A candid conversation about migraines, vestibular symptoms, anxiety, and advocating for your own health.

If you’re listening during Thanksgiving week: welcome to the season of chaos, carbs, and hiding from relatives in spare bedrooms. Since everyone’s schedules (and nervous systems) are overloaded right now, we’re keeping things short with a spontaneous, totally off-script mini episode.

This week, Dan shares a recent doctor’s appointment that turned into a much bigger conversation about traditional medicine, neurology, chronic symptoms, diagnosis fatigue, and what it feels like when a doctor actually slows down, listens, and digs into the why behind your symptoms.

What’s inside this mini episode

• Dan’s 4-year journey with vestibular symptoms, imbalance, brain fog, GERD, nausea, and light sensitivity
• The struggle of getting in with a “good” neurologist (aka: the 4–5 month waitlist circus)
• A not-so-helpful appointment… and then a shockingly good one
• A detailed diagnostic process that led to “migraine without aura”
• Why migraines don’t always look like migraines
• How baseline anxiety can contribute to neurological symptoms (and why people don’t always notice it)
• The tension between a helpful diagnosis and the temptation to cling to one
• Traditional medicine vs. functional approaches and where they can work together
• Why being your own advocate matters more than ever

This conversation is raw, real, and deeply human, the kind of thing we normally talk about privately, but decided to share because so many people walk this same confusing medical path.

Key Topics We Explore

• Migraine without aura
• Vestibular and imbalance symptoms
• Severe spinal stenosis findings
• MRI overload and when imaging is (or isn’t) helpful
• Neurologist appointment red flags
• Anxiety as an overlooked driver of chronic symptoms
• Myofascial release and symptom relief
• How to evaluate medical advice without panic or fear
• The psychology of diagnoses (why labels can help and harm)

Why this mini episode matters

Navigating chronic or confusing symptoms can feel endless. Getting conflicting opinions from multiple specialists is even harder. This episode is a reminder that:

• You’re allowed to ask questions.
• You’re allowed to push back.
• You’re allowed to slow down before taking a medication or test.
• And most importantly: you know your body better than anyone else.

If you’ve ever walked out of a medical appointment feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or unseen, this one’s for you.

Disclaimer

The Health Hunt Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. We are not medical professionals and nothing in this episode should be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health.

If this episode resonates…

Share it with someone who:

• has chronic symptoms
• is overwhelmed by the medical system
• loves a good mind-body convo
• or needs a gentle nudge to advocate for themselves

You can find us on Instagram at @thehealthhunt_podcast — feel free to tag us with your Thanksgiving food fights. We fully support catharsis.

Check out our Fullscript Store: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thehealthhunt

Glucose impacts your mood, energy, cravings, sleep, and long-term health — even if you’re not diabetic. In this episode, Sandi and Dan unpack glucose dysregulation (what it is, why it starts way before diabetes), the key labs (fasting glucose, A1C, fasting insulin/HOMA-IR, OGTT), and real-world levers that smooth blood sugar without extreme diets. You’ll learn practical tips you can use today: pair carbs with protein/fiber, walk 15–20 minutes after meals, build muscle, prioritize sleep, and (optionally) run a short-term CGM experiment to discover your personal “spike foods.” Respect your pancreas. 💪

Key Takeaways

• Glucose dysregulation can precede prediabetes by years and shows up as low energy, brain fog, cravings, and sleep disruptions.
• Aim for insulin sensitivity and low glucose variability (fewer big spikes, smoother curves).
• Labs to discuss with your clinician: fasting glucose, A1C, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, OGTT.
• Lifestyle > hacks: protein + fiber with carbs, lift weights/build muscle, 15–20 min walks after meals, prioritize sleep, manage stress.
• Consider a short CGM trial to identify your personal “spike foods” (it’s motivating without being dogmatic).
• Remember: this is information, not definition your metabolism is adaptable.

Practical Tips You Can Use Today

• Eat order: veggies/fiber → protein/fat → starch/sweets to blunt spikes.
• Move after meals: 15–20 minutes of easy walking helps muscles pull glucose from the bloodstream.
• Build muscle: resistance training improves insulin sensitivity.
• Sleep first: poor sleep raises cortisol and worsens glucose control.
• Protein target: include a quality protein source at each meal/snack.
• N=1: what spikes you might not spike your friend, test, don’t guess.

Mini-Glossary

• Insulin Sensitivity: Cells respond well to insulin (good).
• Insulin Resistance: Cells ignore insulin’s signal; pancreas has to shout (not good).
• Glucose Variability: How much your blood sugar bounces up and down all day.
• Fasting Glucose: “Idle speed” after an overnight fast.
• A1C: ~90-day average of blood glucose.
• HOMA-IR: Estimate of insulin resistance from fasting glucose + insulin.
• OGTT: Lab test measuring how your body clears a sugar load.
• CGM: Sensor that tracks glucose continuously to reveal patterns.

Mentioned in This Episode (no sponsorship)

• CGMs & apps/programs (general category; availability varies by region).
• Levels CHM Monitoring: https://www.levels.com/
• Nutrients/Supplements discussed (educational only): berberine; Akkermansia (e.g., Pendulum’s formulations).
• Fullscript: Our curated practitioner-grade store with community discounts up to 25% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thehealthhunt

Links

• 💌 Questions or stories? info@thehealthhunt.com
  
  
• 📲 Instagram: @thehealthhunt_podcast

Disclaimer

The Health Hunt Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not provide medical advice. We are not medical professionals. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider before changing your diet, exercise, supplements, or medications.

If this episode gave you an “aha,” follow/subscribe, rate the show, and share it with a friend (or your group chat… even if Sandi has mixed feelings about group chats 😅). Your shares help this community grow.

If you’ve felt dismissed or alone in your symptoms, you’re not alone.

Sandi shares 30+ years of chronic pain: rheumatoid arthritis as a teen, hip and knee replacements, severe spinal stenosis, prednisone fallout and the pivot from symptom-chasing to root-cause and mind–body healing. We unpack how stress can amplify pain, why diagnoses can become identities, and how to create space for grace while you heal.

What we cover:

• Rheumatoid arthritis at 18; elbow swelling, injections, cortisone/radiation, methotrexate
• Hip replacement at 20, knee replacement after accident recovery lessons
• Prednisone withdrawal: moon face, immune suppression, brutal taper/itching
• Spinal stenosis MRI, pain patterns, and “diagnosis-as-identity”
• Functional medicine & nutrition: food triggers, root causes
• Mind–body connection for chronic pain, nervous-system patterns, stress
• Why there’s no finish line in health progress over perfection

If this episode met you where you are, the kindest way to support the show is to follow, rate, and share it with someone on their own health hunt.

Connect with us:

Email: info@thehealthhunt.com

Instagram / TikTok @thehealthhunt_podcast

website: www.thehealthhunt.com

Shop trusted supplements and wellness products and get The Health Hunt's exclusive discount of up to 25% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thehealthhunt

Disclaimer: The Health Hunt is for informational/entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.