Send a text

Your doctor says your labs are “normal.” Yet you’re still bloated, exhausted, and chained to the bathroom. In this episode, Courtney breaks down why that happens—and how a functional, root-cause approach looks beyond basic bloodwork to uncover hidden imbalances driving IBS-D, IBD, and chronic gut distress. She shares the exact testing methods she uses in her Root Cause Test Method, the truth about “food sensitivity” tests, and how trauma, stress, and toxins fit into the bigger picture of gut healing.

What you’ll learn

Functional vs. conventional care: why “normal” doesn’t mean optimal and what most doctors miss in standard lab panels.

Whole-person healing: how stress, trauma, and emotional load show up in your physical symptoms (and what to do about it).

The Root Cause Test Method: the structured process Courtney uses to identify your unique mix of triggers.

The key functional tests that finally reveal what’s going on:

• GI-MAP: uncovers digestive weakness, inflammation, infections, and microbial imbalance.
• Wheat Zoomer: the gold-standard test for hidden gluten/wheat sensitivity.
• Organic Acids Test (OAT): detects yeast, bacterial overgrowth, nutrient gaps, and mitochondrial stress.
• DUTCH Test: maps hormones, adrenals, and detox pathways to connect stress and gut health.
• HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis): highlights mineral imbalances that influence digestion and energy.
• Total Tox Burden: measures environmental toxins, mold, and heavy metals that quietly derail progress.

Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing”—my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing

Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call

Link to my website

Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

Send us a text

Courtney sits down with Phillip Wilson to unpack infrared saunas—how they may raise core temp, support detox pathways, and (surprisingly) help flip you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-rebalance. They dig into HRV, why “frequency match” matters for comfort and effect, how digestion, lymph, and recovery tie in, and what sets the Relax Sauna apart from typical infrared units. Practical, curious, and very human..

What you’ll learn

• Parasympathetic > panic: why the right heat can feel calming (not stressful) and how that relates to HRV and recovery.
• Core-temp & detox basics: why gentle, internal warming is a different experience than blasting yourself in a hot box.
• Water, light, and you: a lay explanation of “frequency matching,” water structure, and why some saunas feel like a “loving light” instead of harsh heat.
• When saunas help most: stagnant lymph, low resilience, high stress load, trouble unwinding, slow post-workout recovery.
• Tech differences, decoded: ceramic emitters, far-infrared ranges, why preheat time matters, and how that impacts real-world use.
• Practical use tips: timing, how to stack with breathwork or a quick downshift, and simple post-sauna rehydration/mineral ideas.

Resources mentioned:
Website: relaxsaunas.com
Coupon code: COWIE25 (worth $100 off)
Contact: Phil@relaxsaunas.com

Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing”—my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing

Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call

Link to my website

Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

Send us a text

If you’ve “cleaned up” your diet but still battle flares, this one’s for you. Courtney and guest Maria Horstmann unpack the under-the-radar drivers of IBS/IBD chaos—cortisol, blood-sugar swings, poor digestion (stomach acid, enzymes, bile), microbiome dysbiosis, overtraining, under-fueling, alcohol, and life-stage stress. You’ll learn how to pair food with macro balance, when fiber helps (and harms), why CGMs can confuse without context, and how functional stool testing (like GI-MAP) can shortcut the path from flare to flow. Practical, compassionate, no guesswork.

What you’ll learn

• Why “perfect” eating can still fail when stress hormones, sleep, and blood sugar are off.
• The digestion triad (stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile) and how weak digestion drives malabsorption → fatigue, brain fog, flares.
• Microbiome dysbiosis 101: why overgrowths (and yeast) can create alcohol-like byproducts that burden your liver and spike symptoms.
• Fiber nuance for IBS/IBD: when soluble fiber soothes—and when added prebiotics (inulin, flax) can pour gasoline on a flare.
• CGMs without panic: interpreting variability, timing carbs around training, and why “average glucose” can hide daily rollercoasters.
• The hidden costs of over-exercise + under-fueling (and how female life stages—postpartum, perimenopause—change the rules).
• Alcohol reality check: how it hijacks your liver, masks glucose spikes, then triggers hard crashes and hunger.
• Why carnivore-style phases sometimes “work” (temporarily)—and how long-term carb avoidance can down-regulate thyroid and backfire.

Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing”—my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing

Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call

Link to my website

Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.