In this episode of Power Up Recovery with Nutrition, host Christina Veselak sits down with Andrea Nakayama, founder of the Functional Nutrition Alliance. Andrea explains how functional nutrition offers a powerful framework for mental health and addiction recovery, from balancing brain chemistry with amino acids to reducing inflammation and supporting digestion. Listeners will discover simple, science-based strategies to calm the nervous system, improve mood, and reclaim their well-being.

As the host of the 15-Minute Matrix Podcast and the founder of Functional Nutrition Alliance, Andrea is leading thousands of students and practitioners around the globe in a revolution to offer better solutions to the growing chronic illness epidemic. By highlighting the importance of systems biology, root cause methodology, and therapeutic partnerships, she helps historically underserved individuals reclaim ownership of their health.

Website: https://www.andreanakayama.com/
Website:https://www.fxnutrition.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ReplenishPDX
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreanakayama/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndreaNakayama.page

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

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Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this episode of Power Up Recovery with Nutrition, host Christina Veselak speaks with Carolyn, who shares her extraordinary journey of surviving trauma and more than 40 surgeries—and how nutrition became the life-changing key to healing her brain and body. Carolyn opens up about the role of supplements, food, self-care, and boundaries in both her own recovery and in guiding clients toward lasting transformation.

Carolyn Rae always wanted to see people living a healthy life considering it goes faster than we think. There as so many obsticles and navigating them if a balancing act. I have been a person very connected to nature my whole life. I have survived a car accident that took my kide and gave it back to me with a different lens. I have achieved formal degrees in Behavioral Science, Public Administration and Service Technologies. I have worked as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Family Support work. I was a chsen Stakeholder and Presenter by the Bangor Health Board fo the Substance Abuse forum. I have advocated at the State level for holistic healing and the implementation of nutitional and merged recovery for optimum results.

Website: https://consciouspossibilities.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-b-rae-bb547244/

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

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Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this episode of Power Up Recovery With Nutrition, Christina Veselak talks with Noel Sierra about his journey from nearly 400 pounds to a healthier, stronger life. Hear how cutting sugar, eating real food, and staying active transformed his recovery and inspired his family.

My name is Noel Sierra, I identify as a Latino man in long term recovery, I’ve been working in the recovery community since 2015. I started working with the recovery community as a House Manager, moved forward and Worked as a Recovery Treatment Coordinator, took a break and returned as a Recovery Coach & Recovery Coach Supervisor. My journey brought me to MOAR as the Southeast Regional Coordinator. Through the building of relationships and hard work I have become the Executive Director at MOAR. There are many things in life that encourage change, but truly Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes!

Website: https://www.moar-recovery.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MOARRecovery/

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

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Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this episode of Power Up Recovery with Nutrition, Christina Veselak sits down with health and wellness coach Ketino Beim to explore how targeted nutrition, amino acids, and lifestyle shifts can transform mental health. Ketino shares her powerful personal journey from burnout and postpartum depression to renewed vitality, and how she now helps other women overcome anxiety, sleep issues, and emotional imbalances by feeding the brain what it truly needs.

Ketino Beim specializing in functional nutrition for mental health, I am a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) with advanced training in the connection between brain chemistry and nutrition. By uncovering biochemical imbalances, I guide you toward restoring well-being. Together, we’ll create a personalized "roadmap to health" tailored to your unique goals and lifestyle.

Website: https://ketinobeim.tilda.ws/moodbiochemistry
Instagram: @mood_biochemistry
Facebook: MoodBiochemistry

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

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Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this episode of Power Up Recovery with Nutrition, Christina Veselak speaks with Laurelle Meijer, a woman in long-term recovery who was once written off by the medical system and placed in palliative care. Laurelle shares her incredible journey from near-death to thriving, all by taking recovery into her own hands—starting with nutrition.

Laurelle opens up about her experience with trauma, PTSD, and the limitations of traditional treatment programs. She reveals how she discovered amino acid therapy and nutritional strategies through Christina’s Academy, which helped her heal her brain, access buried memories, release long-held anger, and finally find peace.

Laurelle Meijer is a Certified Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Recovery Coach, and the founder of Unapologetic Recovery — a platform dedicated to helping women in recovery reclaim their clarity, energy, and confidence. After overcoming her own battle with alcohol and reaching a point where sobriety alone wasn’t enough, Laurelle created the support she wished she’d had: one that goes beyond just quitting drinking.

She now blends lived experience with professional training in nutrition, amino acid therapy, and nervous system regulation to address the root causes of emotional cravings, burnout, and feeling stuck after sobriety. Through her coaching, app, and signature programs, she helps women rise, radiate, and live unapologetically — in recovery and beyond.

Website: www.unapologeticrecoveery.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unapologetic_recovery_wellness?igsh=MWlodHQ5YmRldW10Nw==

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

Like this episode?
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Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this transformative episode of Power Up Recovery with Nutrition, host Christina Veselak is joined by Salvatore Di Liello, a naturopathic doctor, classical homeopath, and respected board member of the Alliance for Addiction Solutions. Together, they dive deep into how nutrition, amino acid therapy, and homeopathy are being used to heal the brain and body in ways traditional treatment often misses.

Salvatore shares his clinical insights from working with individuals struggling with addiction, anxiety, insomnia, and emotional dysregulation—highlighting how biochemical imbalances can drive destructive behavior and how restoring brain chemistry with targeted nutrient support can lead to lasting recovery.

Salvatore is a Board-Certified Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Northeast Ohio for over 20 years. He is also trained as a Classic Homeopath under the mentorship of Dr. Massimo Mangialavori, M. D. He is certified as a Level II Recovery Nutrition Coach by the Academy for Addiction & Mental Health Nutrition. He has been an Usui and Karuna Reiki Teacher/Master for over 25 years, is a Certified Biomagnetism Therapist under the guidance of Dr. Luis Garcia, M.D. and a Mindful Meditation Coach.

Website: www.naturale-solutions.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-di-liello-n-d-9a2b0312/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salvatore.diliello.16

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

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Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this inspiring episode of Power Up Recovery with Nutrition, hosted by Christina Veselak sits down with Dr. Shelly Jo Wahlstrom, a hypnotherapist, author, and devoted mother who turned personal pain into a powerful mission to help others heal.

After years of watching her daughter struggle through the cycle of addiction and relapse, Shelly Jo discovered a science backed, brain focused approach to recovery. Through the use of targeted amino acid therapy, nutrition, and hypnotherapy, she found a method that not only supported her daughter's healing but has since helped transform thousands of lives.

In this episode, you'll learn how neurotransmitter imbalances impact mental health and addiction, why nutrition is often the missing link in traditional treatment, and how feeding the brain what it truly needs can create lasting change.

Meet our Guest

Dr. Shelly Jo Wahlstrom, PhD, MA, CHT, CRNC, known as The Amino Acid Lady, is a passionate hypnotherapist and wellness expert who helps people reclaim their mental and emotional health through amino acid therapy, nutrition, and hypnotherapy. Inspired by her daughter’s recovery from addiction, she’s helped over 30,000 people “feel normal” again with her award-winning Hypno Aminos supplements.

She’s the author of Feed Your Brain, Change Your Life and From Crazy to Calm, Chairperson of the Alliance for Addiction Solutions, and Owner of the Certified Hypnotherapy School. Dr. Shelly Jo speaks nationwide and brings nearly a decade of experience to her mission of helping others heal—brain, body, and spirit.

Based in Utah, she loves skiing, dancing, traveling, and being “Grama Shelly” to her grandkids

Website: https://hypnoaminos.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shellyjohypnoaminos8060
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shellyjohypnoaminos/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShellyJoHypnoAminos

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com
Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Also, if you’re just starting out or want a solid foundation, check out Eat: A Guide to Radiant Recovery Using Food and Amino Acids to Repair the Addicted Brain and Reduce Cravings by Christina Veselak. It’s a clear, powerful intro to the core concepts. Grab your copy here: https://www.eatforrecovery.com/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM

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Subscribe, rate, and share it with a friend or colleague who needs this information.
Let’s make nutrition part of the conversation for lasting recovery.

In this episode, host Christina Veselak talks with Dr. Hyla Cass, one of the first integrative psychiatrists, about how nutrition, amino acids, and natural supplements can rebuild brain chemistry, support sleep, reduce cravings, and power lasting recovery.

Learn how using food as medicine can be the missing piece for mental health and addiction healing, and discover practical strategies for balancing mood naturally without overmedication.

Meet Our Guest

Dr. Hyla Cass is a nationally recognized expert in integrative medicine and psychiatry, known as “the non-drug psychiatrist.” With over 30 years of experience, she has helped countless individuals achieve better mental and physical health by using natural approaches, including diet, exercise, essential fatty acids, nutrients, and hemp oil/CBD.

She is widely respected for her work in helping people safely withdraw from psychiatric medications and substances of abuse without relying solely on pharmaceuticals. A frequent guest on podcasts, summits, radio, television, and in national print media, Dr. Cass is also the author of several popular books, including Natural Highs, 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health, Supplement Your Prescription, and The Addicted Brain and How to Break Free.

Originally from Toronto, Dr. Cass graduated from the University of Toronto School of Medicine, completed her internship at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and her psychiatric residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/UCLA. She is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) and the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM), and is based in Southern California.

🌐Website: https://cassmd.com

Discover More Unlock a world of resources at https://aminoacidtherapy.com/ where you’ll find expert insights, transformative training, and actionable tools to support your recovery journey. Whether you're looking for professional courses like our Level 1 Core Training or details about the upcoming Feed the Brain Summit 2025 (happening from April 30 – May 2, 2025), we’ve got you covered.

Learn more at https://feedtherecoveringbrain.com Support Our Mission Check out our nonprofit initiative, Eating Protein Saves Lives, at https://eatingproteinsaveslives.org/ Learn how we’re improving lives and communities through better nutrition, the science of amino acid therapy, and our simple yet powerful message: Eat protein every 4 hours.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information shared is meant to inform and empower listeners but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized care and treatment.

Music by: Bensound
License code: GFZAESIUP3ZUNGXM