Clearly Better Health

Home
United States
Austin, TX
Clearly Better Health

Directions Website

We are a Lifestyle Medicine Coach focusing on Metabolic Health, Gut Health and Brain Health.

Your are the Hero in your own health journey and we are here as your guide.

10/13/2026

"…and influences how cortisol is processed." 🫀

That's four hormones (estrogen, progesterone, thyroid and cortisol) all passing through one organ. Your liver has more than 500 known functions, and hormone processing is one that most women never hear about.

In my Austin clinic, I see it all the time. Women come in with:
• Bloating after eating fats, even the healthy ones
• Brain fog and fatigue
• Hormones that feel "off" in their 30s, 40s and through perimenopause
• Thyroid questions that never seem to get fully answered

When the liver is overburdened, it can't clear hormones the way it should. That's why I ask about the liver first, then the gut.

🎧 I walk through all of it in a new 13-minute episode: Your Liver: 500 Functions That Shape Women's Health. Listen free on my Substack, Meat Suit Alchemist (DM for the link).

💬 Which one surprised you most: estrogen, progesterone, thyroid or cortisol?

— Vanessa Rutkowski, LAc · TigerLily Wellness & Acupuncture, Austin TX

Educational only, not medical advice. If you take thyroid medication, keep taking it as prescribed and bring your questions to your provider.

10/09/2026

"I had almost stopped playing guitar entirely."

That's how bad the pain in this patient's thumb and wrist had gotten. He'd worked with his family doctor, but the relief was minimal and short-lived. The pain was even disrupting his sleep.

He hadn't considered acupuncture until a friend mentioned their own experience with pain relief. Sound familiar?

After his first treatment with Doug at TigerLily, he felt significant relief. Within a few months, the pain was gone. That was a couple of years ago. He's still pain-free, and now comes in for occasional tune-ups.

This is what root-cause treatment looks like: not masking the pain, but resolving it.

If you're dealing with chronic pain or frequent headaches that haven't budged with conventional treatment, what have you already tried?

10/01/2026

"Everything came back normal." 🙃
Then why do you still feel exhausted, bloated and foggy?

What's happening in this photo? This is muscle testing. Doug checks how your body's strength responds while he holds different supports, like the small bottle in his hands. It gives him more information to shape a plan that fits you.

Muscle testing doesn't replace your doctor or your labs. It adds another piece to the picture, especially when you've done everything "right" and still don't feel like yourself.

After 20+ years in practice, Doug has seen this pattern again and again with Austin clients.

🙋 Have you ever been told "your labs look normal"? Drop a 🙋 below.

📍 TigerLily Wellness & Acupuncture, Austin, TX
DM us with questions, or book at tigerlilyacupuncture.com

09/29/2026

Tight shoulders, a jaw you can't unclench, a back that tightens up by 3pm. Stress has to live somewhere, and for most of us it's right here.

If massage, stretching and ibuprofen only get you so far, acupuncture works differently. Instead of chasing the knot, we look at why your body keeps making it in the first place.

Vanessa has spent years helping Austin clients stop feeling like they're wearing their shoulders as earrings. 😮‍💨

👇 Where do YOU carry stress: shoulders, jaw, gut or lower back? Tell us in the comments.

📍 TigerLily Wellness & Acupuncture, Austin, TX
Book at tigerlilyacupuncture.com

09/24/2026

If a photo like this has ever made you think "that looks painful" — here's what's actually happening.

Those marks aren't an injury. The suction draws blood to the surface of the skin, similar to a bruise — except here it's expected, not accidental.

In Chinese medicine, we read the color and intensity as information about that area, and the marks typically fade within a few days to about two weeks.

Curious about cupping but nervous about the marks? That's a completely normal question — ask us anything.

👉 Save this for someone who's asked you "wait, does cupping hurt?"

09/22/2026

"Does acupuncture hurt?" It's the #1 question we get before someone's first session — so here's the honest, unedited answer. 🪡

This is real footage from our Austin treatment room: hair-thin needles, a quick pinch at most, and then most people just... relax. Not a stock photo, not a dramatization — this is what walking in for your first appointment actually looks like.

If the needles are what's kept you on the fence, you're not alone — and we'd love to help you feel ready.

👉 What's held you back from trying acupuncture? Tell us below.

09/18/2026

One-sided pain that's stuck around for months (or years)? Here's what we're actually looking for.

When a patient comes in with chronic one-sided pain, we don't guess. We take the pulse, read the tongue, and find exactly where the deficiency or excess is showing up in the body.

This client had what we call a "low junction block," basically a traffic jam in specific meridians. Once we know where the block is, we know exactly how to unravel it.

No mystery, no vague diagnosis. Just root-cause work.

Dealt with one-sided pain that never fully resolves? Tell us where, we've probably seen it before.

09/16/2026

10 things I dropped once I understood the "why" behind them.

Which one surprised you most? Drop the number below 👇

09/11/2026

Ever wonder what's actually happening during a cupping session? 🔥

This is fire cupping, one of the oldest techniques in Chinese medicine. We remove the oxygen from the glass with a quick flame, then place the cup directly on the skin. That creates suction, which draws blood flow to the area and helps release tension and stagnation held deep in the muscle.

The dark color you see isn't a bruise. It's actually a sign of stagnation being released, and it fades within a few days. The darker the mark, the more your body needed that release.

Curious what your marks would look like? Send us a message and let's talk about what's been going on in your body.

09/09/2026

Your grandmother knew this before it had a marketing team.

Long before pharmaceuticals, there was mugwort, dandelion root, and turmeric. Herbal medicine isn't a trend, it's the foundation Western medicine borrowed from and then rebranded as "alternative."

At Tiger Lily, we honor that lineage. Herbal formulas, acupuncture, and root-cause care aren't a workaround to real medicine. They are the original blueprint for healing.

What's one plant remedy you grew up with?

Address

4220 Lost Oasis Hollow
Austin, TX
78739

Website

http://clearlybetterhealth.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Clearly Better Health posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.