The Wellness Upgrade on Elevate Springfield featuring Kyleigh Melvin

Summary

In this conversation, Robert and Kyleigh discuss common misconceptions surrounding holistic health and the integration of holistic practices with Western medicine. They explore the stereotypes associated with holistic practitioners, the importance of understanding herbal safety, and the need for a collaborative approach between different health modalities. The discussion also touches on personal experiences in the wellness community and the significance of lifestyle changes in achieving better health outcomes.

Takeaways

• Holistic health does not mean anti-medicine.
• Not all herbal remedies are safe; education is key.
• There is a misconception that holistic practitioners are 'woo-woo'.
• A symbiotic relationship between holistic and Western medicine is essential.
• Diet and lifestyle changes are crucial for health improvement.
• Herbalism is often misunderstood and associated with witchcraft.
• It's important to question the validity of health practitioners.
• Misconceptions can hinder the acceptance of holistic practices.
• Education about herbs and their effects is vital for safety.
• Personal experiences shape the understanding of holistic health.

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This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Elevate Springfield, where we will dive into strategies and stories that help you rise to your full potential. Each episode, we'll talk about how you can take intentional steps to elevate your life and your business while making a meaningful impact on those around you. Along the way, we're gonna bring in the change makers from our community that are already elevating. We'll bring the actionable strategies, you bring the discipline and follow through, and together we can elevate Springfield. Alright, let's go, Springfield. Time to 10X, time to level up. Hey, you are listening to the Elevate Springfield Podcast coming to you from the Big Dog Construction Studio in beautiful downtown Springfield. Robert Farrell here, Certified 10X coach, speaker, and mentor, here to bring you actionable strategies. You bring the discipline and follow through. And together, we're going to Elevate Springfield. You are listening to the wellness upgrade on Elevate Springfield, where we're going to bring you specific strategies to help elevate your health and wellness. Say, if you're not elevating your health and wellness, you're not going to be able to elevate in all other areas. This is the baseline. You know I'm passionate about it. And you know that's why I brought this segment to Elevate Springfield. We're going to get right to our guest after the break. Looking for personalized insurance with hometown care, David Hilst, American Family Insurance Agent, is here to help you protect what matters most: your family, your home, and your dreams. Whether it's auto, home, life, business, David and his team are proud to serve the Springfield community with trusted advice and reliable coverage. Local service, real relationships, peace of mind. Call today or stop by their office. They can build your dream protection plan together. Call 217-726-6343. All right, and we are back for another edition of The Wellness Upgrade. Hey, familiar face, Kylie Melvin with the Primitive Prairie. Kylie, how are we doing today?

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Good. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 2:18

Fantastic. I think we're gonna have a fun one today. I think so too. I'm excited. We talk a lot about holistic medicine, holistic-minded people here on the show. And what we're gonna dive into today is some of the misconceptions, right? Of holistic-minded people, right? I'm sure you hear a lot of stuff. Woo-woo. Yeah, a lot of our woo-woo stuff that we talk about. Yeah. So you probably hear from a lot of people about this stuff. So what are some of the common misconceptions that are that you hear?

SPEAKER_02 2:48

So one of the biggest ones is because you are pro-holistic health or you're more holistic minded, you're anti-medicine. That one will drive me crazy because it's like, no, antibiotics, we went over this before. They're important, they've saved lives. You can't just say because someone is looking for something that's maybe less invasive or hard on their body that they're always going to go against medicine.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Right.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

Um, or because you question medication that's maybe not as necessary that you're against all medication. That's a big one. That you are just obsessed with your diet and will never like have a cookie. Right. That's when, you know, I don't know which ones you've heard. Um, being into herbalism, mine has gone even further. Like they think I'm into crystals. That's not true. True. You know, like it can smell.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

You feel like it just goes hand in hand.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Also, like I'm into astrology. I know nothing about just so everybody knows right now. I know like my constellations, not into astrology.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

I've been grouped into, I think for some reason it's plants, but like just because I make tinctures, I'm not like chanting under the moon making your tincture. Um, that's another one I would like to do.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

You might have some like witchcraft stuff going on or something.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

It actually goes hand in when I do the classes. I have had people approach me afterwards, and I'm just like, no, like I just believe that plants are good for you and you can use them to help with symptoms, or you can use them to manage something you have going on, but they will group those together, which is really annoying. It's like oh, I bet. I bet um but another one, and you maybe have heard, but it seems to me people think if you are holistic minded that you don't believe in science, that's probably the biggest one. Um, and I don't know if you ever encountered that, but anytime I question anything that is more mainstream or Western medicine, it's that I don't look at science, which is actually the opposite. I'm always trying to expand my education and research studies and see what they're finding now with like our gut health and how it impacts parts of our body, but they will group you into this like anti-science group. Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Yeah, that is not the case. No, because I've heard that too.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

Yes, here's a big one. I use herbs, so people think that I believe all plants are safe or all natural medicine is safe. And when I'm teaching classes, the first class, and I do this one on purpose. Um, it was at my husband's advice. He's like, if you want to see who's there for the seriousness of it, start with this, which is not all plants are safe. And when you start with that, some people will just get freaked out and leave because they're like, oh, I thought this was the easy route. I thought using plants means I can take as much of any plant as I want. And no, it's important to know that there are contraindications with medicine in there. Some plants you can't take in excess. There are some plants you can't take for more than three months in a row. So that's a big one, is that I would be the type to just give you anything for for something you have going on and saying there's no side effects. But there is, and you have to learn that if you're going to safely use them. Um, so that's another one.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

I think that's a big one too, because a lot of times when people maybe if they're just getting into this stuff, oh, it's it's natural. It's it's it's good. I can take as much of it safe. Nate's natural is safe. I can take as much of it and do whatever.

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Yes, and that is that is just not the case. Uh like ashwagandha is a very popular herb. Um, I know a lot of celebrities started taking it. It's an adaptogenic herb. It's supposed to help with your nervous system, your fight or flight, your adrenal fatigue. You're not supposed to take that for more than three months. And a lot of people don't know that, and they've been taking it for years. So that's that's a huge one for me. And you do, you get grouped into this, just like we always say, the woo-woo. Like you're just presenting these things to people and you're saying, Hey, you can do this as much as you want, and you could take this as much as you want, and that I just won't look at anything that is Western medicine related. And that's not true. I think the issue is we need to be able to come together and say, hey, maybe you taking all of these is unnecessary. Let's cut back on that medication. Maybe something more natural could help you work with your doctor. That's what I always tell people, like, run this by your doctor, but this is what I think would be great for you. But it always goes back to their doctor, and I think they need to work together. I think that's the big the misconceptions get in the way of there being like a symbiotic relationship between the two.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

No, and that's a great way to put it. There should be a symbiotic relationship between the two, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:13

Yes, I think that's the biggest issue.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Right, right. I would say that might be the number one misconception. I don't know. Out of all of them that we've said, that might be the number one.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Yes, there is, well, and I think it is because sadly, um, and I I guess we could probably at some point do a whole episode on this, but sadly there are a lot of holistic practitioners that do sell the snake oil. They do say, Well, you have this going on, and I have something for you that'll take care of that. And they don't look at your foundations of health and they don't look at what you should be doing with your diet and sleep because nobody wants to put in the hard work. So they're like, I can give you an herb or a supplement for that. And the issue is those are the ones you got to watch out for. Those are the ones that give those misconceptions some validity. Right. But that's why it's good to spread awareness and be honest about what could change your health.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Right. Because not everybody that's in your industry does the same type of education that you have gone through. Yeah, right. So there's not, you know, people will think in Western medicine a doctor, well, at least I know you've gone through this much schooling, whatever, but there probably is a misconception out there. Not necessarily true, but some people out there that give it a bad name because of that.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Yes, and I think that's pretty common. And I think the other thing is nothing I went to school for is recognized. It's not state licensed. I can get all these board approvals I want, but they are not going to let me, you know, prescribe anybody medication or order their blood tests. So that is a big thing. It's like, where's the validity in what we do versus a doctor that went to medical school? And then it's easy to say that we are all just one type of person. We are the woo. Right. We are just the woo-woos.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

And, you know, we are out under the moon doing crazy things with herbs, but it's like at the end of the day, we're actually just taking it back to like I love evidence-based medicine. I love looking at how this interacts with every part of our body. And yes, I am always gonna tell you it comes back to your diet. You can't outrun your fork. I will always be honest about first and foremost, what I think would help you as a person change the root. We're looking at the root cause here. We're looking at the whole person. But honestly, everybody just thinks, oh, you're going to tell somebody to take a dewormer and go drink some moon water and you'll be, but it's like, no, it's much more than that if you're working with somebody that's really passionate about holistic health. And it's horrible to get grouped into that all the time, but it it happens to all of us. Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

That might need to be a tagline under your primitive prayer. You you can't outrun your fork. That was pretty good. I like that. That was pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

I can't even tell. I have a teacher that says that all the time because his biggest thing was this diet, always like, what are you eating? What's your gut health? Um, he was big on Hippocrates, always said everything starts in the gut. And I'm passionate probably about gut health because of that teacher. Um, but this isn't new, and this isn't new age. I've been called new age too, which is not. I don't like hearing that.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

What does that mean exactly?

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Oh, but I put it in the woo-woo cat. I just throw it in. I'm like, that must mean I am woo-woo. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

But it is, it's to me, it's not new age at all. I like studying what other countries are doing with medicine, especially natural medicine, because there's not as much of an interaction with all these pharmaceuticals. I mean, we've all seen the commercials, but it's it's one of those things like when we can just close that divide and bring it together. And I think they're starting to. I feel like Western medicine is starting to look at some of these other alternatives, but it's not, I would say not even 50% of them do. Right. I just think we're starting to see it happening. Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Well, I mean, there's so many conditions right now that we treat in our medical system that are really preventable conditions based on the stuff that we were we were talking about.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Yes, I was just raised like a lot of them are inflammation or just low-grade chronic inflammation is bringing them about. And that goes back to your not outrunning your fork thing and the diet and and your sleep cycles. And so um, it's one of those things to if you are having a misconception about somebody in this industry, I would say first and foremost, see, are they selling you something or are they trying to change your lifestyle habits? Right. I think that's a big point I would want to get across is if you're judging somebody based on what they're doing, you know, I do the markets and I see wives walk by and they'll point at something, and the husband will do like an eye roll, like, oh gosh, she's selling like herbal teas, or you know, but if you are dealing with someone that first and foremost is just trying to sell you something, that's never a good sign because there is no one herb fixes everything or one supplement fixes everything. Um, but that is the first thing that comes to mind with people with what I do. Now, obviously, at a market, when somebody comes up to buy something and have a line and they're like, hey, I have joint pain, I can give them something that'll help with that inflammatory response. But really, I'm always like, if you go on my website, I would love to talk to you about your diet and your sleep. And that's all I can leave them with. So I'm like, well, I have a line. I can't sit here. Right, can't have the full consultation right now. There is much more I would like to say. And I always try to like slip that in there. Like, what's your sleep look like, or what's your diet look like if I have time? Yeah, I'm selling something, but once again, that's just treating the symptoms. Right. Um, so it is one of those things to just be mindful of when you're judging people in this industry is that um look at what they're offering you. Are they offering you to change your body or are they offering you like a three-step $200 system?

SPEAKER_01 12:47

Well, I think that that's what makes you different is your why behind what you're doing. You really want them to be better. You know, you really want them to feel better and find the root cause of what's causing their issue, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:59

Yeah. So and that's true. I mean, I remember um, do you remember Beach Body?

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:04

I hope they don't come after me. I feel like they're still like they probably still have lawyers, but uh, I did that for a while and I would never sell the shake. They were like, no, you have to sell these whole workout systems and the shake and have like a challenge group, and I would just do the challenge group and then go to Aldi and show them what they should be eating.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

I was so bad at that. Like I've never been good at just selling a quick fix. And that was when I was like 20.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

So was the shake called Shakeology? Is that what it was? It was, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

And I could not, I could not sell it because I looked up the ingredients and I was like, you know, they should just be eating better. Like, what are and I was so I never made money. I think I paid more money being a coach than and then I wouldn't even make them. They I guess you were supposed to try to get them to subscribe to the shake and then do this workout program. And I would just be like, just buy one and stick with it. I like the programs, but you don't have to buy a new one every couple months. Like I it was so bad. Right.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

Yeah. I think I I think I took that for a little bit. Yeah. The shakeology.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

I didn't even use it. That's the thing where I was like, I can't sell this. I'm not even I'm not even drinking it because I looked up the ingredients and I was like, no.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

No, not happening. Not happening. Yeah. I think when I was taking that, I wasn't quite I was working out really heavy, but I wasn't quite as much watching my nutrition, I don't think. In terms of the additive.

SPEAKER_02 14:22

I really liked the programs and I was working out really hard and I was lifting weights and I I did actually like the programs. That was the thing where I was like, I love these programs.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

They have good programs, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Yeah, these pre-workouts and post-workout. I wouldn't sell any of them. I was like, let's just look on what look at what you could. I'd make little videos in my kitchen, like this is what I made for lunch today for my little group. And oh, I've never been good at it. So that's the big difference is you need to actually look at the person you're working with. We're not all woo-woo.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

It's like my tagline of today's. We're not all woo-woo.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

That'd be another good thing. Yeah, absolutely. Well, was insanity one of the one of them? I tend to remember seem to remember that one as a yeah, and P90X. P90X was a was the big one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Yep. And there was like a female-based weightlifting one. I did that one. Oh, yeah. No, they were good. I like Yeah, it's one of those things. Like I've just never, never been good at the selling of the unnecessary. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Good workouts, garbage shakes. How about that? So do you they're gonna come for us? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, we'll see what kind of reach I have, I guess. So we're testing it. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

So I mean you're talking about the you know, with woo-woo and everything. Do you do people think sometimes you mention it a little bit that it's some kind of religion or has some kind of spiritual nature to it with what you do? You talk about under the moon type stuff, but people really think it's that.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

I have to watch because I have a a dear friend that actually opened my eyes to something that I never knew about. And um, her culture is from another country. And she did tell me that people that worked with herbs in her country were seen as kind of like dabbling in magic and witchcraft. And I didn't, I didn't know that. And I was looking back to a day in my kitchen where my husband was pushing one of my teas for her to try, and I felt so bad because I was like, oh no, like if she feels that way, I feel bad. We but I didn't know that some religions actually see working with herbs. And to me, I'm like, well, it's no difference than like eating a salad and cutting up beets for it. And and you know, I cut up cut up burdock root for gut health. To me, I don't see the difference, but there is for some reason this strong correlation between that kind of stuff, especially in herbalism. I don't know what it is. I guess it's the whole like witch doctor. Right. Yeah. I remember I had the guy working in our house and I was getting all my Christmas orders out, and he would kept like walking behind me and singing that witch doctor song.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Oh boy.

SPEAKER_02 16:45

I was like, I I don't understand. I don't, I don't get it because I just think there's such a long history in every culture and every country, I don't understand, but it is a thing. It is a there's a strong correlation in people's heads there. And I don't, I wish I knew where it stemmed from. Right. Maybe somebody listening is like, no, I know, I know where it's from.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

This is exactly where it came from.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

I don't know. I feel like even in ancient times and in biblical times, they used herbs. So I absolutely don't get it. I have said stuff in passing, like, hey, this herb is great for, but I had a grandma at forest school. I said, we were learning about herbs as one of our nature hikes. And I said, if you see red clover, that's great for hormonal health for any of the moms and grandmas. And this lady's like, you remind me of that witch on that TV show. And I was like, No, but yeah, I was like, what? Like in front of all the chills. So I was like, oh no, no, no, no, no, no. So I don't understand where that all, and then they do, they get grouped into the crystal and gemstone people. I'll tell you right now, I don't know anything about what crystal does what. I know nothing about charging them under the moon. I don't know, I don't know, but I get grouped in that, and so it is. It's I feel like it just looks like the rejection of science in that you are into something more magical, and that's to me just not the case. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Yeah, I don't either.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

And maybe you don't have it as much because you're not like dabbling in herbs, but I know you're holistic minded, and we've talked about people being judgmental about like avoiding certain clothing or cooking with certain things.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

I I get that I get that kind of stuff a lot because yeah, like we've talked before, super particular on clothing and cooking stuff and all the things.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

And then people, then they just think you're uptight or you're judging them, or they always think you're passionate about something that you're judging others that don't do it, which is a whole nother thing. But that's not the case either. Right. You know, you're just maybe wanting to spread awareness, but there's a difference.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Absolutely. So well, what's coming up for you? You got any events, markets, anything like that?

SPEAKER_02 18:44

Yeah, West Side Market. When is West Side Market?

SPEAKER_01 18:46

August uh second Sunday. So whatever second Sunday is.

SPEAKER_02 18:49

Yeah, and I might be doing like this is bad timing to say that, but the witches walk in Petersburg. I might be that's a bad time.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

No, that's that came out that's perfect timing.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

That's perfect. But you know, for Halloween where all the shops participate, uh, those types of events, I think I've signed up for a couple different ones are coming up. I'm still looking for a place to have more classes. People keep asking me, I need to find something closer to Springfield.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

So if anybody listening has any ideas, send them my way. And um, but other than that, yeah, I think the markets are starting to take off for me. I usually wait till fall.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

So love it. So come check you out at the West Side Market that second Sunday from two to five over in Papo's parking lot.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

You're right. It is two to five.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:32

Good job.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

I know my stuff. No, I well, I was there last time with local first. Oh, I saw that.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

I saw that. And I heard about it. Yeah, heard about the axe.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Well, remind everybody where they can come see you. If they're not going to come out to the market, where can they go? All right.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Check out your stuff. You can go to the primitive prairie.com. I have a consult link. Um, I post classes there. I just don't have any scheduled right now. Um, and I also have like an online apothecary, I call it. And you can shop things, you can request custom made teas and tinctures. And I'm on Facebook and Instagram at the Primitive Prairie.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Love it. Well, for all y'all out there, if you have any misconceptions about that holistic mindset or whatever, give Kylie a call. That's right. Check her out.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

She'll be able to tell you the real deal with all this stuff.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

So we'll appreciate it as always.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

All right, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

All right, we're gonna let Kylie get back to elevating Springfield. But for the rest of y'all, we'll be right back. Hey, Springfield, when it comes to reliable, high-quality roofing, you don't want to leave things to chance. That's why you should reach out to Acosta Angeli Roofing, your local roofing expert serving Springfield and surrounding communities. From quick, dependable repairs to full replacement, from residential to commercial, they are your trusted pros. Call them today at 217-993-2748 or visit their website to book your free quote and inspection. Don't wait. A little leak now could lead to major damage later. Trust the local experts, protect your home, and get peace of mind with Acosta Angeli Roofing. Well, thank you for joining us today, everybody. Appreciate you making us a part of your day. Hope you're enjoying these quick hits of actionable strategies here on the wellness upgrade on Elevate Springfield. Thank you again to Shudokan Karate Club. A take what you learn today. You bring the discipline and follow through it together. That's right, y'all. We're going to Elevate Springfield. Be great. Looking for expert tree care with hometown integrity? Look no further than Sangamon Tree Service. They're your trusted local pros, delivering quality workmanship, exceptional customer service, and fair, honest pricing. Every time. Whether it's trimming, removal, or storm cleanup, their team brings professionalism and care to every job, big or small. Call the name your neighbor's trust, Sangman Tree Service, or visit them today at SangamanTreeService.com. Sangamon Tree Service, rooted in quality, built on trust.