What Actually Creates Health: Emma Tekstra Exposes the Myth of Conventional Medicine

Not All Grief Comes with a Funeral: Finding Strength Through Chronic Illness and Life's Major Transitions

When we hear the word grief, most of us picture casseroles, sympathy cards, and someone saying, "Let me know if there's anything I can do," before disappearing into the mist. But, grief is much more broad. It can show up after a diagnosis, when your body stops cooperating, when you're caring for someone you love, or when the future you imagined quietly gets replaced by one you never planned for. In this episode of Health Under the Hood, we sit down with licensed clinical social worker and certified death doula Claire Treacy to talk about the kinds of loss that don't always have a funeral, but still deserve to be acknowledged. Drawing from her experience supporting patients and families through cancer treatment, serious illness, and end-of-life care, Claire shares what she's learned about resilience, caregiving, and finding your footing when life takes an unexpected turn.  We explore how chronic illness can create invisible grief, why caregivers often put themselves last, and how making space for these experiences can actually help us move forward. You'll learn: • Why grief is a normal part of many health journeys, not just death and loss • How chronic disease can bring unexpected emotional challenges • What it really means to "die with dignity" • Practical ways to find support, build resilience, and regain a sense of control Whether you're navigating a health challenge, supporting a loved one, working to prevent or reverse chronic disease, or simply adjusting to one of life's many plot twists, this discussion is a reminder that being human is complicated, and that you don't have to figure it all out by yourself. Notes: Claire is currently in-network with several insurance providers, and is accepting new clients in Connecticut, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Oklahoma.  You can learn more about her here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/claire-treacy-houston-tx/1601564 [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/claire-treacy-houston-tx/1601564]

The Hidden Science of Skin and Healing with Jodi Scott of Green Goo

What if your skin care routine was affecting far more than your skin, and actually driving chronic disease? On this episode of Health Under the Hood, we sit down with Jodi Scott, founder of Green Goo and CEO of Spry Life,  to explore the surprising connection between the skin barrier, the nervous system, inflammation, and whole-person health. With a background in pre-med, health psychology, private practice, and medical education, Jodi brings a rare perspective that bridges modern science and plant-based healing. She unpacks why the products sitting in your first aid cabinet may matter more than you think, how chronic stress shows up on the skin, and why true healing requires looking beyond symptoms. Learn more about: * The science of psychoneuroimmunology, and how the brain, immune system, and skin constantly communicate. * Why many conventional skin products may disrupt the body’s natural balance * The origin story behind Green Goo and the mission to create clean, effective, plant-powered therapeutics. * How skin health influences sleep, inflammation, stress regulation, and recovery * Why becoming your own health advocate starts with asking better questions Warm, practical, and deeply insightful, this conversation challenges the idea that health care should be compartmentalized, and offers a refreshing reminder that healing is often more connected, and more human, than we’ve been taught. Notes: https://www.greengoo.com/ [https://www.greengoo.com/] Follow Jodi Scott on: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-scott-7234331b8/] Follow Green Goo on:  Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/greengoohelps/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/GreenGooHelps/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@greengoohelps]

What Your Childhood Has to Do with Your Metabolism with ACEs expert, Dr. Brian Alman

What if the story behind your metabolism didn’t start with food, but with your childhood?  In this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Markyia Nichols sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Brian Alman to explore a truth that’s often overlooked in healthcare: our early life experiences don’t just shape who we are. They shape how our bodies function. At the center of this conversation are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a framework developed alongside Dr. Vincent Felitti that reveals how stress, loss, and adversity in childhood can drive patterns in adult health. Not just mental health, but obesity, autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular disease, digestive issues, and more. Sadly, this isn't rare. It’s the norm.  More than 60% of people have experienced ACEs in the form of neglect, abuse or household challenges. Which means for many high-functioning, high-achieving adults, what looks like discipline or drive on the surface may actually be a nervous system shaped by chronic threat detection.  In this episode, we unpack: * What ACEs are and how they impact chronic disease development (and reversal!) * Why so many chronic conditions show up together, not in isolation * How trauma-informed patterns can drive behaviors like emotional or reward-based eating. * Why “fixing” symptoms often misses the root cause * What it really means to work with your nervous system, not against it Dr. Alman also shares practical, accessible tools such as his “15th Row” technique to help listeners begin gently rewiring long-standing stress patterns and rebuilding trust with their own bodies. Bonus: the change doesn’t take long to see!  If you’ve ever felt like your body is working against you or like you’re doing everything “right” but still not getting answers, this episode will help you see your health through a completely different lens. And, more importantly, show you where to begin. Notes: From Trauma to Enlightenment: The Four Steps to Unconditional Self-Acceptance is available on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Enlightenment-Dr-Brian-Alman/dp/B0FT3QMHBD/ref=sr_1_2?adgrpid=1343603775944300&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sMLk-G8YqI0X2NoTlRaiL7wm5zPzkLxMLPAz_2LCJbQdKe81gmdxCscVB9D4ED4nYAkjH8We3TyAnCMfqNZlHWrFyve1DsS3TRXdrmwr4Yx7qRCR4sfEXzSRF_FFVIMB-NKTpOH1ThRIMMuYR5OOCLchIpGqJE1ElpmCXc-MjJwIUWmJmx_Ooho8Z-f1_nX1.FqLma8rVrc3Aai_1gkP7ELypCPpiuvl5gW7Y0urfUBE&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83975474878201&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=60155&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-83975587493199%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=22533_13494418&keywords=dr+brian+alman&mcid=60aef1f4c393338c89674b957e7cfa12&msclkid=4700dcb406b419afe162b563df027630&qid=1775753662&sr=8-2]. truesage.com [http://truesage.com/] Sign up for enlightn™ [https://truesage.com/sign-up/] Follow Dr Alman on: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrianalman/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/dralman/reels/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@DrAlmanACEhealing/videos]

When Movement Stops Being a Prescription: A Lens on Kate Wallich and Dance Church®

We’ve been taught that movement has to hurt to count. That exercise is discipline, prescription, and sweat, but never joy. Kate Wallich is here to challenge all of that. As the founder of Dance Church®, Kate has built a movement that’s less about getting it “right” and more about showing up…exactly as you are. What started as a small, no-judgment dance class in Seattle has grown into a national community reaching hundreds of thousands of people, all rooted in the idea that movement is medicine when it’s experienced, not prescribed. In this episode of Health Under the Hood, we talk about why joy and play might be the most underutilized tools in health, what happens when movement becomes something we “should” do instead of something we want to do, and how dance creates healing that traditional healthcare often overlooks. We explore stress, disconnection, accessibility, and the  transformations that happen when people feel safe enough to move together. This conversation is a reminder that health is about connection, expression, and belonging. And sometimes, the most powerful intervention doesn’t come with instructions…just music and space. Notes: Learn more about Dance Church - https://go.dancechurch.com/ [https://go.dancechurch.com/] Follow Dance Church on:  Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/dance_church/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@dancechurch] Follow Kate Wallich on: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/katewallich/?hl=en] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-wallich-8b510537/]

What Actually Creates Health: Emma Tekstra Exposes the Myth of Conventional Medicine

What if the biggest predictors of health aren’t genetics, bad luck, or aging, but the systems we’ve normalized and the questions we’re not encouraged to ask? In this episode of Health Under the Hood, Dr. Markia Nichols sits down with longtime global health consultant and independent researcher, Emma Tekstra, to unpack an uncomfortable truth: modern healthcare is exceptional at managing symptoms, and remarkably bad at creating health. With 25 years advising global employers on benefits strategy, and a deeply personal journey sparked by her son’s early neurological and digestive diagnoses, Emma brings both hard data and hard-earned insight. She explains why a system built for acute care now dominates chronic disease, how “standard of care” protects institutions—not patients—and why pharmaceuticals are too often the first (and only) line of defense. Together, they explore: * Why chronic disease is driven by nutrient deficiencies and toxic overload—not inevitability. * How women’s health in midlife is misunderstood, undertreated, and over-medicated. * What patients (and parents) must do when the white coat doesn’t have the answers. * Why food, lifestyle, and environment outperform prescriptions in the long run * And how employers and health plans could save money and lives by making root-cause care the default. Emma doesn’t traffic in wellness trends or wishful thinking. She follows the evidence wherever it leads. Her conclusion is that better health isn’t a mystery. It’s a choice, once you know where to look. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, overprescribed, or told to “manage” a condition you want to reverse, this conversation will change how you think about health, medicine, and what’s actually possible. Notes: How to Be a Healthy Human: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Health and Longevity is available on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Healthy-Human-Longevity/dp/1510779507], and wherever books are sold. https://emmatekstra.com/ [https://emmatekstra.com/] Follow Emma Tekstra on:  Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/emmatekstra/]  [https://www.instagram.com/dance_church/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/talk2emma/]