http://www.westelkswellness.com/

05/06/2026

No one is talking about the fact that

Barrett’s esophagus can be reversed without surgery or burning the tissue of the throat!

My proof - on upper scope or EGD in a year of treatment the biopsy was negative 🥳

Looking for a practitioner that gets what it’s like to have horrible reflux and wanting a more natural approach - drop in the comments ready and let’s chat

05/05/2026

Here try this drug

Sounds like your just anxious

Well family history of autoimmunity - let’s trial humaria the best selling drug in the world with a side effect profile that will blow your mind 🤯

I blame the insurance system - hand cuffs doctors to follow flow charts and trialing a medication is often the first stop because symptoms can and do resolve on it

This content creator goes on to share that in her experience she’ll likely end up on another medication which often times does happen

There is huge value is seeking care outside of the insurance system (I know not everyone can afford 😢) consider direct primary care or concierge style care.

Both naturopathic doctors and functional medicine practitioners tend to ask deeper questions and support a patient with medications only when necessary rather than first and always

05/04/2026

It is annoying

When someone doesn’t give the herb a chance

Yes peeps can be allergic, not talking about that

I’m saying the folks that say herbs don’t work but didn’t even give it more than ten seconds to “work”

If that’s you don’t follow me cuz herbs help soothe and reverse chronic reflux

And no not just for special people, I wasn’t special when I started using aloe

(Sure we are all special because of God, again not what I’m talking about)

Aloe is one of many herbs that I use to help soothe irritated throats and tummies

If you’d like to know more about working 1-1 with me comment curious and let’s chat

04/21/2026

Plastics are slowly killing us

Now look don’t get me wrong plastic has revolutionized the world

Increasing access and affordability for all kinds of useful (and less than) contraptions

But did we inadvertently start accumulating microplastics into our bodies - brains, ovaries, te**es, placenta because of this?

The data says overwhelming YES

What can you do? Life unplastic has some useful places to start

For me
1. Personal care products overall - hair care. Make up. Soaps, sprays, creams, lotions all of it no fragrance no parfum no scent at all. Check out and

2. Food should NEVER be heated in plastic

3. Hot food shouldn’t be placed in plastic

4. Acidic foods or alcohol should not be contained in plastic think salad dressing vinegars booze - glass over cans all day long, canned tomatoes need to be glass.

5. Scented cleaning products even companies like are not ideal
Consider for daily household cleaning and cleaning supplies for laundry detergent, dish soap and dishwashing detergent

This is a lot and huge place to start

Remember one step at a time and it gets easier

04/20/2026

148 months ago, I was experiencing severe anxiety and daily reflux. I felt stuck and kept running into “good ideas” that fu**ed me up (like ACV)

Now I eat freely and feel relaxed! My life looks like I enjoy eating (because I do)!

What changed? I stopped believing that anxiety was FOREVER and started slowing myself down.

My new mantra - walk a 1/2 step slower

And I stopped treating everything like a damn emergency

and then! everything shifted…

If you’re tired of waking up with the anxiety reflux cycle. DM me done and I will show you how to go from anxious and burny to a relaxed and calm stomach

04/19/2026

Reflux myths we think are true but aren’t

And the biggest one

“It’s just reflux” with throat c word on the rise

If it’s not been worked up it’s not just anything until you know for sure

The good news is chronic reflux issues can be solved if you’re taking medications or not with natural personalized care. If you’re curious what personalized care looks like comment curious and let’s chat

04/18/2026

The biggest mistake people with reflux make

But before I share

Lemme me tell you this

When I was 18 I lost my health insurance

I couldn’t afford to get another endoscopy for a little bit

So I tried a lot of home remedies to help solve my reflux and some really messed me up

Apple cider vinegar is the devil!

But as I lie awake for weeks on end because of my ACV mistake

I wondered what was going on

I waited and saved for almost 2 years

That endoscopy gave me so much relief

1. Reduced my anxiety because I knew exactly what was going on

2. My stomach ulcers had healed and the gastritis was gone and no more H pylori

The biggest mistake we make - is waiting way too long before we take action

Because “it’s Just reflux”

The amount of agony I had because I didn’t know what was happening in my body was extreme

And some wait so long that they had grade 3 Barrett’s Esophagus or worse

If you are done waiting and want personalized solution to reflux, comment personalized and let’s chat.

04/17/2026

Just drink milk 🥛

I had an elderly patient that was told this by her P*P

She was drinking a LOT of milk

Helped at first, but then the reflux worsened so more milk

She came to me in a very debilitated state

Anyone with chronic reflux knows what I mean

She was very underweight

Swallowing pills was not an option (common with reflux folks)

Issues sleeping - worried about what could be wrong and why she was still having reflux

This is what she was doing
1. Milk, almost a gallon every couple of days - it was skim

2. Tums in between

3. Omeprazole 20 mg twice a day

4. Diet consisted of mostly prepackaged foods, she lives alone, mostly carbs and cold foods, not much protein or veggies

5. Run Carroll Food Intolerance Method

Here’s what we did
1. Waited 8 weeks before we spoke with P*P about weaning medication

2. Demulcent Powder with ginger root 1 tsp twice a day

3. Bitters Down Tincture 2 dropperfuls twice a day

4. Cooked prepackaged foods like tv dinners cooked on stove top, add in frozen stove top cooked veggies

5. Wait for Carroll Method results

Follow up
she was gaining weight! She was happy about this and she had a shine in her eyes that she didn’t before

Reflux wasn’t happening daily

Sleep had improved, waking up 1-2x a week instead of nightly with reflux

Results of Carroll Method where Dairy and Fruit + Sugar

Which this was her primary diet before she came to see me

Added ginger tea after dinner 2-3 tea bags in 3-4 oz water steep 10 minute covered

Remove Carroll Method

Follow up
No more nightly reflux

Stated she was sleeping better than she had in years

Stopped all dairy and was feeling much better!

Gaining weight and moving with less risk of falling

She was speaking more coherently and felt less anxious

Referred back to P*P to discuss 3-4 months to wean off the medication

04/14/2026

When I was 12, my mom converted to Islam

I was in my teenage rage era IYKYK

And I started reacting to pork

The upside to this conversion was that Muslims don’t eat pork 🐖

But you and I both know food reactions never stop with one food

During this time in my life my mom was disabled, in chronic pain and we barely afforded rent and to keep the lights on

My mom met a woman who happened to be Muslim

Treat your neighbor as your brother or sister and so this woman did

They helped us a lot I will be forever grateful for the Knoxville Mosque 🕌

Anyways

We can’t out meditate the stress when we are system on overdrive reacting to it in the first place

We need a strategy to calm the system imbalances and restore function

So we can get back to enjoying food again without having to avoid avoid avoid

If you’re wondering what my strategy is comment strategy and I’ll share it with you

Dr. Shayna L. Powell

05/06/2026

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05/04/2026

04/21/2026

04/20/2026

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