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What do you during those couple times in a year when the rates for strep throat, colds, and sinus issues are skyrocketing? Do you go to the doctor right away and get antibiotics – like so many families in America? Here’s the thing: chiropractic can take care of a lot of that, along with eating right, but nobody really knows that. Now, Dr. Kasey Johnson is taking massive action to set the record straight in the health and wellness sector. Besides being a chiropractor out of Orlando, Florida, Dr. Kasey also hosts the amazing Unlock Wellness Podcast that aims to help people transform their health.
As part of her mission to unlock wellness for all ages, Dr. Kasey also wrote a children’s book called, “Maddox’s Trip to the Chiropractor”, which has provided an alternative for kids consuming media without inherent value. The book is about a toddler going to a chiropractor, following her visit with bright pictures.
Dr. Kasey Johnson is a chiropractor out of Orlando, Florida. She also hosts the amazing Unlock Wellness Podcast available on iTunes, YouTube and other podcast platforms. Dr. Kasey is an extremely driven individual and always takes massive action to accomplish all of her goals and dreams. It is an honor to have her on the podcast. Please welcome, Dr. Kasey Johnson.
Listen To The Episode Here
Unlock Wellness With Dr. Kasey Johnson
On the podcast, we have Dr. Kasey Johnson. Dr. Kasey, where are you from originally?
I’m from West Virginia originally, in the Charleston area. We lived in a town called Hurricane for a while.
I have never been to West Virginia, but I’ve heard amazing things.
It really is beautiful. The people there are amazing, so friendly. It’s safe. I don’t miss the winters so I’m cool being in Florida.
You’re in Florida now?
Yes, right outside of Orlando.
What were you into growing up as a kid in West Virginia?
Normal kid stuff. I grew up playing basketball. I was always super active in that sense. I enjoyed being outside, being with my friends and being active.
Dr. Kasey, you are also a fellow podcaster of the Unlock Wellness Podcast. I was listening to your first episode and it said you used to have chronic ear infections and sinus issues as a kid. What was that like?
I was born premature, like three weeks early. Right off the bat, it affects your immune system. Based on stories that my parents have told me, I’m sick pretty often, whether it’s an ear infection or I had pneumonia in kindergarten and stuff like that. At the time, you tell yourself it’s a normal childhood, but I did get like strep throat and ear infections quite a bit.
I was the same way. Probably a couple times a year, I was on antibiotics for strep throat, cold, sinus issues. That’s what we tend to do in America, just go to the doctor and get antibiotics. Chiropractic can take care of a lot of that and eating right. We didn’t know that back then. Did you play basketball in high school and college?
I didn’t play in college, but I did play from about second grade to my senior year. I kept up with that and then my friends talked me into soccer and tennis that senior year to be hanging out with friends and stuff. I always enjoyed being active and working out. That was always something that was important to me.
Did you stay in West Virginia for undergrad or did you go somewhere?
I went to West Virginia University in Morgantown. It’s an amazing school. I had an amazing time and met so many great people. I majored in Exercise Physiology because I didn’t know exactly what route I wanted to take then. Chiropractic still wasn’t on my radar at that point. I knew I loved working with the body. I love learning about that, but I also knew I didn’t want to be a medical doctor. I didn’t want to be around medicine. I hated getting shots. It wasn’t for me. I did Exercise Physiology because I knew there were different paths that I could take from that.
My main focus then was maybe I’ll go into physical therapy. I can work with people, I don’t have to deal with medications. That was my goal. I started working towards that and also had a specialty in aquatic therapy. I did it because I heard that if you did that, it helps you get into physical therapy school, but it was cool though. I was learning how to work with people in rehab and the pool. It definitely helped me with my education on how the body works.
Was that for all age group, sizes, and shapes in aquatic rehab or were you doing it for specific injuries? How does that work?
It was everything. I’m sure there are things that are specific on some things, but it was pretty cool because there were people that were coming in with a high school sports injury or people who are maybe diabetic that had a lot of neuropathy problems or older people who had hip issues or things like that. Anything like that because you’re getting the weight off of their joints and move and work out. It was very cool to watch people progress in a pool.
You didn’t go to physical therapy route. What happened?
I was waiting for an anatomy class at WBU. It was junior year maybe and one of my friends was talking to another friend about how they had somebody that they knew was at Palmer in Florida and they loved it. I’d never looked into chiropractic, never even heard of Palmer.
You never had a chiropractic adjustment at this point either?
No, this was junior year of undergrad. The stuff he was talking about seemed cool so I started researching it. The school looked amazing. I started researching chiropractic that night. Everything about it seemed like everything that I wanted, I just didn’t know. You can work with the body, you can work nutrition. It was everything that I wanted. I started shadowing doctors in the area and fell in love with it.
You went down to school in Florida and you had an amazing experience down there.
Palmer Florida was great. I learned so much and started networking with doctors who are more holistic mindset. In chiropractic school, you get different cliques of people.
You can go any way you want from there too.
You could have more sports-based or more injury. There are so many philosophies. Fortunately, I fell into place with people who had that more holistic mindset and was looking at the body for adjustments for healing, not just as a Band-Aid. Learning from them was super crucial to the way my path went as a doctor and improved my own health and my own family.
A lot of your podcast episodes are based on eating healthy. You have a lot of vegan episodes. Are you a vegan now?
I am, for about two and a half years.
What made you want to try vegan? Were you going through any health issues at the time? Were you like, “I need to change my diet,” or did it just happen?
It was a bunch of stuff. I was talking about the doctors that I was learning from in school. They weren’t vegan at all. They were more grass-fed meat, organic dairy, that type of route. That was like a stepping stone. I went a little bit more standard American process to more organic. I got into that and then from there, I started researching more and I came across a book by Rich Roll and it’s called Finding Ultra. He’s amazing. He has a podcast that’s great as well. I read that book towards the end of chiropractic school, maybe during my internship. I remember that’s what planted the seed that I was pretty sure that I would end up vegan someday just because the story was so amazing and it was stuff that I never researched before. From there, I started diving into the documentaries and the books. That was a few years process. It wasn’t like I read the book and turned vegan.
Unlock Wellness: If you’re a new mom, you can’t be down for 24 hours. You have a newborn, you’re up.
There’s so much to know too because you have to do it right. You’ve got to make sure you’re getting the amount of proteins and the vitamins and everything because you’re taking out meat, which is giving you some iron and everything. You definitely have to do your research before you go into vegan.
It was an environment thing too. At the clinic that I was at at this point, it was more organic meat and organic dairy. I’m teaching that to people as well, so it’s conflicting when you’re trying to research things. In the back of my mind, I knew that it was the right choice for me but a few years had gone by. I was pregnant, had our daughter and then I still wasn’t vegan. Pretty soon after I had her, I was breastfeeding, I ended up having mastitis. It’s when you’re breastfeeding and the milk glands get clogged and then that can cause an infection. It makes it very painful to nurse and you also get flu symptoms. It would be fine and then it would come up out of nowhere. I can be fine and all of a sudden one minute later, 106-degree fever. I’m down for 24 hours. At the same time, if you’re a new mom, you can’t be down for 24 hours. You have a newborn, you’re up.
How long was that happening?
Every other week maybe. After that 24 hours, the milk would clear more and then you will be fine. It was very hard and it made nursing very painful as well all the time. I was so dedicated to not stopping nursing. I wanted to do it as close to two as I could. That was super important to me. I kept through it and when she was about two months old, I’m nursing and it’s painful, like I want to cry. I was sitting with my husband, Travis, and I have to decrease inflammation. I don’t take Tylenol, so I was like, “I’m going to give up dairy,” because I know that’s going to help with inflammation. It’s also going to help with her because it’s better for her digestive system as well. If I’m going to give up dairy, I’m also going to give up meat because I’ve been wanting to do it for a while. I might as well do it and selfishly too. I knew that nobody would give me a hard time socially if I was like, “I did it for me and the baby.”
That’s a very social thing as well to take that seriously. After I did that, I didn’t have any last meal, anything like that. It was technically overnight, but it wasn’t. It was that few years of education and looking into it a lot.
Was it a tough transition for you?
It wasn’t. For me, I had to take that extra time to learn. Even in that few year process, I had a few times where I did a few weeks at a time and did that. It was it for me.
What do you see some of the mistakes people might make when they first switch from just eating meat to strictly vegan? Do you see any mistakes or maybe some things people should know while making the transfer?
People don’t eat enough when they switch. You’re looking at two different things. If you’re eating more fruits and vegetables, they’re very nutrient dense but a lot of them don’t have the caloric density. It’s cool because you can eat more. It’s making sure you’re eating a lot and maybe if you are a little down on energy, you might not be getting enough calories. That’s a big one to make and the variety. Also, knowing that just because a package says vegan doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. Oreos are vegan. I could eat Oreos every day and be vegan. Just because somebody says vegan, it does not mean it’s healthy.
People are like, “I shop at Whole Foods.” I was like, “Whole Foods also serves French fries and all that stuff. It’s better quality but you can still be in a little bit.” Where did the podcast come from? You’re extremely passionate about that and you do great episodes. I love your show. Where did that come from?
Right after I had our daughter, I decided to take a little extra time off from practicing just because I wanted to spend that extra time with her while she was little.
They say a lot of women are going back to work too soon. What’s your thoughts on that?
I have so much empathy for moms that do either one. If you have to, you have to.
They say there’s an attachment period.
It’s way harder than what I thought it was going to be. I thought I would be able to go back a little sooner, but it’s hard because you don’t want to miss out. There is this attachment on a hormone level too. Physically, there is an attachment. It’s not like a mental thing. It’s very hard. Moms are superheroes. I have love for whatever decision any mom makes but it’s hard. The podcast, I started it a year ago in April. I had some extra time because I’m home and she’s getting on a better schedule. At the same time, I’m used to being with people and helping people with their health and wellness. You have that void when you don’t have that. I know you understand. It’s addicting, helping people. I had that, and I wanted to be able to use some platform to reach more people. I’m super passionate about that. I try to think of the exact moment that I decided to make it and I know Gary Vee was a big influence. That was a big influence because he pushes just starting.
No excuses, just do it.
I could have waited so long for it to be perfect or to have the right equipment or to learn anything. I jumped in knowing nothing. The day that I decided to do it, I was like, “If I’m going to do it, I’m going to start it today because otherwise I’ll make an excuse and it’s not going to happen.” I started it and then I started reaching out to people blindly to come on as guests. I posted three episodes. I remember when I posted it that day, I want to throw up the entire day. I was so nervous, but I posted it and it’s just been as consistent as possible ever since. I try to be as consistent as possible. If you just try to draw the line in the sand and say, “I’m going to be consistent,” you have to otherwise excuses creep in because nobody’s keeping me accountable for that. It’s just me. It’s been so rewarding on a personal level because I can reach people and help people. The feedback of people that it’s helping is cool. You can build a platform no matter what stage in your life you’re at.
People are like, “What do you think about this topic?” I was like, “I did a podcast on this. Why don’t you listen to it?” Then he gets so much out of that episode and you’re not sitting there talking to them for an hour and everything. There are so many times where somebody will ask me a question, I’ll send them the podcast episode, “Listen to this,” and then they’ll come back with all the information. It’s a good platform for reaching with people.
I can’t explain how many people I’ve been able to connect with in a year, like more people I’ve connected with than I have in my entire life. That’s an advantage too. You want to be connected with a lot of amazing people that inspire you, but you can help connect the guests too. I connect guests with other guests all the time. It’s building this super positive community that does want to help change the world for the better.
It’s amazing how you can meet somebody, have an hour conversation with them, and develop a very strong connection down the road and remain close. It’s pretty unbelievable.
It’s because you’re opening up to that person. You don’t just go up to a stranger and tell them your whole story. You have to be vulnerable, and you forget that. We probably both forget that sometimes. These guests have to be vulnerable to share their story.
I’ve had people who will be like, “What are we going to talk about?” I’m like, “You’re entertaining, you’re funny, you have a lot to say, you’re going to be great.” Some people forget how awesome they are. They come on and they’re nervous and then at the end they’re like, “Thanks for inviting me on. That was the most fun I’ve ever had. It’s a good time.”
People like to talk about themselves, but it’s cool because it helps share a story that somebody may be going through as well. It is a super powerful tool and I am passionate about it. It’s a great way to reach people and help change their lives.
What would you say the premise of your podcast is? What’s your goal? What’s the mission of your podcast?
I have a super wide variety of guests that have come on, anywhere from people who have transformed their health as far as weight loss or people who are more on the mindset level of it or doing cool stuff. It is a variety of different topics, but just helping people make positive changes in their lives that can feed into other things. You might listen to an episode that somebody lost 200 pounds. You don’t need to lose 200 pounds, but the mindset that people have to be at to lose 200 pounds, anybody can take and apply and make their life better in some way. There’s always a takeaway even if that story seems super diverse, and that’s what I like. I like bringing in people who have different stories, but you can listen and be like, “That can apply to me.” That’s super powerful when you can do that.
Is there anything you else you wanted to touch on?
I want to help people transform their health. You see this all the time, Dr. Kevin, especially with younger kids. I know with our podcast, we probably have a lot of younger families that listen that do have young kids. Something that I’ve noticed, especially with Maddox, my daughter, she’s two and a half, something I started to notice that she has so many books and these books are what she’s taking in all the time and TV too. That’s going to develop what she thinks about things. When I started looking at all these books that she had, none of them are teaching her or anything of value. Shortly after I started the podcast, I decided to put out a children’s book about chiropracting. It’s about a toddler going to a chiropractor and it follows her along her visit. It’s got bright pictures and a cute awesome story.
Are you an artist too or you had somebody do it?
I had somebody do the illustrations. I wish I could have done that as well. The story follows her on her chiropractic visit. She talks about how she knows it helps your body heal and function at a higher level. That’s super important to get messages like that to kids at a young age. Not only that, if a kid gets that book and the parents are reading that to them, they’re taking that in as well. I put that book out. My daughter’s name is Maddox, so it’s called Maddox’s Trip to the Chiropractor. It’s on Amazon, it’s on my website. It’s going to be a series. I have another one coming out that’s not chiropractic-based. It’s a little bit more nutritionally-based.
Unlock Wellness:
Maddox’s Trip to the Chiropractor
What’s the process like of publishing something? Is it easier than you think, or it is a tough?
I self-published and it was way easier than I thought. That was shortly after I started the podcast. When I say, “After I started the podcast,” it was important to me to make it like a year of massive action. If there was something that I wanted to do, I was going to do it. It wasn’t like, “Maybe next year, maybe that year.” By the time I decided to do the kids book, it was decided and I got to work on it. Literally in three and a half months, it was published. That’s how quick I was moving. I want people to understand, if you want to do something, learn how to do it. You have the internet, get to work and you can get things done way quicker. My original plan was in five years a kid’s book. One of my friends was like, “Why are you waiting five years?” It ended up being three and a half months. Just go after what you want to do.
You said it too, “Massive action.” There’s got to be something inside you that’s almost bigger than you because there’s going to be days you’re like, “I don’t feel like doing this.” There’s got to be a driving force. Do you feel the same way?
Yeah, 100%. Having a child now, you see all of this stuff going on. You see all your friends that have kids that are posting about their kids that are sick and have tubes in their ears. It’s sad and it’s frustrating, but the more positivity you can put out in the world and things that line up with your values without being negative, that’s all you can do. It’s super important to me to get that out but in a positive way.
Dr. Kasey, I stole this one from you. I love how at the end of all your episodes, you ask the guests what they have taken with them over the years through their life experiences. What would you like to leave the audience with that you’ve picked up and that you’ve learned that’s helped you out over the years?
Just decide what you want to do and be consistent with it. There’s going to be days where you don’t want to work on the podcast or work on this, but if you’re just consistent with it, that can lead to things that you couldn’t even imagine. It can help people that you may not even know that it helps. It’s cool the impact it’s going to make just by you being consistent when you show up, how many lives you could help.
There’s that one good BJ Palmer quote. I hope I don’t butcher it, “You never know how far-reaching what you think, say, or do will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”
I had somebody message me on Facebook and he was like, “I love the podcasts. I started listening and I’ve had a lot of heart issues and a lot of problems with cholesterol.” He’s been seeing a cardiologist and had a lot of blockage. He listened to an episode where I had a cardiologist on that was a very plant-based cardiologist and she ended up being in my town. He switched to her. They are on a game plan. All his blood works are improving, and he’s signed up for a marathon coming up. That’s a mid, young 40s dad who could have very possibly had a heart attack in a few years and now he’s changing his nutrition and he’s more aware of it just because he was able to connect to the guest who happened to be in town. I was super thankful that he shot me a message and told me that. It’s assuring that what you’re doing is helping somebody. That’s enough.
I’ll sometimes get feedback like that when I’m not having a good day. I’m like, “Why am I doing this?” That message will come and it’s like, “That’s right. That’s why.”
Be consistent and know you’re going to reach somebody that needs it.
A lot of people are trying to reach the masses right away. If you can change one person’s thinking the way they do something for the better, you have definitely done your job. It’s beautiful what the internet is doing now because they can go and click on your podcast and get so much information. It’s not just coming from the TV anymore or just actual doctor’s mouths. People can do their own research and change their own lives.
You can be an advocate for your own health and listen to these awesome podcasts in YouTube.
There’s a YouTube tutorial for everything.
There’s so much knowledge that you can gain just using the internet. You do a podcast as well and you can connect with people all over the world and meet them in person, then you’re already real friends. The impact is really amazing.
Dr. Kasey, where are you located? What are your social media platforms and where can people find you?
Everything on social media is @DrKaseyJohnson. Instagram is probably the most active. Facebook and Twitter is there as well. I would go Instagram first and then the others. The website’s DrKaseyJohnson.com. The book is on there in the shop and it’s on Amazon as well.
Dr. Kasey, thank you so much for coming on. I’ll definitely be in touch and we’d love to have you on anytime.
Thank you. It’s an honor. What you’re doing is amazing and your story is amazing as well. If you haven’t listened to his episode on my podcast, go do it because his story is great. I love it.
Thank you so much, Kasey.
Thank you for having me.
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