Dr. Marlene Siegel: We, the consumers, we have to start waking Dr. Marlene Siegel: up and saying I am not willing to give you Dr. Marlene Siegel: my money if you are not going to give me Dr. Marlene Siegel: back a product that is going to support the Dr. Marlene Siegel: health and longevity of my pet.
About 10 years ago. During that time of my acting days, I booked a pretty cool gig, but this time I was just the prop. I wasn't a lead, I wasn't even a backup. I was basically sitting there providing space for the star herself, miss Eliza Doolittle, who happened to get a part to star in this role in a pet food commercial, and I'm like, okay, finally, this chick is paying the rent. Now you've heard me talk about Eliza Doolittle.
If you've been part of the Holistically Speaking community for quite some time, and this is a really special time of year because I'm about to experience that anniversary, one of those, one of those memories that we're not really looking forward to. And it's the one year since Miss Eliza has passed, and many of you know her who have been with me here. She sat on the back of my chair, she's been in a number of episodes.
You might have even heard her a few times because, man, she was vocal, because she was a diva. But I will say this the reason for this commercial was because they were promoting this product was promoting a pet food product that was holistic, and, of course, the holistic health coach that I am was like this is a perfect casting. I'm totally gonna nail this. Even though I thought Eliza was gonna be a huge diva. She was a saint on set because all she had to do was sit in my lap.
But the reason why I'm telling you this story is that Eliza was with me for close to 19 years. She was the longest heartbeat I ever had in my space and I never shared time with anything longer really More road trips, everything like that. But I thought when they asked me in that casting call originally, why do you want to do this commercial and why do you want to bring your pet into this commercial? It wasn't so much about the cash, although that was nice.
It was about the fact that if I'm going to live my life holistically, then anyone in my home and environment should be experiencing that too. And when you think about the fact that there are close to 500 million pet owners around the globe and in the States alone 86 million that are pet owners and we use that term loosely because it depends on what you consider a pet indoor, outdoor, whatnot but our fur babies are important, and even our non-fur babies.
And I thought to myself what would Eliza's life been like if I had learned more about holistic pet health much earlier in her journey. But I'm so glad that I had her for 19 years and she had the experience she had, because I think she lived as long as she did because I took that holistic approach, HIListically Speaking. So that got me thinking that I want to have a professional come on the show, someone who understands holistic veterinary care.
And all of a sudden I get an email Hi, I'm a holistic pet vet and I would love to talk about holistic care. Again, it goes back to things do not happen by accident. And that brings us to Dr Marlene Siegel. I am so happy to have you here today.
I've learned so much about you in the time that I haven't even been in the space with you but having the opportunity to research the kind of vet you are, all I can say is I wish you were the vet I had in my space for the years that Eliza might've needed that kind of care. So thank you for being here. It is such an honor to know that there are people that see the value in holistic care for their pets just as much as they do themselves.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Welcome, Thank you, and thank you for Dr. Marlene Siegel: having me. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You know what you said was very profound, Dr. Marlene Siegel: because one of the most common comments I Dr. Marlene Siegel: hear I travel and I teach all over the Dr. Marlene Siegel: world is I wish I would have known sooner.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So the operative words I think everything Dr. Marlene Siegel: happens in divine timing, just as you said, Dr. Marlene Siegel: and I think this is the opportunity if Dr. Marlene Siegel: somebody's listening to this conversation, Dr. Marlene Siegel: this is the time that it's important for Dr. Marlene Siegel: you to start learning, expanding your Dr. Marlene Siegel: consciousness, expanding your belief Dr. Marlene Siegel: systems, which I abbreviate as BS.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And as we expand our BS, we were able to Dr. Marlene Siegel: let go of the old belief systems that may Dr. Marlene Siegel: not be serving us any longer, but it takes Dr. Marlene Siegel: us into a new paradigm. Definitely so. For somebody who has been a vet for a number of years and you're practicing holistic care, I imagine that holistic veterinary care hasn't been something that has really been taught for as long as the traditional medicine, much like with humans as well.
I mean we've really come into the more integrative space, the more holistic approach to healing, probably in the last 20 years, even though that's really the original way that medicine worked. But what moved you from that traditional kind of medicine and care into holistic?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So, like everybody, when we make a big life Dr. Marlene Siegel: change, it's because there's been some kind Dr. Marlene Siegel: of life altering experience either your own Dr. Marlene Siegel: health or the health of a family member, or Dr. Marlene Siegel: some crisis. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so for me, it was a horse that my Dr. Marlene Siegel: daughter was showing. Dr. Marlene Siegel: They were in an accident and the horse Dr. Marlene Siegel: saved my daughter's life.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And in my quest to fix the horse is what Dr. Marlene Siegel: actually made me leave my traditional Dr. Marlene Siegel: training and expand into new horizons, Dr. Marlene Siegel: which back then. Dr. Marlene Siegel: There was no integrative medicine, there Dr. Marlene Siegel: was no bioregulatory medicine, there was Dr. Marlene Siegel: nobody for me to consult with.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: But when I was told by equine veterinarians Dr. Marlene Siegel: I could either put the horse down or put Dr. Marlene Siegel: her to a pasture, that was an unacceptable Dr. Marlene Siegel: answer, and so that drove me to find Dr. Marlene Siegel: answers where they didn't exist. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So at that time, functional medicine was Dr. Marlene Siegel: just coming into the human realms.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So we're talking 25 years ago plus, and so Dr. Marlene Siegel: I was taking all of these webinars and Dr. Marlene Siegel: courses from functional medicine doctors as Dr. Marlene Siegel: they were learning their industry, and I Dr. Marlene Siegel: was taking that and applying it to my pet Dr. Marlene Siegel: parent my pets and figuring out how that Dr. Marlene Siegel: would work.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So it was an arduous process a lot of Dr. Marlene Siegel: learning, a lot of expense and very Dr. Marlene Siegel: rewarding. You know it's usually something that happens in our own lives that opens opens our minds to trying something different From that experience, moving into a more holistic space.
What have you found over that time that has helped our animals live longer Because that's something you really you spend time on and you mention a lot is that you want pets to live 20 years or more. That's what got me to. That's really pulled me in. I'm like wow, wouldn't it be great if people could actually have their pets with them much longer? Dr. Marlene Siegel: and healthier. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So there's documentation of animals that Dr. Marlene Siegel: have lived into their thirties.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's the toxic lifestyle that we are living Dr. Marlene Siegel: in, today's modern age, that is creating Dr. Marlene Siegel: the challenges. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So first I'm going to break down what Dr. Marlene Siegel: causes all these problems, because cancer Dr. Marlene Siegel: rates in dogs right now are almost a Dr. Marlene Siegel: hundred percent. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Statistically, they say one out of 1.65 Dr. Marlene Siegel: dogs get cancer, and this is age irrelevant.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I'm seeing cancers in dogs under a year of Dr. Marlene Siegel: age, pats. Dr. Marlene Siegel: They say one out of three. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I think that's highly underreported. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And then when you add autoimmune disease, Dr. Marlene Siegel: obesity, arthritis, gi disorders, allergies, Dr. Marlene Siegel: skin disease, all of that, it's literally Dr. Marlene Siegel: 100% of our animals are coming down with Dr. Marlene Siegel: some form of chronic illness.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So what is causing that? Dr. Marlene Siegel: And the real, simple answer is deficiencies Dr. Marlene Siegel: of essential nutrients. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And those are the essential nutrients are Dr. Marlene Siegel: the ones that our body cannot manufacture Dr. Marlene Siegel: in sufficient quantities. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We need to get them. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We have to get them from our diet.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So if the food is nutrient depleted which Dr. Marlene Siegel: we know most of our food growing Dr. Marlene Siegel: commercially is nutrient depleted because Dr. Marlene Siegel: the soils are nutrient depleted then the Dr. Marlene Siegel: individual eating that's going to be Dr. Marlene Siegel: nutrient depleted.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Then toxicities and we had probably over Dr. Marlene Siegel: 100,000 toxins developed and released into Dr. Marlene Siegel: our food and the environment just since Dr. Marlene Siegel: World War II. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So we're talking 1942. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That combination of deficiency and toxicity Dr. Marlene Siegel: leads to mitochondrial dysfunction. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And the mitochondria have two major Dr. Marlene Siegel: purposes in our body.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: One they produce energy. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We don't have energy, we're not going to be Dr. Marlene Siegel: on the planet. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But they also provide a communication Dr. Marlene Siegel: between themselves and the microorganisms Dr. Marlene Siegel: that live in and on our bodies, Dr. Marlene Siegel: predominantly the ones in our GI tract.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: But they communicate and, based on what Dr. Marlene Siegel: information they're receiving from our Dr. Marlene Siegel: lifestyle and what we're perceiving, they Dr. Marlene Siegel: are in charge of uncovering gene expression. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So when people on the human side they go, Dr. Marlene Siegel: oh well, do you have a lot of your family Dr. Marlene Siegel: members? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Did they have cancer? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Because you're likely to get cancer?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Well, you're likely to get cancer because Dr. Marlene Siegel: you have the same lifestyle. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But if you change your lifestyle, the Dr. Marlene Siegel: epigenetics that help to determine what Dr. Marlene Siegel: turns on and turns off gene expression Dr. Marlene Siegel: changes dramatically. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Same thing happens for our pets. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So we look at the six-step system that I Dr. Marlene Siegel: use to help people understand.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: How do we create a lifestyle that helps Dr. Marlene Siegel: support these animals in their highest and Dr. Marlene Siegel: best good? Dr. Marlene Siegel: It would be like taking a car. Dr. Marlene Siegel: When you buy a car, you're given a manual Dr. Marlene Siegel: that says what kind of oil to use, what Dr. Marlene Siegel: kind of gasoline you have to have, how Dr. Marlene Siegel: often you have to change the oil and do all Dr. Marlene Siegel: these maintenance things.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did that for Dr. Marlene Siegel: our pets and our own bodies? Dr. Marlene Siegel: We had a roadmap on what does health look Dr. Marlene Siegel: like, because at least in the US I don't Dr. Marlene Siegel: know if you broadcast everywhere, but in Dr. Marlene Siegel: the US we have a broke care system, not a Dr. Marlene Siegel: healthcare system.
Well, you know what and it's not just in the US I'm hearing that report from people all over the world, in different countries, that say it's sick care elsewhere. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Yeah, and it's the same. Dr. Marlene Siegel: What happens is we have been conditioned to Dr. Marlene Siegel: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We've all heard that expression and so we Dr. Marlene Siegel: go on with little expressions of illness or Dr. Marlene Siegel: dis ease.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: There's another one. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I don't believe there's disease, I believe Dr. Marlene Siegel: there is dis ease. Dr. Marlene Siegel: When the body is not in balance, it Dr. Marlene Siegel: expresses itself in a symptom. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Well, in our society we have focused on Dr. Marlene Siegel: naming it, blaming it and then doing Dr. Marlene Siegel: symptom suppression, but that's not fixing Dr. Marlene Siegel: the root cause of the problem.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So when you suppress a symptom, the body Dr. Marlene Siegel: kind of metaphorically says oh you didn't Dr. Marlene Siegel: get my message, well, let me get a little Dr. Marlene Siegel: louder. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so then it's a little bit of a worse. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It could be a relapse or it could be a new Dr. Marlene Siegel: problem.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And if you still suppress the symptom and Dr. Marlene Siegel: you still don't address the root cause, Dr. Marlene Siegel: then it keeps escalating until you get into Dr. Marlene Siegel: that chronic degenerative state. So are there ways to reverse that? Just like there are with humans, can we do that with our pets as well?
Because, as someone who works in holistic care, I know that there are things that we can do to fight the inflammation and reverse certain effects that we have in our body. Some people have even gone so far as reversing and cancer no more. I mean, we hear so many wonderful stories like that. Is that the same with the makeup of an animal or does it depend on the breed?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Does it depend on the it depends on a lot Dr. Marlene Siegel: of things, right, you have environmental Dr. Marlene Siegel: factors, you have the metaphysical. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You know what's the metaphysical story Dr. Marlene Siegel: behind that particular pet being in that Dr. Marlene Siegel: particular family's life with that Dr. Marlene Siegel: particular challenge.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: You know, nothing happens by accident and I Dr. Marlene Siegel: everything has a divine message and we, um Dr. Marlene Siegel: her school plane, have to recognize what Dr. Marlene Siegel: that message may be and if everything Dr. Marlene Siegel: happens for our highest and best good. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So if we reach challenging, like you know, Dr. Marlene Siegel: thank God my daughter and the horse were Dr. Marlene Siegel: okay after the accident.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: But that was a very traumatic experience. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I had PTSD for a long time, you know, Dr. Marlene Siegel: worried that she had not survived that Dr. Marlene Siegel: incident. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And yet that incident it was what drove me Dr. Marlene Siegel: into what I call bioregulatory medicine.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And I'm going to make that distinction Dr. Marlene Siegel: because in the veterinary world a lot of Dr. Marlene Siegel: pet parents hear the word holistic and they Dr. Marlene Siegel: think it's some kind of a woo-woo thing and Dr. Marlene Siegel: they don't realize there is a lot of Dr. Marlene Siegel: science, probably way more ancient than the Dr. Marlene Siegel: medicine that we practice today.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And then we got the term integrative Dr. Marlene Siegel: medicine, which in my opinion means that Dr. Marlene Siegel: you're taking the best of both worlds, the Dr. Marlene Siegel: best of the Eastern medicine, blending it Dr. Marlene Siegel: with the best of Western medicine, and then Dr. Marlene Siegel: you come together and you have a larger Dr. Marlene Siegel: toolkit which gives you more opportunity to Dr. Marlene Siegel: pick the right tool for the right situation
Dr. Marlene Siegel: that has the best results with the least Dr. Marlene Siegel: side effects Even that term. Dr. Marlene Siegel: When I see a lot of my colleagues, they're Dr. Marlene Siegel: using their holistic approach or their Dr. Marlene Siegel: integrative approach to still name it, Dr. Marlene Siegel: blame it.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: But now, instead of using a drug, they're Dr. Marlene Siegel: using an acupuncture needle or they're Dr. Marlene Siegel: using an herb or an essential oil, but Dr. Marlene Siegel: they're still naming, blaming and doing Dr. Marlene Siegel: symptom suppression. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So I like to distinguish what I do, and Dr. Marlene Siegel: there really is no bioregulatory field in Dr. Marlene Siegel: veterinary medicine except what I teach.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And that means that we're looking at the Dr. Marlene Siegel: biological pathways. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We're actually looking at the body as a Dr. Marlene Siegel: machine and we're seeing where have we Dr. Marlene Siegel: interrupted the normal biological pathways. Dr. Marlene Siegel: As an example, we have an innate immune Dr. Marlene Siegel: system. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's the part of our immune system that Dr. Marlene Siegel: we don't consciously control.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Our body has these internal mechanisms, Dr. Marlene Siegel: turn it on and do what it needs to do. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But the two cofactors that run that Dr. Marlene Siegel: biological pathway are vitamin D and Dr. Marlene Siegel: magnesium. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So deficient in one or both of those Dr. Marlene Siegel: cofactors, then that system isn't able to Dr. Marlene Siegel: function Well.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Not surprisingly, 85% this was a university Dr. Marlene Siegel: study 85% of dogs eating a kibble diet will Dr. Marlene Siegel: be vitamin D deficient, and we know how Dr. Marlene Siegel: many people are magnesium deficient, so you Dr. Marlene Siegel: can imagine how that's translating into the Dr. Marlene Siegel: pets as well. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So it's those kinds of things that I look Dr. Marlene Siegel: at.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I test for deficiencies, I test for Dr. Marlene Siegel: toxicities, I test these biological Dr. Marlene Siegel: pathways to see where are we interrupting Dr. Marlene Siegel: them and how can we get them back online. Dr. Marlene Siegel: What do we need to do to help them to Dr. Marlene Siegel: function again and thrive and thrive? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Yeah, because we are designed to thrive.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Absolutely. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's the fact that we have created this Dr. Marlene Siegel: massive amount of deficiency, mass amount Dr. Marlene Siegel: of toxicity. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We're overwhelming the body's ability to Dr. Marlene Siegel: detoxify and then we're surprised when we Dr. Marlene Siegel: have a problem. Yeah, I wonder how many people out there. When something's in the let's take example toxic mold in the house, right?
Well, that's a big one that we keep hearing about this day and age. If you are impacted by it as a human, I would imagine it's going to impact something that is smaller, living in your home, that has a much, you know, a much smaller little body. It's going to affect it if there's the same amount of mold. But again, it's bio-individuality, right, it's knowing what that animal needs.
That vehicle if we're going to use that as an analogy that specific vehicle, where it might be lacking certain things, that's making it run effectively, right, yeah, yeah. The other thing I want to talk about, because I did mention this earlier, is that idea that an animal can live, like you said, well beyond the 20, 30 years.
I take it this depends on what the breed and what the animal is, because I mean, I've known and I've had a horse that lived over 30 years, but I've had a dog that's lived 17 years years, but I've had a dog that's lived 17 years. So is it based on what the species is we're talking about? Or you're saying, like most animals, if not all should pass that 20 year mark? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Let's keep it to horses, dogs and cats. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Okay, and they should.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: They should pass that mark Absolutely. Yeah, okay, so can we go through some of the other parts of your system? I know that this is a really you, you. I want to bring something else up too, because I'm really listening to what you're saying, and you mentioned words like divine, metaphysical.
I even heard you mention something that seemed very Louise Hay right, which is like the all as well, and you seem to come from a much more spiritual way of being, which I think is beautiful. Do you incorporate that into your practice?
Oh, 100%, yeah, one of the really important things that you talk about is the metaphysical and just helping a pet transition and you know, with Eliza leaving me about a year ago on April 1st, I'm really curious what your experience might be with that ago on April 1st. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I'm really curious what your experience Dr. Marlene Siegel: might be with that. Dr. Marlene Siegel: When I asked you, have you communicated Dr. Marlene Siegel: with her?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Has she given you signs? Dr. Marlene Siegel: And literally this is the second time, as I Dr. Marlene Siegel: said, that every hair on my body is Dr. Marlene Siegel: standing up. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So I know she is trying to send you Dr. Marlene Siegel: messages. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Whether or not she's been successful I Dr. Marlene Siegel: don't know, but the messages that they send Dr. Marlene Siegel: to us can be in so many different forms.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: It could be in a thought, a dream, Dr. Marlene Siegel: something that shows up that you didn't Dr. Marlene Siegel: expect. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It could be a toy of theirs that suddenly Dr. Marlene Siegel: shows up and you didn't see anything before. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I was outside in my garden the other day Dr. Marlene Siegel: picking up acorns because I make medicine Dr. Marlene Siegel: out of them.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So I'm laying on my lounge chair and I had Dr. Marlene Siegel: just found all the acorns that were around Dr. Marlene Siegel: me and then every time I opened my eyes I Dr. Marlene Siegel: didn't move. Dr. Marlene Siegel: There was another acorn, and then another, Dr. Marlene Siegel: and then another, and it just kept Dr. Marlene Siegel: happening and I had to laugh and say who is Dr. Marlene Siegel: trying to get my attention? Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's dropping acorns.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So you know, that's interesting. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I helped a beautiful patient of mine Dr. Marlene Siegel: transition yesterday and I always ask my Dr. Marlene Siegel: pet to give me something that I could Dr. Marlene Siegel: relate to. Dr. Marlene Siegel: The pet parent a vision of something, so Dr. Marlene Siegel: that I can let them know that they have Dr. Marlene Siegel: truly transitioned and they are, in a way, Dr. Marlene Siegel: better space.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And this beautiful dog was doing zoomies. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And I said to the owner, was she the type Dr. Marlene Siegel: of dog that would do zoomies? Dr. Marlene Siegel: And he just the smile that we from the Dr. Marlene Siegel: tears to the smile. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And he said all the time that was her Dr. Marlene Siegel: favorite thing was to do zoomies in the Dr. Marlene Siegel: yard.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Now, I didn't know them before this, so how Dr. Marlene Siegel: I would not have been privy to that Dr. Marlene Siegel: information. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I had another dog that showed me jumping Dr. Marlene Siegel: off the front of a boat, like just golden Dr. Marlene Siegel: retriever, stretched out, if you can Dr. Marlene Siegel: imagine, full length out jumping off the Dr. Marlene Siegel: front of the boat, and I had never met Dr. Marlene Siegel: these people before.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I literally went to do a house call and I Dr. Marlene Siegel: said, did your dog like to jump into the Dr. Marlene Siegel: ocean off your boat? Dr. Marlene Siegel: And he looked at me and he went favorite Dr. Marlene Siegel: thing in the world. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so they do communicate with us.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Sometimes we're in so much pain that we Dr. Marlene Siegel: can't hear it, we can't see it, but what I Dr. Marlene Siegel: help my pet parents to do is be open to Dr. Marlene Siegel: those little signs. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It doesn't have to be this booming sound in Dr. Marlene Siegel: your ear, it could be that serendipitous. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Oh my gosh, did I just hear that? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Did I just see that?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I had a lady once this is one of my Dr. Marlene Siegel: favorites she knew we were going to be Dr. Marlene Siegel: doing an exploratory surgery, so we were Dr. Marlene Siegel: going to do it after hours so she could Dr. Marlene Siegel: spend the day with her dog. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And then, when everything was quiet, if I Dr. Marlene Siegel: opened the dog up and it was something bad, Dr. Marlene Siegel: then we would say goodbye on the surgery Dr. Marlene Siegel: table.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so everything transpired. Dr. Marlene Siegel: The dog had so advanced cancer so we said Dr. Marlene Siegel: goodbye on the table and I told her be open Dr. Marlene Siegel: to receiving a message from your pet. Dr. Marlene Siegel: She gets home, calls me back 10 minutes Dr. Marlene Siegel: later and she said you are not going to Dr. Marlene Siegel: believe this, try me.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And she had been singing to this dog all Dr. Marlene Siegel: day you are my sunshine. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You know there's a song you are my sunshine. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So she walks in the house, her TV is onto a Dr. Marlene Siegel: radio station and the song that she walked Dr. Marlene Siegel: into was you are my sunshine. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I don't know about you, Hilary, but I have Dr. Marlene Siegel: never heard that song on the radio. That's an old song.
I have had some moments myself when I, when she first passed, probably within the first month, I was at my boyfriend's house and she used to love going there and she slept underneath in the drawer in the trundle bed in the guest room and it was emotional to be there because it was the first time I'd been there without her.
And I remember going down to the drawer and just pulling it out just so I can, like put my head there and rest there and like maybe pick up a smell, even though she didn't really smell, but you know your animal scent and I swear to God, something brushed my leg like a tail and I'm like what just happened? And I and I honestly had to take a look back and I'm like looking for clothes and anything that could be in the way. Even my and I was wearing shorts and I'm like that.
That that's high, high baby. I've had a lot of moments like that, like where I saw little footprints on top of my bed. So those moments happen.
I'm very open and receptive to it and I know you asked me if I had any signs and those were two of them and if I'm connecting with her in some way, and I actually have someone that is working on doing some artwork with her some of her remains in it and then trying to find different ways to incorporate her still into my life, because that's a big part of my life 19 years but I love that. That's the kind of that you are, but she had a beautiful transition. She really did so well.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I'm very happy that you guys, you Dr. Marlene Siegel: recognized her and and so like, where did Dr. Marlene Siegel: that conversation come out of Right?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: All of a sudden we changed gears and saying Dr. Marlene Siegel: that, and again, when things come out of my Dr. Marlene Siegel: mouth, I just trust that there's a reason Dr. Marlene Siegel: why I'm going to say it and that one landed Dr. Marlene Siegel: for you, and then she lit me up going yes, Dr. Marlene Siegel: yes. That's very cool. My hair is raising on me.
That's your attagirl. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's my attagirl, that's the confirmation Dr. Marlene Siegel: that, yes, we're not alone.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I love doing mediumship work because it Dr. Marlene Siegel: really helps me to understand that we are Dr. Marlene Siegel: in this frequency, which is a very dense, Dr. Marlene Siegel: heavy dimension, but that doesn't mean Dr. Marlene Siegel: there aren't other frequencies, and so when Dr. Marlene Siegel: we can raise our frequency and they can Dr. Marlene Siegel: lower, we can find a common ground where we Dr. Marlene Siegel: can actually communicate.
Yeah, I'm going to be paying a little more attention to the signs in the next coming days because I think it's going to be very powerful. I just have a feeling. It's a gut feeling. Yeah, thank you for that. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Third time, that's so cool she's never been a quiet one. I'll tell you that. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I can tell strong personality. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I could feel that, just like mama. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Oh, I love it.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Well, thank you so much, and I am really Dr. Marlene Siegel: excited because I think there's going to be Dr. Marlene Siegel: a lot of people out there that are going to Dr. Marlene Siegel: get that message and then be more open to Dr. Marlene Siegel: receiving for their loved ones, whether Dr. Marlene Siegel: they're two legged or four legged, they're Dr. Marlene Siegel: just on their side of the veil.
Yeah, and that's just one, one way that we can take care of them on this side of the rainbow bridge or the other right, yes, and honor them Absolutely. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You know, if you have the lens, that Dr. Marlene Siegel: everything happens for your highest best Dr. Marlene Siegel: good and that everything in I call it earth Dr. Marlene Siegel: school.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And if, if everything around us is a clue, Dr. Marlene Siegel: like you're on a treasure hunt and Dr. Marlene Siegel: everything is a clue, the way I interpret Dr. Marlene Siegel: my clues is through flow or resistance. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So when I feel a lot of resistance in a Dr. Marlene Siegel: particular direction, I'm trying to Dr. Marlene Siegel: accomplish something and nothing's going Dr. Marlene Siegel: right.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Everything seems to be blocking my way. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That, to me, is the divine clue that I'm a Dr. Marlene Siegel: little off track.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Maybe just a little bit, maybe a whole lot, Dr. Marlene Siegel: maybe you have to do a 180, but whatever Dr. Marlene Siegel: that is, I have to stop, take a step back, Dr. Marlene Siegel: take a deep breath and really evaluate the Dr. Marlene Siegel: situation and try to find out what am I Dr. Marlene Siegel: being guided to do?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: When we are in flow, that is when we think Dr. Marlene Siegel: everything is serendipitous and it just Dr. Marlene Siegel: works out perfectly, just like you wanted Dr. Marlene Siegel: to have something to honor your baby. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And then, look, I show up. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Right, the timing is. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You always go wow, isn't that interesting.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So I use emotions as my determiner of flow Dr. Marlene Siegel: and resistance, and I think emotions are Dr. Marlene Siegel: another big clue. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I actually teach this to my pet parents Dr. Marlene Siegel: when they do my courses is because they are Dr. Marlene Siegel: the best way for us to recognize when we're Dr. Marlene Siegel: in flow versus resistance. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So everything in the emotional realm has an Dr. Marlene Siegel: equal and opposite.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So we have very low vibrations shame, anger, Dr. Marlene Siegel: guilt, frustration, hatred, betrayal you Dr. Marlene Siegel: know all of these that actually feel very Dr. Marlene Siegel: heavy when you even say them. Dr. Marlene Siegel: All of these that actually feel very heavy Dr. Marlene Siegel: when you even say them.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And then you have the other side of the Dr. Marlene Siegel: spectrum, which is love and gratitude and Dr. Marlene Siegel: compassion and kindness and joy, and as I Dr. Marlene Siegel: say those words, I literally can see more Dr. Marlene Siegel: light coming in. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So as people come with their pets to me, Dr. Marlene Siegel: I'm listening for those key words. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Are they feeling shame?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Are they feeling like this keeps happening Dr. Marlene Siegel: to them? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Are they victims, or are they really Dr. Marlene Siegel: positive and convinced that this is going Dr. Marlene Siegel: to work out and they have the trust and Dr. Marlene Siegel: faith that it's going to work out for Dr. Marlene Siegel: everybody's highest and best good?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Whatever that is, very different approaches Dr. Marlene Siegel: and very different energies associated with Dr. Marlene Siegel: that. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So I think it would be. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I mean, that's one piece of it. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's actually number six in my process is Dr. Marlene Siegel: clearing trapped emotions.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I do believe that everything that happens Dr. Marlene Siegel: with our pets, whatever their challenges Dr. Marlene Siegel: are, has some kind of a reflection or a Dr. Marlene Siegel: message or something that we can benefit Dr. Marlene Siegel: from. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We may never know that.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: What if that pet's challenge opened up a Dr. Marlene Siegel: pet parent to a whole new lifestyle where Dr. Marlene Siegel: they cleaned up their environment, they Dr. Marlene Siegel: changed their own diet in addition to the Dr. Marlene Siegel: pet's diet, and maybe they were able to Dr. Marlene Siegel: stop a trajectory that they were on that Dr. Marlene Siegel: they weren't even aware that they were on. That's a really good point, and I will use myself as an example here.
I always said that Eliza was like my litmus test for stress, and what I mean by that is that she knew if she didn't want to be around my attitude, right and animals are so perceptive with that, you know, they don't come with the ego, so I would know if she would know when I'm sick, she would nurture If, if I was stressed and I was running around and just not centered, she was like I don't have time for that, right.
And and it's so true what you say, because it really I learned so much from her about being present, right, and even in her sickness, in that last six months to a year, there was something about her that really taught me about being present, being in the now, loving every moment, because all she knew how to do was love, you know. So I completely agree with you on that and I'm so glad that we're touching on that.
I do want to stop real quick and just say that you do have a free ebook that you share and that's the six keys to health, and we're going to put that in the notes of this podcast. Is there anything you want to share about that that folks that are tuning in will know what they're receiving if they're getting that ebook. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Oh, I'd love to. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So the first step is we have to stop doing Dr. Marlene Siegel: the things that are causing the problems.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And, as common sense as that sounds, how Dr. Marlene Siegel: many times do people go out to restaurants Dr. Marlene Siegel: for themselves and they never ask what the Dr. Marlene Siegel: food is cooked in? Dr. Marlene Siegel: What are the oils, is it organic, is it Dr. Marlene Siegel: conventional? Dr. Marlene Siegel: And they just order off the menu and they Dr. Marlene Siegel: eat whatever they make for you.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so you're eating carcinogens, you're Dr. Marlene Siegel: eating toxins, and you don't ever question Dr. Marlene Siegel: what that's going to do to your body or Dr. Marlene Siegel: your children if they're eating with you. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So when I say it, I do say it very lovingly, Dr. Marlene Siegel: but at some point we all have to take Dr. Marlene Siegel: responsibility for our actions and for our Dr. Marlene Siegel: choices.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So I start with step number one. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We have to stop doing the things to our Dr. Marlene Siegel: pets that is actually causing their Dr. Marlene Siegel: problems. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So that means food is number one, and I go Dr. Marlene Siegel: into a lot more depth on food to feed a Dr. Marlene Siegel: species appropriate diet and I have lots of Dr. Marlene Siegel: information on that.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So if you look at what animals eat in the Dr. Marlene Siegel: wild and this is my litmus test for myself Dr. Marlene Siegel: and learning what is the right choice to Dr. Marlene Siegel: make you never see lions and tigers and Dr. Marlene Siegel: bears and wolves. Dr. Marlene Siegel: They don't eat processed food out in the Dr. Marlene Siegel: wild.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: In fact, there's no mechanism for processed Dr. Marlene Siegel: foods in the wild, which tells me that Dr. Marlene Siegel: nature did not design them to eat this Dr. Marlene Siegel: manmade waste of the industrial revolution. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's basically what we're doing.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: We're taking all the waste product from our Dr. Marlene Siegel: food processing, from the industrial Dr. Marlene Siegel: revolution, and we're feeding it into our Dr. Marlene Siegel: pets. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And because it is so toxic, they have to Dr. Marlene Siegel: burn it.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And we're feeding it into our pets, and Dr. Marlene Siegel: because it is so toxic, they have to burn Dr. Marlene Siegel: it at high temperatures, make it into a dry Dr. Marlene Siegel: kibble, stick it together with a bunch of Dr. Marlene Siegel: carbohydrates, and then they have to add Dr. Marlene Siegel: nutrients back in to have some semblance of Dr. Marlene Siegel: nutrition. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But those nutrients are oftentimes Dr. Marlene Siegel: synthetic.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: The body really doesn't recognize what Dr. Marlene Siegel: you're giving it, and dogs and cats are Dr. Marlene Siegel: both carnivores. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Dogs are scavenger carnivores because for Dr. Marlene Siegel: many years they've learned to live off a Dr. Marlene Siegel: man's waist, and cats are obligate Dr. Marlene Siegel: carnivores.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: They have no dietary requirement for Dr. Marlene Siegel: carbohydrates, and yet all processed foods Dr. Marlene Siegel: are 40 to 60% carbohydrate. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It'd be like saying oh, I don't feel like Dr. Marlene Siegel: putting gas in my car today. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's what it's supposed to run on. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I'm going to try air or I'm going to try Dr. Marlene Siegel: water.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Water, a different substrate, not going Dr. Marlene Siegel: anywhere. It's going to be energy. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Right your car doesn't have an ability to Dr. Marlene Siegel: adapt. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But the reason why our animals can live on Dr. Marlene Siegel: these inappropriate diets is because Dr. Marlene Siegel: they're trying to adapt and survive.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Maybe 500 years from now, if they've eaten Dr. Marlene Siegel: kibble long enough, maybe the body will Dr. Marlene Siegel: make changes and start to learn how to burn Dr. Marlene Siegel: that as a fuel appropriately. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But it isn't happening right now. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So in that, stop doing the things that are Dr. Marlene Siegel: causing diseases. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Learn what a species appropriate diet is.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Learn what healthy water looks like and Dr. Marlene Siegel: it's not the stuff coming out of the tap Dr. Marlene Siegel: that is loaded with hormones and chemicals Dr. Marlene Siegel: and glyphosate and all these toxins and Dr. Marlene Siegel: it's unstructured. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Then we look at the environment that Dr. Marlene Siegel: they're living in.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: You and I get to leave our house Dr. Marlene Siegel: periodically, but for a lot of our indoor Dr. Marlene Siegel: pets they never leave. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So what are you cleaning the house with? Dr. Marlene Siegel: What are the chemicals you're putting on Dr. Marlene Siegel: your floor? Dr. Marlene Siegel: What are you doing in your counters? Dr. Marlene Siegel: What's the air quality that you have? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Do you have products that are off-gassing?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Formaldehyde? Dr. Marlene Siegel: These are all really important. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You mentioned mold. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Are your air ducts clean? Dr. Marlene Siegel: I live in Florida. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It is. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Mold is a huge problem. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We have rains and hurricanes and tornadoes Dr. Marlene Siegel: and leaks in our houses and sinks. Dr. Marlene Siegel: You know, look underneath your sink.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Do you have any leaks under there. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So these are really important areas to look Dr. Marlene Siegel: at. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And then, last but not least, are the ants Dr. Marlene Siegel: that live in our brain and these are the Dr. Marlene Siegel: automatic negative thoughts.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So you mentioned when you're stressed and Dr. Marlene Siegel: you're running around and think about how Dr. Marlene Siegel: many people have anger issues and they have Dr. Marlene Siegel: household emotional problems and they're Dr. Marlene Siegel: going through relationship issues and Dr. Marlene Siegel: there's a lot of negative energy.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: What happens when we're experiencing these Dr. Marlene Siegel: negative thoughts and these negative Dr. Marlene Siegel: experiences? Dr. Marlene Siegel: We are creating neurochemicals. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Our body is literally creating these Dr. Marlene Siegel: chemicals to communicate to the microbiome, Dr. Marlene Siegel: to communicate to our mitochondria, which Dr. Marlene Siegel: then change our gene expression.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Because what we're saying is we don't live Dr. Marlene Siegel: in a safe environment, we have issues out Dr. Marlene Siegel: here in earth world, and so we need a Dr. Marlene Siegel: different genetic expression.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so we start to see more pathogens come Dr. Marlene Siegel: up to the surface, and pathogens are simply Dr. Marlene Siegel: the normal guys that live in and on our Dr. Marlene Siegel: body, but they know that the mothership is Dr. Marlene Siegel: going down, or they sense that the Dr. Marlene Siegel: mothership is going down, so they produce Dr. Marlene Siegel: pathogens to survive the toxicity.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So it isn't that the bacteria and the Dr. Marlene Siegel: viruses and the parasites. Dr. Marlene Siegel: They're not the problem. Dr. Marlene Siegel: The problem is the terrain. Dr. Marlene Siegel: What is the environment that we're creating Dr. Marlene Siegel: for them that is causing them to have to Dr. Marlene Siegel: express kind of like weeds in your garden.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I live in a food forest and so when my soil Dr. Marlene Siegel: wasn't healthy, I had more weeds growing Dr. Marlene Siegel: than I had healthy plants. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Not that the weeds were bad. Dr. Marlene Siegel: They were trying to establish a terrain so Dr. Marlene Siegel: that good things could come behind them. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Same thing happens in our body. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So when we see pathogens, they're not our Dr. Marlene Siegel: enemy.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: They're really the clue that we have a Dr. Marlene Siegel: terrain that is not hospitable for health Dr. Marlene Siegel: and survival. Yeah, and these are the kinds of things that a lot of times we again we think of some humans don't even think of themselves. You know, we're not all living holistically, we're not all even living with an integrative approach or bioregulatory, Is that the term you use. I like that a lot and it's taking small steps.
But I will say this, and this is really good information I love that you're sharing this, I love that you have the courses too, and we'll put all that in the notes of this podcast. But there's more people that have pets than not, Right? So, but not everyone is going to think about buying the best food there is. I mean, I know that my mom gives her dog a brand that is like raw meat and it's supposed to be the best for the dog, and I'm thinking is that the best?
I mean cause the pet industry has boomed and we know there's a lot of products on the market, and you mentioned the kibble. You know talking about the kibble, but some people can't afford that high end food that's more like the primal animal they were. So where's the where's the happy medium with that? Cause they have to eat. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Yeah. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So it's interesting because the way you Dr. Marlene Siegel: couch that is, you go, wow, they, they, Dr. Marlene Siegel: yeah.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So it's interesting because the way you Dr. Marlene Siegel: couch that is, you go wow, they can't Dr. Marlene Siegel: afford it. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I will tell you a hundred percent that when Dr. Marlene Siegel: people's pets are ill and they love their Dr. Marlene Siegel: pets they will come up with a large amount Dr. Marlene Siegel: of money to try to save their pet.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: That is true I want to do, yeah, but we're Dr. Marlene Siegel: trained that way and even in our world Dr. Marlene Siegel: right, we have I don't have insurance, but Dr. Marlene Siegel: most people have insurance so they do Dr. Marlene Siegel: egregious things to their body and then Dr. Marlene Siegel: they go to the doctor because it's covered Dr. Marlene Siegel: on their insurance, and then they get a Dr. Marlene Siegel: pill for the ill or a diet for the disease.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: What we have to start doing is taking Dr. Marlene Siegel: ownership of our actions and start to Dr. Marlene Siegel: create a healthier lifestyle. Dr. Marlene Siegel: If that means living within those species Dr. Marlene Siegel: appropriate boundaries, then we need to Dr. Marlene Siegel: invest in healthcare so we don't spend the Dr. Marlene Siegel: money on bro care. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Really, that's the bottom line.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So when I have people, look at the cost Dr. Marlene Siegel: differences and if you have a Great Dane or Dr. Marlene Siegel: a Great Pyrenees, yes, they're big dogs, Dr. Marlene Siegel: but then you know if you're going to own a Dr. Marlene Siegel: big dog like that, then there's a Dr. Marlene Siegel: responsibility to be able to afford them. I think that comes with the first. That's, the first thing is the responsibility. What can you afford?
You're not going to buy a horse if you can't afford a horse, and we know that horses are much more expensive. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Yes, and I don't mean it as a an insult to Dr. Marlene Siegel: somebody, but because pets are a luxury and Dr. Marlene Siegel: we do have the responsibility to care for Dr. Marlene Siegel: them. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I think it's important that number one we Dr. Marlene Siegel: research the kind of animal that you want Dr. Marlene Siegel: to get.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Well, look, I wouldn't buy a BMW because Dr. Marlene Siegel: the maintenance care on those cars is Dr. Marlene Siegel: ridiculous. Dr. Marlene Siegel: My daughter wanted to buy a BMW for her Dr. Marlene Siegel: first car and I said you can't afford that Dr. Marlene Siegel: because the first time your car breaks down Dr. Marlene Siegel: you won't be able to afford the parts and Dr. Marlene Siegel: the maintenance. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Same deal, right.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: But people get pets and they don't think Dr. Marlene Siegel: about the long-term consequences. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And you know, let's just call a spade a Dr. Marlene Siegel: spade, right? Dr. Marlene Siegel: We need to be responsible for the actions Dr. Marlene Siegel: that we make.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: So step number one is learn about what is a Dr. Marlene Siegel: species appropriate diet and think about Dr. Marlene Siegel: what you would spend, or what you are Dr. Marlene Siegel: spending in bro care. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Like a standard veterinary visit these days Dr. Marlene Siegel: it can run anywhere from a hundred dollars Dr. Marlene Siegel: to a thousand dollars.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Well, for a thousand dollars you can feed Dr. Marlene Siegel: that animal really well for a long time. Yeah, and that's a really good point because we actually have a saying in the world of integrative nutrition, holistic health, if it's made by people in white coats you're going to see people in white coats I love that because it's true. It doesn't mean, look, we live in a world that's convenient.
We can go to a store, we can buy things that have been processed, but the less processed and the less ingredients that we consume, especially if we can't pronounce them, the better. That just looks like it might be good and it has great labeling and it says the word natural on it, which never means natural anything. And I don't wanna bring up specific food brands, but the pet food industry is definitely a billion dollar industry. It's a trillion dollar industry.
Okay, I stand corrected, which is even more reason to be very selective when you're walking down the aisles or if you're ordering online. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It all starts with education.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I can't make that any easier because, like Dr. Marlene Siegel: you said, there's a lot of labels, there's Dr. Marlene Siegel: a lot of misinformation and the companies Dr. Marlene Siegel: that are making these processed foods are Dr. Marlene Siegel: in the business to sell you their product Dr. Marlene Siegel: right, so they're selling us on fast, cheap Dr. Marlene Siegel: and convenient.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Look at average grocery store, right, we're Dr. Marlene Siegel: told, shop the perimeter because everything Dr. Marlene Siegel: in the center is processed foods. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Are we allowed to say Kellogg's and all the Dr. Marlene Siegel: attack that they're? under Right. Well, they won't be sponsoring me anytime soon, and that's okay. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Hey, I haven't bought their product for a Dr. Marlene Siegel: long time.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Which brings us to the next point. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We, as consumers, drive the businesses. Dr. Marlene Siegel: We don't buy something they won't keep Dr. Marlene Siegel: making it because no one's buying it. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Let me say that again it is our spending, Dr. Marlene Siegel: it is how we vote with our dollars that Dr. Marlene Siegel: determines what we are going to get for Dr. Marlene Siegel: those dollars.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: If we continue to support companies that Dr. Marlene Siegel: are making processed foods, they're going Dr. Marlene Siegel: to continue to make processed foods. Dr. Marlene Siegel: If we demand something healthier, they will Dr. Marlene Siegel: start to ship. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And I will tell you that I already see some Dr. Marlene Siegel: of these big box companies.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I won't mention any names, but there is a Dr. Marlene Siegel: big box company that bought a boutique raw Dr. Marlene Siegel: pet food company and it's because they see Dr. Marlene Siegel: that there's a market share going in that Dr. Marlene Siegel: direction. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And that's what business is. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's looking for market share. Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's bottom line. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Yeah, it's not a bad thing.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's just that we, the consumers, we have Dr. Marlene Siegel: to start waking up and saying I am not Dr. Marlene Siegel: willing to give you my money if you are not Dr. Marlene Siegel: going to give me back a product that is Dr. Marlene Siegel: going to support the health and longevity Dr. Marlene Siegel: of my pet, right. And the best way to really think about that is looking at it as currency. Currency isn't only money.
Currency is your time, currency is your health, currency is your well-being, currency is your environment Everything is part of that currency. So if you're going to exchange the currency of money for something, you better get currency of good health and product back. And that brings me to something that it makes me think.
Like even sometimes really good products Like I was at the store a week or so ago for human products and one of my favorite items that is was actually rather healthy, with little of anything in it besides the good earth was no, it was no longer there and discontinued, and that just lends itself to. It makes me think I'm like not enough people are finding value in a product like that that can really be supportive of your health. Right, so it is.
It is up to us, because they told me they said, oh, we discontinued them. Finding value in a product like that that can really be supportive of your health? Yes, right, so it is. It is up to us because they told me, they said, oh, we discontinued them, you discontinued that that product was awesome. Where do I get it elsewhere, you know?
So, yeah, it's really up to us to be our own healthcare advocates and I guess, in that sense, it's really up to us to be the healthcare advocates for those animals that we bring into our home for, hopefully, 20 years or more. Yes, right, yeah, absolutely Great. This is such a wonderful conversation. I do want to mention that Dr Siegel has this wonderful ebook that is free. It will be a download available on the Holistically Speaking podcast page. Of course, she has a number of courses as well.
Before you go, I want to play a little game with you that I do with my podcast guests, just a little fun that we have here on Holistically Speaking, and I call this the brain candy game because I'm a nerdy neuroscience person, and basically what I've been doing is I'm writing down the words that you've been saying and what I would like you to do is just come back with the first word that comes to mind. A little word association. Does that make sense? All right? Okay, here we go.
First word horse Lily. Holistic Lifestyle, lifestyle that's my next word. Lifestyle Choices. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Metaphysical, the universe. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Toxins, harmful Ant universe. Toxins Harmful. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Ants, automatic negative thoughts, divine, Dr. Marlene Siegel: everything that there is God is everything Dr. Marlene Siegel: and everything is God. Dr. Marlene Siegel: So the universe, I feel that Flow, the Dr. Marlene Siegel: direction we're, so, oh, one word Flow.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Purpose that flow the direction we're. So, oh, one word flow, purpose. That's even better than what you were about to say, because you sat on it. I love that. Um, bioregulatory great word, true understanding, veterinarian passion. Yeah, yeah, I didn't ask you, and that's something I'd like to ask you with closing the brain candy game what made Dr Siegel become? Dr. Marlene Siegel: a vet. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I incarnated knowing what I wanted to be.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: No kidding. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I played with stuffed animals. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I captured lizards. Dr. Marlene Siegel: When I was a kid I lived in South Florida, Dr. Marlene Siegel: never played with dolls, so I always knew I Dr. Marlene Siegel: wanted to. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Was a kid, I lived in South Florida, never Dr. Marlene Siegel: played with dolls, so I always knew I Dr. Marlene Siegel: wanted to be a vet.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: In elementary school, people would bring me Dr. Marlene Siegel: the sick gerbils and their little pets and Dr. Marlene Siegel: I would walk down to the local veterinarian Dr. Marlene Siegel: and he would give me the medicine, always Dr. Marlene Siegel: at no charge, and I would take that animal Dr. Marlene Siegel: home and I would make it better and then Dr. Marlene Siegel: send it back to its mommy.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: Or, if it was a wildlife case, I would fix Dr. Marlene Siegel: it better and then send it back to its Dr. Marlene Siegel: mommy. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Or if it was a wildlife case, you know, I Dr. Marlene Siegel: would fix it up and to this day I still do Dr. Marlene Siegel: that. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Pay it forward. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I have students and volunteers that come Dr. Marlene Siegel: into my practice and I model for them. Dr. Marlene Siegel: What is that like?
Dr. Marlene Siegel: To pay it forward, and so I always. Dr. Marlene Siegel: That's what I always wanted to be. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Even though I became a paramedic during Dr. Marlene Siegel: high school, it was still always it. Dr. Marlene Siegel: Never. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I never veered off course.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I always wanted to be a veterinarian and Dr. Marlene Siegel: I'm now rounding 40 years in actual Dr. Marlene Siegel: clinical practice 45, if you include all Dr. Marlene Siegel: the education and I am more passionate Dr. Marlene Siegel: today and I'm more energized and I'm more Dr. Marlene Siegel: excited about the opportunities that we Dr. Marlene Siegel: have to make such an impact.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's why my baseline course for Dr. Marlene Siegel: veterinarians is called Transforming Vet Dr. Marlene Siegel: Medicine and I named it over 10 years ago. Dr. Marlene Siegel: I just knew that that was the path that I Dr. Marlene Siegel: was on. Dr. Marlene Siegel: If you would have asked me, would you ever Dr. Marlene Siegel: have expected to have that big of an impact Dr. Marlene Siegel: in your industry? Dr. Marlene Siegel: Would never, in fact.
Dr. Marlene Siegel: I was so shy I couldn't talk in front of a Dr. Marlene Siegel: group of five people. Dr. Marlene Siegel: But when you step into your purpose, then Dr. Marlene Siegel: your world changes. Dr. Marlene Siegel: And so now I speak internationally and Dr. Marlene Siegel: truly am transforming vet medicine. Dr. Marlene Siegel: One person, one pet at a time. Love, that, that's so beautiful, and it just came from the heart space.
So I want to ask you one more word, even though we're out of the brain candy game. What would be your word for purpose? Dr. Marlene Siegel: It's what you came here for. Yeah, isn't it? Yeah, divine, absolutely, yeah, beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing who you are and being a part of this process and joining me on Holistically Speaking.
This is a special episode, as you know, for me, and I hope that those tuning in have long loving relationships, like I had with Eliza, and can find the best way to treat them holistically so that they are right there by your side for the long run. Thank you, doctor, you're welcome. Thank you everybody.
All right, my friends, if you are interested in learning more about holistic pet care and I know, because you're a loving, compassionate human being, if you have a pet, this is definitely the way you want to treat your pet in their life as well I want you to get in touch with Dr Marlene Siegel and even grab a copy of her free ebook, which is six keys to health and healing pets holistically HIListically Speaking. You can check that out in the notes of this podcast to find out more and listen.
This is a very special episode for me as I get to share about Miss Eliza. It is marking a year since she is no longer with me in this space, but I know she's with me every day, as Dr Siegel mentioned in this episode in this conversation. But there are a lot of pet parents out there I know, like me, who went through the loss, went through the grief, and it's a process. It really is. If you know somebody who's going through this or has gone through it or might be facing that in the near future.
I have a beautiful line of pet grieving cards that you might remember from an earlier episode with Wolfie's Wish with Erica Messer. That you might remember from an earlier episode with Wolfie's Wish with Erica Messer. She created a lovely line that lets you tell somebody how much you care when it comes to losing their pet and she's also an incredible artist and I know that personally because she's in the moment working on a piece for me.
But she also has a beautiful line of 8x10 pet portraits on acrylic that she will create for you, meaning that she is doing a portrait of your pet, and if you use the code ELIZADOOLITTLE for either the greeting cards or for a personal pet portrait, you will get 10% off your purchase. So I'm going to share that in the notes of this podcast.
For either the line of the grieving cards or that pet portrait, use Eliza Doolittle, so she's always out there helping you out and you'll get 10% off your purchase from Wolfie's Wish. That is our gift to you as pet parent to pet parent. We know how important they are. All right. With that being said, I just want you to know that there are so many ways that you can keep your pet happy and safe, and you just being a good person and a loving, compassionate human being is the first step.
So thank you for that. I love you, I believe in you and I'm sending hugs your way. Be well.