September 2, 2025 • 26 mins
What if dry skin, headaches or exhaustion weren’t just annoying symptoms, but messages your body’s trying to send? In this two-part episode, we sit down with Dr Anthea Todd, women’s health expert and author of What’s My Body Telling Me, to explore the space between: that frustrating place where test results are “normal,” but you still don’t feel well.
Drawing from her background in chiropractic care, women’s health and functional medicine, Anthea shares why common doesn’t mean normal and how conventional healthcare often overlooks chronic, low-grade symptoms. Her Fundamentals Framework flips the script: focus on what every cell in your body needs, through four pillars - nervous system, metabolism, nutrients, and blood sugars.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we explore how to bring this framework to life.
Language warning: This episode contains occasional strong language.
Special offers from Dr Anthea Todd:
• Get 10% off your own hair test with code CMR at femalefundamentals.com.au/test-your-female-fundamentals
• Receive 50% off Anthea's Practitioner Training Program (discount already applied at checkout): Practitioner Training
Follow Anthea on Instagram and TikTok.
It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr CEO Sam Miklos, alongside Head of Talent and Employer Branding, Kate Coomber.
We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso.
Get to know cmr better!
Follow @ittakesheartpodcast on Instagram, @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment on Linked In, @cornerstonemedicalrec on TikTok and @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment on Facebook.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kate Coomber (00:00):
We're so excited to have this episode out with Dr
Anthea Todd.
Since reading her book what'smy Body Telling Me, we have been
obsessed.
Have you ever found yourselfstuck in the space between your?
Anthea Todd (00:10):
body is telling you with these symptoms.
We've become disconnected, wedon't trust it.
And then we have the littlewarning signs and they build up
and then we don't really knowwhat to do with them.
Or they might be welcome to thespace between.
This is sort of like thewellness space, which has no
order.
Sam Miklos (00:23):
Like what do you do when?
Anthea Todd (00:24):
you're in the loss in the space between You've been
to the doctor.
You have fatigue.
They say nothing wrong withyour thyroid.
You don't have an infection,your iron's fine.
I've done all the tests Great,no, thank goodness, cancers.
Sam Miklos (00:37):
Now what?
Where does it leave you?
There was so much informationthat we had to cut it across two
episodes.
Your body has never been theproblem.
It's always been the solution.
Stay tuned to find out how.
Kate Coomber (00:48):
Don't forget to hit follow and subscribe so you
never miss an episode.
And if you want to see more ofbehind the scenes with this
particular episode, definitelyhop over to it Takes Heart.
On Instagram.
You may even see Sam riding askateboard.
Sam Miklos (01:12):
So Dr Anthea Todd is a women's health expert with a
background in chiropractics.
She's a podcast host, a keenskateboarder and best-selling
author of what's my Body TellingMe.
She's the founder of theFundamentals Framework helping
women see their symptoms asmessages, not problems.
Helping women see theirsymptoms as messages, not
problems.
With a dual master's in women'shealth medicine and
reproductive medicine, antheablends science, functional care
and energetic wisdom.
Her fundamentals framework istransforming how we experience
(01:35):
healthcare.
We have so much to talk to youabout that this might end up
over like a part A and a part B,but welcomed, it takes heart.
Can I just say when I startedthe book book, I had to check
because the first, the firstchapter is my mum always says
never go straight for theclitoris.
Now, my mum always said if youtell a lie, we'll catch you out.
(01:56):
So I feel like we had differentexperiences growing up.
Why, what does that mean andhow does that reference to?
What's my body telling me?
Anthea Todd (02:03):
so it's.
It's, I think, believed it'sfrom um john cleese, who's like
the monty python so I think sheshe didn't make it up, but she's
like would use it and shetrains a lot of health
practitioners.
They have a chiropracticbusiness.
So she would often say to newgrads starting, you know what's
going on, but like, don't justgo straight into the patient
(02:24):
like this is what's going on.
We need to do this, like youneed to warm up the environment.
Yes, same as yes straight forthe clitoris.
Yes, and you have to get all ofthe different wisdom coming in.
Yeah, and that's what it reallymeans is like listening in lots
of different ways to what thebody's actually trying to tell
you, not just like that's what,it is, quick fix, just do that.
It's like actually no, thatdoesn't get you the pleasure.
Kate Coomber (02:46):
Yes, yeah.
So I remember I was liketexting you going have you
started yet We've got the rightbook.
Sam Miklos (02:53):
I was like I'm still on the first page.
Kate Coomber (02:56):
So something that really resonated with me was
when you talked about Jane earlyon in the book and all of the
symptoms that we just fix and wewill have them, we go straight
to so you know, you've got aheadache, we jump straight to
paracetamol.
You've got dry skin, we'rechucking moisturiser on.
You know, scaly scalp,anti-dandruff Tired coffee.
Sam Miklos (03:15):
I'm exhausted.
Oh, I need to wind down.
I need a drink, All the things.
Which is that straight to theclitoris?
Or as we go straight, we thinkwe know what it is.
Kate Coomber (03:22):
Why do we do that?
Anthea Todd (03:25):
Oh, that could be an existential question, but I
think we are conditioned to notbe in any pain or discomfort, or
we see it as a bad thinginstead of seeing it as oh, this
is my body trying to tell mesomething.
Like being curious as opposedto like run away from this
discomfort.
It's not good.
Your body is the problem.
But when we actually flip itand we go oh, we get curious.
(03:49):
We go, oh, actually it's tryingto tell me something.
And that's where I help peoplelisten to their body differently
, using those different methods,because sometimes it's like OK,
well, for instance, with aheadache and paracetamol, maybe
you have a really importantmeeting and you cannot focus and
you need to have that Great.
But also you need to thenconsider why did I have the
headache in the first place?
Like, is my body actuallysaying whatever's in this
meeting I really don't want todo?
Kate Coomber (04:10):
So is it that we're really busy as well and we
almost have to get the quickfixes because we are going into
the next meeting or we're doingsomething and we need to be able
to be on, and so we're findingthe quick fixes?
Sam Miklos (04:21):
Or is it also because sometimes those little
things, if I was like dry skin,I wouldn't go to the doctor or I
wouldn't think to go and speakto someone about that, you just
think?
Anthea Todd (04:31):
Or because you think it's normal?
Sam Miklos (04:33):
Yes, and we're functioning.
Anthea Todd (04:34):
Yeah, because so many people have it.
Kate Coomber (04:36):
That's right.
Anthea Todd (04:37):
It's the difference between common and normal and
dry skin.
It's not life-threateningExactly dry skin.
It's not life-threatening,exactly like.
Medical doctors are amazing.
You go to them if you havesomething that's
life-threatening and you needmedication or surgery for, and
we know that subconsciously.
So you're like this dry skin,it's not killing me, it's fine.
But then, like if your skingets really bad and it's red,
raw, and you can't think, youcan't sleep, you can't do
(04:58):
anything with that.
It's like, well, I'm going togo to the doctor, yeah, but
maybe there was little whispersbefore that that you missed
because you thought they werenormal, because they were so
common.
So this is where we need tounderstand actually what the
baseline of health is and likewhat is actually normal and
feeling amazing and havingenergy coming from within you is
(05:20):
actually the norm.
But so many people don't feellike that.
Like if you jumped out of bedin the morning being like, wow,
so excited, like today's gonnabe amazing and you've got so
much energy, you be like what isthis person?
Sam Miklos (05:29):
on, like some people might even go.
Anthea Todd (05:31):
Does this person have a brain tumor like?
What's actually happening, liketheir person, like that doesn't
make any sense.
Yeah, which is crazy yeah itjust goes to show how messed up
society is.
That it's like, oh my gosh,okay.
Well, if you are going to jumpout of bed like that, then you
better make sure that you haveyour red lenses at night time.
You've done your infrared, youget up for circadian health and
make sure you don't have coffeeuntil it's this time, and then
(05:52):
you're eating this and you'rejust like looking after your
body just feels like a full-timejob.
Kate Coomber (05:58):
It kind of does yeah, I can resonate with that.
Yeah, feeling like it's toohard to start so yeah, and I
think because that's what reallyI got from the book is just
because it's common doesn't meanit's normal which has made me
just kind of reframe everythingof everything we've ever
experienced.
Like everyone I know is goingthrough the same thing yeah,
(06:19):
what?
Anthea Todd (06:19):
and particularly for women, it's like where do
you get your education on whatyour period's meant to be?
Sam Miklos (06:22):
oh, my mum had heavy painful periods yes that's what
it is.
Anthea Todd (06:26):
Yeah, that's normal .
And you could go into the wholehistory of lack of research and
medical fields and being gaslitand all these different things
that basically just go.
Well, your body's the problemand we need to fix it by giving
you this quick thing like let'scut that out, let's give you
this pill, let's do that andthat's what's going to fix it,
and just be quiet.
Sam Miklos (06:44):
But if it doesn't show up on a test, then there's
nothing wrong it's like and theother thing you talk about too
is that concept with a spacebetween where we might not feel
great and then we go and haveblood tests and everything comes
back and it's okay yeah Iremember being told it's like
I'm tired and we did all theblood.
Kate Coomber (07:01):
and then you, you get result and I remember just
feeling what do you mean?
That there isn't a quick fix.
It's like, well, you've gotkids, yeah.
Sam Miklos (07:09):
You work full time.
You've got two kids.
Kate Coomber (07:10):
You're busy.
That's the diagnosis.
Yeah, you've got kids.
Anthea Todd (07:14):
And then it ingrained you into thinking like
well then, but I really love mykids and I love my family and I
love what I'm doing.
Why do I feel?
Kate Coomber (07:22):
so drained.
Anthea Todd (07:22):
Does that mean I have to give up one of them and
then I can't live?
Kate Coomber (07:25):
the life that I wanna live, but then also, on
the flip of that, almost hopingthat there was something 100% so
that I could take medicine andfeel better.
You want a diagnosis.
How weird is that?
Give me a diagnosis.
Anthea Todd (07:36):
Give me the diagnosis, and that's what the
space between is.
The space between is where youhave symptoms, or you have a
diagnosis but no answers.
So they might give you like oh,you have chronic fatigue
syndrome.
Yeah, you have fibromyalgia,you have whatever.
It's like multiple sclerosismaybe.
(07:57):
Like, put any diagnosis of achronic condition, yeah, but why
do I have it?
You've given me the diagnosis.
Now, if we think about how themedical field is set up, give a
diagnosis so then we can putdifferent codes in for funding
and we can also give you amedication which is I'm not
saying that it's, I'm notnegating the medical system.
(08:17):
It is amazing and so helpfulwhen you need it.
But if you're someone that'slike okay, I got this diagnosis
and initially I felt greatbecause I was like okay, I'm not
going crazy, yeah.
But then I'm left going.
But why?
Sam Miklos (08:29):
Is that even happening?
Like what do I even?
Anthea Todd (08:31):
do Like I don't want to be destined for a
lifetime of medication becausethat's really what I'm being
told is there and there's no.
Oh, you're going to get better.
It's just like this is whatwe're managing and this is who
you are, and then we can go intothe whole psychology of well,
now you have an identity aroundthat diagnosis, and then that's
fulfilling that same prophecy.
So there's this whole thing ofgoing okay, if you have a
(08:53):
diagnosis and no answers, or youhave symptoms and no diagnosis,
that means you're lost in thespace between.
So that's where we need to lookat your body through a
different lens.
Kate Coomber (09:03):
How do we do that?
You know, when you've got.
We're trying to put our trustin the medical professionals
that we're seeing, but maybe, asyou said, it's all having to go
to a code and how to build, andit's all based on the system
what do you do?
Well, this is what I, this iswhy I do, and you are one person
.
Anthea Todd (09:23):
Yeah, you know, it's this it's.
The system is great for acertain type of person, but it's
letting down a vast majority ofpeople.
So I started my career as achiropractor.
Both my parents arechiropractors.
Amazing, I always wanted to beone from when I was like four
years of age.
I found this letter that Iwrote to myself in very
beautiful handwriting that Icould hardly make out.
(09:44):
So I thought this is going to beamazing.
Started working Was great.
I went through cycles ofburnout because I was very busy
and all the different things.
But I realised I'm like, okay,I get these people that are
coming in with, say, hormonalmigraines or heavy periods or
gut issues, can't sleep dry skinInsert the symptom.
Sam Miklos (10:02):
Yeah.
Anthea Todd (10:02):
And they're not something that you typically go
to your chiropractor for, likeyou're not going to your
chiropractor for, like you'renot going to your chiropractor
for dry skin.
They're also what you saidearlier.
They're little whispers, yeah,but as a chiropractor and from
my upbringing, my mentality- hasalways been oh, what's your
body trying to tell you?
Like we would be driving Imentioned in the book like we'd
be driving down the main streetof melbourne.
(10:23):
Yeah, my parents would be likethat person.
What's going on with them?
And and?
Kate Coomber (10:27):
you'd be like oh, they've got an L5 nerve root
lesion, I've got a foot drophere and I've got this and it's
like, oh okay, like bring meanother case.
Sam Miklos (10:33):
Like I'd love it.
Anthea Todd (10:34):
Four of my five siblings are chiropractors and
one isn't, so we obviously allsort of liked it.
Kate Coomber (10:40):
That's hilarious.
You know we're playing spottoin my car.
We did all the things.
They've progressed.
Anthea Todd (10:46):
Diagnose the person .
Yeah, I found that I was like,okay, there's these people that
are lost in this space between,because they would come in with
these issues.
And I'd say, okay, I'm going todo what I was trained in and
I'm going to refer you to yourmedical doctor to go get tests
done.
We have to see whether you'reiron deficient or what's
happening with your thyroid orall these different things.
And the majority of timespeople would come back and say
(11:11):
they said there was nothingwrong.
And I would see the look ofdefeat on the patient's face and
I'd be like, well, I know thatthere's something going on and
you know, but I don't haveanswers for you.
I need to figure this out.
And then it's like you'relistening to podcasts, reading
books, trying to figure it out.
And then I was like, okay, I'mgonna go study medicine.
I'm gonna study that because Iwas living in a country town in
Victoria and I thought, well,maybe you know, we don't get
(11:33):
like the biggest and brightestmedical people down here, like
it's not like a sought afterplace that you want to go work
at, so maybe they just don'tknow what they're talking about,
which is a very that's not atall the case.
They're very, very bright andsmart.
But when I went and studied onthe medical side, it made me
realise, oh, just, the wholesystem's broken.
These people are so incredibleand amazing, like if I was
(11:55):
bleeding persistently and Icouldn't stop it.
And, yes, I needed to addresswhy that was happening, but for
the time being, I need to stopit Absolutely.
Like I need to go see someonethat can give me a medication or
a surgery to do that.
That's great, great.
But what I learned from thatside was that what I was taught
is oh yes, these are theparameters for this diagnosis.
If that, if I don't fit that,then there's no issue, or they
(12:18):
need to consider seeingpsychologists.
Like it's in your head in a wayI'm like, okay, that doesn't
make any sense, no, and that'sawful yeah, to experience but
that's that what I was like itwas just a really like oh okay,
like I get to see both sides,like how I was trained as a
chiropractor, and like theinnate wisdom of the body and
how amazing it is and how whatwe do is we basically remove
(12:40):
interference, so then the bodycan function how it needs to.
And then, on the other side,the undertone was oh okay, we
can help people when they'rereally bad, in this case but
then if they don't need us, thenthere's nothing wrong.
But really it's sort of likewell, we don't actually want to
need you unless, like, we'vebeen in an accident or something
.
So this is where, societally,like, you could go into so much
(13:03):
detail, but I think havingmedicine as the pinnacle and
like the top thing is like yes,they will always know.
I think is dangerous, becauseif you've had a car accident,
absolutely do not go to yourchiropractor, do not go to your
naturopath.
Sam Miklos (13:17):
That is a dumb decision.
Anthea Todd (13:18):
Right, go to your medical doctor.
But it's like oh, if you havefatigue, tiredness, and your
doctor says that there's nothingwrong, it doesn't mean there's
nothing wrong, it means you sawthe wrong person.
It's like when you're buildinga house and the toilet's clogged
, you don't call the painter.
Yeah, you need to call thespecialist.
The painter's amazing, theplumber's amazing.
But we need to understand whowe need when.
(13:39):
And I think that's where thesystem lets us down.
But also we let ourselves downbecause we're not listening to
our body and trusting it.
Sam Miklos (13:46):
And we're probably not having enough conversations,
though, like this that wouldencourage someone to listen to
their body.
Anthea Todd (13:52):
Yeah.
Sam Miklos (13:52):
Because that's a really different concept, even
the older generations.
Anthea Todd (13:55):
Yeah.
Kate Coomber (13:57):
You know toughen up and off, you go and move on,
or have a lie down, all thosethings.
It's a really different concept.
What do you think about thisprofession?
Do they know as much about this, and is it part of the degree?
Not necessarily no, as muchabout this, and are they?
Is it part of?
Sam Miklos (14:07):
Are they open to this?
Is it part of the degree?
Anthea Todd (14:08):
and is it?
You know Not necessarily no.
Kate Coomber (14:11):
Because I've spoke about nutrition.
Yes, With doctors in the past.
Just family, friends and, youknow, barbecues and things.
Anthea Todd (14:18):
Well, it's not what they're trained in.
It's sort of like saying to aplumber well, how would you
paint that architrave and do?
Sam Miklos (14:25):
this they oh, I can sort of tell you because I've
been around but like tell me howto plumb a toilet in Okay,
great.
Anthea Todd (14:31):
So it's knowing who the right person is at that
time, like you want someone whois going to be able to care for
you when you need them in thatspace.
And I think it is also thepressure put on medical doctors
too, like from a societalstandpoint of, well, you have to
know the answer, fix me.
So then, if you're like, okay,well, I have to find the answer,
and if I am always the one thatknows the answer and I have to
(14:54):
uphold that image from societythat's been put on me, and I've
done all the tests, I've doneall the things that I've been
trained in there's nothing onthere.
It must just be that there'snothing wrong, because I'm the
one that always knows, not thatthey necessarily internally have
that, but they mightinternalise that pressure from
society.
So there's a lot of thismisconstrued perceptions on this
(15:16):
person is going to tell youexactly what it is.
But really, what I try and doand help people with is you know
, your body is telling you withthese symptoms.
It's been telling you all along.
It's just we've becomedisconnected, we don't trust it,
and then we have the littlewarning signs and they build up
and then we don't really knowwhat to do with them, or they
might be welcome to the spacebetween.
This is sort of like thewellness space which has no
(15:38):
order like what do you do whenyou're?
in the lost in the space betweenyeah you've been to the doctor.
You have fatigue.
They say nothing wrong withyour thyroid, you don't have an
infection, your iron's fine.
I've done all the tests.
Great, no, thank goodness,cancers.
Sam Miklos (15:52):
Now what?
Where does it?
Anthea Todd (15:53):
leave you.
And then you're like, okay,cool, chat, gpt, naturopath,
chiropractor, osteo, chinesemedicine, and it's all amazing.
I'm not saying that we needthat.
Kate Coomber (16:03):
It's confusing to say where do we start.
It's like where do.
Anthea Todd (16:06):
I go and oh, okay, but someone told me it was my
gut and like do I need to do adetox or it could be a parasite
that I picked up in Bali?
Sam Miklos (16:12):
That's exactly right .
What about mold?
Is it heavy metals?
Anthea Todd (16:14):
It's like holy shit , I have fucking whiplash.
Sam Miklos (16:17):
I don't know if you can swear on this, but literally
Whiplash is exactly it.
It's yeah, so if go, all right,well, I'm in that space.
What do they look up for?
Who do they see?
Is it a doctor?
That's something like what isthe specialty that they should
be looking for?
Anthea Todd (16:35):
And this is exactly where I found myself.
When I was both personally, butalso after I'd studied the
medical side, I was like, okay,I'm missing a gap here.
Sam Miklos (16:44):
You were in the space between.
Anthea Todd (16:45):
I'm missing a gap.
I'm like, okay, I've learnedthat side.
That's really great.
I'm very I love now that I know, okay, when someone hits these
things they need medicationalsurgery.
And I know that.
Now I'm not like, oh, I'm a bitfoggy.
Is it just that their GPdoesn't really know when I need
to refer them to another GP, orthey actually just don't need
the medical side.
Then I was like, okay, so then Iwent and studied functional
(17:06):
medicine like okay because oftenmost people, when they're lost
in that space between, might goI need to go to see an
integrative doctor.
I have I don't know about youguys, but I have a lot of
friends now that are like oh, doyou know an integrative
gynecologist, an integrative GP,an integrative?
I'm like everyone should beintegrative, like that should be
(17:26):
functional health so functionalhealth.
That's sort of like the otherlens that I do.
So I use this framework foranyone that is feeling lost in
the space between.
I use this fundamentalsframework, which is what I've
put together from all of mystudy across the fields.
So, basically, you have anissue and it might be something
that is like really causing alot of distress for you.
(17:47):
So it's not necessarily the dryskin.
It might be like it's the dryskin that keeps me up at night
and I can't stop scratching andall the things right.
So we might go, okay, well, I'mgonna go see the doctor.
It might be a new thing that'sout of the ordinary, or it might
be something that's been thereand it's not going away and
you're like, oh, I'm just a bitconcerned about this.
You go see the doctor, they runthe tests.
Hopefully there's nothing wrong.
We actually want there to be nodiagnosis from them, because if
(18:10):
there is, then they go, okay,well, your symptoms are bad
enough to need medication orsurgery.
So we don't want that ideally,particularly when we're talking
about chronic things, and thenwe're lost in that space between
.
So then we use the functionallens, and this is where it's.
Who do you see?
The naturopath, the Chinesemedicine, all the things.
This is where we we become incontrol of our own health.
(18:31):
We're the decision maker.
We're not like, oh my gosh, I'mjust flying at a whim of my
Instagram algorithm and tryingall these different things so
imagine your algorithm so muchmore is accessible now, like
this, yeah that's actually areally good point, because it is
.
Kate Coomber (18:46):
It's flooded with.
And how is no?
Do it this way.
No, don't eat carbs.
Sam Miklos (18:50):
Yes, eat carbs don't eat protein like the amount of
things you send me the gcs.
Anthea Todd (18:53):
Do that yeah so this is why we come back to the
fundamentals.
So what I learned from thefunctional medicine side is it's
amazing.
But also you can get likespecialties in that, like you
could specialize in themicrobiome, you could specialize
in endocrinology, you couldspecialize in like we.
Again, then, we're beingintegrative because we're
looking at basically functionalis we're looking at all the
(19:14):
systems and how they tie intogether.
Like what does your body, whatdoes your physical body actually
need?
That's what we want, becausethat's how it functions.
It's sort of like how does yourcar function?
yeah, well, we need to make surethat the car has everything it
needs to function.
So that's the same with yourbody, and it can be overwhelming
because you're like, okay, well, maybe it is.
Do I need to look after mythyroid?
Or what about my sleep?
Or is it my gut function?
(19:35):
Or what's happening with allstress?
right, and then you're stressedthinking about what the hell is
going to do so this is where Icame up with the four
fundamentals to help with that,because what we're doing is
we're not going into okay, it'sthe thyroid, or it's my adrenal
glands, or it's my gut what areall those things made of?
Kate Coomber (19:56):
yes, so what?
Can you talk us through those?
So you've got what are the fourfundamentals?
Yes, part of the framework.
Anthea Todd (20:01):
Yes, so all of those components of your body
are made of cells.
That's it.
So I just want you to think ofokay, if I could give my cells
exactly what they needed?
And this comes back to yourbody literally is the solution,
not the problem?
If you can give your cellsexactly what they need, then you
move out of the body's way andknows what to do.
So those four things that itneeds is to balance your nervous
(20:22):
system, metabolism, nutrientsand blood sugars.
So those are the fourfundamentals.
When you can care for them, thebody has what it needs, the
cells have what they need.
So then everything works inunison, because sometimes and
your instagram algorithm mightbe filled with do this vagal
nerve reset.
Everything's to do with yournervous system.
It's all to do with yournervous system.
Everything is that.
(20:42):
Don't worry about anything else.
Anyone else is saying yeah thenyou might have it with like it's
fasting, everything is fasting,or it might be, like glucose.
Goddess, everything is bloodsugars.
It's light, everything is light.
It's like.
Actually your cells need thesefour core things because they
all interact with each other.
You could be gandhi and likethe coolest cucumber so chill,
(21:04):
so calm.
Your nervous system is soregulated you have lots of
distance between your stimulusand response.
Amazing.
But what happens if you'reinside all day, haven't ever
seen any sunlight?
What happens if you're nothydrated properly?
Kate Coomber (21:18):
So you can't just focus on one.
You have to have all fourbecause they all impact each
other.
Anthea Todd (21:23):
What happens when you're stressed?
Your body goes.
We better mobilize fuel to beable to combat whatever this
stress is.
It might be that you have astressful meeting, it might be
that you haven't slept well.
It might be that there's aliteral tiger in the corner, so
your blood sugars go up.
That is literally what our bodydoes to adapt.
So our body is always adapting.
We want that, but when wesupport all four of them
(21:44):
together, that is when our cellshave what they need, because we
could be missing one and theother ones are adapting to try
and compensate for that one.
Well, sometimes you could bemissing all four if you're not
supporting them, yeah, and ifyou are missing all four, to
combat that overwhelm like wheredo you start?
Sam Miklos (22:00):
Can you pick one to combat that overwhelm Like where
do you start?
Anthea Todd (22:03):
Can you pick one?
Can you chip away at one?
Yeah Well, that's often.
This is where I've, sincelaunching the book last year,
I've been working with patientswith this and I'm seeing what
works and what doesn't work,because some people are like I'm
full in gun in Give meeverything.
Sam Miklos (22:15):
Sounds like you.
Kate Coomber (22:17):
Let's do it all, which is I'm like I could only
do one right now Just drip, feeda few.
Anthea Todd (22:21):
So, with behavioural change and how our
brain works as well, we need todo things that are sustainable,
because a lot of the times whenyou're like give me everything.
Yes, I'm like pumped up thisthing that I've been feeling I'm
so annoyed I'll do anything tochange it.
And then what happens a yearlater?
Yeah, it's so.
It's about having your life.
Your fundamentals are balancedin your life.
(22:42):
It's not something again thatfeels like a full-time job.
It's just the way that you'veset up your life is in alignment
with these, and that's a bigreset.
Kate Coomber (22:50):
Yeah, so you just do one thing at a time To even
think about that.
Anthea Todd (22:53):
Yeah, because it's your life.
Like what are we rushingtowards the?
End of what your life?
It's a journey.
Your life just, it's a journey.
We just do one thing at a time.
So I have a quiz, sort of aconditional logic quiz, that
helps people understand whatwould be their main fundamental,
that's contributing to them,and also hair testing.
I do a lot of hair testing,which you girls have done as
well, but you'll be able to seethen objectively.
(23:17):
oh okay, this is the mainfundamental of mine.
That is the one at play, andI've done five hair tests myself
over the last four years andthe first one I got I was like,
oh, I've got these.
Really high levels of mine wasreally high copper.
We don't have to get into thedetails.
But I was like I'm gung-ho, I'mgoing to get rid of them.
Kate Coomber (23:34):
Give me all the supplements, give me the vitamin
C infusions, give me all thisdifferent stuff, Because also
when you're like a certain typeof personality, you know whether
you're A-types, you're likeI've got to win, yeah, I've got
to do it, let's go.
Anthea Todd (23:44):
And I've got to bring this back into check and
I've got to be great and I'vegot to score an A.
Sam Miklos (23:48):
I wouldn't say that I'm an A-type but yeah, you
might not be but I am.
But yes, it's sort of like Ijust want to get rid of yes, oh,
I failed, so hang on a second,let's just stop for a minute.
Anthea Todd (24:05):
So why do we do a hair test and how is that
different to a blood test?
Great question.
So blood test for the vastmajority of blood tests.
There are some exceptions, likea HbA1c for blood sugars, a
snapshot in time.
They're like okay, what'shappening right now?
You could take it in themorning, you could take it at
night, it's the same thing.
You could take it after food,like we know that there's a lot
of blood tests that we have tobe fasted for.
Yes, because that's going toimpact what the levels are doing
.
So it's looking at snapshottingtime.
(24:26):
So if you're really bad, likeyou're out of the parameters,
it's not going to matter whenyou take it.
It's like well, yeah, you reallyneed medication or surgery but
if there's these patterns thatare going on underneath the
surface, that we're missing, thewhispers, the functional side,
the things that we think of asnormal because they're so common
Then but we're sort of like, ohokay, this is sort of getting a
(24:47):
bit more annoying.
This is where a hair test canbe great, because if you think
about your hair follicle growsfrom a blood supply so it's
exposed to your blood, but it'ssort of like a record tape of
what's been going on in yourblood for the last three months,
because you take threecentimetres closest to the scalp
so it's looking at, okay,what's actually been going on in
(25:07):
my blood for the last threemonths, an average.
So then it's not just likesnapshot in time that can tweak
and change.
So this is where we can reallysee strong patterns and it
doesn't say like this is yourinsulin level, this is your
estrogen level.
It's not looking at that, it'slooking at what's underneath
that, because that's actuallywhat surprised me is.
Kate Coomber (25:25):
I thought it would say that.
Anthea Todd (25:27):
Well, it does, but when you understand how to read
it?
Kate Coomber (25:30):
Not in language that I understood.
Anthea Todd (25:31):
But that's the thing, right, Lots of people
will say to me.
So it's going to tell me myestrogen levels.
It's going to tell me whyestrogen levels are doing what
they're doing.
Because, for instance, estrogen, where's it released from,
largely, the ovary, okay, great,but how does estrogen get
released?
Well, there's this connectionbetween the brain and the ovary
and all the organs in betweenthe adrenal glands, the liver,
(25:53):
the gut, the pancreas.
All of them have to be workingwell for that connection to be
working well and the estrogen tobe produced.
So it's not just like, oh, Ifeel like I've got estrogen
dominance and it's a hormonalthing.
I'm like, okay, cool, but why?
And this is where we look oh,okay, these are the patterns
underneath that are making thesemessages slightly tweak to make
it lower or higher.
So this is where we're lookingat what does the cell have?
(26:16):
Let's give the cell what itneeds and then all of the organs
between the brain and theovaries have what they need.
Everything's working in unison.
So we're not going, oh, it's athyroid thing, it's a this thing
, it's a this thing.
Sam Miklos (26:27):
We're taking the pieces, we're really going back
to.
Anthea Todd (26:29):
They all integrate.
Kate Coomber (26:35):
Let's just go way back to the cell and make it a
lot simpler.
Stay tuned for part two of thisconversation coming soon.
We acknowledge the traditionalcustodians of the land of which
we meet who for centuries haveshared ancient methods of
healing and cared for theircommunities.
We pay our respects to elders,past and present.
We're so excited to have this episode out with Dr
Anthea Todd.
Since reading her book what'smy Body Telling Me, we have been
obsessed.
Have you ever found yourselfstuck in the space between your?
Anthea Todd (00:10):
body is telling you with these symptoms.
We've become disconnected, wedon't trust it.
And then we have the littlewarning signs and they build up
and then we don't really knowwhat to do with them.
Or they might be welcome to thespace between.
This is sort of like thewellness space, which has no
order.
Sam Miklos (00:23):
Like what do you do when?
Anthea Todd (00:24):
you're in the loss in the space between You've been
to the doctor.
You have fatigue.
They say nothing wrong withyour thyroid.
You don't have an infection,your iron's fine.
I've done all the tests Great,no, thank goodness, cancers.
Sam Miklos (00:37):
Now what?
Where does it leave you?
There was so much informationthat we had to cut it across two
episodes.
Your body has never been theproblem.
It's always been the solution.
Stay tuned to find out how.
Kate Coomber (00:48):
Don't forget to hit follow and subscribe so you
never miss an episode.
And if you want to see more ofbehind the scenes with this
particular episode, definitelyhop over to it Takes Heart.
On Instagram.
You may even see Sam riding askateboard.
Sam Miklos (01:12):
So Dr Anthea Todd is a women's health expert with a
background in chiropractics.
She's a podcast host, a keenskateboarder and best-selling
author of what's my Body TellingMe.
She's the founder of theFundamentals Framework helping
women see their symptoms asmessages, not problems.
Helping women see theirsymptoms as messages, not
problems.
With a dual master's in women'shealth medicine and
reproductive medicine, antheablends science, functional care
and energetic wisdom.
Her fundamentals framework istransforming how we experience
(01:35):
healthcare.
We have so much to talk to youabout that this might end up
over like a part A and a part B,but welcomed, it takes heart.
Can I just say when I startedthe book book, I had to check
because the first, the firstchapter is my mum always says
never go straight for theclitoris.
Now, my mum always said if youtell a lie, we'll catch you out.
(01:56):
So I feel like we had differentexperiences growing up.
Why, what does that mean andhow does that reference to?
What's my body telling me?
Anthea Todd (02:03):
so it's.
It's, I think, believed it'sfrom um john cleese, who's like
the monty python so I think sheshe didn't make it up, but she's
like would use it and shetrains a lot of health
practitioners.
They have a chiropracticbusiness.
So she would often say to newgrads starting, you know what's
going on, but like, don't justgo straight into the patient
(02:24):
like this is what's going on.
We need to do this, like youneed to warm up the environment.
Yes, same as yes straight forthe clitoris.
Yes, and you have to get all ofthe different wisdom coming in.
Yeah, and that's what it reallymeans is like listening in lots
of different ways to what thebody's actually trying to tell
you, not just like that's what,it is, quick fix, just do that.
It's like actually no, thatdoesn't get you the pleasure.
Kate Coomber (02:46):
Yes, yeah.
So I remember I was liketexting you going have you
started yet We've got the rightbook.
Sam Miklos (02:53):
I was like I'm still on the first page.
Kate Coomber (02:56):
So something that really resonated with me was
when you talked about Jane earlyon in the book and all of the
symptoms that we just fix and wewill have them, we go straight
to so you know, you've got aheadache, we jump straight to
paracetamol.
You've got dry skin, we'rechucking moisturiser on.
You know, scaly scalp,anti-dandruff Tired coffee.
Sam Miklos (03:15):
I'm exhausted.
Oh, I need to wind down.
I need a drink, All the things.
Which is that straight to theclitoris?
Or as we go straight, we thinkwe know what it is.
Kate Coomber (03:22):
Why do we do that?
Anthea Todd (03:25):
Oh, that could be an existential question, but I
think we are conditioned to notbe in any pain or discomfort, or
we see it as a bad thinginstead of seeing it as oh, this
is my body trying to tell mesomething.
Like being curious as opposedto like run away from this
discomfort.
It's not good.
Your body is the problem.
But when we actually flip itand we go oh, we get curious.
(03:49):
We go, oh, actually it's tryingto tell me something.
And that's where I help peoplelisten to their body differently
, using those different methods,because sometimes it's like OK,
well, for instance, with aheadache and paracetamol, maybe
you have a really importantmeeting and you cannot focus and
you need to have that Great.
But also you need to thenconsider why did I have the
headache in the first place?
Like, is my body actuallysaying whatever's in this
meeting I really don't want todo?
Kate Coomber (04:10):
So is it that we're really busy as well and we
almost have to get the quickfixes because we are going into
the next meeting or we're doingsomething and we need to be able
to be on, and so we're findingthe quick fixes?
Sam Miklos (04:21):
Or is it also because sometimes those little
things, if I was like dry skin,I wouldn't go to the doctor or I
wouldn't think to go and speakto someone about that, you just
think?
Anthea Todd (04:31):
Or because you think it's normal?
Sam Miklos (04:33):
Yes, and we're functioning.
Anthea Todd (04:34):
Yeah, because so many people have it.
Kate Coomber (04:36):
That's right.
Anthea Todd (04:37):
It's the difference between common and normal and
dry skin.
It's not life-threateningExactly dry skin.
It's not life-threatening,exactly like.
Medical doctors are amazing.
You go to them if you havesomething that's
life-threatening and you needmedication or surgery for, and
we know that subconsciously.
So you're like this dry skin,it's not killing me, it's fine.
But then, like if your skingets really bad and it's red,
raw, and you can't think, youcan't sleep, you can't do
(04:58):
anything with that.
It's like, well, I'm going togo to the doctor, yeah, but
maybe there was little whispersbefore that that you missed
because you thought they werenormal, because they were so
common.
So this is where we need tounderstand actually what the
baseline of health is and likewhat is actually normal and
feeling amazing and havingenergy coming from within you is
(05:20):
actually the norm.
But so many people don't feellike that.
Like if you jumped out of bedin the morning being like, wow,
so excited, like today's gonnabe amazing and you've got so
much energy, you be like what isthis person?
Sam Miklos (05:29):
on, like some people might even go.
Anthea Todd (05:31):
Does this person have a brain tumor like?
What's actually happening, liketheir person, like that doesn't
make any sense.
Yeah, which is crazy yeah itjust goes to show how messed up
society is.
That it's like, oh my gosh,okay.
Well, if you are going to jumpout of bed like that, then you
better make sure that you haveyour red lenses at night time.
You've done your infrared, youget up for circadian health and
make sure you don't have coffeeuntil it's this time, and then
(05:52):
you're eating this and you'rejust like looking after your
body just feels like a full-timejob.
Kate Coomber (05:58):
It kind of does yeah, I can resonate with that.
Yeah, feeling like it's toohard to start so yeah, and I
think because that's what reallyI got from the book is just
because it's common doesn't meanit's normal which has made me
just kind of reframe everythingof everything we've ever
experienced.
Like everyone I know is goingthrough the same thing yeah,
(06:19):
what?
Anthea Todd (06:19):
and particularly for women, it's like where do
you get your education on whatyour period's meant to be?
Sam Miklos (06:22):
oh, my mum had heavy painful periods yes that's what
it is.
Anthea Todd (06:26):
Yeah, that's normal .
And you could go into the wholehistory of lack of research and
medical fields and being gaslitand all these different things
that basically just go.
Well, your body's the problemand we need to fix it by giving
you this quick thing like let'scut that out, let's give you
this pill, let's do that andthat's what's going to fix it,
and just be quiet.
Sam Miklos (06:44):
But if it doesn't show up on a test, then there's
nothing wrong it's like and theother thing you talk about too
is that concept with a spacebetween where we might not feel
great and then we go and haveblood tests and everything comes
back and it's okay yeah Iremember being told it's like
I'm tired and we did all theblood.
Kate Coomber (07:01):
and then you, you get result and I remember just
feeling what do you mean?
That there isn't a quick fix.
It's like, well, you've gotkids, yeah.
Sam Miklos (07:09):
You work full time.
You've got two kids.
Kate Coomber (07:10):
You're busy.
That's the diagnosis.
Yeah, you've got kids.
Anthea Todd (07:14):
And then it ingrained you into thinking like
well then, but I really love mykids and I love my family and I
love what I'm doing.
Why do I feel?
Kate Coomber (07:22):
so drained.
Anthea Todd (07:22):
Does that mean I have to give up one of them and
then I can't live?
Kate Coomber (07:25):
the life that I wanna live, but then also, on
the flip of that, almost hopingthat there was something 100% so
that I could take medicine andfeel better.
You want a diagnosis.
How weird is that?
Give me a diagnosis.
Anthea Todd (07:36):
Give me the diagnosis, and that's what the
space between is.
The space between is where youhave symptoms, or you have a
diagnosis but no answers.
So they might give you like oh,you have chronic fatigue
syndrome.
Yeah, you have fibromyalgia,you have whatever.
It's like multiple sclerosismaybe.
(07:57):
Like, put any diagnosis of achronic condition, yeah, but why
do I have it?
You've given me the diagnosis.
Now, if we think about how themedical field is set up, give a
diagnosis so then we can putdifferent codes in for funding
and we can also give you amedication which is I'm not
saying that it's, I'm notnegating the medical system.
(08:17):
It is amazing and so helpfulwhen you need it.
But if you're someone that'slike okay, I got this diagnosis
and initially I felt greatbecause I was like okay, I'm not
going crazy, yeah.
But then I'm left going.
But why?
Sam Miklos (08:29):
Is that even happening?
Like what do I even?
Anthea Todd (08:31):
do Like I don't want to be destined for a
lifetime of medication becausethat's really what I'm being
told is there and there's no.
Oh, you're going to get better.
It's just like this is whatwe're managing and this is who
you are, and then we can go intothe whole psychology of well,
now you have an identity aroundthat diagnosis, and then that's
fulfilling that same prophecy.
So there's this whole thing ofgoing okay, if you have a
(08:53):
diagnosis and no answers, or youhave symptoms and no diagnosis,
that means you're lost in thespace between.
So that's where we need to lookat your body through a
different lens.
Kate Coomber (09:03):
How do we do that?
You know, when you've got.
We're trying to put our trustin the medical professionals
that we're seeing, but maybe, asyou said, it's all having to go
to a code and how to build, andit's all based on the system
what do you do?
Well, this is what I, this iswhy I do, and you are one person
.
Anthea Todd (09:23):
Yeah, you know, it's this it's.
The system is great for acertain type of person, but it's
letting down a vast majority ofpeople.
So I started my career as achiropractor.
Both my parents arechiropractors.
Amazing, I always wanted to beone from when I was like four
years of age.
I found this letter that Iwrote to myself in very
beautiful handwriting that Icould hardly make out.
(09:44):
So I thought this is going to beamazing.
Started working Was great.
I went through cycles ofburnout because I was very busy
and all the different things.
But I realised I'm like, okay,I get these people that are
coming in with, say, hormonalmigraines or heavy periods or
gut issues, can't sleep dry skinInsert the symptom.
Sam Miklos (10:02):
Yeah.
Anthea Todd (10:02):
And they're not something that you typically go
to your chiropractor for, likeyou're not going to your
chiropractor for, like you'renot going to your chiropractor
for dry skin.
They're also what you saidearlier.
They're little whispers, yeah,but as a chiropractor and from
my upbringing, my mentality- hasalways been oh, what's your
body trying to tell you?
Like we would be driving Imentioned in the book like we'd
be driving down the main streetof melbourne.
(10:23):
Yeah, my parents would be likethat person.
What's going on with them?
And and?
Kate Coomber (10:27):
you'd be like oh, they've got an L5 nerve root
lesion, I've got a foot drophere and I've got this and it's
like, oh okay, like bring meanother case.
Sam Miklos (10:33):
Like I'd love it.
Anthea Todd (10:34):
Four of my five siblings are chiropractors and
one isn't, so we obviously allsort of liked it.
Kate Coomber (10:40):
That's hilarious.
You know we're playing spottoin my car.
We did all the things.
They've progressed.
Anthea Todd (10:46):
Diagnose the person .
Yeah, I found that I was like,okay, there's these people that
are lost in this space between,because they would come in with
these issues.
And I'd say, okay, I'm going todo what I was trained in and
I'm going to refer you to yourmedical doctor to go get tests
done.
We have to see whether you'reiron deficient or what's
happening with your thyroid orall these different things.
And the majority of timespeople would come back and say
(11:11):
they said there was nothingwrong.
And I would see the look ofdefeat on the patient's face and
I'd be like, well, I know thatthere's something going on and
you know, but I don't haveanswers for you.
I need to figure this out.
And then it's like you'relistening to podcasts, reading
books, trying to figure it out.
And then I was like, okay, I'mgonna go study medicine.
I'm gonna study that because Iwas living in a country town in
Victoria and I thought, well,maybe you know, we don't get
(11:33):
like the biggest and brightestmedical people down here, like
it's not like a sought afterplace that you want to go work
at, so maybe they just don'tknow what they're talking about,
which is a very that's not atall the case.
They're very, very bright andsmart.
But when I went and studied onthe medical side, it made me
realise, oh, just, the wholesystem's broken.
These people are so incredibleand amazing, like if I was
(11:55):
bleeding persistently and Icouldn't stop it.
And, yes, I needed to addresswhy that was happening, but for
the time being, I need to stopit Absolutely.
Like I need to go see someonethat can give me a medication or
a surgery to do that.
That's great, great.
But what I learned from thatside was that what I was taught
is oh yes, these are theparameters for this diagnosis.
If that, if I don't fit that,then there's no issue, or they
(12:18):
need to consider seeingpsychologists.
Like it's in your head in a wayI'm like, okay, that doesn't
make any sense, no, and that'sawful yeah, to experience but
that's that what I was like itwas just a really like oh okay,
like I get to see both sides,like how I was trained as a
chiropractor, and like theinnate wisdom of the body and
how amazing it is and how whatwe do is we basically remove
(12:40):
interference, so then the bodycan function how it needs to.
And then, on the other side,the undertone was oh okay, we
can help people when they'rereally bad, in this case but
then if they don't need us, thenthere's nothing wrong.
But really it's sort of likewell, we don't actually want to
need you unless, like, we'vebeen in an accident or something
.
So this is where, societally,like, you could go into so much
(13:03):
detail, but I think havingmedicine as the pinnacle and
like the top thing is like yes,they will always know.
I think is dangerous, becauseif you've had a car accident,
absolutely do not go to yourchiropractor, do not go to your
naturopath.
Sam Miklos (13:17):
That is a dumb decision.
Anthea Todd (13:18):
Right, go to your medical doctor.
But it's like oh, if you havefatigue, tiredness, and your
doctor says that there's nothingwrong, it doesn't mean there's
nothing wrong, it means you sawthe wrong person.
It's like when you're buildinga house and the toilet's clogged
, you don't call the painter.
Yeah, you need to call thespecialist.
The painter's amazing, theplumber's amazing.
But we need to understand whowe need when.
(13:39):
And I think that's where thesystem lets us down.
But also we let ourselves downbecause we're not listening to
our body and trusting it.
Sam Miklos (13:46):
And we're probably not having enough conversations,
though, like this that wouldencourage someone to listen to
their body.
Anthea Todd (13:52):
Yeah.
Sam Miklos (13:52):
Because that's a really different concept, even
the older generations.
Anthea Todd (13:55):
Yeah.
Kate Coomber (13:57):
You know toughen up and off, you go and move on,
or have a lie down, all thosethings.
It's a really different concept.
What do you think about thisprofession?
Do they know as much about this, and is it part of the degree?
Not necessarily no, as muchabout this, and are they?
Is it part of?
Sam Miklos (14:07):
Are they open to this?
Is it part of the degree?
Anthea Todd (14:08):
and is it?
You know Not necessarily no.
Kate Coomber (14:11):
Because I've spoke about nutrition.
Yes, With doctors in the past.
Just family, friends and, youknow, barbecues and things.
Anthea Todd (14:18):
Well, it's not what they're trained in.
It's sort of like saying to aplumber well, how would you
paint that architrave and do?
Sam Miklos (14:25):
this they oh, I can sort of tell you because I've
been around but like tell me howto plumb a toilet in Okay,
great.
Anthea Todd (14:31):
So it's knowing who the right person is at that
time, like you want someone whois going to be able to care for
you when you need them in thatspace.
And I think it is also thepressure put on medical doctors
too, like from a societalstandpoint of, well, you have to
know the answer, fix me.
So then, if you're like, okay,well, I have to find the answer,
and if I am always the one thatknows the answer and I have to
(14:54):
uphold that image from societythat's been put on me, and I've
done all the tests, I've doneall the things that I've been
trained in there's nothing onthere.
It must just be that there'snothing wrong, because I'm the
one that always knows, not thatthey necessarily internally have
that, but they mightinternalise that pressure from
society.
So there's a lot of thismisconstrued perceptions on this
(15:16):
person is going to tell youexactly what it is.
But really, what I try and doand help people with is you know
, your body is telling you withthese symptoms.
It's been telling you all along.
It's just we've becomedisconnected, we don't trust it,
and then we have the littlewarning signs and they build up
and then we don't really knowwhat to do with them, or they
might be welcome to the spacebetween.
This is sort of like thewellness space which has no
(15:38):
order like what do you do whenyou're?
in the lost in the space betweenyeah you've been to the doctor.
You have fatigue.
They say nothing wrong withyour thyroid, you don't have an
infection, your iron's fine.
I've done all the tests.
Great, no, thank goodness,cancers.
Sam Miklos (15:52):
Now what?
Where does it?
Anthea Todd (15:53):
leave you.
And then you're like, okay,cool, chat, gpt, naturopath,
chiropractor, osteo, chinesemedicine, and it's all amazing.
I'm not saying that we needthat.
Kate Coomber (16:03):
It's confusing to say where do we start.
It's like where do.
Anthea Todd (16:06):
I go and oh, okay, but someone told me it was my
gut and like do I need to do adetox or it could be a parasite
that I picked up in Bali?
Sam Miklos (16:12):
That's exactly right .
What about mold?
Is it heavy metals?
Anthea Todd (16:14):
It's like holy shit , I have fucking whiplash.
Sam Miklos (16:17):
I don't know if you can swear on this, but literally
Whiplash is exactly it.
It's yeah, so if go, all right,well, I'm in that space.
What do they look up for?
Who do they see?
Is it a doctor?
That's something like what isthe specialty that they should
be looking for?
Anthea Todd (16:35):
And this is exactly where I found myself.
When I was both personally, butalso after I'd studied the
medical side, I was like, okay,I'm missing a gap here.
Sam Miklos (16:44):
You were in the space between.
Anthea Todd (16:45):
I'm missing a gap.
I'm like, okay, I've learnedthat side.
That's really great.
I'm very I love now that I know, okay, when someone hits these
things they need medicationalsurgery.
And I know that.
Now I'm not like, oh, I'm a bitfoggy.
Is it just that their GPdoesn't really know when I need
to refer them to another GP, orthey actually just don't need
the medical side.
Then I was like, okay, so then Iwent and studied functional
(17:06):
medicine like okay because oftenmost people, when they're lost
in that space between, might goI need to go to see an
integrative doctor.
I have I don't know about youguys, but I have a lot of
friends now that are like oh, doyou know an integrative
gynecologist, an integrative GP,an integrative?
I'm like everyone should beintegrative, like that should be
(17:26):
functional health so functionalhealth.
That's sort of like the otherlens that I do.
So I use this framework foranyone that is feeling lost in
the space between.
I use this fundamentalsframework, which is what I've
put together from all of mystudy across the fields.
So, basically, you have anissue and it might be something
that is like really causing alot of distress for you.
(17:47):
So it's not necessarily the dryskin.
It might be like it's the dryskin that keeps me up at night
and I can't stop scratching andall the things right.
So we might go, okay, well, I'mgonna go see the doctor.
It might be a new thing that'sout of the ordinary, or it might
be something that's been thereand it's not going away and
you're like, oh, I'm just a bitconcerned about this.
You go see the doctor, they runthe tests.
Hopefully there's nothing wrong.
We actually want there to be nodiagnosis from them, because if
(18:10):
there is, then they go, okay,well, your symptoms are bad
enough to need medication orsurgery.
So we don't want that ideally,particularly when we're talking
about chronic things, and thenwe're lost in that space between
.
So then we use the functionallens, and this is where it's.
Who do you see?
The naturopath, the Chinesemedicine, all the things.
This is where we we become incontrol of our own health.
(18:31):
We're the decision maker.
We're not like, oh my gosh, I'mjust flying at a whim of my
Instagram algorithm and tryingall these different things so
imagine your algorithm so muchmore is accessible now, like
this, yeah that's actually areally good point, because it is
.
Kate Coomber (18:46):
It's flooded with.
And how is no?
Do it this way.
No, don't eat carbs.
Sam Miklos (18:50):
Yes, eat carbs don't eat protein like the amount of
things you send me the gcs.
Anthea Todd (18:53):
Do that yeah so this is why we come back to the
fundamentals.
So what I learned from thefunctional medicine side is it's
amazing.
But also you can get likespecialties in that, like you
could specialize in themicrobiome, you could specialize
in endocrinology, you couldspecialize in like we.
Again, then, we're beingintegrative because we're
looking at basically functionalis we're looking at all the
(19:14):
systems and how they tie intogether.
Like what does your body, whatdoes your physical body actually
need?
That's what we want, becausethat's how it functions.
It's sort of like how does yourcar function?
yeah, well, we need to make surethat the car has everything it
needs to function.
So that's the same with yourbody, and it can be overwhelming
because you're like, okay, well, maybe it is.
Do I need to look after mythyroid?
Or what about my sleep?
Or is it my gut function?
(19:35):
Or what's happening with allstress?
right, and then you're stressedthinking about what the hell is
going to do so this is where Icame up with the four
fundamentals to help with that,because what we're doing is
we're not going into okay, it'sthe thyroid, or it's my adrenal
glands, or it's my gut what areall those things made of?
Kate Coomber (19:56):
yes, so what?
Can you talk us through those?
So you've got what are the fourfundamentals?
Yes, part of the framework.
Anthea Todd (20:01):
Yes, so all of those components of your body
are made of cells.
That's it.
So I just want you to think ofokay, if I could give my cells
exactly what they needed?
And this comes back to yourbody literally is the solution,
not the problem?
If you can give your cellsexactly what they need, then you
move out of the body's way andknows what to do.
So those four things that itneeds is to balance your nervous
(20:22):
system, metabolism, nutrientsand blood sugars.
So those are the fourfundamentals.
When you can care for them, thebody has what it needs, the
cells have what they need.
So then everything works inunison, because sometimes and
your instagram algorithm mightbe filled with do this vagal
nerve reset.
Everything's to do with yournervous system.
It's all to do with yournervous system.
Everything is that.
(20:42):
Don't worry about anything else.
Anyone else is saying yeah thenyou might have it with like it's
fasting, everything is fasting,or it might be, like glucose.
Goddess, everything is bloodsugars.
It's light, everything is light.
It's like.
Actually your cells need thesefour core things because they
all interact with each other.
You could be gandhi and likethe coolest cucumber so chill,
(21:04):
so calm.
Your nervous system is soregulated you have lots of
distance between your stimulusand response.
Amazing.
But what happens if you'reinside all day, haven't ever
seen any sunlight?
What happens if you're nothydrated properly?
Kate Coomber (21:18):
So you can't just focus on one.
You have to have all fourbecause they all impact each
other.
Anthea Todd (21:23):
What happens when you're stressed?
Your body goes.
We better mobilize fuel to beable to combat whatever this
stress is.
It might be that you have astressful meeting, it might be
that you haven't slept well.
It might be that there's aliteral tiger in the corner, so
your blood sugars go up.
That is literally what our bodydoes to adapt.
So our body is always adapting.
We want that, but when wesupport all four of them
(21:44):
together, that is when our cellshave what they need, because we
could be missing one and theother ones are adapting to try
and compensate for that one.
Well, sometimes you could bemissing all four if you're not
supporting them, yeah, and ifyou are missing all four, to
combat that overwhelm like wheredo you start?
Sam Miklos (22:00):
Can you pick one to combat that overwhelm Like where
do you start?
Anthea Todd (22:03):
Can you pick one?
Can you chip away at one?
Yeah Well, that's often.
This is where I've, sincelaunching the book last year,
I've been working with patientswith this and I'm seeing what
works and what doesn't work,because some people are like I'm
full in gun in Give meeverything.
Sam Miklos (22:15):
Sounds like you.
Kate Coomber (22:17):
Let's do it all, which is I'm like I could only
do one right now Just drip, feeda few.
Anthea Todd (22:21):
So, with behavioural change and how our
brain works as well, we need todo things that are sustainable,
because a lot of the times whenyou're like give me everything.
Yes, I'm like pumped up thisthing that I've been feeling I'm
so annoyed I'll do anything tochange it.
And then what happens a yearlater?
Yeah, it's so.
It's about having your life.
Your fundamentals are balancedin your life.
(22:42):
It's not something again thatfeels like a full-time job.
It's just the way that you'veset up your life is in alignment
with these, and that's a bigreset.
Kate Coomber (22:50):
Yeah, so you just do one thing at a time To even
think about that.
Anthea Todd (22:53):
Yeah, because it's your life.
Like what are we rushingtowards the?
End of what your life?
It's a journey.
Your life just, it's a journey.
We just do one thing at a time.
So I have a quiz, sort of aconditional logic quiz, that
helps people understand whatwould be their main fundamental,
that's contributing to them,and also hair testing.
I do a lot of hair testing,which you girls have done as
well, but you'll be able to seethen objectively.
(23:17):
oh okay, this is the mainfundamental of mine.
That is the one at play, andI've done five hair tests myself
over the last four years andthe first one I got I was like,
oh, I've got these.
Really high levels of mine wasreally high copper.
We don't have to get into thedetails.
But I was like I'm gung-ho, I'mgoing to get rid of them.
Kate Coomber (23:34):
Give me all the supplements, give me the vitamin
C infusions, give me all thisdifferent stuff, Because also
when you're like a certain typeof personality, you know whether
you're A-types, you're likeI've got to win, yeah, I've got
to do it, let's go.
Anthea Todd (23:44):
And I've got to bring this back into check and
I've got to be great and I'vegot to score an A.
Sam Miklos (23:48):
I wouldn't say that I'm an A-type but yeah, you
might not be but I am.
But yes, it's sort of like Ijust want to get rid of yes, oh,
I failed, so hang on a second,let's just stop for a minute.
Anthea Todd (24:05):
So why do we do a hair test and how is that
different to a blood test?
Great question.
So blood test for the vastmajority of blood tests.
There are some exceptions, likea HbA1c for blood sugars, a
snapshot in time.
They're like okay, what'shappening right now?
You could take it in themorning, you could take it at
night, it's the same thing.
You could take it after food,like we know that there's a lot
of blood tests that we have tobe fasted for.
Yes, because that's going toimpact what the levels are doing
.
So it's looking at snapshottingtime.
(24:26):
So if you're really bad, likeyou're out of the parameters,
it's not going to matter whenyou take it.
It's like well, yeah, you reallyneed medication or surgery but
if there's these patterns thatare going on underneath the
surface, that we're missing, thewhispers, the functional side,
the things that we think of asnormal because they're so common
Then but we're sort of like, ohokay, this is sort of getting a
(24:47):
bit more annoying.
This is where a hair test canbe great, because if you think
about your hair follicle growsfrom a blood supply so it's
exposed to your blood, but it'ssort of like a record tape of
what's been going on in yourblood for the last three months,
because you take threecentimetres closest to the scalp
so it's looking at, okay,what's actually been going on in
(25:07):
my blood for the last threemonths, an average.
So then it's not just likesnapshot in time that can tweak
and change.
So this is where we can reallysee strong patterns and it
doesn't say like this is yourinsulin level, this is your
estrogen level.
It's not looking at that, it'slooking at what's underneath
that, because that's actuallywhat surprised me is.
Kate Coomber (25:25):
I thought it would say that.
Anthea Todd (25:27):
Well, it does, but when you understand how to read
it?
Kate Coomber (25:30):
Not in language that I understood.
Anthea Todd (25:31):
But that's the thing, right, Lots of people
will say to me.
So it's going to tell me myestrogen levels.
It's going to tell me whyestrogen levels are doing what
they're doing.
Because, for instance, estrogen, where's it released from,
largely, the ovary, okay, great,but how does estrogen get
released?
Well, there's this connectionbetween the brain and the ovary
and all the organs in betweenthe adrenal glands, the liver,
(25:53):
the gut, the pancreas.
All of them have to be workingwell for that connection to be
working well and the estrogen tobe produced.
So it's not just like, oh, Ifeel like I've got estrogen
dominance and it's a hormonalthing.
I'm like, okay, cool, but why?
And this is where we look oh,okay, these are the patterns
underneath that are making thesemessages slightly tweak to make
it lower or higher.
So this is where we're lookingat what does the cell have?
(26:16):
Let's give the cell what itneeds and then all of the organs
between the brain and theovaries have what they need.
Everything's working in unison.
So we're not going, oh, it's athyroid thing, it's a this thing
, it's a this thing.
Sam Miklos (26:27):
We're taking the pieces, we're really going back
to.
Anthea Todd (26:29):
They all integrate.
Kate Coomber (26:35):
Let's just go way back to the cell and make it a
lot simpler.
Stay tuned for part two of thisconversation coming soon.
We acknowledge the traditionalcustodians of the land of which
we meet who for centuries haveshared ancient methods of
healing and cared for theircommunities.
We pay our respects to elders,past and present.
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