Well with Arielle Lorre - 322: How to Optimize Digestion, Release Toxins and Find Peace With it All with Naturopath Dr. Sam Faramarzi

Episode Date: June 10, 2024

Dr. Saman Faramarzi, ND, also known as Dr. Sam, is a licensed Naturopath and founder of the private concierge practice, SAFA Life & Wellness. She applies mind-body medicine to help patients achieve their health goals through many modalities in her toolbox. In the episode, she joins me to talk about finding peace within our body, emotionally, physically, and mentally. We discuss 'wellness overwhelm' and what to do with all the information we're given regarding health and well-being. She shares her protocol for optimal gut health, constipation, digestion, hormones, mental health, SIBO, and more. We also discuss what storing emotions does to the body/mind, along with her unique regimen for releasing negative emotions, trauma, and other toxins from our environment.Subscribe to Patreon for exclusive weekly content: patreon.com/ArielleLorreThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Go to tryarmra.com/BLONDE for 15% off your first order.Visit chomps.com/BLONDE for 20$ off your first order and free shipping. Go to DrinkLMNT.com/BLONDE to get a free sample pack with any purchase.Visit vegamour.com/BLONDE to save 20% on your first order.Go to omnibioticlife.com and use code BLONDE20 for 30% off of subscriptions and 20% off regular orders. Go to fatty15.com/BLONDE or use code BLONDE for an additional 15% off their Starter Kit.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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auto-huees-on-sor-sonder-zorger. Go to your rise-adviseur or Sunnycars. The following podcast is a dear media production. Welcome to the Blonde Files podcast. I'm your host, Ariel Lori, and I'm here to talk all things wellness. From how to achieve optimal health and well-being to the best beauty tips and everything in between, no topic is off

limits. I know there's so much information out there, so I'm bringing on expert guests and sharing my own experiences to help you sift through all the wellness stuff without the BS. Enjoy the show. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show. I have such a great episode for you today. because I am talking to Dr. Sam. So I have been following Dr. Sam for a long time. I was first introduced to her through Candice, the LA Facialist, and then subsequently so many more people that I know just recommended her so highly. So I was so excited to talk to her and she is everything that I expected her to be and more. She is so amazing. So she is a licensed naturopath. She is the founder of a private concierge practice called Satha Life and Wellness. She

applies mind-body medicine to help patients achieve their health goals through many modalities in her toolbox, which we get into in this episode. We talk about finding peace within our body emotionally, physically, and mentally because we cannot be well if we don't have peace within ourselves in all of these facets, I truly believe. So we talk about wellness overwhelm and what to do with all of the information that we're given regarding health and well-being. She also shares her protocol for optimal gut health, constipation, digestion issues, hormones, mental health, sebo, and so much more. We also talk about what storing emotions does to our bodies and our minds, along with her unique regimen for releasing negative emotions, trauma, and other toxins from our

environment. Such a good episode. Please enjoy Dr. Sam. Welcome, Dr. Sam. Hi. Thank you. So excited to have you here. I feel like we've been talking on Instagram a little bit, like back and forth for a long time. I think I actually reached out to you a long time ago and was like, I need help. And then didn't follow through. Oh, when I had Candace on my show, I think. Candace, LA facialist, everybody. You guys work together, right? She talked about it on the show. So I'm not breaking any kind of. confidentiality thing. And I think at that time, I was like, I need all the things. I love her. I love her. I adore her. And she refers patients to me. And I refer people to her. And it's just, and we've worked together, as she mentioned. So we have a great relationship. And she's just incredible.

Yeah, she is. Her energy, everything is amazing. Okay. So tell us about your path to becoming a naturopathic doctor. Yeah. So I studied. nutrition and undergrad. I was super passionate about how what we eat impacts our body because when I was in high school, I was put on birth control and I was diagnosed with PCOS because my periods were really irregular. And I ended up putting on a lot of weight, like probably 15 pounds in just one month because I got on birth control. And before that, I was tiny. Like I was probably 90 pounds, couldn't put on any weight. So that really shifted things from and all of a sudden I was obsessed with how like how did this happen to me and I have to exercise I have to watch what I'm eating so I was like I'm

going to study nutrition undergrad studying nutrition undergrad really opened up my eyes to wait a second it's not just about what we're eating but so much more goes into wellness so I started doing some research and then I came across naturopathic medicine and as soon as I was going to go to traditional medical school MD path and when I heard about naturopathic medicine it was everything I was passionate about And you know those moments in your life where you just know this is the path for you and you're like, I don't even care what it takes. I'm going to do it. It was one of those.

And then it opened up the path to my own healing, which is really has been the most amazing thing in my life is going to school for this. Not only do I get to help other people, but it's been a transformational path for me spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, like all the way. I'm a different person. I love that you always talk about how all of these things are part of wellness because I I think a lot of people think of, okay, wellness is exercise and it's eating healthy and maybe it's quote unquote balanced hormones, you know, it's kind of basic things, which are very important and kind of fundamental. But you talk about, you know, energy and spirituality and emotional health. And those things are so important because I feel like you can't have true wellness. You can't have

true like optimal health, whatever that looks like for you. If you are having things. things like emotional turmoil. I can speak for myself, like having just gotten out of very turbulent time in my life or stored energy. I'm sure you can speak to this. So what is your definition, I guess, of wellness? And what does that incorporate for you? Yeah. So my definition of wellness has changed over time. And if you ask me in a year from now, maybe it'll be different. But right now, the way I look at wellness, it's peace, right? Having ultimate peace in your body. And you're not striving for things and just being at ease. And that includes, right, including diet, feeding your body the right things. But being at peace and not having anxiety, not continuously reaching

for the next thing. That to me is wellness because you'll see when you're in that place, everything else falls into place for you. I'm sure for so many people listening that hit hard. Like I even heard Ashley go, mm. Because you hear. so many different definitions of wellness. But at the end of the day, like, peace is what we all want. Peace with our bodies. Peace with our minds. Peace with the world around us, right? But I think it probably feels so unattainable because I think that we're getting further and further from ourselves, even by pursuing wellness, you know, through like what other people do and through really rigid means that might not feel good to your body. Like, I feel like this gap is becoming greater.

Absolutely. And there's so much information out there. Listen, I love technology. And I think it's great that we have all these resources out there. But there's also a problem because with a lot of my, this is like the demographic I see is a lot of people that are already healthy, quote unquote healthy, doing all the quote unquote healthy things like, oh, I do this. I have this regime. I have that. It's like, it's even overwhelming for me to hear. Right. And they have all these things going on. They're like, I heard this on this podcast. I heard this on that. I read this on Google. And I did. this and this and this. Now, like, they're overwhelmed and they're like, now I need you to tell me, how do I use all this information? Do I even need this? And I think that, like, even just saying out loud, I'm getting anxiety. Yeah. Because it's so overwhelming. It is just too much. And it's causing just people to do way too much than they need to. The foundation of health are out the door when we are just running after all these things, trying to obtain the next best thing. And to me, that's why when I come in with my patients, I sometimes have to go back to, hey, let's just talk about drinking water. Let's talk about how are you breathing?

How are you eating? Not even what are you eating? But what state are you in when you're eating? Just those basic things shift your health. So that's where I like to start. Let's talk about that one. I mean, let's just jump into it. Like, how are you when you're eating?

That was huge for me when I was working with this nutritionist years ago because I was one of those people. I was doing all the things for gut health. And I thought that I had such bad gut issues. And when I was trying to heal that on my own, I was going down the road of eliminating everything. I mean, to the point where I remember going on vacation and they were like, do you have any dietary restrictions? I'm like, yes, actually, I do. Dairy, corn, soy, sugar, green beans, flaxseed, eggs. I was so restrictive and I was so rigid about my lifestyle. And my nutritionist was like, why don't we try like not being on your phone or in front of the TV when you're eating? Yes. And why don't we try chewing your food? And I was like, what? You know, and I think that,

again, we've like gotten so far away from that. So can you talk about why that's so important? Yes. So it's one of the most important things because digestion starts the minute you smell your food. Right. And when I'm working with my patients on gut health, one of the the first things we work on is digestion, right? And I'm like, okay, as soon as when you're making your food, if you're multi- sometimes we're not even making our food, right? Let's say we're working, we're ordering our food. So that's already the first step is out of the way. We're not smelling the things to produce all the right enzymes for digesting our food. That's when it starts. Then, let's say we're in a rush when we're eating and we're chewing three times and then

swallowing our food. Well, we haven't broken down the food while. our saliva hasn't mixed in, and that's already a step missing in digestion. Then that food gets into our stomach, right? And in the stomach, you need to produce the right amount of stomach acid for the food to get broken down. Again, every place, there is things that are happening and everything needs to play a role together. Then if you're not producing the right amount of stomach acid, there are certain bacteria that are in your stomach that will make it into your small intestine. And everyone's heard about SIBO, small intestinal bacterial.

I feel like everybody has CBO right now. Everyone is like, I have CBO. I have CBO. And it's really because we're not addressing digestion. So the bacteria, because we have bacteria from our mouth to our butthole. Can I say that? Yes. But the thing is we have different types of bacteria, different amounts of it, and there's

different pHs, which is something no one really talks about. We have a different pH in the mouth than we have in the stomach, then we have in the small intestine, then the colon. and your colon and your mouth have the same pH. So whatever's in the mouth, if it doesn't get killed off and reaches your colon, I know I'm getting very scientific with this stuff. No, I'm just trying to follow. And what happens is there's overgrowth of things.

And that creates problems. So if we're not in a calm state, your body's not producing, going back to digestion and the stomach and all that. Your body's not going to produce the right amount of stomach acid, which then creates all the problems. Then we get into the small intestine and then your liver, all the other organs play a role. So really it starts with being present, chewing your food, allowing your body to do what it's supposed to do because you're supposed to eat and then rest and digest, right, which is parasympathetic nervous system, which none of us are in. Like we're all go, go, go, go, go. Yeah. So when we're eating,

we got to just check out. I tell a lot of my patients, before you eat, do three gratitude statements, right? Name three things you're grateful for. Look at your food for 10 seconds. Look at the colors. You know, get out of your routine of whatever else you're doing and just pay attention to what's in front of you. Try not to talk so much when you're eating. Or be on TikTok or whatever. Exactly. Like it's a ritual. It's something that you're doing for your body. You'll notice you end up eating less. You'll feel more satiated after you're done with your food. And you'll feel better. You'll feel lighter. You feel like, wow, I've actually digested this. You won't feel tired. So that's where it all starts. I notice that like even if I go out to eat and I'm not eating something that I prepared and maybe it's not quote unquote clean, but I'm with a friend or something. And I'm sitting there having a conversation and we're kind of eating more slowly because we're talking to

each other. Like I never feel bad after that. Whereas sometimes I'll eat the quote unquote again, cleanest thing that I've cooked, that I filmed myself cooking. because I have to post it on TikTok or whatever. And then I'm, you know, eating with the TV. And then I feel like shit after. And it's like, wait, what? Yes. And that's probably an example of that.

Exactly. Exactly. That's a perfect example of it because it's, you know, of course we want to eat healthy. We want to nourish our body. But if you're not doing the foundational stuff, actually digesting what you're eating, you're going to feel like crap. After my health scare last year,

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Or you can grab a variety pack to satisfy your whole family's taste. buds, there are even smaller chomplings for a quick snack for any kids in your life or for you. I eat these sometimes when I'm not that hungry and just feel that I need to give myself a little something. So right now, Choms is offering my listeners 20% off your first order and free shipping when you go tochamps.com slash blonde. Again, go to chomps.com slash blonde to see all the delicious flavors and get 20% off your first order and free shipping. That's C-H-O-M-P-S.com.com. slash blonde. Don't forget to use my link so they know I sent you. I feel like everybody listening and everybody in L.A. and probably everybody in the country can identify with, you know, maybe two or three

things like gut issues, hormone issues, and then some kind of mood thing, like anxiety, depression, whatever. So if somebody comes to you and they are like, I am having these gut issues, I don't know what's going on, I eat so healthily or so clean, do you first have them do this or do you test as well, do you do them simultaneously? Like, how do you approach that? Yeah. So in a first visit with me, what happens is we spend about an hour together. And I dissect everything they tell me from the way they tell me something. Like if someone's like, well, I kind of try to do this and then I notice a pattern, right? So I really talk about their language. Then we talk about their habits. Then I order labs. But really, I start with stool analysis, looking at their microbiome. But it takes about two to three

least for me to get those results. So while we're waiting for those results, these are the foundational things we start working on. I don't really recommend any supplements before I get results unless it's like something is such a clear picture of like, hey, I need to give you this thing to get things going. Then I'll maybe recommend one or two things to help them feel better immediately. And then we go from there. But typically, we work on these foundational things. And believe it or not, within a week or two weeks before we even do any testing, I'll get an email back from a patient. Like, Dr. Sam, I already feel so much better. Changing my water intake changed everything. Or slowing down when I'm eating, I've been pooping. You know? It's like those little things

really shift things from my patients. And then we go deeper with the testing, of course, and personalizing the treatment plan. What are some of those other foundational things besides water slowing down? We talk about movement. So getting in some movement and throughout the day. Whatever that means for them, some people just adding in a 15-minute walk will be a big change for them. So I like to meet my patients where they're at, right? So I'm not going to tell someone, go take five Pilates classes a week if they haven't worked out in six years, right? We talk about sleep. What are they doing before they go to bed? I always like to add in some sort of mindfulness exercise, which I love journaling. So I do it myself, right? So I'm always like,

Are you open to journaling about these things? Gratitude journaling before you go to bed because it changes your brain chemistry and your mood. We talk about meditation as well. That's something if they're open to. How does journaling before bed change your brain chemistry? So before you fall asleep, 30 minutes before you fall asleep, you start slowing down and you produce different brain waves. And you start becoming a magnet for what you produce and what you attract into your life. Very Joe Dispenza.

I think I learned about it there. Have you been to a Joe Dispenza? No, not yet. I have a friend that just went and she was like, I don't know, it was like a little cultish. I'm like, don't tell me. Don't tell me. I went in December. I wonder if I was at the one your friend.

In Florida? Marco Island? No, I went to Cancun. Okay. How was it? Incredible. Incredible. And it was, yes, I highly recommend it.

But yeah, so he talks about this, right? What I love about him is he talks about the science of this, right? So your brain waves change and you become a magnet for what you want to attract into your life. So let's say before we go to bed, if we're constantly thinking about all the things that went wrong, then the next day, that's what you subconsciously wake up thinking about is more, quote unquote, wrong things that are going to happen. You're going to wake up in a shitty mood. You're going to wake up depressed or, you know, all the feelings you were feeling the day before.

Instead of being like, okay, this is what happened today. This is what I'm grateful for. then you wake up with gratitude the next day. And a lot of this stuff happens on a subconscious level, right? So you don't even know what's happening. There was a point in my life where I had just started practicing and I would get like one opportunity and I would start writing. I'm so grateful for opportunities.

And I swear a month later, I had so many opportunities on my plate that I was like, I need to stop writing this because I'm doing too many. There's too many opportunities now. That's so funny. It really, it happens. And like, there is science to it. There is ancient wisdom around this, like the chigang work that I do. Chinese energetic medicine, they've been doing things like this for centuries. So how do we deny that? Right. And yet, so many do. And yet so many do. And so many know this stuff yet don't practice it. Right? I go through funks where all the knowledge I know is out the door because, is I just want to stew in my shit. And I just want to sit in it and make myself feel certain emotions, right? So it's like we have to have grace for ourselves as well, where there are times where we fall off.

But really, when we get the opportunity to apply these things to our lives, it's life changing. Even back to what we were talking about with gut health and digestion and all of that, I feel like people can listen to this and rationally understand. Okay, that makes sense. but some people would probably rather take a supplement. And I can say that because like that was me in the past. You know, I'd be like, oh my God. Like I don't want to do that.

I don't want to do the inner work. I don't want to slow down. Like what's the digestive enzyme? Like give me the thing where I can bypass having to do that. Right. And it's so interesting because we do on some level know what's good for us. But sometimes it can be so hard to practice. 100%.

100%. And sometimes, you know, what I do with patients is first, I will use the digestive enzyme because I want them to feel better as we're building their mindset. As we're building the foundational things of the way the mind works to get them to want to do those things, right? It doesn't happen overnight for some people, for none of us, right? I've been doing chagong for like 12 years and now I'm like, oh, wow, I still had stuff related to this.

Oh my God, I didn't even know. Right. So it's a step by step process. So yeah, sometimes we start with digestive enzymes because we want the patient to feel better. And then we're like, listen, I always tell my patients, I'm like six months of this protocol. I don't want you on it longer. So you better get working on these things because I'm going to take you off of these things. And hopefully you've learned. Right. Yeah. It's like putting the cart before the horse so that you can feel the difference that you can have and then you can start to practice in your life. Yeah. When you do. gut test and stool tests, are there any commonalities that you see come up a lot? Or is it just very different depending on the person? It's always different, right? But common themes for the types of patients I see, right? I see a lot of young woman, right, in 20s, 30s, 40s. And what I see is they come in with constipation, they come in with repressed emotions, right? And then on their stool test, what we'll see is there will be an overgrowth of certain bacteria that leads to constipation. And we'll see the way their body's digesting their food.

So we'll see that they're not breaking down their proteins while. Sometimes they're not even breaking down their carbohydrates while. So a lot of information comes up and it's like textbook of what their symptoms are. I'm like, I already know what I'm going to see on this report. So a lot of maldigestion, indigestion, lack of diversity. a lot of us. And listen, my favorite part is the initial visit because, again, like I said, the type of patients I see it's people that have, they're like, I'm doing this and this and this. So I hear all these things they're doing. But then the lack of diversity in the foods they're eating,

there's like five things they rotate. And then I see that on the stool test because they lack diversity in their microbiome, which is the number one thing that actually creates a resilient microbiome impacts your immune system, your mood. So those are the common things that I typically see. And you always start with gut before you look at things like hormones or how do you approach that? It's different for everyone. Some patients come to me and it's very complex, right? So there I have a lot of things going on, a lot of chronic illnesses.

So what we'll do is if I'm suspecting a hormonal imbalance, then we'll look at their hormones at the same time that we run the stool test. I look at micronutrient deficiencies because I want to see, hey, their gut isn't functioning. let's see what they've been absorbing through their diet. And a lot of times we see that there's nutrients missing, like magnesium B12, COQ10, fish oils or omega-3s, right, which is we give them fish oils for it. But those are the things I typically start with. And then basic labs, right, looking at their thyroid health, looking at their anemia panel, looking at blood cells, all the things.

So it takes a while to review it. But let's say someone comes to me with something very simple. we start with the gut. Got it. What are some of the biggest obstacles to health today that either cause things like hormonal issues, thyroid issues, gut issues, like are they like toxins, environmental toxins, things that were exposed to? What do you see a lot of?

So I would address this from two perspectives and layers, right? There's the physical things that I'll point to and then there's the energetic things, right? Because they both play a role. on the physical level in the world we're living in, there's so many toxins. The way our food is being produced now, right? It's full of glyphosate, it's full of chemicals. They're not using the highest quality soil. So we're missing a lot of nutrients.

Packaging of things impacts the quality of the food, right? The highest quality of food could be in a plastic bag sitting in heat, then you're getting the toxins from the plastic, right? So on a physical level, we're living in a toxic world, right? and we're also living in a world where it's very high-paced now. And as human beings, we're trying to keep up with that, where our bodies are being jeopardized, right? Where we're not detoxing properly because of those, the foundations are out the door for a lot of people, a lot of people. And then on an energetic level, what we see is repressed emotions and trauma that hasn't been addressed, having access to so much that's happening around.

us and not being able to do anything about it, like what's happening in the world, right? And there's just a lot on the emotional level, which when we think about it from the ancient Chinese energetic perspective, it's trapped in our body. And those are normal things. Like we were talking about anger before we got on this, right? Those are normal emotions. It's just that when we're not addressing them, when we're stuffing them, when we're burying them, because we're, we're burying them, because no one's validating things for us, that's when it becomes a problem. And I really think, even if you address, like you eat the cleanest diet, like we said, or avoid, like live in a bubble, which no one does, right? Even if that's happening, I still see depression, I still see anxiety,

I still see acne or all these other issues in the patient that's doing all the right things on the physical level and not addressing their emotional stuff. That's been me at so many points. in my life. Oh yeah. Me too. Like I mean definitely ever since I got sober I was like I don't understand like first of all I don't drink. I don't do drugs anything like that my lifestyle is so healthy I eat healthy you know I move my body I'm pretty cognizant of like the products that I use things like that and still you know and it's like so frustrating and I'm aware of that like I have things like old trauma and I've had to confront that but even just in the last six six years. months like again you know it was like emotional turmoil and repressing that and I had a major health

thing happened at the same time and it was just like the wheels fell off you know yeah despite my lifestyle despite like all the things that I do so you can't really avoid that forever you cannot avoid it and what we'll see is during those big life events as well sometimes the old patterns get triggered, right? So something that may have happened when, let's say, I was seven, right? And then a big life event is happening. If those things weren't addressed when I was seven years old, they're going to come back up and they're going to show up in different ways in the body. And again, it's not always in an emotional way. It could be in a physical, chronic illness. And that's why I'm so passionate about it. Because again, like being in the industry where we

see so many people. And of course, we're so fortunate to have actually, access to these things. Not everyone does. And you'll sometimes see people that get exposed to a lot of toxic things, but emotionally, they've let go of a lot of their traumas and they've let go of a lot of this repressed emotions. And they're completely fine, being exposed to all the toxins. Right? Yes. And you're like, how is this possible? Can't relate to those people. So it's so, so important. Yeah. And that's why I'm like, you know, I have this 80-20 rule with all my patients. I'm like, I don't need you to be perfect, right? I need you to do your best with diet, exercise, movement, the products you use.

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slash blonde. When I am traveling, I do not want to pack a bunch of supplements, but I do want to make sure that I have my immune system and my gut health covered. I feel like these are two things that can kind of go awry on vacation. So one of the only things that I actually pack with me is my Armora colostrum. I'm sure you guys have heard so much about this and seen it on Instagram and maybe wondered if it was actually worth the hype. Well, yes, it absolutely is. Colostrum is the first nutrition that we receive in life. It contains all of the essential nutrients our bodies need in order to thrive and Armoura colostrum is a proprietary concentrate of bovine colostrum that harnesses over 400 living bioactive nutrients that rebuild the barriers of your body and fuel cellular

health for a host of research backed health benefits. So that looks like strengthened immunity, ignited metabolism, it's very anti-inflammatory, it helps to fortify gut health, it helps to activate hair growth and skin radiance, it powers fitness performance and recovery, it has really powerful anti-aging benefits. And it's kind of not even a supplement. It's really more of just these bioactive nutrients, like I said. So unlike most colostrums that use heat pasteurization that depletes nutrient potency, ARMA leverages their proprietary cold chain biopotent technology. It's an innovative process that purifies and preserves the integrity of those bioactive nutrients while removing casein and fat. So a lot of people ask if they're sensitive to dairy, can they take

this, I would always check with your doctor, but for me, I am very sensitive to dairy and I have had no issues with Armour. Also, because I know people care about the source, it's sourced from grass-fed cows, from their co-op of dairy farms, and they strictly source only the surplus supply of colostrum after calves are fully fed. They have an unwavering commitment to quality. It's evident throughout their entire process. They really go above and beyond industry standards to ensure that Armour Cholostrum meets the highest bar of purity and efficacy, which includes being certified glyphosate-free. So I love taking the individual packs with me when I'm traveling, and it's so easy. I can either just take it dry, which I actually like doing, or I can put it into my water,

and it just helps me maintain, like I said, my gut health. When I'm traveling, I'm eating so many different kinds of things. Armour actually can block irritants that can trigger symptoms like bloating, constipation and IBS. So that's huge when you are traveling. So I've worked out a special offer for my audience. You can get 15% off your first order. So go to tryarmor.com slash blonde or enter the code blonde to get 15% off your first order. That's t-R-M-R-M-R-A dot com slash blonde. Acne can be an energetic thing or an emotional thing. Yeah. Can you talk more about that? Yeah. Absolutely. So I think about the liver when it comes to the skin.

And here's the fun part about this. A lot of times from the naturopathic perspective, too, right? We're looking at the body and your liver is a massive detox organ, right? And whatever is happening internally with your digestion, with your liver, with all those things, if you're not eliminating those toxins, then it shows up on your skin. So a lot of times when I see acne, I want to support the liver with. the right supplements. I want to support digestion with the right supplements, but also energetically, what I see with the liver, when there's a lot of repressed anger, repressed

even sadness, resentments that haven't been resolved where forgiveness hasn't come in, when there isn't any compassion, we see acne. We see acne show up. And yeah, and as soon as they do the energetic shifts, it changes within days. I'll share a personal story that happened And to me, I was going through a major life change a couple of years ago. And I wasn't expressing myself. I didn't even know that I wasn't. I was just like, oh, I'm just going to go through this. And I'm fine.

I'm fine. I'm forgiven. And I'm okay. Right. All of a sudden, I start creating this rash on my neck. And it's literally just on my neck. And I was like, have I been eating a lot of dairy? I thought I was over this.

I'm like, did I eat gluten? Like what's going on? Do I need to take these supplements? So I start doing all my naturopathic stuff. I'm like, let me take this supplement. Let me do that. Let me eat a clean. The rash is kind of getting worse.

It was like getting more red. I was like, do I need to put cortisol on this? Like I really don't want to go that route. But I had to because it was so red, so itchy. Just kept getting worse by the minute. Then I call my Qigang teacher, the doctor that I work with that I learned from. And he was like, Sam, like, what's going on? What are you not saying?

What are you suppressing emotionally? And then I start crying and I'm like, well, this happened and that happened and two months ago, blah, blah, blah. And he's like, okay, let's process this. And we did some chigong. I am not kidding you. The next morning I woke up, it was 90% better. It wasn't completely gone.

Two days after it was completely gone. That's crazy. But not crazy. I mean, I get it. Right? Yeah, because I was telling you. Before we recorded today, I was at acupuncture. And I was like, oh, I'm just feeling so anxious.

And I'm feeling like dizzy. And I think it's the health stuff starting again from the thing. And I think I need that. And my acupuncturist was like, it's your liver. Like we need to calm the liver down. And I'm like, what? It's just never the go-to ever. All of the organs, the yen organs that they talk about in Chinese medicine,

which your acupunctures is addressing those with needles, right? I love acupuncture. Yeah. I felt like a different person after. Yeah, it changes. God. Everything. Yeah.

It plays a role. And then if you get to process it and there's exercises that you could do that some acupunctures will give you chigong exercises to do or I'll show you some things for your liver later that you could do. And it's like a daily thing where you unload on a daily basis on an energetic level and you clean the slate. You start refreshed every day. And things might come up and then you have more space to process them. Because listen, our bodies are always trying to protect us. Things aren't going to come up if you don't have the capacity to see it. When we're in survival mode, the emotional stuff is not going to have space to come up to process because you're like surviving.

Right. So that's why it's so important to create space for those things, which is like the opposite of what we do. When we're in survival mode, we want to just survive. We're not trying to process anything. Yeah. So having these routines for. For me, it has been life-changing, especially in those chaotic times in my life. Can you tell us what exactly is Qigong?

Yeah. So Qigong is energy work, right? And it's mastering your energy through your body. We're all energetic beings, all of us, animals, plants, everything has energy and essence to it. And what we do with Qigang is there are certain movements. It's through movement, breath, visualization, so imagery, place. a big role in it. And you're moving your life force energy. So it creates more vitality.

Everyone's talking about like anti-aging this, anti-aging that. I'm like, dude, if everyone just said chie-gong, really? Like it, yeah. Oh, it's anti-aging. I can't make those claims. I can't make those claims. But it really keeps you vital. It keeps your life force like up here. When we're dealing with suppressed emotions, our life force energy just gets drained. And you know, when you see those vital people and you're like, oh my God, how are you so full of life, this and that? They're processing their emotions. They're dealing with it. They're not suppressing it. I'll tell you that. So our vital force comes from that. I don't think it comes from, I mean, I'm all about supplements. As you know, it's a big part of my business, right? But your vital force doesn't come from a B12 shot. It doesn't

come from a vitamin D deficiency. You know, if you, of course, vitamin D plays a role in your energy levels, but that vitality, that aliveness in your body, it's energy. Yeah, that's so powerful. What does a session look like? I mean, I'm so fascinated by this because I know my acupuncturist does it too. And I'm like, can I do it? Like, where do? Yeah. But she never told me exactly like what it is. So what happens in a session typically? Yeah. So when I'm seeing patients as a practitioner for Qigong, it's tablework. So you're just laying there. Oh, amazing.

And I'm doing the work for you. And your eyes are just closing. You're just relaxing. And it's about 30 minutes. And then we talk about it. But we talk for an hour before we do the tablework. So a lot of stuff will come up based on the questioning. So I'll trigger a lot of things of like, you know, based on our conversation,

we'll get to certain points. And I'll like, oh, this is what we need to work on. on and then I work on you and then I give you exercises to do. So let's say when you're on the table, I notice, hey, like your acupuncture said, we need to work on your liver. If there's any excess in your liver or not enough in the heart, right? Then I'm like, hey, do these exercises. Let's build the energy of the heart. Let's get rid of some of the resentments and anger and the liver. Let's work on this for the spleen. Let go of the worries. Each organ has its own essence and energy and different emotions that deplete it. So based on what's going on in your life, then I do

some of the work with you. And then I give you exercises that you want to do on a daily basis. And then we see each other weekly until you're like, wait a second. The stuff came up and I'm good. Amazing. I want to go back to something that you were kind of alluding to earlier, which is that everybody seems to have a different threshold. I have friends who can get all the Botox, do all the implants, get, eat all the processed foods, like go to bed at one in the morning. Like, and they are just immune to everything, you know, eat all the dairy, all the gluten, like my best friend. I'm like, this is like, I don't understand. Yeah. And I, again, not to keep bringing up my acupuncturist, but, you know, we were talking today about how I'm so sensitive. And I was like, I hate it. And she's like, no,

it's a good thing. Like, it can be a really good thing. But sometimes it feels like a burden. But does everybody just have inherently a different threshold for these things, you know, from the time they're born? Or what can you attribute that to? Yeah. So on a physical level, I would say it genetically goes back to detox, right? Some people have a harder time detoxing because of genetic mutations that they have, like MTFHR mutations where it impacts the way your body detoxes, right? So if you know that about yourself, then there are certain supplements you can take to speed up that detox process. So if you have that mutation, let's say when you're growing up, you're detoxing still, but as you get older, as your toxic load goes up, then it's like the cup is already full. So even the smallest drop,

it's going to make the water of toxins overflow and you're going to feel like garbage, right? So it comes down to that. It's like, we want to support the body to do the things that's supposed to do well. So it's all about, I think, the detox pathways and the people that are okay with it. Like, for example, if I'm around perfume, I'm like migraine, throw up. Like, I don't throw up, but I'm like non-functional. Like, don't talk to me. But because I have a mutation, a genetic mutation that impacts the way I detox. And if I'm not on my A game and I'm not taking all my supplements, then when I'm around a lot of toxins, I have a really hard time.

I feel it. I feel it more than my sister, for example, who was like, same genes, right? But she doesn't have the same mutations I do. And do you recommend that everybody get tested for mutations like that? Yeah. Okay. So that's something that's like essential to know. That's something that I think is one of the easiest things to address because it impacts so much of your well-being too, right? If you constantly feel terrible and you're not detoxing, then things are going to also build up in your body. cause more inflammation in the body. So that's one of the first things. If someone hasn't been tested for that, I test that. That's one of the first tests I run as well. What are some symptoms of mutation with MTHR? Chronic headaches, migraines, low energy. When women have miscarriages,

that's something we test for as well because of methylation pathways with their B vitamins. So that's something we definitely jump to to see, wow, what's happening there? And then when we address it, they're able to have their healthy pregnancy. Other things would be high cholesterol when someone's eating super healthy, but then because it impacts your cholesterol metabolism as well. ADHD, like attention issues, it could show up in so many different ways. Interesting. Sensitivity to perfumes and all those things.

I don't know if I mentioned that, but that's like perfect. So people would maybe then get more sensitive as they get older. Exactly. Got it. Exactly. And some people, when they're younger, they're still sensitive and we're seeing symptoms of it. But for me, it didn't happen until I was older. When I was younger, when I was in high school, I was tiny. This is before birth control. I had high cholesterol. And I was like 90 pounds. I ate, I think healthy, you know, like as best as I could back then. But I had high class. I was like, shocked. But it was my, and I had no idea about this mutation back then. I was like, how do I have high cholesterol? And then later on, I was like, later on. And then later on. I learned. Oh wow, I have this mutation and now my cholesterol's completely fine. Wow. As we all know by now, gut health affects so many different aspects of our overall health and so many systems of the body. And I think a lot of us feel like if we just take a probiotic, then that will help our gut health, but not all probiotics are made equal. This is why I'm loving omnibiotic. It is a highly esteemed brand in Europe, widely recognized for its efficacy and trustworthiness. It's an integral component of detox regimens at

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before they reach the large intestine. Omnibiotic probiotics are reconstituted in water and nourished in a prebiotic matrix prior to consumption. So that means 83% of omnibiotics beneficial bacteria reached the gut alive and active. This is stark contrast to the average survival rate of just 7% achieved by the 10 top US capsule brands. Omnibiotic has countered the industry standard of one-size-fits-all probiotics with their innovative line of targeted formulations, and Institute Allegro San develops each omnibiotic product to deliver specific health outcomes validated by over 100 clinical studies. So you guys can get omnibiotic with the code blonde at omnibioticlife.com and you'll get 20% off your first purchase. Again, that's omnibioticlife.com and the code is blonde for 20% off.

You have probably been told how important omega-3 or fish oil is to supplement with, for your health. But what you might not know is that often omega-3 fish oil supplements go bad before they even leave the bottle, resulting in supplements that don't improve your health at all. So when I learned about this, I made the switch to fatty 15. Faddy 15 contains C-15. So C-15 works by strengthening our cells, improving our mitochondrial function, and protecting us against damaging free radicals, which results in better long-term metabolic liver and heart health. And it turns out many of us are deficient in C-15, which results in weaker cells. The weaker cells make less energy, and they quit working earlier than they should. And all of that makes us age faster. So think

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that support our overall health. So this can help with improved metabolic liver and heart health, smoother functioning joints, deeper sleep, healthier hair, skin, and nails, all of the essentials. Also, it comes in a gorgeous, reusable glass and bamboo jar, and refill capsules are shipped to your door quarterly in pouches made from recycled materials. Faddy 15 is on a mission to replenish your C-15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com slash blonde and using the code blonde at checkout. Again, that's fatty15.com slash blonde code blonde. Are there any other things that you see on a lot of people's labs, whether it's like a micronutrient deficiency, something that a lot

of us are not getting a vitamin deficiency that a lot of us have. I know that people always talk about things like vitamin D, magnesium. Is that the reality of what you're seeing when you test people? Absolutely. Those are very common. Probably, I would say 90% of people that come to me are vitamin D deficient. That's like the number one thing. And then B vitamins, a lot of patients are deficient in that. Co-Q10 is a common one I see because a lot of people are avoiding like, eggs and things like that when they're sensitive and you get coline and co-cutin from there. But also what I see is an elevation and arachidonic acid to your omega-3 ratio, which is a major problem with inflammation.

And it comes from eating not enough healthy fats, right? So not having enough like avocados, fish oils, healthy fish, right? Or fatty fish. So that's a big problem. in the body too because I see achy joints or headaches or just inflammation showing up in the body with that. So we supplement with omega-3s a lot. But that's like in 90% of patients again. Wow. Because also a lot of people are eating out, right? So there's a lot of seed oils. Like I don't want to add to that narrative. But it's, you know, it's in a lot of foods when you're going out

to eat. It's there. So you have to see, okay, if I want to, I always like to simplify things. for patients, right? So I'm not going to be like, please don't go out and do this and this, but I'm like, if you want to maintain this lifestyle, what are you going to do the times you're not going out? What are you getting enough omega-3s to balance that out? Because if you're not going to avoid that, let's do things to add, let's add things in to help with this process. Life should be enjoyed. Life shouldn't do hell, you know. I love that approach. You know, think about like what are we adding instead of what are we taking away? And obviously, depending on circumstances, and all that, there are things that, you know, maybe we do need to eliminate or eliminate temporarily.

But I feel like really there's so much that we could be adding more of. And I think when you kind of flip the narrative to that, it feels less rigid and more manageable. Exactly. Exactly. And I really think, you know, when it comes down to it, to me, again, like going back to wellness and why we do the things we do and like being on these wellness programs, it's about quality of life. So if the program I'm putting you on is screwing your quality of life and you're miserable, then what the hell is the point? Life is so short. Yeah. And it's meant to be enjoyed. And if I'm, if you're going to see me as a patient, I'm hoping that we're doing things that are manageable and you're not miserable when you're on this healing journey. I mean, my company's called Saffa wellness. It means joy.

It means clarity. It means purity. So it's all about joy. I like to add joy to everything. So that's why I'm like, let's do what works for you based on the knowledge I'm giving you. I love that because I feel like, again, kind of back to what we were talking about in the beginning. It's like wellness is making a lot of people miserable. Yes. And I remember like I had Liz Moody on my show maybe two times ago, a couple years ago. And she was like, if wellness is making you miserable, it's not wellness. but maybe just because it's become this huge industry and, you know, everyone is recommending different

things. It's so saturated, again, to what we were talking about in the beginning. Like, it feels like a burden instead of a right. Everybody has a right to, you know, feel optimal, right? Yeah, exactly. And live the highest quality of life with this time we have here. Yeah. Amazing. Well, tell everybody where they can find you. Yes. So my Instagram is DR. sam.ndy. That's where they can find me. My website is saffawall Wellness.com. And that's where they can reach out to work with me. We're launching a course in like a month. We're filming it this week. So that will be available for people. So they can learn these foundational things without doing too much, right? Oh, you're doing too much. Do less. Do less, please. I should call it that.

Do less. Do less live happily ever after. No. I love it. So yeah, so that's that. And then also we have a platform where people can purchase these labs and without needing to see me as a doctor because I realized a lot of people were reaching out to me, but they couldn't work with me directly because I'm only licensed in California and Washington.

And there's only so many patients. I could also see as well. So I want to give people access to these things. Like if they want to see their nutrient status, let's let them order their own labs. Right. So we created this lab shop where they can go order their labs, get interpretation. I don't become their doctor. But it's also a really nice way to learn more about their bodies. Amazing. If you're not, what is the saying? If you're not assessing, you're guessing. Exactly. Exactly. No more guessing. Yeah. Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you. It's been so much fun. I know. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed that episode. And if you liked it, and if you liked the show in general, please take a second to rate, review, and subscribe. It goes a long way. And it's actually the best way to support the show. Also, if you want to see more about each episode, you can head over to the Blonde Files podcast on Instagram. You can go to areaallori.com. And I'm always posting about each episode over on my personal page at Ariel, Thank you.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.