Episode 47
Melanie Cross:
Going from Crappy to Happy with Functional Plant Medicine
In this episode we are discussing the benefits of combining functional medicine and medical cannabis use to jumpstart healing, and my friend Melanie Cross is here to walk us through this new approach.
First Aired on: Aug 8, 2022
Episode 47
Melanie Cross:
Going from Crappy to Happy with Functional Plant Medicine
In this episode we are discussing the benefits of combining functional medicine and medical cannabis use to jumpstart healing, and my friend Melanie Cross is here to walk us through this new approach.
First Aired on: Aug 8, 2022
Table of Contents:
In this episode:
In today's episode, Nurse Practitioner and Functional Plant Medicine Expert, Melanie Cross introduces us to using cannabis as a tool to get people over the hump with their healing to improve sleep, energy, and digestive issues.
Through her own health journey, Melanie experienced a seven year time when she didn't sleep well, was experiencing brain fog, and was told she was fine by the doctors she saw. The typical story of "of course you're tired, you have children" and even offered her anti-depressants.
Within a week of starting cannabis, she was sleeping through the night for the first time in years!
She found the root cause of her sleep issues, which was gut health, and address that to heal. Now she doesn't need or use cannabis for sleep anymore,
Melanie now uses this approach with her clients, whether it is sleep, or pain, or anxiety...to bridge that gap and allow them to have the energy to heal.
Sleep is not a luxury!
It is essential, and we cannot heal without sleeping well.
Functional Plant Medicine - Melanie's approach of combining functional medicine and cannabis for treatment.
We aren't talking about getting high!
How to find symptom relief without feeling high.
No dosing with edibles for medicinal purposes.
You won't know actual dosing and you don't want the sugars, etc.
Customizing dosage and blends that serve you the best.
Balancing your endocanebanoid system.
Tinctures allow you to dial in dosage specifically.
Method of extraction is important.
Different turpines for the results you want.
Patches can be very helpful for pain.
TCH-a in pain patches... no psychoactive effects.
Some areas of the country, there are health care providers connected with dispensaries.
Melanie is a member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association.
Dr. Sulak, healer.com is a great resource to diy it.
Some people should definitely not try dosing on your own!
Seizure disorders
Blood thinners
If you have had a previous bad experience
Your endocanebanoid system as a balancing act. It's job is to create homeostasis.
Stress Reduction
Mindfulness
Vagus Nerve
Joyfulness
Empowerment to heal the body....
Immune resilience... If you have an endocannabanoid deficiency, using cannabis can help balance you and give your body more resources to begin healing.
Start low and go slow!
#1- Master showing up for ourselves!
When we can create a win in healing and become empowered, it leads to more and more wins in health, and then life!
Life gets more expansive again!
Not settling for the story of illness.
Jumpstart your healing!
Melanie's 1 thing... Show up for yourself!
Becoming 1% better - James Clear Atomic Habits
Instead of always raising the ceiling, why not raise the floor!
Pick one thing, and make a 1% improvement there.
No win is too small!
Through her own health journey, Melanie experienced a seven year time when she didn't sleep well, was experiencing brain fog, and was told she was fine by the doctors she saw. The typical story of "of course you're tired, you have children" and even offered her anti-depressants.
Within a week of starting cannabis, she was sleeping through the night for the first time in years!
She found the root cause of her sleep issues, which was gut health, and address that to heal. Now she doesn't need or use cannabis for sleep anymore,
Melanie now uses this approach with her clients, whether it is sleep, or pain, or anxiety...to bridge that gap and allow them to have the energy to heal.
Sleep is not a luxury!
It is essential, and we cannot heal without sleeping well.
Functional Plant Medicine - Melanie's approach of combining functional medicine and cannabis for treatment.
We aren't talking about getting high!
How to find symptom relief without feeling high.
No dosing with edibles for medicinal purposes.
You won't know actual dosing and you don't want the sugars, etc.
Customizing dosage and blends that serve you the best.
Balancing your endocanebanoid system.
Tinctures allow you to dial in dosage specifically.
Method of extraction is important.
Different turpines for the results you want.
Patches can be very helpful for pain.
TCH-a in pain patches... no psychoactive effects.
Some areas of the country, there are health care providers connected with dispensaries.
Melanie is a member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association.
Dr. Sulak, healer.com is a great resource to diy it.
Some people should definitely not try dosing on your own!
Seizure disorders
Blood thinners
If you have had a previous bad experience
Your endocanebanoid system as a balancing act. It's job is to create homeostasis.
Stress Reduction
Mindfulness
Vagus Nerve
Joyfulness
Empowerment to heal the body....
Immune resilience... If you have an endocannabanoid deficiency, using cannabis can help balance you and give your body more resources to begin healing.
Start low and go slow!
#1- Master showing up for ourselves!
When we can create a win in healing and become empowered, it leads to more and more wins in health, and then life!
Life gets more expansive again!
Not settling for the story of illness.
Jumpstart your healing!
Melanie's 1 thing... Show up for yourself!
Becoming 1% better - James Clear Atomic Habits
Instead of always raising the ceiling, why not raise the floor!
Pick one thing, and make a 1% improvement there.
No win is too small!
Other Resources:
Connect with Melanie Cross
Episode Transcript
[Page//00:00:00] Julie Michelson: Welcome back to the inspired living with autoimmunity podcast. I'm your host, Julie Michaelson. And today I'm joined by Melanie cross nurse practitioner and functional plant medicine expert. Who's sharing with us how using cannabis as part of a healing protocol helps jumpstart wellness and empower her clients.
[Page//00:00:54] If you experience difficulty sleeping, pain, low energy or mood struggles, [Page//00:01:00] listen in. We talk about how to incorporate plant medicine into your functional approach to healing the root cause of your illness and who is best suited for this approach.
[Page//00:01:11] Melanie welcome to the podcast.
[Page//00:01:14] Melanie Cross: Thank you so much for having me excited to be here.
[Page//00:01:17] Julie Michelson: I am so excited for this conversation. We were talking before I hit record. We haven't discussed functional plant medicine or cannabis on the podcast yet. And so I'm super excited for the value. This is gonna give to the, the listeners.
[Page//00:01:34] Melanie Cross: Thanks. I'm grateful to be part of that, like that first time.
[Page//00:01:37] Julie Michelson: Yeah. You're so you're the intro. no pressure.
[Page//00:01:42] Melanie Cross: no pressure. No pressure.
[Page//00:01:44] Julie Michelson: So how this is your, you have a, a unique perspective in how you help people. How did you get involved in functional plant medicine? Kind of what, you know, I always joke when you were a little girl, that's not probably what you thought you were gonna be [Page//00:02:00] doing.
[Page//00:02:00] So yeah.
[Page//00:02:02] Melanie Cross: probably the plant piece.
[Page//00:02:03] Julie Michelson: Yes
[Page//00:02:03] Melanie Cross: well, I've been a long time supporter of cannabis and the medicinal benefits and incredible opportunity. It helps people provide them with and like, it was around like I was around like 38 or so. And I just. Things started to kind of happen with my own health.
[Page//00:02:21] Like I, you know, you know, I had this horrendous brain brain fog. I was not I was starting to feel kind of anxious. I had this, this weight that I was holding onto, but like, in spite of all these things, like I wasn't sleeping and I hadn't been sleeping for Really since my ki like for about seven years, my kids were five and seven at the time and I just, you know, blamed it on them and was like, oh, I, you know, gotta keep that ear open.
[Page//00:02:46] But they were like, like champion sleepers as babies. So that was like not really very fair. And I have
[Page//00:02:53] Julie Michelson: that's what doctors said. Like I remember, and I was in that same place and they gave the like, oh, you have young [Page//00:03:00] kids. Of course you're not sleeping. And so, but no wrong
[Page//00:03:05] Melanie Cross: Right or, yeah, you're getting older, you know, that sort of thing.
[Page//00:03:09] Julie Michelson: at 38.
[Page//00:03:10] Melanie Cross: At 38. Yeah. But you know, I'd spent at that point, like 20 plus years in conventional medicine and about half that time as a nurse practitioner in primary care. And I knew, I knew how the story was gonna go if, cuz I, I, I, I, yeah, inadvertently like handed that out to people.
[Page//00:03:29] So, you know, you go in and they, you I'd tell my story and you know, they'd like maybe they'd run some labs or, or, you know, check my TSH. Tell me they're checking my thyroid, tell me everything's fine. And you know, offer me like an antidepressant and like send me my way. And I was like, no, this, this can't be the only answer.
[Page//00:03:48] And so I decided to solve my own sleep starting with with cannabis and within like a week I was sleeping solidly through the. And, and it [Page//00:04:00] hadn't been like, it was like the slightest little, like noise would wake me up and I wouldn't, you know, I had no problem falling asleep cuz I was so exhausted.
[Page//00:04:09] However, like once I woke up and it was always like that same, the same time, like three in the morning. And then I would like start this negotiation like with myself, like okay. If I fall asleep right now, like I can still
[Page//00:04:21] Julie Michelson: get
[Page//00:04:22] Melanie Cross: yeah, like tomorrow's. Totally. Like, we all have it. Like, tomorrow's gonna be so rough, but I've done this, you know, a million times I'll get through it.
[Page//00:04:31] And so when I added the cannabis piece into it like I said, I was sleeping through the night and then around that time, I'd also I'd left primary care. And had entered into integrative and functional medicine and, and so started really diving into the root cause of why I wasn't sleeping.
[Page//00:04:47] And for me that was all gut health. And once you know, my through that process of healing, my gut, like I don't use anything for sleep. Like I, you know, the cannabis was, was what it needed to be. And, and now yeah, now I sleep [Page//00:05:00] without.
[Page//00:05:00] Julie Michelson: able to kind of bridge, even though you hadn't healed your gut yet or figured it out, the cannabis helped in the mean.
[Page//00:05:07] Melanie Cross: Yeah, it's just it. And what I've see with clients all the time, it just gets you over that hump, whatever that hump might be pain or anxiety or, you know, or sleep in my case just got me over that hump. So then I could like really, you know, put the work into why, why I was truly struggling with sleep.
[Page//00:05:28] Julie Michelson: Wow. That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that story. I, I think bits and pieces, all of us can relate. Who in, in one way or another. And what I see. Sleep is so huge that yeah, whether it's gut or stress or whatever, the other stuff, eventually sleep becomes a challenge, especially in the autoimmune community in one way or another.
[Page//00:05:56] And it's that kind of syndrome of I'm so fatigued, but I [Page//00:06:00] not sleeping well. And so I'm really excited to dig in and learn more.
[Page//00:06:07] Melanie Cross: Yeah. I mean, as you know, too, like when you're not sleeping, everything else is just, it's so much harder.
[Page//00:06:12] Julie Michelson: Sure. Well, you're you just keep the cycle going it's you can't heal if you're not sleeping, so
[Page//00:06:18] Melanie Cross: it's not. Sleep is not a luxury. I, I think we kind of play it off that way. Like, and we wear that badge of honor in our, you know, in our society. Like I, I can get by on five hours of sleep or whatever, you know, and it's, it's really such a disservice and it's not a luxury of something that, you know, for our health it's
[Page//00:06:37] Julie Michelson: But
[Page//00:06:39] Melanie Cross: imperative.
[Page//00:06:39] Julie Michelson: it's yeah, it's essential and good quality sleep. I, I was listening to a book. I shared, I was, I was in the, in the car on a road trip. We were listening to a book and, and they were talking about all cause mortality increasing, you know, with. Too little sleep, but also with too much [Page//00:07:00] sleep. And I was laughing.
[Page//00:07:02] That was kind of the end of the conversation in the book. And I'm like, what? But it's cuz why are you sleeping so much? Like why 12 hours is not enough? Is probably the issue and the sleep is a symptom.
[Page//00:07:16] Melanie Cross: Right.
[Page//00:07:16] Julie Michelson: you know? Yeah, exactly, exactly. So, but I remember for years, I, I literally thought I would never wake up feeling rested again.
[Page//00:07:28] In life. And as you know, and I know we can, we can heal and things can turn around. So I'm excited to learn more so let's dig in, but I wanna start really with the basics. So what is functional plant medicine?
[Page//00:07:45] Melanie Cross: So it's, it's kind of the combo. I kind of made it up, I think a little bit.
[Page//00:07:49] Julie Michelson: I like it. I like it.
[Page//00:07:51] Melanie Cross: That I combo my, my two things that I just so passionate about the plant piece and for, for majority of people that's cannabis. When I, when I speak [Page//00:08:00] about plant medicine, and then the functional piece where we're getting into the root cause as you're well aware of of that, of what functional medicine is.
[Page//00:08:08] And so like when you, like I was saying, you, you combo those two, you get over the hump while you're digging into that root cause. And when people just get that, you know, that that first win, you know, a little, like a little Mo momentum, like that's huge.
[Page//00:08:23] Julie Michelson: So huge. I, I can only imagine. So you mentioned in your story, particularly sleep, that's something that you use You know, with your clients. Are there other symptoms that if they're experiencing, you might use cannabis to, to jumpstart?
[Page//00:08:41] Melanie Cross: Pain is a bit, is a big one that I work with as well. Cuz there's just so I mean, people don't come to me like, you know, teach me how to get high. Like, you know, that's not happening. It's like, how can I find relief with my symptoms without feeling those effects, you know, without feeling those, those high [Page//00:09:00] effects.
[Page//00:09:00] And, and there's absolutely a way to do that where. Customize it to what, you know, what methods that you're comfortable using and you know, what, and finding out what dosage is right for you. And, and you like, you know, that empowerment that comes with when you get that win or when you're able to like, see, like you can heal yourself.
[Page//00:09:20] So that pain piece you know, because everyone's just, people are so sick of the options they've been given. and the narcotic option is, you know, you're, it's not an option really. And so that's a one mood is another that I work a lot with people with anxiety or depression and, you know, like sometimes people like, I, they like I'll work with people that have had like a horrible experience with cannabis, like, you know, in college or something.
[Page//00:09:47] Like, I, you know, I. Was so it had like a panic attack or those sort of things. And there's ways to you find what different aspects of the plant that are gonna serve you the best. And we [Page//00:10:00] just tailor it that way. And this one kind of seems probably weird, but energy actually, you know, cannabis can be really beneficial for energy because with the way it works with your endocannabinoid system, the way cannabis works with your naturally occurring, endo endocannabinoids cannabis supplies, those, if you don't have enough of that, and it just helps get like, like all parts of functional medicine, it's all interconnected.
[Page//00:10:23] So it just helps things work a little bit easier. And so that one people are. I'm gonna have more energy. how's that? That's not what I've seen on TV.
[Page//00:10:32] Julie Michelson: Well, and I, I think that, that goes back to when you mentioned, you know, if somebody experimented in college or, you know, you think of sitting on the couch or and so let's talk a little bit about. I know when I was still experiencing a lot of pain I found and having issues with sleep. I found that high quality C B D helped me double my deep sleep that I was [Page//00:11:00] getting, you know, which was definitely part of my healing journey helped with pain.
[Page//00:11:04] And you're talking about. The whole plant TB also THC, but it sounds like, so you're playing with different combinations of different parts of the plant, depending on what somebody needs. Is that accurate?
[Page//00:11:22] Melanie Cross: That is accurate. And so like, I mean, in, in Colorado, it's like companies are getting a little bit better at this, but they're not very transparent. Like as far as what's in products,
[Page//00:11:34] Julie Michelson: Right.
[Page//00:11:35] Melanie Cross: And it's pretty frustrating. With CBD that's different. Like you should always any CBD you ever use should always have a certificate of analysis with the product.
[Page//00:11:45] So you will know exactly what was in there. What was tested. And I.
[Page//00:11:49] Julie Michelson: but a lot don't, I mean, there are plenty of really good companies that are easy to access and find now that do. But yeah, people will say, oh, well, I, you know, I was using, I've tried CBD and I'm like, [Page//00:12:00] well, what do you have? And it's, you know, like, I don't know, someone down the street made it and stuck a sticker on it
[Page//00:12:05] Melanie Cross: Right. I got it at my, like when my
[Page//00:12:07] Julie Michelson: I'm like, no, no, don't do that.
[Page//00:12:08] Yeah.
[Page//00:12:10] Melanie Cross: Right. So that is a big lesson. Like if they don't, if the company doesn't provide the certificate of analysis or it'll say COA then that is a huge, huge red flag. So I run from those companies. And the so if that's kind of, I guess, to kind of go back to your question of using different parts, So like tinctures and I love to use tinctures cuz you can just dial in that dosage.
[Page//00:12:34] So specifically they don't always rec you know, say everything that they have in there. They don't say, you know, I would reach out to companies and, and they'll just say like, oh, we're following the legal limits on pesticides or molds or heavy metals. I was like, well, I don't want any of it. You know, can you tell me that?
[Page//00:12:52] And you know, the, I also look at like the, the method of extraction. How, you know, to make sure that these solvents [Page//00:13:00] that they're using for, for extraction are no longer in the, in the the finished product as well. The, I don't, I don't like dosing with edibles for like a medicinal, you know, a treatment kind of approach.
[Page//00:13:12] Edibles are really hard to Again, companies are getting better, but if you have like a jar of edibles and it's a hundred milligrams, for example, and there's 10 pieces, not every, you know, it's not each piece has 10 milligrams. One might have eight, one might have 12, one might have six, you know, and it's all different.
[Page//00:13:30] And within that, within that bottle, and when you have an edible, like you're, you're committing like you're.
[Page//00:13:36] Julie Michelson: Right.
[Page//00:13:37] Melanie Cross: You know, and if you're using it for sleep you know, most edibles are mixed with sugars and different things that are gonna disrupt your sleep and disrupt your, your gut. So I'm not a big fan of edibles for for those sort of things like pain or for sleep.
[Page//00:13:51] The best, which a lot of people aren't really comfortable with this, but the best method that you can. So get so specific on what you're [Page//00:14:00] trying to work on is inhalation. Cuz you can look at, you know, different strains or it's called a VIR of a plant and look at what is called their terpene profile.
[Page//00:14:10] And so the different parts of the plant you know, if it has limiting in it, if it has like pining in it or, you know, beta carry offline is one that's really good for pain, for example. You can look and see like, oh, there's a higher percentage of this terpene and there's less of this terpene. And so then that could be a good option for whatever you're looking to work on.
[Page//00:14:31] You know, is that pain? Is that anxiety? Is that sleep? Is that just joy? Like I think that we can just like, we don't priorit
[Page//00:14:39] Julie Michelson: healing.
[Page//00:14:40] Melanie Cross: joy is so healing and cannabis can be really helpful for like laughter and joy. So I like to say, like I've never met a grumpy stoner, so
[Page//00:14:48] Julie Michelson: right. So true.
[Page//00:14:50] Melanie Cross: But that can be a good option. For pain patches, I've had a lot of success with people with patches and there's, you know, cuz.[Page//00:15:00]
[Page//00:15:00] Had, and in particular, like if something has THCA a in it which is an acidic of THC, then they, you don't have the, the psychoactive effects, the, the high effects of the THC, you get the, you get the pain relief, but not the, the other effects so people can use these patches, like, and just, you know, I, I had a client that had a bunch of back issues and RA on top of like osteoarthritis And pain patches were, were great while we were digging in to that root cause.
[Page//00:15:29] Julie Michelson: So, where does, you know, we're having this conversation virtually, but we also are both in Colorado. And so, you know, where. Where does somebody even access stuff like that, or is that we're working through a provider like you and I, I always recommend anyway, it, there it's a science. I mean, you're talking about specific terpenes and different levels and addressing different, you know, targeting different symptoms or different desired outcomes.
[Page//00:15:57] But you know, where, where do people [Page//00:16:00] start?
[Page//00:16:01] Melanie Cross: It is. I mean, you know, some dispensaries are better than others in Colorado. I don't know if they're. Employing nurses in their dispensaries. I don't believe they are. I'm part of the American cannabis nurses association. And I know in a lot of other parts of the country that, you know, there's a partnership with dispensaries and, and medical providers on staff ready to help people.
[Page//00:16:22] Julie Michelson: That's brilliant.
[Page//00:16:23] Melanie Cross: it is
[Page//00:16:24] Julie Michelson: that's exactly how it should be. I mean, you. Of here in Colorado. I mean, you have medical cannabis, dispensaries, or some that are both medical and recreational. One would, it would make sense for there to be educated medical personnel connected with them.
[Page//00:16:42] Melanie Cross: Yeah, totally. But, and then I understand the liability around that too. Because it's not you, you, I like when I work with people, I, I have to know your history.
[Page//00:16:52] Julie Michelson: Right.
[Page//00:16:52] Melanie Cross: Because cannabis is not for everyone. It interacts with medications, you know, it, it, and I always want people to have a very [Page//00:17:00] positive experience when they go through, especially if they've never done anything around cannabis or they've had such a negative experience before there is a wonderful community and I believe he's in Vermont.
[Page//00:17:12] I always forget if it's Vermont or New Hampshire dot Dr. Dustin Lac S U L a K is how he spells last name, but he has a company called healer.com and there is a lot of he's he's not only very educated and And very is really good at, at patient care, but he is also like a good person. So like, I always like to support people that are like doing good things and are good people.
[Page//00:17:38] And so he has wonderful resources on there for if you wanna, like, you know, DIY it in a way on how to initiate cannabis and how to You know how to get started. And it is, it's like getting feeling better without, you know, you don't have to do the, the getting high piece of it. But I, I do, I like to work with people too, you know, I like, I like, you know, [Page//00:18:00] I'll hold your hand as long as you need me to.
[Page//00:18:02] Julie Michelson: Right. Well, and it sounds like you're not, you're doing, you're also supporting them and healing what's going on. So that's a different, , that's a different approach. But yeah, I wanna circle back to, you mentioned it's not for everyone. So are, are there, you mentioned, you know, there's certain medication interactions do, is there kind of a go-to list of like who, who should definitely just not even try.
[Page//00:18:26] Melanie Cross: If you've had so I, if you've, if you have a seizure disorder, absolutely. Do not work with someone or do not do this on your own.
[Page//00:18:36] Julie Michelson: Okay.
[Page//00:18:36] Melanie Cross: Like CBD really super, super high doses of CBD where it's like pretty cost prohibitive can be great for seizures. THC can actually in, if, if it's not done with a professional it can, it can induce seizures.
[Page//00:18:51] So not good. So like I've had another client that had that also had our, a, that also had a seizure disorder that we were
[Page//00:18:57] Julie Michelson: We're everywhere. The RA people [Page//00:19:00] sadly war, war.
[Page//00:19:02] Melanie Cross: And we were able to find a, you know, a regiment, like we did things so slowly and, you know constant contact and they knew what they, like. We had a good plan in place.
[Page//00:19:13] So that would be something if you're on a blood thinner, it can, it can change like Coumadin. It can change your INR like your blood timing. But that isn't necessarily like a contraindication. That's just, you know, something you're gonna have of
[Page//00:19:27] Julie Michelson: these are like, don't definitely don't, don't go it on your own, like this. Yeah. What, why.
[Page//00:19:33] Melanie Cross: and get your provider on. You have to be open and honest with your provider, you know, your prescriber and that's, you know, another that doesn't always work for people, cuz it is, you know, it's still pretty taboo.
[Page//00:19:45] Julie Michelson: How I was just gonna say, how are you finding that with your clients that have also other providers, you know, is there tolerance? I, I, in the medical community at large kind of, or do you know,[Page//00:20:00]
[Page//00:20:00] Melanie Cross: I, I think we're again, living in Colorado, it's just kind of like not, it's less of a thing. Yeah. So I have it run across where it's been Where it's been an issue. But then again, a lot of my clients that come to work with me are kind of, they're done and fed up with their providers. So they're just like getting their prescriptions from them and, you know, or, or whatever, you know, their annual stuff.
[Page//00:20:24] And so
[Page//00:20:25] Julie Michelson: Well, I'm just thinking of, like, I remember, you know, going back to the rheumatologist here in Colorado, you know, I don't know how many years into my decline saying, you know, oh, I was reading about nightshades and, you know, do you see patients where that's an issue? Should I try giving up night shades?
[Page//00:20:43] And she said, Ugh, it's like one in a million, like, no, And of course, years later in my fully healthy state, I now have very clear understanding and I am nightly sensitive. And a, again, I wasn't my [Page//00:21:00] own advocate at the time and I didn't need her per I, I should have just experimented, but I was still very much in the, like, I can't heal mindset.
[Page//00:21:09] And so I could just, you know, I couldn't imagine if I went and said, you know, you know, what about cannabis for ? So it, I know it, it definitely is provider specific as I got more and more into functional medicine, I had a great GP for years, years, and years and years. And you know, she was, I said, you know, I we're friendly.
[Page//00:21:33] I'm like, I adore you. I'm exploring this functional medicine route. You know, at that point it was still just for my personal health and she was, you know, this is how I wish everybody, you know, she was like, please share what you learned. Right. I, I wanna learn. She was great about, you know, I, I would bring her you know, the, you mentioned TSH.
[Page//00:21:58] I was one of those people that [Page//00:22:00] for, you know, four years, I was like, I know, I think I have a thyroid problem. I think I have a thyroid problem. And then they finally were like, yeah, your borderline, you have a thyroid problem. Here's Levo. Thyroxin well, I don't convert. But nobody checked and I didn't know about functional medicine at the time.
[Page//00:22:18] So then I did that for a few more years, you know, with no, no help. And then I found out and I was like, I wrote down all the tests that are actually in a real thyroid panel. And I said, I want these and she was happy to run them, but then didn't know what to do with them. Right.
[Page//00:22:36] Melanie Cross: Right, right.
[Page//00:22:37] Julie Michelson: yeah.
[Page//00:22:37] Melanie Cross: This?
[Page//00:22:39] Julie Michelson: you
[Page//00:22:40] Melanie Cross: something that's in range.
[Page//00:22:42] Julie Michelson: Right.
[Page//00:22:42] Right. And so, you know, I, I love when doctors are open, I get like, oh, we're moving in the right direction. And then I hear, and I had a client tell me recently, she has, I think maybe eight autoimmune diagnoses. And, and we've been working together for a while now and she's [Page//00:23:00] doing amazing. And she went to the rheumatologist and he asked how her pain was.
[Page//00:23:04] And she said it's gone. And he literally said he put his hand on her forehead, like joking around, like, do you have a, you know, are you okay? Do you have a fever? Not, oh my gosh, that's amazing. What have you done? Right. Like how no. And I was like, I would never go back to that. like that would've been it.
[Page//00:23:28] Like I would've left right then and there and never gone back. And so there's a, there's a mix
[Page//00:23:34] Melanie Cross: There is. And I know when I worked in, I worked in primary care. It was like I saw 20 and I worked in a a part of, it was a refugee clinic. So it was majority of my patients were non-English and non Spanish speaking. I, I would see 26 patients a day. So if somebody would come to me and be like, I found something that works, I was like, please let's do that.
[Page//00:23:54] Like, you know, like
[Page//00:23:55] Julie Michelson: anything.
[Page//00:23:56] Melanie Cross: anything. And so I that's, [Page//00:24:00] I mean, I love hearing the story of the people that, that are open to that. And it's just, hopefully we're, we're moving more and more that di direction. And I think hopefully the people that are really resistant are kind of like retiring
[Page//00:24:14] Julie Michelson: I yeah, exactly. They have to age out at some point,
[Page//00:24:17] Melanie Cross: Right, right.
[Page//00:24:18] Julie Michelson: the hope yeah, we, we were this total aside, but it, it was cute. We were traveling and went downstairs at the hotel. They had a breakfast and it turned around and there was this dock in scrubs and older gentleman. He literally looked like Santa. and it, I mean, it was so cute, but also so sad cause there was like, he was definitely not the picture of health, but he was what you think of as like that classic old school Western doc.
[Page//00:24:55] Melanie Cross: Mm-hmm
[Page//00:24:56] Julie Michelson: was, it was perfect. It was really cute. So. [Page//00:25:00] Sleep energy pain. I mean, these are all, like neon keywords for auto immunity, you know?
[Page//00:25:10] You mentioned the endocannabinoid system and, and one of the things that I've always found fascinating, you touched on it with the, yeah. You can actually build energy or improve your energy. I, I think of it, I'm not educated in this world. But from what I've seen, I, I, I think of it as a balancing, right.
[Page//00:25:32] So it's, it's not that cannabis does this or that, or it. To me helps your body balance and, and do what it's supposed to be doing. Is that for total layman, is that
[Page//00:25:46] Melanie Cross: no, that that's spot on because yeah, because it is, you know, just things are getting outta balance, your B like everything else, your body's meant to be well and stay well, your body's meant to produce these endocannabinoids on its own and then [Page//00:26:00] different things. Stress is huge. Any inflammation going on in the body, that's going to offset the endocannabinoid system and then it doesn't have those, those receptors are open and there's nothing coming in to fill it.
[Page//00:26:12] And so it's like a, yeah, the endocannabinoid system is like it's job is to create homeostasis.
[Page//00:26:18] Julie Michelson: Okay. Yay. I got it right.
[Page//00:26:21] Melanie Cross: got it. So right. It's so perfect.
[Page//00:26:23] Julie Michelson: I love it. So, and I wanna be clear because I'd like to be clear, you're not saying like, Hey, just go smoke cannabis and you're gonna heal. And, and again, this is. Jump starting healing when you're working with other people on other lifestyle factors and root causes to heal those
[Page//00:26:49] Melanie Cross: Right. And some ways that you, you know, Endocannabinoid system are all the lifestyle stuff that we always talk about with our clients, you know, and the, the functional medicine, lifestyle stuff, [Page//00:27:00] the stress reduction, the mindfulness, the, you know, tapping into the, you know, the VA nerve, the, the joy. Well, I, I'm glad that you're like, yeah, the joyfulness and laughter and just all the nutritional pieces.
[Page//00:27:12] So yeah, I mean, it's it, it's just one piece. You know, this can be one option for people to really feel that empowerment that they do have the ability to heal their body. I work with plenty of people who, for whatever reason, don't choose cannabis and you can still absolutely heal your body without it's not, you know, it's not like, you
[Page//00:27:34] Julie Michelson: Essential
[Page//00:27:35] Melanie Cross: not essential, but it can sure.
[Page//00:27:37] Make, like I said, it makes it easier and I think a lot more fun.
[Page//00:27:40] Julie Michelson: Well, and the the back to the joy
[Page//00:27:43] Melanie Cross: yeah.
[Page//00:27:44] Julie Michelson: the, the healing journey is usually not a straight line. And often, you know, I, I, to people are like, well, how long until I feel better? And I'm like, how long have you been sick? you know, and that doesn't always correlate either. But to, to have [Page//00:28:00] something that, that, you know, can, like you said, give you that win.
[Page//00:28:04] I, I joke it, it sounds so crazy, but I'm like, oh, maybe may, maybe I'll switch the approach. I have a lot of clients that some of their weekly homework is to watch sit ki, you know, they pick whatever it is. Usually it's something like I love Lucy or, you know, something from the past, some silly, funny.
[Page//00:28:26] Because they need to create joy. Like they don't even remember how to laugh. And, and so joy is so healing. I'm just gonna be like, Hey, you should call Melanie. Let's get, let's get this going. But. How, so how does it, we kind of talked about it as this regulator, right? Balance or equilibrium. How, how do you use it to, to build immune resilience?
[Page//00:28:52] Because that's really what we're going for.
[Page//00:28:55] Melanie Cross: Well, if like with all aspects of immune resiliency, if you're giving your [Page//00:29:00] body one less thing to do, then your immune system can just be, what it's intended to do is just like tolerate right. And not react.
[Page//00:29:10] Julie Michelson: Love it. Okay.
[Page//00:29:11] Melanie Cross: and so if you have this endocannabinoid deficiency because of stress, because of inflammation, because of poor nutrition, because of, you know, X, Y, Z, if you can replace that deficiency with cannabis, then your body's like, okay, I don't have to worry about trying to balance this, this piece of it.
[Page//00:29:31] Julie Michelson: like a, an open program that's running in the background all the time. If there's that void.
[Page//00:29:37] Melanie Cross: totally, totally. mm-hmm
[Page//00:29:39] Julie Michelson: I, I like, I'm gonna, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this and, and I'm hoping the answer years down the road would be different. How can somebody, is there a way to know, like, you know, oh, I have a deficiency. I'm guessing there's not a test for that.
[Page//00:29:55] Melanie Cross: Not NEC, not that I I'm sure there's something somebody's working on
[Page//00:29:58] Julie Michelson: I'm sure it's coming. [Page//00:30:00] I, I, yeah. Yeah. Which will be fun. Right. Cause then you'd be like, no, look
[Page//00:30:04] Melanie Cross: Yeah, totally. Like some of the best research on cannabis comes outta Israel. And I'm sure there's somebody working on it. There are that I don't know, there are SNPs genetic SNPs to see like how you metabolize or not cannabis that I do know.
[Page//00:30:18] So I mean, that could be helpful, like, you know, for people that like, you know, they're super metabolizers or, or not when, you know, figuring out. But usually I just like, let's just start slow, like start low and go slow. Like I do with everything, you know, like if you're starting a supplement or you're starting any new habit, like let's, let's pick something.
[Page//00:30:40] Number one, let's like master showing up for ourselves and like, okay, I'm
[Page//00:30:44] Julie Michelson: That's. I mean, if we all could do that, we wouldn't have gotten sick in the, you know, I always say this, like the biggest thing to I, I work with with everybody is like, no, it's not only okay to show up for yourself. It's essential. [Page//00:31:00] Like this is what we need to do.
[Page//00:31:02] Melanie Cross: totally.
[Page//00:31:03] Julie Michelson: Yeah, I love that. I love that share. And I'm just gonna be hard to, to pick one or two, cuz I, I wanna try to hold honor time.
[Page//00:31:13] But I I'd love to hear, you know, your story is remarkable. I I'm sure you could pull another healing story or two, some success stories out of your hat to share with us so that people can get an idea of like, oh maybe, maybe this fits my needs.
[Page//00:31:31] Melanie Cross: I have a. Client that had a long history with Crohn's and also RA and also Hashimotos. But Crohn's was the, the first, the first label that she was given and went down the, you know, the DMARDs route went down all the, and, and just went. Not was not getting better. So came to work with me.
[Page//00:31:52] Like she, she was not sleeping at all. And struggling with a lot of anxiety around, not sleeping, [Page//00:32:00] struggling with pain you know, joint pain or, you know, just whatever would show up. And like one of our biggest things was they were like, I, I just can't do the things that I used to be able to do.
[Page//00:32:09] Like, I I'm, I'm just like, you know, Having this grief over my life, that what it once was. And we like when I, when someone comes to me and they're wanting to use cannabis and, and see how that's like what we do, like step one. And we were able to start that and dive into Start the cannabis and start getting, helping them sleep.
[Page//00:32:35] Also, I didn't mention this before, but GI stuff is really helpful with regulating on either side actually diarrhea or constipation With, with cannabis. So that was a big, a big piece. And, you know, while we're, again, really getting, getting into that root cause. And the other piece too is just like that mindset piece that goes along with it.
[Page//00:32:57] You know, the, the winds and, [Page//00:33:00] and knowing that you do have this ability to heal. So I mean they no longer use cannabis for sleep. They no longer have any pain. They, I mean, they had been off the prescriptive medications for Crohn's, but have not had a flare in. Over a year. I, I think and you know, it's all the mood things and, and just like the, then they were telling me about they got recruited for a job and like asking for like, kind of what they thought was a crazy amount of money for their, but they're like, I had the
[Page//00:33:30] Julie Michelson: They got it.
[Page//00:33:31] Melanie Cross: that. No, they got, yeah, they got that. And they, you know, have had they've had raises since then. So it's just like, they're like, I know I would not have had this confidence in myself. Cuz I had just put this label on myself. Like this is, you know, I'm, I'm this person with autoimmune conditions and you know, I'm just gonna have to try and do the best I can and get through things the best I can.
[Page//00:33:54] And they can do all the things they wanna do now.
[Page//00:33:57] Julie Michelson: And that's the, that's why I [Page//00:34:00] do what I do. And I'm sure why you do what you do. You know, my life had gotten so small, we just layer by layer, you know, stop doing the things we love, stop seeing the people stop, you know, all, all the things and it is, it is amazing. I see it time and time again, and I've experienced it myself. When I look at who I am and what I'm doing today and where I was 10 years ago, when I, I honestly, I'm 53 now, I didn't think I was gonna live to see 50, let alone be running a business and starting a second one. And, you know, traveling and scuba diving and, you know, doing things that were. So, you know, riding horses again and, and all the stuff, right.
[Page//00:34:48] I have that energy. But it does that when you, it, it was the health wins that helped me realize like, okay, well, if I can create my health, [Page//00:35:00] I can create whatever I want in my life. Like why, why are we so limited? And, and so I love that approach because it really does one thing leads to another. And then it's the people, the ripple effect, right?
[Page//00:35:15] Like my kids watched me go from 10 prescriptions. And, you know, nearly disabled to what I'm doing now, and they're not gonna get stuck in that box where they think they can't whatever, fill in the blank they can, we can,
[Page//00:35:33] Melanie Cross: We can and not settling, not settling for the isn't that with the, that the rheumatologist like, oh, what's wrong with you? Yeah. Not settling for what maybe somebody has told
[Page//00:35:43] Julie Michelson: Someone else's idea. Yeah, yeah,
[Page//00:35:46] Melanie Cross: And maybe what you've told yourself, so, oh, I'm congrats to you. That's phenomenal.
[Page//00:35:52] Julie Michelson: Oh, thanks. But it it's, you know, it is, I, I watch it happen all the time. You know, it it's [Page//00:36:00] really it becomes like a whole recreation of life, especially if someone has been ill for a, a long time. But it's just as empowering, you know, I, I got the diagnosis or I have the symptom and I'm saying, hell now, not going down that road.
[Page//00:36:16] E either way. And so I love that. I, you know, this, the, I love the word jumpstart, cuz I, I get it now cuz I was like, what is she talking about? I, I think it's, it's just so empowering and that's what I have a program called take your power back. I mean, that's, that's what it's about. So I just appreciate you sharing that.
[Page//00:36:37] With us. So what, where do people start? Like what's I always ask for, which is so hard to what's one step that listeners can take, you know, something actionable. What can they do if they're intrigued, if they're like, you know and maybe it's not gonna be cannabis related. I don't, it could be anything what's one thing people can do to, to start to move the needle on their health.[Page//00:37:00]
[Page//00:37:00] Melanie Cross: We kind of talked about it before about just like showing up for mastering, showing up for yourself, like knowing you have this ability to heal your body, regardless of whatever anyone's ever told you, you have this ability. So just choosing, you know,
[Page//00:37:18] Julie Michelson: choose me.
[Page//00:37:19] Melanie Cross: Yeah, choosing yourself and knowing, and I, I love James clear and atomic habits.
[Page//00:37:25] I don't know if you've, if you're familiar with that, it's just like, I like the, the idea of like becoming 1% better, you know, not going for like the huge, like per I just with my group right before this, we had a hypno therapist come in and talk about perfectionism and you know, not, not using that, you know, some of us.
[Page//00:37:46] Some of us
[Page//00:37:47] Julie Michelson: All of every, all of us. I, you know, I, I didn't even know I was a perfectionist until I started. This work and saw it in everybody. And I was like, oh, , [Page//00:38:00] that's how I got here. I had no idea. It's so restraining and restrictive perfectionism.
[Page//00:38:08] Melanie Cross: it is. And
[Page//00:38:09] Julie Michelson: doesn't serve us.
[Page//00:38:10] Melanie Cross: doesn't and it's a, a form I think a form of procrastination.
[Page//00:38:14] Julie Michelson: It is for me it was
[Page//00:38:16] Melanie Cross: yeah.
[Page//00:38:16] Julie Michelson: Yeah.
[Page//00:38:18] Melanie Cross: you know, understanding why, why am I being that perfectionist? Like what it, why it's not serving me. So let, let's let it go.
[Page//00:38:26] Julie Michelson: It's a habit that, you know, and it is, it's a habit that I see with my clients that needs to be broken to heal. It just, it just does.
[Page//00:38:37] Melanie Cross: Absolutely. And I had another mentor once that explained about this to me and which always like resonated with me really well is instead of like always raising the ceiling, like, why don't we raise the floor?
[Page//00:38:50] Julie Michelson: I
[Page//00:38:50] Melanie Cross: How do we be be, yeah, let's, let's just be a little bit better than our worst. I was like, oh, I can get totally on board with that.
[Page//00:38:58] And so to kind of go back, like what's [Page//00:39:00] thing, one thing it, you know, is it a nutrition thing? Is it a mindset thing? Is it a, you know, a, a toxicity thing, a stress thing? Just pick one that feels right. Pick one that you need, like take what you need at that moment and just make one, 1% improvement on it. Do a little bit better than your worse on that and start there and, you know, and just kind of go from there.
[Page//00:39:20] I think could be really helpful for people
[Page//00:39:23] Julie Michelson: I love it. And that cuz that is empowering as well, but it doesn't matter. What it is. It's, those wins those small wins that then end up in most cases to like a whole new life. a new and improved better. And where instead of dreading the day, you can say, okay, what's next? What do I get to do next?
[Page//00:39:43] Melanie Cross: Totally in these last few years. Like I, I think we're all, we're all looking for a win. However, we can get it. So like no win is too small. I always like to tell myself as well.
[Page//00:39:54] Julie Michelson: I love that. So amazing for people that listen on the [Page//00:40:00] go. Like I tend to every, all the links will be in the notes, but where's the best place to find you.
[Page//00:40:06] Melanie Cross: I'm on Instagram at crossable health. That's C R O S S A B L E health. And also that's on, on Facebook as well. That's probably the, the easiest way to find me.
[Page//00:40:17] Julie Michelson: I love it. Amazing. I have so many more questions and, and so much more to, to, to talk to you about, but this has been such great information for listeners and, and I think hopefully it an entry point and gateway. And like you said, whether it's. Doesn't have to be plant medicine. And I'm glad we got to, you know, we all have different contexts and so plant medicine means different things to different people.
[Page//00:40:46] so you know, I'm glad that we got to bring this aspect of functional plant medicine and cannabis use for healing into the conversation.
[Page//00:40:56] Melanie Cross: Thank you. Me too, cuz again, it doesn't like [Page//00:41:00] this, this journey that we're going on this health. I like to call it a road trip. You were mentioning road trip. I like to call it a road trip. It doesn't, it doesn't have to suck.
[Page//00:41:10] Julie Michelson: Yeah,
[Page//00:41:11] Melanie Cross: yeah. It doesn't have to suck. Like there are ways to do yes. You have to put work in, you know, you, you can't just add cannabis and poof, it's all done for you.
[Page//00:41:20] Julie Michelson: Right.
[Page//00:41:21] Melanie Cross: But you don't and, and again, cannabis doesn't have to be added in at all, but all of this, it doesn't, you, there is ways to do this in a way that can be fun.
[Page//00:41:32] Julie Michelson: I love that. Let's bring the fun into healing.
[Page//00:41:36] Melanie Cross: Mm-hmm "fun in the functional medicine.
[Page//00:41:39] Julie Michelson: Oh, did you trademark that? I think you should.
[Page//00:41:44] Melanie Cross: I, I will right now,
[Page//00:41:45] Julie Michelson: Yeah,
[Page//00:41:46] Melanie Cross: just.
[Page//00:41:48] Julie Michelson: I love it. Amazing. Thank you so much. Again, it's such a contribution for listeners and for myself. I so enjoyed our conversation and I appreciate you being here.
[Page//00:41:59] Melanie Cross: Thank you. Thank you [Page//00:42:00] so much for having me.
[Page//00:42:01] Julie Michelson: For everyone listening. Remember you can get the show notes and transcripts by visiting inspired living.show. I hope you had as much fun as I did and enjoy this episode as much as I did as well. I'll see you next week.
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Melanie Cross, the Nurse Practitioner and Functional Plant Medicine Expert for active people who want to optimize their sleep and energy for peak performance. Melanie is the founder of Crossable Health which gets at your root cause using functional plant medicine while having fun in the process. When you have the right tools for your unique self, getting older and getting healthy doesn’t have to suck.
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