In this episode, Amanda Jones breaks down how alcohol is metabolically active and quickly affects blood sugar, sleep, hormones and mood. She explains two common blood sugar patterns after drinking — a spike-and-crash from sugary cocktails and an immediate drop from straight liquor — and why the liver prioritizes clearing alcohol over producing glucose. Amanda reviews the longer-term effects of repeated drinking, including increased insulin resistance, disrupted cortisol rhythms, poorer sleep quality, stronger cravings and impacts on women’s hormone cycles and PMS. She connects these effects to common next-day symptoms like anxiety, headaches and hunger. Most importantly, the episode offers practical, non-restrictive strategies to minimize harm: eat 30–40 grams of protein before drinking, choose lower-sugar drinks (dry wine, club soda mixes), have a meal when possible, pace drinks with water and electrolytes between them, and add gentle movement after meals to help regulate glucose. Amanda closes with realistic advice for New Year goals: pick a few sustainable habits, be gentle with yourself, and focus on small changes that fit your life instead of perfection.

In this special, cozy episode of the Elevated Health Podcast the host records from her brother’s childhood bedroom and welcomes back her mother, Shelly Moss, a counselor with over 30 years of experience. Together they explore what grief really is, why it can feel like a violent loss, and how grief shows up differently for everyone — from sadness to anger, guilt, and physical exhaustion.The episode covers common mental and physical symptoms of grief (sleep and appetite changes, fatigue, forgetfulness, vivid dreams), why the holidays can intensify loss, and practical ways to cope during holiday events: honor the missing person with a set place, stories, music, letters, or charitable acts; create new traditions; and be kind to yourself when emotions surface.Shelly also shares personal experience and emphasizes the importance of talking about loss, seeking support from friends, family, or a professional when grief becomes overwhelming, and holding onto the message of hope that the fog will lift with time.

In this episode, Amanda Jones breaks down why the holidays can leave you feeling wired, tired, and constantly craving sugar. She explains how stress and late nights raise cortisol, trigger glucose and insulin swings, and create a ‘‘glucose rollercoaster’’ that drives cravings, irritability, and fatigue. Amanda covers how alcohol affects blood sugar, the idea of "foods with no breaks" (like cookies vs. a protein-rich meal), and practical, realistic strategies to feel better during the season: start the day with 25–30g of protein, pair treats and drinks with protein, move after meals, protect sleep (especially 10–2 a.m.), hydrate before alcohol, and aim for maintenance rather than big weight loss in December. The episode emphasizes compassion and practical fixes over perfection—simple habits can stabilize hormones, help you enjoy the holidays, and keep you feeling more present and energized. Link to 1st Phorm protein powder: https://1stphorm.com/products/level-1?a_aid=elevatedhealthtexas

In this episode Amanda Jones of Elevated Health walks through the key reproductive hormones women experience during their reproductive years and explains what each hormone commonly does for mood, energy, sleep, bone and vaginal health. She gives an easy 28-day cycle overview (follicular, ovulation, luteal) and describes typical symptoms people may feel at each phase, why symptoms can appear before labs change, and what normal versus abnormal bleeding and cramping look like. The episode defines PMS versus PMDD, lists red flags that warrant medical evaluation (heavy bleeding, severe pain, long or irregular cycles, new acne or hair loss, lack of ovulation), and explains when conditions like PCOS or endometriosis may require further testing. Amanda outlines practical testing to ask your provider for—estradiol, testosterone, DHEA, LH and FSH—and emphasizes foundational treatment steps first: nutrition, exercise, sleep, supplementation, and targeted hormone support when needed. She discusses the hormonal shifts that can begin in your 30s and 40s during perimenopause, why baseline testing is helpful, and common myths about birth control and testosterone. Finally, the episode encourages self-advocacy with health providers, open conversations with family about the cycle, and steps to seek help when symptoms are severe or worsening. Cycle PDF   Hormone Cycle Chart    

In this re-released favorite episode, host Amanda sits down with her mother, licensed clinical social worker Shelly Moss, to explore how negative thoughts fuel anxiety and impact both mental and physical health. They discuss the brain’s fight-or-flight response, cortisol and inflammation, and how unresolved trauma can show up as physical symptoms.Shelly explains why quiet moments often trigger worry, how the amygdala overrides the thinking brain, and why modern stressors keep our bodies in a chronic alarm state. They share examples that link anxiety to symptoms like jaw pain and elevated glucose.The episode offers practical, actionable tools you can use right away: diaphragmatic breathing and the physiological sigh to engage the vagus nerve and calm the body; simple CBT techniques to reframe unhelpful thoughts; a dedicated “worry time” to process concerns before bed; quick behavioral shifts like walking through a door or stepping outside; and the value of regular nourishment for stable blood sugar and mood.They also include a short meal segment with an easy, nutrient-dense dinner idea and point listeners to Shelly’s counseling services. Overall, the conversation blends compassionate therapy wisdom with clear steps you can use to quiet the mind and support your body.

In this emotional anniversary episode, Amanda Jones — family nurse practitioner, diabetes educator, and founder of Elevated Health — reflects on the five-year journey of building her practice through the chaos of 2020 onward. She shares how COVID-era travel testing led to pivots into telemedicine, functional medicine, and aesthetics, and how creating an LLC in November 2020 set the foundation for her work. Amanda recounts personal and professional challenges including travel assignments, starting a family, serious health setbacks, and everyday hurdles like broken supplies and construction delays while her husband built the clinic office. She explains how those experiences shaped her approach to patient care and practice management. She celebrates key wins: opening a downtown office, hiring a trusted team member (Cambri), launching a podcast, tripling practice numbers since staff growth, and expanding services like GLP-1s, wellness coaching, and plans for future IV therapy and collaborations. Amanda closes with five lessons learned — prioritizing time and connection, supporting realistic nutrition habits, trusting the body’s ability to heal with the right tools, balancing calling with entrepreneurial chaos, and relying on community — and offers gratitude to patients, listeners, and supporters. This episode is a heartfelt mix of vulnerability, practical takeaways for clinicians and patients, and hopeful plans for the future of Elevated Health.

In this episode Amanda Jones talks with licensed massage therapist Gloria Hargrave about what true self-care looks like and why massage can be medicinal rather than merely a luxury. They discuss the importance of rest, listening to your body, and individualized approaches to touch — from Swedish relaxation to deeper therapeutic work.Gloria shares her path to massage therapy, how intuition and hands-on experience shape her practice, and why regular maintenance (not just waiting until you hurt) helps prevent chronic issues. They also cover practical, low-cost self-care habits like walking, stretching, elevating your legs, and small daily choices that improve health.Financial and time concerns are addressed with realistic tips for fitting self-care into a busy life, plus why self-care is not selfish — it supports your ability to care for others. The episode wraps up with simple takeaways: hydrate, rest, move, and set healthy buffers so you can better honor your body each day.

Join Amanda Jones of Elevated Health as she explores the history and shortcomings of Body Mass Index (BMI). She explains how BMI began as a 19th-century population statistic, how it was popularized in the 1970s, and why it is a poor measure of individual health.Amanda outlines the many limitations of BMI — it excludes women, children, and non-European bodies, doesn’t distinguish fat from muscle or bone density, and ignores sex and ethnicity. She gives concrete examples of how BMI can misclassify athletes, shorter or taller people, and many women.The episode also digs into clinician bias and fat phobia, with real stories showing how weight is often used as a catch-all explanation instead of investigating other causes. Amanda urges clinicians to separate the number from the person and listen before making assumptions.As practical alternatives, Amanda reviews better measures for health monitoring: waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, waist-to-height ratio, and useful lab markers like fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, and HDL. She also emphasizes subjective measures — energy, sleep, strength, and how clothes fit — as important indicators of wellness.For a lighter note, Amanda shares her “better meal of the week”: homemade enchiladas made with carb-balanced tortillas, a mix of beef and shredded chicken, enchilada sauces, cheese, and refried black beans, plus macro estimates and simple swaps to lower calories and fat.Key takeaway: health is about habits, nourishment, recovery, and joy — not a single chart number. The episode encourages more nuanced, compassionate care and practical tools for measuring health beyond BMI.

In this episode you’ll learn how to stay on track while on vacation without feeling restricted. The host explains a “protein-forward” plate — making protein the priority so roughly 10% of calories come from protein — and gives simple rules of thumb for portions: 15–30g protein for snacks and 30–50g for meals, or eyeballing a palm-sized portion for 25–35g.Practical vacation prep tips include packing or buying easy protein options (beef jerky, protein powder, high-protein milk, yogurt, eggs, deli meat) for hotel mini-fridges and stocking a condo kitchen for the week. Anchor carbs and snacks with a protein source to keep blood sugar steady, stay hydrated, and prioritize sleep so you enjoy meals and avoid extremes.The host recommends the 80% rule: aim to be about 80% consistent so you have room to enjoy local favorites without derailing progress. The goal is balance and consistency over perfection, so you come home refreshed and aligned with your goals rather than needing to “undo” a vacation.In the segment "Better Meal of the Week" she shows how to boost protein in comfort food — a loaded potato soup — by adding cottage cheese and roasted chicken, plus a side salad, turning it into a nourishing, satisfying meal. The episode focuses on simple, intentional strategies to enjoy vacation food while maintaining progress.

In this episode Amanda Jones talks with Audrey Lamberson, DPT, about her decade-plus of physical therapy practice and the clinic work she does at RehabVisions in Canyon and Dumas, Texas. They discuss the holistic, whole-body approach physical therapists can bring to complex problems. Audrey explains the nasal release technique (NRT): a gentle, minimally invasive method that uses a finger-cot and a small inflatable bulb placed into three nasal areas (turbinates) to adjust cranial and facial bone alignment, open the airway, and improve blood and lymphatic drainage. They cover how NRT and related therapies can help with persistent headaches, concussion or brain-injury symptoms, tongue-tie issues, breathing dysfunction, pelvic-floor coordination, sleep and brain fog. Audrey shares how NRT can produce fast, measurable improvements in nasal airflow for many patients and sometimes an immediate emotional release when long-held tension or adhesions shift. Several patient examples are discussed: a 70-year-old with decades of headaches who improved after tongue-tie work and nasal release, and Amanda’s own history of facial trauma and brain-stem surgery where combined breathing, pelvic-floor and nasal work produced notable relief and emotional clearing. Practical topics include how to access care (self-referral vs. physician referral depending on insurance), insurance and documentation challenges, self-pay options, and how Rehab Visions coordinates care. Contact information given: Rehab Visions Canyon (2219 VFW/Soncy near Strawberry Fields) and Rehab Visions Dumas (515 E. First St., across from Dollar General); phone: 806-705-8866. You can also request appointments and messages via their website and Facebook. The hosts invite listeners to send questions for follow-up episodes and encourage people to consider holistic assessment when symptoms span breathing, posture, pain, and emotional health.

In this episode Amanda from the Elevated Health Podcast shares her personal recovery after surgery and offers practical, easy-to-follow strategies to support healing. She explains what recovery means — moving from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest — and why intentional recovery matters in modern life.Key topics include the importance of protein for tissue repair, how hydration plus electrolytes restore balance, and why sleep and rest are where true healing happens. Amanda also covers gentle movement to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, and the emotional and mental side of recovery, encouraging listeners to give themselves grace.She offers concrete tips like using protein shakes or easy high-protein snacks when appetite is low, drinking electrolyte solutions or bone broth, prioritizing cool dark sleep environments, taking short gentle walks, and choosing nourishing, light meals. The episode emphasizes that recovery is a season, not a setback, and encourages listeners to be intentional and kind to themselves while healing.

Join Amanda Jones, nurse practitioner and founder of Elevated Health, as she uncovers why sleep is one of the most overlooked pillars of health and how timing, light, and your sleep setup affect hormones, metabolism, and glucose.Learn how your 24-hour circadian rhythm regulates cortisol (your get-up-and-go hormone) and melatonin (your wind-down hormone), why they usually peak and cross around 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and how late nights and bright screens confuse that rhythm.Discover why 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. is a prime window for deep non-REM sleep—when growth hormone, immune repair, and brain clearance happen—and why shifting bedtime even an hour or two can reduce restorative sleep you can’t fully make up later.Amanda explains practical habits that reset your clock: morning light exposure to suppress melatonin and boost daytime focus, how social jet lag and seasonal time changes impact mood and blood sugar, and easy ways to prepare (go to bed earlier gradually, keep morning light routines).Explore the strong link between sleep and glucose: one bad night can reduce insulin sensitivity by up to ~30%, raise morning glucose, and trigger cravings and poor food choices. Real CGM examples show average spikes after late nights, even without junk food.She also covers sleep environment fixes that matter—mattress and pillow age, cooling the room, and reducing micro-arousals—plus a personal story of improved sleep and oxygen after replacing an old mattress.Actionable, realistic tips: aim toward a 10 p.m.–6 a.m. rhythm when possible, dim lights an hour before bed, finish eating 2–3 hours before sleep (or add protein if you eat late), keep the bedroom cool (~68°F), and update mattress/pillows as needed. Pick two changes to be consistent with and build from there.Start small, treat sleep like medicine, and prioritize consistent habits so hormones, mood, and blood sugar can work for you instead of against you.

In this episode Denise Dubois, founder of Complexions Spa, discusses her journey from becoming one of New York’s earliest licensed estheticians to building a holistic beauty and wellness practice. She explains the difference between aesthetics and medical aesthetics, the importance of treating the whole person, and how hormones, stress, gut health, and inflammation show up on the skin. Denise describes the wide range of services at Complexions—massage, lymphatic and hydrotherapy, infrared saunas, IV nutraceuticals, injectables, biostimulators, scalp health treatments, and more—and how combining medical treatments with spa therapies supports longevity and preventive care. She also shares the story behind her clean, vegan skincare line (Dubois Beauty), how the formulas were developed with clinical actives and ingredient exclusions, and the simple four-step philosophy she recommends: exfoliate, protect with antioxidants, repair/regenerate, and hydrate. Practical tips include daily sunscreen (even indoors), staying hydrated, establishing self-care rituals like unplugging and meditation, and focusing on lifestyle choices that slow extrinsic aging. Denise’s spas are in Albany and Saratoga Springs, NY, and her products and blog are available at DuboisBeauty.com.

In this episode Amanda Jones, a nurse practitioner, breaks down GLP-1 medications (like semaglutide and tirzepatide), how they work for diabetes and weight loss, and why they’re being studied for conditions from sleep apnea to Alzheimer’s. She reviews benefits, side effects, myths, and practical tips for combining medication with lifestyle changes.Amanda shares patient stories, discusses accessibility and insurance issues, and offers guidance on when to consult a clinician and how to monitor treatment for safe, long-term results.

Amanda Jones breaks down macronutrients—carbohydrates, protein, fats (and alcohol)—explaining calories per gram and why each is essential.She reviews common diet approaches (keto, high-protein, low-fat), tracking apps, and gives practical advice: aim for 75–100% of goal body weight in grams of protein, about 100 g of carbs daily, and prioritize balance and awareness.Learn simple strategies to enjoy meals, use tracking short-term, and adjust macros to your activity and health needs.

Amanda Jones breaks down what GMOs are, the differences between minimally, moderately and ultra-processed foods, and why labels can be more marketing than science. She encourages simple experiments to see how foods affect your body and emphasizes individualized, science-based choices.Practical takeaways include reading ingredient lists, using an “80% whole, 20% flexible” approach, and quick meal ideas to make healthier eating realistic. Visit Elevated Health Texas and follow on social media for more resources.

Host Amanda Jones, FNP is on vacation in the mountains of New Mexico. Her mother, Shelly Moss, LCSW have a discussion about nature, cortisol, and stress relief while sitting next to a river. Enjoy this unedited episode and get outside!!! Visit www.elevatedhealthtexas.com or call/text 806-557-0314 for more information about Amanda and Elevated Health, PLLC. We’re also on all socials @elevatedhealthtexas You can find more information about Shelly on the Psychology Today website and on Instagram @shellymosscounseling Thanks for listening and reading!

Licensed clinical social worker Shelly Moss joins her daughter to explore how negative thoughts fuel anxiety and even physical symptoms. They discuss the mind-body connection, trauma's impact, and why silence at night often triggers rumination. The episode offers practical, easy-to-use tools—diaphragmatic breathing, the physiological sigh, CBT reframing, scheduled "worry time," simple nutrition tips, and actionable steps to regain calm—so listeners can feel more in control of their thoughts and their health. Follow Shelly at @shellymosscounseling on Instagram and @shellymosscounselingservices on Facebook. You can also find her on Psychology today at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/shelly-osborn-moss-hereford-tx/1523412 You can call or text 988 in English or Spanish for the suicide prevention hotline if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide. They are available 24/7 for you. You are not alone! You can find us on all socials (TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram) @elevatedhealthtexas, and elevatedhealthtexas@gmail.com to give us compliments, complaints, or recommend topics or experts to interview.   

Glucose monitoring explained—meters vs. CGMs, accuracy, cost, and why “good” is better than waiting for “perfect.”

Host Amanda Jones, NP and certified diabetes educator, breaks down the key differences between traditional, insurance-driven care and functional medicine—from appointment length and access between visits to how insurance limits testing and treatments.She highlights personalized plans, deeper lab work, and a collaborative, approachable style that focuses on prevention and root causes instead of one-size-fits-all protocols.Through a real-world case study, Amanda shows how targeted labs, hormones, and metabolic support can reveal issues like prediabetes and anemia and lead to meaningful progress.The episode wraps with a practical “Better Not Perfect” meal example, sharing realistic nutrition swaps for busy nights.