The Health Hunt: Real Healing Journeys, Everyday Wellness & Expert Tips

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out the “right” way to eat, this episode is for you. In part one of our conversation with Michelle Fletcher, founder of the Holistic Business Network and longtime wellness educator, we dive into plant-based nutrition, whole foods, processed foods, sugar, smoothies, protein, and the growing confusion around modern health trends. We talk honestly about veganism, vegetarianism, personalized nutrition, and why there may not be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to feeling your best. From blood sugar spikes and protein smoothies to cheese addictions and French fries, this conversation is packed with practical health insights, humor, and relatable moments that almost everyone will recognize in their own relationship with food.

Michelle shares her personal journey from working in IT and data analysis to becoming deeply immersed in the wellness world after discovering the power of whole food nutrition and plant-based eating. She also explains why she believes modern society has become increasingly disconnected from where food actually comes from, and how that disconnect may be impacting our health.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What “plant-based” actually means 
• Plant-based eating vs veganism vs vegetarianism 
• Why many people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables 
• The decline in nutrient quality in modern foods 
• Blood sugar spikes from smoothies and juices 
• Protein, fiber, and balancing meals 
• Why nutrition should be individualized 
• Processed foods and the modern food environment 
• Emotional relationships with food and cravings 
• How to start making healthier choices without becoming overwhelmed 

And yes… there is also a very passionate side discussion about cheese, French fries, and why some of us are emotionally attached to comfort foods.

In part two, we shift into a deeper conversation about fiber, colon health, metabolic health, holistic wellness, stress, movement, sleep, and the importance of community and human connection in overall health.

Connect With Michelle Fletcher

• Instagram:
  • @theholisticbusinessnetwork 
  •  @healthcoachmich
• Website: TheHolisticBusinessNetwork.com 
• Facebook: Michelle Fletcher South Florida 
• LinkedIn: Michelle Fletcher

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

If you’ve ever wondered whether brain fog, low energy, chronic stress, inflammation, emotional reactivity, and accelerated aging are all connected, this episode will completely challenge the way you think about health and human performance. In part two of our conversation with Ashley Grace, Chief Marketing Officer of Igniton, we move beyond supplements and into a much bigger discussion about cellular energy, consciousness, stress, cognition, nervous system regulation, quantum technology, and the future of health optimization. What starts as a conversation about NAD+, inflammation, and longevity evolves into a fascinating exploration of energy, vibration, emotional regulation, structured water, and whether improving our internal environment can actually change the way we experience the world around us.

In this episode, Ashley explains why he believes supplements are only one piece of the puzzle and why diet, movement, meditation, gratitude, sleep, and stress management are foundational to healthy aging and cognitive performance.

We also discuss:

• Why there is no “magic pill” for longevity 
• The importance of exercise, movement, and nervous system regulation 
• Meditation, prayer, gratitude, and emotional resilience 
• How to think about supplements more intentionally 
• Biomarkers that may help track inflammation and aging 
• CRP, IL-6, GGT, blood pressure, and cognition testing 
• Omega-3s, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Vitamin C, and other commonly used supplements 
• Igniton’s cognition, longevity, and sleep-focused products 
• Quantum energy, structured water, and energetic “charging” 
• The relationship between consciousness, emotional regulation, and physiology 
• Why Ashley believes improving your “internal environment” changes how you experience life 

And yes… this is also the episode where the word “fascinating” may have been used enough times to unintentionally create a drinking game.

Whether you’re deeply into biohacking and longevity or simply trying to understand why modern life leaves so many of us feeling exhausted and disconnected, this conversation is guaranteed to make you think differently.

Resources Mentioned

Igniton

15% off for Health Hunt listeners:
 https://www.igniton.com/HEALTHHUNT

Ashley Grace

• The Biohacking Standards Podcast - with Ashley Grace
• Igniton cognition and memory quizzes 

Biomarkers & Testing Mentioned

• CRP (C-Reactive Protein) 
• IL-6 (Interleukin-6) 
• GGT (Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase) 
• Blood pressure 
• Vitamin D levels 
• Omega-3 testing 
• Zinc + copper testing 

Supplements Mentioned

• Omega-3 
• Vitamin C 
• Vitamin D 
• Vitamin K2 
• CoQ10 
• PQQ 
• Resveratrol 
• NADH 
• Nicotinamide Riboside 
• Reduced Glutathione 
• Berberine

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

If you’ve ever wondered whether aging, brain fog, low energy, inflammation, and burnout are really just “normal” or if there’s something deeper happening underneath the surface, this episode will completely challenge the way you think about health. In part one of this fascinating conversation, we sit down with Ashley Grace, Chief Marketing Officer of Igniton, to explore cellular health, NAD+, mitochondria, inflammation, stress, and why so many people feel depleted in modern life. What starts as a conversation about supplements quickly turns into a much bigger discussion about how the body actually creates energy, why recovery changes as we age, and whether we’ve been thinking about health at the wrong level entirely.

Ashley shares his personal story of surviving a devastating accident, navigating chronic pain, and eventually entering the alternative health and CBD world through Charlotte’s Web, the company that helped bring CBD into the national spotlight after the remarkable story of Charlotte Figi.

We also dive into:

• What mitochondria actually do and why they matter 
• NAD+ explained in simple terms 
• Why energy production changes as we age 
• Brain fog, inflammation, stress, and modern life 
• The connection between cellular health and longevity 
• Why Ashley believes health should be viewed as an interconnected system, not isolated symptoms 
• The role hydrogen may play in the body 
• The science and philosophy behind Igniton’s products 
• Why some supplements may work differently than others 
• The future of health optimization and biohacking 

And honestly… this is one of those episodes where our minds were genuinely blown in real time.

This is part one of a two-part conversation. In part two, we go even deeper into supplementation, biomarkers, cognition, sleep, consciousness, energy, and the future of wellness technology.

Where to Find Igniton and Ashley Grace

Igniton Website

The AshleyOn Podcast

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

If you’ve ever wondered whether a full body MRI can actually detect cancer early, or just leave you more anxious than informed,this episode breaks down what these scans really show, what they miss, and how to make sense of the results without spiraling.

Full body MRI scans are exploding in popularity, but most people still don’t fully understand what they are, what they’re for, or how to interpret the results without going down a Google rabbit hole. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Giuliana Zaccardelli, Chief of Staff at Prenuvo, to unpack the reality behind preventative imaging—what it can detect, what it can’t, and how it fits into the future of healthcare.

If you’ve listened to our recent episodes, you know we both went through the full body MRI experience ourselves, including the anxiety leading up to it and what it actually felt like inside the machine. Now, we’re going deeper with an expert to answer the big questions:

•  What does a full body MRI actually detect? 
•  How often do these scans find something serious? 
•  What do terms like “nodules,” “cysts,” or “no evidence found” really mean? 
•  And how do you interpret all of this without assuming the worst? 

Dr. Zaccardelli walks us through the concept of interpretive care,arguably the most important part of the process,helping you understand how to take your results and turn them into meaningful, real-life decisions about your health.

We also explore the bigger picture: the shift from reactive medicine (treating disease) to proactive, preventative care—and why patients are increasingly driving that change.

This conversation is equal parts practical, reassuring, and eye-opening, whether you’re considering a scan yourself or just trying to better understand how to stay ahead of your health.

🔍 What We Cover

•  What a full body MRI scan is—and how it differs from diagnostic imaging 
•  Why Prenuvo scans are screening tools, not replacements for tests like mammograms or colonoscopies 
•  The difference between nodules vs. cysts (and why they’re often not scary) 
•  What “no evidence found” actually means (and its limitations) 
•  The role of the post-scan consult and why it matters more than the scan itself 
•  How concerning findings are handled and communicated 
•  The emotional side of preventative testing: anxiety, reassurance, and decision-making 
•  The future of preventative health, wearables, and early detection 

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

Colonoscopy & Colon Health: What it’s really like, how to prepare, and why a test can prevent colon cancer

Colonoscopies, colon cancer, and gut health, this might not be the sexiest topic, but it could be one of the most important conversations you’ll ever hear. With colon cancer rates rising in younger adults and screening guidelines now starting at age 45, understanding your options (and what actually happens during a colonoscopy) can literally save your life.

In this episode of The Health Hunt, Dan shares his firsthand colonoscopy experience from the prep (yes, we go there) to the procedure itself and why this test is one of the few in medicine that is both diagnostic and preventative. Together, Dan and Sandi break down screening options like colonoscopy vs. Cologuard, the reality of false positives, and what you can do daily to support long-term colon health.

If you’ve been putting this off, avoiding the conversation, or assuming it’s something to think about “later”, this episode is your nudge to rethink that.

What We Cover

•  Why colon cancer is trending younger 
•  The updated screening age (45+) 
•  Colonoscopy vs. Cologuard vs. other tests 
•  What actually happens during the procedure 
•  Why colonoscopies are both preventative and diagnostic
•  Simple daily habits to support colon health (fiber, movement, sleep) 

Colon Health & Prevention: What Actually Matters

• Fiber is foundational – supports digestion, feeds gut bacteria, reduces inflammation 
• Variety matters – diverse foods = diverse microbiome = better health 
• Movement counts – even light activity supports colon health 
• Sleep & stress – chronic inflammation impacts your gut 
• Limit risk factors – processed meats, smoking, and excessive alcohol 
• Don’t ignore symptoms – blood in stool, bowel changes, or unexplained weight loss

Key Takeaway

This isn’t just about testing, it’s about prevention. The best time to think about your colon health is before something goes wrong.

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

Simple, no-BS advice on gut health, protein, metabolism, and what actually works.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting health advice, eat less, move more, take this supplement, avoid that food, this episode might be the reset you’ve been looking for. In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jerry Hu, we strip things back to what actually matters: real food, simple habits, and understanding how your body truly works. This is the kind of conversation that makes you pause, rethink what you’ve been told, and realize you may have more control over your health than you think.

Dr. Jerry Hu, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, former pharmacist, and gut health-focused practitioner, joins us again to go beyond theory and into practical, actionable steps. 

In this episode, we cover:

•  What a simple, effective diet actually looks like (and why it’s not complicated) 
•  The truth about protein intake and how much you really need 
•  Why resistance training is essential for metabolic health and fat loss 
•  How type 2 diabetes develops and why food plays a bigger role than most people realize 
•  Jerry’s take on medications as “band-aids” and how to think about long-term health 
•  The reality of probiotics vs. prebiotics for gut health 
•  How common medications like PPIs (acid reflux meds) may impact your microbiome 
•  Why testing your gut microbiome might not be as useful as you think 
•  The importance of questioning conventional health advice (and asking “why”) 

One of the biggest takeaways? Health doesn’t have to be complicated but it does require intention. From the food on your plate to the habits you build daily, small consistent changes can create massive long-term impact.

If you’re trying to improve your gut health, lose weight, build muscle, or better understand metabolic disease this episode delivers clear, no-BS guidance.

👉 Haven’t listened to Part 1 yet? Go back and check out Episode 25 with Dr. Jerry Hu to get the full foundation.

Contact Dr. Jerry Hu

Linkedin

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

If you’ve been working out, trying to eat “healthy,” and still not feeling better, this episode may change how you think about food entirely. In part one of our conversation with primary care physician Dr. Jerry Hu, we explore gut health, the microbiome, weight gain, and why so many people believe they’re making healthy choices… while unknowingly working against their bodies. This is a deep but surprisingly practical conversation about cravings, metabolism, processed foods, and how what you eat may be shaping your energy, mood, and overall health in ways most of us never learned.

Dr. Jerry Hu didn’t come to gut health from theory alone. He shares his personal story of being overweight, exercising harder, taking supplements, and doing “all the right things”, only to realize that the missing piece wasn’t more effort, it was understanding how food interacts with hormones and the gut microbiome.

In this first part of our conversation, we explore:

•  Why exercise alone often doesn’t lead to weight loss 
•  The connection between gut health and metabolism 
•  How the microbiome may influence cravings and hunger 
•  Why “calories in, calories out” may be overly simplistic 
•  The hidden impact of processed foods and artificial sweeteners 
•  Why many people think they’re eating healthy when they’re not 
•  How gut bacteria may shape food preferences 
•  The surprising relationship between stress, glucose, and exercise 
•  Why nutrition education is often missing from traditional medical training 
•  The idea that food is more than energy, it’s information 

This conversation challenges some of the most common assumptions about diet, weight loss, and what it actually means to eat “healthy.” It also sets the stage for part two, where we’ll get much more practical about what to eat, protein, supplements, probiotics, medications, and how to simplify gut health in real life.

Part 2 coming next.

Contact Dr. Jerry Hu

Linkedin

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

What if your pain didn’t follow logic, because it’s not just coming from your body? In this episode, we share a real-time mind-body experience where chronic symptoms suddenly shifted, neck pain disappeared, back pain appeared, and the brain science behind why pain can move or change location, or not match MRI findings. If you’ve ever had chronic pain, brain fog, migraines, or symptoms that don’t line up with your tests, this conversation will change how you think about what your body might actually be telling you.

Dan has been dealing with disruptive chronic neck symptoms for a long time. Imaging showed structural findings, but the symptoms never fully made sense. Then something unexpected happened: his neck symptoms suddenly improved… and his lower back started flaring instead.

That shift sparked a deeper conversation about the mind-body connection, the neuroscience of chronic pain, and a concept often referred to as symptom imperative when pain or symptoms move locations as the nervous system continues signaling perceived threat.

We talk about:

•  Why pain doesn’t always equal structural damage 
•  How MRI findings don’t always correlate with symptoms 
•  The concept of “normal abnormalities” (structural findings without pain) 
•  How stress, fear, and internal pressure can trigger physical symptoms 
•  The brain’s role in chronic pain and nervous system sensitization 
•  Why symptoms sometimes move from one body part to another
•  Vacation effect: why symptoms often improve when you're relaxed 
•  Hypervigilance, catastrophizing, and learned pain patterns 
•  How the brain scans for danger even when no threat exists 
•  The mind-body explanation for flare-ups during stressful periods 
•  Why getting sick can sometimes follow emotional or mental overload 
•  A real example of breaking the “I always get sick” belief loop 

This is not about dismissing structural findings. It’s about expanding the conversation. Because many people have "abnormalities" on imaging and some have severe pain while others have none.

So what explains the difference?

The nervous system. The brain’s threat response. And how your body learns patterns over time.

If you've ever wondered why your symptoms change, move, disappear, return, or don’t match what doctors find this episode explores a different lens.

Because sometimes the biggest shift isn’t fixing one body part. It’s understanding how your entire system is responding.

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

If you’ve been living with chronic pain, chronic symptoms, or a nervous system that feels stuck in stress or overdrive, this episode is for you. In Part 3 of our conversation with mind-body coach Hillary Rollins, we move beyond the science and the personal story into the question so many people are asking: how do you actually apply this work in real life?

In Part 1, we explored the neuroscience of chronic pain and how the brain and nervous system can create very real physical symptoms. In Part 2, Hillary shared her personal journey through years of pain, diagnoses, and ultimately finding mind-body healing. This episode is the next step what healing actually looks like in practice.

We talk about:

• What mind-body coaching is (and how it’s different from therapy)
• How tools like journaling and nervous system regulation are used
• Why support, community, and guidance can make a difference
• Resistance, perfectionism, and the pressure to “do healing right”
• How coaching helps people move from understanding… to actually doing the work

One of the most important takeaways from this conversation is that healing isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about creating enough safety in your system, over time, for your brain and body to begin to change.

If you’ve ever thought, “This makes sense… but I don’t know where to start,” this episode will help make it feel more possible — and less overwhelming.

Resources Mentioned

Coaching through Break Awake:

Nicole Sachs website:

Book: Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs

Podcast: The Cure for Chronic Pain by Nicole Sachs

John Sarno

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)

If you live with chronic pain, chronic illness, anxiety, or unexplained symptoms, this episode explores the powerful connection between the brain, the nervous system, and the body. In Part 2 of our conversation with mind-body coach Hilary Rollins, we move from science into story, following her personal journey from years of pain, diagnoses, and fear to lasting recovery through a mind-body approach and healing. If you’ve ever felt stuck in symptoms that don’t fully make sense, this episode offers hope and a new way to understand what healing can look like.

In the previous Episode 21, which was part 1 of our interview with Hillary, we talked about the neuroscience of chronic pain and how the brain can create very real physical symptoms even when there isn’t ongoing structural damage. In this episode, Hilary shares her own story, starting with a childhood accident, years of back pain, scary diagnoses, medical procedures, and eventually discovering the mind-body approach that completely changed how she understood her body and healed her chronic pain.

We talk about incidental findings on scans, the fear that can come with medical labels, and how the nervous system can learn patterns of pain that continue long after the original trigger is gone. 

Hilary explains the idea of the “book cure,” the power of belief, the placebo and nocebo effect, and why sometimes just hearing a different explanation for pain can start to shift the nervous system. We also discuss the symptom imperative, why symptoms can move around the body, and how chronic conditions can change form when the underlying stress response isn’t addressed.

This episode also touches on something we believe strongly: learning to advocate for yourself. We talk about asking questions, getting second opinions, trusting your instincts, and understanding that doctors have one lens but you are the one living in your body.

In Part 3, we’ll talk about the work itself what mind-body coaching looks like, how people retrain their nervous system, and how recovery from chronic symptoms actually happens.

Follow The Health Hunt so you don’t miss the final part of this series.

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
•  Email: [email protected]
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store - Practitioner-grade supplements and wellness products with community discounts up to 25% off
• The Health Hunt's Prenuvo Discount - Save $300 on a full-body MRI scan
• Igniton (15% Off Cellular Health & Longevity Products for Health Hunt Listeners)