Ep. 58 - Holistic and Functional Lifestyle Can Impact Your Wellbeing with Samantha Lander The Art of Winning

Samantha Lander is a health professional who found her way into the industry through her own experiences with athletics. She began setting personal goals for herself as a young athlete and later focused on rowing in high school. She went on to study sports management at the University of Michigan, and later found success working in the music industry in Los Angeles.
 
However, she eventually became disenchanted with her work and returned to the fitness industry, becoming a personal trainer and functional diagnostics practitioner. She now works with a diverse range of clients and has a genuine desire to help them achieve their goals. Check out her company See Fit to schedule a consultation!
 
In this episode, Samantha explains why gut health impacts on overall wellbeing. She shares her knowledge on how to improve health through altering gut bacteria, the importance of networking and building relationships, and how to develop new skills through conferences and meetups. This conversation dives into the world of gut health by discussing how functional lab testing can identify and treat issues such as chronic fatigue, hormone problems, food sensitivities and more. It also touches upon c-section births and how they may lead to microbiome deficiencies that cause illnesses later in life. Additionally, Samantha outlines their discovery call method which takes an extensive health history to uncover factors from someone's childhood that may be influencing their current health such as diet, divorce or exposure to toxic substances. Finally, this episode discusses fecal transplants and other potential treatments like cortisol snapshots or supplement guessing games.
Tune in now for a thought-provoking discussion about the power of understanding one's environment and lifestyle for good health!
[00:00 - 11:12] Trainer and Coach Samantha Lander!
Samantha Lander is introduced to the show. Samantha is a personal trainer and holistic lifestyle coach who focuses on gut health and overall health. [11:12 - 26:14] Healing the Gut: A Functional Approach
Functional lab testing is a more detailed and specific way of looking at lab results. Standard lab tests often have broad reference ranges based on the average population. Functional lab tests use specific reference ranges and focus on looking at the blood, stool, or urine in more detail. Samantha's clients are often entrepreneurs who are suffering from severe burnout. She also works with women in their late twenties to forties who are doing everything right but not seeing results. These women often suffer from constipation, chronic diarrhea, bloating, and other gut issues. Men who come to her often have low sex drive or burnout and brain fog. Samantha takes into account factors from a client's childhood that may impact their gut microbiome. [26:14 - 53:33] Food Sensitivities, Healthcare and Medicine
Markers in the blood can indicate what foods a person is sensitive to. Some tests look at inflammation levels in red blood cells. Rotating foods can decrease sensitivity to certain foods Eliminating a food for a period of time and then reintroducing it can also help If you rotate foods on a four-day rotation, you may not pick up as many sensitivities Symptoms can vary, but may include GI issues, arthritis, difficulty breathing, changes in sleep, migraines, eczema, psoriasis, and bowel problems Samantha believes that being an advocate for oneself in healthcare is difficult. She has had to switch doctors in the past and feels that some doctors don't listen to patients. Samantha believes that there is a time and place for both Western and natural medicine. She also suggests using supplements and alternative methods to reduce the use of antibiotics and avoid wiping out good bacteria in the body. [53:33 – 01:02:23] Closing Segment
What do you do for your health? What is your focus right now? “I exercise regularly, take necessary supplements based on lab results, prioritize sleep, and b