In this episode of Holistic Health with Melissa, Melissa sits down with functional nutrition counselor and registered nurse Katie Kirklin for an honest conversation about diet culture, blood sugar regulation, nervous system health, and what it really means to nourish your body.

Katie shares her personal journey from chronic symptoms, food fear, and restrictive eating to discovering functional nutrition and a more personalized, whole-food approach to healing. Together, Melissa and Katie explore how food, stress, trauma, and lifestyle patterns shape your physical and emotional health and why shifting your mindset from restriction to nourishment can transform the way your body responds to stress, cravings, and fatigue.

In this episode, you'll learn:
• how under-nourishing keeps your nervous system stuck in survival mode
• why blood sugar balance impacts cravings, mood, and energy levels
• the difference between whole foods and ultra-processed foods
• practical ways to nourish your body even when life feels busy
• shifting your mindset from food fear to nourishment
• simple strategies like ingredient prepping to support sustainable wellness

This conversation blends functional nutrition, nervous system awareness, and practical lifestyle tools to help you simplify nutrition and better understand how everyday nourishment supports your body.

If you feel overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice, stuck in cycles of restriction, or unsure how to nourish your body in a sustainable way, this episode will bring clarity, encouragement, and actionable steps you can start today.

Join the 3-day Mind-Body-Healing Workshop:
https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/MindBodyHealingWorkshop

Connect with Katie
Website: KatieKirklin.com
Instagram: @katiekirklinnutrition

Environmental Working Group
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review to help more women discover holistic, root-cause healing.

In a culture that glorifies hustle and self-sacrifice, many Christian women feel guilty for resting. But is burnout really biblical?

In this episode of Holistic Health with Melissa, we unpack what Scripture actually says about self-care, humility, and stewardship. Using Philippians 2 and 1 Corinthians 6:19, Melissa explores the difference between selfishness and obedience and why caring for your body, nervous system, and emotional health is not vanity, but worship.

You'll learn:

• Why so many women feel guilty for resting

• The difference between biblical humility and self-neglect

• How hustle culture impacts your nervous system and long-term health

• The four pillars of biblical self-care (spiritual, physical, nervous system, and emotional)

• Why burnout is not a badge of honor

• How chronic stress leads to gut issues, anxiety, inflammation, and fatigue

If you've ever felt torn between serving others and taking care of yourself, this episode will help you reframe rest as stewardship - not selfishness.

Healing is possible. Sustainable service is possible. And rest is not weakness - it's obedience.

Join Melissa's 3-Day Mind Body Healing Workshop: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/MindBodyHealingWorkshop

In this episode of Holistic Health with Melissa, Melissa sits down with Reverend Christine Vaughan Davies, hospital chaplain, spiritual director, and leader of a hospital spiritual care department, for an honest conversation about grief and spiritual distress.

Together they unpack why grief isn't only about death, how life changes create real loss, and why comparison ("the suffering Olympics") keeps women stuck in shame and isolation. You'll also hear a compassionate, practical guide to supporting someone in acute grief - what helps, what harms, and why well-meaning religious phrases can deepen pain rather than heal it.

This episode blends faith, emotional care, and nervous system awareness, with grounded takeaways for anyone carrying unprocessed grief, whether it happened last week or decades ago.

In this conversation:

• What hospital chaplains actually do (for patients, families, and staff)
• Why we don't "move on" from grief - we move through it
• The grief myths that create shame and emotional suppression
• Toxic religious platitudes vs trauma-informed spiritual support
• Simple ways to show up well for grieving people (without putting pressure on them)
• Why naming loss is often the first step toward healing

If you've been feeling alone in your pain, this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and less isolated.

Connect with Christine:

Her newsletter is https://journeyingalongside.substack.com/
She can be booked for individual spiritual direction sessions via www.christinevdavies.com.
https://journeyingalongside.substack.com/
https://www.christinevdavies.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-christine-davies/
https://www.instagram.com/cvdavies/

Join Melissa's 3-Day Mind Body Healing Workshop: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/MindBodyHealingWorkshop