Written by Dr. Suzanne Tang

October 7th, 2024

My previous blog was all about feeling all of the feels from dropping off our daughter for her first year of college at the University of Portland, releasing outdated, limiting beliefs and co-dependency, and creating the daily self-care practice to soar with the new spaciousness available. Chloe is thriving and loving her friends, professors, and independent college life and and my manifestation practice actually worked! A new clinic location and team have been manifested!

With the Whole Body Health Team clinic closing at the end of October and the opportunity to take over the lease for a suite in the same building, I have decided to seize the opportunity. I will be departing from OC Whole Family Wellness on October 31st and will solely be providing patient care at my new wellness center, Inspire Natural Wellness at 4063 Birch St #200 in Newport Beach starting November 4th.

My intentions were to create greater freedom, abundance, purpose, connection and work-life balance. Well, the Universe heard my intentions. It has a funny way of giving us what we want in unexpected and surprising ways but it always has the best intentions for us. Although groggy from some sleepless nights waking in the middle of the night from heart palpitations and a busy monkey mind and feeling overwhelmed by waves of worry and fear, I am constantly shifting my mindset from can’t to can, from stay small and safe to be brave and grow into my fullest potential despite the uncertainty, from fear and worry to unwavering trust and faith and from lack and scarcity to abundance and flow. The Universe is guiding and supporting me to fully embrace this new work adventure, be in my limitless purpose, and serve our community to inspire wellness and help transform lives! Trust that the Universe wants the best for you too!

Over two years ago when I unexpectedly dissolved my business partnership and company, Coastal Acupuncture and Natural Health Center, I felt devastated, scared of the uncertainty and confused by the loss and my sense of self. To be honest I also felt angry and resentful that I needed to let go and walk away from my work family and the clinic that I had co-founded and worked so hard to create and grow for the past 14 years. I had to feel all of the feels (does this sound familiar?), completely process my grief, forgive, trust, and surrender to the next steps to start anew. I began to see that the business dissolution was exactly what was orchestrated FOR ME to experience the necessary changes to create and cultivate my own wellness center.

I am so very grateful to Dr. Julie Harden of OC Whole Family Wellness, Angela Sinnett of Magnolia Wellness, Melissa Vance, and Jill Brew of Whole Body Health Team, and their incredible staff. They have supported me and my patients throughout all of these phases of change. I am also so very thankful for all of our amazing patients, who have continued their care despite all of the many transitions and changes. Your heart-warming support and dedication to your wellness will always be cherished.

As if this isn’t enough excitement, I have another exciting announcement! Megan Gallardo has recently moved back to Orange County and is joining the Inspire Natural Wellness team as our wellness and front office assistant. She had worked with me at Coastal Acupuncture and Natural Health Center as our wonderful front office team member four years ago. She also offered amazing meditation classes and sound baths.

Megan Gallardo has had a love for all things wellness since 2013: from nursing school, to personal training, to now teaching yoga/meditation and Reiki. She holds the plan to return to school in the near future to become a Licensed Acupuncturist. Megan loves nature, reading fantasy books, cats and wiener dogs.

Megan will be working closely with our virtual clinical assistant, Mariah Djelsy Guevarra, who has been diligently supporting everything back office from ordering labs, checking lab accuracy, and managing clinical care communications.

With over 5 years of experience as an ER and ICU nurse, Mariah is equipped with extensive medical knowledge to support each patient holistically and empathetically with compassion. She is HIPAA certified to assist in any way that she can. She enthusiastically works with the Inspire Natural Wellness team to make sure that patients are in optimal health and wellness. Mariah believes that healthcare is not just about curing illness, it is also about keeping your mind and body aligned. When not working at Inspire Natural Wellness, you will find her spending quality time with her pets, trying out new recipes or working out.

I know how jarring and uncomfortable change can be so to help ease the adjustment and quell any concerns, I have created a FAQ for this transition.

Will there be a different scheduling and billing system? Yes, but many of you have Charm as your patient health records (PHR) system which I have used for many years throughout my practice. I will continue to use Charm but will also be utilizing their scheduling and billing features. Our team will transfer your appointments and pertinent information to Charm and will personally contact you about the transition. If you have not activated your PHR, please set up your portal access as soon as we resend the invitation. With Charm portal access you can view your appointments, treatment plans, and lab orders and results as well as message our team when needed.
I’m a patient at OC Whole Family Wellness with an acupuncture package. Can I get a refund and purchase a new package at Inspire Natural Wellness? Yes absolutely. Please contact the OC Whole Family team at admin@ocwholefamilywellness.com or call (949) 202-0047. By November 4th, Megan will be able to set you up with a new package and inform you of additional package options. You can reach our new office at info@inspirenaturalwellness.net or call (949) 577-9171.
I have a wellness program, membership, or acupuncture/craniosacral therapy package with Dr. Tang at Whole Body Health Team. Is there anything that I need to do on my end? No not at all. We will be communicating with Melissa who is keeping her Jane scheduling and billing system to track your packages, memberships, or wellness programs. Once your package or membership is complete, we can help get you set up for your renewal of services through Inspire Natural Wellness.
I’m a patient at OC Whole Body Wellness and I live in south Orange County. It will be more challenging to consistently receive care at your new office in Newport Beach. What are my options? I would love to continue to provide you with consistent wellness care and I do offer virtual telemedicine visits and phone consults for your convenience. For virtual visits, Charm will automatically send you a HIPPA-compliant Zoom link at the time of your booking. If you receive acupuncture or craniosacral therapy, my patient care days are Monday through Thursday with morning and evening shifts. We are conveniently located near the 73 and 405 freeways by the airport. However, if you need a referral for an acupuncturist close by, I highly recommend Tina Ghahramani. She was my associate at my previous clinic. Tina’s info is https://tinaghahramani.com/ Unfortunately Dr. Julie Harden is booked out very far in advance and is unable to take over your acupuncture care at this time.
I have a wellness program through Whole Body Health Team. Will anything change with my providers, billing, or services? Our wellness program care team for program members is comprised of myself and Dr. Quan Nguyen and you will continue to receive your care as usual.
When is your start date at your new clinic? I will start caring for patients at the new office on Monday, November 4th. The new clinic opportunity just recently became available but I am confident that one month's notice will allow for your smooth transition.
Is your wellness center accepting new patients? Yes, we are accepting new patients. Our mission is to offer premier wellness care and functional medicine by educating and inspiring our community and helping more people elevate their health and transform their lives. Please help us with our mission and refer your family and friends. We truly appreciate all of the referrals that you have already made!
Most importantly are you having a grand opening party? I would love to say yes, later in 2025 when the dust settles. For now, I will plan a few dinner talks for those interested in transforming their health through our wellness programs and memberships as well as heart-centered and rejuvenating community events in the upcoming months, so please stay tuned for more information. If you have not attended one of our eye-opening hormone wellness webinars or seminars, please see the event links below to register.

If you have any other questions about the transition, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (949) 577-9171 or info@inspirenaturalwellness.net. For clinical questions, please message my team through Charm.

The clinic move is just one of the many changes you may be encountering at this time. Perhaps you are experiencing frustrating hormonal shifts from perimenopause or andropause, starting a new job, feeling anxious about the presidential election season, or already overwhelmed by the upcoming holidays layered upon all of your typical stressors and responsibilities. Furthermore, change can be stressful and releases stress hormones, adrenaline, and cortisol which affect blood sugar and insulin levels, sleep, appetite, weight, digestion, energy, the nervous system, immunity, and many hormones, such as thyroid hormones, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA.

You may have stress-induced hormone imbalance if you are experiencing the following signs and symptoms:

Fatigue and/or brain fog
Mood swings
Gastrointestinal issues
Unexplained weight gain or loss
Anxiety or depression
Irregular menstrual periods
Hair loss or thinning
Hot flashes and night sweats
Skin tags
Vaginal dryness
Sleep disturbances
Decreased libido

Here are my Five Tips to Mitigate Stress-Induced Hormone Imbalance:

Prioritize and prepare for restful sleep. It’s tempting to stay up late burning the candle at both ends or on the other hand, binging on Netflix or endlessly scrolling into the abyss of social media reels and newsfeeds. The stimuli, stress, and not to mention blue light from screens, increase cortisol and suppress the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. Instead of overindulging in these soul-sucking and sleep-crushing habits, take deep breaths, stretch, meditate, journal, listen to soothing music, and/or take an Epsom salt bath to prepare for at least 7 hours of deep rest. For those who struggle with insomnia, which I also have for most of my life, taking calming magnesium, theanine, and/or herbal sleep formulas, such as Sleepblend helps to promote relaxation and deep sleep.
Nourish yourself with whole foods. When under stress we often reach for extra doses of caffeine, comforting sugar, and processed foods while skipping meals and forgetting to drink water. This disrupts blood sugar and further stresses the adrenal glands leading to even more hormonal imbalance. Easily prepping nutrient-dense and blood sugar-stabilizing, protein-packed green smoothies, chia seed pudding, protein balls, and healthy dinner leftovers ahead of time cut cut down on the brain power and energy needed to fuel our bodies. Adding a sugar-free electrolyte packet to your water bottle can also give you a caffeine-free pick-me-up while also enhancing hydration.
Move your body. Excessive workouts and cardio can actually overstimulate cortisol production and should definitely be avoided at night since it can disrupt sleep. Balance the cardio with endorphin-boosting and cortisol-regulating yoga, pilates, walks outdoors, and strength training. During menopause and andropause a significant loss of bone density and muscle mass occurs so be sure to add in functional strength-training. By lifting weights and doing resistance training, not only are you improving the health of your bones, muscles, heart, and brain, but you are also increasing natural testosterone production and mental strength and resilience.
Decompress from stress for your nervous system. Self-care and stress reduction practices tend to be neglected when it’s time to push to complete a project or meet deadlines. My mantra that I tell myself and share with patients is, “When the demands are high, meet them with the same level of self-care.” Depriving yourself of care hijacks your nervous system and brain’s ability to allow for more trust, creativity, organization, focus, energy, motivation, and extraordinary effort. Even if you need to modify your schedule or shorten your practice, keep it up. Keep meditating, receiving nourishing acupuncture and/or craniosacral therapy visits, hiking, reading inspiring books, journaling, crafting, connecting with friends and family, shifting out of the small-minded thoughts and beliefs, and immersing yourself with people and things that bring you more joy. “But I am too busy” is often used as a tired and old excuse. Schedule time for yourself and you will magically have time. I just finished listening to Jen Sincero’s audiobook “You Are A Bad Ass” and am halfway through reading Hal Elrod’s “The Miracle Equation”. These transformative books will fire you up, check your negative, limiting beliefs at the door, and inspire you to become the very best version of yourself.
Get your hormones checked. Finding the root causes of your hormonal imbalances with comprehensive functional lab testing will guide and support a clear road map and action plan for balancing your hormones, reducing stress and inflammation, soothing the nervous system, and supporting metabolism. Your vessel needs to be in optimal shape to for you to overcome challenges and actualize your dreams. Schedule an appointment to embark on your transformative health journey.

Change may be uncomfortable at first but with unwavering faith, extraordinary effort, and supportive guidance we can soar during this time, manifest our dreams, and create the life that we want and deserve. Change is also a constant and when we release resistance and embrace and flow with the changes we can ride the waves of life with much greater ease and limitless possibilities.

Yours in Wellness and Deep Gratitude,

Dr. Suzanne Tang, ND, LAc
Inspire Natural Wellness
(949) 577-9171
www.inspirenaturalwellness.net