Episode Summary In this episode of Gut Feelings: Life Unfiltered, Dr. Jen and Dr. Mel unpack what it really takes to heal—beyond “perfect” diets, endless supplements, and obsessing over lab results. They explore why healing is anything but linear, how the nervous system quietly calls the shots, and why your thoughts, trauma history, and people-pleasing patterns can keep your gut, hormones, and blood sugar stuck in survival mode. They share personal stories—from rage-cleaning and diarrhea diaries to perimenopause fatigue and grief—that show how nervous system work, self-compassion, boundaries, and tiny micro-choices can completely change your health trajectory. This is where science (nervous system, hormones, gut, mitochondria) meets soul (inner child, self-abandonment, grief, and permission to choose differently)—and where women finally stop feeling “broken” and start feeling powerful, regulated, and in charge of their own healing.

1. Healing is not a straight line—it's more like the stock market. You’re not failing because you have flare days or setbacks. Your body is constantly recalibrating hormones, gut, nervous system, and emotions. The ups and downs are part of the process, not proof you’re broken.

2. Your nervous system is the CEO of your healing. If you’re living in chronic fight-or-flight, digestion, hormones, blood sugar, sleep, and brain function all pay the price. Breathwork, HeartMath, humming, gentle movement, and even laughing at a comedy can shift your physiology more than one more supplement ever will.

3. Thoughts, stress, and emotions directly impact your biology. Rage-cleaning before a party, looping hypothetical arguments in your head, or suppressing grief all spike cortisol, throw off insulin, and disrupt gut function. This is real physiology, not “woo.” Your mindset and emotional load are as important as your macros.

4. The soul of healing is self-compassion + ending self-abandonment. People-pleasing, perfectionism, and saying yes when your whole body is screaming no are forms of self-abandonment that eventually show up as symptoms. Micro-choices—setting a boundary, resting, letting something be imperfect, feeling a feeling instead of stuffing it—are how you rewire your brain and teach your body, “I don’t abandon myself anymore.”

5. The future of healing is integrative, intuitive, and woman-led. It’s not “just labs” or “just journaling”—it’s nervous system work, gut-brain healing, mitochondrial support, emotional processing, and science-backed somatic tools woven together. You’re not broken; you’re dysregulated. Regulation is a skill you can learn at any age, and your intuition gets to be part of your treatment plan.

Links and Resources:

📱 Dr. Mel's Social Media

Instagram: @blossom_integrative Facebook: Blossom Integrative Health YouTube: Blossom Integrative Health

📱 Dr. Jen's Social Media

Instagram: @healthinmotionwellness Facebook: Health in Motion Wellness

Websites:

www.drauchter.com

www.healthinmotion-wellness.com

💬 Enjoying the podcast? Follow, rate, and share to support our mission of whole-person healing!