Realfoodology Podcast with Courtney Swan

Episode: This Chiropractor Predicted My Lab Results Without Bloodwork
Guest: Dr. Charlie Fagenholz
Date: August 19, 2025

Overview

In this engaging episode, host Courtney Swan sits down with Dr. Charlie Fagenholz to discuss the world of chiropractic care, muscle testing, and “functional frequency medicine.” Dr. Charlie demonstrates a live frequency medicine session on Courtney, astonishing her by uncovering health issues that match her recent lab results—all without prior knowledge or traditional bloodwork. The conversation dives into the oft-misunderstood world of muscle testing, the basics and importance of frequency medicine, the misunderstood role of the gallbladder, the significance of emotional trauma, the impact of EMFs, and the future of light and laser therapy in health. Throughout, both guest and host provide authentic anecdotes, actionable advice, and challenge mainstream medical misconceptions with a holistic and bioenergetic approach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Charlie’s Journey to Frequency Medicine

• [06:44–09:35] Dr. Charlie’s Background:
  • Intended to go to pharmacy school but found it unfulfilling; became fascinated with chiropractic after shadowing a practitioner:
    “People walked in, they felt crummy, they left feeling good, and that was all I went off of.” (06:44)
  • Introduced to muscle testing and frequency medicine during chiropractic school; a student performed muscle testing and revealed accurate health issues:
    “This kid’s 23 years old... told me my whole life story for the first like 23 years in like two minutes.” (08:38)
  • This experience sparked his passion for frequency medicine.

2. Understanding Muscle Testing & Frequency Medicine

• [09:35–16:09] Skepticism and Explanation:

  • Courtney discusses her introduction to muscle testing and addresses online skepticism about muscle testing and chiropractic care.
  • Dr. Charlie contextualizes historical skepticism (Flexner Report, AMA opposition, Rockefeller's influence), but emphasizes the rigorous training chiropractors undergo.
  • On frequency medicine:
    “What I say in a nutshell is it is a neurological tool that you’re testing the adaptability of the nervous system. The goal... is to find the roadblocks that you’re not adapting to and find the best way possible to make your body adaptable. And those are the people who thrive.” (14:20, also repeated at [00:02])

• [13:07–16:09] Explaining Frequency Medicine Vials:

  • The vials used in frequency medicine are homeopathically prepared to test how the body adapts to specific frequencies (e.g., mold, glyphosate, parasites).
  • Dr. Charlie clarifies that weakening to a vial during muscle testing means the body isn’t adapting to that frequency—and that it’s not a diagnosis, but a starting point for support.

3. Live Demonstration: Frequency Medicine in Action

• [19:50–25:28] Live Testing Segment:

  • Dr. Charlie demonstrates muscle testing with Courtney, using vials representing mold, protozoa, and glyphosate.
  • Courtney’s muscle response matched her recent lab results (high mold, high glyphosate)—which Dr. Charlie was unaware of.
  • Notable Moment:
    Courtney: “My glyphosate levels are really high right now... this is actually really fascinating and it’s cool to see this in real time, and I love that I have the testing on that.” (24:43)

• [22:28–23:49] Prioritizing Treatment:

  • Dr. Charlie demonstrates how muscle testing can help prioritize which health issue to address first (e.g., glyphosate vs. mold), rather than treating everything at once.
  • “The right thing at the right time is the miracle. The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.” (22:28)

4. Emotional Trauma and Physical Health

• [27:06–34:32] The Impact of Emotional Trauma:

  • Courtney shares her personal experience with childhood trauma and how emotional healing complemented her dietary efforts.
  • Dr. Charlie discusses the science and tools for emotional release—emphasizing that emotions live in our tissues, affecting physiology and health outcomes.
  • “Releasing emotional trauma from the physiology, I think, is more important than absolutely everything.” (29:32)
  • Different release techniques: NET, QNRT, EFT, body code, emotion code, etc.

• Dr. Charlie elaborates that patients with the most unprocessed emotional trauma often experience the most symptoms, regardless of similar physical toxicities as asymptomatic patients.

5. The Power of Light & Laser Therapy

• [37:18–44:58] Light & Laser as Medicine:

  • Dr. Charlie introduces red/infrared/violet laser therapy tools for supporting healing at the cellular level.
  • Advocates that the future of medicine lies in harmonizing cellular frequencies through light:
    “At the end of the day, we are literally just harmonizing the frequencies of your cells. And the better we can do that, that’s when you thrive. And if you don’t, you’re in a disease state.” (41:26)
  • Courtney shares her experience with an infrared bed and its effects on energy and recovery.
  • Discussion of circadian rhythm: importance of sleeping in darkness and morning sunlight for hormonal regulation and metabolic health.

• “I think that our environment is more of a cause of diabetes than our diet.” (42:42)

  • Environmental toxins and EMFs may play a larger role in chronic disease than traditionally believed.

6. Gallbladder—The Underrated Organ

• [44:58–48:43] The Most Missed Organ:
  • Dr. Charlie: “The gallbladder is the most missed organ in medicine.” (45:21)
  • Explains its vital role in bile production, fat digestion, and microbial defense.
  • Cautions against unnecessary removal; removing it addresses symptoms, not root causes.
  • For those without a gallbladder, recommends digestive enzymes (ox bile, TUDCA) to support fat digestion, and emphasizes finding and addressing root causes of bile dysregulation (often environmental or pathogenic).

7. Inflammation, Gut Health, and Preparation for Conception

• [49:29–50:15] Optimizing Before Pregnancy:
  • Dr. Charlie recommends gut, liver, and gallbladder cleansing for both partners before conception to reduce inflammation.
  • For elevated CRP (inflammation), suggests looking for hidden food sensitivities, infections, or toxins.

8. EMFs: Risks and Realities

• [51:17–56:37] EMFs and Modern Health:
  • Clarifies that EMF (electromagnetic fields) are misunderstood; while the sun and human bodies generate beneficial EMFs, man-made sources (WiFi, cell towers, etc.) bombard our biology at unnatural frequencies, disrupting health.
  • Dr. Charlie is vigilant in his personal life—unplugging WiFi, using EMF-mitigating devices, and even abandoning home purchases in high-EMF areas.
  • “Your immune system follows your emotions... the mental stress of [EMFs] may be worse than the actual effects.” (54:23, 55:50)
  • Both agree to control what’s controllable and avoid living in a “mental prison” of health anxiety.

9. Practical Advice: Keep Health Simple and Prioritize Basics

• [63:13–64:06] Back to Basics:

  • Dr. Charlie reinforces that the most complicated cases often require the most foundational approaches.
  • “The harder their case is, the more you have to get back to the basics.” (63:13)
  • Sleep, sunlight, nutritious food, hydration, time outdoors, and stress management remain paramount.

• Health doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated—focus on simple, whole foods and lifestyle basics.

10. The Universal Impact of Emotional Trauma

• [65:01–66:20] Everyone Has Emotional Trauma:
  • Trauma is relative; a child being grounded can be stored as emotional trauma just as much as severe events.
  • “I call emotions email threads. You have the current email and the original, and everything that reminds you of that just builds over your lifetime until you’re able to release it with a physiological correction.” (65:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [14:20/00:02] Dr. Charlie:
  “It is a neurological tool that you’re testing the adaptability of the nervous system. The goal of this is to find the roadblocks that you’re not adapting to and find the best way possible to make your body adaptable. And those are the people who thrive.”

• [22:28] Dr. Charlie:
  “The right thing at the right time is the miracle. The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.”

• [29:32] Dr. Charlie:
  “Releasing emotional trauma from the physiology, I think is more important than absolutely everything.”

• [41:26] Dr. Charlie:
  “At the end of the day, we are literally just harmonizing the frequencies of your cells. And the better we can do that, that’s when you thrive. And if you don’t, you’re in a disease state.”

• [42:42] Dr. Charlie:
  “I don’t know for sure if our diet is the number one cause of diabetes... I think that it is pesticides like glyphosate and EMF and environmental toxicity that is raising our cortisol constantly.”

• [45:21] Dr. Charlie:
  “I say that [the gallbladder] is the most missed organ in medicine.”

• [54:23, 55:50] Dr. Charlie:
  “Is the mental stress of it (EMFs) worse than the actual effects?... Your immune system follows your emotions.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 06:44 – Dr. Charlie’s career story: from pharmacy to frequency medicine
• 09:35 – Courtney recounts her muscle testing experience; addressing skepticism
• 14:20 – Dr. Charlie’s concise definition of frequency medicine
• 19:50 – Start of live muscle testing/frequency medicine demonstration
• 22:28 – Prioritizing treatment with muscle testing
• 27:06 – Emotional trauma’s impact on health; emotional release tools
• 37:18 – Light/laser therapy; future of medicine
• 42:42 – Environmental toxicity and diabetes causality
• 45:21 – The vital role of the gallbladder
• 49:29 – Recommendations before conception; addressing inflammation
• 51:17 – EMFs: health impact, mitigation, lifestyle adjustments
• 63:13 – The value of basic health habits
• 65:54 – Everyone has emotional trauma, no matter how “big” or “small”

Resources & Where to Find Dr. Charlie

• Instagram: @DrCharlieDC
• Website: drcharliedc.com (includes digital library, membership, resources PDF for practitioners)
• PDF Directory: List of Dr. Charlie’s trusted practitioners by state (found on his Instagram highlights)

Final Takeaways

• Frequency medicine and muscle testing offer innovative paths to individualized care by reading the body’s adaptability to different stressors.
• Emotional trauma is a root contributor to chronic health problems; its physical release is essential.
• Light and energy therapies represent an emerging frontier in medicine, with promising impacts on cellular health and resilience.
• Simplicity is key: basic lifestyle habits (sleep, real food, nature, community) drive the most sustainable health.
• Health anxiety can itself be toxic—focus on controlling the controllables and avoid the trap of perfectionism.

This summary distills the core content, key insights, and practical tips from the original episode, maintaining the warm, honest, and holistic tone of Courtney and Dr. Charlie’s conversation.