Part 1: You Must Come First - Interview with Winnie Odhiambo

In today's episode of the “Leading with Heart” podcast, I sit down with Winnie Odhiambo, the founder of Vitalized Wellbeing and a seasoned functional medicine and holistic health practitioner. With a background of 19 years in active duty service in the Air Force as a major in healthcare administration, Winnie shares her powerful journey through personal burnout and healing. This blog post delves deeper into the key topics discussed during the episode: the definition and impact of burnout, the principles of functional medicine, and Winnie's integrated approach to health and wellness.

The Personal Battle: Winnie's Story

Winnie Odhiambo's journey is both inspiring and illuminating, especially for high-achieving women who often push themselves to their limits. Winnie's life changed dramatically after her third child's birth, when she experienced significant health challenges that were the culmination of years of stress and neglecting her well-being.

Winnie recounts an incredibly busy phase of her life—navigating a deployment, a quick relocation, and the high demands of her role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite showing symptoms of extreme stress and fatigue, like elevated blood pressure and gestational diabetes, she continued to push through. It wasn’t until her hospitalization for a dangerously high blood pressure right after childbirth that she realized the severity of her situation.

Her story underscores a critical message for women everywhere: self-care is paramount and not a luxury but a necessity.

Understanding Burnout

Burnout is more than just feeling tired; it's a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Winnie describes burnout as an accumulation of stress across several dimensions—physical, emotional, social, and spiritual—that leads to a substantial energy deficit. She didn't initially recognize her burnout, disconnected from her body’s signals, and relied on rationalizing her symptoms, a common coping mechanism among high achievers.

As Winnie illustrates, burnout creeps up subtly but manifests in profound ways, affecting one's ability to function and, ultimately, health. It’s vital to acknowledge these signs early and take action.

The Healing Journey: Discovering Functional Medicine

Confronted with the breakdown of her health, Winnie turned to functional medicine, which focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of diseases. Unlike traditional medicine, which treats symptoms, functional medicine evaluates the body's fundamental systems and how they interact, providing a more personalized approach to healing.

Winnie underwent a hair tissue mineral analysis to understand her mineral and heavy metal levels, revealing significant deficiencies and imbalances. This test showed the critical need for replenishing essential minerals and detoxifying her body, facilitating her path to recovery.

Her shift involved adopting a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet and eliminating foods that triggered adverse reactions. Winnie also had to learn the importance of true rest and intentional downtime, breaking the cycle of constant activity that contributed to her burnout.

The Renewal System: Rebuilding Wellness

Winnie’s personal experience with burnout and her path to recovery inspired her to create the renewal system, aimed at helping other women navigate similar challenges. She helps high-achieving women at the brink of burnout by starting with comprehensive functional medicine lab tests to identify imbalances and deficiencies.

Her method incorporates grounding techniques, such as meditation, to address emotional and mental health, acknowledging that healing is as much about emotional wellness as it is about physical health. Visioning is another pivotal part of her approach, helping women visualize their goals and create new neural pathways for joy and vitality.

Functional Medicine vs. Traditional Medicine

Functional medicine offers a unique perspective compared to conventional medicine, focusing on healing imbalances within the body to naturally restore health. While traditional medicine excels in addressing acute conditions and diseases, functional medicine provides comprehensive insight into chronic conditions influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors.

Winnie emphasizes that traditional medicine remains crucial, particularly for acute or advanced diseased states. Combining both approaches can offer a balanced route to complete wellness, leveraging the strengths of each to cater to individual health needs effectively.

Winnie Odhiambo’s transformative journey and her insights into functional medicine present a compelling case for re-evaluating how we approach health and wellness, particularly for high-achieving women navigating burnout. Her story is a crucial reminder that self-care is not selfish but essential to sustain the energy and well-being needed to lead a fulfilling life.

For those dealing with burnout or looking to prevent it, exploring functional medicine might offer the holistic approach needed to reclaim balance and vitality.

In our next episode, Winnie will explore why burnout is so prevalent in the military workforce and share her seven-part renewal system focused on holistic healing. Don’t miss it—subscribe to the “Leading with Heart” podcast to stay informed!

If you want to chat more about this topic, I would love to continue this conversation with you, over on Instagram, or in my Facebook community!

RESOURCES:

Connect with Winnie:

Website: https://www.vitalizedwellbeing.com/

Instagram: @vitalized_wellbeing (https://www.instagram.com/vitalized_wellbeing)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitalizedwellbeing 

Join the Strong and Resilient Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/336774597179247

SHOW NOTES: https://www.christinamattisonyoga.com/blog/episode55