What do you know about gut health? Honestly, I didn't know very much. I had heard for years that mental health can be tied to what's going on in our guts and I finally decided to ask an expert. This week's interview is all about how gut health affects mental health and we get to hear from my friend, Dr. Michelle Page. 

Michelle Page received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Creighton University.  She then went on to complete a pharmacy residency at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington and also became a Board Certified in Geriatric Pharmacy.  In addition, she has completed several certification programs including diabetes, smoking cessation and medication management.

It was her work in geriatrics when she began to become disillusioned with the allopathic medical model and started exploring lifestyle medicine and alternative healing modalities beyond herbs and supplements.  This journey led her to the functional medicine model and its approach to treating the dis-ease found in the body.

As a lifelong learner, Dr. Page has a very diverse knowledge base and skill set that includes personal training, nutrition consulting and success coaching.  All of which she utilizes as the founder of the Unbreakable Moms, a supportive community that connects moms with resources and a podcast.

Dr. Page is currently working on her first book about the influence of the gut-brain connection on mood which will be published in spring of 2020.

And in this episode, Michelle covers 4 main objectives:

• Differentiate between the allopathic and functional medicine approaches to mental health.
• Identify at least two prescription medications commonly used for treating both depression and anxiety.
• Explain the role of the autonomic nervous system in influencing mental health conditions.
• Describe how a leaky gut can impact mental health biologically.

She is a wife and mom of 2 daughters with whom she shares a home with their dog, 2 cats and 2 fish.  She enjoys being creative through performing music and making jewelry.

Learn more about Michelle on her website: www.michelle-page.com

Find her on Facebook: @DrMichellePage, @Unbreakablemoms

Find her on IG: @drmichellepage,@unbreakablemomspodcast

We hope you enjoy this episode!