The Vitalist

If you’ve ever wondered why your cycle feels off, what your gut has to do with your fertility, or how to actually prepare your body to conceive, this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sammie pulls back the curtain on what most women were never taught about their bodies. From cycle literacy and hormone balance to gut health, environmental toxins, and the truth behind “unexplained infertility,” we dive into the real, root causes that impact your ability to get pregnant and how to heal them. Whether you're just starting to think about having a baby or you've been trying for months (or years), this episode will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and more connected to your body than ever before. HIGHLIGHTS: Natural medicine transformed Dr. Sammie’s childhood health from daily oxygen treatments for asthma to thriving as an athlete with no inhalers. (1:50) From food to environment to emotional load, what you put in your body changes everything. (2:32) Dr. Sammie’s calling was written in her family's generational story of conception challenges. (3:20) Most women are never taught the three phases of their cycle, follicular, ovulation, and luteal, yet these phases govern everything from energy to conception. (4:30) The surprising truth? Many women don't know if they’re ovulating. Learning the rhythm of their body creates deep empowerment. (6:20) How to tell if your cycle is truly “regular” and why the luteal phase holds keys to your hormonal harmony. (7:00) PMS may be common, but it isn’t normal. Cramps, mood swings, and cravings are data, here’s Dr. Sammie’s advice. (8:00) Dr. Sammie’s foundational prescription: quality sleep, Mediterranean-style eating, hydration, and daily movement. (8:30) The biggest threat to hormone balance? The questions no one’s asking, especially around stress, emotions, and suppression. (9:40) How plastics, pesticides, even K-cups are hijacking hormonal balance. (10:40) Your labs are not just numbers, they’re a map showing how your body responds to stress, inflammation, and resilience. (11:30) Debunking ‘Unexplained’ Fertility. There’s always a reason. It may not be obvious, but it’s not ‘unexplained.’ (12:45) 70% of your immune system lives in your gut and it directly impacts your ability to conceive. (14:30) Your fertility window begins 3–6 months before conception. That’s when your body is setting the stage. (15:30) Coming off birth control isn’t one-size-fits-all. Endometriosis? Wait. PCOS? Start now. Strategy matters. (16:30) Menstrual cycle irregularity is normal in adolescence, but pain, nausea, or vomiting may signal something deeper like endometriosis. (17:55) Epigenetics proves it: what your grandmother ate, felt, or endured shapes your body today. (19:30) Dr. Sammie’s favorite tracking method: The Fertility Awareness Method. (21:40) The story of how one woman paused IVF to heal her gut and conceived twins naturally. (23:00) The liver can regenerate from the brink of cirrhosis. What else might be possible when we trust the body’s wisdom? (24:30) When a woman says, “I don’t trust my body,” Dr. Sammie helps her ask: Is my body failing me—or is it trying to communicate something deeper? (25:00) RESOURCES: Connect with Dr. Sammie Ess @walkthenaturalpath www.walkthenaturalpath.com Youtube Channel   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com  

Dr. Emily Splichal is a functional podiatrist and barefoot science expert, known for her innovative work at Naboso. In this conversation, she uncovers how our feet are essential for posture and overall health. Discover why single-leg balance tests could predict your lifespan and how foot mechanics affect your body's alignment. Emily also explains the connection between feet, pelvic floor, and even the tongue. Plus, learn how your shoes might hinder your mobility and why walking is more about neurological function than just cardio.

What if the most powerful meditation practice didn't require a cushion, app, or even quiet, but a single piece of chocolate? After 11 years in the Himalayas, living in a cave and studying with Tibetan masters, Lisa Reinhardt returned to the modern world with a mission: to demystify meditation and make presence feel deliciously accessible. In this insightful episode, Lisa shares how she founded Wei of Chocolate and discovered that something as simple as intentionally eating chocolate could soften the nerve system, awaken the senses and reconnect us to our fundamental goodness.   HIGHLIGHTS:  Daily life in a remote cave, immersed in silence and Tibetan teachings. (1:21) A messenger arrives at her cave with an invitation that leads to rare teachings from a Tibetan master. (2:45) From growing up in a small town to living in a cave. (5:53) Meditation isn’t about “emptying the mind.” Lisa reframes it as a grounded, embodied practice accessible to anyone. (6:49) Most people won’t live in a cave, but everyone eats. Lisa found that chocolate could open the same door to presence. (8:11) Lisa describes traditional Tibetan practices that have been done for hundreds of years and engage the whole body. (9:35) Lisa shares how she prepares for her meditation practice by first noticing the space in the room. (11:12) Lisa invites you to “try on” your fundamental goodness. (13:52) How daily meditation practice softens any defensiveness. (15:43) We explore how meditative, tonal chiropractic and meditation complement each other. (16:18) Lisa shares a teaching from Brene Brown on softening difficult emotions. (17:56) Fluent in Tibetan, Lisa explains how language shapes perception and why certain meditative states are hard to access in English. (20:02) Lisa explains how in the Tibetan lineage, teachings were passed down human to human, not through an app or book. (21:04) How mind blown concepts are condensed into one syllable in Tibetan. (22:07) The meaning behind the name “Buddha” and how every Tibetan name means something. (22:59) Back in the U.S., Lisa discovered that chocolate was the secret to teaching the West about meditation. (25:03) Lisa’s first experience of chocolate as a meditation. (26:13) How to use Wei of Chocolate as a 2.5 minute meditation to shift your day. (26:45) How chocolate can be good for you, and the secret to what makes it healthy. (28:45) She unpacks what’s often hidden in mainstream chocolate, like soy lecithin, processed sugar, and pesticide residues. (33:05) Like water, chocolate holds intention. Lisa reveals the science of cacao’s crystalline structure and how it transmits energetic healing. (34:53) Lisa’s current favorite? Cherry Bomb. She shares how to connect with her in Phoenix or online. (35:46)   RESOURCES: Wei of Chocolate - use code THEVITALIST for 10% off your first order San Center in Phoenix @lotuswei @weiofchocolate @sancenterphx   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com  

What if your skin could tell time, and was trying to tell you something deeper? In this mind-shifting episode of The Vitalist Podcast, Dr. Michelle Jeffries, triple board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Skin Clock Method, blows open everything you thought you knew about skin. She takes us on a journey through integrative dermatology showing how your skin is more than just a barrier. It’s a messenger. A memory keeper. A sensory organ that reflects your stress, emotions, rhythms, and story. We talk trauma, time, hormones, fascia, light, and the daily rituals that help your skin reset and regenerate. You’ll learn why breakouts might be messengers, why sunrise is medicine, and how syncing with your body’s internal clocks could change everything. If you’ve ever felt like your skin was trying to tell you something… it probably is. This episode will help you listen.   Highlights: How Dr. Jeffries became a triple-board certified dermatologist and why it’s anything but traditional (1:35) What most dermatologists are missing when it comes to our skin (4:51) The wild connection you never learned about the skin and our nerve system (7:23) Why your skin is a sensory organ that remembers your story (7:41) How your skin expresses what’s beneath the surface (8:36) Can skin hold memory? And what that means for scars, trauma, and healing (10:53) Your cells can tell time: How light, rhythm, and clocks affect your skin (12:07) Want better skin? Start syncing with Chrono Beauty and your body’s natural rhythms (13:58) Your skin makes serotonin, dopamine, AND oxytocin (16:02) Stress on your face: What cortisol is doing to your skin texture + tone (18:20) Skin as an emotional map: How anger, frustration, and identity show up on the surface (20:00) How natural light heals and artificial light disrupts your biology (21:00) Ditch the sunglasses: Why sunrise needs your eyes (24:52) Supplements, sunscreen truths, and how to actually reverse sun damage (26:30) Why everyday sun might be healthier than intermittent exposure (32:27) Your skin protects more than your body, it protects your story (34:01) The Luminous Clock: Dr. Jeffries’ daily rhythm reset for radiant skin and whole-body healing (40:00)   Resources:  @drjeffries Dr. Michelle Jeffries Skin Clock Method   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com  

Just because your tracker says it, doesn’t mean your body agrees. Dr. Jen Huberty reminds us: intuition is data too. What if the key to better health isn't another wearable, protocol, or “science-backed” trend, but learning to trust your inner wisdom? In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Huberty, behavioral research scientist, former Head of Science at Calm, and founder of Fit Minded, to explore the intersection of science, self-worth, and spirituality. With over 190 peer-reviewed publications and $10M+ in research funding under her belt, Dr. Jen’s insights are as rigorous as they are refreshingly human. Highlights Is tracking helping or hurting your mental health? (1:53) Your ring says you slept badly, but you feel rested. Who do you trust? (2:44) The only meditation app Dr. Jen still uses and how she uses it differently. (3:19) Does waking up to a “bad” sleep score have a psychological impact? (3:36) Spirituality vs. Science? Why Dr. Jen believes we need both. (4:33) Why personalized health decisions must go beyond the research to consider your genetics, preferences, and intuition. (5:36) A powerful lesson from her 12-year-old on how to build habits that actually last. (6:46) How to spot real science vs. BS in wellness products. (8:13) Her unfiltered take on GLP-1 weight loss drugs and why it feels like déjà vu from the 80s. (9:08) What’s actually stopping people from lasting changing? (10:42) Dr. Jen’s early research revealed a missing link in most wellness approaches: emotional, social, and intellectual self-worth. (11:05) A book club that changed women’s health, without ever talking about weight. (13:21) How personal tragedy led Jen to yoga and meditation. (14:28) Dr. Jen’s personal experience navigating hormones, supplements, sleep, and learning to trust her body through perimenopause. (16:45) What Dr. Jen has learned from 250+ digital health companies. (18:23) Why daily meditation might be overrated, according to science. (19:06) What’s the minimum effective dose for meditation? (20:06) Dr. Jen shares how folding laundry or doing dishes can be a powerful practice—if you're aware. (21:32) From yoga to private meditation teachers, how Dr. Jen’s practice has evolved over time. (22:04) The 2 most powerful tools for lasting change: goals + asking for help. (23:25) The communication tool that helps you actually get the support you need. (25:11) The question that keeps Dr. Jen up at night and why you should ask it too. (26:34)   Resources:  Dr. Jen Huberty on LinkedIn Fit-Minded.com Insight Timer App MyFitnessPal  Flow App I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron    Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com

In this episode of The Vitalist, we’re joined by Katie Hess—flower alchemist and founder of LOTUSWEI—for a rich conversation about the subtle yet powerful world of flower essences. We explore what flower essences are, the science behind the intelligence of plants, and how flowers communicate with us, often beneath the threshold of our awareness. Katie shares how nature speaks in quiet, potent ways, inviting us to slow down, tune in, and access our deepest gifts. This episode is a call to remember our connection to the natural world and to let it guide us back to our own innate wisdom. HIGHLIGHTS: When she met her mentor, he shared two transformative truths. (2:15)  “If 3% of the world took flower essences, it would change the future of this planet.” (2:25) Dandelions aren’t weeds, they are medicine. A reminder that nature often gives us exactly what we need, right when we need it. (3:13) The difference between herbs, essential oils, and flower essences. (4:40) How flowers express themselves as crystals in water. (7:21) The unseen ways flowers communicate with us, down to the electrical charges bees detect. (8:51) The emotional uses of each flower. (9:41) Collecting flower essences blends science, spirit and deep intentionality (10:37) Indigenous people communicated to plants, altering their chemistry within 24 hours. (11:13) The go-to flower essence for stress, overwhelm, and burnout. (13:13) Flower essences clear up to 7 generations of inherited, acquired and collective patterns. (14:48) Flower essences create a 3 second delay to process emotional triggers. (19:42) Personal client transformations using flower essences. (21:48) Katie does a live flower card reading for Dr. Keiko. (22:39) The essential oils to pair with the flower essences. (26:45) The Flower Revolution program that Katie uses for personal growth. (26:45) Flower essences are our only bioenergetic tool for healing. (30:24) The science of energy transfer and how flower essences ripple through families. (32:02) The crystals in our bodies magnify the flower vibration. (33:04) The flower Katie is still looking for. (34:38) The research of Cleve Backster and how plants can feel and respond to your intentions. (43:19) A closing invitation to remember the gifts within, and how we can use flower essences to grow and evolve. (46:21)   RESOURCES: LOTUSWEI - use code THEVITALIST for 10% off your first order San Center in Phoenix @iamkatiehess @lotuswei @sancenterphx Flowerevolution book by Katie Hess Stephen Harrod Buhner Flower Revolution Program - LOTUSWEI Dr. Masaru Emoto - Hidden Messages in Water Cleve Backster   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com

What if the key to understanding your health, mood, and even how well you age can be measured in your saliva? In this fascinating episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Dr. Patti Milligan, a pioneer in the field of salivary science. Dr. Patti unpacks the groundbreaking world of saliva research.  Join us as we cover how emotional states change your saliva composition and how it can help diagnose diseases years before symptoms arise. You’ll learn how air travel impacts your nervous system, and more importantly what you can do to support your body to mitigate jet lag.  Plus, practical tips on foods and movements to boost nitric oxide and saliva production. HIGHLIGHTS How saliva shifts with emotion — 42 types tied to your nervous system! (3:33) Saliva’s  4 Superpowers: digestion, disease detection, nutrient levels, and immune defense. (4:38) Saliva can spot disease years ahead — including heart, inflammation & even breast cancer. (5:42) How one child reversed “failure to thrive” just by boosting saliva. (9:02) Low saliva = choking risk for elders — and why it’s more common than you think. (12:17) What your saliva says about your nervous system (14:39) How much saliva you produce every year (16:21) How goji berries and lemon drops help children emotionally reset. (17:11) The top foods that stimulate saliva naturally. (20:02) A simple 4-move tongue routine to boost your saliva flow. (24:19) How driving and flying suppress saliva—and what to do about it. (28:23) The Renewal Kit: The 3 ingredients that protect your body mid-flight. (32:18) The two groups leading the saliva research frontier (37:21) Easy ways to measure salivary biomarkers like nitric oxide. (38:16) Boost Your Longevity in 4 Minutes; Dr. Zach Bush’s movement hack to elevate nitric oxide fast. (41:13)   RESOURCES AND LINKS Patti Milligan  Patti Milligan TedX "Your Saliva is Talking to You. Listen!" Renewal Kit for Travelers Everlywell Saliva Testing Dr. Zach Bush’s Nitric Oxide Movement HumanN Dr. Paul Slowey Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com

Dr. Keiko sits down with powerhouse leadership coach and mental skills expert Darlene Santore—known as Coach Dar (@thecoachdar)—for a deep and uplifting conversation on resilience, purpose, and what it really takes to bounce back from life's hardest moments. From working with elite athletes and CEOs to surviving three strokes, Coach Dar brings real, raw wisdom on mental fortitude and the art of rewriting your story when life knocks you down. Her new book, The Art of Bouncing Back, is a call to action for anyone ready to rise stronger—not in spite of challenges, but because of them. HIGHLIGHTS What it means to be “licensed to rise” after setbacks (5:61) Why adversity isn’t a punishment—it’s preparation (8:21) Finding your “flow state” and working in your genius zone (13:57) Coach Dar shares her mentor Laurie Beth Jones (14:02) Dar’s ultimate game changer in life when things get tough (18:10) The moment Dar stopped looking for approval (22:40) Letting people off the train. Not everyone is meant to go the full ride with you. Letting them go is part of your growth. (24:15) Mental resilience starts by choosing hard over easy (24:56) There’s no “right” way to grieve—just feel it, share it, and reframe it to keep moving forward. Grief is a personal journey (31:33) Dar reflects on giving a keynote less than 24 hours after watching her mother take her last breath—and how she channeled that pain into purpose. (32:28) Dar’s micro moments to recharge her energy (40:48) Using stillness to discover your strengths (42:20) Coach Dar shares her mental reset rituals even while in your car and with animals –sometimes it’s just the simple things that reset your soul. (42:57) How not to agree with everyone-it’s about embracing differences and finding common ground through kindness. (45:22) Surprising an Uber driver with apple pie to encourage the importance of human connection. (44:56) This episode is for the visionaries, the high-performers, the healers, and anyone who’s ever asked: Can I come back from this?  Coach Dar’s answer? Yes. You’re born to rise.   RESOURCES AND LINKS instagram.com/thecoachdar www.coachdar.com The Art of Bouncing Back   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com