The Energy To Heal: Why Metabolism Matters Most - Kaya of Fundamental Nourishment

How well is your body turning food into fuel? At its core, every function in the body depends on cellular energy- your ability to convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable fuel. When that process is working well, the body has what it needs to detoxify, to sleep deeply, to regulate hormones, and to maintain resilience. When it's not, we can find ourselves chasing symptoms- fatigue, inflammation, hormone imbalance, chronic illness-without realizing they may all trace back to impaired metabolism. In this episode, I'm joined by Kaya, an independent health researcher and the voice behind Fundamental Nourishment. Kaya has a rare gift for translating complex scientific research into clear, grounded insight, helping bridge the gap between dense primary literature and real-life healing. Together, we explore metabolism as a central lens for understanding health, why so many modern conditions may stem from low cellular energy, and how shifting our focus toward nourishment- rather than restriction- can create meaningful change. On Patreon, we take this conversation further with a bonus episode: What Prometabolic Influencers Get Wrong. We unpack how the "prometabolic" label has become diluted online, the original ideas behind it, and where things have gone off track- from misinterpretations of Ray Peat's work to the unintended consequences many experienced when trying to follow rigid versions of this approach. Kaya also shares practical guidance for getting started with nourishment in a way that's grounded, bioindividual, and sustainable-without falling into another set of confusing food rules. If you value content created for humans, not algorithms, please consider joining Patreon to support this work. LINKS: Medicine Stories Patreon extended conversation- What Prometabolic Influencers Get Wrong (& a Focus on Fundamental Nourishment) Kaya's Substack Fundamental Nourishment Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica Nov 3-8 The Mythic Medicine herb shop Quiz: Find Your Wise Woman Archetype Kaya on Instagram Amber on Instagram Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Perimenopause & menopause are often framed as a problem to fix- and the conversation quickly collapses into a single question: HRT or not? But women's bodies are rarely that simple. In this episode, Jane Hardwicke Collings and I explore a more expansive and grounded approach to the menopause transition. Rather than asking whether hormones are the right answer for everyone, we look at a deeper question: how can we support the complex physiological process the body is already moving through? Our conversation examines the growing tendency to position hormone replacement therapy as a universal solution for perimenopause symptoms, and how that pattern echoes earlier chapters in women's healthcare, such as when the pill was prescribed for nearly every hormonal concern or when medical intervention became the default in birth. This isn't an anti-HRT conversation. It's an invitation to widen the lens. We talk about the many systems that influence the menopause transition and why supporting the body's foundations can be just as important as the hormonal conversation itself. For some women, HRT may become a meaningful part of their path. For others, it may not. But reducing the entire transition to a single intervention risks overlooking the complexity and intelligence of the female body. Just as we've begun shifting the conversation around menstruation and birth toward working with the body instead of overriding it, it's time to bring that same perspective to menopause. LINKS: Medicine Stories Patreon extended conversation- The Red Thread: Stories of Our Motherlines The Womancraft Way Quiz: Find Your Wise Woman Archetype Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica Nov 3-8 The Mythic Medicine herb shop Jane on Instagram Amber on Instagram Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Many (if not most) women today are- often unintentionally and without realizing it- undernourishing to the point that our basic biological needs are not being met. Exhausted, anxious, and chasing down symptom after symptom, we are spending time, energy, and money on hormone testing, microbiome analysis, genetic sequencing, supplement protocols, etc. all while unknowingly not taking in enough calories and/or micronutrients for our bodies to work properly in the first place. Our culture today is awash in contradictory health information, food fear, warped wellness idealogies, and impossible beauty standards, but confusion around food and bodies goes back to at least our grandmothers' generation. We inherit nourishment beliefs and practices just as we inherit our mineral and nutrient stores. Ashley Wulkan- mother, herbalist, nutritionist, and mineral balancing practitioner- and I wish to simplify nourishment for women, not add to the noise. We do this for not only ourselves but for our collective mothers who never overcame their own food issues, and for our collective daughters who we fervently pray will adequately nourish themselves and their descendents far into the future. Let's rewrite the story. LINKS: Medicine Stories Patreon- bonus conversation on The Imprint of Nourishment- what we inherit and what we pass down Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica Nov 3-8 The Mythic Medicine herb shop Ashley's Free Guide Fundamental Nourishment for the Mother Body Ashley on Instagram Amber on Instagram Quiz: Find Your Wise Woman Archetype Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Thousands of people report major improvements in their health after doing the liver/gall bladder flush, but can it be harmful? The answer is- it depends, on a ton of variables, and no two people are going to experience the same physiological impact.  Even when flushing is successful, there will be a cost to the body's nutrient stores. So what can we do to ensure that liver flushing will tip more toward beneficial and less toward depleting? What symptoms might indicate that a flush could benefit you? Are there gentler ways to do a flush? I'm your host Amber and today I am joined by mineral balancing practitioner Sena Maria and Doctor of Chinese Medicine Suuzi Hazen to discuss our experiences with liver flushing alongside considerations that we feel are missing from the online conversations we see about this process. The truth is that liver flushing is a trade off,  with extraordinarily beneficial results possible but real depletion and imbalance also very possible, so let's talk about how to mitigate harmful results and tweak the protocol to fit your life and body. LINKS: Medicine Stories Patreon- Gentle Liver Flush Protocol & an extended conversational deep dive into this topic Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica Nov 3-8 Violet Leaf Castor Oil The Mythic Medicine herb shop Suuzi's Mother's Best Liver Pills Sena Maria's website Sena on Instagram Suuzi on Instagram Amber on Instagram Quiz: Find Your Wise Woman Archetype Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Healing is often framed through the lens of heroic breakthroughs, peak experiences, and emotional catharsis, but this episode centers a steadier path. Many modern healing trends—amplified by social media and the promise of instant transformation—can quietly deplete the body, especially for women, leading to every day burnout, long-term exhaustion, and chronic illness. Rather than bypassing the physical, we return to the essentials, recognizing that illness for modern women is often rooted in chronic stress and physiological depletion- not the lack of spiritual epiphanies or endless emotional processing.  I'm joined today by women's health expert and mineral balancing practitioner Sena Maria, who brings grounded clarity to what true, lasting healing requires, helping us understand the body's intelligent responses to modern life and offering a vision of healing that is slow, nourishing, and sustainable. LINKS: Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat with Amber Nov 3-8 Medicine Stories Patreon (extended convo about the interplay of serotonin, histamine, and estrogen, plus a discount link for Sena's membership program Radiantly Nourished) The Mythic Medicine herb shop Sena's free 11 minute video showing her HTMA progression From Burnout To Thriving Before Burnout (discount code BB10)  Ashley Wulkan's post on undernourishment  Quiz: Find Your Wise Woman Archetype  Amber on Instagram Sena on Instagram Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Midlife is a powerful threshold, one that is often misunderstood or endured in shame and solitude. In this episode, we explore the in-between terrain where old identities dissolve and new ways of being have not yet fully emerged. Jessie and I reflect on how today's societal pressures collide with the emotional and biological realities of midlife and motherhood, creating an unprecedented landscape that calls for more compassion, more community, and more honest conversations. By naming and honoring these transitions, especially those unique to women, we open the door to self-discovery, validation, and personal and collective growth. Links:  Medicine Stories Patreon (extended convo w/ Jessie on The Freebirth Fallout) The Costa Rica Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat w/ Amber, November 2026 Jessie's website Jessie on Instagram Find Your Wise Woman Archetype  The Mythic Medicine herb shop Mythic Medicine on Instagram Medicine Stories Facebook group Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Felt cute, will definitely delete later. New Mythic Medicine website!- use coupon code MMBF20 for 20% off everything until 12/3 Healing Waters: Nature Immersion Costa Rica Retreat Nov 3-8th 2026 (seven of twenty spots remaining), use coupon code TTSAVE50 for $50 off on 12/2 and 12/3 only The Guardian article THANK YOU for 13 years of supporting our medicine making and 8 years of supporting this podcast! We've only just begun!

Menarche- a girl's first period- shapes how we experience womanhood for the rest of our lives, and the lack of initiation most of us experience is itself an initiation. In this culture that has fractured from the rites and wisdom of our grandmothers, where so many of us met our first period with confusion or shame, how do we begin to heal this tender threshold- for our daughters, and for the younger version of ourselves?  In a conversation brimming with practical suggestions, my herb teacher Kami McBride- who has led countless women's circles, developed and taught a class for cycling women, and even written a book on menstruation- shares her decades of experience and insight. Together, we explore how to remember what was once celebrated, and how to bring reverence and empowerment back to this profound beginning. Medicine Stories Patreon (thank you!)- enter the giveaway & get a list of my favorite books on menstruation Kami's free classes: DIY Body Butter for Gifting & Top 3 Stress-Melting Herbal Oils Kami's course: Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils Join me at the Medicine Stories Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica November 2026! Mythic Medicine herbal remedies- take our quiz to be notified when our Moment Markers Bundles become available Kami on Instagram Amber on Instagram Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Did you notice metabolic changes around age 35 and/or 42? Does perimenopause even exist? Is there an ideal childbearing window? Why are humans one of the only species to experience menopause? Suuzi Hazen, doctor of Chinese Medicine and my closest companion in healing from midlife burnout, gives us the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on the 7 year framework for girls' and womens' life transitions. Suuzi's post that inspired this conversation Join me & Suuzi at the Medicine Stories Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica November 2026! Medicine Stories Podcast Related previous episodes with Suuzi- Nourishment Lost, Women's Bodies are Metabolically Expensive, Midlife Burnout for Women Mother's Best Liver Pills by Suuzi Women's Bodies podcast by Suuzi Mythic Medicine herbal remedies- take our quiz to be notified when our Moment Markers Bundles become available Suuzi on Instagram Me on Instagram Leonard Shlain Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)

Birth opens the door, but what comes after walks you through it. Many new parents find themselves moving through the first year feeling lonely, confused, and wondering why it's so hard. In this episode, I'm joined again by Rachelle Seliga of Innate Traditions, who has spent over 20 years teaching and gathering communities to explore postpartum, motherhood, and revillaging. Together, we open the conversation wider — into the realm of fatherhood — with Rachelle's signature depth, wisdom, and grounded practicality. Whether you're preparing for birth or reflecting on your own postpartum journey, this conversation offers insight, validation, and a new lens on what it means to be reshaped by parenthood. Planning for the Fourth Trimester for Mothers & Fathers workshop with Rachelle and Dan  Two Medicine Stories Patreon bonuses: 1) extended interview w/ Rachelle giving me her hot takes on controversial wellness/spirituality topics and 2) audio recording of me giving a podcast/medicine/life/health status update Rachelle's previous Medicine Stories appearance Revillaging: Maternal, Cultural, and Planetary Wellness Are One Take our fun quiz Which Healing Herb Matches Your Energy? Innate Traditions Website Innate Traditions Instagram Mythic Medicine Website Mythic Medicine Instagram Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)