Hi friends! I'm thrilled to share this week's conversation with Dr. Karyn Shanks, MD, IFMCP a certified functional medicine physician with nearly 40 years of experience. We dive deep into treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—and how trauma, nutrition, and self-care all play a role in lasting health. This was an amazing conversation and I can't wait for you to hear it!

Here's what we discuss:

• Why treating the whole person—physical, emotional, and spiritual—is key to healing

• How trauma can impact chronic illness and long-term health

• Strategies for nervous system regulation to support recovery

• The extensive intake process that helps understand a patient's full health story

• Why spending time with patients is critical for effective care

• Common nutritional deficiencies and how they affect even healthy eaters

• Daily self-care practices that support wellness and reduce anxiety

• How to feel empowered in your health care decisions

• Meditation, creative activities, and listening to your body as tools for well-being

Karyn Shanks, MD is a physician-healer-teacher-writer who lives and practices in Iowa City. Her work is inspired by the science of Directable Human Potential—epigenetics, neuroplasticity, core Functional Medicine systems biology, and transformational psychology—and the wisdom gleaned from the healing journeys of thousands of clients over her thirty-year career. She approaches all of her work through the Unbroken philosophy and framework—that we all have vast untapped genetic, biological, psychological, and spiritual potential.

Connect with her on Instagram here and on her website here.

Make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter For my free Autoimmune Healing ebook, click here. Detailed show notes here: https://fitnessista.com/podcast

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Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you'll get a little "thank you" gift from me to you. http://fitnessista.com/podcastreview