What if anxiety, low mood, brain fog, and poor focus are not simply mental health conditions—but signals that your brain is missing the nutrients it needs to function optimally?

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr. Emily Splichal is joined by functional nutrition therapy practitioner Laurie Hammer for an eye-opening conversation about the relationship between amino acids, neurotransmitters, and brain health. Together, they explore how serotonin, dopamine, GABA, endorphins, and blood sugar regulation influence everything from stress resilience and motivation to emotional well-being and cognitive performance.

You'll learn how chronic stress, menopause, mold exposure, viral illness, and inflammation can contribute to neurotransmitter depletion, why amino acids are the essential building blocks of brain chemistry, and how targeted nutritional support may help restore balance.

The conversation also emphasizes the importance of working with qualified healthcare providers when using nutritional strategies alongside psychiatric medications, highlighting a safe, integrative approach to supporting mental health.

Whether you're looking to better understand your own brain or support the health of those around you, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the powerful connection between nutrition, brain chemistry, and overall well-being.

Sections:
0:00 Introduction — Meet Laurie Hamer
3:30 The Five Core Neurotransmitters and What They Do
9:00 Anxiety as a Nutrient Deficiency, Not a Diagnosis
19:50 Mapping Amino Acids to Neurotransmitters
27:00 Real Client Case Studies and Amino Acid Testing
32:00 Medication, Tapering, and the Amino Acid Conversation
40:00 Hormones, Menopause, Mold Toxicity, and Brain Inflammation
47:00 Where to Find Laurie and Take Back My Brain

Follow Laurie Hamer and the Take Back My Brain podcast to learn more about amino acid therapy and brain health testing, and subscribe to Root to Rise for more conversations on the science of human potential.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-back-my-brain/id1684847484

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

The plantar fascia is far more than a passive arch support—it's a dynamic tissue that helps your foot absorb, store, and return energy with every step. In this solo episode, Dr. Emily Splichal explores the anatomy and function of the plantar fascia, explaining its three bands, layered structure, and connection to the Achilles tendon. She discusses how the foot transitions from a mobile shock absorber to a stable lever during movement, and why arch compression and forefoot mobility are essential for efficient walking and running. The episode also dives into running biomechanics, ground reaction forces, injury prevention, and a fascinating real-world case study involving Cirque du Soleil performers that highlights how surface vibration can influence movement and injury risk.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction — The Athletic Arch
2:00 Plantar Fascia Anatomy: Three Bands and Two Layers
6:00 The Windlass Mechanism and Toe Extension
9:30 Metatarsal Splay and the Tie Bar Mechanism
15:45 Arch Compression, Orthotics, and Energy Potentiation
20:20 Walking vs. Running: Key Biomechanical Differences
27:00 Ground Reaction Forces, Vibration, and Muscle Tuning
35:30 Surfaces, Cirque du Soleil, and Anticipatory Stiffness

Subscribe to Root to Rise for more deep dives into the biomechanics behind movement efficiency, movement accuracy, and movement longevity.

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

Body awareness isn't just mindfulness — it's a physical skill your nervous system uses with every single step, and most people lose it as they age. In this episode, Dr. Emily Splichal sits down with Joshua Holland author of The Awareness Shift and a movement educator known for his work in the barefoot and natural movement space, including his connection to Vivo Barefoot. Together they unpack body perception, proprioception, and sensory integration, then dig into developmental movement play, visualization for neurological recovery, and the mechanics of EMS suit training. The conversation moves from theory to lived practice, including real patient stories from Dr. Splichal's work with spinal cord injury rehabilitation.


- Body schema — your mind's internal map of your body in space — is a skill, not a given, and it declines with age unless trained. - Fidgeting and sensory-seeking behavior in neurodivergent children can be the nervous system's way of stimulating proprioceptors to feel grounded. - Visualization can prime motor pathways even before physical movement returns, as seen in spinal cord injury rehab. - EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) suit training can recruit deep musculature that's difficult to isolate through load-based training alone, but pulse width and contraction timing matter for safety and results. - Comfort-driven design (cushioned shoes, climate control, constant food access) may be quietly weakening the body's foundational systems.

Subscribe to Root to Rise for more conversations on foot-to-core sequencing, sensory integration, and movement longevity.

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal: Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More: New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.