15. The Vagal Nerve

Mindy Capello is a Clinical Herbalist in Omaha, Nebraska, registered with the American Herbalist Guild and the Christian Herbalist Guild. She is also a Certified Health and Life Coach, and she teaches faith-based herbalism programs for new herbalists. She sees clients and teaches both in person and virtually. She also volunteers at Wild Roots People’s Clinic, a donation-based clinic offering herbalism and body work to financially challenged folks in her area, and runs Alms of Grace Clinic – a supervised, Christian student-led program offering herbal care online to folks in need.Mindy offers a wide variety of resources on her website, www.herbaremedium.com, including a blog, several monographs, and free classes. You can also enroll in her Family Herbalist course any time if you want to do it self-paced, or you can register for the Live version which starts again in August. This year she is also accepting registrations for her latest program, for community herbalists, so check that out too!Today, we’re digging in to a big conversation around fibromyalgia, a brand new topic for the show, and one which Mindy has both personal and professional experience. You will get to hear her favorite nutritional, supplemental, lifestyle, and herbal tools, both those that are proven through scientific studies, as well as those that worked for her personally. We talk about the energetics and common tissue states, how the diagnostic process and resource options have changed over the past 25 years, and Mindy’s favorite herbal combinations! Plus, hang on till the end, because we touch on a much wider topic around faith-based herbal practices and the dilemma that Christians can face when choosing natural options for their health. All this and more in today’s conversation.Thank you for listening!Mindy’s links ~www.herbaremedium.comwww.almsofgraceclinic.comwww.wildrootspc.orghttps://www.facebook.com/HerbaRemedium/https://www.instagram.com/herbaremedium/Mindy also recommends the following read: https://www.amazon.com/Fibromyalgia-Journey-Healing-Chanchal-Cabrera/dp/0658003054/ If you would like to recommend a podcast topic, email me at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 802-234-1177.If you would like to learn more about working with me one-on-one, or to sign up for my monthly newsletter, visit [email protected] you for listening!

Thank you to listener Bodell for requesting an episode about autonomic dysfunction! As a clinical herbalist, I have found that autonomic dysfunction, as often stemming from the vagal nerve, is associated with so many persistent symptom pictures.The vagal nerve has been getting more attention in recent years, but what exactly is it, why is it getting dysregulated, and what do we mean by dysregulation anyway? In today’s episode I give the the A&P, share connections I have discovered in practice, and my favorite ways of resetting and reregulating the nervous system.If you would like to recommend a podcast topic, email me at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 802-234-1177.If you would like to learn more about working with me one-on-one, or to sign up for my monthly newsletter, visit [email protected] you for listening!

I get to step on my soap box for a minute today! These days, when metabolism goes a bit wonky, the standard response to elevated cholesterol is… “don’t eat eggs!” And “take this statin.” But what if there were a better way?Of course, there are situations when statins are appropriate and it’s a highly individual decision to be made between you and your doctor, but it should never be the first choice, or the only choice presented to a patient. Not when we have learned so much more about the truth of what cholesterol is and how it works. In today’s episode, I share why cholesterol is not the bad guy - it’s the messenger! And you know what they say about killing the messenger! I also share about the different kinds of cholesterol, lab markers you should know, how to lower your true risk for cardiovascular diseases, and what herbs will best support you. Plus! How to minimize your risk if you do choose to use statins.To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected], or text or call me at 802-234-1177. To learn more about herbal consultations, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.

After a recent bout of jaw tension, my sympathy for those with chronic TMJ dysfunctions grew! While mine was a short term symptom related to a virus, I have had clients who have suffered with it for a very long time. This is one of those situations where allopathic medicine generally says - put some ice on it and see if it goes away, and where herbalism shines.In today’s episode, I share about the normal function of the jaw, what can go wrong, and what our options are for recovery, including some tools that worked for me, and those that have worked for my clients. Email me your podcast requests at [email protected] or call and leave a message for me at 802-234-1177. Check out my clinical herbalism services at www.laureltreewellnessllc.com to learn more about what having a consultation with me would look like.Thank you for listening!

Many people experience a localized fungal infection at some point in their life, but where these rare infections respond to standard treatment, some people don’t get better. Why?In today’s episode, we take a really deep dive into all things fungal - what is mold toxicity, what does it feel like, and I share an eight step protocol to address it, based on the work of Drs. Ritchie Shoemaker and Joseph Brewer, influenced by personal and professional experience.Bring your notebook and pen and let’s jump in!To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected] or text me at 802-234-1177. To learn more about herbal consultations, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.Thanks for listening!

Memory is such a vast and complex subject! There are so many reasons why people experience memory loss besides age and neurological diseases, and research is still developing around some interesting factors. In today’s episode, I share with you where memory is stored, what makes things go haywire, how to choose herbs for memory support based on similar actions, and plenty of nutritional and lifestyle options for cognitive function. There is something for everyone in here, and as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Even if your memory is in tiptop shape, listen in to see how you can keep it that way.To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected], or text or call me at 802-234-1177. To learn more about herbal consultations, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.

Why is taking an iron supplement not always the best choice when you are diagnosed with anemia?And if you are iron-deficient, how can you know? Should you supplement and if so how? In today’s episode, I share about the most common reason people develop anemia, the labs that can point you in the right direction, the tissue states and organs that need support, and of course, what herbs and can help you out. To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected], or text or call me at 802-234-1177. To learn more about herbal consultations, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.

After sharing my heart about the value of mothers as healers a year ago (season 4 episode 5), I knew I needed to follow it up with a conversation about fathers. Children NEED their fathers, there is no going around that fact. Fathers are essential to growing up healthy, as I share about in today’s episode. If you are a father, please listen in, and if not, share it with fathers you know… and also listen! To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected], or text or call me at 802-234-1177. To learn more about herbal consultations, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.

Sprains, strains, and breaks, oh my! If you or a loved one breaks a bone you’ll need to take a trip to urgent care, but how can you ensure that your bones heal properly and quickly, with minimal pain and inflammation? In this episode I share herbs that work well for the first stage of healing that begins with the break and the two stages following. Learn what proven nutrients and herbs promote bone regrowth, and how sleep, stress, and movement impact healing as well.To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected], or text or call me at 802-234–1177. To learn more about what working with me would look like, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.

This requested episode is long overdue! With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experiencing pelvic floor weakness at some point in their lives, it is a subject that we need to talk about! One myth I have heard repeated is that childbirth is the leading cause of pelvic floor problems. This has been proven to be a negligible factor unless the birth was traumatic. It also doesn’t explain why so many men struggle with it, either! In today’s episode, I explain what the common risk factors for developing it are, how diet makes a difference, what exercises can help (it’s not all about kegels!) and the herbs my clients have found most helpful. To request a topic that is important to you, email me at [email protected], or text or call me at 802-234–1177. To learn more about what working with me would look like, visit www.laureltreewellnessllc.com.