In this second foundational episode of The Western Hippie Podcast, Michaela walks listeners through a major mindset shift in how we approach health for ourselves and our animals.
Most of the time, we’re taught to treat symptoms — inflammation, joint pain, thyroid issues, skin problems — without asking the deeper question: what is causing the inflammation in the first place?
Using her own dog Willie’s health journey as an example, Michaela shares how she moved from throwing every “best” joint supplement at the problem… to stepping back and asking whether she was treating the effect instead of the cause. That shift led her to explore liver function, toxin overload, and detox pathways — and ultimately changed how she approaches healing altogether.
This episode dives into:
• Why inflammation is an effect, not the root cause
• The “fire vs. arsonist” metaphor for symptom-chasing
• How toxin overload can overwhelm the liver and drive disease
• Why simplifying diet and digestion creates space for healing
• The importance of establishing a baseline before detoxing
• How to think in terms of root cause instead of labels and diagnoses
• Building “bumper lanes” so you can experiment safely and confidently
This conversation isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about learning how to think in a way that leads to true sovereignty — where you feel empowered to understand your animal’s body instead of feeling dependent on complicated protocols.
These foundational episodes are designed to be returned to again and again, because everything else builds on this way of thinking.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Why This Is a Foundational Episode
01:40 – The Problem with Treating Symptoms
03:10 – Willie’s Health Crash & The Turning Point
05:10 – Diet Changes vs. Root Cause
06:40 – The Fire vs. Arsonist Metaphor
08:10 – How Toxins Overload the Liver
10:00 – Why Inflammation Is an Effect
11:30 – Creating “Bumper Lanes” for Safe Experimentation
13:00 – Detox, Baseline, and Rebuild Phases
15:00 – Willie’s Progress After Detoxing
16:40 – Applying Root-Cause Thinking to All Health
17:50 – What’s Coming Next (Ozone Therapy Teaser)
LINKS:
• Herbs of the World – Cellular Detox: https://herbsoftheworld.com/products/cellular-detox%E2%84%A2-p56-for-pets?_pos=3&_psq=cellular+detox&_ss=e&_v=1.0
• EpiGenius for Dogs (joint + gut + vitamin support): https://ishoppurium.com/?giftcard=thewesternhippie
• EE System (regenerative light therapy): https://www.unifydhealing.com/locations
• Book: The Emotion Code: https://amzn.to/4q3jToZ
• Dr. Mark DiPaolo / Ozactin / Ozone Therapy: https://www.depaoloequineconcepts.com/collections/ozactin
• Your email for Q&A interest: michaela@michaelamae.com
KEYWORDS:
root cause healing, dog detox, liver detox for dogs, inflammation in dogs, holistic dog health, toxin overload, dog arthritis natural support, gut and liver health dogs, foundational healing principles, western hippie podcast, holistic animal health, dog health sovereignty
