Your mitochondria are the tiny powerhouses inside every cell — generating the energy that powers your heart, muscles, brain, and immune system. When they’re thriving, you feel it. When they struggle, everything from fatigue and brain fog to chronic illness can follow.

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore the foundational role of mitochondrial function in human health: how stress, toxins, infections, nutrient deficiencies, and trauma impact cellular energy — and how integrative strategies like IV nutrient therapy, herbal medicine, and metabolic support can help restore vitality at the deepest physiological level.

We break down what your mitochondria need to run well… and what might be silently draining your system.

About Kara Dobelis, ARNP

Kara Dobelis is a highly experienced integrative family nurse practitioner and healthcare leader whose professional journey spans critical care nursing, healthcare administration, and founding an innovative patient-centered clinic. After beginning her career in critical care and surgical nursing, Kara transitioned into administration and served as a director at major healthcare organizations. It was in that role she became ethically conflicted with traditional care models—leading her to co-found Integrative Family Medicine in Des Moines, Iowa with a mission to prioritize patient care over profit.

Kara holds a master’s degree in Clinical Informatics and a second master’s in Nurse Practitioner practice. She serves patients across the lifespan—newborns to middle-age adults—focusing on those who have long been underserved or have labwork that “looks fine” but symptoms persist. Her specialties include chronic fatigue, Lyme disease, EBV, other lingering viral illnesses, and immune system dysfunction. Kara combines IV nutrient therapies including NAD+, oral supplements, herbal tinctures, and homeopathic medicine with trauma-informed care to help patients reclaim their health and nervous system regulation.

Her approach begins with a 30-minute trauma-informed intake, where history, physical exam, and diagnostic workup are completed in a respectful space. From there, she collaborates with the patient on integrative treatment plans that may include mental health therapy, IV infusions, chiropractic care, nutritional changes, and regular follow-up to monitor progress. Having personally navigated significant trauma and illness herself, Kara is driven by her own healing journey—applying the wisdom of experience to help others heal through holistic, science-based, and empathetic care.

Learn More: https://www.integrativemediowa.com/

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.