity.

00:23:41.034 --> 00:23:52.492
So these are my clients who are really sensitive to bright lights or sounds or just people, right, those might be my clients who have trouble leaving the house because they're so overwhelmed.

00:23:52.492 --> 00:23:58.391
And you know, that's kind of where I start by just looking at that, giving those assessments to my clients.

00:23:58.391 --> 00:24:03.650
Do we have something there that might pinpoint where we could bring in some support?

00:24:03.650 --> 00:24:06.256
As well as for the neurotransmitters, right.

00:24:06.256 --> 00:24:16.974
So sometimes I find by starting with neurotransmitter support, we can just get someone to a better baseline with their mood and you know, they don't just they don't feel so overwhelmed.

00:24:16.974 --> 00:24:24.734
Maybe they can start sleeping better and shift some of these patterns that are showing up as like overeating or things like that.

00:24:25.375 --> 00:24:35.131
And I'm thinking of one woman who I don't like to use my client names just because I feel like mood is really a very personal thing, but we'll just call her Jo.

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And she actually was struggling with Hashimoto's, with her thyroid right and autoimmune thyroid issue and with her mood.

00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:50.241
And so you know, of course I work on things as well like diet and some lifestyle things as well.

00:24:50.241 --> 00:25:12.113
But you know, again, I start with the mood, I start with the neurotransmitters and the biochemical imbalances, because when those are going on like right, when we're depressed or we're just stuck in this anxiety, it's really hard to change other behaviors right In terms of our diet or lifestyle, when we don't feel good, when we don't feel like it.

00:25:12.113 --> 00:25:20.940
So if I can kind of help someone get to a better place with their mood, then they have more of a capacity to look at other changes that might be beneficial.

00:25:21.401 --> 00:25:25.375
And so with this client, joe, we had started working together really around mood.

00:25:25.375 --> 00:25:40.923
But she also kind of had this thyroid thing going on right, a lot of chronic stuff going on with my mood clients and as we brought in some support right, we addressed some neurotransmitters stuff and we looked at her biochemical imbalances.

00:25:40.923 --> 00:25:44.480
I think, if I'm remembering correctly, she was someone who had copper excess.

00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.099
So we, you know, we brought in some support there to address that.

00:25:48.099 --> 00:25:51.516
And I just remember her story because we met then.

00:25:51.516 --> 00:25:53.740
You know, I have my clients do a protocol.

00:25:54.102 --> 00:26:17.743
For a few months we meet again, we kind of retest like, are we shifting those numbers in terms of zinc, copper, balance, and and she had done really well and she'd also not only shifted her mood and was able to feel more able to just kind of be in her body without feeling anxiety, but she also had really put her thyroid issues into remission, which is really exciting, right.

00:26:17.789 --> 00:26:27.884
And there's that inflammation piece, right, that connection with addressing inflammation, which copper excess that is one reason why it's so problematic for our mood.

00:26:27.884 --> 00:26:30.398
It drives up so much inflammation in the body.

00:26:30.398 --> 00:26:38.684
And by doing that and addressing her triggers for inflammation, she was able to really address her thyroid issues.

00:26:38.684 --> 00:26:50.298
And I just I'm remembering her because she even said, you know, like her hair was growing and thicker and some of her friends even had noticed like her skin was looking better and they were like, what are you doing, right, awesome.

00:26:50.298 --> 00:26:58.682
Yeah, you know, it's like when we start with the mood, we can just start building more of a capacity to feel better and feel in our.

00:26:58.682 --> 00:27:03.183
You know, I say embodied right in our body without feeling overwhelmed.

00:27:03.183 --> 00:27:09.699
And then we have that ability to look at those next layers right that might need addressed.

00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:10.641
All right.

00:27:10.641 --> 00:27:12.886
Thank you for sharing that client story with us.

00:27:12.886 --> 00:27:16.021
That is amazing turnaround and improvement.

00:27:16.021 --> 00:27:17.828
So thanks for sharing that.

00:27:17.828 --> 00:27:19.674
I have one final question for you.

00:27:19.674 --> 00:27:32.781
Considering the breadth of your practice, I'm sure you have a lot of tips that you can put out there for those who want to maintain balanced mental health, and specifically through nutrients and lifestyle practices.

00:27:32.781 --> 00:27:36.842
What would be your number one recommendation?

00:27:37.383 --> 00:27:37.824
I, you know.

00:27:37.824 --> 00:27:42.374
The first thing that comes to mind for me is that eat more protein.

00:27:42.374 --> 00:27:57.989
And the reason is because we talked about neurotransmitters, those feel good chemicals in the brain and in the gut, and we build these neurotransmitters from amino acids right, which are we get from protein right.

00:27:57.989 --> 00:27:59.727
These are the building blocks of protein.

00:27:59.727 --> 00:28:03.971
So it's one reason why we might be low in nutrients.

00:28:03.971 --> 00:28:10.146
We also know like especially good sources of animal protein for those that eat good quality animal protein.

00:28:10.146 --> 00:28:12.026
You know we get zinc right.

00:28:12.026 --> 00:28:16.673
We get these minerals that actually play a role in our mental health.

00:28:16.673 --> 00:28:21.013
And finally, protein is going to help with blood sugar balance.

00:28:21.013 --> 00:28:35.733
So if we're getting enough protein, that's going to impact how, how well we break down carbs right and turn those into glucose and making sure we're not spiking that blood sugar, which is another inflammatory trigger for so many people.

00:28:35.733 --> 00:28:40.420
It's one of the other kind of foundational pieces I assess in clients.

00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:49.115
So that would be maybe just a good tip for anyone who wants to support their overall health, but especially their mood and neurotransmitters.

00:28:50.101 --> 00:28:51.768
Thank you for that tip, michelle.

00:28:51.768 --> 00:28:55.770
That's very, extremely valuable and seems like it's easy to do.

00:28:55.770 --> 00:28:58.768
Yeah, well, thank you for being part of the show today.

00:28:58.768 --> 00:28:59.490
It's been a pleasure.

00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:02.684
Thank you for having me I've enjoyed being here.

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That's all I have for you today, friend.

00:29:05.626 --> 00:29:08.588
What an informative conversation with Michelle Brown.

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It's conversations like these that remind us of the profound wisdom in treating our bodies and minds as interconnected systems.

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A big thanks to Michelle for joining us today and sharing her incredible journey and knowledge and helping us better understand our moods through the lens of nutrition and herbalism.

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Remember, your personal health journey is ongoing and knowledge is a powerful step towards healing.

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If you found value in today's show, don't hesitate to subscribe for more inspiring stories and tips on living a healthier, happier life.

00:29:38.632 --> 00:29:46.662
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00:29:46.662 --> 00:29:49.449
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Coming up next week on the show, we're exploring the transformative practice of breath work so you can harmonize your body's biochemistry and achieve tranquility without the weight of stress and overwhelm guiding your path.

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Taught you next Friday.

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Until then, always remember to raise the script on health, because together we can bring healthcare to higher levels.
Michelle Brown Profile Photo

Michelle Brown

Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner

Michelle Brown is a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner and clinical herbalist and also holds a certificate as a Mastery Level Biology of Trauma Advanced Provider. She works with clients from around the world to address anxiety, depression, fatigue and other chronic health issues from a root-cause, trauma-informed perspective. This approach addresses nervous system dysregulation and emphasizes the mind-body connection that allows true healing to happen. You can connect with Michelle at www.botanacea.com.