In this episode of Rooted in Resilience, Ashley sits down with Dr. Alex Orton to challenge one of the most common beliefs in modern health: that getting sick is always a bad thing.

What if occasional illness is actually a sign of a resilient, functioning body?

Together, they explore how acute illness fits into the bigger picture of metabolic health, why suppressing symptoms may do more harm than good, and how your body’s ability to mount a response (like a fever) is directly tied to your energy production and vitality.

They also break down:

• Why not getting sick for years might not be a flex
• The connection between metabolism, body temperature, and immune function
• How modern life suppresses the body’s natural healing processes
• The role of rest, nourishment, and detox pathways during illness
• Why true healing isn’t linear and requires patience

This episode will shift how you view sickness, symptoms, and what it actually means to be “healthy.”

TIMESTAMPS

00:43 – Why getting sick might actually be beneficial

02:20 – How often should you get sick? Is “never” a red flag?

05:00 – Acute vs chronic illness (and how suppression leads to deeper issues)

07:30 – Why energy & metabolism determine your ability to heal

12:20 – The long-term consequences of symptom suppression

18:20 – Fever explained: why higher body temperature is therapeutic

25:30 – Metabolism, body temperature & declining health in modern society

31:30 – “Healing isn’t linear”: understanding symptoms returning over time

46:50 – What to actually do when you’re sick (rest, food, detox, support)

1:07:30 – The real bottleneck in health: mastering the basics

1:30:00 – Why healing takes time (and why quick fixes don’t work)

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Link to previous podcast with Dr. Alex Orton, where we discuss the downfalls of modern functional medicine and the four pillars of true health.

'When Holistic Becomes Conventional: Rethinking Naturopathic Medicine with Dr. Alex Orton'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9TU9oL3ENU&t=2738s

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Keep Up With Us!🖥️ Website: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/🗞️ Newsletter: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/newsletter-signup

Support Us & Our Mission to Change the food system! 👩🏼‍🌾 Our Farm CoOp, Nourish Food Club: {The highest quality food you can find, delivered directly to your door. Low PUFA, corn- and soy free eggs, chicken and pork, 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, traditional sourdough, raw dog food, & more}

https://nourishfoodclub.com/

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✨Learn more and work with Dr. Alex Orton:

https://havenholistichealth.com

^ Schedule your free consult

Dr. Alex Orton on socials:

https://www.instagram.com/havenholistichealth/

https://www.instagram.com/alexorton.nd/

✨

Cheryl tried everything: keto, vegan, carnivore, general calorie restriction, and like so many women, she kept losing and regaining the same weight over and over again.

At nearly 70 years old and starting at 198 pounds, she decided to try something different.In this episode, Cheryl shares how she lost 52 pounds, improved her metabolism, and (most importantly) learned how to maintain her results for life.

We talk about:

- Why most fat loss approaches fail long-term

- The missing piece almost no one teaches: maintenance

- How her mindset, confidence, and identity completely shifted

- What she actually eats day-to-day (including carbs 👀)

- Why it’s never too late to take control of your health

This is more than a weight loss story: it’s a story about taking ownership of your health, rebuilding your metabolism, and showing up fully for your life.If you’ve ever felt stuck, like nothing works, or like it’s “too late”… this episode is for you.

Time Stamps

0:00 – Intro

1:38 - Meet Cheryl: background, life story & how she found Transform

7:36 - The Importance of Community

10:31 - Mindset Shifts and Lifestyle Changes

13:26 - Navigating Food Choices and Nutrition

16:28 - The Role of Family in Transform

19:40 - Overcoming Challenges and Building Confidence22:41 - The Impact of Aging on Health and Wellness

25:47 - Self Love and Personal Growth

28:22 - Cheryls Encouraging Message

41:00 - Full Day of Eating for Cheryl

53:00 - Navigating Career Choices and Family Life

59:00 - What Cheryl is Empowered to Work on In Life After Transform

1:01:54 - Importance of A System and Support

1:02 - Why We Don’t Use Meal Plans

Join Transform!

https://www.armstrongsisters.com/transform

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Keep Up With Us!🖥️ Website: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/🗞️ Newsletter: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/newsletter-signup

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Support Us & Our Mission to Change the food system!

Join Nourish Food Club

👩🏼‍🌾 Our Farm CoOp, Nourish Food Club:

{The highest quality food you can find, delivered directly to your door. Low PUFA chicken and pork, 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, traditional sourdough, raw dog food, & more}

https://nourishfoodclub.com/ _____________________________________________________________

Follow Us On Social Media

➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strong.sistas/

➡️ X: https://twitter.com/strong_sistas

➡️TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@strong.sistas?_t=8oW270Feyz5&_r=1

➡️FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083808037077

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⭐️ The Transform Fat Loss and Metabolic Restoration Program ⭐️

Join 350+ people who’ve lost fat and kept it off, without giving up their favorite foods. This science-backed, metabolism-first program helps you rebuild your foundation, restore energy, and finally achieve fat loss results that last.

Next group starts April 6th, learn more and join here:

https://www.armstrongsisters.com/transform

Why do so many people spin their wheels with fat loss, despite trying so hard?

In this episode of the Rooted in Resilience podcast, Ashley, Sarah, Kathleen, and Tyler break down the most common reasons people fail in a fat loss phase: from program hopping and chasing the “secret sauce” to all-or-nothing thinking, supplement distractions, and misreading the scale.

After helping hundreds of people improve metabolism, lose fat, and keep it off, we’re sharing the patterns we see over and over again, and the mindset shifts that actually move the needle forward.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, inconsistent, or like you’re doing everything right but not seeing progress, this episode is for you.

We cover:

- program hopping and protocol hopping

- chasing the “secret sauce”

- all-or-nothing thinking after one off-plan meal

- trying new supplements and foods during a fat loss phase

- weighing yourself too infrequently and misreading progress

Time stamps:

02:00 - Program hopping & lack of consistency

07:30 - Why small habits matter more than hacks

14:30 - The real reason people feel stuck

29:20 - All-or-nothing mindset (one bad meal spiral)

39:15 - Supplements, new foods & fat loss confusion

48:45 - Focusing on the wrong goals at the wrong time

58:45 - How to actually track progress (and what works)_____________________________________________________________

Subscribe To The Rooted In Resilience Podcast:⭐ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCSpofOL75STGMvUUlD5em7g ⭐ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NTIxm2iqgIdnqI2j2FICr?si=477cfb0440fe40ce⭐ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rooted-in-resilience/id1663060063_____________________________________________________________

Keep Up With Us!🖥️ Website: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/🗞️ Newsletter: https://www.armstrongsisters.com/newsletter-signup_____________________________________________________________Support Us & Our Mission to Change the food system! 👩🏼‍🌾 Our Farm CoOp, Nourish Food Club: {The highest quality food you can find, delivered directly to your door. Low PUFA chicken and pork, 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, traditional sourdough, raw dog food, & more}https://nourishfoodclub.com/ _____________________________________________________________Follow Us On Social Media➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strong.sistas/➡️ X: https://twitter.com/strong_sistas➡️TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@strong.sistas?_t=8oW270Feyz5&_r=1➡️FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083808037077____________________________________________________⭐️ The Transform Fat Loss and Metabolic Restoration Program ⭐️Join 300+ people who’ve lost fat and kept it off, without giving up their favorite foods. This science-backed, metabolism-first program helps you rebuild your foundation, restore energy, and finally achieve fat loss results that last.Next group starts April 6th, learn more and join the Early Access List here:

https://www.armstrongsisters.com/transform