In this powerful episode of Field Notes, Dr. Rob Downey sits down with Dr. Chloe Weber for a deeply human conversation at the intersection of functional medicine, Chinese medicine, and lived experience.

Dr. Weber shares how her son's rare neurological condition became the catalyst for her life's work—pushing her beyond the limits of conventional care and into the ecosystem-based wisdom of Chinese herbal medicine, CBD, and spagyric extraction.

Together, they explore why modern chronic illness demands a proactive, pattern-based approach to health, how ancient formulas can be intelligently adapted for today's world, and why women's hormonal health and neurological resilience deserve far more nuanced support than they currently receive.

Learn more about Dr. Chloe Weber: http://radicalrootsherbs.com and http://Noxiherbs.com

Key Takeaways:

Chinese medicine treats the body as an ecosystem, not a collection of isolated parts—addressing root patterns, not just symptoms.

Personal healing journeys often spark the most powerful innovations, as seen in Dr. Chloe Weber's work born from advocating for her son's neurological health.

Herbal formulas and CBD can be deeply therapeutic when used intelligently and in ways that support underlying imbalances.

Modern health challenges require updated ancient wisdom, blending time-tested Chinese medicine with today's science and realities.

Women's hormonal health needs cycle-aware, dynamic support, not one-size-fits-all solutions.

This episode is equal parts science, story, and soul—an inspiring reminder that true healing begins when we stop treating symptoms in isolation and start supporting the whole human system.

What if the missing link behind stubborn hormone issues, mood swings, fatigue, and digestive chaos isn't your hormones at all—but your gut? In this powerful Field Notes conversation, Dr. Rob Downey sits down with nutritionist and gut-health expert Jacqui Meehan to unpack the deeply personal story that led her from chronic illness to healing, and why the microbiome is the true cornerstone of vibrant health.

Learn more about Jacqui here: https://www.jacquimeehannutrition.com/about

Together, they explore the gut-brain-hormone connection, why so many people "do everything right" and still feel awful, and how simple, overlooked shifts in digestion, lifestyle, and nutrient absorption can unlock dramatic changes in energy, mood, and hormonal balance—especially for women. If you've ever felt dismissed, stuck, or frustrated by surface-level health advice, this episode may completely change how you understand your body—and where real healing begins.

Key Takeaways:

• Gut health is foundational—not secondary. The microbiome influences digestion, immunity, hormones, and mood. You cannot fully heal or optimize health without first stabilizing gut function.
• You're not just what you eat—you're what you absorb. Many people eat well but still feel depleted because poor digestion and low stomach acid block nutrient assimilation. Fixing absorption often unlocks rapid improvements.
• Stress directly disrupts digestion and hormones. Chronic stress shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight, suppressing stomach acid, bile flow, and gut motility—setting the stage for inflammation and imbalance.
• The gut and brain are in constant two-way communication. Through the vagus nerve and microbial metabolites, gut health shapes mood, stress resilience, and emotional regulation—sometimes even more than mindset alone.
• Hormonal balance depends on the microbiome. Certain gut bacteria can recycle excess estrogen instead of eliminating it, contributing to estrogen dominance, PMS, PMDD, and PCOS—making gut repair essential for hormone health.

In this deeply moving episode of Field Notes, Dr. Rob Downey sits down with Veronique Ory to explore the powerful intersection of embodiment, trauma, and healing. Veronique shares how lived experiences—especially those shaped by early life, intergenerational trauma, and unexpressed emotion—are stored in the body, influencing our health, behavior, and sense of safety long after the original events have passed.

Together, they unpack why healing isn't about "fixing" ourselves, but about creating enough safety to let go, soften old narratives, and reconnect with the body through compassion, curiosity, movement, and presence. Blending wisdom from yoga, somatic work, psychology, and functional medicine, this conversation offers a hopeful, grounded reminder that when we learn to listen to the body—and honor both pain and joy—profound personal and collective transformation becomes possible.

Learn more about Veronique here: http://YogaWithVeronique.com

Key takeaways:

All experience is embodied. Emotions, stress, and trauma don't just live in our thoughts—they are stored in the nervous system, fascia, and tissues, shaping health patterns until they are consciously felt and released.

Healing requires safety, not force. We often hold on to old wounds because they once protected us. True healing happens only when the body feels safe enough to let go, not when the mind tries to "fix" or override the process.

Suppressed emotions create bigger reactions later. No emotion is inherently bad, but unexpressed feelings tend to surface as overwhelm, illness, or sudden emotional eruptions. Somatic practices allow emotions to move through the body in healthy ways.

Forgiveness is about freedom, not approval. Letting go of old stories and grievances isn't about condoning what happened—it's about releasing the emotional charge so it no longer hijacks the body or dictates health outcomes.

Small shifts can create paradigm-level change. Gentle, embodied actions—like changing daily habits, slowing down, choosing nourishing movement, or removing inflammatory inputs—can unlock profound transformations in health, agency, and self-trust.

In this Field Notes conversation, Dr. Rob Downey sits down with Dr. Avinish Reddy to explore a powerful but often overlooked truth about longevity: social connection isn't a "nice to have" — it's a biological necessity.

While modern health culture fixates on metrics like VO₂ max, glucose, sleep scores, and diet precision, Dr. Reddy explains how meaningful relationships directly shape stress physiology, immune function, metabolic health, and long-term vitality.

Drawing from clinical data, neuroscience, and real-world patient outcomes, the episode reframes connection as a measurable driver of healthspan — one that lowers inflammation, stabilizes blood sugar, improves sleep, and reduces mortality risk.

The message is simple but profound: optimizing health in isolation is incomplete. Longevity is built in relationship.

Key Takeaways

• Social connection is a core pillar of longevity, with isolation linked to up to a 50% increase in early mortality risk

• Meaningful relationships lower stress hormones, improve sleep quality, and positively influence glucose and inflammation

• Simple daily habits (calling loved ones, walking with friends, shared meals) outperform complex protocols when sustained long-term

• Healthspan depends on integrating social connection with movement, nutrition, and purpose — not tracking metrics alone

• The benefits of connection compound over decades, making midlife habits critical for long-term resilience and vitality

Learn more about Dr. Reddy: https://www.elevatedmedical.com/

Dr. Rob Downey welcomes Benjamin Bressington for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond the mushroom hype cycle and into lived experience, integrity, and true therapeutic potential. Benjamin traces his path into mushrooms through years spent navigating infertility and IVF, where he witnessed firsthand the physical and emotional toll of narrow, protocol-driven medicine. That disillusionment, combined with his own struggle with depression as a high-performing entrepreneur, led him to explore mushrooms as a tool for accessing buried trauma and restoring a sense of vitality that talk therapy alone never unlocked. The discussion then turns practical and deeply educational. Benjamin breaks down why caffeine creates a cycle of "borrowed energy" and crashes, while certain functional mushrooms support the body's natural energy systems more sustainably. He also exposes why many mushroom supplements fail—using clear analogies to explain the difference between fruiting bodies and mycelium, and why extraction methods matter so much. By unpacking spagyric extraction and microdosing concepts, this episode equips listeners to make informed, discerning choices in a rapidly growing (and often misleading) wellness space.

Time stamps

01:27–06:19 — Infertility, IVF, and disillusionment with conventional medicine 03:04–04:08 — Depression, trauma, and mushrooms as a catalyst for healing

08:43–10:12 — Caffeine crashes vs. clean, adaptogenic mushroom energy

18:12–24:08 — Fruiting bodies, extraction methods, and why most products fail

Key takeaways

• Caffeine often stimulates fake energy, while mushroom adaptogens support real, sustainable energy production.
• The therapeutic impact of mushrooms depends heavily on fruiting body sourcing and extraction quality.
• Many "high-dose" mushroom products are ineffective because they rely on mycelium and weak extraction methods.
• Ancient practices like spagyric extraction and microdosing offer insights that modern wellness often overlooks.

Get your free sample: https://checkout.bareremedy.net/energygummy1?event_id=1ecc8bda-7d0c-4db1-a6e7-850bf586a522

Heather Moon, our wonderful nurse practitioner here at Seaworthy, is taking over as host for this episode of The Field Notes Podcast!

She welcomes fellow NP, Marcia Mankin, whose lifelong passion for skin health began on a Wyoming ranch and deepened through profound personal experiences with melanoma in her family. Together, they explore something I wish more people understood: your skin isn't just a surface.

It's a living, intelligent messenger—constantly reflecting your internal health, your environment, your stress levels, your sleep quality, and even your emotional state. Marcia brings decades of surgical and clinical wisdom to this conversation, helping us see how skin changes often reveal what's happening before we see it anywhere else.

Heather and Marcia also unpack the lifestyle patterns that shape skin health—nutrition, movement, hydration, sun exposure, and daily habits—and they shine a light on popular aesthetic trends that may do more harm than good. It's an empowering, science-grounded discussion that reminds us that the fundamentals matter far more than quick fixes. If you've ever wondered why your skin suddenly looks dull, inflamed, puffy, reactive, or "off," this episode will help you understand the deeper story and make meaningful changes that support whole-body vitality.

5 Key Takeaways

• Your skin is often the first place deeper issues—autoimmune, inflammatory, emotional, or organ-related—show up.

• Whole foods, adequate protein, hydration, and micronutrients directly support collagen, repair, and radiance.

• Stress, sleep quality, and emotional health influence the skin almost immediately—often within hours.

• Be cautious with trendy aesthetic procedures like PDO threads and injectable PDGF; research is limited, and risks include inflammation and scarring.

• The most powerful skin practices are simple: daily sunscreen, gentle cleansing, hydration, good sleep, and consistent care.

In this episode of the Fieldnotes podcast, Dr. Rob Downey interviews naturopathic doctor Sarah Love about why nutrition alone often fails to resolve modern health issues. Sarah explains that despite patients following excellent diets, chronic stress, lack of breaks, and sympathetic overdrive frequently block healing. She emphasizes the importance of intentional rest, reconnecting with nature, and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Her clinical experience led her back to herbal medicine and the creation of her own caffeine-free tea blends designed to support relaxation, gut health, cognitive clarity, and daily rituals that restore vitality. The conversation highlights simple, "common-sense" lifestyle practices — like scheduled breaks, outdoor time, and herbal tea — as essential foundations for wellness.

Timestamps: 02:40 – Diet alone not healing patients. 04:54 – Break culture urgently needs revival. 06:43 – Breaks must be truly restorative. 13:48 – Herbal teas reintroduced into practice. 21:39 – Gut drives overall body health.

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Key Takeaways: Breaks are essential for true healing. Stress blocks digestion and vitality. Nature exposure boosts parasympathetic activity. Herbal teas support gut and mind. Simple habits outperform complex interventions.

In this episode of the Fieldnotes podcast, Dr. Downey interviews Natalie Lund and opens up about her unexpected journey through perimenopause and how it forced her to rewrite long-held beliefs about her body and identity. She shares how she experienced medical gaslighting when her symptoms were dismissed, and how she found real relief through hormone therapy and the mindset-shifting technique of rapid transformational therapy (RTT). She explores how hypnosis and RTT helped her reclaim control over her life, reset her mental and physical state, and begin seeing her femininity and wellbeing in a completely new way. The conversation offers raw personal testimony, practical tools for women navigating hormonal chaos, and a message that transformation is possible when you stop trying to live by old rules.

Timestaps: (00:05:12) Realizing the symptoms meant perimenopause (00:18:45) Doctors dismissed her pain and fog (00:29:33) Discovering RTT & hypnosis as tools (00:41:20) Hormone therapy changed her outlook (00:55:10) Reclaiming identity beyond physical symptoms

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Key Takeaways: Hormonal life changes demand identity transformation Medical dismissal doesn't mean symptoms aren't real RTT and hypnosis changed her internal narrative Hormone therapy unlocked physical and mental clarity Reclaiming femininity starts with redefining self

In this episode of the Fieldnotes Podcast, Dr. Rob Downey speaks with Dr. Marissa Heisel—a chiropractor and midwife—about the importance of trusting our body's innate wisdom and recognizing that true healing begins from within. She shares how modern society, particularly for women, has conditioned us to depend on external authorities rather than our own intuition. Through her experiences in chiropractic, midwifery, and holistic care, Dr. Heisel emphasizes the power of self-trust, simplicity, and returning to natural grounding practices to restore vitality and sovereignty over one's health.

• (00:02) Introduction to Dr. Marissa Heisel and the theme of self-healing

• (02:11) Her transition from conventional medicine to holistic practice

• (03:48) Core philosophy: "You are your own best medicine"

• (08:24) How cultural conditioning undermines women's body wisdom

• (32:05) Practical guidance—using breath and nature to reconnect to inner balance

Key Takeaways

• We are both our own best expert and our most powerful healer.

• Cultural conditioning often erodes self-trust, leading to overreliance on external validation.

• True healing begins by simplifying—removing noise and reconnecting with the body's signals.

• Mindful breathing and grounding in nature are accessible ways to restore inner clarity and resilience.

Learn more about Dr. Marissa here:

In this episode of the Fieldnotes Podcast, Dr. Rob Downey speaks with Jodi Cohen, founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, about the transformative power of essential oils on the brain and nervous system. Cohen recounts her personal journey, showing how scent can help regulate the vagus nerve, restore parasympathetic balance, and support emotional healing. She explains the direct neurological link between smell and safety, how scent can rewire stress responses, and why essential oils like clove, lime, and rose can serve as simple yet profound tools for trauma recovery, anxiety relief, and nervous-system regulation. Timestamps: (01:18) Started using oils for sleep (03:50) Discovered vagus-nerve stress connection (05:57) Created clove-lime parasympathetic blend (12:49) Used rose oil to heal grief (27:15) Linked neck fascia to relaxation ____________________________________________________________________________ Key Takeaways: Smell directly accesses the brain. Oils can shift stress to calm. The vagus nerve controls healing. Grief inspired powerful emotional blends. Regulation begins with the parasympathetic system.