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. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. May 19

    181: Why Chasing Symptoms Fails and How to Shift to Systemic Healing

    If you have ever treated the same problem over and over without lasting relief, this episode will help explain why. Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia explore what it actually means to chase symptoms, why it so often falls short, and what systemic healing looks like instead. Using the image of a house's electrical system throughout the episode, Dr. Carling explains why symptoms are breakers tripping. Medications and targeted treatments flip the breaker back on, but if no one opens the wall to find the faulty wiring, the breaker keeps tripping. She explains that the body is organized into interconnected systems, and when one is under strain, the signal reroutes. That is why treating back pain can lead to neck pain returning, or calming the gut can leave a patient exhausted. True healing means stabilizing the system driving the symptoms, not just quieting the output. In this episode: Why arthritis, kidney stones, gallstones, bone spurs, and cataracts can all share the same root cause, and what that reveals about symptom-focused care How to recognize when a symptom is part of a bigger systemic issue, including the role of chronicity and pattern overlap What systemic healing actually prioritizes: nervous system regulation, circulation, digestive efficiency, immune balance, and cellular energy How acupuncture stabilizes the whole system rather than targeting a single symptom, and why that produces broader, more lasting results   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. May 5

    180: Nutrition During Chemotherapy: Protecting, Stabilizing, and Preserving the Body

    Nutrition during chemotherapy is one of the most misunderstood parts of cancer care. People are told to boost immunity, eat superfoods, and load up on supplements, but the wrong support at the wrong time can actually make treatment harder. In this episode, Dr. Carling and Alicia break down what nutrition should actually look like during chemo and why the goal is not to push the body harder, but to protect, stabilize, and preserve it. Dr. Carling explains that during chemotherapy, the body is under constant breakdown pressure. Gut lining, muscle tissue, nerve function, and brain health are all at risk. Nutrition's job is to protect those tissues, support digestion and absorption, stabilize blood sugar and energy, and reduce side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. She also addresses chemo brain, the do's and don'ts of supplementation, why immune stimulation can be counterproductive, and how acupuncture works alongside nutrition to help the body actually absorb and use what it is being given. In this episode: Why immune balance, not immune stimulation, is the goal during chemotherapy, and what that looks like in practice The four main jobs of nutrition during chemo: tissue protection, digestion support, blood sugar stability, and side effect reduction Practical do's and don'ts including which proteins and fats to prioritize, why aggressive detox protocols are not appropriate, and how to manage nausea, diarrhea, and taste changes How acupuncture reduces nausea, supports digestion, calms the nervous system, and helps the body use nutrition more effectively   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. Apr 14

    179: A Patient Testimonial: Diabetes, Pain, Wrinkles and the Power of Treating the Whole Body

    A patient came in after an auto accident with neck and back injuries. She also happened to be an insulin dependent diabetic for 12 years. What unfolded over the next five months was far more than anyone expected. In this episode, Dr. Holly Carling and Alicia walk through a patient testimonial that touches on diabetes, weight loss, sinus problems, and even wrinkles, and what it reveals about treating the body as a whole. Dr. Holly explains that when you begin improving health in one area, other systems can start to respond as well. In this case, addressing the nervous system, inflammation, and circulation through acupuncture and nutritional support created conditions where the patient's blood sugar regulation improved, her weight came down, and her skin changed visibly. Her internal medicine doctor monitored her labs and made the decision to taper her insulin. Five months in, she was insulin free. This episode is not about a single condition or a single treatment. It is about what becomes possible when the whole system is supported at once. In this episode: How treating neck and back pain after an auto accident created a foundation for improved blood sugar regulation and insulin reduction Why the nervous system, inflammation, circulation, and metabolism are deeply connected, and how acupuncture supports all of them How reducing inflammation affects cortisol levels and why that matters for weight loss What local and systemic acupuncture can do for skin health, circulation, and tissue healing   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. Mar 31

    178: Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica: What Your Body Is Actually Trying to Tell You

    Most people are taught to think of back and neck pain as a structural problem, something worn out, broken down, or in need of fixing. But in this episode, Dr. Holly Carling offers a completely different framework: pain is not the enemy. It is a signal, and understanding what it is communicating changes everything about how you approach healing. Dr. Holly explains that the spine functions less like a stack of bricks and more like a communication highway, carrying nerve signals, blood flow, lymphatic drainage, and stress responses throughout the body. Neck pain, low back pain, and sciatica are not three unrelated problems. They are different traffic jams on the same highway.  If you have been living with chronic pain, confused by a normal-looking scan, or wondering whether surgery is your only option, this episode gives you a grounded, practical way to understand what your body is doing and what actually helps it heal. In this episode: Why pain is a communication signal, not a structural failure, and what it is actually telling the nervous system Why MRI and X-ray findings often do not match a person's pain level, and what chronic functional stress looks like How acupuncture helps regulate nerve firing, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and interrupt the nervous system's protective loop Nutrition, movement, and home care strategies that support healing rather than working against it   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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