A Personal Note From Orion

Welcome, Stellar Life listeners! On this episode of Stellar Life, we dive deep into the realms of holistic and emotional health, and explore how these factors play pivotal roles in our overall well-being. 

Joining us today is Dr. Brooke Stuart, founder and active president of Let Go & Grow® International. Dr. Stuart is a leading holistic doctor who specializes in a holistic approach to mental health and high performance. Her unique and compassionate perspective empowers patients to embrace their innate capacity for healing.

In this episode, Dr. Stuart guides us through the transformative journey of holistic health and  the significance of mindset, lifestyle, and therapeutic choices. Learn how each day offers an opportunity for personal growth and self-healing. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the show!

In This Episode

• [02:49] – Dr. Brooke Stuart shares her origin story and passion for holistic medicine.
• [07:11] – Dr. Brook talks about her experience with people pleasing and disconnection from self, reflecting on past behaviors and learning from them.
• [13:39] – Orion recounts how becoming a mother has been a significant catalyst for personal growth, highlighting the importance of self-care and self-discovery.
• [21:59] – Dr. Brooke emphasizes her focus as a holistic doctor: foundational basics such as mindset, lifestyle, supplements, therapeutic devices, and choices
• [32:25] – Dr. Brooke describes her experience in a medical anthropology class, where she learned about different cultures and practices of medicine from around the world.
• [34:43] – Orion and Dr. Brooke discuss natural remedies, with Dr. Brooke sharing her experience with Rescue Remedy, a flower remedy that helps with stress and fear.
• [38:18] – Dr. Brooke explains the connections between gut health and mental well-being.
• [48:16] – Dr. Brooke enumerates her top tips for living a stellar life.

Jump to Links and Resources

About Today’s Show

Hey, Dr. Brooke. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you so much, Orion, for having me.

Before we begin, please share a little bit about your origin story. How did you discover your passion? How did you become the incredible doctor that you are today?

Thank you so much. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a holistic doctor in private practice. I got here through many of my health and growth struggles growing up and not having answers to a lot of the health problems that plagued me. I had acne and allergies. I struggled with anxiety that I don’t think I realized was anxiety at the time, different things going on, feeling scattered and shattered at home, but also health-wise. 

I remember going to probably 16 or 17 different doctors for my acne alone. It pushed me to look for different kinds of solutions. I played golf at the University of Miami. I remember being in my sophomore year and feeling like I was in business school. I would like to start my own business at some point, but I’m in business school, playing golf, and not doing well. I’m exhausted, fatigued, and completely burned out.

I remember coming in last in a golf tournament. We could get into different things, too, but I remember when I came in last in a golf tournament. My dad was on the phone with me and said, “Brooke, if you want to play your junior and senior year, you’re going to need to step it up a notch.” I thought, “Do I want to step up a notch in this field?”

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I remember for the first time recognizing I had a choice, and the answer was such a clear no, where usually my autopilot answer would have been, “Yes, I’m going to wake up earlier, I’m going to go to sleep later, and I’m going to work harder.” But the answer was just a very simple no, and the no felt like freedom. I feel like saying no in that moment was like saying a huge yes to so many other aspects of my life that were undiscovered, laying dormant, or things that, if I look back as a child, I was really passionate about.

For example, I was the president of my class in middle school and my sophomore year of high school. Those things lit me up, but in my family of origin, those things were looked at. “Okay, they’re really not useful. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

Meanwhile, for certain feelings of rejection, I would shove in and then work harder at the things that I would receive more praise and more love for, and by no means do I believe my parents for anything. But it was truly like looking back, seeing all the ways that I was suppressing myself and all the ways that I was disconnecting from who I am.

When I came in last in that tournament, it was like this perfect choice where my body felt exhausted. It was such a clear no, but that yes was so exciting to me at the same time. I didn’t know where everything would lead, but I knew that saying no and yes to this was so important.

I remember taking enough classes at the University of Miami, where I was already majoring in psychology, but I didn’t know it. I didn’t even know it and have no awareness of that. Then I found out about anthropology and thought that was interesting. I ran into a medical anthropology class and started to try all of these different nutritional shifts and mindset shifts in the psychology class.

Literally, one thing after another kept stacking. They were just such simple holistic interventions. Everything I had heard about the holistic world at the time seemed complicated or from zero to a hundred. As you know, there are so many things on this never-ending list of holistic things to do that I love, have, and use all of the time, but at that point in time, a foundation is what I was craving. “How do I have stability with my mindset, diet, and lifestyle?” 

One thing after another led to acupuncture school. I got off one medication after another. There were many weird stories, but all of that to say, that’s what brought me into practice. I absolutely feel so blessed to get to do what I do every single day. It’s almost like I get to learn alongside my patients and simultaneously be a guide.

That’s amazing. You said that ‘no’ felt like freedom. Do you think you were a people-pleaser or wanted to please your parents and live someone else’s life?

I am still working on my people-pleasing issues. We see it similarly in terms of thinking about the authentic self. How do we keep coming home to our authentic selves? What parts of us are in these protective modes are utilized and sent out to protect the system? That’s been a lot of the deep work that I’ve been doing. It’s paying attention to what parts of me are people-pleasing and what I want. What feels like me and is beginning to get clearer and clearer on what those two aspects are?

It’s interesting. Whenever I’m in that people-pleasing mode now, I feel disconnected and dissociated. It’s almost like this anxiety rushes in because I’m running on autopilot, and I feel this lack of connection to myself. I tell my patients, and I literally use the same tools. When you’re in those moments, it’s really hard to click back in.

You can learn so much in moments of reflection.

Obviously, the better and more aware, the easier it is to access that by clicking back in. But at the same time, it’s like, in the wake of those experiences, when you choose to come back in and learn from those experiences, it not only prevents it. You’re being proactive in that way, but you also can learn so much in those moments of reflection. Reflecting on my life, 100% I was a people-pleaser. I was equally this rebel figure in my house, too, but people-pleasing was part of trying to be a peacemaker at the same time.

I went to a high-level mastermind in Arizona. On the second day, I felt so overwhelmed. All of a sudden, everything intensified. The volume of the room went from 10 to 100. The colors and everything were, all of a sudden, so overwhelming. I felt sensitive and almost like I was in tears. I was like, “What is going on?”

I spoke with one of my coaches about it. She said, “There is this looking outside and looking inside.” Sometimes, when we are too busy with what’s going on inside, we can get lost. Let’s say we’re in this conference situation. We look outside to help people get business connections and find interesting people, which takes us out of our thoughts. But the way to look inside is to listen.

We made a conference plan. “When you’re going to a conference, what’s your intention?” She said, “Sometimes you can have too much fluorescent light.” I’m a sensitive person, and I’m an empath. Fluorescent light may cause dehydration or a drop in blood sugar. It’s physical things, stress about what’s going on in Israel. That played a lot into that.

Instead of being almost in limbo with my mind and getting overwhelmed, I go outside because everything we need is within us now. Everything I need is within me now. So go outside, get some sun, get out of the fluorescent light, take maybe a box breathing four or four, drink some water, connect, have a little snack, and then I can go back and feel much better.

Achieve balance between being in your body and being aware of the mind – a characteristic of being in the present moment.

Sometimes, when I have those symptoms, I go back to my small story: “I’m not good enough, people are more successful than me, I’m behind, I haven’t achieved enough, I’m unseen.” It’s all a very interesting story, but it’s just a story. I’m going to go back from all this in my head into just being in my body and taking care of myself, listening to what’s happening.

I’m doing some self-care. I can handle the outside world much better, and it starts with intention. I love your story where you took a moment to be like. “I need to take care of myself. I need to shift. I need to do things for myself right now.”

I love what you just said about balancing being in your body and being aware of the mind. Something about that balance is so characteristic of being obviously in the present moment. The places we can go when we’re not in the present moment are also super interesting.

For example, in people-pleasing mode, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, actually, about how it’s such a deep form of self-abandonment that we’re so often not aware of. But at that moment, I was like, “You know what? It’s a no that I cannot deny. This feels so clear.” It was a moment in my life where I hadn’t had a connection with myself in probably traces.

It’s not like our self leaves us. It’s always there. It felt like I said yes and listened for the first time. It’s been there, but there was just so much blocking it. What I think about a lot with health is the healthier that we are, and I think a lot about health and growth. If we’re intentional about that, it’s much easier to experience.

Health is so interesting because the healthier we are, the less noise we have, and the easier it is to access ourselves. That’s one of the things I often find, especially in the world of health and personal growth. We’re working on getting healthy, but it can be in avoidance of self because we’re focusing so much on being healthy.

We’re not letting it be a reciprocal relationship energizing us to take command, direct our choices, and create what we want to create in alignment with who we are. It’s so interesting how it all works together, but that connection is pivotal in connecting and coming back to the present moment through simple exercises like sunshine, box breathing, and all of that.

Right.  A lot of the time, we are so much into self-development. We have that idea of: “How I can be of service to people? How can I help?” It can be people-pleasing in disguise. “I want to help you because if I’m going to stop and look at myself, I might not feel good.”

When we are strong in our essence and who we are, we help people from a different place that is more helpful. We never help people when trying to please them because we never know what pleases them. If we play small, does that please somebody? We never know. That is probably not true.

We are just strong in our essence, in our energy, in our vitality, and in our health. That’s where we can serve more. That’s where we can serve from a higher place because we care about that person. We’re not too much in our heads, so how can I please that person? It’s more like the intention of how I can help that person. How can I connect more with the guide and get the right answers to be there with that person?

I love that because it’s certainly my household growing up. Doing was so much more important than being. All of the focus is on doing—what are you doing, what are you doing—versus being. Of course, if we’re being, it doesn’t mean we’re not doing things and choosing choices actively. But there’s something about being and being able to be with experiences that hold that. That aspect of being just has that innate transformative power that, if we bring that to our choices, has such a different vibration.

If we’re intentional about having a healthier lifestyle, it’s much easier to experience.

It is not always about what we’re doing, but how we’re doing it, where we’re doing it from, and even being intentional about that. A lot of times, it’s easy to fixate on that. But we’ll get there if we use our intention to guide, even if we’re not physiologically synced up with that intention.

I don’t like the quote, “Fake it till you make it,” but I love looking at the beginnings of things as rites of passage, where you’re not all synced up. You’re not all integrated. It is uncomfortable. It’s almost like this aspect of coming into yourself through the choice as well to be intentional and then to have that choice companion commitment to serve as you’re working on yourself, knowing that that creates waves in the work you’re doing with others. So I love what you’re saying.

You met my son because we were having dinner together. I have to tell you that being a mom for me was the biggest self-growth I’ve ever had in my life. It jumped. It’s like quantum leaps because I need to take care of myself on so many levels to raise a decent human. I did have postpartum depression that I had to work on and get myself out of.

I know that when I’m good at myself, I’m the best for my son, husband, and everybody around me. It’s such a simple truth, and I keep forgetting it. After years of self-development, I keep forgetting those basic things. “What’s going on? Why is it like that?”

It’s so interesting that you say that because we’re almost built to forget to remember. When we remember, bringing that into action is the key there. Reminders can be very helpful. This is definitely a personal gain from working with people, but I feel like being with my patients is such a reminder, like, “Hey, look, you cannot be telling someone one thing and doing another, so let’s make sure we are in alignment and making the choices that we’re proud of.”

I’m not a mother yet, but I hope to be one day. I can’t even imagine the amount of growth of those quantum leaps from growing a little human to being around a little human and watching that little human watch everything you do. You can’t fool that little human because they pick up on everything energetically. I cannot even imagine the amount of growth that could take place there.

Doing is so much more important than being.

The only thing I can relate to is the experiences I hear about from these incredible mothers I work with and the thinking about when I’m around people. There’s something about who you surround yourself with and the work you’re up to with different people that just puts you in a different posture. I have to be the best version of myself to be around these people. I have to be. Otherwise, there are going to be all of these crevices of insecurity.

I always tell my boyfriend this is probably an issue I should work through, but I try my best at almost everything I do to such a degree. This is issue-based and peer-based. One of the reasons why I do that, that motivation being fear and pain and, for me, anxiety, it’s shifting that into, “Okay, I’m actually doing this so I can grow, so I actually can do it from a love-base place of self-discovery.”

Both exist. I can imagine, as a mother, I’m doing this because I don’t want my little human to grow up into the worst version of me. But equally, I’m doing this out of complete love for myself and this little human, to be able to be with both parts and know they both belong. But we can choose where we come from. The intention we set in motion is an interesting part of being human.

It’s very interesting. It’s very multi-layered. It’s very awesome. Have you been to Dr. Don Wood’s facility since we met?

I have not, but it’s on my list of things to do. I had no idea it was in Orlando, and I’m so glad you brought my attention to that because what a cool facility. I would love to learn more about what he does.

Dr. Don Wood, who was on this show, has this amazing facility in Orlando. His office is beautiful. They have a virtual flotation tank, red light therapy, and other therapies. He does that. Now, he just opened that area for the public to come and experiment with some of the technologies, which is really cool.

I used to live in Santa Monica, and the Bulletproof Labs was just down the street from me. I experimented with some of those technologies a decade ago when they were very new. I was so happy to know that it’s close by. It’s three hours from me but still close enough that I can go down there for a few days, experiment with some of those things, and work with him. He’s amazing.

Out of curiosity, which device do you find most beneficial for you?

The hyperbaric chamber is incredible for the cells and brain health, especially for cancer patients, because cancer cannot live where oxygen is. Hyperbaric is incredible for everybody. I don’t think any of us gets enough oxygen, but it’s not as fun as the virtual flotation tank, which gets you into the theta brainwaves in less than three minutes.

It’s interesting because as I evolved as a person. My experience of the virtual flotation tank is completely different. In the past, it would just put me in a calm theta state, and now it’s almost like the journey I go through. It’s pretty intense. It’s awesome.

I want to go back to you. As a holistic doctor, what’s your definition of yourself being a holistic doctor?

Every holistic doctor is different in their approach. I always focus on foundational basics like mindset, diet, lifestyle, supplements, therapeutic devices, and choices people can make daily. In my practice, we do a case review for the first two sessions. In that case review, we go into a deep treatment plan by touching base with all those aspects to build a foundation.

After those first two sessions, and even in those first two sessions, we’re beginning to work on different things, bringing in perception as medicine and talking about the different choices that we can switch out and shift. After those two sessions, those two sessions are built for having the corners of the puzzle board, having a framework to begin exploring and working through.

From that space, I find that we get to do the deeper work, where we’re tailoring the treatment plan but also really working on what’s coming up for that person, bringing it to the light of day, reworking it, and working with it in real-time. I’ll typically ground it with a certain practice afterward, whether it’s as simple as placing your hands over your heart, feeling yourself breathing, feeling your heartbeat.

Every holistic doctor is different in their approach. I always focus on foundational basics like mindset, diet, lifestyle, supplements, therapeutic devices, and choices people can make daily.

Did you see a lot of spontaneous remissions of people when they just worked on themselves, and then something shifted?

All of the time. I feel so blessed to be in the field that I’m in. I talked to different people, and I’m like, “I think one of the reasons why many conventional doctors will say, ‘You know what? This isn’t going to change. This scar in your eyes is only going to get worse. The nodule in your thyroid is only going to grow. You need to attack the body and do these things to alleviate certain aspects of pain.’” That’s not the energy in which they’re always going about it.

It’s a lot of times based on what they’ve seen. They want to create and paint a realistic picture to help people recognize that if they aren’t changing their lifestyle choices, then most likely, their mindset and diet will only worsen.

In my practice, I’m lucky because I’m working with people who are highly open to and aware that they can change, and then they’re changing. When we shift out the raw materials and shift the body from a regressive state where it’s going towards disease pathology into one that’s healing and a health-based space, if you’re looking at a spectrum for shifting into a health-based state, it could be a disease. 

Pathology could be like, we’re at 48%, but the car is still going in reverse. If we get the car into 52% through a couple of changes, now we’re really changing things, the momentum picks up, and now we’re at 64% and 78%. So much can change in the blink of an eye, but little funny things will also happen.

I’ll give you a personal example. At the beginning of this year, actually, for the last four to five months, I was struggling with allergies every morning. I just moved into a new house. I’m in a relationship that started at the beginning of this year, and we just moved in together.

What a very charming guy, if I might say so myself. You guys are so cute together.

Thank you. You guys almost share a name. He’s wonderful. He has this adorable little Schnauzer mix puppy. I’m sitting over here thinking that my allergies are from the bad house, and I might be allergic to Lanie, which I was never allergic to dogs before.

His house is beautiful. There is nothing to be allergic to in sight. I’ve cleaned, bought an air filter, and all these different things. Then Thanksgiving hit, and I have a little brother. He looks at my eyes and asks, “What’s that color around your eyes?” I said, “The eye doctor prescribed me blue light lenses about four to five months ago. I’ve been using them.” He goes, “You can tell there’s a weird jaundice color around your eye.”

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Immediately, I’m like, “I have clear samples. I’m taking them out right now.” I’d go over Thanksgiving weekend and Thanksgiving break. I’ve spent the night at my mom’s house for a couple of days. I didn’t have allergies, but I’m wearing these clear contacts. I’ve come to find out that I was completely allergic to the blue light lenses.

I looked all over Reddit and all over the Internet, and I didn’t see any similar complaints. What’s so amazing is we’re not ready to know until we know because I had difficult conversations with Ryan throughout that period. I had to be embarrassed about my health. I was sneezing all over the place. We got air filters and got into a rhythm with different things.

In a weird way, I don’t think I’ve gotten to the point of gratitude for these blue light lenses yet. But it’s so interesting that when it’s the right time, we just figured it out. Since I got rid of the blue light lenses, I’ve had zero allergies and zero issues. My eyes feel stronger, and my energy is so much better. But if I look back on that first day, I put them in. I viscerally felt the weakness in my body when I put them in.

Recently, I’ve been getting all of these reminders I just have to slow down to pay attention. Even if there isn’t research to support what works for you or doesn’t, you need to slow down and trust yourself and your body more than ever before. This was just one of those perfect examples I will never forget because it was so ridiculous.

As a person who is not a doctor, we are being taught to listen to doctors as if they’re such figures of authority. If a doctor tells you that those blue lenses are amazing for you, you will override your intuition and just listen to it, even though you are a doctor yourself. It’s so interesting.

In my practice, I’m lucky because I’m working with people who are highly open to and aware that they can change, and then they’re changing.

If I think back about the energetics of that specific session with that specific doctor, it goes even deeper. She had a little intern in the room. One of the examples I gave in this podcast was from that session. I had this little mark in my eye that I’d never had before. She said, “Oh, yeah, that’s only going to worsen.”

That’s absolutely not true because I can think of twelve things I can do to increase eye health. I remember at the end of that session. She prescribed the blue light because she thought they would be a great fit, and she was focused on these blue light things.

I asked to make sure the prescription had a clear lens as well. She said, “No, these should work, but let me know if you have an issue.” It was interesting because I thought, “Well, if I have an issue, I’ll just let her know, but I’ll try these out.”

All of this stuff has come out since, just in general. But I thought to myself, “There were so many signals and signs of clarity because I always teach my patients, and I always think about myself.”

I didn’t grow up in a home that praised doctors. My dad works with doctors; he’s in finance and finances medical equipment for all these hospitals around the country. My mom suffered from interstitial cystitis starting at the age of 27, and they had to have a bath in their car. She struggled so deeply with this.

This was before it was more rampant. Now, there are many more issues with interstitial cystitis, and there’s a lot more awareness around it, but she came up with her solution. I had heard this story my whole life. My mom came up with their solution. My dad works with doctors. I never put them on a pedestal, but it’s interesting.

When working with people, I talk to them about how to feel comfortable with who you’re working with. You have to have open conversations and discussions, sometimes in complete transparency. Of course, you’re going in there to get something specific or just want to check the box on something specific.

Ideally, if you’re working with someone and if you’re trying to find the best person for you, you want to be in an environment where you can take a deep breath, exhale, ask the questions you need to ask, and get to the root of what’s going on. It’s interesting.

From my experience, what I feel is that when I end up going to a doctor, and I’m in a place of, “Oh, my God, I need a solution right now,” I get to a place of more, not despair, but, “Oh, I have to have this solution. Give it to me now.” Then I’m not in my body, and I’m not in my intuition. I want the solution, and I’ll take it because the doctor said so, even though I know better.

I had a few times in my life where I did that, even though I know better. It comes from a place of scarcity compared to a place of abundance, where, “Okay, I’m here with that person.” You might or might not give me the right solution, and the solution is out there for me. I can be patient.

I don’t have to get it right here right now. I can give myself the time to look for other opinions and sleep on it instead of just taking it because the doctor said so. Even though you didn’t live in a house where doctors were so praised, it’s a part of our collective consciousness. It’s subconscious, even watching movies with a doctor. We’re like, “Oh, doctor, tell me what to do.” We’re five-year-olds, and we see that movie, and somewhere deep in our subconscious mind, the doctor is the answer. No. The right doctor is the answer.

For sure. I love that you said that because it is so deeply embedded in our culture. That’s what blew my mind. When I was in this medical anthropology class, I was learning about medicine from all around the world. I have grown up.

What is medical anthropology?

You would love it. Anthropology has four fields within it. It’s linguistics, physical, archeological, and cultural. Now, there are all these other fields. There’s psychological and medical anthropology, but it’s the observation and study of culture and people.

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The way an anthropologist may look at Christmas or Thanksgiving would be in complete observation. It’s like, “Okay, there are five people. Three are X, and the other is Y. They are eating with these utensils.” It’s a literal observation, and they document what they see as objective a way as they possibly can.

I loved it because I was used to filling in the gaps in the storylines and narrating it. I bet they eat this with this fork because it’s easier than chopsticks. That was how my mind worked. It was always filling in everything. Anthropology gets you to take a step back and observe objectively. It’s such an interesting field.

I love what they do and how they detail cultures, specifically with the medical aspect. It’s so interesting because, in that medical anthropology class, I had the most skeptical professor of all time. His name was Robert Halberstein. He was skeptical but would bring in all of these practitioners. So my eyes were just open to this world.

He brought in flower remedies and Chinese medicine. He brought in practitioners. I would try these things, and they were working and growing up. When I went to the doctor, I thought I would never be a doctor. I don’t want to be in a white coat. I don’t want to be in a cold building. I don’t want to make people wait.

I don’t want to just not understand their story and be able to dig in. It was just never interesting to me. But then, when I started to learn how other people do medicine, I was like, “Well, this is highly engaging, highly interesting. I love this.”

That’s amazing. Did you find some natural remedies that surprised you or shocked you?

L-Theanine is beautiful at helping the body exhale, take a deep breath, grow capacity, and handle stress because it creates more coherence intrinsically.

One of the biggest realizations for me was how side effects are direct effects. If I’m taking something and I let it go, there’s potential that I get healthier just by beginning to let certain things go. That was a big realization for me, just finding out the things that were not a match for my system and that were creating a form of hysteria. But also 100%, I love Bach flower remedies and flower remedies of all kinds.

I found that Rescue Remedy has such a special place in my heart because of that class, but also because it was a very immediate experience that I had with that class, going home into a situation. I was having issues with my roommate then, so I felt like I was walking on eggshells into my apartment, but I just didn’t feel that way.

Rescue Remedy, for anyone who doesn’t know, is actually on my desk. It’s well-known. It’s in this little yellow box, but it has five-flower remedies in it that work on shock, that help you to get presents, that address intense stress and fear.

This little flower remedy lady said, “Does anybody want to try this? It will help bring about more fearlessness and help you in terms of exam time and different things.” I said, “Absolutely, I’ll try it. This sounds fun.” Nikki, a girl in my class, and I were sipping on this every two minutes as she advised. We looked at each other—

Do you take it every two minutes?

There are multiple ways to take it. One way to take it is to take four drops four times a day. Another way you could take it would be to put 16 drops in a bottle of water and sip it every two minutes until you forget about it, which would be for a more intense period.

What I do now is make personal remedies for myself. I put the Rescue Remedy in as a base, then layer it with other specific issues I’m working on. I put eight drops of this into my water and sip it throughout the day. I’m having exposure to working with that emotional release.

How I describe flower remedies is that many of the vitamins that I recommend and advise have to do with physiology. For example, L-Theanine is beautiful at helping the body exhale, take a deep breath, grow capacity, and handle stress because it creates more coherence intrinsically, but that’s more physiological. At the same time, flower remedies work with more of the emotional.

Of course, both work with mental because if you know why you’re taking it, then you know that you have that intention as to why you are taking it. With that said, I found flower essences to be a perfect piece of the healing puzzle for working with the emotions that trickle into building mental resilience and bringing in and accepting new thoughts that align with who you are.

Also, the body gets the trickle effect of that, too, whereas if you’re working with the body and different imbalances or things, that could be helpful. Of course, the emotional aspect, how we work with emotions, changes, but we also know why we’re taking it. That’s highly helpful with the mental aspect, too.

Thank you. What about the gut? How does that affect our mindset?

That is a great question. If anybody thinks about a time when they felt super anxious or frustrated, they’ll often think about different GI experiences. 

For example, if I’m feeling angry, frustrated, depressed, stiff, closed off, and shut down, honestly, on a high level, constipation would be more associated with that. Whereas if you’re having more loose stools, anxiety, things are just going through you, and there’s all of this nervous tension, a lot of times we’ll notice these patterns within ourselves.

I work with a ton of professional athletes. A lot of times, before different high-performance events, they have to use the restroom. It works hand in hand. Of course, when we support our gut health, it helps with our mental health. It helps to create that balance and calm in the body. Whereas when we’re working with the mental, emotional or more psycho-spiritual side of things, it can send that signal of safety to the body as well. I see it as this figure.

The beauty of self-awareness is so powerful. You can easily notice a shift in your system and take safe action based on your awareness. Click To Tweet

How do we support our gut health? What do we need to take?

I always think of a couple of things. One is what we are eating. What are we putting into our bodies? I really focus on, primarily, if I’m just giving basics. Everybody’s different, but I recommend eating whole, unprocessed foods, looking at eliminating gluten and dairy, and seeing what it’s like to live without it while eating those whole foods.

From that space, if you are interested in bringing it in one by one, I find some people do better on a more plant-based diet. Some people do better on a more high-protein, high-fat diet, and many are in between. I look at that first. From that space, a really good digestive enzyme can be extraordinarily helpful. Working with stress management tactics, even in supplement form like in L-theanine, can be helpful.

A lot of times, people nowadays are experiencing food trauma. There’s so much trauma that we associate with food. There are so many. Obviously, eating disorders would be the first thing to pull out and talk about there. Anything we can do to support gut health and to make that a more harmonious experience, where we’re taking in our food and utilizing the nutrients, is helpful.

There are, of course, things like collagen powder that can help to seal the gut lining and support the immune system. There are many other things that we can do, but I would say those are the first three things that I typically look at and think about before getting into everything else. Of course, probiotics can be a part of that, but you can also source that from diet.

A lot of times, people nowadays are experiencing food trauma. There’s so much trauma that we associate with food.

You spoke about gluten elimination, which I have a relationship with because I go, “I’m gluten-free, but this is so yummy, let me just try it.” I don’t have a very, very strong reaction to gluten, just a little bit of tummy irritation and bloating, which I don’t like. But at times, I like baking challah bread. It’s so good. Is it true that it doesn’t matter if you eat a lot or a bit of gluten? It is still in your system and can affect you just as much.

I would say this. Except for the aspects of joy and wanting to indulge or have something you love, I’m very careful about saying dairy because I know when you break it down and look at all the components. In my practice, I rarely see gluten or dairy as beneficial to my patients and their health. I’ve very rarely seen it be beneficial.

I really cannot even recall a case where it’s been highly beneficial other than the mental health aspect of basically feeling freedom and unrestricted around food. I also think that for a lot of people, it is neutral. It might have a slight irritation in the body. In that case, just know what you know about yourself. There’s no need to eliminate it completely if you don’t want to or if there’s no motivation or an intrinsic desire to do that.

I think it’s all about how it impacts you in general, what you choose to do with it, and what you want to do with it. I always think about myself. For me, knowing that I have issues with gluten and dairy is such a great gift to my life because when I eliminate it, I feel fine. I feel great physically. When I eat it, I’m immediately having issues, acne, and anxiety. All kinds of things come up for me.

To me, it feels like freedom to know that I have issues with it and that I can eat everything else, still be social, have brunch with my friends on gluten-free avocado toast, and go to lunch and get rice, chicken and all of these things, and have a steak and potato for dinner. It feels like freedom to me, but for 85% of my patients, it may not feel like freedom.

In the culture I come from, we’re known for our baked goods, bread and baked pastries. I love that. It’s so delicious. It’s not nutritious, I guess, but just yummy, just like an endorphin. When I eat a good bread or a good pastry, I’m like, “Oh. It’s like, hallelujah.” I hear angels singing. It’s so much fun.

There’s also the energetic aspect of it as if I’m having so much fun doing it. Maybe it’s okay to do it every once in a while. Also, gluten-free bread is usually made out of ingredients that are not so good. It’s not that healthy for you. I sometimes feel worse after eating gluten-free bread, even the fancy brands at Whole Foods. They don’t make me feel that good.

Knowing that I have issues with gluten and dairy is such a great gift to my life because when I eliminate it, I feel fine.

I think that that’s good, just noticing the body. I agree. There shouldn’t be something of an issue with a naturally-sourced thing. It has much to do with associations our systems make based on what they’re paired with, most likely in America, not as many other countries. If we eat the pure brands or the pure versions of it, there are fewer issues that could arise from it.

I agree. It is so about experience. Cooking has every emotion you can imagine tied with it: memories. Those are beautiful. I have so many patients that love making sourdough bread, and they’re like, “I don’t want to give this up.” I’m like, “You don’t have to. That’s not something that has to impact health.”

We can work with health in so many different ways. We don’t have to walk down such a narrow road. We can grow as we go. If that ever sounded interesting, then we can try it, but it doesn’t have to be something that is a mandate ever.

Is there a difference between having a huge amount of gluten and having small amounts as far as how it impacts the body?

I would say yes. But for someone like me who is highly sensitive, I would still feel it even if it was in small amounts. My throat locks up all kinds of things. But I feel like somebody who has a very neutral relationship with gluten or dairy can eat it and receive those benefits. They can receive the nutrition in that food because their body is accepting it. It’s not seeing it as a subconscious or unconscious threat. 

I guess belief systems have a lot to do with it. Some people say that you can even inject poison into your body. But if you clear it and think it is not poisonous, it can even heal you.

Yeah, I’m not at that level yet.

Me neither. I would be terrified to inject poison into my body.

But I will eat some challah bread and some pastries every once in a while. I do actually feel better when I don’t completely, but I think life is a game. We have such a short time on this planet, and we need to enjoy our time as much as possible. You said, “As long as it doesn’t really hurt you and you indulge in it every once in a while, it’s not bad.”

Cooking has every emotion you can imagine tied with it: memories.

Sometimes, when people feel so deprived and restricted, unlike you, where you find freedom in not having gluten, people like me who find it to be very restrictive and deprivation, I think this is a health hazard, too, because our emotions affect our bodies.

100%. I think that that’s where the beauty of that awareness is so powerful. The thing is, I have had gluten and dairy. Sometimes, I am, honestly, not affected by it. Other times, it hits so hard. Usually, there’s an effect enough to where I feel like it feels like freedom to just take it off the table for the most part to bring my system into a level of stability.

There are foods that are gray areas that I have all of the time, and I definitely have that in moderation. I feel fine when I eat it. But if I’m overindulging, I can notice that shift in my system. It’s almost like poking holes in my structural stability. I think so much of this call; it’s just using your intuition, knowing yourself, knowing that you actually do know yourself, and it’s safe to take action based on that knowing of yourself and that awareness. It’s key.

Amazing. What are your three top tips for living a stellar life?

Oh, my gosh. I love that question. I would say connection to self, that choice to be in the present moment, and then truly, the last thing would be being open to letting go of what doesn’t work and growing and developing what does. From that space, you can stay so focused on the process, and so enchanted by who you experience yourself as along the way. Those would be my top three.

Thank you, love. Where can people find you?

Just drbrookestuart.com. We have an Instagram, @drbrookestuart. Those would be the two main ways.

Beautiful. People can connect with you via Zoom as well, right?

Absolutely.

Perfect. Dr. Brooke, it was a pleasure. Thank you so much for being on the show. It was awesome seeing you again and having this amazing conversation with you. Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you so much, Orion, for doing the work that you do and for having me.

Thank you. And thank you, listeners. Remember to connect to yourself, be present, let go of what does not serve you, and have a stellar life. This is Orion till next time.

Your Checklist of Actions to Take

{✓}Create lifestyle changes to transform your body into holistic health. Focus on mindset, diet, fitness, supplements, therapeutic devices, and daily choices. 

{✓}Trust your intuition and don’t succumb to external pressure. A holistic approach requires patience as you seek healthy solutions.

{✓}Explore resonant health technologies for your physical and mental well-being. Apply love-based solutions to keep you motivated.

{✓}Distinguish between physiological and emotional remedies. Flower essences work on your emotions and contribute to mental resilience.

{✓}Focus on whole, unprocessed foods and consider gluten and dairy elimination. Explore plant-based or high-protein diets based on your preference.

{✓}Introduce digestive enzymes to improve your nutrient absorption. Implement stress management tactics, like L-theanine, to support your overall gut health.

{✓}Address your trauma associated with food. Incorporate strategies to create a harmonious experience with food, such as using collagen powder and probiotics.

{✓}Embrace the freedom that comes from self-awareness. Make informed choices about dietary restrictions, and find joy in your food experiences.

{✓}Encourage intuitive eating and allow your body to navigate dietary choices based on its unique responses. Remain aware of your body’s signals.

{✓}To explore more about holistic health and emotional well-being, visit Dr. Brooke Stuart’s website. Stay updated and engaged by following her on Instagram.

Links and Resources

Connect with Dr. Brooke Stuart

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Previous Stellar Life Episode

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Further Resources

About Dr. Brooke Stuart

Dr. Brooke Stuart is the founder and active president of Let Go & Grow® International and a holistic doctor in private practice, where she specializes in taking a holistic approach to mental health and high performance as she assists her patients in unlocking their own intrinsic ability to heal.

 

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