Welcome back to the Dr. Kinney Show!

In this solo episode, I’m talking about the stories we tell ourselves and how the language we use about our bodies, our health, and our lives can keep us stuck in patterns we may no longer want.

Whether it is saying “I’m so busy,” “I’m always tired,” “I can’t lose weight,” or “my body hates me,” those phrases can become part of the way we experience ourselves. This does not mean ignoring real symptoms or pretending everything is fine. Instead, it is about becoming aware of the story you are repeating and finding a more supportive way to respond to what your body is trying to tell you.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why your body is always listening to the way you speak about yourself
• How long-term symptoms can become part of the story you expect to keep living
• Why changing your language does not mean ignoring or dismissing real symptoms
• How I realized I was constantly reinforcing the story that I was tired
• Why curiosity can be more helpful than fear when a symptom appears
• How to ask what your body may need instead of immediately assuming the worst
• Why every person’s body has its own language
• The importance of slowing down enough to check in with yourself
• How negative self-talk around weight, fatigue, stress, and chronic illness can become deeply ingrained
• Why recognizing your patterns is the first step toward changing them
• How shifting “busy” to “full” can change the way you experience your life
• Why finding joy, connection, hobbies, and things you love can change the way you feel
• How repeatedly reliving an old trauma can keep it feeling present
• Why healing can include processing what happened while also beginning to create a new story
• A simple exercise for identifying the story you are currently telling and the one you want to live instead

If you have been struggling with chronic symptoms, health anxiety, stress, or a feeling that your body is working against you, I want you to start with curiosity and compassion.

Ask yourself: What story am I telling about my body or my life that may no longer be serving me? Then think about the story you actually want to be living.

Your body is not your enemy. Instead of fighting it, begin listening to it, supporting it, and becoming intentional about the language you use every day.

Your homework this week is to notice the stories you repeat about yourself, your health, and your life, and begin building a bridge toward a story that feels more supportive, hopeful, and aligned with how you want to feel.

Connect with Dr. Kinney

Explore resources, tools, and more from Dr. Erin Kinney:

https://www.drerinkinney.com/

Take the free Cortisol Debt Score and discover where you stand:

https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cortisol-debt-score

Learn more about my latest book, The Cortisol Cure:

https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cortisol-cure

Join The Cortisol Cure Community

https://www.drerinkinney.com/cortisol-cure-community

Today is a very special day: The Cortisol Cure is officially out in the world!

To celebrate, I’m sharing something a little different on the podcast, an exclusive excerpt from the audiobook, read by me.

In this episode, you’ll hear the introduction to The Cortisol Cure and the story behind a message I’ve spent years teaching my patients: cortisol is not the enemy.

Cortisol is one of the hormones your body relies on to create energy, respond to stress, heal, and keep you functioning. The problem begins when we continually ask our bodies to spend more than they have the opportunity to earn back.

That’s the idea behind what I call your Cortisol Bank Account, and it completely changes the way we think about stress, burnout, and many of the symptoms we’ve been told we simply have to live with.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re exhausted even though you’re doing “all the right things,” why your body suddenly seems less resilient to stress, or why you just don’t feel like yourself anymore, this is where I want you to begin.

Press play for a special listen to the opening of The Cortisol Cure.

The Cortisol Cure: The Secret to Resetting Your Stress Response, Boosting Energy & Feeling Better Than Ever is available NOW in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook wherever books are sold.

Get your copy here: https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cortisol-cure

Welcome back to the Dr. Kinney Show!

In this solo episode, I’m doing a deeper dive into Epstein-Barr virus, one of the most common viruses I see reactivated in patients dealing with unexplained fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, anxiety, thyroid issues, and other chronic symptoms.

Epstein-Barr virus can stay dormant in the body for years after the initial infection. But when your immune system becomes overwhelmed or your body is under prolonged stress, the virus can reactivate and become a major internal stressor. I explain what that can look like, how it affects your cortisol and energy, what testing to ask your provider for, and some of the approaches I use to help support the immune system and lower viral load.

In this episode, I discuss:

• What Epstein-Barr virus is and how it relates to mono
• Why Epstein-Barr can remain dormant in the body for years
• What can cause the virus to reactivate
• Why reactivated Epstein-Barr can become a major internal stressor
• Common symptoms including extreme fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, brain fog, poor exercise recovery, and anxiety
• The connection between Epstein-Barr and autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease
• Why Epstein-Barr reactivation can make perimenopause symptoms feel more intense
• The four Epstein-Barr antibody tests I commonly look at and what they can tell you
• Why the early antigen IgG can be important when evaluating reactivation
• How white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, and CD57 cells can provide more information about immune function
• Why rest and nervous system regulation are foundational when supporting the body through Epstein-Barr reactivation
• How medicinal mushrooms, olive leaf, cat’s claw, zinc, and other tools may be used to support immune function
• Why antiviral medications may help lower viral load but do not replace supporting the immune system
• The relationship between thyroid function, cortisol, body temperature, and viral activity
• Why doing all the supplements without changing a chronically stressful lifestyle may keep the body from fully recovering

If you’ve been dealing with fatigue that sleep does not fix, unexplained joint pain, anxiety, thyroid issues, or symptoms that seem to flare when your body is under stress, Epstein-Barr may be one piece worth investigating with your provider.

The biggest takeaway is that treatment is not only about attacking the virus. Your immune system needs enough energy and downtime to do its job. Supporting your nervous system, prioritizing rest, and understanding what is happening inside your body can be just as important as any supplement or medication.

Connect with Dr. Kinney

Explore resources, tools, and more from Dr. Erin Kinney:

https://www.drerinkinney.com/

Take the free Cortisol Debt Score and discover where you stand:

https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cortisol-debt-score

Learn more about my latest book, The Cortisol Cure:

https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cortisol-cure

Join The Cortisol Cure Community

https://www.drerinkinney.com/cortisol-cure-community