Melatonin may be best known for sleep, yet its real power lies in protecting mitochondria, repairing the gut, and calming immune chaos across the entire body.

This conversation challenges the narrow way melatonin is usually framed and invites a broader clinical lens. Tracy Harrison explains why much of melatonin’s most meaningful work happens inside cells rather than in the pineal gland, where it supports mitochondrial health and antioxidant balance. What happens when this system quietly weakens over time? How might that shift influence energy, cognition, cardiovascular health, or recovery from illness?

The episode also explores melatonin’s central role in the gut, where it supports motility, barrier integrity, and microbial balance. Since so much immune activity begins there, melatonin emerges as a quiet regulator of immune tolerance and inflammatory tone. Could recurring infections, autoimmune patterns, or lingering post-viral symptoms point to a deeper melatonin story that has been overlooked?

Tracy also offers practical ways to think about assessment and supplementation. Poor sleep onset, frequent illness, oxidative stress markers, and non-dipping nighttime blood pressure can all offer clues. She explains why dosing must be individualized and why more is not always better, especially when morning fatigue or blood sugar shifts appear. The takeaway is simple and challenging at the same time: melatonin deserves respect as a systemic signal of resilience, not a one-size-fits-all sleep aid.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Melatonin Beyond Sleep The Antioxidant Role Most People Miss

04:10 Mitochondrial Melatonin and Cellular Protection

10:30 Pineal Versus Mitochondrial Melatonin and Sleep Timing

17:45 Gut Derived Melatonin and Intestinal Barrier Health

26:10 Melatonin and Immune Regulation Through T Regulatory Cells

33:40 Rethinking Melatonin as a Core Tool for Resilient Healing

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Functional medicine becomes far more powerful when it slows down, listens closely, and focuses on simple changes that help patients reclaim trust in their own ability to heal.

In this episode, Tracy Harrison speaks with nurse practitioner Lisa Vasile about what functional medicine looks like when it is practiced with restraint, clarity, and real-world perspective. Lisa reflects on her journey through conventional nursing, women’s health, education, and her own celiac diagnosis, and how those experiences exposed the limits of symptom-based care. Rather than chasing answers through endless testing, she explains why understanding the person, setting expectations, and addressing foundational habits often leads to the most meaningful change.

The conversation challenges common assumptions in both conventional and functional medicine. Are patients truly unwilling to change, or have they simply never been given context and support? What happens when practitioners slow down and stop trying to fix everything at once? Through clinical stories and hard-earned insight, Lisa makes a case for simpler interventions, thoughtful timelines, and partnerships that help patients build confidence in their body’s ability to heal.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Functional Medicine and Real-World Impact

01:31 Lisa Vasile’s Journey from Conventional Nursing to Functional Medicine

11:51 How Celiac Disease Changed Lisa’s Approach to Healing

16:11 Choosing and Building Sustainable Functional Medicine Practice Models

27:52 Patient-Centered Care and the Power of Listening

31:07 Common Pitfalls in Functional Medicine and When Less Is More

54:24 A Transformative Patient Story That Redefined Healing

Connect with Lisa Vasile:

Email: Lisa@4BetterHealthMedicine.com

Visit 4betterhealthmedicine.com

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

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4 Better Health's Facebook Page

SAFM Links:

Take SAFM’s 10 CME course - The Essential Gut Deep Dive

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Iron can be both life-saving and quietly destructive and understanding when it fuels healing versus when it drives inflammation is one of the most important clinical distinctions practitioners can make.

This episode invites practitioners to rethink iron as more than a lab value to correct or a supplement to prescribe. Tracy Harrison reframes iron as a powerful regulator of energy, immunity, brain function, and inflammation, one that requires nuance and restraint rather than automatic intervention. The conversation challenges the assumption that low hemoglobin or fatigue always calls for more iron and asks a bigger question about when the body may be intentionally limiting iron as a form of protection.

Rather than chasing numbers, Tracy emphasizes clinical context, regulatory intelligence, and root cause awareness. Iron can support vitality when handled with precision or quietly amplify oxidative stress and chronic disease when misunderstood. The takeaway is a shift in mindset: slower assessment, better questions, and treatment decisions that respect the system rather than override it.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Paradox of Iron in Functional Medicine

05:48 Why Ferritin and Full Iron Panels Matter

11:53 Inflammation, Hepcidin, and Iron Sequestration

15:12 Iron Balance Across Women’s Life Stages

17:55 Oxidative Stress, Chronic Disease, and Iron Overload

20:52 How to Supplement Iron Safely and Effectively

SAFM Links:

Take SAFM’s 10 CME course - The Essential Gut Deep Dive

Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox

Learn more about SAFM’s practitioner training

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm