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Preventative Healthcare Through Holistic Healing Episode Transcript

00:00 - Nachi (Host)

In this episode, we're diving into the fascinating world of naturopathic medicine and exploring how it can support our overall health and well-being. We're joined by the wonderful Dr Courtney Witherspoon. She'll share her knowledge and insights with us, providing valuable tips and advice on harnessing the power of sustainable lifestyle changes to achieve optimal health. Welcome to another episode of I'm Not Yelling, I'm Dominican podcast, hosted by Nachi and Damaris. Hey everyone, this is your girl, nachi, and I'm here with Damaris, also known as the nap enthusiast.

00:49

And we're so absolutely thrilled to have with us today Dr Courtney Witherspoon. She has been caring for our family's health for I don't know like the past eight years, and it has been Easily, yes, and amazing. You have been such an amazing support throughout our journey and we couldn't have had a better person to inspire us and share your knowledge on naturopathic healing. So welcome, dr Witherspoon, we're so excited to have you here.

01:19 - Dr. W (Guest)

I'm really thrilled to be invited. Thank you so much.

01:23 - Nachi (Host)

It's an honor. Yes, definitely, definitely. So we like for you to kind of take a moment and share a little bit about yourself to our listeners and what you have to offer.

01:35 - Dr. W (Guest)

So I'm a doctor of oriental medicine and a clinical nutritionist and I've been practicing for almost 30 years now. Time goes fast. And so you know, being a clinical nutritionist, having a master's in nutrition as well as having a doctorate in oriental medicine, for me it gives me the best of both worlds I have. I know a lot of biochemistry, because where I went to get my master's it was two years of hardcore biochemistry. So I know a lot about the body, I know a lot of how it works, and on the eastern side it gives me an entirely different perspective.

02:21

You know, when we're doing Eastern medicine whether it's Eastern medicine or Ayurvedic medicine I mean I do oriental medicine we look for patterns and we look for root causes. And so if someone comes to me, if three different people come to me with hypertension, I might treat the three of them differently because their root causes could be completely different. So in Chinese medicine, what's important is that you treat, you figure out what the root is, you treat the root and then, of course, whatever their current ailment is we call that the branch you also treat that. So you're always doing the root simultaneously. So if someone comes in pain and yet they're diabetic and they have slow metabolism and leaky gut.

03:13

You want to get to the root cause of that, or I have a lot of people unfortunately showing up with cancer and we could talk about that because that's fascinating what the root causes. But what I've seen over the years is most of the people who showed up with cancer I would say particularly metastasized cancer they have some serious old anger problems that they have never resolved, especially PTSD from the past, but generally it's from family life and a lot of anger, and to me cancer is the ultimate expression of anger that has not been resolved.

03:58 - Damaris (Host)

You know it's so interesting that you say that because we it was in our first season we had our niece and she, naomi, and she talked about how she does a lot of work she's like licensed to do breath work not licensed, but just like an expert in breath work practices and she talks about like yet she sees how cancer can be a manifestation of that emotional trauma that has not been addressed. And for a lot of people, they for them to make that connection of like your emotional well being as being part of like having such an impact on your physical being, is really hard to make that connection because the way Western medicine has been indoctrinated in this country, right, so it's like what do you mean? A connection of how you feel can manifest itself into such an ugly disease. And so I actually want to step back a little bit because there's you touched upon a lot of things already in your introduction, but the idea of nutrition and naturopathic healing.

05:09

I feel like it's also very much influential in how people's overall well being is, and that includes your mental health, your emotional health, physical, spiritual, and I've always viewed and Natya and I had an episode well, actually two episodes on big food and the impact of big food industry within this country and how it impacts people's overall health, and that is simply because food is our medicine. You talked about the biochemical makeup and like how those nutrients, like those are the building blocks of how we move forward every day. That's our fuel. So I think the fact that nutrition isn't even really considered when it comes to medical school it's so limited, like it's like 10 hours like it's so it just doesn't make sense. Again, it is bizarre. So can you talk us through about explaining that relationship to with nutrition and healing? And because I think that's what makes you so unique, you're so well rounded in that it's like not only just the practice of Eastern medicine, but it's also the understanding, the nutritional aspect of this.

06:25 - Dr. W (Guest)

And that's why I went back to school for nutrition, because, as much as I love oriental medicine and it's very powerful in the United States and I was like I need to understand from a nutritional aspect, what's going on as well, and that's what propelled me to go back to school and get that masters. But yeah, I mean, food is everything, diet is everything, and what's really tragic today is people tend to have to pay more to get good quality food. I mean, at every turn our food is being poisoned, yes, and it shows. I mean, just to give you it was kind of funny, but so I had a woman come in.

07:05

All kinds of gut issues, I mean, and that's. We see a lot of that today because our food is poison. And so if your food is poison, it immediately destroys the necessary probiotics in your gut that do so many things. I mean a lot of people don't know that 70% of your immune system resides in your gut, so without good bacteria, your immune system deteriorates. However, if you're eating some junk food, if you're eating fast food not knowing where it's coming from, food that's been fried in some oil 100 times a day, so it's got all these trans fats and all these free radicals.

07:48

Exactly all these free radicals. That destroys the good bacteria in your gut, and if there's no good bacteria, the bad bacteria, the pathogenics, move in and now, as your immune system, your immune, 70% of your immune system, resides in the gut. If it's pathogenic bacteria, then people shouldn't be surprised that they get all the coals, that they get a flu every winter, because now your 70% of your immune system is not being supported. So food is everything the type of food, how much food, the quality of your food and then, of course, your ethnic background definitely has something to do with which foods would be best for you and that would keep you the healthiest.

08:36 - Nachi (Host)

And I was just thinking about that too. Damaris mentioned they don't teach nutrition in medical school, but I think it even goes beyond that because when I think about my children and the school lunches and how that's usually where some families, where some children, it's the only meal that they get during the school year. So and I look at the food that they offer and it's baffling to me and it makes it difficult when you try to explain to your children. You need to be mindful of eating certain things from the cafeteria. Right, even about the seed oils talking about okay, you like pizza, but the dough that they're probably using is probably bleach enriched flour.

09:36 - Damaris (Host)

And enriched with shit, right right. And rich enrich is supposed to be like good. No, they they learn how to just switch the Meaning of enriched in our food system.

09:49 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah, and I just felt like it has to, you know, be also taught and Encouraged in school, because I feel like they own nutrition only comes into play, really, when people become ill with a chronic disease like diabetes, and that's when you know their physician or their provider would start talking about well, maybe you should.

10:12 - Damaris (Host)

You know, manager, your your your meals and the food that you eat, when that was never a topic Before then and I would say not even all the time, because I find that again they're so quick to just be like well, here try this new Drug, this new prescription that's on the market, this new yeah.

10:34

I'm suitable again a legal drug dealer. So I mean, I say that respectfully, but it's just like it's easier to push a pill because it's just again a one-shot panacea to address something that is just a symptom and not the root cause of. Why they have diabetes.

10:56 - Dr. W (Guest)

Exactly and and you see some very Crazy stuff and in the news on online, there are certain corporations that are desperately trying to pretend that sugar has nothing to do with diabetes. You've had to see that. Oh, it's not sugar.

11:13 - Nachi (Host)

Yes, yes, yeah, it's always something that they're trying to promote.

11:21 - Dr. W (Guest)

But the good news is that it's a small group of the growing number of group.

11:24

We are seeing medical doctors who really want to get their patients well and those doctors are going back to school for functional medicine and which is very similar to what nutritionists, what naturopaths do. We get to the root cause. You know the right dietary plan that's individualized. We look at allergies and and Help them and there's ways they can overcome allergies. People don't have to be allergic to foods for all their life, but often the food they're eating is Problematic and they just have to switch on that. So the good news is that these, these doctors that go back to school for a year to a year and a half and A learning functional medicine that's the holistic way to do Western medicine and actually Most once they go through those courses, they rarely give out medications. They give it out, you know, if it's an emergency, right, but then they're working between people off there and they're looking for the root cause, and so I think that's that's very exciting.

12:30

The problem is, those doctors have come to realize that insurance won't cover what they do Mm-hmm right, so they have to figure out different ways and different plans, because they definitely need to be paid, of course. You know they have. They have nurses, they have to pay Exceptionists and they have a lot of equipment that they have to upkeep. So we're seeing different doctors who practice functional medicine are now Utilizing different types of pay plans, so they can bring not just the rich into their practice, but other people as well, so so I think that that's great. I'm really. More people will be able to actually Find a plan that works for them and get well, and that's what we do. What what I do see is People are getting so much misinformation From people with credentials. Of course, I won't name any of them. However, some of them are medical doctors who are being reckless, absolutely reckless. I Guess because they have that MD, they assume that they can take a weekend course in nutrition and then go online and tell people what you're supposed to do.

13:52 - Nachi (Host)

You know.

13:52 - Dr. W (Guest)

For an example, I am seeing Many people I've seen at least over 42 people in the past year Come with very similar symptoms and after the third one, I know exactly what was going on. All of these people were being poisoned with vitamin D, vitamin D, vitamin D. So that's what you hear and so many medical doctors and I'm sure they mean well, but since they haven't really studied nutrition, vitamin D can kill you. Vitamin D can cause your liver to fail. If you're taking we do, and you don't even have to be taking very high amounts, if you're taking as low as 5,000 units a day Over the course of the year, you're gonna start getting sick. It's just too much. Was not meant to have 5,000 units today right, and yet listening to many doctors who you know, I hear online.

14:43

They're like oh, you can take as much as you need. One dog. He said I take 150. I'm like if he's taking 150 he's lying because he'd be dead. And in fact I happen to see someone made a comment Under that particular video where this doctor said you can take as much as you want. This woman writes my father is in the hospital because he's poisoned with vitamin D. Listening to this doctor, so so I understand why people are confused. But now I know I mean, every month I get three to four people who come in who are being poisoned vitamin D and there's many symptoms.

15:20

Some people start, just start itching versus one little area and then it starts itching all over their body. You know, of course, they go to their allergies and can't find the allergy that's causing that itching. It may take a steroid. Doesn't stop it. You know, some people start getting little black marks and like what are these itchy black marks? Other people just start feeling nauseous in the middle of the day just for no reason, like why am I feeling weird? And then other people suddenly can't eat any food. Everything they eat Causes, you know, great indigestion, loose stools. So I had a woman like that come in and she had all of these digestive issues. She was itching and I was like, and I asked people to bring in everything they're taking. And so she up, she had brought in her D3 and she was taking 20,000 units a day a day.

16:10

Oh, I was like okay, I know what your whole problem is and you're about to die. If you, she said but I heard this doctor, I'm like. So this is what I suggest you do when a medical doctor is telling you to take a particular supplement and A particular and telling you there's no limit on dosages. Look at, look up his credentials. Most of them are definitely MDs, but they're not. You don't see anything about them. Have gone back to school for nutrition so they don't realize that fat soluble vitamins can harm you. Too much vitamin a, too much vitamin D, too much vitamin E, k they can all cause your liver to fail and you're gone.

16:54 - Damaris (Host)

And to your point, doctor with a spoon. You also pointed out that these are individuals that Are promoting this like, let's say, on a social media platform, versus, if you know, if you don't have an appointment with your doctor and your doctor didn't specifically prescribe this to you, do not take the advice of an Instagram influencer without seeking your medical practitioner. You know advice or, because they have your record, they know what's happening with you so they can let you know if this is applicable or not. So, yeah, like, just because this doctor online said this, it's like the Simpsons, you know, it's like I play a doctor on TV. I mean, I don't know right.

17:37 - Dr. W (Guest)

Right, I played the right, exactly right. So they need to seek up. People need to have a nutritionist, I mean yeah, or a natural path and their medical doctors?

17:46 - Damaris (Host)

absolutely yes, and you need a nutritionist because your medical doctor just hasn't been trained in this right, right, and although I have read that they are trying to change that and which is great, but that's gonna take time, right, like that's not. This is a drop in the bucket right now, like okay, but I do want to mention that. By no means I I have faith in, in Western medicine, but I've learned over the years that to me, for me, western medicine is To address an issue and I don't use it for preventative care. I go to you for preventative care. They are a last resort. That and that is because from my own experience with Myself and my mom and that's we started going to you because my mother's well, not she and I's mother there.

18:36

Her medical doctor prescribed her a High blood pressure Medication that she did not need. He prescribed it for her for preventative measures because she has a family history of that and what that drug did to her was it resembled Symptoms from someone suffering from celiac disease. My mother under she was a guinea pig. She underwent through so many procedures to see what it was that was making her sick. This woman couldn't hold down any kind of food. Within a year she lost like 40 something pounds. That's a lot for someone who's five, two, five, three. We were at our wit's end of what is happening with our mother. She is going to see all these specialists. No one can identify what the hell is wrong with her her medical doctor's trash.

19:28

So my cousin, our cousin Emilio, who we had on the show, he suggested you because he went to you and and you were a lifeline, literally, that day. First of all, you took five minutes to go on drugscom, looked up the medication because, as you already mentioned, you asked for your, your clients, to bring in everything that they're taking. You plug that in. And you were like, oh, one of the side effects here says that can resemble, you know, issues of symptoms of celiac disease, although it's not celiac disease. I wanted to cry because I literally felt like, wow, I could have done that myself. But guess what? That wasn't my fucking job, that was the job of her medical doctor.

20:14

To have taken two minutes, five minutes, to just look up what the side effects were, to see that it was actually this one drug that she was taking daily that causes issue on her. You were like and you, you're so good because you don't tell your clients to be, don't go to your doctor anymore. Your medical doctor you say continue going to your medical doctor. Let's try to win you off of this medication. That's not making you feel well and you were like we could. You could stop immediately or you could be weaned off. I was like we are stopping this immediately and I mean, yeah, I was my mother's mouthpiece, but but she, she has complete trust in us and so, literally, that night was the first day she was able to eat a bowl of rice. That's right, I remember and.

21:01

I felt like my and I think everyone was rejoicing.

21:06

Yeah, he was still in Florida and we're telling him. You know what happened and you put her on a list of supplements to address all the damage her body had gone through because of the medication and the fact that she wasn't able to eat proper nutrients. I mean, the woman was living off of and sure for like the last year, and oh my god, yeah, and my father sounded like he was about to cry when I told her that she's eating a bowl of rice. He was like, oh my god, mommy, she hasn't. And that's when I was like, oh hell to the. Now we are not doing this anymore and we found her a different doctor, not she, she is, she's the medical person when it comes to caregiving of our parents. She found a better doctor and we and then you were just part of our overall Approach in you you're a family doctor now.

21:57

Because after that I saw that miracle happen. I was like, oh, wait a minute, I'm dealing with some sort of alopecia and these this dermatologist just keeps giving me and Stairward injections on my scalp, nothing's happening. They put me again on a drug Nothing's happening. And I was like, oh, I got to go to doctor with a spoon. I went a month later I remember you were like oh no, your hair's coming back, I pray God. I was like this girl cannot go bald Glory. No, this is my chronic glory. I was like no, no, no, no, no, we need black beauty back. And she came back. She came back.

22:30 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah, yeah, I think we all have like stories like that, because it's the same thing.

22:35 - Damaris (Host)

Yeah, and I and I say all of this because and I'm sharing our personal stories because it is not to say that I don't believe that there is a place for Western medicine I absolutely believe there is. I mean, you know, for surgeries, all this great, but I'm not looking to it for preventative care because it's it's shown me that that's not what it's there for me. I need people to use their critical thinking skills and think for themselves about what is right for you. I respect medical doctors, but I the approach. I need something else, I need something different, and I get that from you.

23:08 - Dr. W (Guest)

Well, drug drugs aren't for prevention. Drug I mean Because they save lives, absolutely yes, if you're shot, don't come see me. Medicine it's certainly, yes, it certainly it has huge benefits. But, as you said, it's not for prevention. You don't take a drug for prevention. That's when you you have to design your own Natural prevention the right foods, getting sleep, adequate sleep, making sure you're in tune with yourself, whether that's just 15, 20 minutes of some type of guided meditation and some, and, of course, to have some modicum of exercise, because we don't stay healthy if we don't move. I tell people you have plenty of time to stay, still when you're dead.

24:10

Our bodies are designed to move. Stay healthiest if we do some level of movement right. And that's prevention, yes, and that that is prevention. Even, you know, even like women with breast prevention, I tend to recommend doing prevention that doesn't include radiation, you know, like sonograms and thermograms, so many ways you can and of course, you know your own, taking little. You're breasting your own hand and shower in the bathroom and because, in fact, most tumors have been found by the Woman doing their own breast examination.

24:55

So it's just better not to have radiation if that's completely possible. You want to. You always want to look to see how you can minimize Radiation, how you can minimize medications because they all have side effects and drugs. Calm is definitely the best place to go. If you, you know, understand sometimes you have to take a medication, at least temporarily, until you can get to the root cause and Figure out you know how to cure this, and so I'm all for that. Blood pressure is very serious, so taking a blood pressure medication is important until you can find the root cause and work and bring your blood pressure back to normal, but in the meantime, blood pressure medication is definitely preventing you from stroking out or having that

25:44

imminent heart attack. So Western, I'm happy to have Western medicine as a backup and for emergencies, but in order to live a healthy life, a person has to Figure out a good diet that gives them a wide variety of nutrients, a good diet and and a good lifestyle. So if your lifestyle is promoting your health, then you have a good chance of living long and living healthy. What I see is people are living longer but they're sicker and I don't see them enjoying their life. They have all these aches and pains they're on. I've had people come to me, literally one woman. She was on 14 medications and the medications were the reason she was so miserable. She had every side effect in the book I'm not sure Every side effect in the book and so people have to take their own health into their own hands and Decide.

26:48

You know and and you find someone you trust. You find a trustworthy nutritionist, you find a doctor that actually Cares about you and doesn't run you out in five minutes. Obviously you know he can't take an hour, but at least a solid 15, 20 minutes to hear what you have to say and then pursue that, not just Maybe look at an arm or something and write your prescription. You, you want a much more caring doctor that actually sees you as as as important as someone in their own family. They would certainly take more time.

27:24 - Damaris (Host)

Yeah, no, that's um. You're absolutely right. And again, Not. You know, we always say that we have to protect you at all costs. No, no, no, no. You are a light in our community. You are so generous and fair with your time. I tell people when I recommend you Prepare yourself for that, but I think you're gonna be there for some hours. It's fine, but it's worth it, like you are, thorough.

27:51

Yeah, you actually look at everything. You approach holistically and and, and and. You have like these great arsenals in your toolbox. So I want to talk about here, you Talk through some of those Eastern practices that you incorporate, like acupuncture and other things that I that I've actually benefited from through going to you for that well, acupuncture is just a wonderful tool and it can be used for just so many types of health issues.

28:25 - Dr. W (Guest)

For example, I do get some people who are in the process of getting chemotherapy for their. They come to me. They've already made that decision. They're working with their oncologist. They're getting chemo. However, their white blood cells are plummeting and the medication to bring it up is it's very harsh, but there's acupuncture. It also will restore your white blood cells. So often people will come for that and Then they don't have to take this very harsh medication to get their white blood cells up. So I've had some oncologists actually call me. They're like I didn't know acupuncture could do them like I could. But you know there's a whole lot of things.

29:10 - Nachi (Host)

Here we go.

29:11 - Dr. W (Guest)

So they send more people to me. They said you know, people hate this shot I give them to bring their white blood cells up. A lot of people don't feel well after this. He said I can send them to you. I'm like that works. So so I see a lot of people just to maintain from some certain oncologist to maintain their white blood cells as they're going through. But of course when they come to see me then I Also advise them on different nutritional things to take so they maintain their enemy energy. And if they come to me right before they start chemo, there are certain nutrients they can take but they won't even lose their hair. So they keep their energy, they keep their hair, everything's good and we keep their white blood cells up. So you know, acupuncture can't. So that's what's called integrative, when when you use Eastern medicine along with Western medicine and people get the best of both worlds right.

30:07 - Nachi (Host)

I remember when mommy had a, so a shoulder surgery, and afterwards you have to go to physical therapy, and so they gave her pain medication for that. It wasn't really doing much for her and she was the, the physical therapist. You know, every time she would go to her session she would literally cry because of the pain that she was in. And the physical therapist has said, listen, if we can't, you know, if she's in this much pain, it's gonna be hard to do the exercises that she needs to do to For her, for our shoulder, to improve. And so he said why don't you follow up with them, with the, with her, with the surgeon, and see if they can prescribe her a different pain medication, a much stronger one, and then just get back with me and we had talked with you and you said, try going to an acupuncturist. So the medicine I were searching, looking up for an acupuncturist. We found one, and this woman, she's, she is, she's actually she's Chinese and and she has some medicine, and in traditional Chinese medicine. And so literally just one day I mean she had several sessions after that, but the first, after the first session with the acupuncturist, when she went back To her session, the physical therapy session she was able to move her arm in the position that he had her and she was not crying. He was amazed. He said, the world, did she? You know, did she take? What kind of medication is she on? I said, oh, we didn't change her medication, I just took her to an acupuncturist. And Now I mean, she just only had one session yesterday and he was amazed by it, and I was too, because you know, I thought she would have to do maybe several sessions before she would start feeling the effects of it, but she didn't. It was after that first one and it had alleviated so much of the pain that she was suffering that she was able to continue on with her physical therapy.

32:31

Now she hated the cupping, because that was one thing that the acupuncturist would Included in her session. Because she said, if we're really gonna deal with pain, it has to be more than just needles, which is kind of interesting. When we went to a different one and this person, they, they just did the needles but no cupping. And so when she said that it's necessary to also do the cupping when you're dealing with pain, you know you'll start seeing a better effect, I was just like, oh, that makes a whole lot of sense, all right, but we were just like so excited that Because my biggest concern was having to having to give her narcotics where she, you know, maybe, you know, become addicted to it not that she has an addictive, but it's like when you're on something for a very long time, yes, you can become addicted to it, and it's very hard to kind of wing them off of it.

33:39

So I didn't want to put her on this strong medication unnecessarily when it really wasn't going to do much to her, you know. So it it was like a blessing in disguise for us. It definitely was.

33:56 - Dr. W (Guest)

Oh no, cupping is very powerful, which is a part of it definitely frees up the muscles. You have much better range of motion, and that's probably why she could then work with the physical therapist and not be in that kind of pain.

34:12 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah, yeah.

34:13 - Damaris (Host)

I mean she would curse the Chinese lady out and say you know.

34:17 - Nachi (Host)

See what every time we laughed. Yeah, she was happy. Every time, and she would see the bruises on her back, you know, because of the cupping. She's like oh my gosh, she beat me up.

34:27 - Damaris (Host)

I'm like she did not beat you up. We're like you didn't get beat up, bobby, you get it. You get it, you're improving. We should be thanking this lady Absolutely.

34:35 - Dr. W (Guest)

Yeah, it definitely frees up and it also breaks up scar tissue. That's a whole bunch of things. It's great.

34:41 - Damaris (Host)

Yeah, I mean, but this is where you're our family doctor and we have that relationship where we can call you or text you like, hey, this is happening with mommy, what do you suggest? Because you know she had this major surgery and you're always like with us every step of the way, like, okay, this is what you need to consider. And look, it is also evolving, like when we go to you for visits, our health care plan from you changes and it adjusts based on what's happening in our lives. I mean, you even told me something as simple as when I went to you my last appointment, you were like you're menstruating, so that means this is why some of your numbers are off, okay, and so now it's like all right, you take all of that into consideration, like you know, for you have to right and as women especially, like our makeup is different, so there are just things you need to you have to take into consideration, and so you do that and you do that.

35:37

Well, again, your toolbox is full of all these things. Like one of the other things you had mommy do was the Qi Gong exercise. I mean, you actually have us all do it, but we were really adamant about mommy doing it. So I remember doing like quarantine Me and I would be doing it in the living room and like a little Qi Gong exercises or sun salutation stuff. All of that is all a part of your overall health and contributing holistically, not just one aspect of like take this medication for this pain in your arm. No, what are you doing holistically to improve your overall well being? Exactly, and I just, I feel people just don't make the connection of every single thing matters, like everything is connected. We're not as human beings, we're not a sum of our parts right, like we're the whole thing, one part isn't. We're not in silos, no, we are the sum yeah, yeah, exactly.

36:39

Well, I'm curious to hear from you, given you've been doing this for what? Over 35 years, and you I'm sure you've seen a lot of things and a lot of evolution, even with your practice. So what are things that you like? What are the top things you would recommend to anyone, regardless of like whether they see you or not? Like these are things you need to do for optimal health. What are those things that people should consider.

37:08 - Dr. W (Guest)

They should definitely consider eating organic. There's plenty of studies. Pesticides can and do cause cancer. They definitely cause massive inflammation. They alter how your biochemistry works, which, once it's altered you're talking it could lead to an autoimmune disease. It could lead to other growths, other fibroids that so many women get, Because what I've seen over these years is a lot of things that were not around 30 years ago. Now a lot of people are having. I didn't. When I started out, I think, fibroids were just starting, and over through the 90s and early 2000s it kind of exploded. Just so many women getting fibroids. It's not something I grew up with, so it has to be environmental. So people have to look to see how they can make their environment much more conducive to their health. In your home, do you have? Now? Almost everyone has computers, has the cell phones. It's very useful to have certain plants that you can have in your home that actually absorb a lot of the EMF radiation that we're being exposed to. What are those plants talking about.

38:35

I know spider plants are one. There's some cactus that also absorb them. So these are the type of things people can begin to do to make their home environment more conducive to a healthy environment. What you're cleaning with? What do you clean with? If you're cleaning with ammonia, you are setting yourself up for things like lung cancer later on. Surprisingly, it's still the number one health problem that kills women.

39:10 - Nachi (Host)

Really Lung cancer.

39:12 - Dr. W (Guest)

Yes, and almost 47% of them never smoked.

39:17 - Damaris (Host)

Yes, wait, dr Witherspoon, hold that thought my childhood best friend. She grew up in a church, so they were very close in the community, and one of the people in her church, a family that she grew up with, literally the woman wonderful, nice lady, had two boys, husband, a beautiful family. She was diagnosed with lung cancer, passed away soon after someone who did not smoke. And I remember I think we might have been in our 20s when this happened and I remember thinking like how did she get that? That doesn't make sense. So it is firsthand account, like I know. I remember that and it always boggled my mind because I was just like how can someone be diagnosed with lung cancer and never and it's not even like, oh, secondhand smoke like her spouse? No, so where does this come from? Lung cancer? But it's interesting that you say that. I just wanted to point that out.

40:20 - Dr. W (Guest)

Oh yeah, these toxic solutions people are using.

40:23 - Nachi (Host)

It's sometimes combining.

40:24 - Dr. W (Guest)

Definitely causing it. It's number one. Breast cancer is right behind it. And, speaking of breast cancer, I am giving a webinar. I'm giving a webinar in two weeks and there's going to be information on my professional Instagram page about this webinar, but it's going to be on preventing breast cancer. It is way too much breast cancer. You know, over 21 million women have gotten breast cancer over the last 30 years. This is insane. The good news is that Wait?

41:06 - Damaris (Host)

but hey, where are the pink ribbon in support for the research into when we fully, we know full well how we can address this, but yeah, no, keep paying into that.

41:16 - Dr. W (Guest)

Yeah, no, it's terrible, and I mean just yesterday I got calls two more women calling me with breast cancer. It's just too. Actually, I should say this it's only 13% of American women who get breast cancer. Now they may get other cancers. They're only 13%, which means 87%. But those 13%, that's 21 million women. That's a lot of women Too many, that's way too many.

41:44

The good news is that more 90% of women who don't have metastatic breast cancer survive due to advances in Western medicine and in natural medicine. More people are becoming aware of oh, it's my diet, maybe I can't have any more of that fast food if I really want to get well. So people are now stepping up, changing their diets At least people, particularly people once they've been diagnosed. I hear that all the time when they call me they're like oh, I changed my diet right away, so you have a 90% chance of definitely getting through it.

42:25

Metastatic breast cancer that's really bad, at least so far. Less than 28% of women actually survive that what you're talking about. A majority of women do not survive metastatic breast cancer and more black women get metastatic breast cancer than any other group and more black women die from metastatic breast cancer. Of course, these are things that people have to start thinking about. You think about how am I living? Am I getting enough sleep? Am I getting fresh air? People all inside with these things? Am I moving? Is my food clean? Do I have a good variety of foods? You'd be surprised how many adults don't eat vegetables. It shocks me to come in. They're feeding their kids vegetables, but they won't eat it.

43:22

When they bring me their food journal, I'm like I don't see anything green. Hello, where's the green food? And they go. Well, I have it like once or twice a week. I'm like, no, that will not work.

43:34 - Nachi (Host)

You eat it every day.

43:38 - Dr. W (Guest)

I know it's with you. So people just, and we're all busy. People are working, they're having a family. Well, they might be working two jobs and people are just busy, understandably. But if you neglect yourself guess what.

43:56

One of those days you're going to suddenly have symptoms. They don't come out the blue. They come because you have not been paying attention. There's an imbalance. Totally, you have not been paying attention to your diet, to your lifestyle, and at some point your body is done. Your body's like okay, you're not taking care of me. I'm going to force you to pay attention.

44:18 - Nachi (Host)

Right.

44:20 - Damaris (Host)

And you mentioned inflammation, and I think that word gets tossed around a lot, especially when you're looking up anything with regards to health and approaching it naturally, and it's like inflammation, inflammation, but what does that mean? Because I understand it, but I would love to hear your explanation of what inflammation is and why it's bad.

44:44 - Dr. W (Guest)

Sustaining inflammation is bad, of course. If you have an accident, things are going to swell. That's actually part of the inflammatory healing process, because it's only supposed to be around for just a limited amount of time. And that's why, if you fall on your knees, you're going to ice them, because you have to bring that inflammation down quickly so it doesn't start damaging the tissue even further. The problem today is we see people have systemic inflammation for long periods of time, mostly because of what they're eating, and some people think they're on a good diet. I love that Because before people come, my assistant says please bring a three-day food journal, because the doctor wants to know what you've been eating. And they'll say something like oh, I have a great diet. And when I see them I'm like are you kidding?

45:39

This isn't great, Ami you thought this was a great diet.

45:43 - Damaris (Host)

You're like how, when?

45:45 - Dr. W (Guest)

I'm like now I know why. You have your help, bro, Where'd you go to school.

45:51 - Damaris (Host)

School actually doesn't help, so and then like.

45:55 - Dr. W (Guest)

But most people will say well, they said I'm like, who's they? Well, someone I was watching on Instagram okay, and what were their credentials?

46:05 - Nachi (Host)

You go right back to the end. Yes, go back to the credentials. So we didn't have any credentials.

46:10 - Dr. W (Guest)

What were their references? It's okay, I mean, you don't have to have gone to school for nutrition, but at least do your homework and get solid references from good journals. And it's called doing research. You can just be a good researcher and give someone good information, but these people aren't even recent.

46:33 - Damaris (Host)

And so I said what was their research?

46:35 - Dr. W (Guest)

And they go. Well, I didn't see any research. I'm like okay. So I just say, look in the future.

46:43

If you hear something that interests you, that has to do with your body, something you might want to take into your body, then A either look to see if they have any credentials in nutrition or diet and if they don't, then see what kind of references. What kind of research did they do? Are they known to be a high quality researcher? And there's a lot of good ones. I've seen some podcasts. These people don't have technical degrees but their research is stellar and they'll give you references and they'll like link down there. But my references. So, and then you can follow up yourself, you can look at the references to see are these credible references? And I do recommend people at least determine if they're real, for example, especially now with chat GPT. So of course be. You know, with my, the webinar that I have put together, of course I looked at, I went on chat GPT to see if did I miss something or anything, and so I asked GPT certain questions and they came with all these references. I went through every single references and five of them didn't exist. What?

48:01 - Nachi (Host)

Y'all need to start with this A I got references for you.

48:08 - Dr. W (Guest)

Yeah, I had 13 references on a particular topic that I had asked about, just to see you know if they came up with something I completely forgot to discuss. Then I would have been like, oh, of course, let me look into this. Yeah, five of them. I was like, okay, which you need to do?

48:25 - Damaris (Host)

to get chat GPT to work better is tell them you know these are fake. Why are you saying, why are you providing me with false references and then it'll be? I am sorry, I did not know. Thank you, dr Witherspoon.

48:39

No, seriously, but you got in my ass one time, I think I asked you about eggs or something because of course, I saw like some influencers talking about it Not that I stopped consuming eggs because they said so, but I was like should I, should I be concerned? And I had my appointment with you and I was like no, you asked me what's their technical background. I'm like, oh, like just know, they're on ID and they're, you know, like plant based and vegan. And you're like okay, and then he said, well, what studies are they referencing to make this you know statement? I was like good question, I don't know and I'm going to drop this right now, like we don't need to have this conversation anymore and that's it. But it's like put your thinking cap on guys. Like be critical, right, like you said, do your own research and then follow up on what you know something may say is research, like you did with chat GPT. So can you talk about going on AI?

49:37 - Nachi (Host)

Just to make sure.

49:40 - Dr. W (Guest)

I go with the end of everything I do just to see that I miss anything Right and but. But now if you notice chat GPT, there's a kawaii and it says some of the things it brings up might be incorrect.

49:55 - Damaris (Host)

But those are facts, Right. So it's like again stop this is not the Bible and even rely on it.

50:00 - Nachi (Host)

Yes, yes, can you talk about? Um, I know you, you have shared with me in terms of, like, intermittent fasting, because that was something that you addressed with me when, um, when I shared with you like, well, I don't eat, you know, breakfast, until like maybe 11 or noon, a clocking. No, I was like what time do you get up? Right, you need to eat, as you know, once you get at least two hours, within two hours of you getting up.

50:33

And I just remember thinking about how I've seen all these advertisements about intermittent fasting and just eating within a certain window during the day, of when you just eat and then you fast for eight, 12, I think, 16 hours or something like that, and so that had you know, after talking with you, it just changed my mind and I was like, okay, well, I just need to eat within two hours of waking up and then, two hours, stop eating, two hours before I go to bed. Exactly, yeah, that was just one of those things that I've learned when, when meeting with you, it's just that we're asking our body to work for us.

51:22 - Dr. W (Guest)

And so when you wake up, I generally recommend people first have a glass of water, because we're we're somewhat dehydrated, but within the next two hours your liver is looking for some protein. You're asking it to work and you're not getting giving it any fuel. And so when people tell me well, you know, I don't feel like having breakfast, I'm like okay, no worries, just have a four ounce protein drink within two hours of getting up, and at least then your liver will be happy and it can do its function without pulling resources and cannibalizing other parts of your body because it doesn't have the nutrients it needs. So you don't have to have a full bone. A lot of people are just not hungry in the morning. That's fine. But drink some water and just have a four ounce protein drink, just so your liver and other parts of your body have the nutrients it needs. Because you're demanding it work, you're demanding your brain work. You know you're walking around and you're telling them to starve while you're doing this. That's not a good idea.

52:30 - Nachi (Host)

Absolutely Just like get your life, guys get your life, Get it together.

52:38 - Damaris (Host)

But back to the things you recommend. So you mentioned to. You said eat organic, which we're all about, because we talked about this in our big food episodes around a eat as organic as much as possible, but understanding that it is more expensive. But then it's like you have to think about well, I can pay for this now and pay extra, or I'll be paying for it in the long run with terrible health and just like lower quality of life. So, and then you mentioned about more exercise and introducing that and you didn't say go to the gym, but it's just like movement. Right, there needs to be movement and being active. Is there anything else you want to add to that?

53:23 - Dr. W (Guest)

Well, you know, I think gyms are fantastic but people, most people when they come they kind of know their own style, like some people, like I, have to go to the gym because that's where I'm motivated. With other people like I can put on YouTube and do some salsa and I'm fine. So some people are great working home and there's some really good program people can use to work at home, where they have someone live who's guiding you to it. So it's kind of like you're at a gym If you want that in between, or it's a rainy day, you can't get to your gym. But I'm always having people tell me well, I don't exercise because I don't have time to get to the gym. I'm like you have YouTube, no excuses.

54:03 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah, and on YouTube find some fun exercises.

54:08 - Dr. W (Guest)

Like I follow these young ladies out of Nigeria. They do these Afro exercises. I don't know anyone who's done African dance. It is a workout.

54:17 - Nachi (Host)

Yes, it is.

54:19 - Damaris (Host)

Oh my best friend. She trapped me in going to one of those dance classes and everyone knew the steps and I looked around I was like, wait, you knew the script. How does everyone know the steps? And I was the first and last time I went, but it was a workout.

54:33 - Dr. W (Guest)

It was a workout Like I only had 15 minutes and then I needed five minutes.

54:36 - Damaris (Host)

Right.

54:37 - Dr. W (Guest)

Yes and they. But you know, but they're young too, so they're going for like a full hour. I'm like right right 15 minutes.

54:45

And also you should know how your body works. So actually women over 50, who are in menopause don't actually work. Doing a vigorous workout for more than 15, 20 minutes actually starts working against you. So you need to know at what point in your life what type of exercise is best for you. And we have, you know, you got Dr Google so you can go there and find out about your position.

55:15

Y'all go to it for everything else, but you know you need to be doing. You need to be doing different types of exercises exercises that build muscle, that build reserve. But definitely everyone has to do some level of aerobics because that's when your lymph is moving. Or if you just walk really fast, it has to be fast, like walking slow or strolling is not exercise. So you have to be walking bristly. So if someone's going to walk a mile every day, really bristly, and you know moving their arms, breathing heavy, then that's great. But it's always good, particularly for women. Whatever kind of exercise you're doing in terms of aerobics is that you're moving your arms. Your arms need to be going up and down because that pumps the lymph and garbage out of your breast. So you want to make sure you're doing wide circles, your arms are moving in an up and down wide fashion, and whatever type of exercises you're doing to constantly pump that cellular waste into your intestines and out of your body.

56:21 - Damaris (Host)

Okay, no, no, that's fantastic advice. Thank you for that for information. Is there anything else you would say to maintain optimal health? Anything else people need to consider? I?

56:32 - Dr. W (Guest)

think the other very important thing is to know how to either do guided meditations, because you need to get to a still point in your body and that's a critical portion of staying healthy or learn something. Learn some basic movements of Qigong. Qigong is breath and very slow movement and it is only for health. There's Qigong for all different types of health issues and they work. So it brings you to that still point in your body and it brings out those reserves and accesses that part of your body that knows how to heal you. But you won't ever find that if you're not still so at some point in the day, or maybe you can't do it every single day, particularly if you have a bunch of kids running around. But you definitely have to make time a couple times a week to get to a quiet space, whether you're doing Qigong quietly or you're doing a meditation or a self meditation or a guided meditation. Something that brings you into that space with that essence inside of you that knows how to heal can now give you that guidance. I love that.

57:59 - Nachi (Host)

Yes. I think that's a great way to deal with stress, because stress is another thing that impacts your health, so that's a critical one.

58:08 - Dr. W (Guest)

That's part of that stress management. Keep that cortisol in those right ranges, because if you're just running around and maybe you're a really great person doing volunteering, but if your stress is overwhelming your body, then you are systemically inflamed, you are going to break down.

58:28 - Nachi (Host)

Yeah, sometimes you're just not aware of that, right? So, incorporating that meditation and self awareness during your day, I think it's important because I think that was like one of my biggest issues, like my cortisol was off the roof. And it's funny because I always thought like I don't think I'm stressed but it's because I've just been on autopilot if you will. Yes, and that's just how I've operated, so I've now had to incorporate these. You know small changes.

59:05 - Dr. W (Guest)

For women who show up. Yes, and I want to be that strong that's you.

59:11 - Damaris (Host)

But what's funny is that I also had issues with my cortisol levels, but it wasn't because of stressors, because nachi knows me enough to be like I don't like to get stressed.

59:20

I'm an enthusiast, but it was actually because my body was fighting, my cat allergy said I didn't even know I was fighting. So this is just and I bring that up because this is an example of how we have two very different factors that contributed to our cortisol levels being up, which can produce inflammation in different ways and manifest in different ways. And if, again, only someone a doctor that knows me, like you and is approaching my health plan holistically can understand, oh, this is why this is happening to you, versus, just like I'm applying this one solution across the board to all of my patients, and that is the beauty of it, that is the beauty of naturopathic medicine and of you as a human being, an individual. I'm like you are part of my soul family. Yes, this like I when I say you are protected in this room in the next, that's how I have my people looking out for you. Yes, but I want to close this out because this has been such a great conversation. I'm pretty sure people are going to be like bring her back.

01:00:29

There's so much to talk about, but I think what we cover today was really important at a at a high level, to really get people to start thinking about outside of just I have a pain, can you address this, or you know? And looking at the health, the overall well being, rather holistically, and so we thank you for being on the show today, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share and impart this information with our listeners. I would love for you to just remind people where they can find you online, and we'll absolutely put it in the show notes so that people can see it there too. Where can they find you? Doctor with a spoon.

01:01:11 - Dr. W (Guest)

So you'll find me on Instagram at at drc with a spoon on Instagram.

01:01:17 - Damaris (Host)

We love having you and, as always, I like to close out with our listeners. There's a lot of noise out there, but our message is consistent Stop getting distracted by the smoke and mirrors and tune off the noise and focus on your purpose in life, what brings you joy in life. We're meant to be joyful, so focus on that and vibrate higher and always. Thank you for listening. So, that said, don't forget to subscribe to our channel and follow us on Instagram, tick talk and Twitter at I'm not yelling underscore. Thank you so much for listening and we look forward to talking next time. Bye.