Holistic Health with Melissa

Melissa Armstrong
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

So many people feel stuck by the limitations of conventional medicine, and that's exactly why I created Holistic Health with Melissa—to take you on a journey from conventional to crunchy! Here, you'll get empowering wellness insights, practical tips, and faith-centered strategies to help you feel your absolute best. In each episode, we'll dig into what true health and wellness really means, we'll dive into nutrition, lifestyle, mindset, and detox, all things so important in your health! Chat about raising kids with intention and living a life of faith. Join me to reclaim your energy, embrace your healthiest life, and find joy and purpose along the way!

  1. 6d ago

    Ep. 72 - Vaccines and the Missing Piece: Informed Consent

    Informed consent is the right to know the full risks, benefits, and alternatives before saying yes to any medical treatment, and it's something Melissa believes every parent and patient deserves. This week, Melissa sat down with Katie Collins, a certified physician assistant known online as Katie the PA, for a conversation about what informed consent actually looks like and how often it's missing from routine medical care. Katie shares her own path from working in urgent care and family medicine to educating parents on the childhood vaccine schedule, along with what her physician assistant training left out entirely. The conversation moves through the gaps in vaccine clinical trials, the financial incentives built into pediatric care, and how so many mothers are told their child's reaction to a vaccine is "just a coincidence." In this episode, you'll hear: What true informed consent requires before any vaccine or medical procedure The training gaps Katie experienced in physician assistant school around vaccine risk The three core flaws in vaccine clinical trials  This conversation is part of a bigger picture for Melissa: helping women feel informed, supported, and empowered in their health decisions. If this conversation struck something in you, consider scheduling a Clarity Call with Melissa to see if her six-month 1:1 coaching container with a community element, the Freedom Collective, is a good fit for you. Healing was never meant to happen alone, and she would love to walk the journey with you. To connect with Katie Collins and learn more about informed consent and vaccine education, find her on Instagram at @katiec.pac or reach her directly at katie@katieccontent.com.

    Ep. 72 - Vaccines and the Missing Piece: Informed Consent

  2. Aug 6

    Ep. 71 - What really happened behind the scenes of COVID?

    In this deeply personal solo episode of Holistic Health with Melissa, Melissa shares the story she's never fully told before. After a recent social media reel about her experience as an RN during the COVID-19 pandemic reached millions of people, listeners asked for the full story. This episode is that story. Melissa takes you behind the scenes of working inside the traditional medical system before and during the pandemic, navigating pregnancy, caring for patients, questioning what she was witnessing firsthand, and ultimately walking away from a career she once believed was her calling. In this episode, you'll hear: • What it was like working as a registered nurse during COVID • The experiences that changed her perspective on healthcare • How fear, burnout, and moral injury affected healthcare workers • Why she believes informed consent matters • How these experiences ultimately led her to build a different approach to healing Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, this episode is an honest account of one nurse's personal experience and the journey that shaped the work she does today. Today, Melissa helps women move from survival to freedom by addressing the root causes of emotional and physical symptoms through a trauma-informed, faith-based approach that integrates nervous system regulation, nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and biblical truth. Interested in working with Melissa? Applications are currently open for Freedom 1:1, her six-month, high-touch coaching experience for women who are ready to heal from the inside out. There are 2 spots open and applications close soon. Learn more and apply here: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/clarity-call-form

  3. Jul 30

    Ep. 70 - A Guided Meditation to Help Bring Stillness, Connection to Your Body, and Get Into Flow

    Sometimes the deepest healing doesn't come from doing more. It comes from learning how to stop. Last week, Melissa sat down with Laurie Smith, author of The Flow Habit, for a powerful conversation about reconnecting to stillness and finding flow. If you missed episode 69, go back and listen first. This week's episode is a little different. At the end of that conversation, Melissa and Laurie began talking about the meditations Laurie creates to help people access flow, and Laurie offered to record one just for this community. This episode is that meditation. Laurie guides listeners through a gentle breathing and grounding practice, an invitation to slow down, soften, and reconnect with the flow that is already part of who you are, whether you are settling in for the night, waking up for the day, or simply need a moment of stillness in the middle of it all. It's a good fit for anyone who feels disconnected from their body, overwhelmed by the noise of daily life, or in need of permission to simply rest in the present moment. In this episode, you'll experience: A guided meditation to help you slow down and reconnect with your body A grounding practice to calm the nervous system and settle into the present moment An invitation to release old patterns and open your heart to receive A gentle reminder that flow and stillness are already within you If this episode sparks something in you, Melissa would love to walk alongside you on your healing journey. Consider her Freedom Collective, a six-month 1:1 container with a community element, because you don't have to heal alone. Schedule a Clarity Call with Melissa to see if this work is a good fit for you. To connect with Laurie Smith and learn more about flow state, find her at lauriesmith.com or theflowhabit.com. Her book, The Flow Habit, is available anywhere books are sold and on Amazon.

    Ep. 70 - A Guided Meditation to Help Bring Stillness, Connection to Your Body, and Get Into Flow

  4. Jul 23

    Ep. 69 - Why Losing Track of Time Might Be a Key to Healing

    Have you ever done something you loved so much that time just disappeared? That feeling has a name, and it might be one of the most healing things you can experience. In this episode of Holistic Health with Melissa, Melissa explores the science of flow state and why so many of us have lost easy access to something that used to come naturally as kids. Podcast guest, Laurie Smith, an author and flow researcher, shares how she discovered flow during the early days of the pandemic, when anxiety and overwhelm pushed her to challenge herself to do just five to ten minutes a day of something that brought her pure joy. That small habit became the foundation for a framework she now teaches to help people reconnect with their creativity, their intuition, and their nervous system. Together they talk about what flow actually is, why children access it so effortlessly, and how the constant pull of social media and external validation has rewired our brains to look outward instead of inward. You will hear the story of a psychologist who discovered flow as a boy playing chess through the sound of bombs during World War II, and why that same calm is within reach is and available to you too, even in your hardest moments. This episode is for anyone who feels stretched thin, disconnected from their creativity, or stuck in survival mode. If you have been craving a way back to peace and presence that does not require perfection, this conversation offers a gentle, practical place to start. In this episode, you'll hear: What a flow state actually is and the four steps to access it Why children get into flow so easily and adults struggle to How flow can lower reliance on things that numb or distract us A simple way to start with just five to ten minutes a day Why softness and self-compassion matter more than pushing harder If this episode resonated with you, Melissa would love to walk alongside you on your healing journey. Reach out for a free Clarity Call to see if this kind of work is a good fit for you. I have a few 1:1 spots available. To connect with Laurie Smith and learn more about flow state, find her at: lauriesmith.com or theflowhabit.com Her book, The Flow Habit, is available anywhere books are sold and on Amazon.

    Ep. 69 - Why Losing Track of Time Might Be a Key to Healing

  5. Jul 16

    Ep. 68 - The Good Things That Come From Trauma

    What if the hardest thing you've ever walked through became the foundation for some of the best parts of who you become? In this episode, Melissa explores the powerful concept of Post-Traumatic Growth, the psychological and spiritual transformation that can happen after trauma when we choose to heal instead of stay stuck. You'll learn why some people experience profound growth after adversity while others remain trapped in cycles of pain, and how healing your nervous system, beliefs, and identity can completely change the trajectory of your life. Melissa also shares her own story of how childhood trauma shaped her identity, fueled years of performance-driven living, and ultimately led her to discover the calling God had placed on her life. In this episode, you'll learn: What Post-Traumatic Growth is (and how it's different from resilience) Why healing, not trauma itself, is what creates lasting transformation The surprising strengths that often develop through trauma recovery How your beliefs about your story shape your future Why God doesn't waste your pain How your greatest struggle can become your greatest testimony No matter what you've been through, your past does not have to define your future. You can't choose what happened to you, but you can choose what comes from it. Healing is always possible. If you're interested in exploring this work for yourself, reach out to Melissa here: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/discovery-information-form

    Ep. 68 - The Good Things That Come From Trauma

  6. Jul 9

    Ep. 67 - Autoimmune, Gut Health, and Your Thoughts: How They're All Related

    What if the symptoms you have been trying to fix are actually messages your body is sending you? This week on Holistic Health with Melissa, Melissa is joined by Dr. Tabatha Barber. She is a triple board-certified physician in obstetrics and gynecology, menopause, and functional medicine, and the author of the international bestseller Fast to Faith. Her story begins far from the exam room. From teen mom and high school dropout, she went on to build a virtual medical practice serving women across the country, and she credits her turnaround entirely to faith and perseverance. Dr. Tabatha opens up about the autoimmune crisis that followed her first pregnancy, the years she spent chasing quick fixes before understanding the role of the nervous system in true healing, and the moment she felt God call her away from surgery and into a different kind of medicine. She and Melissa talk honestly about why information alone never leads to transformation, why healing has to happen in the right order, and why gut health, hormone balance, and mindset cannot be separated from each other. This conversation is for the woman who feels like she has tried everything and still does not feel like herself. Dr. Tabatha offers real hope, practical next steps, and a reminder that your body was designed to heal. In this episode, you'll learn: Why chasing supplements and protocols will not fix a dysregulated nervous system What it means to treat symptoms as messages instead of problems to silence Why renewing your mind is a required part of physical healing A simple first step for anyone who feels stuck and does not know where to start If this episode resonates with you, Melissa would love to walk alongside you on your healing journey. To get started, schedule a Clarity Call here: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/discovery-information-form To connect with Dr. Tabatha, check out these resources: FREE Guide to Intermittent Fasting the Faithful Way https://fasttofaith.com/intermittent-fasting-guide/ Balancing Your Hormones Naturally, FREE Guide: https://drtabatha.com/free-hormone-guide/ Dr. Tabatha's Website: fasttofaith.com Dr. Tabatha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gutsydrtabatha/ Dr. Tabatha's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTabatha Dr. Tabatha's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@christianphysician https://together-community-by-ccb.mn.co/plans/1955223?bundle_token=1159c838ef89880cfd2fa8fbf6bb3d89&utm_source=manual - 21 day reset link

    Ep. 67 - Autoimmune, Gut Health, and Your Thoughts: How They're All Related

  7. Jul 2

    Ep. 66 - Hard Seasons, Faithful God: Finding His Goodness in the Midst of It All

    What do you do when life hands you the unthinkable, and how do you come out the other side still proclaiming God's goodness? In this powerful episode of Holistic Health with Melissa, Melissa sits down with conservative activist, media personality, and mama bear, Kendall Bailey, for a conversation that will leave you anchored in the goodness of God. Kendall shares her remarkable journey through diagnosis, crisis, and choosing to trust God with the outcome - and how her unshakeable faith carried her through one of the hardest seasons of her life. Together, Melissa and Kendall explore what it really looks like to trust God when the stakes are high, how to choose gratitude over bitterness in the midst of suffering, and why the hard seasons are often where He shows up the most. If you are going through a difficult time right now, or if you know someone who is, this episode will remind you that God is good, He is faithful, and He has not changed. In this episode, you'll hear: How faith shapes the decisions we make in our hardest moments How God walks with you in the fire rather than sparing you from it Why God's goodness doesn't depend on the outcome How our trials can become our most powerful testimony If faith and healing are something you would like to explore further, the Freedom Collective is a supportive next step. In this six-month one-to-one coaching experience, coupled with a community element, you'll see how science, scripture, and somatic healing work together to provide whole-body restoration - mind, body, and spirit.  To see if this is a good fit for you, schedule a Clarity Call today: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/discovery-information-form We begin July 6. You can find Kendall here: https://www.instagram.com/kendall_in_kentucky/ https://www.facebook.com/kendall.page

    Ep. 66 - Hard Seasons, Faithful God: Finding His Goodness in the Midst of It All

  8. Jun 25

    Ep. 65 - Biblical Womanhood vs. Modern Feminism

    Melissa is joined by Tiffany Parsons this week on Holistic Health with Melissa. Tiffany is a pastor's wife, homeschooling mom of twins, pediatric occupational therapist, and author of the new Christian children's book All Different Yet the Same. She shares her journey from driven career woman to faith-led mother running a flexible private practice, and the sanctification process that changed everything she thought she knew about her calling. Together, Melissa and Tiffany get honest about:  The tension between biblical motherhood and modern feminism What Scripture actually says about submission, identity, and the God-given strengths of women Why anxiety is so prevalent in the faith community How the enemy targets women emotionally How to combat lies with the living Word of God If you're a Christian woman ready to get back to the truth of who God says you are, this conversation is for you. And if you'd like support exploring this topic further, the Freedom Collective is a gentle step forward. It's a six-month coaching experience designed to bring clarity and restore your identity in the truth. Inside the Freedom Collective, you'll receive both community and one-to-one support as we bring together science, scripture, and somatic work to care for the whole person - mind, body, and spirit. If you'd like to see if this is a good fit for you, schedule a clarity call here: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/discovery-information-form. Melissa would love to walk this journey with you. Connect with Tiffany: Facebook: Homeschool OT Tiffany Parsons Facebook Group: Anxious for Christ Book: All Different Yet the Same - available at redeemingfamilypress.com and Amazon

    Ep. 65 - Biblical Womanhood vs. Modern Feminism
See All (73)

Trailer

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

So many people feel stuck by the limitations of conventional medicine, and that's exactly why I created Holistic Health with Melissa—to take you on a journey from conventional to crunchy! Here, you'll get empowering wellness insights, practical tips, and faith-centered strategies to help you feel your absolute best. In each episode, we'll dig into what true health and wellness really means, we'll dive into nutrition, lifestyle, mindset, and detox, all things so important in your health! Chat about raising kids with intention and living a life of faith. Join me to reclaim your energy, embrace your healthiest life, and find joy and purpose along the way!

Information

You Might Also Like