In today’s episode of the ICU Podcast, we explore the fascinating connection between gut health and vestibular disorders—and why taking care of your digestive system might be an overlooked piece of your wellness puzzle. What happens in your gut doesn’t always stay in your gut: when the lining of the intestine becomes compromised, it can lead to systemic inflammation, nutrient malabsorption, and an imbalanced microbiome—all of which may influence vestibular symptoms like vertigo, dizziness, and balance issues. The gut is also a major producer of neurotransmitters that affect mood and nervous system balance, and imbalances there could potentially affect how your brain processes vestibular signals. Today, we’ll break down what gut health really means, how it intersects with vestibular function, and practical takeaways you can consider as part of your overall health strategy.

Guest Bios

Leigha Kingsley is an actress, writer, producer, and director. Her acting credits include films starring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson, and TV shows like Criminal Minds. She is a champion for female-driven stories, and her scripts have been finalists for Sundance, HBO Project Greenlight, and the New York Television Festival. Leaha has been experiencing Vestibular Migraines for the past year. She is still new to this journey, but one thing she has noticed is that the foods she consumes have a direct correlation with how well her brain and vestibular system operate.

Carla Alpert, FDN-P, NBC-HWC, FMCHC, is a trauma-informed Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and Functional Medicine Practitioner. She focuses on gut health and how it affects overall health because, unlike Las Vegas, what happens in the gut doesn’t always stay in the gut. Symptoms become the way your body tells you there’s an imbalance. Many times, problems that seem unrelated to gastrointestinal health, such as brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, and even skin issues, can stem from an imbalance in the microbiome. Carla supports her clients in uncovering the root cause(s) of digestive problems and other chronic symptoms, restoring overall health and well-being. Her mission as a coach is to help her clients explore and discover solutions to live a life with renewed vitality, radiant health, authenticity, and purpose—without the overwhelm. Learn more about Carla here.

In this episode of the ICU Podcast, we explore how humor and gratitude can become powerful tools for coping with chronic vestibular disorders. Living with dizziness, vertigo, or imbalance can often feel isolating and overwhelming—but laughter and thankfulness can help restore balance to both body and mind. Research shows that humor can lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, boost immune function, and even trigger endorphins—our body’s natural painkillers. Similarly, practicing gratitude has been linked to better sleep, improved mood, and enhanced overall well-being. Our guests—a vestibular patient who’s found resilience through laughter, and health coach Hilary Russo, creator of the “HIListic” approach to mindful self-compassion—share how humor and gratitude have transformed their healing journeys and offer practical ways to bring more lightness and appreciation into everyday life.

Guest Bios

Mary Ziegler was once reliable, hard-working, and a dedicated wife and mother. But when Meniere's disease and vestibular migraine hit, she had to leave her job and stop driving. One of the things Mary misses the most is helping other people. She misses parties with friends and family. But she has devised ways to dwell in joy and gratitude. She likes being a VeDA Ambassador because it allows her to help people in Chicago, where she lives, and all over the world. She is grateful for her family and friends, and for the doctors who recognize her as an expert in her condition.

Hilary Russo is a certified trauma-informed holistic mental health practitioner and health coach, one of only 50 certified Havening Techniques® Trainers globally, and one of the first 100 Certified Havening Practitioners in the United States. Due to her work in Havening and trauma-informed care, Hilary is a recommended referral partner with the nationally recognized Amen Clinics for brain health. Her extensive background in media and military life gives her a unique perspective on working with secondary trauma, chronic stress, and burnout. She is the host of the globally top-rated podcast HIListically Speaking® and creator of the HUG it Out® Method, which reminds you to access self-healing through Humor, Understanding, and Gratitude and be a Pioneer Practitioner™of your own life. Connect with Hilary at hilaryrusso.com, on social @hilaryrusso, or on her Substack, The Brain Candy Blueprint.

In this episode of the ICU Podcast, we explore the powerful relationship between the mind and body—and how that connection can be both disrupted and harnessed in life with a vestibular disorder. From the ways stress and anxiety can amplify dizziness to the grounding effects of mindfulness, movement, and self-compassion, we’ll discuss the science and lived experience behind mind-body healing. Through personal stories and expert insights, listeners will discover how cultivating awareness, patience, and inner balance can help restore a sense of control and resilience on the path toward recovery.

Guest Bios

Sandy Brunner describes herself as an awesome stay-at-home mom and an okay housewife. Pre-kid, she was a speech-language pathologist and blogger for Life Without Land Legs. Sandy started her vestibular journey with Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, or MdDS, on a trip to Europe in 2018, adding vestibular migraine, PPPD, and cervicogenic dizziness to her vestibular bingo card along the way. She was in VeDA’s first season of the Life Rebalanced Chronicles docuseries. When she’s not doing mom stuff or at the gym, she is planning parties, going on random adventures, organizing something, reading, or doing crafts.

Donna McArthur, DC has been a chiropractor for thirty years, sharing a wellness-based practice with her husband in the mountains of British Columbia. She provides patient-centered care aimed at restoring function to the neuro-musculoskeletal system, utilizing evidence-based therapies and drawing on her deep knowledge of biomechanical, neurological, and fascial approaches. Her work is grounded in a heart-centered, integrated philosophy of healing.

Donna is passionate about offering people tools and choices that empower their own wellness—something she brings to her clinical practice, writing, and teaching. With a focus on general family practice, she has extensive training and experience supporting both pediatric and geriatric patients.

You can follow Donna on Substack.