Own Your Glow: Ditch the Sick-Care System and Heal Like the Hormonal Goddess You Are

Take care of yourself

Created by Christopher Caffrey, ACNP, PMHNP

April 21st 2025

We are doing something wrong: the US spends trillions of dollars a year on healthcare (more than any other country in the world); yet we are not all super human and living into our 100's...No, we have one of the sickest populations in the world per capita. Other than surgery, emergency medicine and antibiotics when we need them, western medicine is failing us.

Western medicine is kind of like that emotionally unavailable ex. It shows up late, doesn't listen, throws pills at your problems, and ghosted you when you said you wanted to heal, not just numb out.

You cough? Here’s an antibiotic.You’re anxious? Take this pill and pretend your cortisol isn’t throwing keg parties in your bloodstream.

You have period pain? Try not being dramatic.

If you've ever left a doctor’s office with a prescription but no answers, welcome to the club. 

This isn’t meant to be medical advice—just me sharing what I’m passionate about in hopes it opens up some new options or ideas for you. Doses should be individualized with the oversight of a doctor or medical practitioner.

The Problem with Sick-Care

Western medicine isn’t bad, per se. If you break a leg or have a sudden urge to remove your appendix, it's fantastic. But when it comes to the slow, creeping, soul-sucking stuff—like fatigue, hormone chaos, brain fog, chronic bloat, mood swings that rival a telenovela—you're often met with a shrug and a script.'

The real issue? The system is reactive. It waits until you’re broken, then tries to duct-tape you back together.

What if you’d rather not fall apart in the first place?

What if, and I know this is wild, you’d like to feel good every day?

Enter: functional medicine, nature, movement, and a sprinkle of "hell yes" energy. Chinese medicine infused with western medicine with a creative individual plan.

Proactive lifestyle medicine prevents the need for western medicine.

The Holistic Hack: Be Proactive, Not Just Reactive

Functional medicine is like the best girlfriend ever. She listens. She asks deep questions. She helps you understand why your gut feels like it’s hosting a rave, or why your hormones act like it’s always a full moon.

She says things like:

• Let’s balance your blood sugar before your body files for metabolic divorce.

• Let’s fix your sleep so your brain doesn’t feel like mashed potatoes.

• Let’s treat your root causes, not just your symptoms.

  
  

Functional medicine doesn't wait for your labs to be “bad enough” to finally intervene. It sees the red flags early—like your friend who calls out the walking-red-flag man you keep texting—and actually does something about it.

Common Ailments & Holistic Interventions That Actually Work

🧠 Anxiety, Overwhelm & That Constant Fight-or-Flight Feeling

Let’s be real, it’s not you. It’s your nervous system.We're not meant to live on caffeine, chaos, and cortisol.

Consider this:

• Magnesium Glycinate or L-Threonate: Like a weighted blanket for your nervous system. Also helps with headaches and optimizes the 5 stages of sleep.

• L-Theanine: Found in green tea, helps you chill without feeling drugged.

• Ashwagandha: Adaptogen queen. Lowers cortisol and makes you less likely to scream into your pillow.

• Deep Breathing, Yoga, Forest Walks: Yes, you need to exhale, babe. And put your bare feet in the grass for grounding. It sucks the anxiety and bad feels right out of you.

💩 Bloating, Gas, IBS & the Gut That Hates You

Your gut isn’t mad. It’s just been neglected and force-fed protein bars and ibuprofen.

Consider this:

• Digestive Enzymes: Like hiring a tiny team of food-processing experts. AG1 has digestive enzymes.

• Probiotics (multi-strain): Good bacteria for your gut rave. Florassist balance is great.

• L-Glutamine: Heals your gut lining. Think of it as grout for your intestinal walls.

• Elimination Diet: Just a few weeks to figure out what’s making your gut act like a toddler in Target. Eliminate gluten, dairy and ultra processed foods to feel like a super human.

  
  

Also, smell and chew your food. Like actually chew it. Your stomach isn’t a woodchipper.

🧘‍♀️ Fatigue That Sleep Won’t Fix

If you wake up tired, crash at 3 p.m., and need a nap to exist, something’s off.

Consider this:

• B-Complex Vitamins: Fuel for your mitochondria (aka your body’s battery pack).

• CoQ10: Helps make energy at a cellular level. Kind of like giving your cells espresso. Likely necessary if on a statin medication.

• Iron & Ferritin Check: Low iron is sneaky and makes you feel like a sloth with depression. If your ferritin is under 50, consider an iron supplement Monday, Wed, Fri.

• Adrenal Support (Rhodiola, Ashwagandha): If burnout had a cure, this would be close.

  
  

Oh, and turn off your phone at night. Blue light at 11 PM is the health equivalent of texting your ex. Just don’t.

🩸 Hormone Hell: PMS, Acne, Mood Swings, Irregular Cycles

Western medicine: “Birth control.”Functional medicine: “Let’s regulate your hormones without flattening them like a pancake.”

Consider this:

• Seed Cycling: Flax and pumpkin in the follicular phase, sesame and sunflower in the luteal. Mother Nature’s biohack. Seriously...yes!

• Vitex (Chasteberry): Helps normalize cycles and reduce PMS mood swings. No more pre-period meltdowns in Target.

• DIM + Calcium D-Glucarate: Helps detox estrogen like a boss.

• Cycle Syncing Workouts: Lift heavy when your hormones are lit, and chill during the luteal phase. Stop fighting your body, start working with it.

🧠 Brain Fog, Mood Crashes, and Mental Static

You’re not lazy or dumb. You’re probably inflamed, depleted, or both.

Consider this:

• Omega-3s (EPA/DHA): Anti-inflammatory brain food and so much more! See our Omega 3 blog.

• Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Literally regrows brain pathways. Wizardry, but real. Mushroom coffee is a great hack to decrease caffeine; a driver of anxiety.

• Vitamin D + K2: Because you haven’t seen the sun since October and mostly everyone is not optimized (Optimized is a D3 blood level over 50).

• Bacopa Monnieri & Ginkgo: For memory, clarity, and fewer "What was I doing?" moments. Also consider a b complex vitamin to get the entourage of all the B's working like a team.

Move Your Butt, Heal Your Soul

Exercise isn’t punishment. It’s a celebration. And if you're not vibing with burpees, guess what? You don't have to.

Try These Instead:

• Dance Classes: Cardio with sass. Take dance with your partner to wave off depression and anxiety.

• Reformer Pilates: Core strength without the crunches.

• Outdoor Yoga: Breathe, stretch, and maybe hug a tree afterward.

• Hiking: Free therapy + glutes. Add a backpack 12-15lbs for a better butt.

  
  

Moving your body moves your emotions. Get your lymph flowing and your serotonin glowing.

Nature Is Your Bestie

Go outside. Touch the Earth. Walk barefoot. Hug a damn tree.Nature regulates your nervous system. No joke.Even 20 minutes in the sun helps rebalance your circadian rhythm, reduces anxiety, and gives your immune system a pep talk.

And Now… Let’s Talk About Money

Here’s where things get spicy. All this wellness-y, crunchy, functional health stuff? It can be affordable. Especially if you use your FSA or HSA (Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account) to pay for it. Average savings is 30%! So that personal trainer for $1,200/year? becomes $840! That $5,000 mattress? becomes $3,500! Etc, etc...

BUT—you need a little thing called a Letter of Medical Necessity to unlock that sacred tax-free treasure chest.

That’s where Flexup Wellness comes in.

We write those letters for you—legit, provider-signed, personalized—to help you cover:

• Supplements

• Fitness classes

• Personal trainers

• Massage therapy

• Therapeutic mattresses (because sleep is medicine too)

• Gym memberships

• And so much more

  
  

We believe holistic care isn’t “alternative.” It’s just smart. You shouldn't have to choose between caring for your body and saving money.

You don’t need to wait until you're falling apart to start healing.

You don’t need another doctor telling you “everything looks normal” while you cry in your car.

You need tools, support, and a way to afford it all without selling a kidney.

That’s where Flexup Wellness steps in. They also offer a 30% discount to every client for the meditation app "The Way." AND everyone gets personal access to a full online supplement store, Fullscript, with 15% off! With the letter of medical necessity, get an additional average of 30% off the supplements you use.

So go ahead—drink your adaptogen smoothie, take that yoga class, and book the massage. Just make sure you get your Letter of Medical Necessity first so you can use your FSA/HSA

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Take care of yourself—mindfully, naturally, and with a tax break. Because health is wealth, and you deserve both.