In Alignment

Is Wellness Making Women More Anxious?

This week on In Alignment, we’re joined by holistic nutritionist and somatic practitioner Madison Miller for a conversation that challenges so much of what women have been taught about healing. What if the symptoms you’ve been trying to fix — anxiety, gut issues, chronic inflammation, skin flare-ups, jaw tension, even exhaustion — are not random, but signals? Madison shares why so many women are stuck in cycles of over-optimizing, over-supplementing, and over-controlling their health, while missing a deeper root: chronic stress physiology, emotional suppression, and disconnection from the body. We talk about the ways “wellness culture” can sometimes become another form of dissociation, how symptoms can act as messengers rather than problems to silence, and why true healing may have less to do with adding more protocols and more to do with rebuilding self-trust. This is a conversation about moving from perfectionism to embodiment, from discipline rooted in fear to devotion rooted in self-love. We explore: * How unprocessed emotions can show up as physical symptoms * The connection between nervous system dysregulation, inflammation, gut issues and hormone symptoms * Why doing everything “right” can still leave women feeling unwell * The difference between optimization and embodiment * How perfectionism and wellness culture can fuel the very symptoms they promise to fix * Why symptoms may be sacred messengers, not betrayals * Somatics, EFT tapping and simple ways to begin reconnecting with your body * The role of community in healing and why healing was never meant to be done alone * Reframing discipline as devotion * Why simplifying, not adding more, may be one of the most healing things you can do If you’ve ever felt frustrated that you’re doing all the “right” things and still don’t feel well, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Where to find Madison? Website [https://bodylovebymadison.com/about] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bodylovebymadison] Get full access to Shift Into Alignment at shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe [https://shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Amanda Wahlstedt, Founder of Roots to Leaves: The Hormone Conversation Every Woman Deserves to Have

Amanda Wahlstedt is a registered dietitian, functional health practitioner, and founder of Roots to Leaves — a private practice working exclusively with women on hormonal health, fertility, and whole-body wellness. Her own experience coming off the pill after a decade and being met with no real answers is what sent her on the path to building the practice she wished had existed. In this episode, Annie and Marissa sit down with Amanda for one of the most honest, practical conversations they've had on women's hormonal health. They talk about how the birth control pill impacts your body and why you can't see the full picture until you're off it, the connection between chronic stress and reproductive hormones, and why nervous system support is so much more than a wellness trend. Amanda also shares the question she comes back to with every client — is this action coming from love or from fear — and why the energy behind a health habit matters just as much as the habit itself. They also get into endocrine disruptors, what they are, where they’re hiding in your daily life, and the three buckets to prioritize first without overhauling everything overnight. Plus a conversation on tampons, what wellness actually means to Amanda right now, and the healing ritual she swears by that has nothing to do with supplements or protocols. This conversation is not about doing more or optimizing harder. It is about finally understanding your body — and learning to work with it instead of against it. Where to Find Amanda: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/roots_to_leaves/] Substack [https://rootstoleaves.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips] Website [https://rootstoleaves.com] Get full access to Shift Into Alignment at shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe [https://shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Invisible Factors Driving Your Health Are in Your Home with Ben Parens, Founder of Nestwell

This week on In Alignment, we’re joined by Ben Perens, founder of Nestwell, who is building in one of the most overlooked categories in wellness. His core belief is simple but hard to ignore: the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the environment you live in every day are doing far more to your health than most of the things you’re spending money on. We get into what’s actually inside our homes, from VOCs and gas stoves to water quality, lighting, and microplastics, and why these inputs quietly shape everything from sleep and focus to long-term disease risk. Ben breaks down the idea of “high-leverage health” and why so many of us are focused on optimizing the last 10% while ignoring the foundation. We also talk about greenwashing, how to think about “clean” products, and why the current wellness industry has largely missed this entire category. The most important part: this doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. We talk through the small, practical shifts that actually move the needle, what to prioritize first, and how to think about your home as a system that either supports your health or slowly works against it. Where to find Ben? Nestwell [https://www.gonestwell.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/go.nestwell/] https://www.instagram.com/go.nestwell/ Get full access to Shift Into Alignment at shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe [https://shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Fear of Being Seen and How to Build Radical Confidence

This week on In Alignment, Annie and Marissa sit down for a raw, honest solo conversation unpacking one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal growth: confidence. What it actually is, where it comes from, and how to build deep inner self confidence. At the core of this conversation is something deeper: the fear of being seen. We get real about the truth behind “putting yourself out there.” It’s not natural, it’s not comfortable, and it’s not about having some inherent confidence gene. It’s about the willingness to be seen, even when it feels vulnerable, uncertain, and uncomfortable. From leaving careers and relationships to rebuilding identity from scratch, we walk through the moments that forced us to confront who we were underneath everything we had built to feel safe. We talk about people-pleasing, performing versions of ourselves to be chosen, and the quiet ways we hide in order to avoid rejection. This conversation dives into the uncomfortable but necessary reality that confidence is not something you build first. It is what emerges when you stop hiding. We also break down: * How the fear of being seen and judged keeps you stuck * The difference between being chosen and actually being known * How relationships mirror the parts of ourselves we avoid * The role of grief, transition, and uncertainty in building self-trust * How to reconnect with yourself when you feel completely lost * Why joy is one of the most powerful guides back to who you are * The mindset shift that makes it never “too late” to start over If you are navigating a transition, questioning your identity, or craving the confidence to take a leap, this episode will show you that what you are really looking for is not confidence — it is the courage to be seen as you are. Get full access to Shift Into Alignment at shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe [https://shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

How to Decode Your Body's Signals — Dr. Rachel Dew on Somatic Healing and the Emotional Root of Illness

Today we sit down with Dr. Rachel Eva Dew, a double board-certified Doctor of Natural and Integrative Medicine with over 20 years of clinical experience, training in more than 20 healing modalities, and a patient list that spans the world. She is the founder of ModiHealth and the Integrative Wellness Academy, and the creator of the Emotional Clearing Method — a powerful approach to releasing stored trauma and emotional patterns from the body without having to relive them. What we cover in this episode: Why chronic illness so often begins with unprocessed emotion — and why treating the symptom without addressing the emotional root keeps people stuck in cycles that never fully resolve The difference between listening to your body and managing your symptoms — and why that distinction changes everything about how healing actually works The science behind the connection between emotions and physical health — how what we feel and what we suppress shows up in the body in measurable, physiological ways How to begin releasing stored trauma without reliving it — the approach Dr. Rachel uses with her patients that makes emotional healing accessible and safe Practical grounding and embodiment techniques you can start using today — tools that do not require a therapist, a diagnosis, or hours of dedicated practice Why resilience is built through discomfort — and what it actually looks like to move through difficulty rather than around it How awareness and action work differently in healing — and why knowing something intellectually is not the same as the body processing it The role of chronic illness and lifestyle factors in the broader picture of whole-person health Three things that will stay with you from this conversation: “Resilience is built through discomfort.” — a reframe that changes how you relate to hard moments rather than trying to eliminate them. “Balance in one area benefits the whole.” — the case for starting where you are instead of waiting until you can overhaul everything at once. “Compassion is key in healing.” — not as a soft add-on but as a physiological necessity for the nervous system to feel safe enough to actually change. About Dr. Rachel Eva Dew Dr. Rachel Eva Dew is a double board-certified Doctor of Natural and Integrative Medicine with over 20 years of clinical experience, trained in more than 20 healing modalities and known for her integrative, whole-person approach to health that supports the mind, body, and emotional well-being as one interconnected system. Throughout her career, she has worked with hundreds of patients in private practice and reached thousands more through her books, programs, and speaking engagements, with a focus on both treating complex conditions and addressing the deeper drivers of health through preventative care. She is the co-founder and CEO of ModiHealth, a virtual care platform that brings comprehensive integrative healthcare and wellness support into one accessible ecosystem, and the founder of Integrative Wellness Academy, where over 10,000 students worldwide have been trained and certified as Integrative Wellness and Life Coaches through her proprietary Integrative Life Coaching Model, which blends wellness, psychology, behavior change, and healing practices to support deeper, lasting transformation. Building on decades of clinical work, Dr. Rachel also developed the patented Emotional Clearing Method (ECM), designed to help individuals release stored emotional patterns, trauma, and limiting beliefs, now taught to practitioners globally. An international speaker and published author of multiple books including Healing the Total Self, Playing Full Out, and Transform, her work is grounded in the belief that your current symptoms, history, and circumstances do not define your future, and she is dedicated to helping individuals create lasting change, achieve optimal health, and live more aligned, empowered lives. Find Dr. Rachel Website [https://drracheldew.com/meet-rachel-eva/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drracheldew/] IWA [https://iwacoaching.com] Get full access to Shift Into Alignment at shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe [https://shiftintoalignment.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]