We have the privilege of delving into the fascinating world of gut health and functional medicine with the remarkable Rachel Scheer. Rachel is not only the mastermind behind a thriving multi-million-dollar organic enterprise, but she's also a sought-after speaker at prestigious events and conferences. Her areas of expertise span entrepreneurship, the art of storytelling, abundance, functional medicine, and, notably, gut health.

In this riveting episode, we explored the intricacies of gut health, demystifying the differences between gut health and gut healing, and unveiling the science behind the gut-brain connection. Furthermore, we plunged into the realm of dietary choices that can either bolster or undermine your gut health. So, stay tuned for a wealth of wisdom coming your way!

Our gracious host, Dr. Latt, welcomed Rachel Scheer to the Health Via Modern Nutrition podcast. Previously, Rachel had interviewed Dr. Latt on her own podcast, creating an enriching exchange of knowledge. Now, the tables have turned as Rachel shares her invaluable insights on HVMM.

Dr. Latt kicked off the conversation by expressing excitement about diving into the world of gut health after their previous exploration of ketones and metabolism. The stage was set for an engaging discussion that promised to shed light on Rachel's expertise.

Rachel Scheer's background is rooted in functional medicine, a term that signifies a focus on uncovering the root causes of health issues. As a functional medicine dietitian, Rachel employs comprehensive testing to scrutinize elements like the gut microbiome, hormones, thyroid function, and adrenal health. But what sets her approach apart is her relentless pursuit of answers to the "why" behind these issues. Unlike Western medicine, which often zeros in on symptoms, Rachel delves into the underlying factors contributing to health problems.

While Western medicine serves a crucial role, particularly in acute cases, many chronic health conditions find their origins in lifestyle choices often overlooked by traditional medical approaches. Rachel passionately addressed the prevalent tendency in healthcare to rely on what she calls "trash can diagnoses." This term refers to diagnoses based solely on symptom clusters, which can hinder comprehensive healing. A prime example is the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), where the focus often rests on the symptoms rather than the underlying causes.

Rachel shared a personal journey of grappling with gut issues while seemingly embodying optimal health during her bodybuilding endeavors. Despite her stunning exterior, she struggled with chronic bloating, hormonal imbalances, and thyroid issues. Western medicine's battery of tests yielded the label of IBS, a diagnosis derived more from symptoms than causes. This scenario epitomizes the need for a deeper understanding of individual health, moving beyond surface-level diagnoses to true healing.

Central to Rachel's philosophy is the concept of empowering individuals to take charge of their healing journey. She advocates a holistic approach that considers lifestyle, nutrition, and emotional well-being. This approach contrasts with the common tendency to address health issues merely symptomatically, especially prevalent in cases like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition often treated superficially rather than holistically.

Rachel's journey into this path of healing and wellness is closely intertwined with her identity as an athlete. From her early days as a gymnast and dancer, athleticism and health became core components of her identity. This deep-rooted connection led her to study nutrition science and dietetics at Baylor University. Rachel's journey took a profound turn when she ventured into weightlifting and bodybuilding during her college years, finding new ways to test her physical and mental limits.

Her remarkable journey underscores the transformative power of self-discovery and holistic healing. Through her story, Rachel Scheer encourages us all to delve deeper, beyond surface-level diagnoses, and embrace a path of holistic wellness that considers the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. So, if you're ready to embark on a journey toward better gut health and overall well-being, join us as we navigate the exciting terrain of functional medicine with Rachel Scheer on the Health Via Modern Nutrition podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Rachel Scheer, a functional medicine dietitian and thriving entrepreneur, shares her expertise on gut health. Through comprehensive testing and a "root cause" perspective, Rachel empowers individuals to uncover the underlying factors behind health issues, encouraging a holistic approach that goes beyond surface-level diagnoses.
• Rachel's journey of overcoming gut issues while excelling in bodybuilding highlights the limitations of symptom-based diagnoses like IBS. She emphasizes the importance of addressing chronic health conditions with a deeper understanding of lifestyle factors often overlooked in Western medicine.
• As an advocate for holistic wellness, Rachel's story inspires us to embrace our journey to better health. By understanding the connections between physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being, she encourages us to take charge of our healing, fostering a balanced approach to overall wellness.

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Transcription

Dr. Latt Mansor:

Rachel has also built a fully organic multi million dollar business and speaks at various events and conferences on entrepreneurship, the power of your story, healing, abundance, and her expertise in functional medicine and gut health. In this episode, we discussed everything gut health, differences between gut health and gut healing, the science behind gut brain access, and the different types of food that you should avoid or take for better gut health.

So stay tuned and enjoy this episode. We have Rachel Scheer here. Thank you for coming on to Health, Biomodern Nutrition podcast. Recently, you interviewed me on your podcast, and now I have the honor to interview you on the HVMM podcast. Welcome.

Rachel Sheer:

Dr. Latt, thank you for having me on your show today, and it's great to see you again.

I'm excited to nerd out. After we dove into all things ketones and metabolism last time.

Dr. Latt Mansor:

Yes, we talked about ketones and metabolism. Now let's switch gears to your expertise, which is, you know, gut health, functional medicine, and, you know, get a few tips and advice from you to even being a successful speaker, being a confident person that you are, and looking as good as you are.

I'm sure our audience... Would love to hear, you know, what you have to say on what they can do in their daily lives to really follow your footsteps. Let's start on telling the audience what your background is and You know, what, what you do.

Rachel Sheer:

I'm a functional medicine dietician. Functional medicine just basically means root cause.

So, with my nutrition practice, I'm all about doing extensive testing, looking at the gut microbiome, hormones, thyroid, adrenals, and identifying not only what is off, but I ask the question, why? Why do we have a problem in the first place? And what can we do to restore function? So... You know, Western medicine, I always say, is really the science of what?

It's great, we need it but when it comes to a lot of these chronic health conditions that people are struggling with like IBS, autoimmune conditions, anxiety, depression you know, diabetes, metabolic issues, you know. It really often comes down to a lot of these lifestyle factors that are really overlooked with Western medicine.

And I even think often too in our healthcare system, we give a lot of trash can diagnoses. This is a term that I use quite a bit, but trash can diagnoses are, are simply diagnosing just based off of symptom clusters. So, you know, for me, you know, I struggled a lot with, Got issues actually at the peak of competing in bodybuilding and from the outside looking like the epitome of health but on the inside I had, you know, chronic bloating and I had hormonal imbalances and I had low thyroid and I had all these health issues and did all of the testing with Western Medicine colonoscopy, endoscopy, CT scan, MRI and I just was given a label of IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, which is kind of funny because it's like, yes, I know my gut, it's irritable where they gave me that diagnosis because they really couldn't figure out what was off or what was really going on.

Structurally, everything was fine. And I just fit the criteria for IBS based off of the symptoms. And, you know, I see this happen a lot, whether it's with IBS depression, we diagnose based off of symptom clusters. I see this with people who suffer with hormonal imbalances, like PCOS, that's a very common female hormone imbalance.

And the approach is really more symptomatic instead of actually truly helping people heal. So coming back full circle, you know, I'm really just a huge advocate for helping people take more ownership and creating the healing that they really want so they can live the health and the life they want for themselves.

Dr. Latt Mansor:

Amazing. What even inspired you to start this path of your career? Like what inspired you to start bodybuilding? Was it because of the dysfunction that you went through during bodybuilding that sparked this interest? Or have you always had this interest?

Rachel Sheer:

Yeah, I've always been an athlete for sure. Like I've considered myself as part of my identity to be an athlete.

I grew up as a gymnast and a dancer. I actually remember a few years ago, it really dawned on me how much it was a part of my identity. When a guy was like, how do you stay so fit all the time? Like I watch you and like your body has never changed. And I was like, he's like, how long have you been working out for?

And I was like, well, how long have I been working out for? So I'm like, I'm trying to count how many years. And I'm like, well, when I was a kid, I was a gymnast when I was like five. And then I was a dancer and I was like, I don't know, I'm an athlete. And it was interesting because in that moment I realized that, you know, part of what he was asking is like.

How long have you been working out like something you do? And I really thought of it from the perspective of This is who I am. So, you know, health and fitness has just been a part of who I am for my entire life. And that's why I decided to go to Baylor and study nutrition science and dietetics because I was interested in athletic performance.

I actually grew up eating like shit food as a kid. I hope I can cuss on here. I had no, no, I grew up eating like candy bars and Mcdonald's. Donald's because I just didn't have the best upbringing. I didn't know anything about nutrition and I was like, huh, maybe if I just started to learn a bit more about nutrition, this would help me in athletics.

And when I went off to college I no longer was a dancer or a gymnast, but I picked up weightlifting and bodybuilding and I fell in love with it. Just like I fell in love with dance and gymnastics. I loved what it did for my body physically, the confidence that it created. Not only like physically and how my body looked, but mentally, right?

There's something about just like pushing my body to its extreme, really, and like seeing what I was capable of, the power behind it all and and pushing through these limits. I, I fell in love with what it did for me mentally and physically, and I watched my body change and transform in ways that, you know, dance and gymnastics didn't really do.

And that was when I started to get into competing in bodybuilding and I was winning. Like I was winning like pretty much every show. Yeah. Like right off the bat. And I'm like, okay, there's something to this. I'm really good at this. So I competed for three years back to back. I was at 10% body fat, incredibly lean for a female, actually not a healthy percent body fat for a woman to maintain, but it looked awesome.

I had eight pack abs and that's all I really cared about at that time in my life. And that was a big definition.

Dr. Latt Mansor:

And nowadays that, that is the entire identity of a person, right?

Rachel Sheer:

Yeah. I mean, it was my identity truly. And I'll even go deeper into that, but you know. I looked from the outside like the epitome of health.

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