Podcast Drop Date: 9/11/2024
In this episode, host, Amber Warren, PA-C, is joined by Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C, a Primary Care provider with Functional Medicine of Idaho. Listen as Amber and Kaitlin discuss not only the patient-provider connection, but the parent-provider connection is pivotal with implementing holistic approaches that promote long-term wellness. Whether you're seeking to boost general health or tackle particular concerns, this episode delivers actionable advice and insightful strategies for parents and healthcare professionals. Tune in to gain valuable tools and knowledge for fostering better health and building effective partnerships in care.
Transcript:
Amber Warren, PA-C: Welcome to the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast, where we explore root cause medicine, engage in conversation with functional and integrative medicine experts, and build community with like minded health seekers. I'm your host, Amber Warren. Let's dig deeper. Welcome back everybody. We're so glad you're here. And I am so thankful to be talking tonight with Kaitlin Cooley, who I have known since the inception of your career, which has been so fun. So tonight we're talking about the provider patient connection in functional medicine. Kaitlin Cooley is a board certified family nurse practitioner providing primary and acute care for all ages, from neonatal to geriatric patients. A Boise native, we love that she played collegiate softball at College of Idaho, where she earned a bachelor's degree in health sciences. She later obtained her nursing degree from Idaho State University and, after working as a registered nurse, pursued a family nurse practitioner degree from Northwest Nazarene University, graduating with honors. Kaitlin focuses on individualized, patient centered care and is working toward her functional medicine certification. She enjoys outdoor activities with her husband Matt and their two sons. Welcome, Kaitlin. Thank you. Thank you for being here. I'm so, so excited to be here. So I love this topic. And this is one that we haven't been able to really do kind of a deeper dive into. And you're such a wonderful, um, practitioner to, to interview about this topic because I know you are so heart centered with your patients and you really take it very seriously to connect well with all of your patients because I've been able to witness it. So I know that. So why is that relationship so important?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I think that relationship is everything that matters before we even talk about your symptoms, because if you don't connect with your provider, you don't feel like you can, you know, open up and tell them about your history, your family, your traumas, the way you were born. You know, we talk about A to Z in our first our first intake appointment. So if you can't connect with that provider, then there's going to be gaps in your care, because we're not going to be able to get to that deeper level of understanding who you are.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And the vulnerabilities that come with. Yeah, really understanding what's going on in your life. Yeah. That's awesome. So how do you get it? I have had this experience, as I'm sure you've had, where patients, they're not ready to go there. They're not because they've never had this type of setting and experience where they have a provider that really wants to get to know them and ask all the right questions. So how do you develop that relationship and rapport and trust?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Okay. It can be hard for some people. Like you said, some people have a hard time doing it. But I think first and foremost, when a patient walks into my clinic, I want them to know they matter. Yeah. You know you matter. Your history matters. Your you know, your hopes matter. Your dreams matter. So we start there. You know what's most important to you? How are you feeling? When was the last time you felt well? And so we'll just start with those basic questions. If they're not ready to go deeper, I'm like, okay, you know, tell me what? What did you eat last night? You know, we can start so basic. We can start very, um, surface level. I joke about my new my new patient intake questions. I'm like, okay, this is 50 questions. This is the 50 question exam. We're going to start basic. And then you tell me when you're ready to go deeper. Yeah that's great. So we just start wherever they're ready to start. And then we dig deeper.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I love that I love that yeah I had in some of my initial training in my early training of functional medicine, uh, a guy by the name of Tom Walter who has written several books on, um, nutrition and detoxification and his how he approached his patients. And I love this. As I watched him do it was, where do you want to be a year from now? Where do you want to be five years from now? How about ten years, maybe 20 years from now? Um, and I love that because it really does help patients be. A lot of people don't ever get asked that question. How do you want to feel? What do you want your health to look like? What do you want your relationships to look like? What do you want your outlook to be? Yeah. Um, so I love that approach. And what you just said reminded me of that. That's great. So how about developing, um, the long term relationship with clients? Why is that important? And how are you successful with that?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Um, because if we don't check in down the road, who knows? You know, having that accountability partner, if we're not checking in, sometimes people just find themselves going back to what they've been doing for the last 35 years. Um, so we'll we'll make that initial appointment and then we might get labs. Usually get labs will follow up. And then in that second visit, I usually feel like things are so much less tense. You know, we're looking over the labs, we're looking at the changes that need to happen, and then we're like, okay, here are some very concrete things that we can make a difference for. And, you know, make it make changes. And then when they come back the next time, so, you know, they'll make those changes. And then three months later they're coming back and we're checking in to see how they're how they're doing. So we make appointments. Um, we have at FMI, I think this is one in my interview. I even said this to the people who interviewed me here. I'm like, this is what I love about FMI is we have health coaches, we have nutrition coaches, we have wellness techs. You know, we have yeah, we have so many people to interconnect us to support one another. So sometimes, you know, we'll get people set up with their health coach and then they'll see them in between when I follow up with the patient so that they're checking in and making sure. Are you feeling better? Are these changes that Kaitlin recommended moving the needle for you? And if not, then that, like, nutritionist will send me a message, you know, can we add on a continuous glucose monitor for this?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Our team, our nutritionists are so good at this. They're so good. They're so involved in the care. Yes, they act more like us, which I love. Um, yeah. I've never worked with a team of nutritionists and health coaches that we have here that that are completely integrated with the patient care and act as a partner, like just an extension of us. Yeah. Um, and they're incredible.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah, yeah. I think the other thing that's cool to to know is that we can use insurance to use them in their nutrition appointment a lot of times too. So sometimes people are like, oh, it's kind of a burden to continue doing these appointments. Let's space them out. I'm like, okay, well let's go see the nutritionist who, like you said, will step in and be a big part of what I do.
Amber Warren, PA-C: No, it's so amazing. Yeah. So what? How do you how do you utilize. I know we're all a little bit different in how we utilize specialty functional medicine tests, laboratory analysis, certain biomarkers. How do you utilize those in your in your, your care and treatment of patients?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: That is a big question that we can look small or large at. I think I like to first start at just like the conventional typical testing that we do. You know, we're looking at cholesterol. We're looking at your liver and kidney function, your thyroid function. But we're looking at how to optimize those numbers. You know, we're not just saying, okay, your testosterone needs to be greater than what is it like 285 or 300 or something? Whatever. The conventional testing and says something ridiculous that we're not even going to think about. Right. Um, and then we're going to hone in on what are the optimal levels for you. You know, your goals, your age. And so we use those testing markers to find what would be optimal to help you get that energy or, you know, help your mood. Um, so we use those, first of all, you know, again, I do a lot of primary care. So I'm doing a lot of annual wellness exams where I'm using. Okay. Um, the wellness labs that are typically ordered and then we add on to that. So when we're going to really use those wellness labs that you're going to get covered no matter what. Well most of the time no matter what. Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Be careful what you say. Yeah. It's it's still the insurance world.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I always say check with your own insurance. Yeah. Um, so we're going to use those, and then after that, we can add on, like, let's look at some stool testing, because if your stomach or your mood or your eczema is still XYZ, let's look deeper. Let's look at some stool testing or some environmental testing. And so I think that's the cool thing about functional medicine as well, is we use these more advanced markers to look deeper and on an individual approach. So not everybody needs stool testing, right? Not everybody needs hormone testing. But we have the ability to use those to look deeper.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So if someone comes to you for their preventative annual wellness exam, whether it be they want their annual exam done, they needs to be done for work, it needs to be done for sports, needs to be done for insurance. Your your individualizing all of those visits as well. Yeah. So you're asking those questions. Yep. Digestive symptoms hormonal symptoms. Energy. So it's not just checking the box of wellness right. You're actually doing kind of a deep dive in that visit.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah. And I have to keep it you know. And you have to play the roles. Yeah. So you know I have all these basic questions like how are your bowel movements, how is your mood, how is your exercise? You know, I have just bullet points of let's just mention those and then should we need to dig deeper. Then we have some time to dig deeper, and then we can do a follow up appointment to look over the labs that I ordered in that annual wellness exam. Does that make sense? Yep.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Love it. So you're doing a lot of functional stool analysis. So looking at like the gut microbiome. Yeah. You do hormone testing. What kind of hormone testing do you do?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: So a lot of times I'll start with the, um, like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone. So blood. Yeah. Blood. And then depending on results, sometimes I'll refer them out to people who, that's their bread and butter. You know, like women's health or you. We'll just start with the basic markers and then go from there. Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Is there anything that you, as the more experienced you get in functional medicine that you like to focus on? Or like what you would consider like a specialty in your area?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I know I call myself just a the primary care gal. That's awesome. That's what I love to be full family visit. Like I love to be able to see, you know, your two month old. And then I like to see the mom and then the mom comes in and the day she's there, she happens to bring her five year old with her. And, you know, like, it's just fun to be family medicine oriented in a functional setting.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I love that so much.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah, I love it. I'm so thankful that I get to do that here.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Well, and that's also like, let's go back to what we talked about in the beginning, just developing the rapport, the relationships, the trust. When you I don't do I don't do primary care anymore. And I do like you're reminding me of those days when it is so fun, you feel like you're a part of their family.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You watch the kids grow and you watch the health changes happen. And it's like you're part of their journey and it's really, really special. I love that you're offering that out of our Boise clinic.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah. Me too. And the other part is like, I know what this mom or dad or this family, I know, like, I know that they had mold in their house. So I know when this kid comes in with his ear infection that maybe there's something deeper, you know, there's there's so much value in really forming that relationship with your provider and getting to have, you know, the whole family come see me.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And I love that we're having this conversation, because I think there are probably a lot of our community members out there that don't know that we really do this side, because we've spent so much time on this podcast talking about the deeper dive, right. Talking about mold, talking about PRP, talking about the musculoskeletal system, brain health, hormonal health, metabolic weight loss that I, I think it's really important for people to know that we have this as an offering. We have someone that can do this general overlook the primary care aspect of it. You have an ear infection and you don't want to just be written a script for antibiotics. We have these services at our Boise and Meridian clinics, and that's so huge.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I want to shout that from the rooftops. Honestly.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Do you?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Because I, I've recently actually opened up certain visits to only have acute visits.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh, I love that.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I've blocked them in the day because I'm starting to have more people want to come see me as, um, functional visits or wellness exams. But then we're kind of missing out on those acute visits, which is what I feel like is almost my bread and butter is doing more of that, like urgent care, primary care. I'm here to help you in those streps or, you know, coughs, all those things. So we're making sure that we can provide that to the community.
Amber Warren, PA-C: This has been a dream of mine for years. Um, and Sam and I have talked about this, and we've talked about it with some other colleagues and team members here at FMI. But I would love and I think, you know, detail wise, it's difficult to try and figure it out. But I would love to have a functional medicine, urgent care in this community, whether it's us or we join forces with someone else. Um, I just how cool would it be that on a Saturday morning you are not only subjected to have to go into an urgent care setting or a hospital setting for a cough, or a fever, for an ear infection, for who knows what it is. Right? Like, um, to be able to have supplements at your disposal or homeopathy agents at your disposal without having to rely on the conventional system and antibiotics and all these medications.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: 24/7. Like, I would love to be able to offer that to our patients in our community.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Well, right now, Monday through Friday, we've got that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: We do have that. That's true.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: We're here for that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: But I'm more worried about the Friday night through Monday morning at 5 a.m. issues. I love.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: That dream that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Patients don't want to have to rely on the morning. And I'm not I'm not bashing the conventional system. I'm so thankful that we have such a wonderful conventional system that offers life saving care. But there's there's just so many options out there for people that that could be utilized. So yeah, I need to keep I need to return back to that dream. I've gotten a little sidetracked, but I need to return back to that and see if that's something we can make a reality.
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Amber Warren, PA-C: So you do pediatric medicine. Yeah. Okay. So what kind of things can we offer in peds that maybe on this same topic that the conventional system can't offer our pediatric population?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Well, like you said, we have alternatives to, you know, strep throat. We have. Well, I should go back. We have we have alternatives to sore throats, coughs. No, but.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I'm okay with you saying that. I understand that's a very controversial topic. Yes. But it's personalized medicine and it's really depends on the patient, the family unit, the the severity of the strep, the strep infections.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: So educate educate educate. So I say here's level one here we can start with x, y and z. Should you develop these symptoms. It continues for these days, then we're going to turn to a different way of treating it.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Um, and that like, again, I'm just so passionate about being able to provide that to the community because it's such a need. And I you know, I have these moms come in and they're like, wait, I am so thankful that you just said that to me. I've never had anybody give me another option for my kid's ear infection.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: And like, I just feel like right then and there, it's like this.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Like this moment that I get to connect with the mom of. Like, there are options out there, and I hear you. Yeah. Um, and I think our patient population, um, there's so many amazing parents out there who are just. Like, diving deep to find how to provide wellness to their kids. And I love that we get to. Help provide that to them. So, um, you know, I'm a part of Facebook, like, mom groups on Facebook.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I was just going to go there. Yeah. Yes.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: And I, I just like I scroll and I, it hurts my heart to. Listen to these moms say things like, are there any pediatric providers out there that won't shame me for not doing the typical things that are encouraged at Well-child visits? And so many moms are like, don't even do it. Don't even go see any provider. Don't you know nobody will listen to you?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Don't trust anyone in the system. All doctors are bad.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah. And it's just like so many people have been hurt by medicine. Mhm. Um, that I'm like, okay, there's another alternative please. You know, go create a relationship with a provider. Um, so you know there's, there's two, two things to talk about there. A even if your kid's not sick, you should still utilize your well-child checks because you're going to create that relationship. Just like I said at the beginning, with a provider who knows you and knows your kid.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And knows your preferences.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yes. So then when your kid's battling with really bad eczema and he's like, itching himself all night long and keeping both of you guys up, we know what your diet is like. We know like we know this holistic approach to it. Yeah. And we know an alternative way of treating it. We still have options of using steroids, and we still have options of doing things that you might do once you end up going to the urgent care because your kid has scratched themselves so badly. Um, but we have already established that relationship, and we've laid that foundation of, um, lifestyle approaches that will help your child in the long run. Right. Um, and then number two, should something, um, really go wrong, you already have a relationship with a provider. So if you need to call in and, you know, message in and say, this just happened to my kid, do I need to go to the emergency room? You have a sounding board of a provider to run that by. And same with, um, utilizing your well-child checks. I think that's great because again, a lot of times our kids are just healthy these days, like, especially our patient population who are aware. Well, yeah, well aware of what to do. I think it's so fun to just, like, bounce ideas off of, um, with the parents, off of the parents, back and forth, like, yeah, I'm thinking about craniosacral therapy or, you know, I'm wondering about my child grinding their teeth at night. And then I have resources of, you know, here's some really great dentists in the valley or here's some really great craniosacral or acupuncturists. And we get to just, like, have those conversations and just throw ideas back and forth with each other. Because by the.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Way, you moms and dads out there that have taken a proactive approach with your children and their health, you are brilliant. Like I learned so much from young moms and dads, not even young, even those with with adolescents and kids going to college like you. The research you do, um, the the I, I am so encouraged by so many of my patients that are, that are parents or thinking about becoming parents and just the approach they're taking with their children's health, because we're we're all going against the grain of What society wants to do to our kids. I think I can say that, you know, like even today I shared on my social media, um, they're changing the names of food dyes. Yes, they're becoming harder to recognize. And that is, I'm just going to say it, the work of the devil. Um. It's not okay. Um, talk about a message that needs to be shouted from the rooftops, and something in the legislation needs to be done about that. Um, because they're going after our kids. I think they're they're starting, and I'm not going to define who they is, but I think they're starting to learn that. Um, they're having a hard time going after us because of awareness, and people are starting to wake up. So they see our children as an easy target and easy marketing target and an easy ploy. And it. Yeah. Um, I probably shouldn't keep going.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I get it.
Amber Warren, PA-C: But we have to be the advocates for our children. And am I saying for a while has been my kids don't belong on the front line of this. I won't put them on the front line of of all the different things that are going on in, in our world and in society. Like I will, I will be the mama bear to protect them from this. So what are the things I love that we're going towards kind of a pediatric conversation because this is this is what people want to talk about and want to hear is the health of their children. So what are some of the current issues or health issues you're seeing? Kind of most common in our pediatric population.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Um, I would say a lot of like ADD, ADHD symptoms, skin symptoms.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yep.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Gut symptoms. Well, I guess gut kind of encompasses it all.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It does, doesn't it?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah. But like GI symptoms that they're actually complaining about. Um, and then I think there's this like this poll again, like you were just saying from, from the how do I phrase this? Um, the mainstream food and the mainstream medical communities. And then from the more functional side of things. And so I see there's like very two different sides of populations of children I'm seeing. I'm seeing ones that are proactive and I'm seeing the ones that aren't aren't proactive.
Amber Warren, PA-C: But they're coming to you. They're still seeking functional medicine care.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: And I think we're starting to see a lot more of just like, okay, my sister's brother had really good time with their kids being seen here or like my boss said, that they had a really good time here, but they don't fully understand what functional medicine is. So we are still seeing a lot of people who aren't doing lifestyle changes, um, that we are, that we typically recommend, right? If that makes sense. Yeah it does. So I'm seeing that like there's a there's a lot of really healthy kids that I don't see very much in other than, like they're here for a cough or they're here for congestion that won't go away. You know, like I see two sides of things.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So what do you think. You just listed a good constellation of symptoms that you're seeing 6 or 7 issues. What are some of the most common root causes of those symptoms that you're seeing?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Gut like we said. So what is the root cause of gut? Um, we've got environment. We've got the food that we're taking in. We're talking about stress. Um, you know, we're under a lot more stress, um, than we really realize we are. Even if it's just like your seven year old child. You don't think he's under a lot of stress, but he takes in everything. He takes in relationships, he takes in school, he takes in, like, everything. Everything that you're stressed about. He can be stressed about, too. Yeah, right. Um, so we've got what was it? Nutrition, environment, stress. And then I think that's probably about it for the GI symptoms.
Amber Warren, PA-C: No, I think that's great. Yeah.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Um, yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I mean, the sterile environment that our children are born in.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yes yes yes yes yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Loaded with things in the hospital in those first 2 to 3 days of life that impact their immune system, therefore impacting their gut microbiome. And yeah, I think we can just look at what's going on like day one. Yeah. Um, the first I mean, we know the data is very obvious that it's the first three years of life that, like, set the stage for your gut microbiome and your immune system. So that's been my dream and why I'm so excited that we've built this, like, robust pediatric functional medicine department, because we really have to start from day one. And really, if we're really looking at population health, it's starting with conception. And we have this wonderful women's health team, and we have a team that's wonderful at helping to optimize mom's health before she even gets pregnant. And that's really what needs to happen.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I'm having a lot of those conversations with women already, just who are coming in for their wellness exams. Not like seeking out women's health. Just I'm just here for my wellness exam. And then we talk about their future plans and that's one of their future plans. And so I'm like, okay, here we go. I'm looking at your symptoms here. Yeah. They're looking like there are a lot of GI stuff here. So let's focus on optimizing your gut before we set up baby's gut. Yeah. And then also talking about the mental load, you know, while you're pregnant and how that is conveyed through baby as well.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. We had a great conversation. Go back. I don't know, nine, ten episodes ago with a Purpose Driven Chiropractic doctor, Christie, and she talks about the nervous system and how important it is to get mom's nervous system calmed down before you have that baby. And it is. Yeah. It's so I'm so glad you touched on that because that is. That's gold. Yeah. And I talk a lot about to I think we forget that, like you were talking about environmental insults and how that interplays with gut health and the immune system. And I think we forget that these environmental insults that we're seeing, whether it's the food dyes or glyphosate or right now, the air quality. What a stressor that is to our body. So it's not just the the psychosocial psychological stresses that we see with politics and screens and pressure on children and the 15 different sports they play every year, it is it is the toxic burden and the load that we see in our bodies, too. That's a huge you know, I tell my patients, like your vitamin D deficiency. Your vitamin D of 13 is a really big stressor on your body, because that's a prohormone. And vitamin D has so many different benefits to the body. Right. Or your progesterone levels that are non-existent. That's a huge stressor to your overall system and your overall hormone hormone imbalances. So it's I think it's also just reframing that conversation because our patients don't want to hear you're too stressed out. Well, what am I supposed to do? You know, like that. Like, it's really hard to have that conversation with your patients without stressing them out more. Yeah. Because they're like, I don't know how to de-stress. It's my life. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I get it.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, but starting simple and giving them baby steps to take. You know.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Even literally five minutes of like, stillness breathwork. I tell people that all the time. Okay, yeah, you are busy, but I'm pretty sure you can find five ten minutes to just sit. Be still. Whether it's praying, meditating or breathing. You can do it. Yeah, that's just step one. We got to get your body out of fight or flight and into rest and digest. And so we give them these like, very step like baby steps of ways that we can get you into rest and digest because that's huge.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I love that starting your day with the sunshine. Yes. And not your phone. Yes. Like that just sets the stage for the day. You're right, it doesn't have to be an hour per day. It's so.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I just told the mom the other day, I'm like, you know what? I literally take my toddler, I bring my coffee, and I sit on the front or the back porch, wherever, where the sun is hitting you and like, just let him crawl around on the grass while you're just sitting there. Yeah. Soaking in the sun. Yeah. You know, breathing in the fresh air. Boom. There's step one that we can make.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Mhm I love that. Yeah. Um, is there anything else that you think is, is even just in the last few years that is dramatically impacting our children.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Screens.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Mm. Good.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: No questions. They're everywhere.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Um, you know, when we go to restaurants, we're handing our phones to our kids to be quiet. Or even when I'm seeing moms come in for their appointments, I'm like, here's some coloring crowns for your kids. So good. Here's some blocks. Let them play.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Or tongue depressors. Yes, let them play with tongue Depressors can we talk about what happened to the like the crunchy books that we like when I had babies? I mean, maybe that was eons ago and I'm old, but like my babies had the crunchy books or the black and white books, like that's what I would hand them. Like I don't see toys or books anymore.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah
Amber Warren, PA-C: Because it's a screen.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Yeah. And I don't want this to sound judgmental in any way. It's just like, this is what we do in today's day and age. Like we have screens everywhere. Yeah. So I don't, you know, if if you're coming in and your baby's on a screen, that's okay. If that's what you want, that's fine. Yeah, but.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And maybe that patient coming in is that's the only time that baby gets a screen. Is it so mom can have a doctor's visit. So I agree, not being judgmental and assuming that that's just the go to is not, is not fair for us. No, for us to do. But, um.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: But that's everywhere is my point is like, we have to stop. We have to do there's research. There's conventional research everywhere about how bad these screens are for our kids. So, I mean, you know, that's something I feel like I have to touch on.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, yeah. The, the seven year old that has their own iPad. Yeah. I just can't figure it out. Um, it is so wild.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I can figure it out. It's pretty. It keeps your kid sitting there quiet, doing something else while you're cooking dinner.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So you can get life done.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: It makes life easy. Yeah, but then when you tell them to turn it off and it's time for dinner and he's throwing it, they lose. They're so angry that also, you know, that doesn't make life easier. Um, and I don't think we make those connections of what's actually happening when we're giving them those screens.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So there might be people listening right now that aren't actually aware of all the research that's out there, because they're not in childhood education or development or in medicine. So what do you are you aware? Can you talk about maybe what it does to the to the brain, not even just the pediatric brain, but the brain in general, but especially these developing brains.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I mean, I can't quote exact research.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I wouldn't ask you to do that. Yeah.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: In short, yeah, I did just read research about how I think it was like three year olds, if you give three year olds, um, a screen for an hour a day, how they it ended up having more tantrums than those who didn't have, um, screens. And then overall, just, you know, we're thinking about the light that's being put on their eyes as we're trying to get ready for bed. It's disturbing their circadian rhythms. Um, that's that's as far as I can tell you. Like the exact research of what I know.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah no, but I know, like, spot on.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: It's just hindering brain development.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, I know I've been having a lot of conversations lately. Just getting back into school mode. Right? And getting these kids to try to, like, calm down and go to bed at a reasonable hour because they get up early. I'm like, what's it going to take to get these schools to start later, because we're especially adolescents that we know need 12 hours of sleep, right? We know those kids need that much sleep, but they're the ones whose schools start the earliest. They're catching busses at 630 in the morning. They're getting home late from either sports or their job or activities. Nine, 930 at night, sometimes still having to finish homework. Yeah. Um, it's interesting, I tell a lot of my, you know, adult clients. You know, I'm encouraging them to maybe diminish. We haven't talked a lot about, like, 5G and Emfs, but to try and diminish those, those, um, levels in their, in their home and environment. But so many of my adult adult patients say, well, my kids are on it till midnight, so I can't turn it off before I go to bed. You know, I need to leave my Wi-Fi on because they're getting their homework done, or they're doing stuff on their screens, which is a whole nother conversation. Why do they have screens in their bedroom? But, um, it's just getting me in this mode of like, of course, teenagers are struggling like we expect them to perform in their academics, athletics activities all day and do it on seven eight hours of sleep.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It's it's insane. Yeah, it really is insane. And we're expecting them to do it five days a week. It's interesting. I learned this summer that in France, their kids K through 12 go to school Monday. Tuesday they get a break Wednesday to sleep and to focus on their arts, their music, their athletics. And then they go back to school Thursday, Friday. And their whole rationale is so they can get adequate sleep halfway through the week. And I don't think they start till 9 or 930 in Europe, and they want to give their left brain a break to be able to have their right brain get engaged halfway through the week, and then they feel like their left side of the brain can finish strong with their academics. Makes sense. Why? Why what? Like why is that so hard for us to try and understand? Yeah. So it's just got me in this mode of like. I mean, really, I think we're all in this mode of, like, question everything. Yes. What's really best for our children? Why are we doing things a certain way and and why have we been doing that for so long? And how could we maybe do something better? And again, if that's how your family no judgment on your family, but like, what do I think my family needs or my children need. Mhm. Um so yeah I don't know how we.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: That's really neat.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Isn't that cool to think about that.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Like maybe they're paving the way for us. Let's hope.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I sure hope so. But we haven't. Yeah. Yeah. But we haven't followed their I mean they don't they don't spray their foods with all these organophosphates and pesticides that we do.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: But a lot of us use their information to share with others. Yeah. You know, they don't allow these makeup products in their makeup. They don't allow this in their food. So why are we you know, I think there's a lot of really good advocates out there right now that are trying to make those changes. But for now, I think implementing it in our own community is where we start.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, no, it's wonderful. And I think that I think there is this wave that's starting to happen like, um, you know, a wave of alternative ways to school your children. Alternative things to do. So many more homeschooling co-ops and different schools that maybe start a little bit later, or you're only 3 or 4 days a week are starting to pop up.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: So yeah, I have seen some of that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, it's pretty cool. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Anything else in the pediatric world? Any other tips and tricks? Let's go there. I know our audience is so desperate for tips and tricks for children, whether it's improving gut health, improving how we can feed our children at home, getting rid of screens, what else are you recommending? Like in these well-child visits that you're doing?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Food dyes like you mentioned, avoiding food dyes. Love it. Um. Being active. Let's get them out and playing. Let's get them in the dirt. We talk about, you know, exposure to the soil, exposure to the grass. Um, and again, clean grass. Avoiding avoiding the pesticide. Sprayed grass.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Be careful at the park when you see the the guys spraying the big thing on his back. Yeah. Maybe don't go let your toddler run around in the grass. Yeah.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: And I talk about other types of toxins to, you know, like artificial fragrances and what you're putting like in your laundry, soaps, um, and just clean foods. We talk about, you know, if you can ideally eat organic, um, depending on symptoms, everything's personalized. And when what I do, I don't do anything like everybody should do this but like based off of skin. So maybe avoiding some certain types of foods that are more like more inflammatory types of foods. Um, and yeah, I think that pretty much sums it up, what we've discussed.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Good, I love it. What do you think in your arena, in the patient population, you see what moves the needle the most for your clients?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: I think a low inflammatory lifestyle.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And tell me more. What does that mean?
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: That depends on per person. So again inflammation comes in what you're putting in your body, what you're putting on your body, what you're exposing your brain to. So I think just like basics how are your relationships? Are they toxic? Are they inflammatory? How are your foods? Are your foods inflammatory? Whether that is processed foods, sugar, gluten, dairy? You know, what are your what's your body sensitive to. Um and then movement. Let's make sure you're moving your body. Um and then environmental exposures inflammatory environmental exposures. So just in general, I'd just like to think of the idea of, like, what's inflammatory in my life and how can I limit that or avoid it?
Amber Warren, PA-C: It reminds me what you just said, and I'm not. You are spot on. And you are so accurate in what you just said. But I think a lot of people would say, I don't even know where to start. Yeah. Everything you just said is so overwhelming in today's day and age. It reminds me of this little image I saw. This was months ago, but it was a little kid driving, um, one of those little cars, remember? Like those old school cars with, like, the little black horn. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Again, you don't see these kind of cool things anymore. That's what kids should be doing. But, um. And he's on a freeway, and there's, like, 300 cars behind him. Right? And each car, each. A lot of the cars are labeled like pesticides and screens and technology and emfs. Right? And it's basically like these poor kids can't get out of the way of all these insults that they're seeing, right? Yeah. But yeah, I think you just laid out what I call my non-negotiables that everybody has to at least be aware of. No one's asking for perfection, but the awareness piece of of what you just said. Right.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: And sleep. I don't think I mentioned sleep. Sleep. Sleep is huge. I know you mentioned it, but yeah, that's the other thing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Doing your best to make it a priority. Yeah. We're not asking you to get 8 to 9 hours every single night, but make it a priority. Yeah. You know, get blackout curtains. Yeah. Um, cover your eyes, mouth tape. Put your screen down an hour before bed. Like, just do what you can to make that a priority.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Maybe some magnesium.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Love magnesium before bed at night. Love honestly. Magnesium all day. Like like, let's just put magnesium in the water, not statins. Let's put magnesium in the water because it calms everybody down with every.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Baby shower, we should bring Rest Max to.
Amber Warren, PA-C: We should say to people here, mama, here's what you really need.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Ignore everything else. Here's some Rest Max.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It will really help you. And it's safe. Um. Thank you. Kaitlin, you are just spoke so eloquently and beautifully, and I think there's so many people from all different walks of life that will get gleam. A lot of really great takeaways from this, this message and this conversation. So Kaitlin sees patients Monday through Thursday. What days are you in clinic in Boise.
Kaitlin Cooley, FNP-C: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Monday. Tuesday. Thursday. Because she gets to be a mama, which is so amazing. So, um. Yeah. Check out Kaitlin out of our Boise clinic. Thank you Kaitlin much.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Thank you for listening to the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast. For more information on topics covered today. Specialties available at the FMI center for Optimal Health and the highest Quality of supplements and more. Go to funmedfoundations.com.
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