The Health Detective Podcast by Functional Diagnostic Nutrition

Reed Davis

We bring you interviews from people who have conquered the trickiest of health challenges using the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Philosophy and similar healing modalities. You’ll hear from experts who have been through the wringer with their health issues, and yet managed to come out on the other side. If you are interested in natural healing and/or functional medicine, this is the podcast for you! Visit https://www.fdntraining.com/resources to learn more about the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition program.

  1. 10h ago

    How to Get Clients as a Health Coach Without Feeling Salesy | Mike Millner

    How do you get clients as a health coach without constantly posting on social media, sending cold DMs, or feeling like a pushy salesperson? If you're a health coach, nutrition coach, or Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) practitioner struggling to attract clients, market your services, or grow your coaching business, this episode of the Health Detective Podcast is for you. Michele Scarlet, FDNP, CPT, sits down with nutrition coach and business mentor Mike Millner to explore how to build trust, find coaching clients, and grow a sustainable health coaching business without complicated marketing strategies or high-pressure sales tactics. Mike shares how his personal transformation, from gaining 80 pounds and struggling with restrictive dieting, yo-yo weight loss, and body image to building a nutrition coaching business, taught him the power of storytelling, vulnerability, and genuine human connection. Together, Michele and Mike explore: How to get your first health coaching clients with a small audience or no email list How to market your health coaching business without posting on social media every day Why storytelling and vulnerability help attract clients and build trust How live workshops can turn interested prospects into paying coaching clients How to sell health coaching services without feeling uncomfortable or salesy Why AI-generated content and misinformation are contributing to a "trust recession" How to use client conversations to create better marketing content How to promote workshops through paid advertising and personal outreach What to do when workshop attendance or conversions are lower than expected Why tracking business metrics can help you improve without getting discouraged Mike also shares his biggest workshop mistake, realistic expectations for new health coaches, and why personal connection may be your greatest competitive advantage in an increasingly AI-driven world. Whether you're just starting your health coaching business, working toward your first five clients, or looking for a better way to grow an established functional health practice, this conversation offers practical strategies you can start using right away. 🎧 EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Why Building Trust Matters for Health Coaches 00:37 Meet Mike Millner: Nutrition Coach and Business Mentor 01:07 From Yo-Yo Dieting to Becoming a Health Coach 08:06 How Storytelling Helps Health Coaches Attract Clients 10:44 Why Marketing and Sales Feel So Hard for Health Coaches 14:29 How to Get Health Coaching Clients With Live Workshops 17:09 The Trust Recession: AI, Misinformation and Health Coaching 21:40 How to Sell Health Coaching Without Feeling Salesy 25:34 How Client Questions Can Improve Your Marketing 29:28 How to Get Your First Health Coaching Clients With No Audience 36:34 How to Promote a Workshop With Paid Ads and Personal Outreach 40:04 Mike's Biggest Workshop Mistake and Lessons Learned 43:28 The Best Way for New Health Coaches to Build Trust 46:20 Connect With Mike Millner and Final Takeaways CONNECT WITH MIKE MILLNER Instagram: @coach_mike_millner MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift ABOUT THE HEALTH DETECTIVE PODCAST The Health Detective Podcast explores functional health, root-cause investigation, functional lab testing, and the science and business of becoming a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner. Hosted by Michele Scarlet, FDNP, CPT, the podcast features conversations with health experts, practitioners, and entrepreneurs who are challenging conventional approaches to health and helping people ask better questions. Subscribe to the Health Detective Podcast for more conversations about functional health, practitioner education, and building a successful health coaching practice. DISCLAIMER This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Individual health and business results vary. Always work within your professional scope of practice.

  2. Oct 1

    From Skin Cancer to Root Cause Healing: Mold, Gut Health & Midlife Wellness | Diane Dahi

    What happens when a health problem keeps getting treated but the deeper questions never get answered? In this episode of the Health Detective Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with Diane Dahi, an FDNP, integrative health coach, massage therapist, and personal trainer, to explore a deeply personal health journey spanning decades of bodywork, wellness, chronic health challenges, and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. Diane shares how a skin condition that was repeatedly dismissed as eczema was eventually diagnosed as skin cancer after more than 10 years of questions. That experience changed the way she approached her health, leading her to explore Natural Health, whole foods, product quality, and becoming a stronger advocate for herself. Years later, another major health crisis left Diane hospitalized with a serious spinal infection, spinal abscesses, surgery, and months of recovery. After extensive antibiotics, she began looking deeper into her gut health and eventually discovered FDN. Through Functional Lab Testing, Diane explored patterns involving gut dysbiosis, mold exposure, stress and hormones, and other health factors. She also discusses brain fog, stubborn midsection weight gain, ADHD symptoms, nervous system regulation, detox-supportive habits, and the lifestyle changes that became part of her ongoing health transformation. Diane explains why she believes midlife women should pay closer attention when something in their body does not feel right instead of automatically labeling it as stress, aging, or hormones. She shares her experience with mold testing, GI Map testing, lifestyle changes, infrared sauna, movement, sleep, sunlight, nutrition, and creating sustainable wellness habits. Most importantly, Diane shares the mindset that now guides her health journey: when you encounter a roadblock, pause, turn inward, listen to your body, and use it as a guide. This conversation is about Functional Health, root cause thinking, gut health, holistic wellness, health advocacy, and creating a healthier and more intentional life. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift Where to Find Diane: https://www.DianeWellness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianewellness_movepastpain/ 00:00 Diane’s Health Journey: When Symptoms Get Dismissed 04:05 Skin Cancer: Why Self-Advocacy Matters 08:35 Spinal Infection: The Health Crisis That Nearly Paralyzed Her 12:43 Mold, Gut Health & Functional Health Testing 14:27 How FDN Changed Her Massage Therapy Practice 17:56 Mold, ADHD, Dysbiosis & Looking for Root Causes 21:23 Daily Habits That Support Healing & Recovery 25:24 Eczema Progress, Movement & Healthy Aging 29:22 ADHD: What Changed After Addressing Her Health 30:51 Where to Start When You Want to Improve Your Health 32:15 Diane Wellness: Where to Find Diane Dahi ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.

  3. Sep 24

    Will AI Replace Health Coaches? ChatGPT, Functional Labs & the Future of Health Practitioners | Jenn Malecha

    Is AI coming for health coaches, or is it about to make good practitioners even better? In this episode, Michele Scarlet sits down with FDN business mentor Jenn Malecha to unpack what AI actually means for health practitioners. They discuss how tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can support practitioners, why the quality of the prompt matters, what happens when AI confidently gives you inaccurate information, and why critical thinking still matters. Jenn also shares how AI is beginning to be used alongside functional lab data and why not every AI system works the same way. They also get into an increasingly important question for practitioners: what information should you actually be putting into AI? Michele and Jenn discuss client data, privacy concerns and why convenience shouldn't replace responsibility when working with sensitive health information. If you're already a health practitioner, building a health coaching practice, or wondering whether AI is going to change the future of this industry, this episode offers a practical look at where AI can help, where it can fall short, and why the practitioner still matters. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift Chapters: 00:00 Can AI Replace Health Coaches? 00:47 AI, Tech & the Future of Health Coaching 02:05 Why More Technology Isn't the Answer 04:04 How to Get Better Answers From AI 05:29 Why AI Gives You Generic Content 05:58 Will AI Replace Health Practitioners? 07:36 The Clinical Gaps in AI 10:25 Using AI to Interpret Functional Labs 13:53 ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini 16:41 Why You Can't Blindly Trust AI 17:21 What Happens When AI Makes Things Up 18:39 How Practitioners Should Actually Use AI 19:38 Should You Upload Client Labs to ChatGPT? 22:13 AI, HIPAA & Client Privacy 23:37 Why AI Isn't Replacing the Practitioner

  4. Sep 18

    Multiple Sclerosis, Root Cause Healing & Nervous System Health | Dr. Sierra Bains

    What if a diagnosis could explain your symptoms without defining your future? In this episode of the Health Detective Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with Dr. Sierra Bains, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, best-selling author of Rooted, and founder of Lightstyle, for a powerful conversation about Multiple Sclerosis, root cause healing, nervous system health, chronic stress, and functional health. Sierra shares the story of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 24 while completing her doctorate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being a competitive bodybuilder who closely tracked her nutrition, sleep, movement, and health metrics, she suddenly experienced severe pain, nausea, nerve pain, tingling, vibrations, confusion, and debilitating symptoms that dramatically changed her life. After struggling to find answers through standard medical care, Sierra began exploring a different approach. With support from a practitioner, she focused on reducing inflammation, improving diet, circadian rhythm, supplementation, and stress management. Her symptoms gradually improved, and her experience ultimately led her to Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and a deeper understanding of root cause health. Michele and Sierra explore how the body can communicate through symptoms, why stress is more than simply “feeling stressed,” and how physical, emotional, and environmental stressors can accumulate in the body. They discuss the nervous system, autoimmune symptoms, hormone signals, lifestyle, functional health, and why addressing the reasons behind a symptom may be more meaningful than simply managing the symptom itself. The conversation also examines practitioner education, the dangers of overcomplicating health protocols, supplement overload, health tracking, technology consumption, and the importance of helping clients develop resilience and trust in their bodies. Sierra shares how she moved from restrictive protocols toward greater metabolic flexibility, resilience, and the ability to enjoy real life without constantly managing every symptom. This episode is for anyone interested in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, root cause healing, nervous system health, chronic health challenges, holistic health, functional medicine, and a more empowered approach to understanding the body. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift Connect with Dr Sierra Bains https://www.instagram.com/drsierrabains/ 00:00 From Chronic Symptoms to Root Cause Healing 06:55 Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis: What Happened Next 14:10 Why Your Diagnosis May Not Be the Root Cause 20:02 How Chronic Stress Affects the Body 23:19 The Stress Bucket: What Happens When It Overflows 24:46 How Digital Overload Affects Your Nervous System 25:58 Why Getting Healthy Needs a Bigger Purpose 27:49 How to Make Better Decisions About Your Health 29:15 Why Chronic Disease Is Increasing 32:02 Environmental Toxins: How Much Is Too Much? 35:25 How to Build Resilience and Trust Your Body Again 40:01 Can Trying to Be Healthy Make You More Stressed? 43:32 How to Stop Outsourcing Your Health ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.

  5. Sep 10

    GLP-1s for Weight Loss & Metabolic Health: Benefits, Risks & Practitioner Guidance | Brandy Buskow

    What happens when weight loss becomes about more than the number on the scale? In this episode of the Health Detective Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with FDNP Brandy Buskow for an honest conversation about GLP-1 medications, obesity, metabolic health, gut health, weight loss, and the role of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioners in supporting clients through this changing health landscape. Brandy shares her personal journey with lifelong obesity, severe IBS, anxiety, digestive issues, and years of trying diets and other approaches to lose weight. After discovering Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and improving many aspects of her health, she still struggled to lose weight and maintain it. By 2024, she was dealing with elevated fasting insulin, rising blood pressure, sleep apnea, and concerns about following the same path of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease she had seen in her family. That led her to discuss GLP-1 medication with her healthcare provider. Brandy explains how GLP-1 signaling works, including its connection to appetite, fullness, digestion, blood sugar, and the gut. She also shares what it was like to experience less “food noise” and why her gradual weight loss has involved much more than medication alone. The conversation then turns to an important question for Functional Medicine practitioners, FDN practitioners, and health coaches: how can they responsibly support clients who are using or considering GLP-1s? Michele and Brandy discuss practitioner scope, medication dosing, referrals, ethics, nutrition, movement, sleep, muscle maintenance, body image, and the mental-emotional side of sustainable change. They also explore the risks of gray-market and black-market peptides, misinformation, unrealistic expectations, and the importance of working with qualified prescribers. If you're interested in GLP-1 weight loss, metabolic health, obesity, food noise, gut health, Functional Medicine, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, health coaching, or responsible practitioner education, this episode offers practical perspective on using GLP-1s as a tool while keeping long-term health and client support at the center. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift Educational content only. Medication decisions, including whether to start, stop, or change a dose, should be made with a qualified prescribing healthcare professional.

  6. Sep 3

    Emotional Eating, Self-Worth & Mindset Healing | How Your Mind Impacts Cortisol & Gut Health with Amber Romaniuk

    What if lasting physical healing requires more than changing what you eat or taking another supplement? In this episode of the Health Detective Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with Amber Romaniuk, an emotional eating, digestive, and hormone expert, to explore the powerful connection between mindset, self-worth, emotional healing, nervous system regulation, gut health, hormone health, and physical wellbeing. Amber shares her deeply personal health transformation, including her experiences with food addiction, binge eating, bulimia, emotional eating, body image struggles, self-sabotage, and tying her self-worth to her weight and appearance. She explains how years of negative self-talk, unworthiness, stress, and difficulty processing emotions influenced her relationship with food and her body. The conversation explores why mindset work can be an important part of a broader root cause healing approach and why supporting the gut, hormones, blood sugar, and nervous system while doing emotional and mindset work may create more capacity for lasting change. Michele and Amber discuss nervous system dysregulation, cortisol, gut dysfunction, hormone imbalance, emotional triggers, perfectionism, people pleasing, boundaries, self-love, inner child healing, and the importance of learning to trust your own body and intuition. They also explore the difference between simply checking wellness practices off a list and actually becoming connected to what your body needs. Amber shares practical tools including conscious breathing, journaling, tapping, movement, sunlight, grounding, and learning to pause before making decisions. Most importantly, this episode is about empowerment: understanding that healing is not a quick fix or a one-time protocol. It is an ongoing process of building awareness, rewiring old patterns, developing self-worth, regulating the nervous system, and learning to work with your body rather than against it. If you are interested in emotional eating, food addiction, mindset healing, gut health, hormone health, nervous system regulation, self-worth, body image, functional health, functional medicine, root cause healing, or holistic health, this conversation offers a powerful perspective on the deeper side of health transformation. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift

  7. Aug 27

    GLP-1s & Peptide Therapy: Weight Loss, Food Noise, Metabolic Health & Longevity | Laura Young

    GLP-1 medications and peptide therapy are everywhere right now, but are they simply weight loss tools, or is there more to the conversation? In this episode of the Health Detective Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with holistic health practitioner Laura Young to discuss GLP-1s, peptide therapy, metabolic health, food noise, inflammation, healthy aging, and the importance of building strong health foundations first. Laura shares her own experience using GLP-1 peptides after struggling with metabolic changes following pregnancy, including how reducing food noise changed her relationship with hunger and helped support her weight loss goals. They discuss: How GLP-1s work alongside nutrition, movement, sleep, and lifestyle Food noise, cravings, hunger, and metabolic health Why GLP-1s should not be viewed as a magic fix Potential GLP-1 side effects Muscle loss and the importance of strength training and protein Peptide therapy beyond weight loss Inflammation, recovery, mitochondrial health, and healthy aging Why bioindividuality matters when considering any health intervention How to become a more informed advocate for your own health Whether you're curious about Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, GLP-1 medications, peptide therapy, weight loss, insulin resistance, or longevity, this conversation explores the bigger picture behind one of the fastest-growing areas in health and wellness. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift CONNECT WITH LAURA lytotalwellness@gmail.com https://www.totalwellnessolutions.com MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice or to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Discussion of medications, peptides, supplements, or other therapies does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, peptide, supplement, or treatment.

  8. Aug 20

    Red Light Therapy & Infrared Sauna Benefits for Inflammation, Detox & Lyme Disease | Robby Besner

    What are the real benefits of red light therapy and infrared saunas, and how could infrared therapy support detoxification, inflammation, pain, recovery, and overall cellular health? In this episode of the Health Detective Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with Robby Besner, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Therasage, whose work with infrared technology began after his teenage daughter was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Robby shares his daughter’s Lyme disease journey, the limitations they experienced with conventional treatment, and why he began researching infrared therapy as another way to support her quality of life. They also explore: • Red light therapy vs. infrared therapy • Near, mid, and far infrared wavelengths • Infrared sauna benefits and how often to use one • Infrared therapy for inflammation, pain, and recovery • Detoxification and supporting the body's elimination pathways • Why consistency matters more than having the “perfect” wellness routine • Full-body infrared saunas vs. targeted infrared pads • How sunlight, nature, and infrared may influence cellular health • Taking a more active role in your own health journey Robby also shares how his daughter’s experience ultimately became the catalyst for his mission to make infrared technology more accessible to people looking for additional ways to support their health. If you are interested in red light therapy, infrared sauna benefits, Lyme disease, detoxification, inflammation, holistic health, or functional medicine, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the story and philosophy behind infrared therapy. MEN’S HEALTH PRACTITIONER WEEK | OCTOBER 19–23 Follow one men’s health case through 5 functional labs + 10 live sessions and learn what happens when practitioners dig deeper. 🎟️ Get your ticket: http://fdntraining.com/5in5 Podcast listeners attend FREE! Use code: 5in5gift Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs.

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About

We bring you interviews from people who have conquered the trickiest of health challenges using the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Philosophy and similar healing modalities. You’ll hear from experts who have been through the wringer with their health issues, and yet managed to come out on the other side. If you are interested in natural healing and/or functional medicine, this is the podcast for you! Visit https://www.fdntraining.com/resources to learn more about the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition program.

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