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Functionally Enlightened Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Hello and welcome to the Functionally Enlightened podcast with Dr. Sharon Surita. We interview well-respected medical and functional practitioners as well as patients who have overcome disabling chronic conditions, such as dysautonomia, and reclaimed their health. These enlightened guests provide helpful tips on managing chronic pain and illnesses, using a combination of traditional and whole-body healing modalities. If you are interested in natural healing, you're in the right place.
Miguel Bautista
11/14/24
After a 4.5-year battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Miguel reclaimed his health through neuroplasticity, brain retraining, and holistic approaches. Now, he shares his inspiring journey and practical recovery strategies on his CFS Recovery YouTube channel, helping others find hope and healing.
Shruti Seti
10/31/2024
Shruti Sethi is a passionate advocate for holistic health and cancer recovery. As a certified nutritionist, cancer coach, and yoga therapy expert, Shruti empowers individuals to take control of their health and embark on a journey of healing. Her book, "The Healing Power Within," offers insights and practical guidance for those facing cancer or chronic illness.
10/31/24 Podcast
Heather Gray
10/17/2024
Heather's journey began at a young age, struggling with constipation and undiagnosed celiac disease. These early health challenges led to a series of misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments. After multiple suicide attempts and years of chronic illness, Heather discovered Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) and embarked on a path to healing.
10/17/24 Podcast
Deanna Hansen
10/3/2024
Deanna is a pioneer in the field of fascia decompression, with over two decades of clinical experience. Her unique techniques, like Fluid Isometrics™ and Block Therapy™, have helped countless people alleviate chronic pain, enhance physical function, and even slow down the aging process.
10/3/24 Podcast
Kevin Ellis
9/19/2024
Build Stronger Bones Naturally: An Interview with The Bone Coach. In this episode of Functionally Enlightened, we talk with Kevin Ellis, the founder of Bone Coach, about how to build stronger bones and prevent osteoporosis. Kevin is a health coach, podcaster, and author who has helped thousands of people improve their bone health.
Dr. Jessica Drummond
9/5/2024
Dr. Jessica Drummond, DCN, CNS, PT, NBC-HWC, a leading expert in women's health, discusses the root causes of chronic health issues and offers a comprehensive, integrative approach to healing. Dr. Drummond offers a hopeful and empowering message for those seeking to reclaim their health.
Dr. Jamie Kunkle
8/22/2024
Dr. Jamie Kunkle, a leading expert in chronic illness, shares his insights on the root causes of complex conditions and effective healing strategies. Dr. Kunkle offers a compassionate and informative perspective on healing from chronic illness.
8/22/24 Podcast https://gordonmedical.com/jamie-kunkle-nd/
Dr. Diana Driscoll
8/8/2024
Dr. Diana Driscoll, who’s a renowned optometrist, author, and researcher, who turned personal suffering into groundbreaking medical advancements. After contracting a virus in 2004, Dr. Driscoll developed POTS and a myriad of debilitating symptoms. Despite seeing over 50 physicians, she found no answers like so many of us in the chronic illness community.
https://drdianadriscoll.com/ https://fdntraining.com//sharonsurita
Chis Terzakos
7/11//2024
Chris Terzakos is an entrepreneur, self-healing coach, and the author of three books; Hernia Without Surgery, Natural Testosterone After 60 and Belonging to Yourself. He has been an active athlete for most of his life. Chris’ passion for health and fitness started early in life. From adolescence into adulthood, he faced many ongoing ups and downs and adversities, he often wondered why it had to be this way.
Marilyn Shannon
6/27/2024
Marilyn's bestselling book series, "In Just One Afternoon - Listening into the hearts of..." goes into the experiences of diverse individuals of men, twins, millennials and to those impacted by opioid addiction and beyond. Through these stories, she aims to shed light on the human experience and inspire compassion and understanding.
Reed Davis
6/13/2024
Reed is a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Certified Nutritional Therapist, renowned for his expertise in functional lab testing and holistic lifestyle medicine. Reed is the Founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) and has trained over 4,000 graduates worldwide. He's also the co-author of "The Gap: Simple Steps to Reclaim Your Health and Reverse Most Chronic Diseases."
Dr. Adrienne Youdim
5/30/2024
Dr. Adrienne Youdim is a physician, author, and TEDx speaker who empowers people to take charge of their health through science-backed mind-body techniques. Board-certified in internal medicine, nutrition, and obesity medicine, Dr. Youdim goes beyond the scale to address the emotional and spiritual aspects of weight loss in her book, Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out.
Therese “Tee” Forton-Barnes
5/16/2024
Tee is a Detox Your Home Guru and Health Coach at The Green Living Gurus. She grew up in a very healthy home in the 60’s and 70’s, went to college to open a health food store, and has been helping people for over 40 years keep toxicants out of their homes. She spreads awareness of chemicals in everyday products that could cause many autoimmune illnesses, cancer, and other health issues.
www.instagram.com/greenlivinggurus/
Dr. Véronique Desaulniers
5/2/2024
Founder of Breast Cancer Conqueror® and the 7 Essentials System®, Dr. V's unique approach has empowered countless women in over 63 countries. Her mission is crystal clear: "save lives, one breast at a time." This passion comes from a deeply personal place. Dr. V is a two-time breast cancer survivor, giving her an unmatched empathy for women on their own healing journeys.
5/2/2024 Podcast
Josettee Tkacik
4/18/2024
Josette Tkacik is a professional dancer with an illustrious career that includes stints at Juilliard, the Joffrey New York, Alvin Ailey, and the Metropolitan Ballet of St. Louis. In 2011, Josette faced a sudden and severe diagnosis of advanced rheumatoid arthritis Despite being told there was no cure and only palliative options available, Josette embarked on her own healing journey.
Jodi Scott
3/21/2024
Jodi Scott is the CEO and Founder of Green Goo. With over two decades of experience and armed with a Master's degree in Health Psychology, Jodi specializes in Psychoneuroimmunology, exploring the powerful connection between the mind, body, and the healing potential of medicinal plants.
Dr. Shirin Towfigh
3/07/2024
Dr. Shirin Towfigh is a general surgeon with specialty in hernia surgery. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery and the European Board of Surgery. She has been treating patients with hernia related issues for over 20 years, with special interest in treating women’s hernias, occult inguinal hernias, and chronic pain related to prior hernia operations.
IG: @herniadoc
Carly Faye Loewenthal, FDNP
2/22/2024
Carly Faye Loewenthal is a master level NLP certified Life Coach, and a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner. Carly runs a brain-based, trauma informed business where she takes her clients on a transformational journey to reclaim the personal power hidden in their layers of symptoms to unlock a future of endless possibilities as they level-up on the other side.
2/22/2024 Podcast
IG: @carlyinfocus
Claudia Guevara-Oliviera
2/08/2024
Claudia is a first-generation graduate and faith-driven servant leader who firmly believes that there is so much strength in vulnerability. She holds a masters degrees in higher ed counseling and has dedicated her career to paying it forward by empowering other first-gens. Through life's greatest challenges, Claudia has turned to prayer and community as a form of healing.
IG: @andimfeelingood
Personal handle @0h_claudia
Mary Ruddick, CNC
1/25/2024
Dubbed the "Sherlock Holmes of Health" for her unique ability to expeditiously assess and remediate rare neuromuscular conditions that others have deemed impossible, Mary Ruddick is an ancestral nutritionist and experiential anthropologist who specializes in neuromuscular disorders, infertility, and disabling chronic disease.
Evan Transue & Sharon Surita
1/12/2024
Evan was as clueless as many about “mesh implant illness” - a term unheard of until now. But everything changed when Dr. Sharon Surita joined our latest episode, unveiling her own harrowing journey with mesh implant illness.
The live stream comments exploded with stories from people affected by mesh implants, commonly used in hernia surgeries and other medical procedures. The impact? From mildly bothersome to severely life-altering.
1/12/2024 Podcast
Dr. Niekema Hudson
12/28/2023
Dr. Niekema is a dedicated School Psychologist and licensed independent private evaluator, bringing a wealth of experience to the table. With state certifications in Florida and Illinois and district-level administrative certification for Educational Leadership, she offers unique insights into educational challenges.
Sharon Surita
12/14/2023
Dr. Sharon Surita is a Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and triumphant chronic illness warrior. Her passion for holistic well-being is shaped by her personal four-year journey to overcome challenges with dysautonomia and complications from a hernia mesh implant. In this episode, she discusses the powerful diagnostic screening which serves as a blueprint for improving gut health and optimizing well-being. 🧬
https://FunctionallyEnlightened.com
Rita Curley
11/30/2023
Rita Curley is a warrior who has faced the challenges of Dysautonomia, PCOS, and MCAS with remarkable resilience. She's not just a survivor but a compassionate advocate and consultant for those with IDD, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and police officer wellness. Rita is also a devoted mother to a young daughter with non-verbal Autism.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-curley
Email: ritamcurley@gmail.com
Divya Dhawan, FDNP
11/16/2023
Divya is a national board certified Functional and Holistic Health coach, mother of 2 grown up and smart kids, pet mom and a wife. Her inspiration for following the holistic path is her mom, who has chronic RA and grandmom who is her holistic healing goddess who always had a holistic remedy for everything, and it always worked.
Bethany & Hannah Keime
11/02/2023
The incredible Keime Sisters are both survivors of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). These brave women share their journey with us, from early symptoms to diagnosis, treatments, and the emotional impact of living with an invisible disability. The sisters dive into specifics of HCM, medications like beta-blockers, and what it's like to have a defibrillator implanted.
Matt Kelly
10/25/2023
Matt Kelly, a dedicated Detoxification Specialist and Functional Health Practitioner. Matt's journey into the realm of functional health and detoxification was not just a career choice; it was a response to an immensely challenging situation within his own family. At the heart of his story is the severe health condition of his son.
Kelle Logan
10/04/2023
Kelle Logan, MS, APRN, CRNA is a highly experienced healthcare professional with two decades in nursing, specializing in critical care and anesthesia. She's the owner of Novel Mind and Wellness Center, where she's bridging the worlds of anesthesia and mental health for patient care.
Melissa Forehand Vanderlinde
09/06/2023
Melissa is a Tallahassee native. She went the Core Institute to get her massage license in 2000. She then went on to get a Bachelors degree in Dietetics from Florida State University in 2004. In that same year, she started studying CST at the Upledger Institute and she is now a teaching assistant for the Institute.
Jessica Guerra
08/23/2023
Jessica Guerra shares with us her journey of true healing through a spiritual connection and rediscovery of herself. She explains how the symptoms came on abruptly and no doctor's could offer help. Listen to the full episode to hear how she overcame this disabling condition and where she chooses to focus her energy and attention now.
IG: Black_widow_c2
Dr. Michelle Weeks
08/09/2023
Dr. Michelle Weeks is the founder of Weeks Wellness. She initially began her career in orthopedics focused on treating musculoskeletal and chronic pain conditions, but developed a strong interest in pelvic health, postpartum, and pregnancy physical therapy. She believes in a whole-body treatment approach and is passionate about helping people reach their optimal level of function.
Dillon Welliver, LCMC
07/26/2023
Dillon Welliver is a seasoned psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience, who possesses a natural gift for offering solace to individuals. He has the ability to directly navigate to the core of pain in a gentle and supportive manner. His methods align with that of functional health, as he takes an individualized approach to counseling allowing the direction to flow organically in order to uncover the hidden culprits.
Sharon Surita, PhD, FDNP
07/12/2023
Dr. Sharon Surita speaks on her own chronic illness healing journey including what caused autonomic nervous system dysfunction in her particular case. She discusses the cycle of trial and error she was caught in and how functional diagnostic nutrition has helped her overcome many disabling symptoms associated with dysautonomia following a hernia repair surgery with mesh.
Sharon Surita, PhD, FDNP
06/28/2023
Dr. Sharon Surita speaks on the importance of bioindividual dietary mapping that can customized by taking a close look at metabolic typing along with food sensitivity analysis. Macronutrient ratios need to be balanced for each individual based on their dominant metabolic type and potential inflammatory foods need to be temporarily removed from the diet for a minimum of 90 days.
Lonnie Herman, DC
06/14/2023
Dr. Herman’s life mission is restoring hope to people who were told there was no hope, by using a very precise, scientifically based method to uncover the root cause of any disease, and rapidly eradicate that cause through personalized protocols that are uniquely designed for every person.
Thousands of his patients suffering from debilitating and chronic illnesses have fully recovered their optimal health.
Mikel Hofman, MD
5/31/2023
Dr. Hofmann has worked in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 2009, though her roots are laid in Albany, GA. She received her B.S. and M.D. from The Florida State University and completed her residency training at the Georgetown University - Providence Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in 2012. She is board certified Family Physician with interests in adult & pediatric care, women's health, and continuity care.
Matthew Zaideman, DC
05/17/2023
Dr. Zaideman, owner of North Florida Spine and Wellness in Tallahassee utilizes a multifaceted approach including chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue mobilization, neuromuscular reeducation, orthotics, designed clinical nutrition, and rehabilitation exercises. He also has special interest in treating Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and other childhood developmental disorders with cutting edge, drugless functional neurological rehabilitation
Joy Smith, PT
5/3/2023
Joy Smith is a Physical Therapist, based in Tallahassee FL who is dedicated to serving kids, teens and adults with scoliosis, posture issues, muscle & joint pain. She has been a physical therapist for over 26 years, and is licensed in both Florida and Georgia.
Some clients refer to her as “Magic Joy” because of her extensive knowledge and experience and genuine desire to help others heal.
Sonia Surita
4/19/2023
Sonia Surita has drastically improved her quality of life, as she has learned to manage her multiple diagnoses. Sonia was first diagnosed with systemic lupus 20 years ago, and fibromyalgia 10 years ago. She also battles type 2 diabetes and leukopenia. Sonia is a mother of 2 teenage girls, who has been married almost 17 years. She has a small business baking and can accommodate most dietary needs while creating beautiful desserts.
Charmaine Thane, Chronic Illness Warrior
04/5/2023
Charmaine Thane, is a fellow chronic illness warrior and meditation teacher. Like me, she is a hernia mesh survivor and has worked on raising awareness about the negative impacts of surgical approaches using hernia mesh. In 2021, after she suffered a heart event, and redirected her attention to the heart care world. Her focus on alternative or natural therapies has led her down many paths and has led her deeply into meditation.
Isaac Montilla, DC
3/22/2023
Dr. Montilla is a licensed chiropractor and owner of Verity Health Center in Tallahassee, Florida. Rather than focusing on the treatment of symptoms and pain alone, he works hard to correct the cause by working one on one with patients in developing customized plans that restore proper nerve flow and education on nutrition, exercise, and detoxification.
Randee Engelhard, MPT, PAS, AET
3/8/2023
Randee is a licensed physical therapist, certified posture alignment specialist, as well as a NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique) practitioner based in Weston, Florida. She has been practicing as a therapist for over 20 years and has progressed to using even more holistic techniques to help her patients. In this podcast, she discusses some of the treatment modalities she uses in her practice for chronic pain and proper alignment. 3/8/23 Podcast
Dr. Sharon Surita is not a medical professional. As a wellness coach, she is not providing healthcare, medical, or nutritional therapy services or attempting to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any physical, mental, or emotional issue. The information provided by either the host or guests, in these podcasts is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. Always seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before undertaking a new health regimen. Do not disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical advice because of information you heard in this podcast. Do not start or stop any medications without speaking to your medical or mental health provider.