Sparking Wholeness

Tracy Harrison is the Founder and Lead Educator of The School of Applied Functional Medicine. She is deeply passionate about transforming healthcare with the powerful combination of functional medicine and savvy clinical partnership. A scientist who left the high-tech corporate world in 2007, Tracy built a wildly successful, multi-modality practice utilizing functional medicine principles, and in 2011, she founded The School of Applied Functional Medicine™.

SAFM is well-respected for its scientific rigor as an accredited continuing education program rooted in both the science and practical application of functional medicine. The school’s tribe of diverse healthcare practitioners represents 20+ different clinical modalities from 70+ countries around the world.

Tracy is a beloved educator and prized mentor in the field. A scientist and systems engineer at heart, Tracy holds three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and further graduate education from Bridgeport University and The Institute for Functional Medicine. She also holds a certification in health coaching from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

In this episode, Erin and Tracy dive into the world of histamine overload and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, identifying root causes behind the increase in these disease states today.

Key Topics:

- What brought Tracy to the world of functional medicine and education

- What is histamine overload and how does it show up?

- How histamine is connected to inflammation

- Histamine overload symptoms that might surprise you

- How Mast Cell Activation Syndrome starts in the gut

- The enzyme that degrades histamine and how enhanced intestinal permeability factors in to histamine overload

- The surprising hormone connection to histamine

- Nutritional considerations and supplements

Get clinical insights from SAFM on social media at @appliedfunctionalmed. For health professionals looking to expand your career, register as a student at schoolafm.com.

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Dr. Ede is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in nutrition science and brain metabolism. Her twenty-five years of clinical experience include twelve years as a college psychiatrist and nutrition consultant at Smith College and Harvard University Health Services, where she was the first to offer students nutrition-based approaches as an alternative to psychiatric medications. She speaks internationally about dietary approaches to psychiatric disorders. She co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for treatment-resistant mental illnesses, developed the first medically accredited course in ketogenic diets for mental health practitioners, and was honored to be named a recipient of the Baszucki Brain Research Fund’s first annual Metabolic Mind Award. Her new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind was published in January 2024.

Key Topics:

- Remission from psychiatric illness is possible

- Patterns of eating that aren’t brain-supportive

- How nutrition studies get twisted to make us fear brain-supportive foods

- Food that makes neurotransmitters function better

- The “unholy trinity” that throws off neurotransmitter balance

- How sugar literally creates stress in the body

- The myth of the perfect brain superfood

Learn more about Dr. Ede’s work and her book at https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/

Grab Erin’s FREE Food is Mood Guide here:

https://mailchi.mp/055b20577ebc/food-is-mood-guide

Sponsor: Factor Meals! Head to factormeals.com/spark50 and use the code spark50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off the next month.

Molly McNamee is an online fitness coach who specializes in chronic stress and pain relief. Her clients call her “The Moving Therapist” as she helps them heal their anxiety through movement.

In this episode, Erin and Molly discuss how exercise can be used as an anxiety modulator - either to increase it or reduce it.

Key Topics:

- The messages about exercise that can do more harm than good

- How high intensity cardio can cause panic attacks

- Five signs your workout routine is the reason your anxiety is high

- How stress leads to weight gain

- Movement that is healing and doesn’t spike anxiety

- The importance of connecting breath to movement

- How to recover post-workout to bring safety back to the body

- How nature resets your nervous system

Learn more about Molly and work with her at mollymcnamee.com and follow her on Instagram at @mfitworkouts.

Grab Molly's FREE anxiety resource here: mollymcnamee.com/anxiety

Grab Erin’s high protein breakfast ideas here:

https://mailchi.mp/a793b6756b9b/high-protein-breakfast-ideas

Julia Blackwell is a fascia release practitioner, educator, and creator of The Fascia Remedy. Julia was born with severe nerve damage to her right shoulder and grew up going through the broken Western medicine system. After 23 years of being told her condition would never improve and feeling no lasting relief from any treatments, she was introduced to a unique type of fascia release bodywork in 2010. In just three months of this fascia specific work, she saw more improvement in the feel and function of her arm than she had in sixteen years of traditional treatments!

In this episode, Erin and Julia discuss Julia’s story of healing and how fascia is the biological fabric that holds everything together: mind, body, and spirit.

Key Topics:

- Julia’s story of healing from chronic nerve damage she thought would never resolve

- What fascia is and how it functions to hold the body and mind together

- The way fascia works separately from the nervous system but also is affected by stress

- The factors that make fascia unhealthy

- Rehydrating, retexturizing, and repatterning the body by supporting fascia

- Three movements that release tight fascia

- Best foods for supporting fascia

Get Julia’s roller remedy course at movementbyjulia.com.

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Andrea Jones is a registered nurse, functional hormone coach, as well as life and health coach. In this episode, Andrea is sharing all about her debut book, Wrapped in Kindness, which details the journey she took as a mother to advocate for her daughter’s mystery health issues.

In this episode, Andrea shares her daughter’s diagnosis with PANDAS, and she shares how she overcame shame and her own triggers in order to help her daughter find healing using a functional medicine approach.

Key Topics:

- What led to Andrea’s daughter’s diagnosis of PANDAS

- An explanation of the brain-immune connection

- Other environmental triggers that activated the diagnosis

- The providential meeting that led to finding a functional medicine practitioner

- The shame Andrea experienced when she couldn’t “fix” her daughter

- How Andrea supported her own nervous system following her daughter’s diagnosis

- The importance of asking for help when your child is struggling

Follow Andrea on Instagram at @abundantwellnesswithandrea and find her book, Wrapped In Kindness, available on Amazon now!

Dr. Ray W. Christner, Psy.D., NCSP, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and a certified school psychologist in Pennsylvania, a nationally certified school psychologist, and a nationally registered health service psychologist.  He specializes in clinical and school psychology, and he is board-certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology.  He maintains a private practice in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and provides telepsychology services in 39 states. He works with children, adolescents, and adults with psychological, developmental, social, behavioral, and learning differences.

Whether you have ADHD, your child has ADHD, or you work with children with ADHD, this episode teaches helpful ways to recognize symptoms and encourage executive function.

Key Topics:

- How one gets a diagnosis of ADHD

- The way the brain works differently for those with ADHD

- How symptoms manifest differently depending on temperament

- Parenting support and tools to improve executive function in kids with ADHD

- Directive and supportive strategies for redirecting

- Various temperaments that impact symptoms of ADHD

Learn more about Dr. Christner at drraychristner.com and check out his podcast Psyched to Practice, wherever you get podcasts.

Dr. Jonathan Marion is a transformational life coach, consultant, and speaker who helps all kinds of accomplished professionals find fulfillment in their lives. Jonathan believes that when we live, connect, and communicate authentically, we create a ripple effect that turns the world into a more caring and connected place. He draws on decades of experience teaching diverse audiences and is trained in Emotional Intelligence, Group Coaching, Positive Psychology Coaching, Clear Beliefs Coaching, and Somatic Coaching. His mission is to be a catalyst for transformation, supporting his clients and audiences as they transcend external accomplishments as measures for success and lead more rewarding, meaningful lives.

Key Topics:

- Intentional steps we take along the way to lead us to change

- How stress impacts our daily lives, including the “shoulds” we stress ourselves out with

- How too much knowledge can be dangerous for health

- How to change the should to could

- How internal dialogue is formed by early life cultural expectations

- Shifting from shame to responsibility

- Shifting from intention to interest

- Micro-stressors we all face that inform our perspective

- How somatic awareness brings us to the present

Learn more about Jonathan and work with him at stepsalongtheway.global.

Get Erin’s recipe book, Brain Food for the Whole Family, on Amazon.

Dr. Judy Ho, Ph. D., ABPP, ABPdN is a triple board certified and licensed Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, and author of Stop Self-Sabotage.

An avid researcher and a two-time recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Services Research Award, Dr. Judy maintains a private practice where she conducts neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic evaluations, serves as an expert witness in legal cases, conducts clinical research, provides expert commentary to media, and is a sought-after public speaker.

In this episode, Dr. Judy shares all about her book, The New Rules of Attachment, a revolutionary approach to attachment theory that teaches readers how to heal their inner child to change their anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment style in relationships, friendships, at work, and home

Key Topics:

- What attachment styles are and how they show up in our lives

- Breaking down the four different styles

- How your self-talk is impacted by your attachment style

- Connecting your child self with your adult self by reparenting to heal attachment wounds

- How to help your children develop secure attachment

Learn more about Dr. Judy and her books at https://drjudyho.com/.

Sign up for Erin’s monthly emails and meal plans here:

https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup

After years of struggling with her own dysfunctional body-relationship, Marla Marla Mervis-Hartmann has transformed her experiences into services to help women discover honor and appreciate their bodies.

Marla has been featured at TEDx Salinas. Marla has followed her passion for women's health down many study paths, including women's sexual wellness; postpartum care; Restore Your Core educator; Tantra teacher certification; Yoga teacher training, and massage therapy. She has a Certification in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy. Marla is author of the upcoming book “BE-Friend Yourself~ A Guide to Freedom with Food, Peace with your Body & Confidence in your Life.”

Key topics:

- how female body image issues are normalized in our culture

- The negative messages women hear about their bodies from childhood on

- The connection between negative body image and emotional eating

- How your relationship with food impacts the way you show up in the world

- How to shift negative self-talk

- The difference between liking and loving your body

- How we bypass our feelings about our bodies and what to do instead

- The message behind Marla’s new book, Be-Friend Yourself

- The concept of pleasure and how it plays a role in a healthy relationship with food and your body

Learn more about Marla and preorder her book at loveyourbodyloveyourself.com/book.

Grab Erin's FREE Mental Health Toolkit here:

https://mailchi.mp/70a7b1d81de4/mental-health-toolkit

Dr. Anjali Agrawal is a family chiropractor, functional nutritionist, founder, and speaker. Dr. Anjali helps families navigate their journey from conception to adulthood. As the founder of Back In Balance, Dr. Anjali integrates gentle chiropractic adjustments, functional nutrition, ergonomics, and a variety of unique diagnostic testing to identify the root cause of symptoms.

Key Topics:

- How basic ergonomic tips for the kitchen and home can reduce your stress load

- “Tech neck” and how it impacts whole body stress

- The way changing your posture changes your physical response to stress

- Why chewing 32 times impacts digestion

- The connection between middle of the night wake-ups and afternoon digestion

- How hair and saliva testing can individualize support for your entire body

Get your free gift from Dr. Anjali, an anti-inflammatory guide, when you go to backinbalancehealth.com/podcast.

Grab Erin’s recipe book here:

Dr. Anjali Agrawal is a family chiropractor, functional nutritionist, founder, and speaker. Dr. Anjali helps families navigate their journey from conception to adulthood. As the founder of Back In Balance, Dr. Anjali integrates gentle chiropractic adjustments, functional nutrition, ergonomics, and a variety of unique diagnostic testing to identify the root cause of symptoms.

Key Topics:

- How basic ergonomic tips for the kitchen and home can reduce your stress load

- “Tech neck” and how it impacts whole body stress

- The way changing your posture changes your physical response to stress

- Why chewing 32 times impacts digestion

- The connection between middle of the night wake-ups and afternoon digestion

- How hair and saliva testing can individualize support for your entire body

Get your free gift from Dr. Anjali, an anti-inflammatory guide, when you go to backinbalancehealth.com/podcast.

Grab Erin’s recipe book here:

https://erinbkerry.com/shop-page/