CRISTINA ROSE 0:10
Hey friends, welcome to this week’s episode of “Not Your Momma’s Podcast” and today we have the pleasure of welcoming Briana Gregory, a compounding pharmacist and a genomics consultant specializing in genomics guided wellness. She’s dedicated to simplifying and personalizing your wellness journey through her expertise in genetic testing. She helps you heal in a way that is customized for your body rather than following a cookie cutter model. Briana is the author of healed a for good, why your symptoms shouldn’t be tolerated a root cause approach to healing using nutrigenomics and dives into your her specialized of balancing female hormones and the human and the immune system restoring a healthy gut and managing inflammation. Wow, that is a lot. I love it. Did I say that correctly? The genomics?
BRIANA GREGORY 1:05
Yes, Okay. General genomics.
CRISTINA ROSE 1:08
Okay. All right. I had a feeling I said it incorrectly. But I love what we’re going to talk about here. I love that we’re going to talk about our immune system, restoring gut health and managing inflammation. It’s going to be exciting topic. So first and foremost, what is Nutrigenetics testing? And why is it potentially beneficial using this testing to help guide our wellness journeys?
BRIANA GREGORY 1:31
Well, thanks, Christina, for having me on. It’s a pleasure to be here with you. And I’m so excited to talk about something I’m obviously super passionate about, which is nutrigenomics testing, and really how that relates to the overall wellness of the body. So nutrigenomics testing is actually exactly like it sounds. It’s totally a mouthful. But if we break it down its nutrient is nutrition, right? And genomics is just another way for saying genetics or DNA. So essentially, what we’re looking at is how the nutrition whether that nutrition is coming from foods or from supplementation, like vitamins and minerals that how does that affect us our overall health? And what role do our genes really play in that because there is an undeniable connection between the two. And so genomics testing isn’t just something for just trying to optimize health, it really actually dives into the root cause of disease. And so that’s oftentimes why people come to me in the first place is because they’re not feeling well. But it’s also for the person that’s looking to optimize their wellness and their energy and everything in between. And I’m so glad we’re talking about this. And I sincerely appreciate you having me on. Because the reason why it’s so hard to pronounce is because no one’s really heard of it. Right? Yeah. Or at least it’s not a commonly talked about thing right now. And so that’s why I’m glad you’re helping me open up the conversation around it. Certainly nothing new, a lot of people have heard of genetic testing in the form of ancestry testing, right, ancestry.com 23andme, which some of those types of tests will either use a cheek swab or a saliva sample to collect the DNA. For me, what I do is a cheek swab. So it’s very simple collection. Really, yeah, and one of the beauties of these type of tests is you actually only have to do it once because we’re interested in the baseline. So I don’t look at ancestry, I’m looking at how we can use the information that sits on the inside of our DNA to help structure wellness plan for longevity is something that we can stick with forever. Yeah, so actually a very simple process, it just requires the DNA swab my evaluation of the results and then creating a wellness plan with you as the patient, you know, after having a good understanding of what you’re trying to establish and accomplish, again, to create a wellness plan going forward. So it’s very interesting. When we look into the genome, we look into the genes, the information in the DNA, how it truly impacts the way that we metabolize foods or supplements, the way that we react to the environment. Right. Jim and I were talking before we hopped on here about the importance of our environment. Yeah, I mean, everything is a skid internally, and then it shows outwardly like a symptom, right?
CRISTINA ROSE 4:26
Well our bodies in our insights can’t communicate to us. So they show us in other ways by making us like a rash or not feeling well or things like that. So it’s our way of our body communicating and it’s important that we listen to those signs and signals parents you need the addicted Child A Parent’s Guide to adolescent substance abuse by Richard Capriola, it’s a must have for understanding teen substance use and learning the warning signs every parent should know the addicted child a parent Let’s guide to adolescent substance abuse by Richard cabriolet. And here’s the kicker, Richard spills the beans on explaining substance used by today’s adolescents and how drugs work in the teen brain. He’s even included important warning signs for self harm, and eating disorders and how to find the right help for your team. And the best part is, you’re getting all of these mind blowing insights without breaking the bank. If you’re a parent, or know someone who is this book is going to be your secret weapon, Kindle or paperback, grab your copy on Amazon, or go to help the addicted child.com The sites in this book are pure gold, and spread the word, share the lab and let’s empower ourselves with knowledge. Catching inflammation is extremely important. I think inflammation is the cause of pretty much all disease. You know, that’s where it starts. And then it just gets irritated and irritated. And I like how you personalize the plan for that specific individual, not just looking back at the ancestry stuff, but like really what’s going on like with you specifically because you know, it’s your genetics, it’s your body, and it’s what’s happening with you. So who would be like a good candidate for this type of testing?
BRIANA GREGORY 6:17
Well, anyone with DNA is definitely a good
CRISTINA ROSE 6:21
Read that up for you right there.
BRIANA GREGORY 6:25
He really did it. But truly the people that really end up I think finding the most benefit from it are those that really suffer from a lot of inflammation. And they know that part, but they can’t get to the root cause of what’s going on. So a lot of the people that I work with are people that show up because they’ve hit a wall and their weight loss, they’ve hit a wall with their mood, or their thyroid function, or, frankly, they’re sick and tired of being over medicated. And they’re looking for an option that doesn’t actually cover up the symptoms. You know, I mean, I was I was a patient before I was a pharmacist, and I was one of those people that was bounced around the medical system, and I didn’t like it. And I still don’t like it. And I still don’t like that for my patients. So I truly believe that everybody deserves better than that, that they deserve to be listened to, because like you just said our body wants to be listened to. And when it doesn’t feel like it is it manifests in the form of a symptom, you know, whether that’s a rash, or a tummy ache or something like that. So anyone who would be a good candidate for nutrigenomics testing is someone who’s really trying to get to the root cause of what’s going on, and they haven’t received an answer through Chilean medicine or they’ve kind of yo yoed with their treatment plan, you know, gained weight, lost weight use the medication had to get another medication because of the side effects. So the first medication, we want to streamline things in a way that makes sense. It’s tailored and personalized to the body. Because treatment approaches or wellness approaches do not get more personalized and looking at the DNA it is exactly what makes us.
CRISTINA ROSE 8:06
We are Yeah. And so I kind of want to dive into your book, you know, can you tell us the reason why you started writing this new book healed for good?
BRIANA GREGORY 8:20
Yeah, so as I mentioned, I was a patient before I was a pharmacist. And now as a pharmacist, with a lot of patients, I see people that are that are truly discontented with the current medical system. And they might not even really know why, except for that they know that they’re not getting the treatment, attention and the time to be listened to, that they deserve. And, you know, that sits really hard with me because I think as a medical professional, as someone who spent a lot of time and a lot of money receiving my education, my degree, you know, and what I hope leads to people, people looking at me and respecting me for what I’m doing. Yeah, our medical system just isn’t doing justice for our patients. And I don’t like that.
CRISTINA ROSE 9:08
Insurance companies
BRIANA GREGORY 9:11
This conventional structure is so broken, and I’m trying to chip away at unbreaking that system by restoring trust in humanity, but within my patients as well. And the way I feel like I can do that is through education and empowerment. So the really the birth behind this book healed for Good is exactly like the title sounds is helping people understand that you indeed can be healed, and you can feel good. It doesn’t need to be temporary. You don’t need to be tolerating your symptoms anymore. You don’t have to be stuck inside of a shell of a body without answers of why you feel that way. Because there are people out there that will help you find those answers. You know so many times we we walk into work just kind of aimlessly asking Oh How are you today? How was you? Morning, fine, fine, how are you? I’m fine. But are we really fine? And if you sit down and you really have an intentional conversation with a lot of people, they’ll tell you they’re not doing fine. Yeah. And that’s okay. Yeah, you have to want to be able to get out of it and find people who can help you guide your way out of your symptoms, if you’re really feeling that badly. So I go into the explanation of really, how I start with lab results, because I think that’s the core of how we, how we give precedence to diagnoses. You know, we do a lot of labeling in the medical system of this person has cancer, this person has diabetes, this person has depression, right? I mean, once you’ve locked someone into a diagnosis, it’s almost hard for them to wiggle their way out of that. So we need to understand how how lab values, for example, are set. I mean, when someone says, Well, you know, all your labs are normal. So I really can’t help you why you’re having these menopausal symptoms or depression, I mean, really, we can be doing better than that. Yeah. So explain how that set up, how we really should be looking at patients based on their symptom profile, not just lab results, I talk about what nutrigenomics is, because I want people to understand this as a testing that is available to them, it’s not hard to attain for one, and really the change that it can make in their wellness. Because when you start to look inside and understand your body for what it is, you can make more informed decisions about your health, more intentional decisions. So that translates to being more intentional with your choices, being more intentional, with your time being more intentional with your money. And lastly, you know, I think it’s really important that if someone doesn’t want the help, then that’s fine. But if someone does want to help, what really breaks my heart is when they want it, and they don’t know where to find it. So I provide resources at the end of the book of where you can find, you know, physicians that are like minded that will sit and listen and help that aren’t going to over medicate. And then of course, I go into my own testing, which is the nutrigenomics testing, where I, you know, inter refer between those types of physicians, so that you as the patient feels like this is really a triad between the pharmacist, the provider and the patient, because truly, truly back in the day, that’s how medicine was set up and intended to be.
CRISTINA ROSE 12:25
Yeah, no, I love that it’s individualized because what works for one person isn’t going to work for someone else, you know. And that’s why I really love this customizable plan. And then like you’re just like a one stop shop for resources of things that people need to help get out of there, whatever it is that they’re dealing with. I love that
Brianna, it is time for the “Power Mom Chronicles” and I cannot wait to find out what your answers are.
And my first one is what’s a game changing lesson life has taught you
BRIANA GREGORY 13:01
You know, the importance of resilience is huge. I feel like and I mean really it ties back to our health right? how resilient is our body? How easy to is it for us to bounce back from adversity or from tough situations. So, so really having the baseline for resilience built in us is huge for navigating life and all the curveballs it’s going to throw us
CRISTINA ROSE 13:26
Well yeah, and you know, going down paths, we’re gonna have hiccups and mistakes, you know, we got to overcome those. Otherwise, you just end the journey and give up on yourself. So I like that the resilience and reflecting on your journey, what practical lessons or insights can our listeners apply to improve their own lives besides having strength and resilience?
BRIANA GREGORY 13:49
Well, I found it’s really important to get intentional about your wellness, I’ve personally had to do that, in my journey. And the emotions in the health play together, it’s important to get intentional about both. When we get intentional about our personal health. It’s the best form of self love that there is. And it really impacts the way that we not only show up for ourselves, but for our families as well, you know, energetically wise, emotionally and all of the above.
CRISTINA ROSE 14:16
Yeah, health is wealth. We forget about that. You know, it’s more than just currency. It’s like, our physical bodies being able to move like even when you just like, like your thumb hurts if you feel like you can’t do anything, you know what I mean? Like you cut your thumb your thumbs out of it’s like, God, everything’s off. I can’t grab things. I can’t do stuff, you know, and it’s like imagine bigger problems. You know, you want to be able to move and be there for your children, your family and even for yourself. So, I like that. And my third question to you is offer a piece of wisdom for moms or anyone really trying to strive to find their strength and voice.
BRIANA GREGORY 14:53
Prioritize you, stand is difficult, but what message do you really want to share with For your children, certainly you want them to embrace the importance of prioritization, again, self love and how that impacts the people around them and the way that they receive love. And I understand I that’s one of the hardest things for people to do. And if we don’t intentionally prioritize us, then we really don’t show up fully for others,
CRISTINA ROSE 15:18
and the best advice you’ve ever received.
BRIANA GREGORY 15:23
Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It does not show weakness in my opinion, it truly shows strength.
CRISTINA ROSE 15:31
Awesome. Well, Brianna, thank you for coming on this week’s episode of “Not Your Momma’s Podcast”. It was such an honor to have you on all of her links are down below in the show notes. Don’t be shy. Go say hi. Check out her new book healed for good and I hope to see you all in the next one. Thanks for listening.
BRIANA GREGORY 15:48
Thanks, Christina.