The Elevated Health Podcast

Detox Explained: Why Detox Teas Fail & How the Body Actually Detoxifies

Do detox teas actually remove toxins?
In this episode, we break down the science of detoxification — how the liver, gut, kidneys, and lymphatic system work together to eliminate waste — and why most detox teas fail to deliver what they promise.
You’ll learn:
• How phase I and phase II liver detox pathways function• The role of bile, stool, and regular bowel movements• Why constipation can impair toxin clearance• How diarrhea reduces nutrient absorption• The difference between marketing claims and physiology• What truly supports healthy detoxification
Detox is not a 7-day cleanse. It is a continuous biological process.
If you’ve been told you need a special tea, powder, or cleanse to “reset” your body, this episode explains what actually matters — and how to support your natural detox systems through nutrition, sleep, hydration, and metabolic health.

Macros Explained: Protein, Fat & Carbs for Metabolism and Blood Sugar (Revisit)

This foundational nutrition episode is worth revisiting.
Understanding macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) is essential for metabolism, blood sugar stability, hormone balance, and sustainable weight management.
In this episode, we break down:
• What macronutrients are and how they differ from micronutrients• How protein supports satiety, muscle, and recovery• How carbohydrates affect insulin and blood sugar• The role of dietary fat in hormones and inflammation• Why balance matters more than restriction• How to structure meals for metabolic stability
Macros are not just numbers. They influence energy, cravings, body composition, and long-term health.
If you’re confused about how to build balanced meals or optimize nutrition without extreme dieting, this episode provides a clear and practical framework.

Alcohol & Health: How to Drink Smarter Without Harming Your Metabolism

How does alcohol actually affect your metabolism?
In this episode, we break down how alcohol impacts blood sugar, liver function, hormones, sleep, and weight gain — and how to approach drinking in a way that protects your long-term health.
You’ll learn:
• How alcohol affects insulin and blood sugar control• Why drinking disrupts sleep and cortisol regulation• The connection between alcohol and triglycerides• How alcohol slows fat metabolism• What “moderation” really means• Practical strategies to reduce metabolic damage while drinking
Alcohol is not neutral in the body. It directly influences liver function, inflammation, and hormone balance.
If you enjoy social drinking but want to better understand how it impacts weight, energy, and metabolic health, this episode gives you a clear and balanced framework.

Blue Christmas: Grieving During the Holidays with Shelly Moss, LCSW

The holidays are not joyful for everyone.
For many, Christmas and the holiday season intensify grief, loneliness, and emotional pain. In this episode, Amanda Jones sits down with licensed clinical social worker Shelly Moss, LCSW, to discuss how to navigate grief during the holidays.
You’ll learn:
• Why loss feels heavier during the holiday season• The difference between grief and seasonal depression• How traditions can trigger emotional pain• Practical coping tools for holiday gatherings• How to set boundaries while protecting your mental health• Ways to honor loved ones while creating space for healing
Grief does not disappear because the calendar says it is time to celebrate.
If you are navigating loss, strained relationships, infertility, illness, or unmet expectations during the holidays, this conversation offers compassion, validation, and practical guidance.

Holiday Stress & Cortisol: Why Stress Hijacks Your Cravings

Why do cravings feel stronger during the holidays?
In this episode, we break down how stress hormones — especially cortisol — impact blood sugar, appetite regulation, and emotional eating. Holiday stress does more than affect your mood. It changes your physiology.
You’ll learn:
• How cortisol influences insulin and blood sugar• Why stress increases cravings for sugar and refined carbohydrates• The connection between sleep loss and hunger hormones• How chronic stress contributes to weight gain• Practical strategies to regulate cortisol during busy seasons• How to enjoy holidays without metabolic backlash
Stress is not just emotional. It is hormonal and metabolic.
If you struggle with holiday overeating, late-night cravings, or seasonal weight gain, this episode explains what is happening in your body and how to regain balance.

The 28-Day Menstrual Cycle Explained: Hormones, Ovulation & Cycle Phases

The menstrual cycle is more than just a period.
In this episode, we break down the 28-day menstrual cycle, explaining what happens hormonally during each phase and how estrogen, progesterone, and ovulation shape mood, metabolism, energy, and fertility.
You’ll learn:
• The four phases of the menstrual cycle• What estrogen does in the follicular phase• How ovulation affects energy and insulin sensitivity• Why progesterone rises in the luteal phase• Why PMS symptoms occur• How cycle timing influences sleep, cravings, and workouts
Understanding your menstrual cycle is foundational to hormone health, fertility awareness, and metabolic stability.
If you want to better interpret mood shifts, cravings, energy changes, or irregular symptoms, this episode offers a clear, physiology-based guide to what is happening each week.

From Anxiety to Peace: A Mental Health Conversation with Shelly Moss, LCSW (Revisit)

This episode is one of our most listened-to conversations — and it is worth revisiting.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges today. But what actually drives it, and how do we move toward peace?
In this conversation, Amanda Jones sits down with licensed clinical social worker Shelly Moss, LCSW, to discuss anxiety, stress, nervous system dysregulation, and emotional resilience.
You’ll learn:
• What anxiety is from a clinical perspective• The difference between stress and anxiety disorders• How nervous system dysregulation fuels chronic overwhelm• Therapy tools that help restore emotional balance• The connection between physical health and mental health• Practical strategies for moving toward peace
This conversation remains timely and relevant — especially in seasons of stress, illness, or burnout.
If you struggle with anxiety, emotional overload, or persistent stress, this episode offers both compassion and clinical clarity.

Building a Functional Medicine Practice: 5 Lessons from Five Years of Elevated Health

What does it really take to build a functional medicine practice from the ground up?
In this five-year anniversary episode, Amanda Jones reflects on launching Elevated Health in 2020, navigating COVID-era pivots, expanding into telemedicine and metabolic care, and growing a practice centered on root-cause medicine.
You’ll learn:
• How functional medicine fits into a modern healthcare landscape• The realities of entrepreneurship in medicine• What building a private practice teaches about patient care• Lessons learned about time, energy, and sustainability• Why metabolic health and realistic nutrition remain foundational• The importance of community, resilience, and long-term vision
Amanda shares both challenges and milestones — from travel testing during the pandemic to opening a downtown clinic, growing a team, expanding GLP-1 and wellness services, and launching a podcast.
This episode is not just a celebration. It is a reflection on what sustainable healthcare, business ownership, and patient-centered medicine require.
If you are a clinician, entrepreneur, or patient curious about the behind-the-scenes of modern functional practice, this conversation offers honest insight and practical perspective.

The Science of Self-Care: Stress, Massage Therapy & Nervous System Healing

Self-care is often framed as indulgent. In reality, it is physiological.
In this episode, Amanda Jones sits down with Gloria Hargrave, Licensed Massage Therapist, to discuss how chronic stress, muscle tension, and nervous system overload impact physical and emotional health.
You’ll learn:
• How chronic stress dysregulates the nervous system• The connection between muscle tension and emotional strain• Why massage therapy supports parasympathetic activation• How burnout affects hormones, sleep, and recovery• Practical ways to incorporate sustainable self-care• Why rest is a biological requirement, not a reward
This conversation reframes self-care as a survival strategy in a high-stress culture.
If you struggle with chronic tension, stress overload, or burnout, this episode explains how body-based therapies can support nervous system regulation and long-term resilience.

Is BMI Accurate? Better Ways to Measure Health & Body Composition

Is Body Mass Index actually a reliable measure of health?
In this episode, Amanda Jones breaks down the history of BMI, why it was never designed to assess individual health, and how it can misclassify muscle, bone density, and body composition.
You’ll learn:
• Where BMI came from and how it became standard in medicine• Why BMI does not distinguish fat from muscle• How height, sex, and ethnicity influence BMI interpretation• Why some athletes and metabolically healthy individuals fall into “overweight” categories• The role of clinician bias in weight-based assumptions• Better tools for assessing health, including waist-to-height ratio, body fat percentage, fasting insulin, triglycerides, and HDL
Health cannot be reduced to a single number.
This episode offers a more nuanced, evidence-based way to evaluate weight, metabolic health, and overall wellness — without shame or oversimplification.
If you’ve ever been told your BMI defines your health, this conversation will help you understand what matters more.