VitalHealth4You

Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia Balija
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to VitalHealth4You, hosted by Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia Balija. This podcast is to teach you how to take back control of your health. We'll be teaching you the right questions to ask, in order to get down to the root cause of WHY you are having health challenges in the first place and what to do about it. Join us each week as Dr. Carling shares her in-depth knowledge, gained over 40 years in natural medicine, and tackles your most burning health questions. You'll hear her best and most highly recommended tools to help you take charge of your health challenges, resolve them naturally and get the encouragement you need to finally take action. You have more power over your own wellness than you realize and this show is here to help you uncover that power. Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with over 40 years of experience in natural healthcare. Dr. Carling is a "Health Detective," she looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Dr. Carling considers herself a "professional student" – she has attended more than 600 post-secondary education courses related to health and healing. Dr. Carling gives lectures here in the U.S. and internationally and has been noted as the "Doctor's Doctor". When other healthcare practitioners hit a roadblock when treating their patients nutritionally, Dr. Carling is who they call. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d' Alene, Idaho clinic. Visit Dr. Carling's website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, join our email list and read informative articles.

  1. Sep 15

    189: Transitioning from "Patient" to Self-Advocate

    Have you ever left a doctor's appointment feeling dismissed, talked down to, intimidated, or like your questions didn't matter? Maybe you've been told you're fine when you know something isn't right, or you've been afraid to question your doctor's recommendations because you don't want to be seen as difficult. Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia are talking about how to move from being a passive patient to becoming a confident self-advocate in your healthcare. Dr. Holly explains why so many people become passive in the medical system, including authority dynamics, past experiences of being dismissed, chronic illness, and practitioners who use fear or intimidation. She shares practical ways to prepare for appointments, questions you can ask when you don't understand or agree with something, and how to recognize when it's time to find a different practitioner. In this episode: Why feeling dismissed, intimidated, or unheard by your doctor can make you feel powerless and less likely to participate in your own care How to prepare for a medical appointment with a symptom timeline, questions, medical records, and a clear goal for the conversation What to say when a doctor dismisses your concerns, including specific questions that can help you understand the reasoning, risks, benefits, alternatives, and next steps Why you are allowed to question your healthcare provider, seek another opinion, choose a different practitioner, and take an active role in decisions about your own body   For full show notes, resources and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/ The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page. *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  2. Sep 1

    188: Testimonial: When Childhood Behavioral Issues Have a Deeper Cause

    When a child is constantly irritable, having prolonged tantrums, or struggling with speech and regulation, parents are often left wondering what is really going on. In this episode, Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia share the story of a young boy whose behavior changed dramatically after underlying health concerns were addressed. Dr. Holly explains what she noticed in this child's health history, including signs of anemia, dietary issues, and significant sugar consumption. She also discusses why behavior can be a form of communication, what parents can investigate when something feels off, and why addressing the body may be an important first step before focusing only on behavior modification. In this episode: How anemia, blood sugar instability, food sensitivities, sleep disruption, and other underlying health concerns can show up through childhood behavior What Dr. Holly noticed in this child's health and the dietary and nutritional changes that were recommended Why reducing sugar and supporting blood sugar stability made such a noticeable difference in this child's behavior What parents can look at when a child is persistently irritable, fatigued, reactive, or struggling with sleep, speech, or regulation   For full show notes, resources, and links, head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/   The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page.   *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  3. Aug 18

    187: Building a Real-Food Pantry for Wellness

    You do not eat what you intend when you are tired and stressed. You eat what is available. That is why Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia are talking about something practical: your pantry. What you keep on your shelves drives your health decisions more than motivation ever will. Dr. Holly walks through exactly what belongs in a real-food pantry, organized by what the body actually needs, fiber, protein, healthy fats, and minerals, and explains why each one matters physiologically. She also covers meal prep strategies, how to feed kids without a fight, and how to upgrade your pantry gradually without feeling overwhelmed. In this episode: Why fiber, protein, and fat together determine how fast glucose enters the bloodstream, and which pantry staples deliver all three Which fats belong in your pantry, how to store them properly, and why fat is essential for getting nutrients into your cells Mineral-rich staples to keep on hand including bone broth, real salt, sea vegetables, and nutritional yeast How to build a real-food pantry gradually, one swap at a time, including practical strategies for kids and busy households   For full show notes, resources and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/ The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page. *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  4. Aug 4

    186: When Everything Hurts: Understanding Whole Body Pain and What Actually Helps

    If you wake up and everything hurts, and you have been told it is just stress, just aging, or handed a diagnosis without any real explanation, this episode is for you. Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia dig into what is actually behind whole body pain and why treating it as a structural problem misses the point entirely. Dr. Holly explains that widespread pain is often the nervous system saying it cannot keep compensating. She covers what drives the system to that point, how fibromyalgia fits into the picture, and what it actually takes to bring the pain down. In this episode: What central sensitization is, why it causes pain without injury, and how acupuncture directly recalibrates the nervous system rather than masking symptoms The common drivers behind whole body pain including sleep deprivation, chronic stress, gut inflammation, blood sugar instability, and environmental exposures Why fibromyalgia is a pattern description and not a root cause explanation, and why the drivers look different from person to person Practical first steps including sleep protection, nervous system calming, gentle movement, and why aggressive exercise can make things worse   For full show notes, resources, and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/ The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page.   *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  5. Jul 14

    185: The Layers of WHY: How to Peel Back the Onion of Chronic Illness

    If you have ever improved, then relapsed, or felt like you are chasing the same symptoms in circles, this episode will help explain why. Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia walk through what it actually means to ask why, not just once, but layer by layer, until you reach the core of what is driving chronic illness. Using the image of an onion, Dr. Holly explains that symptoms are the outermost layer, and that real restoration usually lives at the fourth or fifth layer down. She walks through a case example to illustrate how each layer builds on the last, and why treating only the outer layers leads to improvement followed by relapse. In this episode: Why chronic illness is multifactorial, and why stopping at the first or second layer of why so often leads to managing illness rather than resolving it How to recognize system dysfunction and deeper drivers as distinct layers requiring different support Why digestion, sleep, blood sugar stability, and nervous system regulation must be addressed before deeper drivers can safely be resolved How acupuncture regulates systems rather than symptoms, and why that makes it central to this layered approach   For full show notes, resources and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/ The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page.   *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  6. Jun 30

    184: Diet Myths: What to Ditch and Why Real Food Reigns

    Cut carbs. Go plant-based. Count macros. Try keto. The volume of diet advice has never been louder, and yet so many people are still not feeling well. In this episode, Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia cut through the noise by examining four of the most common diet myths and explaining, from a nutritional standpoint, why they fall apart. Dr. Carling is clear from the start that this episode is not about promoting a diet trend or moralizing food choices. It is about how the body actually works. She walks us through what doesn't work for diets and what to do instead. Dr. Carling even shares her own experience on a plant-based diet. You'll leave this episode with a clearer understanding of diets myths and how to bust them, plus practical ideas for incorporating real foods for lasting change. In this episode: Why calories are not hormones, and how the same calorie count from different foods creates completely different metabolic responses Why removing fat from the diet increased obesity and disease rates, and which fats actually support hormones, bile production, brain function, and cell integrity The clinical and personal case against assuming plant-based eating is universally healthier, and what the body needs beyond plants Why most supplements on the market are synthetic isolates, how over-supplementation can mask deeper dysfunction, and what food-based supplementation actually means   For full show notes, resources and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/ The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page.   *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  7. Jun 16

    183: A Patient Testimonial: Breaking the Allergy Cycle with Acupuncture and Whole-Body Care

    A longtime allergy sufferer tried everything to get her symptoms under control and felt like she was fighting a losing battle. Then she found acupuncture, and her body finally started to regulate again. In this episode, Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia unpack this testimonial and explore why chronic allergies are rarely just about pollen or dust, and what it actually takes to shift the pattern. Dr. Holly explains that long-term allergies signal a system stuck in overreaction, not a broken one. She walks through the roles of the adrenal glands and the liver in allergy response, why some people react to environmental exposures while others in the same household do not, and how acupuncture works to lower reactivity at a neurological level. Nutrition is also part of the picture, including which foods and inputs support adrenal and liver function and which ones quietly undermine it. In this episode: Why chronic allergies point to adrenal dysregulation and liver congestion, and how acupuncture addresses both What it means when a patient reacts to fewer things and recovers faster, and why shorter flares signal real systemic progress Why some people react to the same exposures as others around them and what drives that difference How nutrition, including the right fats, minerals, proteins, and the elimination of sugar and other inputs, supports the terrain that acupuncture is working to restore   For full show notes, resources and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/   The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page. *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

  8. Jun 2

    182: Creating Daily Rituals That Support Mental and Physical Health

    Most people think health changes come from big plans, strict routines, or willpower. But the body does not change through force. It changes through repetition and safety. In this episode, Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia explore the difference between rituals and routines, why small repeatable behaviors matter more than occasional big efforts, and how to build daily anchors that quietly support mental and physical health. Dr. Carling explains that rituals signal predictability to the body, stabilizing cortisol patterns, improving vagal tone, supporting digestion, and reducing inflammatory load without requiring major effort. She walks through morning, meal, and evening anchors, introduces the concept of habit stacking, shares personal rituals from both herself and Alicia, and explains how acupuncture reinforces the daily rhythms people are already building. In this episode: Why rituals work differently than routines or habits, and what they signal to the nervous system and hormonal systems The three daily anchors to build first: morning, meals, and evening, and what each one supports physiologically How habit stacking works and why layering new behaviors onto existing ones is more effective than adding separate health practices How acupuncture reinforces daily rituals by tuning the nervous system so those rhythms actually register   For full show notes, resources and links head to: https://vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/ The Vital Health for You Podcast is for everyone. Get to know us more by connecting with us at our website or on our Facebook page. *Disclaimer: The statements made in this episode about specific products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to VitalHealth4You, hosted by Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia Balija. This podcast is to teach you how to take back control of your health. We'll be teaching you the right questions to ask, in order to get down to the root cause of WHY you are having health challenges in the first place and what to do about it. Join us each week as Dr. Carling shares her in-depth knowledge, gained over 40 years in natural medicine, and tackles your most burning health questions. You'll hear her best and most highly recommended tools to help you take charge of your health challenges, resolve them naturally and get the encouragement you need to finally take action. You have more power over your own wellness than you realize and this show is here to help you uncover that power. Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with over 40 years of experience in natural healthcare. Dr. Carling is a "Health Detective," she looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Dr. Carling considers herself a "professional student" – she has attended more than 600 post-secondary education courses related to health and healing. Dr. Carling gives lectures here in the U.S. and internationally and has been noted as the "Doctor's Doctor". When other healthcare practitioners hit a roadblock when treating their patients nutritionally, Dr. Carling is who they call. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d' Alene, Idaho clinic. Visit Dr. Carling's website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, join our email list and read informative articles.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia Balija
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © VitalHealth4You
  • Show Website
    VitalHealth4You

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