podcasts + articles
Integrating Your Health and Values with Michal Waldfogel (Naturopathic Physician) with Successful: The Podcast
Health and wellness are integral parts of living aligned to our values. A healthy mind and body allows us to live life to the fullest and in alignment with our values - because when we feel good, we're more likely to do the things that we love and bring us joy. Our guest this week is Dr. Michal Waldfogel, a naturopathic physician. She shares how she has aligned her values and her training in traditional as well as naturopathic medicine to help her patients do just that. Key Takeaways:
Your health enables you to thrive in the ways that are most important to you. Improving your holistic health helps give you enough energy to align with your daily values.
Naturopathy is a holistic approach to wellness. This can include all aspects of traditional medicine, integrated with herbal medicine, spirituality and mindfulness, massage therapy, nutrition and more. As Michal puts it, it’s about treating the whole person, meeting them where they are, and where their values are.
Co-create your health plan with your medical provider to set your whole self up for success. Michal walks us through ways we can take ownership of our own health information and intuition to help our physicians provide the care we need.
The primary driver behind most of the issues that people come to their doctors with is stress. Understanding how stress affects our physiology, bringing awareness through mindfulness, identifying sources of hidden anxieties and thought patterns to better cope with daily stressors can be an important intervention to so many health concerns, from sleep to GI issues.
What does it actually mean to feel empowered in your health?
In this episode, Natalie sits down with Dr. Michal Waldfogel, ND, to explore embodied naturopathy, hormones as messengers, iron and ferritin, methylation, and how cycle awareness supports perimenopause and menopause.
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In this conversation, Natalie and Dr. Michal Waldfogel, ND, dive into the embodied world of naturopathy where physiology, intuition, and lived experience meet. Together, they explore what true empowerment inside healthcare looks like, and why you are the most important person on your healthcare team.
Dr. Waldfogel explains how hormones act as messengers, how mood, cravings, and energy often shift in the late luteal phase, and why serotonin, circadian rhythm, light exposure, nourishment, and nervous system support matter more than perfection.
The episode goes deep into blood health and minerals, especially iron. They discuss why hemoglobin can appear normal while iron stores remain low, why ferritin is a critical lab to request, and what menstruating people should consider when donating blood. Natalie and Dr. Waldfogel also explore iron absorption, alternate-day dosing, and how fatigue is often misunderstood in menstruating and perimenopausal bodies.
They then unpack B12, folate, and methylation (MTHFR) in a grounded, non-alarmist way—covering when methylated vitamins can be helpful, how to start low and go slow, and which lab markers (MCV, MMA, homocysteine) offer meaningful insight.
The conversation closes with a powerful reframe: learning your body during your cycling years can create a steadier, safer transition into perimenopause and menopause—like learning to swim in the shallow end before the water deepens.
Embodiment and self-advocacy in healthcare
Hormones as messengers across the menstrual cycle
Luteal phase mood shifts, cravings, and serotonin
Circadian rhythm, light exposure, vitamin D, and sleep
Iron deficiency vs anemia: why ferritin matters
Blood donation considerations for menstruating people
Iron absorption, bisglycinate, and alternate-day dosing
B12, folate, and methylation (MTHFR) explained simply
Key labs: ferritin, CBC, MCV, MMA, homocysteine
Preparing for perimenopause and menopause through body literacy
Could Cutting Back on Alcohol Support a Longer Life? With Dr. Michal Waldfogel (The Root Cause Medicine Podcast)
In today's episode of The Root Cause Medicine Podcast, Dr. Kate Kresge sits down with Dr. Michal Waldfogel, a Philadelphia-based Naturopathic Doctor specializing in Root Cause Mental Health Care, to explore the recent classification of alcohol as a carcinogen. You'll hear them discuss:
How alcohol may be affecting your health
Healthier ways to relax without relying on alcohol
The importance of finding supportive communities that encourage healthier habits
Dr. Michal Waldfogel is a licensed naturopathic doctor who brings two decades of experience in education, facilitation, and community-building to her work in healthcare. With a rich background in both clinical practice and group facilitation, Dr. Michal shares a unique perspective on alcohol and its health implications.