In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Canestraro sits down with building biology expert Ryan Blazer to unpack the hidden dangers of mold exposure and how it can impact your health, especially for those already dealing with chronic conditions like Lyme disease or long COVID. The conversation is sparked by Dr. Steph’s recent experience in the Dominican Republic, where unexpected mold exposure in a rental villa triggered intense neurological and physical symptoms, despite the space appearing “safe” at first glance.

Ryan explains what actually happens when mold is disturbed, comparing it to a hornet’s nest being shaken. Once disrupted, mold releases spores, mycotoxins, and microbial gases into the air, which can quickly spread throughout a space if proper containment isn’t used. The episode breaks down the difference between mold spores and mycotoxins, and why mycotoxins are especially harmful.

Dr. Steph shares the symptoms she experienced, from anxiety and neurological inflammation to muscle twitching and a heightened stress response, along with the tools she used to recover, including binders and detox support. They also discuss practical steps for handling exposure, including how to deal with contaminated clothing and furniture, and why some items may need to be discarded entirely.

The conversation also touches on how certain environments, like tropical climates or poorly maintained air conditioning units, can be major sources of mold exposure, even in high-end spaces. They explore the connection between mold and EMFs, and how environmental stressors may amplify symptoms in sensitive individuals.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone dealing with unexplained symptoms, building a healthier home, or wanting to better understand how your environment can impact your health.

Check out Test My Home here

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For any further information, feel free to email us at info@vagusclinic.com. Our team is happy to help. We offer 20-minute complimentary health calls, and you can sign up for one here.

In this episode of What Happens in Vagus, Dr. Stephanie Canestraro sits down with Leigh Ann Lindsey, founder of The Accrescent and creator of Healing Alchemy, to explore the powerful connection between the unconscious mind, emotional patterns, and physical illness. Leigh Ann shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 25 and how that experience led her to discover and ultimately dedicate her work to EVOX therapy, a modality focused on the emotional and energetic contributors to illness.

Leigh Ann breaks down what EVOX therapy actually is, explaining how voice mapping identifies imbalanced emotions through vocal tones and how biofeedback frequencies help regulate the nervous system and support emotional release. She discusses why nervous system regulation is critical when working through trauma and chronic illness, and why talk therapy alone can sometimes feel slow or incomplete when the body remains in a stress response.

The conversation dives deep into unconscious narratives, safety, and how early life experiences can shape belief systems that quietly run our behaviours, health patterns, and even our ability to heal. Leigh Ann explains how unmetabolized emotions, looping thought patterns, and displaced pain can manifest as illness, and why healing requires more than positive thinking or affirmations. Together, they explore how illness can sometimes serve as a messenger or coping mechanism, offering insight into what the body and psyche may be asking for beneath the surface.

Throughout the episode, Leigh Ann emphasizes a “no stone unturned” approach to healing, blending EVOX therapy with depth psychology to help clients move through emotional blockages, rewire old neural pathways, and create a sense of safety within the body. She also shares how her Healing Alchemy membership and resources make this work more accessible for people navigating cancer, chronic illness, and long-standing emotional patterns.

This episode offers a compassionate, grounded, and deeply insightful look at healing that honors the mind, body, and spirit as an integrated whole.

Find Leigh Ann Lindsey on instagram here

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For any further information, feel free to email us at info@vagusclinic.com. Our team is happy to help. We offer 20-minute complimentary health calls, and you can sign up for one here.

In this episode of the What Happens in Vagus podcast, Dr. Stephanie Canestraro sits down with nurse Emma Robertson to explore her journey from high functioning perfectionism to a full nervous system crash and eventual recovery. With a background in human anatomy and frontline healthcare, Emma shares both the clinical and deeply personal realities of living with dysautonomia and chronic nervous system dysregulation.

Emma’s symptoms began after graduating university and starting an intense nursing job that left her overworked, under fueled, and ignoring early warning signs like gut issues, rashes, and anxiety. Over time, a combination of stress, restrictive eating, nutrient depletion, and environmental and immune stressors pushed her system past its limit, leading to a sudden and frightening escalation of symptoms.

She describes experiencing hyperadrenergic POTS, heart rhythm disturbances, constant panic, severe digestive dysfunction, blood sugar crashes, insomnia, dizziness, and exercise and heat intolerance. Many of her symptoms were misattributed to anxiety, leaving her feeling hijacked by her own body.

Emma and Dr. Canestraro discuss the tools that supported her healing, including adequate nutrition, frequent meals, electrolytes, binders, gentle movement, lymphatic support, nervous system regulation, and mindset shifts rooted in safety and trust. Emma also shares what did not help, including extreme diets, fasting, and electrical vagal nerve stimulation, which worsened her symptoms.

This episode offers insight, validation, and hope for anyone navigating dysautonomia, chronic illness, or nervous system overload, and emphasizes that healing often begins by slowing down, nourishing the body, and learning to listen to its signals.

Let us know your thoughts on this episode here

For any further information, feel free to email us at info@vagusclinic.com. Our team is happy to help. We offer 20-minute complimentary health calls, and you can sign up for one here.