When Your Body Says “Enough” – Thyroid Chaos, Toxins, and Nervous System Healing with Taylor Dukes

Foreign.

Dukes, welcome to this show. I have been so excited about having you on here. I just love you, your mission, your movement that you've built. So thank you for being with us today.

You're so sweet. I'm honored to be here.

Tell me a little bit about your journey, everyone. In functional medicine, we have our journey that led us to how we do things, who we serve, all the things. Tell us a little bit about yours. I know it's an inspiring story.

Yeah. So I have two parts to my story, but part one, I'll start with part one. You know, it, a lot of people know, but part one, you know, I was just a TCU nursing major, and I graduated and had the opportunity to go abroad, and I was a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. So after I did stuff in Africa and Ecuador, I was like, I want to do ICU emergency fast paced, which is not very good for our adrenals and our cortisol, but that's what I liked at the time. And so, anyway, long story short, I ended up getting flown back from doing these abroad missions a little bit sooner than I had intended because I was sick. And I always say people in functional or integrative medicine, they're either sick or they're smart. They're smart, they're ahead of the curve, or they're sick and they have a story like so many of us that it saved our lives and then became our passion and career path. And so that was me. I got flown back from Ecuador and I was going from doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist in Austin. And I was so convicted because here I was a nurse trying to advocate for myself, and my whole job is to advocate for patients, and I couldn't advocate for myself. I was just lost in our medical system. You know, I was going to the GI doctor for my gut issues, the rheumatologist for autoimmune stuff. I was on thyroid meds. I mean, it was just like this whole my gut was a wreck, my skin was a wreck, I was so inflamed. And so I did kind of that rat race for a year and a half, and I was going to people's pharmacy because I lived in Austin. My parents were really healthy growing up. My mom was like, you need to see a naturopath. I was like, that's so woo woo. Nope, didn't learn that in nursing school. I ended up seeing Ann Shippy way back in 2013, and she's who changed my life and was asking me about, you know, my mother's birth and my medical history and strep throat and mono. And I was like, no one's ever asked me this, why does this matter? Because I was healthy my whole life and even asking about college, my lifestyle. And I was like, well, I didn't feel bad then, so why is this relevant? Needless to say, she connected the pieces of the puzzle, did root cause functional medicine testing and changed my life and then changed the trajectory of my career. So then. But I did start working in ICU at that point when I started feeling better. But I was like, this is not my passion anymore. I want to get into integrative wellness. And so I ended up working for Dr. Amy Myers as her nurse for years there in Austin. And that's where I really learned a ton of functional medicine protocols and training. I mean, I just jumped in, you know, as the nurse where I'm calling in all the thyroid prescript and hormones and gut parasite protocols and things. And so that's where I really learned a lot professionally. And then personally I was feeling good. I got married, had two kids, I had started a private practice of my own. Once Amy retired, I went back to nurse practitioner school and I was feeling good. And then this is 2.0. So I was practicing, owned a wellness center. Life was great, thriving and pernuvo the full body preventative scan I know you.

Did it had reached out like a week after you.

You did it a week after me?

Yeah, like I. Right when I went in, I saw your news and was just, yeah, anyway, keep going.

Yeah, so that news was not good, but it was life saving. So anyway, I went in, it was gifted to me, didn't have any issue to think that anything was wrong. I was healthy, I was nursing my 10 month old at the time and they basically found a brain tumor. And I was in complete denial because I had absolutely zero symptoms. And as a mid level practitioner like you and I are trained, like we know, seizures, vision, hearing, balance, like personality. I had nothing. So that led me down quite the journey. It was a brain tumor, it was cancerous. But when I found out I didn't have symptoms. So I did not freak out and just jump to surgery. Whoever was on call, I slowed down, I did a lot, I prayed, I did a lot of research and advocated for myself. And I ended up finding a surgeon in Arizona who did end up removing the brain tumor. But before I did brain surgery, I went to California to see Dr. Connally, I went to Hope for Cancer in Mexico and I did all sorts of integrative oncology protocols which did end up shrinking the tumor in half by the grace of God, Seriously, so I was so grateful. But I did undergo brain surgery, and that was in February of 2023. And I'm cancer free since then, and I'm feeling good. It's been a journey. I definitely had a hard time after brain surgery. I had a huge Lyme flare, because when they cut your central nervous system, you have a history of Lyme. It just is a huge. It's like stepping on an amp pilot, left alone, and then you cut into the brain. So, you know, that was 2.0 of my healing journey. But I'm doing great, and I'm feeling the best I have. And I still do routine scans, you know, just because I'm trying to be a good patient. But I feel good and I really believe I'm healed.

And I have just seen your journey elicit almost a movement. Like, people are inspired. They just feel. It's just. I've watched it all unfold online, obviously, and I truly think it's served thousands of people. Even one of my own clinicians, that modern thyroid clinic, had a similar experience not long after you and found so much hope and healing in your journey. So thank you for so openly sharing it and being so vulnerable. I know that that is not necessarily always easy, and I think truly, so much good has come from it. So I'm just impressed, proud, all the things.

You're so sweet. Yeah, you and I go way back. We knew each other way before this 2.0 health journey. So, yeah, it was definitely a shock. And. But it was one of those things. I was like, okay, you know what? Like, this is God's story. This isn't my story. And people can heal and there is hope. And just like, I got through my first journey, I was like, I'm going to get through the second. I didn't know anything about oncology, and I've learned so much. And, you know, so much of my journey, I really believe is just equipping and empowering others to advocate for themselves and not just accept standard status, medical quo and even treatment. But with that being said, like, I'm not totally holistic. You know, I got brain surgery. That's a very conventional intervention. I'm very much integrated. You take the best of the conventional, best of the holistic, and you integrate the two for the best possible outcome. So when people say, like, oh, did you go all holistic? And I'm like, well, not really. I had brain surgery. That's pretty conventional. But I really believe part of why I've gone through. My story is to equip others and give them hope in the midst of their cancer or Lyme or whatever battle they're going through.

Yeah, I feel like that's the most beautiful balance. I actually interviewed Dr. Connealy yesterday, so. And I so admire that. She takes and pulls from every area. And that's where I think the best outcomes usually lie, is not people who are only equipped with one toolbox in one category, but can do so many different things and pull from so many different aspects of medicine. So I absolutely love it. And there is ultimately, there's no one size fits all that's right for everybody either.

Totally, totally. You and I have so much appreciation as conventionally trained npa. Like, we have reverence for that. We're trauma, emergency medicine, certain interventions. But where we get it wrong is we're not asking the why question, like, why did this tumor grow? Or why is your thyroid suboptimal? You know, it's like we're trying to figure out how to help the body heal itself and equip it to do what it was created to do.

Absolutely. So cool. Well, I'm glad we got to touch on that. That's like the most thorough catch up we've been able to do. And I'm so grateful. And I just keep up with your journey. I know a big part of what you've been emphasizing, working on in your own health, but also in the health of your patients, is detoxifying, getting rid of toxins, making us healthier. From that perspective, tell us a little bit about how that can impact health, how it can impact thyroid health, your own health, and some easy, simple, everyday swaps that people can do. Because I know so much of the time, people feel overwhelmed. They think it's like all or nothing all at once in one moment. And it doesn't have to be that way. Tell us some of your favorite ways.

Yeah, I love it that you just said that, because so many people, it's like they get so overwhelmed that they don't even want to take the next step, you know, and it's like, take one, take the best next step, and slowly it becomes a lifestyle. But it is overwhelming. And I always tell people, you know, when it comes to personal care products, swap one thing at a time. You run out of your shampoo, go find a clean version, you know, but it is so important. And I think that the reason why it's so important that we're detoxing on a daily basis is we live in such a Toxic world. You know, we can control our homes, and we're lucky. You and I work from home. But beyond that, like, our world is toxic. You know, we're exposed to 5G and radiation and, and toxins in our water and our air. And you can't go live in a bubble, you know, because the stress of being perfect and being completely non toxic is worse for your health sometimes than eating a meal out. So I say that to give people a good balance. But with that being said, we just, we do have to be more intentional about detoxing because our world is toxic in our food supply. And talk about personal care products. And you mentioned thyroid. I mean, women, there's some statistic, and I don't know exactly, but how many personal care products we use just before walking out the door in the morning. And it's astronomical. And we know that endocrine disruptors, I mean, the thyroid is part of our hormone system, our master hormone system. And we know that plastics and pesticides and chemicals and heavy metals can all disrupt hormones and cause inflammation. And so I just think we have to take more of a conscious effort and control what we can control and let the rest go. But I do think when it comes to things I say, things that you consume or use on a daily basis, that's a great place to start, you know, And I think one of my favorite things is swapping out toxic personal care products and cleaning products in your home. That is a game changer. And so much of it isn't buying stuff. A lot of it's removal. Just get rid of the chemicals and get rid of the fragrance. And that alone is free. Now you do have to replace it.

With items, but I have to replace it anyway. You know, you'd have to replace it with the fragrance items anyway.

Right, exactly. So just find cleaner options. And so one of my favorite things is when I used to practice, I don't practice anymore. But say I'd be working with a woman. Most of my clients were female, probably like you too. They're just drawn to us, right? Occasionally I'd get the, hey, can you see my husband? And I'm like, does he want to make a change? But anyway. But men I saw were convinced by seeing like hard data, you know, that like, show me my labs and I'll make a change. So that was helpful with functional medicine. But say I'd be working with a wife and she would say, okay, I cannot believe this. I change out my laundry detergent, My husband's allergies went away, my kids eczema is improving all from one simple swap of laundry detergent. So practically I would say change out your laundry detergent, fragrance free, no chemicals. If you like fragrance, use some essential oils on wool dryer balls. And then you know, just the basics like filtering your water. And it doesn't have to be an expensive whole house system, but at least start with your drinking water. And there are so many great options for brands even for if you can't do a whole house filtration system. A little bath filter or a water filter for your shower. And then really practical things like drinking enough water and having bowel movements, people forget that that is a form of detox. And of course sweating. It doesn't have to be like this crazy hot yoga, high intensity interval training workout, but just gentle movement, especially if you're thyroid. If you are fatigued and you're having some thyroid symptoms, infrared sauna or just gentle movement, you don't have to do these crazy cardio classes because that can put more stress on your body and in turn your adrenals and your thyroid.

Yeah. And then the other one, that's one of my faves is the air filtration. Like we breathe just more than we eat even. Right? If we just get an air filter to put in our house, a room where we sleep, our kids rooms, bedrooms, right where we spend nine hours every day, that can be absolutely life changing. And you don't even have to think about it very often. Once a month, once every six months, depending on which one you have, you change the filter and there you go.

I know we're really big on investing. Like we just moved and we made our house cleaner and we hardwired certain, you know, we have to also turn on WI fi. But we did. We're like our home is our healthy place and so we can control what we can do in our home. And like our bedrooms. Like everyone's like where's your non toxic couch from? I'm like, we didn't go that far. But we did. We used an OBOC paint and water based paint and non toxic wallpaper. And so we did make a really conscious effort. But the big I guess splurge for us and where we save to spend is the bedrooms because of how much time we spend in there. So clean mattress, organic sheets, cotton. And you can get a lot of these things at Target. It doesn't have to be some bougie brand. There's a lot of great brands out there doing stuff. But yeah, even just removal, getting rid of the fragrance, that alone just Cleans your air and getting rid of the chemicals.

Absolutely. Tell me a little bit about. Obviously, we all. Even if we do all the things, the reality is we're still exposed to toxins simply by being out in the world, living where we live. I think that's honestly one of the biggest reasons we have so much more of an incidence of thyroid dysfunction in our country right now. It's almost ubiquitous in women as we age. And I know detox is definitely, like, in vogue. It's a buzzword. Tell me what an effective detox looks like to you, and do you have any favorites or any particularities in terms of detox that support thyroid function?

Yeah. So I would say the gut, there's a huge, you know, there's a huge gut thyroid connection. And so again, we briefly mentioned. But if someone's not having bowel movements, that's a huge red flag because you're just going to be reabsorbing toxins. And so a very simple thing of getting your gut right to fix it to have bowel movements, that's a great way to eliminate. And it also improves thyroid function because usually when you're troubleshooting your gut, whether it's dysbiosis or leaky gut, you're not going to be absorbing nutrients that are important for thyroid, thyroid function, like selenium, zinc, iodine. You'll likely be deficient in magnesium, which all of us need. And so I would say fixing the gut is so important in having bowel movements for thyroid health. But also, again, just gentle, effective detox practices that are not going to break the bank are things like castor oil packs over your liver, dry brushing. So great for the lymphatic system. I think we have to remember what our detox organs are and like the skin. Okay, sweating. So whether that's a gentle workout, my personal favorite is the infrared sauna. It is the greatest investment I've ever made for my health and my home. And my husband and I use that thing every day. Almost one of us is either in it every day. So that's been great for us. But not everyone has to do that. You could do an Epsom salt baking soda bath for detox, and then you can start working up a sweat, even in the bath if it's warm. But, yeah, I really like sustainable practices for people. Some people get so overwhelmed with a detox, they don't commit. Or I have to go so extreme or do this juice cleanse and it's like, no. Actually the most effective detox for your overall health and Your thyroid is when you slowly incorporate those daily detox things. So maybe it's just a quick five minute dry brush before your shower or a castor oil pack a couple nights a week with a heating pad, Infrared sauna once or twice a week, detox once or twice a week, and then it just becomes a lifestyle. And I think when people start feeling the difference of doing those things, they're like, they're so in just becomes a way of life. Like my husband's, like, I don't go more than a couple days without us on a cold plunge in the morning because it sets his day up for success.

Right? I think you're exactly right. You hit the nail on the head. We don't need to do some big giant detox for two weeks every year or a week or whatever it is. It's these little incremental habits that we just incorporate into our life that become part of our life, part of our routine. And honestly, like when you do them long enough, you feel good enough that you want to keep doing them anyway, right?

Totally, totally. And we even so many people think in the biohacking wellness space you have to invest in all these things. And it's like, no, some of these, honestly these detox practices are some of the most cheap and effective. And we're just supporting our skin by sweating. Get outside, you know, do a workout, get in the sauna, get in a detox bath. And then also by just our lymphatic system is so important for overall health, inflammation, thyroid immunity. So just doing that simple dry brushing, that is a game changer. And then of course the castor oil packs in the liver, that's just supporting our natural detox organ. And so really just supporting our body and then even drinking enough water, that's a form of detox because we're hydrating and flushing out and eliminating toxins. So we over complicate detox and I think it gets a bad rap. But it's also such a buzzword in the health world. But just start somewhere and those slowly choices really do add up and make a difference.

I totally agree. I completely agree. You mentioned a little bit about gut health. Tell me how gut health ways that it can influence thyroid Hashimoto's or function, whatever it is.

Yeah. So back in the day when I worked for Amy Myers, she obviously was a thyroid expert, just like you and autoimmune. And so I learned from her there is always a gut component when it comes to autoimmune. And obviously most people there's subclinical hypothyroidism. But a lot of people, it is Hashimoto's. And so I'm sure that's what mostly what you see. Right.

And so I see all over. Yep, yep.

But anyway, it was like there was always a gut component. And so whether it's leaky gut or dysbiosis or inflammation, but it affects so much, like I said, like nutrient absorption that is so important for optimal thyroid function. And if you don't have the proper nutrients to convert your free T to your free T3, which is your active hormone, you're that just. You're in a really hard spot now. You also have to focus on stress and toxins and other things. But a percentage of the thyroid hormone, a small percentage, is converted in the gut. So if your gut's a wreck, you're already, that's 20% that you're not being set up for success. But I also think once you heal the gut and reduce overall inflammation, it improves thyroid function, it improves hormones, sleep, mental health, because the amount of neurotransmitters that are made in our gut and immunity. You know, when I had gut issues back in the day, I was like fearful of flying because every time I would fly, I would get sick because my immune system was shot. Once I healed my gut and got rid of all my food sensitivities and was going to the bathroom every day and not bloated and stuff, it was like my immune system corrected. And I didn't understand that at the time, but now I can look back and I know the connection. But I think it's so, so important to reduce overall inflammation, improve digestion, to make sure that we can optimize and absorb nutrients, especially if we're eating a nutrient dense diet or taking supplements.

Right. I mean, even like I remember in I had a crisis in my gut in like 2018, and I'll tell you, there's nothing more miserable than being in the middle of a gut crisis. I was just desperate. I was like, I'll eat a frog if you tell me to. It will fix my gut. Like, I will do anything, please.

Life altering, right? Whether it's diarrhea or constipation, like it's severely affected daily life. And you and I have both seen that with patients. And so, yeah, I love it.

Another topic that you talk a lot about that I definitely see impact, thyroid dysfunction is nervous system regulation. And I have to say, being through your whole journey and being able to talk about nervous system regulation is impressive. I mean, even myself, I Went through like some traumatic things with the health of my daughter a year ago. And I can, I mean, I want to learn all the things about nervous system regulation from you. The last thing I could ever talk about with my patients or in a public forum is nervous system regulation. So number one, I'm just wildly impressed that you were able to get to the level that you're at now. I bow down to you because it's incredibly difficult. But I want you to tell us a little bit about what that means, how it can play a role in your wellness. And I would love to know like some of your best tips, tricks to facilitate nervous system regulation.

Yeah. Well, you're sweet. I'm definitely no expert, but I had to kind of become my own expert going through brain cancer because when you know, you get some. Someone cuts into your central nervous system. Literally people think that a tumor, a brain tumor sits on the brain. It can if it's a certain type, like a meningioma. Mine was growing within the brain and so they literally have to cut out part of your brain tissue. So I learned nervous system regulation the hard way because I mean it was the hardest thing. And we have an great article about it if people want to go and read more in depth on what it is and how you can set yourself up for success. And I'll briefly speak to it. But essentially when we talk about nervous system regulation, it feels like this big overwhelming topic, but really it's just shifting the body out of that fight or flight, that sympathetic dominant state and you want it to shift into a more I feel safe, I feel balanced, I can heal. And so many of us with our fast paced society, our cell phones, we're running on stress hormones all day, cortisol, fight or flight, we're rushing, we're multitasking, we're eating on the go, we're barely resting, we don't have quality sleep. And that chronic stress really impacts the so much. And of course it affects thyroid function, but it also affects hormones, digestion, immunity and really our ability to heal. And so I think it's a fancy term, but really it just means like your body feels safe and supported, you know, and I think so many people don't know what that feels like to feel balanced and calmed and so giving it tools and signals that it is safe, you know, putting your feet in the grass, I know it sounds so woo woo, but grounding, it literally can shift you. I mean there's science behind it, there's studies. This is not just a thought or a weird health claim. But it can literally shift you into the parasympathetic, that rest or digest state. And I feel a huge difference. And I was so sensitive after brain surgery. I mean, McCall, it was awful. I. And I'd never experienced anything like this. I felt like a neurosensory kid that just couldn't handle. I would have to wear headphones, especially in public. Like, going to the grocery store and all the signs and lights was so overwhelming for me. I had to wear sunglasses because the light was so triggering. So, I mean, I was like, to the nth degree, overly sensitive. The dog would bark and I would jump. You know, I was so easily triggered and scared. And so that was like immediately after brain surgery. But I just really consciously had to make an effort to make my body feel calm. And when you have a central nervous system surgery, it's harder to do that. So, like, I really had to work at this nervous system. But now that I know what it feels like to be in that parasympathetic rest or digest state, it is. I mean, it is life changing. And I based my whole life around it. So, yeah, just like practically some things that really helped me and still that I incorporate one. I don't over schedule myself and over commit myself because before I used to just do that, you know, and I was so busy taking care of everybody else that my family and I would be on the back burner. And so, I mean, I made a really drastic career move. I shut down my private practice. I kept it for a little bit, and then I shut it down. I left a wellness center that I'd co founded. I'm not saying people have to quit their lives and their jobs. For me, that's what I needed to do to heal. And it was no question. But yeah, when you're stuck in that overdrive, it's just a. It's a really hard thing to get out of it. And so incorporating, whether it's deep breathing every time you sit in your car, you know, putting your seatbelt on, or when you're at a red light, just like little things disconnecting from our phones, that is so huge we don't realize. I couldn't even hold my phone after brain surgery. It was the craziest thing. I would get like, dizzy, overwhelmed, almost nauseous just because it was so. The light. And I don't know if it was energy from the phone. I could feel it. So I don't feel that way anymore. But there's just little things, you know, So I think putting your Feet in the grass. A lot of these things are free medicine. You know, when we talk about adrenal, I always like to think of adrenals in the nervous system. Very similarly. Adrenals are glands, nervous system is a system. But anything that we do for our adrenals and stress is going to in turn help our nervous system. So looks different for everyone. Like, for me, an Epsom salt bath is super calming. Disconnecting from my phone, being out in nature, biggest game changer, putting your feet in the grass. I remember flying to Hope for Cancer, which is where I received holistic treatment for the cancer journey. And I flew there, I think it was three or four weeks after brain surgery to do a bunch of hyperbarics and oxygen therapies and high dose vitamin C. And I will never forget, I went through customs. I was like, spinning. You almost feel like you're drunk when you're so dysregulated after brain surgery. I mean, it was the most out of control, horrible feeling. I was wearing the headphones, I had my sunglasses on. And I remember just being like, I need to go put my feet in the sand. And I am telling you, it shifted within minutes. I mean, I felt like, whoa. I feel a huge difference. A lot of nervous system regulation is free medicine. Getting outside, deep breathing, you know, sleeping, that is so huge. And then other things for me that were like an absolute game changer. Infrared light is really calming. So even my handheld little loom box, red light is so calming. I'll take that when I travel. My PEMF mat saved me. It's a little higher dose PEMF infrared mat. And I had so many nights. One of my biggest issues. I've never had insomnia, but I experienced that after brain surgery. And it gave me so much compassion for patients because I was like, what do you mean you can't fall asleep? Like, I. I believe them. I just had never experienced, like, why don't you just close your eyes and go to sleep? I'd never experienced that. Well, boy, did I, after brain surgery. And so there were some nights where the only place I could sleep was that mat in my closet. Because it was the calming and it was a game changer. Yeah. And so that mat I still love. Like, if I have a busy day full of meetings, I'll go spend 30 minutes on the mat, just laying, meditating, listening to healing frequencies or worship music. And then what else? Oh, my favorite thing was getting little reflexology massages. I still do that, like, once every couple of weeks because that just I. No one can deny how they feel when they put their feet in the sand at the beach or after a massage. And that's what I like to tell people of, like that's how it feels to be calm and safe in your body. And I feel a little bit convicted as a practitioner because if I could go back in time I would prioritize nervous system health for all of my patients before doing all the supplements and all the diet stuff. I mean it's all equally important. But I think your body responds to protocols so much better when you're in that calm state because your body's going to receive healing versus that sympathetic dominant. Your hormones are going crazy, your cortisol, you're just not going to heal as quickly and efficiently. And I've seen that, you know, we help support people in online community and do lab testing and I've seen them respond so much quicker to protocols when their nervous system is regulated. So that's one of the first things as a foundation that we do now because it really is the body just knows how to heal when it feels safe and when it's set up for success.

That is fascinating, Taylor. Like, it's almost like you post op for brain surgery were like a canary in the coal mine. Like your nervous system was so hyper attuned to everything obviously on an exponential level, but it's almost like you could collect that data and receive it and use it for yourself and everyone else that isn't in that amplified state. And you had like a superpower to attune to all these different things that actually are impacting our nervous system that we didn't even know were happening.

No, I didn't. I learned the hard way. I'm like, I'm definitely not an expert but like I had to learn because I was like, I can't live like this. I mean it was, it was super hard and having multiple nights, not sleeping, being overstimulated, I mean it was, it was just too much. So. And I still, I pace myself to this day now. I was at a wedding this weekend, did not have headphones, stayed up late, did fine. So I'm doing so much better. But it's one of those things, I still make an active effort. I'll put my feet in the sand the next morning or make sure that I get rest the next day or drink extra minerals. And so I just, you know, I don't think that we're meant to be in that fight or flight long term. And when we are, it can, everyone says it can lead to dis ease, which is disease, you know, and so that's one full blown manifestation of disease. And so I'm so passionate about it. I wish I was earlier in my journey, but no one really talked about that. You know, like people are talking about it with chiropractic adjustments and stuff. But like, that wasn't a cool thing to do even 10 years ago in.

The functional medicine world, admittedly, like, I still don't talk to my patients. And a lot of it is because I time time. And I just feel like, look, if I don't have this down myself, how can I expect them to have it? It's so inspirational and like, curious for me. I want to know what percentage of the time during the day do you feel honestly like you can be totally honest connected to a parasympathetic state to like a calm Zen state compared to sympathetic or stressed state?

Good question. And I think it goes in surges, like, next week's a crazy week for us. I'm speaking at a conference, my husband's gonna, has a lot of busy work, so I'm already feeling a little like, ooh, about next week. But I'll just make more of a conscious effort. So I would say the majority of days I do feel calm and in a parasympathetic state. And if I don't say that, I have back to back meetings, I'm presenting, they're long, I'm in front of my computer, I. My team knows I'm like, I'm going to take a brain break. I'll see you on a little bit. So I consciously will go outside, take some deep breaths, put my feet in the grass, I will go lay on my mat, take a bath, sometimes midday, because I have the privilege of working from home. So, yeah, I would say the majority of the time I feel like I'm in a parasympathetic state. I really do. But when I feel myself getting a little just fight or flighty, angsty, whatever that might feel like, stressed, I know I have to make an active effort. And then sometimes I'm just, you know, where they're busy seasons, there's travel, there's speaking, there's stuff. And I honestly have had to say no to a lot of things to protect my peace. And peace and pace is a thing that like, we're really mindful of in my house now, because even my husband's like, we can't do that three nights in a row. We got to be careful, we got to protect the pace, you know, because I don't want to crash. And I'm doing so much better. My stamina, everything. But yeah, I would say the majority of the time I feel like I'm in a parasympathetic state. But when I feel over committed, when I feel overwhelmed, when I'm traveling a lot, that's when I'm like, I make a conscious effort to still put my feet in the grass when traveling, get a massage, you know, those are the way. That's how I like to spend my time and my money and my energy.

Yeah. That is so inspirational for me. Truly. I just absolutely love it. Hats off to you. And really, I. It makes me inspired to work on it in my own life. Because to imagine that something like that is possible for someone that's as driven, successful, motivated, also a really show up mom is goals, sister. It's goals.

Well, we do have to make a conscious effort. And it's hard. Like, I'm not gonna lie, it is free medicine and it has become a lifestyle for me. And we also, like, we move to a farm, you know, so. I know, I know that's crazy, but we spend so much time outdoors and just being outside, even doing farm chores and like, it's regulating my nervous system. I'm outside, I'm with animals, I feel calm. We're in nature. It's just a game changer. So, yeah.

Yeah, I love it. One more question before I kind of want you to tell us a little bit about more where people can find you. But I know there's a through line, I think, in both of our patients where so many women, especially, I feel, are dismissed. They don't feel heard. They feel, dare I say, gaslit. And I know the same women I serve or women you serve. And I know we've successfully been able to heal and give so many of them back their lives. So I know there are answers for these people. What advice would you give them or what message would you want to share with those women on their journey?

This is so good because I feel like we've. I've been there. You probably hear that stuff. Yeah. And one, don't give up, don't lose hope, and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself. I think it's so easy to be the patient. And look, I've been there. I've been the nurse who had graduated from nursing school that's supposed to advocate for the patients and couldn't advocate for myself. I felt crazy. The GI doctor telling me my labs are normal, did a colonoscopy, everything's normal. So then it starts. It starts to get in your head and you feel either gaslit or you feel crazy. And you're like, this isn't my head. I'm in pain. I'm not going to the bathroom. I'm bloated. My first piece of advice is to trust yourself. You know, obviously, I think mindset is so important. And I have a hard time when people, even though I had cancer, you know, I don't claim it as my identity. I don't say my cancer, my brain tumor. I don't even say chronic illness, because then that's already limiting to my mind that I'm believing I will never get better. So always have hope, but believe yourself and advocate for yourself. And especially if your provider saying, your labs are normal, find a new provider. I think the best thing you can do is find a root cause medicine practitioner like you or someone else that's going to actually look under the hood and look at full thyroid panels and not say, oh, everything's normal. Your TSH is normal. No, that shows a fraction of the picture. And so, yeah, I think just don't be afraid to advocate for yourself. And sometimes that looks like finding other practitioners. Sometimes that means advocating and asking for more comprehensive testing. Hey, my mom has a history of autoimmune. Can you check more than just my TSH? Can you check my antibodies and my free T3 and my free T4 and reverse T3? You know, I think that's so important. And I think just lastly, and I learned so much of this, my cancer journey, because again, I was there too. I was in the oncologist office, and they were like, don't do any of this alternative therapy. Don't do. They didn't know who I was. I just asked, hey, is there anything I can do that could help shrink this or set me up for surgery success? And they basically did. Discouraged me. And so gently listen to practitioners, and your job is not to convince them. Just politely go and leave and find a new practitioner. But I would say the most important thing is just hold on to hope, because healing is possible. And it's not always a straight line, it's not linear. But the body is incredibly resilient. And when you set it up for success and you have the right practitioner working alongside you, like, you can heal and you might have to do nervous system work, you might have to make lifestyle shifts and dietary changes, but it's worth it and hold on to hope.

I love that so much. And I love the message of, look, find a new clinician who wants to actually partner with you. Don't try and change the practice of medicine of the person you're sitting in front of, because it's not going to happen and it's just going to lead to more angst and frustration. Well, I know you have so many incredible offerings. Even though you're not practicing with patients one on one, even though you don't have the clinic. I would love for you to tell people more about your work. Now you haven't. Awesome, incredible, amazing supplement line. Tell us about all the tools for healing that you offer that people can find.

Yeah. So really, it's so funny because I'm like, you go to nurse practitioner school just like you went to PA school, thinking, I'm going to practice forever and see patients. And the end goal is to own a practice, which I did. And it was great. And now I tell people, I'm like, well, I'm retired from seeing patients. But it really, God, just kind of pivoted my career path and I love it now. But, yeah, we've created a lot of healthy supplements. And my favorite thing that we created is probably our protein powders, our electrolytes, because what I do is I find something on the market that I like, but how do I want to change it or clean it up a little bit? Like, for example, it's fall, it's the holidays. You know, we have a pumpkin spice protein. We have a hot chocolate that my kids can enjoy without sugar. It has monk fruit and stevia. And so, yeah, it's been really fun to create all of those things for myself. And then it's just such a blessing that I have customers that would buy them too. And so we have all of that@shop.taylor dukeswellness.com as well as a bunch of different supplements like magnesium, vitamin D, D, omega, all of those good things. And then, yeah, we also have a huge part of my story was gut health. And when I saw that my gut was healed, and I've seen this with patients over the years, thousands. When your gut is healed, so many other things fall into place naturally. And so when I stopped practicing, I was like, oh, I still want to help people. And so we came up with a gut program where people get a stool test, a personalized consult, access to a community. My practitioners, I still have a nurse practitioner, a nutritional therapy practitioner that do consults, and then they also do talks and testing and nutrient testing, food sensitivity. We do not prescribe thyroid meds. So that's one thing that we outsource for is just because we are nurse practitioners. We don't diagnose, prescribe or treat, but we do give wellness plans. And it's been such a blessing be able to continue to serve and help people, even though I'm not doing it all one on one. But yeah, we have an online community where people can get access to testing and I do live Zoom calls every month because I still love helping and honestly, the impact. At first when I kind of transitioned to creating products and having an online community and membership, I thought, oh my gosh, I'm not going to help people as much. But I think what I've realized is I'm actually able to help people more. It's just at a different level and equipping them with resources. So yeah, it's fun.

I love it. Tell people where they can find those resources, tell people to where they can find you online and follow you because it's a fun follow and it's super insightful, informative. I love your content. So tell us.

I'm so honored that you. Well, Taylor do Saunas is the Instagram and I share everything from farm content to homeschool, but mainly a lot of like healthy swaps because again, I want people to feel empowered and equipped. So I share a lot of that on Instagram. We have a website with a blog, just about every article you could ever imagine. From leaky gut to how to cure eczema naturally to nervous system health, that's just taylordukes wellness.com and then yeah, those are all the places. And then, yeah, our membership is just the TDW community and that's where we have a Facebook group. I do live Zoom calls once a month. People just pick my brain and then you have access to lab tests.

I love it. Well, thank you for your work, for your service to thousands and thousands of patients and taking your own journey and making it such an empowering experience for so many others. And I just adore you. So thank you.

You're the best. I love you, McCall. Thank you for having me.