In this week’s episode of Everyday Epigenetics: Raw, Real, Relatable, Susan and Kate welcome back one of the most requested guests, Dr. Eric Balcavage, internationally recognized thyroid expert, educator, and co-author of The Thyroid Debacle.
This conversation is honest, energizing, and eye-opening. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the confusing world of symptoms, labs, Google searches, or conflicting advice, this episode will help you finally understand what’s actually going on inside your body, and what to do about it.
Why So Many People Stay Sick
Most people grow up in the allopathic (traditional) medical model: you get symptoms, you get a diagnosis, you get a treatment. But what happens when you have the symptoms without a diagnosis? Or when the treatment manages your discomfort but never addresses why it’s happening?
Dr. Eric explains why so many people get stuck in this loop, not because their body is failing, but because the system isn’t designed to find root causes. Functional medicine approaches it differently: by asking what’s creating the stress, imbalance, or overload that pushed the body out of homeostasis in the first place.
Understanding Allostasis, Stress & “Normal” That Isn’t Normal
One of the most powerful pieces of the episode is Dr. Eric’s breakdown of allostatic load, the state your body enters when stress becomes constant, not temporary. This is where energy gets diverted, hormones shift, digestion slows, and symptoms start to appear.
Over time, those symptoms become so familiar that people call them “normal.” But they’re not normal, they’re signals. And they always mean something.
Mindset, Trauma, and the Psychology of Staying Stuck
Kate takes the conversation deeper by unpacking the psychology behind health patterns. Many people unintentionally cling to diagnoses, beliefs, or past traumas because it feels safer than change. The team discusses the seductive pull of victim consciousness, the fear of uncertainty, and how old emotional wounds can keep someone in a chronic stress state long after the event has passed.
You don’t have to stay there, and that truth is liberating.
What to Ask When Choosing a Provider
Dr. Eric shares specific red flags to look for when seeking a functional medicine practitioner, because not everyone advertising “functional” is actually practicing it. He breaks down what true root-cause care looks like, what labs should include, and what questions patients should ask to avoid falling into another cycle of management instead of recovery.
The Future of Healing
AI is entering the health space quickly, and while it can be an incredible tool, it’s not a replacement for clinical wisdom, human intuition, or true interpretation. Healing still requires a relationship, nuance, and a whole-person lens.
This episode will challenge you, empower you, and help you finally understand your options. It’s one of our most important conversations yet.
Connect with Dr. Eric Balcavage:
Website: http://drericbalcavage.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/drericbalcavage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@askdreric
Private Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/thyroidrecoverycollective/
Free Thyroid Ebook: http://drericbalcavage.com/free-thyroid-ebook
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thyroid-answers-podcast/id1189585193
The Thyroid Debacle: https://amzn.to/3zHRZYZ
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Connect with Susan:
- Check out Susan’s NEW E-book! Download it FREE here: https://healthyawakening.co/ebook-signup
- Contact me for your DNA testing or epigenetic coaching! To schedule a FREE consultation, send an email to susan@healthyawakening.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanrobbinshealthyawakening
Instagram: @susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach - Susan’s LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/susanrobbins
Connect with Kate King:
- Kate’s Website: https://TheRadiantLifeProject.com
- Kate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/theradiantlifeproject
Kate’s Books:
- Stay tuned for Kate’s newest book “Mend or Move On” that will be available early 2026!
- The Radiant Life Project (https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538181874/The-Radiant-Life-Project-Awaken-Your-Purpose-Heal-Your-Past-and-Transform-Your-Future)
- Use code RLFANDF30 at checkout for 30% OFF “The Radiant Life Project”!
- The Authentic Mother – Kate King https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Mother-Creative-Engagement-Support/dp/098983414X/
- Mend or Move On – Kate King: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421453479?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_2R3BGMCJAVY744SE9D3E_9&bestFormat=true
Learn more about our guest Dr. Eric Balcavage:
Dr. Eric Balcavage is internationally recognized as a leading authority in functional medicine and thyroid physiology. He’s the co-author of The Thyroid Debacle, host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, and a trusted mentor to hundreds of practitioners across the U.S. With over two decades of clinical experience, he specializes in helping patients recover from chronic hypothyroidism, metabolic dysfunction, and complex health challenges that haven’t responded to conventional or protocol-based care. He also lectures and consults on topics such as cellular thyroid physiology, GI health, organic acid testing, and methylation—shaping a new standard for thyroid recovery.
Learn more about Kate King:
Kate brings nearly two decades of experience as a licensed psychotherapist and board certified art therapist, combined with her work as a Radiant Life coach to the table. She is also the multi-award-winning author of three powerful self-help psychology books. Kate’s work integrates epigenetics through a relational, behavioral, and intergenerational family trauma lens. She also incorporates brain and nervous system science with psychology, spirituality, and creativity for a dynamic approach to deep inner work and personal healing.
Learn More about Susan Robbins:
Susan is a retired law enforcement officer and an accomplished Certified Epigenetic Human Performance Coach with a diverse and extensive background in wellness. She began her wellness career in 2015 as a holistic health and stress management coach. Her passion for helping others led her to expand her expertise into epigenetics in 2019, where she discovered the missing piece of the health optimization puzzle: Personalized health.
As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Level 2 Apeiron Zoh Epigenetic Human Performance Coach (DNA), and Certified PH360 Coach through Precision Health Alliance, Susan has developed a unique approach to health and wellness through completely personalized health. She is the proud recipient of the 2023 Precision Health Alliance Coach of the Year award. Susan works with clients to elevate their health and overall quality of life by understanding their unique needs based on their genetic makeup, taking out the guesswork, and getting results.
Their Synergy
Susan and Kate come from two very different, but perfectly complementary, worlds in the health and wellness space. Together, their synergy is magnetic. Think: science meets soul, strategy meets intuition, real talk meets radical transformation.
