Description
What If Your Gut, Brain, and Nervous System Have Been Talking All Along?
What if the symptoms you’ve been trying to “fix” are actually messages worth hearing?
In this episode, I sit down with Heather Van Tassel to talk about the gut-brain connection, meditation, concussion recovery, and what it means to understand yourself when your mind and body don’t fit neat boxes. We get into the space between science and lived experience, and why that space matters more than most people realize.
You’ll hear how Heather’s background in biochemistry, neuroscience, and nutrition shaped the way she thinks about chronic gut issues, nervous system stress, and mental health. We also talk about self-recognition, ADHD traits without a formal diagnosis, and why support doesn’t always start with a label.
If you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused by mixed health advice, or unsure where to begin, this conversation will give you a new way to think about healing, regulation, and personalized care. And yes, we talk about one small daily habit that may be quietly making things worse.
About the Guest
Heather Van Tassel is a gut health coach and nutritionist with a background in biochemistry, neuroscience, and data science. Her work focuses on the connection between the gut, brain, and nervous system, with an emphasis on education and practical support.
Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Heather and we begin with her early curiosity about the brain and body
3:00 - How a concussion changed her identity and deepened her connection to meditation
9:41 - The moment she began seeing how much the microbiome shapes health
14:14 - How she approaches chronic bloating, IBS, food sensitivities, and root-cause questions
19:31 - When science, nutrition, and lived experience stopped feeling separate
31:30 - What to remember if you feel stuck between Western care and other approaches
43:08 - Why symptoms may be signals to listen to, not just problems to silence
49:22 - Heather opens up about ADHD traits, self-awareness, and living without a formal diagnosis
58:02 - What most people misunderstand about the gut-brain connection
64:29 - A gentle place to begin if all the health advice feels like too much
65:50 - How we make meditation feel more accessible for neurodivergent minds
82:18 - What a world built with neurodivergent people in mind could look like
Heather's resources:
If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs a gentler way into understanding mind-body health.
#GutBrainConnection #NeurodivergentConnection #MentalHealthAwareness #ADHDSupport #NervousSystemHealth
Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
