How Your Body's Intuition Can Heal You (Rebecca Russell)

Four years of chronic pain. A fibromyalgia diagnosis. Muscle relaxers, pain pills, migraines, MRI after MRI. And through all of it, my guest this week kept hearing the same quiet voice: something doesn't fit. Rebecca Russell listened to it anyway, tracked down a neurosurgeon, and asked for one test nobody else had run: a discogram. It found the bulging disc that had been the actual problem the whole time, and eighty-five percent of her symptoms disappeared after surgery. Rebecca is a metabolism and lifestyle coach, certified essential oil specialist, and author who's spent more than three decades turning her own health crises, a prediabetes warning in her thirties and years of unexplained chronic pain, into a holistic approach she now teaches other people. We talk about the difference between managing symptoms and finding root cause, how to bring up wanting to try something holistic without blowing up the relationship with a doctor you've trusted for decades, and the "black year" she spent as a stay-at-home mom feeling brain-dead and guilty for wanting more, before a community-college pamphlet turned into an unexpected ten-year path to becoming a published novelist. If you've ever been told your labs are "normal" while you know something is wrong, Rebecca's message is blunt and useful: do your homework, and don't let anyone, including a doctor you love, talk you out of your own intuition. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa0h2DJgFWg In this episode Why Rebecca trusted her own intuition over four years of doctors telling her to just manage the pain, and the one test that finally found the root cause How a lifestyle overhaul helped Rebecca avoid a lifetime of medication after a prediabetes warning in her thirties The self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-love formula Rebecca built to help people figure out what they actually need Why she calls herself "the Queen of Homework," and how to research a health decision your doctor won't have time to How essential oils helped Rebecca get off a nightly sleep medication, and how each oil ties to an emotional need Her "black year" as a stay-at-home mom, and the writing-class pamphlet that turned into a decade-long path to publication Timestamps (00:01) Welcome and guest intro: meet metabolism and lifestyle coach Rebecca Russell (02:10) From Harlequin romance novelist to competitive athlete (04:52) The rec ice hockey high, and the fibromyalgia diagnosis that followed (07:08) Watching family members struggle on the traditional medical path (09:04) The American Diabetes Society's shift toward prevention and reversal (11:39) The discogram: the one test nobody else had run (13:34) The statin Rebecca refused, and the thyroid issue that was the real cause (16:05) How to bring up holistic options without losing your traditional doctor (19:50) Why Rebecca calls herself "the Queen of Homework" (20:23) Essential oils, sleep, and getting off a nightly medication (24:35) The "black year": stay-at-home motherhood, guilt, and losing her sense of self (28:22) The writing-class pamphlet that led to a published novel ten years later (35:15) Boundaries, self-acceptance, and letting other people's opinions go About Rebecca Russell Rebecca Russell is a metabolism and lifestyle coach, author, and certified essential oil specialist who believes resilience begins with how we care for our bodies. After being told she was likely headed toward type 2 diabetes, she chose a different path and has spent more than 30 years embracing a holistic lifestyle to change the trajectory of her health, including recovering from a four-year battle with chronic pain that led to a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Learn more at Rebecca's website, where you can request a free wellness consultation. Favorite quotes "Listen to your body. Listen to that intuition." —Rebecca Russell "Root cause is so important." —Rebecca Russell "You have to know yourself well enough to know what you need to be happy." —Rebecca Russell Resources mentioned RebeccaRussell.com: Rebecca's website and free wellness consultation offer Rebecca's book, which includes companion journal pages for each chapter (available as a free download through Rebecca directly) The American Diabetes Society's preventative, low-carb approach to autoimmune conditions including diabetes Uncover Your Light, a nonfiction anthology on stories of hope and resilience featuring a chapter by Rebecca Related episodes How to Trust Your Intuition After Trauma: more on learning to listen to your own body and instincts again How Your Survival Brain Is Sabotaging Your Happiness: the science behind why we override our own signals How to Reclaim Your Energy When You're Burned Out: pairs with Rebecca's root-cause approach to chronic health struggles Subscribe & connect If this episode gave you something to sit with, follow Phoenix and Flame so you never miss an episode: all apps in one place, or jump straight to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube. And if it moved you, leave a review; it's the easiest way to help another listener find the show. Learn more about Phoenix and Flame, connect with Dana, and listen to more episodes here. Curious where your own boundaries stand? Take my free Work Boundaries Quiz: danaskaggs.com/quiz