Your Health Toolkit

Welcome to the show!
The idea for Your Health Toolkit was born from a group of doctors who wanted to do more in terms of patient care and education. Most of the guests on this show are naturopathic or osteopathic physicians and we’ll get into what that means in today’s episode. But what’s really important is that we share the idea that patients and doctors should be partners in health. We really believe in the body’s ability to heal itself with the right care and resources, and that’s a lot of what you’ll learn as a listener of this show. When you feel like your 15-minute annual well-check isn’t enough, that’s where we come in.
At Your Health Toolkit, our goal is to empower you to have better conversations with your doctor and to not ignore problems with your body that affect your day-to-day life. We love looking at solutions that take both body and mind into consideration and our first answer is likely not going to be a prescription pad. So if you’re interested in feeling better every day without medication and you want to learn more about how your body works and what you can do to heal it, this is the show for you.
Our guest today is Dr. Julia Vitali, an Osteopathic Physician who practices alongside me at Collaborative Natural Health Partners in Connecticut. Dr. Vitali lives and breathes the philosophy that doctors are teachers and her integrative approach to medicine and use of osteopathic manipulation make her an inspiring and effective healthcare professional that patients rely on.

Here on Your Health Toolkit, we often talk about how conventional and naturopathic medicine can play complementary roles in our overall health. We call this “collaborative medicine” and through the work that we do at Collaborative Natural Health Partners, we are able to give people the knowledge and the tools they need to feel great every single day. If you’re interested in learning more, head over to our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for information, articles, and resources to take the guesswork out of your health.
Your Health Toolkit is a podcast presented for general information and educational purposes only. The discussions presented by Dr. Lauren Young and the show’s guests should not be considered medical advice but rather a conversation starter with your doctor. Everyone’s body is unique, and we recommend having a discussion with your personal healthcare team before trying anything discussed on the show.

If you’re feeling extra nervous, stressed, or just not yourself these days, you aren’t alone. According to the most recent Pew Research Center analysis, four-in-ten U.S. adults have experienced high levels of psychological distress at least once since the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. That’s 41% of Americans and the percentage skyrockets to 58% when you isolate the data to people aged 18 to 29.

This data is terrifying and what makes it even harder to grapple with is that our healthcare community is already under so much pressure. People are feeling the effects of mental health issues more frequently and younger, and the resources to combat them are harder to come by. With so much demand, quick fixes in the form of anti-depressants are becoming the go-to solution. A study referenced by The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in the UK found anti-depressant prescriptions rose by 35% in six years and yet another study published by U.S. News & World Report in 2022 found that anti-depressant use over time may do little to improve the overall quality of life.

So where are we with all of this? Are there ways that we can help ourselves to find some calm, alleviate our symptoms, and teach ourselves how to repair in a more beneficial way for our long-term health?

Dr. Julia Vitali is an Osteopathic Physician who practices alongside me at Collaborative Natural Health Partners in Connecticut. Dr. Vitali lives and breathes an integrative approach to medicine and uses a lot of bodywork and mental health practices to help her patients achieve optimum wellbeing.

Dr. Megan Fortin is a Naturopathic Physician and she is passionate about individualized care and works to treat the whole person while utilizing clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, and lifestyle counseling.
A few resources that are mentioned in the show:
Dr. Young's book pick "Listening to Depression" by Dr. Lara Honos-Webb
Find a Therapist at

Here on Your Health Toolkit, we often talk about how conventional and naturopathic medicine can play complementary roles in our overall health. We call this “collaborative medicine” and through the work that we do at Collaborative Natural Health Partners, we are able to give people the knowledge and the tools they need to feel great every single day. If you’re interested in learning more, head over to our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for information, articles, and resources to take the guesswork out of your health.
Your Health Toolkit is a podcast presented for general information and educational purposes only. The discussions presented by Dr. Lauren Young and the show’s guests should not be considered medical advice but rather a conversation starter with your doctor. Everyone’s body is unique, and we recommend having a discussion with your personal healthcare team before trying anything discussed on the show.

If you are in the Northeast or upper Midwest areas of the United States, you’re probably more familiar with Lyme disease than most people.

With all the research and new information that we have access to, there is still a lot of confusion around Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, especially because the symptoms mirror so many other common medical issues.

So what do we know about Lyme, how can we protect ourselves from tick-borne illnesses, and what steps can we take for prevention? That's what we are going to be talking about today.

In the studio for this conversation are Dr. Tonya Pasternak and Dr. Craig Fasullo from Collaborative Natural Health Partners here in Connecticut.

Dr. Pasternak is a Naturopathic Physician who is passionate about finding the root cause of disease and values taking time to create customized treatment plans for each patient, utilizing a blend of nutrition, botanical medicine, and craniosacral therapy. In addition to treating conditions related to the immune, endocrine, and digestive systems, Dr. Pasternak is our resident expert in the field of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Dr. Fasullo is also a Naturopathic Physician who addresses a broad range of conditions, including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal pain, endocrine/hormone imbalance, and men’s health. He is a huge advocate for hands-on physical medicine, incorporating years of training in diverse modalities including osteopathic manipulation, structural integration, Bowen therapy, and myofascial technique to treat both acute and chronic pain conditions, improving quality of life without resorting to drugs or surgery.

Here on Your Health Toolkit, we often talk about how conventional and naturopathic medicine can play complementary roles in our overall health. We call this “collaborative medicine” and through the work that we do at Collaborative Natural Health Partners, we are able to give people the knowledge and the tools they need to feel great every single day. If you’re interested in learning more, head over to our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for information, articles, and resources to take the guesswork out of your health.
Your Health Toolkit is a podcast presented for general information and educational purposes only. The discussions presented by Dr. Lauren Young and the show’s guests should not be considered medical advice but rather a conversation starter with your doctor. Everyone’s body is unique, and we recommend having a discussion with your personal healthcare team before trying anything discussed on the show.

If you follow any health-related account on social media, you’ve probably seen people talking a lot about their guts recently. The truth is that, as doctors, the gut microbiome is something that’s always on our radar. Our digestive system is actually one of the most important parts of our bodies, dictating everything from our mood to how likely we are to get sick. The gut is actually kind of a body MVP and it’s only because of more recent studies and new research that it’s finally getting the attention that it deserves.

So let’s take a deep dive into our digestive health with some awesome experts who can help us dissect the most common symptoms of gut dysregulation and talk about some simple lifestyle changes to keep your microbiome healthy and help you feel great.

On the show today are Dr. Megan Lester and Dr. Jaylin Holland from our practice Collaborative Natural Health Partners here in Connecticut. Dr. Lester is a Naturopathic Physician who received her degree from the National University of Health Sciences in Illinois and she has a particular interest in treating autoimmune and digestive conditions, including IBS and SIBO. Dr. Holland received her degree from the University of Bridgeport School of Naturopathic Medicine in Connecticut and she is passionate about using patient data-driven interventions based on genomics and microbiome combined with timeless, traditional naturopathic wisdom.

Here on Your Health Toolkit, we often talk about how conventional and naturopathic medicine can play complementary roles in our overall health. We call this “collaborative medicine” and through the work that we do at Collaborative Natural Health Partners, we are able to give people the knowledge and the tools they need to feel great every single day. If you’re interested in learning more, head over to our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for information, articles, and resources to take the guesswork out of your health.
Your Health Toolkit is a podcast presented for general information and educational purposes only. The discussions presented by Dr. Lauren Young and the show’s guests should not be considered medical advice but rather a conversation starter with your doctor. Everyone’s body is unique, and we recommend having a discussion with your personal healthcare team before trying anything discussed on the show.

Hot flashes, night sweats, irritability. These are just a few of the well-known symptoms that women experience as they begin to enter menopause. But what many people don’t know is the myriad of emotional and hormonal symptoms that can also creep into the day-to-day, and that our husbands might be experiencing them too.
So what’s the deal with menopause and how can we help ourselves get through it naturally? Where do men fit into the picture and are their signs and symptoms something we should be paying more attention to? Let’s talk about it.
Our guests today are APRN Andrew Lauzier and Osteopathic Physician Dr. Kate Zachau from Collaborative Natural Health Partners in Connecticut.
As a nurse practitioner, Andrew provides primary care across the practice, managing acute and chronic diseases, and focusing on the importance of primary prevention. Andrew is passionate about integrative and holistic care and he loves educating both adults and children about their options beyond just traditional medicine.
Dr. Kate Zachau is an Osteopathic Physician who works with patients to determine the root cause of their symptoms in alignment with naturopathic and osteopathic philosophies. She specifically works with women as they move through menopause and her passion for integrative medicine is most notable in the modalities of mind-body medicine, nutrition, and osteopathic manipulation.

Here on Your Health Toolkit, we often talk about how conventional and naturopathic medicine can play complementary roles in our overall health. We call this “collaborative medicine” and through the work that we do at Collaborative Natural Health Partners, we are able to give people the knowledge and the tools they need to feel great every single day. If you’re interested in learning more, head over to our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for information, articles, and resources to take the guesswork out of your health.
Your Health Toolkit is a podcast presented for general information and educational purposes only. The discussions presented by Dr. Lauren Young and the show’s guests should not be considered medical advice but rather a conversation starter with your doctor. Everyone’s body is unique, and we recommend having a discussion with your personal healthcare team before trying anything discussed on the show.