Most people chase health advice their whole lives without ever measuring what is actually happening inside their bodies, and that is exactly where the real answers are.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Dr. Gary Martin discusses the decades-long wellness journey of Freda Surace, a retired Los Angeles schoolteacher who spent years battling chronic illness and stress before discovering a truly holistic approach to health. Freda shares how biological immunity analysis, hair mineral analysis, and membrane processing worked together to reveal the hidden root causes of her struggles, including stress minerals off the chart and the surprising connection between her emotional life and her physical symptoms. She reflects on what it means to make truth your authority rather than blindly trusting the medical system, and how simple daily habits like proper hydration have made a profound and lasting difference in her wellbeing. Together, she and Dr. Martin offer practical wisdom for anyone who feels stuck in the conventional health system and is searching for a more common sense path forward.

Key Takeaways:

→ Your body is your mind made visible, and lasting physical health requires addressing the emotional root causes behind your symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves.

→ Drinking half your body weight in ounces of water daily sounds simple but is one of the most powerful and most overlooked steps toward genuine wellness.

→ Hair mineral analysis can reveal the physical toll of chronic stress through elevated calcium and magnesium levels, giving you measurable proof of what your body is actually experiencing.

→ True wellness is not a temporary diet but a lifelong daily practice that combines physical testing, emotional awareness, and spiritual grounding.

→ Making truth your authority rather than authority your truth is the foundation of every informed and empowered health decision.

Freda Surace is a retired educator. Born, raised, and educated in California, Freda spent 31 years as an elementary school teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Like many teachers working with young children, she was often sick and frequently prescribed antibiotics, without much guidance on building long-term health. Wanting real answers, she began researching on her own—a journey that eventually led her to Dr. Martin, whose passion for helping people heal and enjoy lasting wellness made a lasting impact on her life.

Most people have no idea their body is quietly breaking down—and a simple urine and saliva test could tell them exactly why.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Dr. Gary Martin discusses the transformative power of biological testing—urine, saliva, and hair mineral analysis—with Dr. Suzanne Humphries, a board-certified nephrologist and co-author of *Dissolving Illusions*. Dr. Humphries shares her remarkable journey from conventional hospital medicine to independent holistic practice, sparked by patients developing kidney failure after routine vaccinations. Together they explore how simple measurements of salt, sugar, and pH can uncover hidden health crises that mainstream medicine routinely overlooks. Dr. Humphries also reveals how therapeutic hydration, fasting, and stress reduction reversed her own fatty liver and restored her health from the inside out.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Suzanne Humphries walked away from a thriving nephrology career after hospital administrators refused to stop vaccinating her kidney-failure patients before she could even evaluate them, setting her on a path of independent research and holistic healing.
• Nearly every patient who walks through the door has dangerously high salts and sugars—and even a single meal at a "healthy" organic restaurant can send those numbers into crisis territory, as one long-term cancer survivor discovered firsthand.
• Dehydration is far more widespread and dangerous than conventional medicine acknowledges, and a simple therapeutic water regimen—prescribed like a medication—can resolve issues that hospitals would have treated with anticoagulants and invasive procedures.
• Hair tissue mineral analysis routinely reveals toxic metals and mineral imbalances that standard blood tests miss entirely, providing a critical window into long-term health risk before symptoms become life-threatening.
• Dr. Humphries reversed her own non-alcoholic fatty liver—confirmed by ultrasound—purely through stress reduction, stopping late-night eating, and therapeutic hydration, demonstrating that the same tools she uses with patients work just as powerfully on herself.

Dr. Suzanne Humphries is a private medical consultant with specialties in internal medicine, nephrology, and holistic medicine. She is co-author of Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History, and has lectured throughout Scandinavia, the USA and New Zealand on vaccines, holistic health, infant immunity, and vitamin C. Many of her lectures are viewable on her Oddysee channel. Epigenetics, infectious diseases, and the human microbiome are other areas of interest. She is also a RBTI practitioner.

Connect With Dr. Suzanne Humphries:

Website: https://drsuzanne.net/

The structure of the water you drink may determine how well your body hydrates, heals, and absorbs nutrients.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Dr. Gary Martin explores how the structure of water may impact hydration and circulation in the body. You’ll hear practical insights on hydrogen water, structured water, and simple daily hydration routines. The discussion also covers mineral absorption and the role of humic and fulvic acids in supporting balance. It’s a wide-ranging look at immunity, metabolism, and the foundational role water may play in overall wellness.

Key Takeaways:

• The structure of water—and its hydrogen bond angle—may determine how deeply it can penetrate and hydrate the body.
• Certain structured waters, like John Ellis water, are claimed to move into tissues more easily than ordinary water.
• A common hydration routine involves drinking several 16-ounce bottles of hydrogen water daily with added Healthy Vibes drops.
• Hydrogen water and phenomenal water should never be mixed, though phenomenal water can be added to distilled or Ellis water.
• Humic and fulvic acids may help unlock better mineral absorption when testing shows imbalances.

Connect With Dr. Gary Martin:

Website: https://biri.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commonsense.wellness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584201081424

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-martin-962403397/

Most people are walking around chronically dehydrated—and until that changes, almost every other health strategy will fall short.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Dr. Martin explains why hydration is the “first domino” for nearly every aspect of health. He breaks down how ORP readings, hydrogen water, and bio-impedance analysis can reveal whether the body is properly hydrated or stuck in oxidative stress. The conversation explores how consistent, small amounts of water throughout the day help regulate salt, sugar, and acidity levels in the body. Dr. Martin’s message is simple: fix your hydration first, or almost every other health effort is working against the current.

Key Takeaways:

• Proper hydration is the foundation of health, influencing everything from metabolism to cellular function.
• Drinking small amounts of water consistently throughout the day is more effective than consuming large amounts at once.
• Hydrogen-infused water may help improve the body’s oxidation-reduction balance and support cellular health.
• Bio-impedance analysis can reveal hydration status through key markers like salt, sugar, and ammonia nitrogen levels.
• Managing acidity in the body is essential, because everyday stress, activity, and metabolism constantly produce acid that must be eliminated.

Connect With Dr. Gary Martin:

Website: https://biri.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commonsense.wellness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584201081424

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-martin-962403397/

Discover how simple health tests can unlock life-changing insights, helping you prevent illness and achieve lasting wellness – just like Barbara did for her son with autism.

In this episode of Common Sense Wellness, Barbara Saker shares her journey toward holistic health, driven by her son’s autism and her desire to find natural alternatives to medication. She discusses the impact of mineral and biological immunity testing (HMA and BIA) in uncovering health issues and promoting prevention. Key takeaways include the importance of nutrition, hydration, and proactive health strategies. Barbara’s story highlights how testing can empower individuals to make informed decisions for lasting wellness, emphasizing prevention over disease management.

Key Takeaways:

• Holistic Health Approaches: Barbara discusses her shift from traditional healthcare to holistic strategies, emphasizing natural, non-drug solutions to improve wellness, especially for her son with autism.

• Importance of Biological Immunity Testing (BIA): The episode highlights how the BIA test (urine and saliva) can provide valuable insights into the body’s health and help identify underlying issues before they become serious problems.

• Nutrition and Hydration: Barbara underscores the significance of maintaining proper hydration and consuming organic, whole foods, inspired by both personal experience and guidance from health professionals.

• Autism and Alternative Therapies: Barbara shares her experience of using natural therapies, including dietary changes and testing, to improve her son’s quality of life, moving away from medications.

• Prevention vs. Disease Management: The conversation explores the difference between managing disease and actively preventing health issues through testing, awareness, and lifestyle adjustments.

• Empowerment through Education: Barbara emphasizes how learning to read and understand test results (like the BIA) can empower individuals to take control of their health, helping them make informed choices and avoid unnecessary medications.

Barbara J. Saker is a wife, mother, grandmother, and longtime small-business owner who brings both lived experience and practical know-how to her work with others. She has been married to her husband, John L. Saker, since May 28, 1976, and together they’ve built a large, close-knit family that includes four children, 12 grandchildren (step and biological), and 12 great-grandchildren. After meeting Dr. Martin in 2018, Barbara’s interest in health-based testing grew into hands-on service. In December 2021, she acquired a Client Lab Kit and soon began testing others, helping people gather clearer insights and take more informed next steps.

Discover the surprising ways your body’s protein metabolism can be measured and understood.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Dr. Martin explains how protein metabolism is measured, walking listeners through the lab process from a single drop of urine to the color-coded readings that reveal nitrate and ammonia levels. With clear explanations, memorable metaphors like “blue is the sky, yellow is the Earth,” and practical tips, he makes a complex procedure accessible and engaging, giving listeners a clear view of what really happens to the protein in their bodies.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Martin demonstrates how a single drop of urine can reveal protein metabolism.

• He explains the role of Universal Extracting Solution in preparing the sample.

• Listeners learn how nitrate and ammonia readings are measured using color changes.

• Practical tips show how to handle reagents safely and avoid mistakes.

• Memorable metaphors like blue is the sky and yellow is the Earth help visualize the process.

• Dr. Martin discusses the potential future use of spectrometers to simplify measurements.

Connect With Dr. Gary Martin:

Website: https://biri.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commonsense.wellness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584201081424

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-martin-962403397/

Everything you thought about health is backward and the real key to wellness is the energy your body produces every day.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Dr. Martin explains why energy—not symptoms—is the true measure of health. Walking through the BIA, he breaks down metabolism efficiency as your body’s “checking account” and immune energy as your “savings account,” showing how the energy you create from food fuels healing, resilience, and long-term vitality. He also explores biological age, dietary ranges, stress patterns, and ORP, illustrating how daily habits directly impact your internal balance. The message is clear: when you improve your body’s ability to generate energy, everything else begins to move in the right direction.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Martin explains why energy is a more important measure of health than symptoms

• He describes metabolism efficiency as your body’s checking account and immune energy as your savings account

• The BIA helps reveal biological age, dietary ranges, and internal balance for personalized wellness

• ORP readings show how daily choices impact your body’s energy and overall health

• Improving energy production supports healing, resilience, and long-term vitality

• Understanding your energy patterns allows you to make informed choices about food, drink, and lifestyle

Connect With Dr. Gary Martin:

Website: https://biri.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commonsense.wellness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584201081424

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-martin-962403397/

Discover how one woman's journey through holistic health and self-awareness transformed her life, revealing powerful tools for healing beyond diet and exercise.

In this episode of Common-Sense Wellness, Sherry Dinsmoor shares her journey to holistic health after a life-changing injury. Through Dr. Gary Martin's approach, combining BIA testing, Ayurvedic practices, and stress management, Sherry learned to address emotional and mental health alongside physical wellness. Her story highlights the power of self-awareness, testing, and practical wellness strategies for achieving lasting health and resilience at any age.

Key Takeaways:

• Holistic Health and Healing: Sherry emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to health, addressing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
• BIA Testing for Health Insights: The BIA test offers valuable feedback on stress, hydration, and metabolism, guiding personalized wellness plans.
• Emotional and Mental Health's Impact on Physical Wellness: Sherry explains how stress and mental patterns directly affect her physical health and healing process.
• Stress Management and Its Role in Healing: Managing stress through self-awareness has been key to improving Sherry's health and vitality.
• Ayurvedic Practices and Self-Care Tools: Sherry compares Ayurveda with Dr. Martin’s methods, appreciating the immediate feedback provided by tools like BIA testing.
• Personal Growth and Resilience Through Practical Wellness: Sherry’s journey shows how continuous learning and self-awareness support lasting health and resilience.

Sherry Dinsmoor has spent her life studying natural and energetic healing—Ayurveda, Theta Healing, Kinesiology, Chinese Medicine, EFT, TFT—and also holds a degree in Health Science. After a serious fall at 60 injured her knee and shoulder, she began a deeper healing journey that led her to my practice. My common-sense, natural approach to wellness and Be Your Own Doctor courses brought together everything she’d learned. Now 72, Sherry continues to live with resilience and a passion for practical, holistic health.