Healing in the Gray: Why I’m Passionate About Integrative, Nature-Based Family Health

As an integrative nurse practitioner, my passion isn’t just about treating symptoms—it’s about understanding root causes and helping families return to the wisdom of what their bodies are naturally designed to do: heal, grow, and thrive.

We live in a culture that often swings from one extreme to the other—either hyper-medicalized or completely dismissive of modern medicine. But real healing? It happens in the gray area—the space where modern tools and ancient wisdom coexist. It’s where gut health and hormone support meet evidence-based treatments. It’s where screen time boundaries and backyard chickens both matter.

Let me tell you why I care so deeply.

It Starts with Food: Know Where It Comes From

The cornerstone of true wellness is what you put in your body.

I’m a firm believer that the majority of chronic health issues—fatigue, mood swings, digestive problems, hormone imbalances, even autoimmunity—can be drastically improved (and often resolved) through food and lifestyle changes.

And that starts with knowing where your food comes from.
    •    Is it grown in nutrient-rich soil or a chemical-drenched mono-crop field?
  •   Was the animal raised with care and purpose or pumped full of antibiotics and hormones?
    •    Are you eating food or a food-like product designed for shelf life, not human life?

When you prioritize real food—whole, grown, raised with respect—you feed your cells, your gut, and your mind in ways you can feel.


The Power of Gardening (and Soil Microbiomes!)
Gardening isn’t just a hobby. It’s medicine. When you get your hands in the soil, you’re not just growing tomatoes—you’re interacting with a vast microbial world that actually supports your own health.
Soil-based organisms:
    •    Help diversify the gut microbiome, which is linked to mood, digestion, and immune strength
    •    Produce antidepressant effects (there’s real science behind this!)
    •    Foster mindfulness, presence, and a deepened respect for the food you eat

And when kids get to garden? They build confidence, patience, and curiosity. They see the connection between work, nature, and nourishment.


Kids Need Responsibilities—and a Connection to Living Things
I believe strongly in teaching kids responsibility through tangible, real-world tasks—whether it’s helping in the kitchen, feeding animals, or growing food.

Caring for animals, even something as simple as a backyard chicken or family dog, teaches children:
    •    Compassion
    •    Discipline
    •    Accountability
    •    Respect for life
Even if animals aren’t part of your daily life, giving kids insight into how animals are raised for food or companionship fosters awareness and empathy—traits that shape them far beyond childhood.


Screen Time Is Stealing More Than Just Time
We’re seeing the effects of screen saturation every day in our clinic spaces and in our homes. From attention issues and sleep problems to increased anxiety and disconnection from the natural world, excessive screen time is not neutral.
Especially in younger children, developing brains need:
    •    Movement
    •    Unstructured play
    •    Outdoor time
    •    Human interaction

Limiting screen time isn’t about punishment—it’s about protecting their neurodevelopment, vision, posture, and emotional regulation.


Hormones Matter—for the Whole Family
One of the most overlooked aspects of family health is hormonal balance—not just for women, but for men too.
    •    Moms navigating postpartum, perimenopause, or burnout need proper support—not just “you’re fine” and a prescription.
    •    Dads struggling with low energy, weight gain, or mood swings often benefit from testosterone optimization, thyroid support, or lifestyle adjustments.
When both parents are hormonally balanced, the entire family benefits. Relationships improve, patience returns, energy lifts, and emotional regulation becomes easier.
This is core to what I believe: the health of the family unit starts with the health of the parents.


Nature Heals
I’ll always advocate for daily outdoor time—no matter your age. Nature isn’t just a backdrop for wellness—it is wellness.
    •    Sunlight supports vitamin D and circadian rhythms
    •    Nature reduces cortisol and anxiety
    •    Movement in nature supports joint health, immune function, and mood
    •    Grounding (barefoot contact with the earth) reduces inflammation

No supplement or therapy can replace the healing that comes from being in creation, unplugged and present.


Traditional Medicine Has Its Place
Let me be clear—I’m not anti-medication. I’m grateful for antibiotics when they’re necessary, for surgical intervention when it saves lives, and for emergency medicine when it’s needed. Modern medicine has its place, and when used appropriately, it’s life-changing. But too often, we skip over the root causes and head straight to prescriptions. Healing happens in the middle. In the kitchen. In the garden. On a walk. Through supportive hormones, better sleep, regulated screens, gut repair, and loving connection with nature and family.

I’m not here to make you fear the system. I’m here to help you reclaim what it means to be well—as a family, in body and mind, in the modern world we live in today.

Because healing is possible. And it starts at home.