In Part 3 of our powerful conversation with board-certified health and wellness coach Debbie Roppo, we shift into the practical side of healing: how do you actually make change when you’re overwhelmed, exhausted, or afraid of failing?

So many people are handed a diagnosis, a symptom, or a chronic condition and then immediately feel pressured to fix everything at once.

But Debbie offers a completely different approach.

In this episode, she explains why true healing and lifestyle change doesn’t come from rigid programs or perfection, it comes from baby steps, self-trust, nervous system safety, and learning how to be on your own side.

We talk about the mindset shifts that make healing sustainable, the power of incremental progress, and why feeling supported matters just as much as knowing what to do.

This is an episode for anyone who has ever thought:

“I know what I should do… but I don’t know where to start.”

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Why Debbie doesn’t believe in strict health programs
• The coaching method she uses to create sustainable change
• How “baby steps” can transform chronic illness recovery
• The difference between wellness pressure and true healing
• Why shame and perfectionism keep people stuck
• The importance of feeling safe, seen, and supported
• How language and identity shape health outcomes
• Redefining success when you’re navigating chronic symptoms
• Debbie’s “Inner Empire” approach to health, resilience, and energy
• A real and raw conversation about self-compassion and progress

This Episode Is Especially Meaningful If You’re Navigating:

• Chronic pain orchronic illness
• Autoimmune disease and inflammation
• Burnout, overwhelm, or nervous system dysregulation
• Lifestyle changes that feel impossible to maintain
• Health anxiety and fear of failure
• Mind-body healing and emotional wellness
• Habit change and sustainable wellness routines

Even though Debbie’s story began with rheumatoid arthritis, this episode is about something universal:

You are not broken. You are not behind. And you don’t have to do everything at once.

Healing happens one step at a time.

Connect with Debbie Roppo

Debbie is a board-certified health and wellness coach and founder of The Inner Empire, where she helps women build sustainable health, clarity, and resilience from the inside out.

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Connect with The Health Hunt

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Tiktok
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store
• Email: info@thehealthhunt.com

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In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with board-certified health and wellness coach Debbie Roppo, we move beyond the shock of diagnosis and into the chapter that so many people are desperate for: what happens next.

Debbie was told her rheumatoid arthritis was a life sentence. She was warned that her future would only decline. But today, she’s living proof that a diagnosis does not always get the final word.

In this episode, Debbie shares the real steps she took after being diagnosed with autoimmune disease, including the functional medicine approach that helped her look beyond symptom suppression and start asking deeper questions about root causes, lifestyle triggers, and healing.

We talk about the changes that made the biggest difference including nutrition, movement, stress, mindset, and why the mind-body connection became the true turning point in her recovery and remission journey.

This is an episode about hope, resilience, and reclaiming your power after chronic illness.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Debbie’s simple explanation of functional medicine vs traditional medicine
• The lifestyle shifts that helped her calm inflammation naturally
• Why Debbie believes the mental and emotional piece is often the hardest part
• How thoughts and stress create real physiological changes in the body
• Early warning signs and learning to listen to your nervous system
• Why simplifying wellness can be more healing than chasing supplements and biohacks
• The power of language: “I was diagnosed with…” vs “I have…”
• How identity shapes chronic pain, healing, and long-term health outcomes

This conversation is especially meaningful for anyone navigating:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Chronic pain and chronic illness
• Stress, inflammation, and nervous system regulation
• Patient advocacy and taking ownership of your health journey

Even though Debbie’s story centers on RA, this episode is really about something universal: the “now what?” moment that comes after ANY diagnosis.

Debbie’s story is a reminder that healing is not always linear, and the future you’re told to accept in the exam room may not be the whole story.

She is now living in remission, after being told rheumatoid arthritis was forever.

If you know someone living with chronic pain, chronic illness, or navigating a new diagnosis, please share this episode with them. It might help them feel seen and less alone.

Connect with Debbie Roppo

Debbie is a board-certified health and wellness coach and founder of The Inner Empire, where she helps women build sustainable health, energy, and resilience from the inside out.

• Website: www.debbieroppohealthcoach.com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Connect with The Health Hunt

• Website: www.thehealthhunt.com.com
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Tiktok
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store
• Email: info@thehealthhunt.com

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“This Is Forever?” What a Rheumatoid Arthritis (or other life-altering) Diagnosis Actually Feels Like

In this powerful first conversation with our guest, Debbie Roppo, a board-certified health and wellness coach and the founder of The Inner Empire™, we sit in one of the most disorienting moments many people will ever experience: receiving a life-changing diagnosis.

In this episode, Sandi and Dan talk openly with Debbie about what it actually feels like to be told you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the shock, the fear, the disbelief, and the pressure to immediately accept a future you didn’t choose. Rather than rushing to solutions, we slow down and explore the emotional reality of that moment.

Debbie shares her personal story of waking up in severe pain, recognizing something was wrong, and ultimately being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis while working in an orthopedic medical office. She describes how hearing “this is forever” felt like a punch to the stomach and how that experience shaped everything that came after.

We also discuss:

• The emotional impact of receiving a chronic illness diagnosis
• The difference between osteoarthritis vs rheumatoid arthritis
• How chronic pain can be isolating and misunderstood
• Why many people feel pressured to “just do what the doctor says”
• The importance of choosing carefully who you share your diagnosis with
• The reality that chronic illness is often an invisible struggle
• Why being your own health advocate matters
• How the U.S. excels in acute care but struggles with chronic care
• Why a diagnosis does not have to be the end of your story

This episode is Part 1 of a three-part conversation with Debbie. In Part 2, she will walk us through what happened next, the choices she made, the questions she asked, and how she began to chart her own path toward healing.

If you or someone you love lives with chronic pain, autoimmune disease, or has recently received a diagnosis, this episode is for you. You are not alone.

🎧 Topics Covered in This Episode

• Rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis
• Living with chronic pain
• Autoimmune disease diagnosis
• Emotional impact of diagnosis
• Chronic illness and mental health
• Doctor-patient communication
• Rheumatology experience
• Being your own health advocate
• Functional medicine vs traditional medicine
• Invisible illness
• Chronic illness isolation
• Mind-body connection to pain
• Navigating a new diagnosis
• Health coaching and chronic illness

🔗 Connect with Debbie Roppo

• Website: www.debbieroppohealthcoach.com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

🔗 Connect with The Health Hunt

• Website: www.thehealthhunt.com.com
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Tiktok
• The Health Hunt Fullscript Store
• Email: info@thehealthhunt.com