Less Stressed Life: Helping You Heal Yourself – Details, episodes & analysis

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This week on the Less Stressed Life, Dr. David Hanscom joins me for his 4th appearance to explain why anxiety isn’t psychological—it’s physiological—a survival response that we can learn to regulate, not control. We talk about how unprocessed emotions and repetitive thoughts get stored in the body as pain and how tools like expressive writing, calming the body, and softening the ego help break those loops.

You’ll walk away with a new way to think about anxiety, pain, and healing—one that focuses on awareness, compassion, and creating safety in your body so your mind can follow. It’s about rewiring your nervous system, not forcing it.

Pre-Order Dr. Hanscom's new book, Calm Your Body, Heal Your Mind: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804971/calm-your-body-heal-your-mind-by-david-hanscom-md/

Dr. Hanscom’s past episodes:
• Ep 71: Roadmap out of Anxiety and Chronic Pain
• Ep 72: Anger & Anxiety in the Family
• Ep 325: Overwhelm & Pain

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Anxiety and anger are body states, not character flaws
• Calm the physiology first; thoughts will follow
• Expressive writing helps separate from looping thoughts
• Awareness and compassion are core to lasting change

Free resource: Try Dr. Hanscom’s Expressive Writing Exercise (PDF), a foundational tool from The DOC Journey to help calm the nervous system and release looping thoughts. 

ABOUT GUEST:
David Hanscom, MD is a former spine surgeon who left his 32-year practice to help people heal chronic physical and emotional pain. After overcoming his own long struggle with anxiety and pain, he developed Dynamic Healing, a method focused on calming the body’s threat physiology and rewiring the nervous system. He’s the author of Back in Control and the upcoming Calm Your Body, Heal Your Mind (June 2026). 

WHERE TO GUEST:
Websites: https://backincontrol.com/ and https://thedocjourney.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdavidhanscom/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist

SPONSOR:
Thank you to our friends at Jigsaw Health for being such an incredible sponsor and partner. 😎 If you’re listening during November 2025, use code LESSSTRESSED15 at JigsawHealth.com for 15% off every order. If you’re listening after November 2025, use LESSSTRESSED10 for 10% off anytime.

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This week on the Less Stressed Life, Eliza Kingsford joins me to talk about how your nervous system drives behavior and why lasting change only happens when your body feels safe.

We dive into the three main nervous system states (safe and connected, activated, and shutdown) and how they show up in your relationship with food, stress, and self-control. Eliza explains why willpower isn’t the problem and how to build capacity with daily “deposits” like rest, nourishment, and connection so your body can finally support change instead of resist it.

I was fired up about this one because it connects everything—physiology, behavior, and peace. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of why you feel stuck and how to shift it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Your nervous system drives every thought, feeling, and action
• Change feels unsafe to the brain—safety cues make new habits possible
• Food behaviors mirror nervous system states (frantic in activation, numbing in shutdown)
• Build capacity by balancing “deposits” like rest, nourishment, and connection with “withdrawals” like stress and overwork
• Flexibility and resilience in your nervous system create real, lasting change 

ABOUT GUEST:
Best-selling author, licensed therapist and former Corporate CEO, Eliza Kingsford is a nervous system expert and behavior change specialist. She is widely known for helping clients regain control and rewire their process so they can finally lose weight peacefully and keep it off permanently. She developed The Shift framework where clients learn a step-by-step blueprint for changing their lives.

Eliza is turning the weight loss industry on its head by combining neuroscience, behavior science and psychology to create lasting results for her clients.

WHERE TO FIND GUEST:
Website: https://www.elizakingsford.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizakingsford/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: ****https://www.christabiegler.com/links

NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY OF LESS STRESSED LIFE:
🍽️ Over restriction is dead
🥑 Whole food is soul food and fed is best
🔄 Sustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)
🤝 You don’t have to figure it out alone
❤️ Do your best and leave the rest

SPONSOR:
Thank you to our friends at Jigsaw Health for being such an incredible sponsor and partner. 😎 If you’re listening during November 2025, use code LESSSTRESSED15 at JigsawHealth.com for 15% off every order. If you’re listening after November 2025, use LESSSTRESSED10 for 10% off anytime.

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This week on The Less Stressed Life, Amy Rawls joins me to talk about why you are not what you eat, but what you digest, assimilate, and eliminate. We dig into the difference between digestive enzymes taken with meals and systemic enzymes taken away from food, how enzyme capacity develops in babies, and why so many gut and skin issues trace back to poor digestion.

If you have struggled with food sensitivities, skin flares, or supplements that do not seem to work, this conversation will help you understand how enzymes can make all the difference.

Enjoy 10% off Transformation Enzymes as a podcast listener by using code LESSSTRESSED

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why digestion, not food alone, drives symptoms
• How enzymes decline under stress
• The role of digestive versus systemic enzymes
• Why infant enzyme capacity explains early skin and gut flares
• Food sensitivities are often a digestion problem, not a food problem

ABOUT GUEST:
Amy Rawls, MS, RD, LD, FMNS, CGN is a registered dietitian specializing in integrative and functional nutrition with a focus on root cause healing and mind-body optimization. She serves as Director of Clinical Services and Education at Transformation Enzyme Corporation, where she leads practitioner education, clinical support, and research on enzyme therapy. Amy has presented nationally and internationally on the role of nutrition and enzymes in supporting whole-body health. 

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://www.transformationenzymes.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enzymeamy/
Email Amy: clinic@tecenzymes.com
Additional Education: https://www.mycliniciantoolbox.com/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife

NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY OF LESS STRESSED LIFE:
🍽️ Over restriction is dead
🥑 Whole food is soul food and fed is best
🔄 Sustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)
🤝 You don’t have to figure it out alone
❤️ Do your best and leave the rest

SPONSOR:
Thanks to Jigsaw Health for sponsoring this episode! Looking for a clean, tasty way to stay hydrated this summer? Their Electrolyte Supreme is a go-to for energy, minerals, and daily hydration support. Use code LESSSTRESSED10 at JigsawHealth.com for 10% off—unlimited use!

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This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I'm excited to have Dr. Gary Kaplan back. Dr. Kaplan is a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO). In this episode, Dr. Kaplan talks about what the treatment pie is for recovering from Long COVID, why you may be experiencing long term symptoms, how you can be evaluated for treatment, request treatment or get more information.

Dr. Kaplan's other episode on the LSL: 323: Chronic pain, depression, and sleep issues with Dr. Gary Kaplan

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• What are the symptoms of long COVID?
• COVID can affect every system in the body
• Why are we seeing an increase in cancer?
• What helps with the loss of taste and smell?
• Why do you lose taste and smell when you have COVID?
• What is the treatment for a high fever?
• Why do people struggle with detoxing and alcohol tolerance after having COVID?
• What can you do to support the kidneys post COVID?
• Solutions for Long COVID
• How does metformin help Long COVID?
• How do you diagnose Long COVID?
• Benefits of methylene blue
• What are cytokines?

ABOUT GUEST:
Gary Kaplan, DO a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, founder and medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Why You Are Still Sick: How Infections Can Break Your Immune System and How You Can Recover. A pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Kaplan is one of only 19 physicians in the country to be board-certified in both Family Medicine and Pain Medicine. In November, Dr. Kaplan will co-chair an international conference on New Developments in Understanding Chronic Illness: The Role of the Immune Dysfunction and Infections.

Find Dr. Kaplan's conference information here: https://foundationfortotalrecovery.org/

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://kaplanclinic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaplan_clinic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaplanCenterforIntegrativeMedicine
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjBaguhq1VYTBHMYlvKCMIw

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
WORK WITH CHRISTA IN 2024: https://www.christabiegler.com/fss

RESET IN SEDONA
Retreat is full. Stay tuned for info on future retreats! 🙌

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This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I have my incredible co-pilot Jenna DeKok back to interview me and also provide invaluable insight. In this episode, we dive into how we evaluate and incorporate  ways to support ourselves as clinicians to prevent burnout. I talk about how my practice has evolved and what personally has helped when I've been extra crispy from burnout. We also talk about  my team’s individual strengths and how collectively leveraging them has enhanced our overall synergistic performance. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Find ways to support your nervous system
• Recognize your scope of practice & know when to refer
• Hire someone who is different than you
• Learn what works best for you
• Understand the strengths of your team and use them to your advantage!
• When is the best time to follow-up with clients?
• Get clear with your clients on expectations
• Having pre-made templates saves so much time!
• What modalities we added in our practice to support our client's nervous system

ABOUT JENNA:
Jenna is a consulting registered dietitian via her business Nutritiously Jenna and associate practitioner at Less Stressed Life Nutrition. She started working with Christa in 2018 doing mentorship hours for her undergraduate degree. Since then, she's touched business operation roles, social media management, program content creation, and is currently working 1:1 with clients. Her passion for women's wellness came from her firsthand struggles with disordered eating that led to a variety of gut, hormone, and energy issues. This is ultimately why she loves to help women truly understand their bodies by diving deeper into the important but often not-so-talked-about areas of women's health!

WHERE TO FIND JENNA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutritiouslyjenna/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
WORK WITH CHRISTA IN 2024: https://www.christabiegler.com/fss
You deserve to boost your energy, heal your body, & enjoy food again (WITHOUT restrictive diets, endless supplements, or generic programs that don’t actually help). You don’t have to remove more foods. You just have to find the root cause of your symptoms, so you can finally fix them — for good. (Yes, it’s possible!)

RESET IN SEDONA
For more info: https://www.christabiegler.com/resetinsedona
 A restorative wellness retreat for women who crave good food & adventure. Reset in Sedona is 4 days and 3 night of :

• Gorgeous retreat house with a serene nature vibe, creek/trail access and plenty of room to spread out
• Movement: Onsite yoga & red rocks hiking
• Nourishment: Whole foods & soul foods, hydration and savvy supplementation provided + private chef
• Integrative breathwork & bodywork for clarity and purpose
• Adventure: vortex hike and an ATV adventure
  
  

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This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I have my co-pilot Jenna DeKok on with me. Jenna is also a registered dietician who works along side me in my private practice. In this episode, Jenna interviews me on what labs we use and why. I share my experience with labs that I used in the past but traded out or stopped using altogether and why. If you are interested in working with us in 2024, CLICK HERE!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Not all labs are useful
• What is on our stool/gut test?
• What are fungal symptoms?
• Testing is NOT the only answer, it's important to look at symptoms
• Other labs that don't make sense
• Pros and cons of hormone, genetic, micronutrient and food sensitivity testing
• Hair Tissue Mineral Testing, what is it and why it's so great
• What do you do when your thyroid blood labs are normal?
• Mold or mycotoxin testing
• Pros and cons of blood labs

ABOUT JENNA:
Jenna is a consulting registered dietitian via her business Nutritiously Jenna and associate practitioner at Less Stressed Life Nutrition. She started working with Christa in 2018 doing mentorship hours for her undergraduate degree. Since then, she's touched business operation roles, social media management, program content creation, and is currently working 1:1 with clients. Her passion for women's wellness came from her firsthand struggles with disordered eating that led to a variety of gut, hormone, and energy issues. This is ultimately why she loves to help women truly understand their bodies by diving deeper into the important but often not-so-talked-about areas of women's health!

WHERE TO FIND JENNA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutritiouslyjenna/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
WORK WITH CHRISTA IN 2024: https://www.christabiegler.com/fss
You deserve to boost your energy, heal your body, & enjoy food again (WITHOUT restrictive diets, endless supplements, or generic programs that don’t actually help). You don’t have to remove more foods. You just have to find the root cause of your symptoms, so you can finally fix them — for good. (Yes, it’s possible!)

RESET IN SEDONA
For more info: https://www.christabiegler.com/resetinsedona
 A restorative wellness retreat for women who crave good food & adventure. Reset in Sedona is 4 days and 3 night of :

• Gorgeous retreat house with a serene nature vibe, creek/trail access and plenty of room to spread out
• Movement: Onsite yoga & red rocks hiking
• Nourishment: Whole foods & soul foods, hydration and savvy supplementation provided + private chef
• Integrative breathwork & bodywork for clarity and purpose
• Adventure: vortex hike and an ATV adventure
  
  

Send us Fan Mail

This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am joined by former orthopedic spinal surgeon, David Hanscom. In this episode, David tells us his story and what he did to heal himself. He also talks about how to reroute the nervous system, rewire your brain, and heal your body from pain.

Other episodes with David:
 #071 Roadmap out of Anxiety and Chronic Pain with Spine Surgeon Dr. David Hanscom (Part 1)
#072 Anger & Anxiety in the Family with Dr. David Hanscom (Part 2)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• What is expressive writing?
• What is threat physiology?
• The human brain does not tolerate emotional pain, it suppresses it
• Suppressed anger and anxiety causes damage to your brain. 
• What are the disguises of anger?
• The body will create physical pain in order to avoid emotional pain.
• Ways to lower stress physiology
• Ways to improve the resiliency of the nervous system

ABOUT GUEST:
David Hanscom’s orthopedic spine surgery practice focused on patients with failed back surgeries. He quit his practice in Seattle, WA to present his insights into solving chronic pain, which evolved from his own battle with it. His book, Back in Control is associated with an action plan, “The DOC Journey”, which guides patients in solving mental and physical pain.  His latest book is, Do You Really Need Spine Surgery? – Take Control with a Surgeon’s Advice is intended for health care providers and patients alike to make an informed decision about undergoing spinal surgery. He has created an app and self-directed course, “The DOC Journey,” which presents action plans for healing. His most recent efforts are focused on writing a book on RUT’s (repetitive unpleasant thoughts).

Link to David's resources: https://backincontrol.com/resources-2/
Link to expressive writing pdf: https://backincontrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DOC-Expressive-Writing-4f-1.pdf

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://backincontrol.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdavidhanscom/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdavidhanscom
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrDavidHanscom

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Work with Christa in 2024: https://www.christabiegler.com/fss

Reset in Sedona: https://www.christabiegler.com/resetinsedona

Send us Fan Mail

This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am joined by Dr. John Kim who is a functional medicine pharmacist. In this episode, Dr. Kim tells us his story of having a heart attack at the age 33, the recovery process, and how it changed his life for the better. We talk about mold toxicity, parasites, Lyme, dysbiosis, histamine response, fungal infections, brain fog, chronic inflammation and more! I also ask Dr. Kim what his advice is for women when their men do not believe that they have a chronic illness.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• What is cellular inflammation?
• What are signs/symptoms that you are dealing with cellular inflammation?
• Foundations are key!
• Why is detoxing slowly important?
• How phospholipids help the cell membrane
• Why is correct supplement timing important?
• What is the cell membrane response?
• Why doesn't Dr. Kim like oat milk?

ABOUT GUEST:
Dr. John Kim (Pharm.D., FAARFM) is a highly regarded functional medicine pharmacist who has emerged as a leading voice in the fields of health, wellness, and preventative medicine. With an unwavering commitment to uncovering the root causes of chronic illness, Dr. Kim empowers his clients to take control of their own health journeys, embodying the belief that "The Doctor of the Future is You."
Dr. Kim's personal health journey has been instrumental in shaping his professional outlook. In 2015, he suffered a severe heart attack, which served as a wake-up call to delve deeper into the root causes of chronic illnesses. Through extensive investigation, he discovered hidden stealth infections, including mold toxins, that had precipitated his heart attack. After two years of dedicated treatment, he successfully eradicated these infections, reclaiming his vitality and becoming a living testament to the transformative power of addressing root causes naturally.
Currently, Dr. Kim owns and operates Robinson Wellness Pharmacy, situated in Mendham, New Jersey, along with his own wellness practice, Dr. Kim Wellness. These establishments serve as vital hubs for the provision of holistic healthcare solutions, catering to individuals seeking to optimize their hormonal balance, address immune dysfunction, and restore gut health.

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://drkimwellness.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.john.pharmd/

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

Send us Fan Mail

This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Gary Kaplan who is a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO). Dr. Kaplan is dual trained in osteopathic and allopathic medicine, as well as acupuncture. In this episode, Dr. Kaplan talks about inflammation from the standpoint of the cause of pain and depression and how the immune system can drive the inflammatory responses. We deep dive into everything from depression to fibromyalgia, give you insight into how these chronic problems manifest, and how to potentially heal them. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Causes of pain and depression
• What drives the inflammatory process?
• Innate immune system - body's first line of defense against germs & foreign substances
• Microglia - the resident immune cell of the brain
• What is neuroinflammation?
• What products can you use for pain, depression, & sleep?
• What are strategies for down-regulating microglial activation?
• Unhealthy gut equals unhealthy brain
• What is long COVID?
• Surprising facts of social isolation
• Why it's important to look at adverse events during childhood
• Sleep + its effect on the brain

ABOUT GUEST:
Gary Kaplan, DO a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, founder and medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Why You Are Still Sick: How Infections Can Break Your Immune System and How You Can Recover. A pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Kaplan is one of only 19 physicians in the country to be board-certified in both Family Medicine and Pain Medicine. In November, Dr Kaplan will co-chair an international conference on New Developments in Understanding Chronic Illness: The Role of the Immune Dysfunction and Infections. 

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://kaplanclinic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaplan_clinic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaplanCenterforIntegrativeMedicine
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjBaguhq1VYTBHMYlvKCMIw

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

Send us Fan Mail

This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am excited to be joined by Dr. Staci Whitman who is a Functional Kids’ Dentist in North Portland, Oregon. In this episode, Dr. Staci tells us about how she became interested in functional dentistry, the oral & gut microbiome relationship, airway and sleep health, and tongue and lip ties. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Can cavities and mold be connected?
• It's estimated that up to 80% of kids have some sort of sleep disorder or breathing dysfunction
• How does mouth breathing affect the teeth?
• What does your saliva say about your oral health?
• 2 different tests Dr. Staci uses: Bristle or Microbiome
• Oral health in relation to gut health
• The effect of different toothpastes on the microbiome
• What is hydroxyapatite?
• Airway dentistry
• Should kids mouth tape?
• The evolution of the human jaw
• The importance of chewing our food

ABOUT GUEST:
Doctor Staci Whitman is a Functional Kids’ Dentist in North Portland, Oregon. She is the founder of NoPo Kids Dentistry where she takes a whole-body, holistic, and functional approach with her patients. Her dentistry/practice is grounded by science and powered by love.
Doctor Staci attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and worked as a general dentist for 2 years before earning a certificate in pediatric dentistry from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She has always been passionate about children’s sleep and airway health, focusing her research in residency on how to improve airway assessments and diagnostic tools in the pediatric population.
Doctor Staci is an Internationally Certified Health and Wellness Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and is currently attending the American College of Integrative Dentistry and Medicine and the Institute of Functional Medicine, with expected certification dates in 2022. She dreams of a world without cavities and believes in motivating families to join her as a team, keeping their children healthy and thriving with small, manageable daily changes.

WHERE TO FIND:
Website: https://www.doctorstaci.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor_staci/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorstaci
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@doctor_staci

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:
Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/
Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist
Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife
Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links