Wellness Wednesday guest: Melissa Hsu
Wellness Wednesday guest: Melissa Hsu
Functional Medicine Practitioner, Supplement Formulator and Founder of The Healthy Elephants
I am on vacation with my four children, their spouses, significant others, and my husband, Dr. B. We are enjoying precious time together in Mexico before my son-in-law deploys with the Navy for several months. If you follow me on Instagram, I will share pics of our trip, food, adventures, and family there!
Today, I have a very special guest filling in for me! If you haven’t met Melissa Hsu, you will love getting to know her! Melissa and I met on Instagram through our shared passion for food as medicine. I am so happy you can get to know Melissa a little better. Follow her on Instagram here!
Tell us about yourself!
Hello! I’m Melissa, a functional medicine practitioner and founder of The Healthy Elephants, a higher-standard supplement and herbal infusion tea company based in California. I’m of Thai descent and have birthed three awesome humans whom I get to deem my kiddos. I graduated from the University of California, Irvine, in Cognitive Sciences and earned a Master’s Degree in Integrative Health with Applied Nutrition. I also obtained an Integrative Nutrition and Applied Functional Medicine certification and finished studying Preventive Cardiology at Stanford.
I work one-on-one with pre-teens, teens, adults, geriatrics, and pregnant women to help prevent and reverse diagnosis, improve/eliminate symptoms, reduce/get off meds, and optimize health to feel their best by understanding each individual’s life ecosystem from birth to present. A core of my method is based on assessing detailed lab markers from an optimal range in lieu of the standard range and weaving together connections to identify root causes.
The best way to reach me for an appointment is via email melissa@thehealthyelephants.com (or DM me on @thehealthyelephantsclub but may have a slower response).
What sparked the idea for your business, and how did you go from “aha moment” to making it happen?
I have to thank Andrea Dahr of Switch Natural for making this happen. Amongst schooling in supplements, working one-on-one, and my father’s right arm tremor, I set out to find a clean B-complex and was not completely satisfied with any formula. Either the forms are acceptable but have potentially toxic fillers, amount wasn’t ideal, form isn’t optimal, or formula is incomplete.
Andrea was aware of my background and suggested I create my own. I was adamant about offering a truly clean, bioavailable, quintessential potency of B-complex that I would feel at peace having my father, clients, and myself take daily. I spent months relentlessly probing the supplement industry, searching for a trustworthy manufacturer to partner with. Twenty-one out of twenty-two didn’t meet my standards, dodged questions, and said that in their extensive tenure in the industry, they’ve never come across anyone who would ask the questions I posed. I scouted unyieldingly and eventually unearthed a rare one I trust. Ergo, my fourth baby BALANCE, was born, and, most recently, FOIE, a traditional Chinese medicine herbal infusion tea. Both organic, of course.
How has your journey shaped the way you run your business?
I learned to patiently get to know coordinators, company ethos, influencers, and anyone I team with. I make it a point to allocate energy to kind, knowledgeable, and broad-minded individuals. I consider myself as having very high standards and am selective about potentially harmful fillers in supplements, therefore, I don’t just accept any replacement even during crunch time. When asked to substitute for anything subpar, my answer is no. Problems occur inevitably, and I try to embrace them through the lens of understanding. Whether in business or life, I try not to rush or settle because trying to create the cleanest products is of utmost importance.
The business has been smooth for the most part, and I am very proud to offer high-quality goods. My father called me a moment ago while I was working on this and asked for another jar of Balance. It makes me happy to know that I can provide him and the world with a clean and results-oriented supplement.
What is your best advice for choosing supplements?
I try to avoid the following ingredients as fillers because they are cost-efficient, subpar substances that may be potentially harmful: magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose, silica, silicon dioxide, and amorphous silica. These fillers are so commonly incorporated that this may eliminate over 95% of options. There are some unique supplements that contain these ingredients. In this case, I don't avoid it completely because I can't find these unique formulations, and certain ones may be effective, but I'm aware of what I'm taking. These are the types of supplements I would not take daily, but more as a short-term protocol. It's important to look for cGMP, which is a certified good manufacturing practice.
What keeps you fired up and passionate about your work, even when things get tough?
Helping people feel better and making a positive difference in lives fills my heart; it keeps my ventricles beating strong. I always pour 1000% into each human I have the pleasure of teaming with because life is precious and should be lived with more joy, energy, and fulfillment. When things get tough, meaning I’m short on time, I think about all the smiles, pregnancies, compliments, and thankfulness that people have showered me with to stay up late or use weekends at times to analyze or render protocols. I believe that people have to be informed to understand and it may help make better decisions that may change the experience of their days.
The element that gets tough with supplements is dealing with manufacturers that aren’t as receptive to using cleaner ingredients and responding with “I don’t know” to my inquiries. I only ask a gazillion questions (because I care); go figure. Many manufacturers use magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose as default fillers and I’m not copasetic with that. A point of taking supplements is to try to enhance or foster healing. Using potentially harmful fillers that methodically cut costs may defeat a primary purpose. Pricing is another issue because I am a small company. I prefer ordering in small batches, and I also use some of the most expensive ingredients. I’m just determined to always offer the highest quality products. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts to this.
What’s your best advice for other women wanting to start their own venture?
Start immediately. Now is the best and right time. Do the research, put out your high quality work, and be as authentic as you can to attract people that align with your mindset and character. Any size step towards the direction of your venture is progress. Do the best you can with what you have. Be brave and reach out to people who may be able to give you advice and help you somehow whether it may be from experience or connecting you with another cerebral human. Overprepare for podcasts and interviews. Don’t be afraid to ask. If you never ask, the answer is always no.
Just go for it, even without a concrete plan, and as long as you put your heart into it, the right people will take notice and your venture will eventually grow. There will be hard days; embrace this growing period because it’ll build you mentally. Don’t make big business decisions hastily. Sit on your potential decisions for at least a day and ask a trustworthy person for advice because the longer you think about it and the more insight you have, you may uncover blindspots that can help with making more solid decisions. Math is important, know your numbers. Most importantly (after all that seriousness), enjoy the process because it can be an exciting adventure!
What kind of legacy are you hoping to build with your business, and how do you want to influence the next generation?
I have an extra soft heart for our younger generations. I hope to leave a legacy on the importance of self-awareness and tending to areas in life that may not be as balanced. Although we can strive to excel in school and earn a decent living, more kids may need to understand that success may also include superlative mental-emotional and physical well-being.
This includes working hard on the foundations of health: getting enough sleep, getting enough sun, eating organic whole foods, exercising, having nourishing relationships, knowing self-purpose, being in nature, managing stress, meditating, and living with more joy. The legacy is to recognize the significance of how to take better care of oneself and take action because the quality of our day matters and may matter more than status.
Today Melissa is sharing her Favorites!
1// BALANCE B-Complex* and Foie! I can’t live without my BALANCE B-complex!! It’s truly a lifesaver, day changer, mood lifter, brain shaper, and much more. Much of this has to do with Bs being a required material for hormone balance, detoxification, mood. Use coupon code NEST10 to save when you order!
2// My FOIE herbal infusion tea** because I know it’s supporting my precious liver, the seat of hormone health. It contains 20 powerful traditional medicinal herbs. I’m not just saying it. I truly believe in its benefits!! Use coupon code NEST10 when you order!
3// Nest Wellness’ infamous No Oats! I’m addicted and crave it. I love how the Omega-3s this is enriched with benefit my brain, cell membrane, and hormones. It’s very satiating, and adding berries with single-ingredient nut butter makes it taste amazing!
4 // The beach. When I feel overwhelmed, grounding myself in the sand and inhaling the ocean air has always remedied elevated stress or poor sleep. I’ve always left Newport Beach with spirits lifted, lighter on the shoulders, calmer, and more peaceful.
5 // Muay Thai is ironically my source of peace with a side of perseverance, grit, and discipline when I strike. Perhaps it’s having to be in the moment and aware of the entire body’s movement from head to toe with a goal to never give up.
6 // Meditation. The most impactful tool my father gave me was teaching me how to meditate since I was five years old. It’s an extremely powerful mechanism that, when practiced properly, can be exceptionally healing.
Find Melissa and her incredible supplements on her website and on Instagram.
Product Information:
*Balance: Fully methylated and active B-Complex with organic shiitake that works synergistically with B6 in a vegan cap. Zero gunk. It’s strategically curated at basic levels to target the sweet spot for mood, brain function, hormone balance, detoxification, immune support, thyroid support, peripheral neuropathy, and DNA synthesis.
Now, Balance refill packs are offered in compostable bio-based packaging.
**Foie: Composed of 20 organic traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in unchlorinated tea bags. This is hardcore tea with a strong herbal scent and bitter taste, along with the most potent herbs known to smooth the flow of liver energy, clear heat, cleanse, and support the liver while harmonizing the gallbladder and stomach.
Thank you🧡
I have been sharing blood sugar-friendly, whole-food recipes (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and mostly dairy-free) on my blog and on Instagram for four years now, and I have met so many amazing people like Melissa along the way. I am excited about being able to share even more on this platform, and I am so very grateful you have joined me here! Thank you, Melissa, for filling in for me today!
P.S.
If you know anyone with pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, or anyone eating for blood sugar balance, low carb, keto, grain-free, gluten-free, or just eating for better health, will you forward my Substack to them? It would mean the world to me as I try to share the message of eating for good metabolic health.
🧡Beth
So inspiring, Melissa! Love seeing your dedication to creating high-quality, toxin-free supplements. I appreciate your advice for women wanting to start their own business! Keep up the amazing work!