The Diarrhea Parasite Spreading Across 30 States — What Is Cyclospora and How to Clear It Naturally

A parasite is crawling across 34 states, with thousands of confirmed cases across America. Cyclospora is causing that explosive diarrhea, aka the parasite flu, you’ve no doubt heard about in the news. In this episode, Dr. Chris Motley lays out the facts about what we know, his best advice for avoiding contamination and your full treatment options from both modern and ancient science. In this episode you’ll learn: Cyclospora is a protozoan parasite that can go dormant or activate depending on how strong your immune system is. The gross part: People infected with Cyclospora shed oocysts in their feces which can contaminate food or water.  Symptoms to look out for: watery diarrhea that won't go away (this is the big indicator), bone-deep fatigue you can't shake off, explosive bowel movements and loss of appetite. Prevention: Soak your produce thoroughly with an apple cider vinegar and baking soda wash, but most importantly...Cook your produce! Heat kills this parasite. Keep an eye on restaurant reports as much as possible. It's not always possible to know where your favorite restaurant sources its food, but be on the lookout for information about where they get their food and how careful they are with their ingredients. Steps to take if you are potentially infected: Ask to be tested for cyclospora specifically, by name, because it won't be included in routine tests. Treatment options:  1) The antibiotic - it's called TMP - SMX (Trimethoprim - sulfamethoxazole). Brand names are Bactrim or Septra. Standard treatment is a 7 to 10 day course, with longer courses for folks with weakened immune systems. 2) Anti-parasitics - Ivermectin, Fenbendazole 3) Ancient Medicine - Huang Lian is an ancient Chinese herb that cools the gut. Check out the brand Golden Flower. Natural anti-parasitics: Wormwood or Black Walnut: https://shorturl.at/0i5c8 Mimosa Pudica: https://shorturl.at/EPIO0 Morinda: https://shorturl.at/aCP7n You can also try a parasite cleanse. Head to Rogershood’s ParaFy cleanse here: https://rogershood.com/ref/1966/, and use code DRMOTLEY for 10% off. 

If you had a chronic case of strep as a kid it may be lingering around your organs. Here’s what you can do about it. In this episode, Dr. Motley explains why recurring strep infections are not new infections at all, they are the same bacteria getting more antibiotic-resistant each time. He connects chronic strep to anemia, autoimmune disease, and PANS/PANDAS, then walks through the herbs and lab tests he uses to root it out. This is a re-post of an earlier episode to highlight the importance of this issue and raise awareness. Scroll down for a list of Dr. Motley’s recommended solutions.  In this episode you will learn:  How strep can get in your lungs (strep pneumonia), your heart and even your lymph nodes, how to test for it and what herbs + vitamin regimens can help fight it off.  Strep can hide in a “silent carrier” state. Learn about the lingering unexplained symptoms that signal strep, including brain fog and hormonal issues. How a poor immune system mixed with environmental toxins allows strep to stick around in a dormant state. How this could be behind your malabsorption issues, if there’s no other explanation. Strep can feed off your red blood cells.  Dr. Motley’s own personal battle with strep and its connection to excess sugar in the diet.  Recommendations: Watch your sugar intake Labs to test for this: MicroGenDx.com - for strep strains standard labs miss vibrant-wellness.com - for expanded infection panels Herbs to take for strep (For Adults): Melia (Neem): https://shorturl.at/TYF12 Golden Thread: https://shorturl.at/fASWv Morinda: https://shorturl.at/LWUMK Lighter herbs (liquid forms are great for kids!) Illicium: https://shorturl.at/Amkv6 Scutellaria: https://shorturl.at/O8ToC Vitamins: livonlabs.com (10% off sitewide with DRMOTLEY at checkout) Minerals: beamminerals.com/drmotley (20% off with DRMOTLEY at checkout) ------  Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Twitter/X Facebook Website ------  *Do you want to hear more? You can find more about strep and a library full of info on healing the brain and other organs, on Dr. Motley’s membership. If you want to explore it risk-free for 15 days and bring your questions to his weekly lives you can join here. * Looking for simple, non-invasive sound therapy tools for treating anxiety, or providing more balance? You can get $100 off a WAVwatch with the code DRMOTLEY: https://wavwatch.com/pages/doctor-motley

Mastic Gum is an ancient remedy that's been shown in a clinical study to kill off H-Pylori, and other research suggests it reduces oral bacteria. Is this viral cure hyped up or is there weight behind these claims? Mastic Gum is composed of resin from the chios tree in the Mediterranean: Hippocrates prescribed it to patients and it's been used medicinally for over 2,500 years. In this episode, Dr. Chris Motley examines the research and gets to the bottom of how effective this might be for fighting bacteria, ulcers and keeping your mouth clean. Get Dr. Motley's take on whether this ancient traditional medicine is worth your time and money. In this episode you’ll learn: How an impressive study found mastic kills H. Pylori, but the study was in-vitro rather than a human study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199812243392618 Why plant medicine can work as excellent natural antibiotics Why there is some real evidence of mastic killing oral bacteria (but how well does this research stack up?): https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aac.00642-06 How a trial found it to help with heartburn symptoms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711309002396?via%3Dihub The real scoop on how mastic gum helps Crohn’s: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512038  How the anti-cancer claims actually stack up: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8838553/ Why the stomach and spleen are the seat of vitality in Chinese Medicine.  The wisdom and validity of these ancient medicines AND  Importantly, the best kinds of mastic to take! ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *Are you looking for simple, non-invasive sound therapy tools for treating anxiety, or providing balance? You can get $100 off a WAVwatch with the code DRMOTLEY: https://wavwatch.com/pages/doctor-motley *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Should you be wearing sunglasses? We always thought the eyes just had one job: to see color and send pictures of our environment to our brains, but did you know that they also have a sensor that tells the brain when it’s time to get going for the day and when it’s time to sleep? That sensor can get disrupted when you head out with sunglasses on. In this episode, Dr. Motley weighs the pros and cons of sunglasses (at least in the morning!) by examining the science of light and circadian rhythms. In this episode you'll learn: How using sunglasses too frequently in the morning can throw our body’s natural clock out of whack and interfere with our sleep cycles. How blue light in the morning (the natural kind you see in the sky) shuts off melatonin and activates cortisol by 50%, basically functioning as a cup of espresso for our bodies, and fake blue light at night confuses our sleep signals, suppressing melatonin within about 5 minutes. How light regulates our hormones and acts as our body’s information center for when to start the day and when to get sleepy at night.  The effects of sunlight deficiency on our bodies and brains. The difference between the kind of cortisol we need to help us function during the day and the kind that’s harmful. Doctor Motley’s recommended full-day light protocol for resetting your internal clock. Get some light in your eyes within an hour of waking, and dim your lights at night. In TCM, eye health is tied to the liver. If you’re a sunglasses lover try to prioritize getting morning light into your eyes for 30 minutes (looking through a window may not really be enough, so head outside for a bit). Sunlight in the morning will help the rest of the day to go more smoothly.  Reading List: The Organization of the Retina and Visual System: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27326/  Transition from Dim Light to Sunlight in the Morning Raises Cortisol Immediately: https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.86.1.7102 Evening Short-Term Exposure to Conventional Light Suppresses Melatonin and Increases Alertness Perception: ⁠10.3390/ijms14022573  ⁠Awakening effects of blue-enriched morning light exposure on university students’ physiological and subjective responses: ⁠https://rdcu.be/fsqlH ⁠ These clock cells are most sensitive to short-wavelength blue light and drive non-image-forming responses https://rdcu.be/fsqnI Eye Health from a Chinese Medicine Standpoint: https://www.herbalreality.com/condition/eye-health-chinese-medicine-perspective/ ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure is now offering a lower price to my community, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Do you have heart flutters, palpitations, or chest tightness , but your EKG comes back "perfect" and your stress test says you're fine? Dr. Chris Motley breaks down a connection most doctors never check: the direct link between your kidneys, bladder, and urinary tract system and the health of your heart. In this episode, Dr. Motley explains how hidden kidney infections, bladder infections, UTIs, and even kidney stones can create heart palpitations, brain fog, tingling in the hands and feet, and shortness of breath — all while standard urine tests come back completely normal. He breaks down why most UTI testing only screens for E. coli and misses dozens of other bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can colonize your urinary tract. Recommended Testing & Products Mentioned: Urokey Test by MicroGen DX (comprehensive urinary infection panel) https://patients.microgendx.com/products/urokey Uva Ursi Supreme https://shorturl.at/vqxmG Bodyguard Supreme (Chanca Piedra / Stonebreaker) https://shorturl.at/l7KuF Cranberry + D-Mannose For more on emotional release techniques mentioned: Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) Dr. Vivian Cairo, Dr. Sam Riley https://www.instagram.com/dr.samriley/ LENS Neurofeedback In this episode you'll learn: Why a "normal" UTI test can still miss a real infection — and the comprehensive test that screens for over 50,000 organisms The physical signs of kidney and bladder imbalance you've probably dismissed as unrelated: flank pain, tight hips, dark under-eye circles, cracked heels, and chronic calf tightness How the kidney meridian in Traditional Chinese Medicine travels directly to the heart — and why a weak kidney means a weak heart The embryological connection between your kidneys and your reproductive organs, and why issues in one often show up in the other How chronic fear, dread, and unresolved emotional trauma physically wear down your kidneys and adrenal glands Dr. Motley's go-to herbal protocol for cleaning out the kidneys naturally — including Uva Ursi, Chanca Piedra (Bodyguard Supreme), cranberry, and D-Mannose Why fascia, acupuncture, and emotional release techniques like EMDR and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) can help break the cycle of recurring kidney and bladder infections If you've been told your heart is "fine" but you still don't feel right, this episode offers a missing piece...and hope! ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

This chemical was banned in Europe 20 years ago...so why is it in the tap water of over 40 million Americans? In this episode, Doctor Chris Motley breaks down what the research found on frogs exposed to Atrazine and what this means for you. The company that makes this herbicide went to great pains to keep this research hidden, but in this episode you'll learn how it can get into drinking water, the possible hormonal effects and - crucially - how you can keep your body safe from pesticides with a few simple steps and an assist from old medicine like TCM. Dr. Motley's recommendations: Get your water checked - This website provides some options: https://shorturl.at/cVi2F, and you can enter your zip code here for FREE info: https://shorturl.at/sXHO4 Filter your water (consider reverse osmosis if you're interested). Carbon block and reverse osmosis remove most atrazine from drinking water - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122936 If you find chemicals like Atrazine in your water, you'll want to support the body's filtering organs according to Chinese Medicine - your liver and kidneys. TCM in chronic kidney disease -  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9340222/ Here’s How to Do That: Nothing complicated: drink cups of Dandelion tea, milk thistle or Chrysanthemum tea. Take cranberry juice with D-Mannose and Uva Ursi: https://shorturl.at/mEQxc Other Herbal Options: Schisandra: https://shorturl.at/RpAme                                                 Chanca Piedra: https://shorturl.at/TfpK8                                                 Glypho - X: https://shorturl.at/cB5r6 In this episode you'll learn: How Atrazine contaminates the tap water of tens of millions and is the most-detected pesticide in US water - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/atrazine-water-tied-hormonal-irregularities/ USGS found atrazine in most farmcountry streams and much of the groundwater - https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/us-drinking-water-and-watersheds-widely-contaminated-hormone-disrupting-pesticide How this chemical can linger in crop soil for many months and, according to the CDC, any Atrazine run-off takes a long time to break down in streams, rivers and lakes, leading to it popping up in water wells in agricultural regions. Possible symptoms that have been correlated with chemicals like Atrazine: lower birth weight, birth defects, possible period cycle disruption - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4946150/ WHO's cancer agency classified atrazine a probable human carcinogen - https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/whos-cancer-research-arm-finds-atrazine-is-probable-human-carcinogen-2025-11-21/ How to protect your endocrine system when legal limits are not necessarily safe limits. This isn’t about fear: it’s about informing you so you can protect your health and the health of your family.  ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *Most of us are mineral deficient and we don’t even know it! Want to get your minerals in? BEAM Minerals is a simple shot of minerals each morning. Head to https://shorturl.at/6iKET and use code DRMOTLEY for 20% off your first order. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

For the last 400 years when medical researchers conducted an autopsy they would throw this away as medical waste, not realizing it was actually a powerful connective organ...now Western science has finally caught up with Chinese Medicine in discovering the power of fascia. What is fascia in your body and how can learning about it benefit you? In this episode you'll learn: What fascia tissue is and how it connects every system in your body, allowing for strength and mobility. How your fascia actually communicates throughout your body. If one organ has an issue, it could be impacting another one. How your fascial system is your body's electrical system, conducting energy, a fact Western medicine is finally waking up to while Traditional Chinese Medicine has known it for thousands of years. How embryology is the process through which one cell becomes your whole body, from conception to birth, and your meridian lines form the blueprint. How to strengthen your fascia through moving, stretching, hydrating and breathing. For more reading on this topic: pick up The Spark in the Machine: https://a.co/d/0d2LkDKT  Acupuncture points and meridians correspond to connective-tissue planes - Langevin & Yandow, The Anatomical Record, 2002 https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.10185. Electrical resistance is lower along connective-tissue planes that follow meridians - Measured impedance Electrical impedance along connective tissue planes (PMC) https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-5-10. The interstitium, a fluid-filled collagen network, was described as one of the body's largest organs 2018 Scientific American, - Meet your interstitium, The interstitium as a defined anatomical structure Benias & Theise NewYork-Presbyterian https://www.nyp.org/publications/professional-advances/gastro/introducing-the-interstitium-a-new-anatomical-structure Fascia behaves as a tensegrity structure, a body-wide tension network - Biotensegrity and the mechanics of fascia https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7020-3425-1.00054-4 Fasciacytes produce the gliding fluid; the whole fascial web is being mapped in 3D - https://fasciaguide.com/article/fascial-net-plastination-project Your body is not just bone-on-bone, like the bricks that form a house's foundation. It is a tension web, and if you pull one string the whole thing moves. ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

Have you ever wanted to see how AI could help with your health journey, but you had concerns, or you were too overwhelmed to know where to start? Holistic practitioner and recovery coach Lorrie Rivers joins Dr. Motley to walk through practical tips and best practices for using ChatGPT in your quest to be the CEO of your own health. Lorrie teaches how to empower yourself by approaching modern technology with the ancient arts of curiosity and dialogue to cut through overwhelm and find breakthroughs in your chronic illness journey. In this episode you'll learn: How to take advantage of ChatGPT's deep training in functional health as a support for your health journey (and what NOT to do). How to anchor and re-anchor the conversation to get the peer-to-peer information you're actually looking for, whether through a holistic, functional or TCM lens. Why most people ask AI the wrong questions — and the simple shift that gets you dramatically better answers. The difference between using AI as an "answer machine" versus a true thinking partner for your health. Whether you're a patient frustrated by long wait times and surface-level answers, or a practitioner looking to use AI as a research tool, this episode gives you a practical framework for getting real value out of artificial intelligence, without losing your own critical thinking in the process. Check out Lorrie Rivers’ first episode of the Ancient Health Podcast here.  ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website Follow Lorrie Rivers https://lorrieriversholistic.com/ Holistic Healing with Lorrie Podcast:  https://m.youtube.com/@LorrieRiversHolistic?ra=m Get on the Waitlist For Lorrie’s AI Training: AI as a Partner for Your Health Journey:  https://lorrieriversholistic.simplero.com/page/703848-waitlist-ai-heal AI for Practitioners:  https://lorrieriversholistic.simplero.com/page/703850-waitlist-ai-practitioners ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his TCM and frequency medicine expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15

There's a viral social media post claiming that you're 300% more likely to develop skin cancer when you use sunscreen. What's the truth? Is sunscreen safe to use? In this episode Doctor Motley breaks down the research, and brings a new lens to the debate: what did ancient cultures do for skin health? Here's what you'll learn in this episode: *Research has found chemicals in your sunscreen like oxybenzone can affect your estrogen and testosterone levels and block Vitamin D, - which is an important hormone, not just a vitamin! - plus some healthy sunscreen ingredients to look for. *What is the "sunscreen paradox" *Why heavily sun-protected, indoor populations showed higher melanoma rates in UK research *How to build a solar callus: the traditional method of safe, gradual sun exposure that builds your skin's natural protection *How to create a healthy skin protocol this summer: Develop early morning sun exposure over time, plus take good vitamins (like B3), minerals and herbs! *Skin protection from a TCM perspective: In Chinese Medicine, the strength of the skin is connected to the strength of your lungs. Find out how to protect your skin with TCM herbs. Research: FDA Findings:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2733085#google_vignette The Sunscreen Paradox https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231027110724.htm Chemicals in Sunscreen: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/ Vitamin B Study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1506197 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071240 ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15 ------ DISCLAIMER Please remember that the information shared in this podcast is for education purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice.   No doctor-patient relationship is formed through this podcast, and the use of information here or materials linked from this podcast is at your own risk.   The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen, and do not disregard or delay seeking medical advice for any condition you may have.

What if the chronic illness you've been fighting your whole life began with your childhood and your family of origin? Unresolved childhood trauma lives in your thyroid, your gut, and your joints, and it can be inherited. Nurse practitioner Dani Williamson and mental health specialist Dr. Stacy Jagger join Dr. Chris Motley and Dr. Anis Khalaf to discuss this hopeful message: you can reverse these cycles of physical and emotional pain. From digital detox to elimination diets to EMDR, this episode is a roadmap for breaking the generational cycle of pain, disease, and disconnection — for good. Content Advisory: This episode discusses suicide, mental health struggles, and emotional distress. Viewer discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or considering self-harm, please seek professional help or contact local emergency services. What you’ll learn in this episode: Healing from childhood trauma is possible and available Children need help: the fastest growing age range for suicide is 10-13 Help starts with the whole family: a digital detox allows for connection and nervous system regulation Physical markers that your fight-or-flight might be affecting your health Healing inflammation through an elimination diet gives the gut brain connection a fighting chance For women, trauma most often manifests in the thyroid and the gut Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. ------  Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Follow Dr. Anis Khalaf https://www.instagram.com/acupuncturefit/ https://www.tiktok.com/@acupuncturefit https://www.youtube.com/@AcupunctureFit Find Dr. Stacy “Sassy” Jagger https://www.drsassy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dr.sassy.nashville/ Buy her book 30 Day Blackout: https://a.co/d/04sFIquB Follow Dani Williamson https://daniwilliamson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/daniwilliamsonwellness Buy her book Wild and Well: https://a.co/d/08UWLL2H ------  *Most of us are mineral deficient and we don’t even know it! Want to get your minerals in? Try BEAM Minerals at beamminerals.com/DRMOTLEY and use code DRMOTLEY for 20% off your first order. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates: https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15