What Your Body Might Be Trying to Tell You: Parasites, Heavy Metals, Candida & the Missing Link in Women’s Health & Perimenopause

Sara Klute Behn
Mar 3
8 min read

By Sara Klute Behn, Holistic Health Coach

A conversation with Kim Rogers of RogersHood Apothecary

On Your Wise Self With Sara podcast

Have you ever felt like something was just “off” — persistent bloating, anxiety that won’t quit, brain fog, poor sleep, skin issues, or a low-level sense of depletion that no amount of supplements or green juice seems to fix? If you’re a woman in midlife, you may have chalked it up to perimenopause. But what if there’s another layer of the puzzle that most of us have never been told about?

In a recent episode of Your Wise Self with Sara, I sat down with Kim Rogers — owner of RogersHood Apothecary, former healthcare executive, and host of the podcast What’s Eating U — along with my colleague Melissa Raffone, Timeless Beauty Clinical Skincare esthetician and health coach, for one of the most eye-opening conversations I’ve ever had.

Kim’s story is extraordinary: a woman with two healthcare degrees, 13 surgeries, and a medical career spanning 20+ years who nearly died before discovering that parasites, mold, and heavy metals were at the root of her suffering.

This is the conversation I wish every woman in midlife could hear.

From Western Medicine to the Woods: Kim’s Story

Kim Rogers didn’t stumble into herbal medicine from the fringes. She built a career inside the very system she now challenges — running 25 healthcare colleges, writing academia, and working clinically in Western medicine since 2004. She also holds two healthcare degrees. And for most of her adult life, she was chronically ill.

By age 29, Kim had a hysterectomy due to endometriosis and adenomyosis. She underwent 13 surgeries over the years. By her early 40s, her organs were shutting down — and conventional medicine had run out of answers. Blood work came back normal. MRIs were inconclusive. Doctors told her she’d simply have to live with it.

“That’s not happening,” Kim decided.

She and her husband sold everything, moved to a piece of land in Hoodsport, Washington — on the edge of a rainforest — and began a year-and-a-half deep dive into what was actually wrong with her body. It was there, in the woods, that she discovered functional mushrooms, began getting off her pharmaceutical medications (including Klonopin, which she had been on for 22 years), and eventually stumbled upon a TikTok video that changed everything.

The Parasite Revelation

Kim had suspected worms years before. Her doctors dismissed her. She bought a $30 herbal tincture off Amazon. Within three days, she saw roundworm, flukes, and pinworms in the toilet. The chronic pain in her right side that had plagued her for years? Gone. She has never had it again.

She made a 60-second video: “I have been in Western medicine for over 18 years, and I have never dewormed myself until now.” It went viral. Over 10 million views. And she hasn’t stopped talking about it since.

Today, Kim runs RogersHood Apothecary, creating carefully formulated herbal protocols for parasite cleansing, mold detox, lymphatic support, and more.

Why Aren’t We Talking About This? A Global Perspective

Here’s what surprised me most in this conversation: much of the world already knows this. Parasite cleansing is standard practice in many countries.

Jamaica uses a traditional bush tea monthly, passed down through generations. Elders will scold younger family members who skip it.
Mexico recommends anti-parasitic treatment twice a year — available at pharmacies for about seven dollars.
Korea uses herbal protocols regularly.
France recommends starting a cleanse three days before the full moon, when parasites begin to dislodge.

In the United States? We’re largely in denial. We assume that being a “first-world country” means clean water and no parasites. Kim tested water in multiple locations across the country and found parasites in Seattle and Hoodsport, though not where she currently lives in Nevada. Our water is not as safe as we assume, and our food — particularly seafood and undercooked meats — is a significant source of exposure.

The Full Moon Connection (Yes, Really)

I’ll be honest — as a yoga therapist, I’ve told students for years that sugar cravings spike around the full moon. I had no idea there was a biological explanation rooted in parasitology.

Here’s what Kim shared: during the full moon, serotonin levels rise, and melatonin levels drop. Parasites feed on serotonin — your “happy hormone” — and they become more active during this time, moving through the body and laying eggs. This is why the full moon has long been associated with heightened emotions, restlessness, and unusual cravings. It’s not folklore. It’s biology.

This is also why traditional cultures recommend timing cleanses around the full moon — when parasites are most active and most vulnerable to herbal intervention. The French specifically recommend starting three days before the full moon.

Perimenopause, Hormones & the Parasite Connection

This is where the conversation became deeply personal for me and for so many women in our community.

The symptoms of perimenopause and parasitic burden overlap significantly: mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, bloating, weight fluctuations, poor sleep, fatigue, and that persistent feeling that something isn’t quite right. Kim’s insight is that these two things feed on each other — literally.

Parasites can absorb six to eight times their weight in heavy metals and spores. They can take up to 90% of your nutrients — including anything you get through supplements, IVs, or even hormone therapy. If your body is hosting a significant parasitic burden, you may not be absorbing what you’re taking in. As Kim put it: the frequency of your medication or supplement is being absorbed into the biofilm, not into you.

After doing her first cleanse, Kim noticed that topical estrogen — which she had never been able to feel working — finally became effective. Her body could absorb it.

Melissa, who had dealt with IBS, teeth grinding, and digestive issues since middle school, had a similar experience. When her gynecologist offered Prozac instead of hormone testing, Melissa left the office disappointed — and started doing her own research. A hair sample test came back high in candida. That set her on the path to parasitic cleansing, and after two and a half years of working with RogersHood protocols, her hormonal symptoms have significantly improved.

My Own Experience: A Layer of Healing I Never Expected

I want to be transparent with you, because that’s what this community is built on.

I first heard about parasite cleansing as a whisper. And then it kept showing up, again and again, until it was right in front of me through Melissa. At the end of what was supposed to be a podcast interview about something else entirely, she mentioned almost offhandedly that she was really into parasite cleansing. I stopped her mid-sentence and said, “Start over. Tell me everything.”

Since then, I’ve been through the ParaFy kit and the lymph protocol with Melissa, and we’re currently doing the mold kit together. What I can tell you is that this has felt like a layer of healing I didn’t know I was missing. A genuine “before and after” in how I feel in my body — in my energy, my digestion, my clarity. For those of you who live with cravings, brain fog, or have ever blamed bloating entirely on your hormones, I understand. I did the same thing. And I’m not saying parasites are the only answer. But I am saying: this is worth knowing about.

Symptoms You Might Not Expect

Kim shared a list of symptoms that are commonly associated with parasitic burden — many of which are often attributed to stress, aging, or hormones:

Insomnia or waking in the middle of the night (parasites are nocturnal and most active between 7 PM and early morning)
Teeth grinding (bruxism) — parasites deplete magnesium and calcium, destabilizing the nervous system
Inability to lose weight — parasites absorb the nutrients your metabolism needs
Bloating and digestive issues, including IBS
Intense sugar, salt, or carbohydrate cravings — parasites are feeding, not you
Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
Anxiety and mood disturbances (related to serotonin depletion)
Feelings of unworthiness or low self-esteem (connected to small intestinal parasites)
Skin issues, hair loss, and fatigue
Hormonal imbalances that don’t respond to treatment

Heavy Metals, Candida & Why You’re Not Just “Sensitive”

One of Kim’s most helpful reframes: if talking about parasites feels too alarming for the people in your life, start with heavy metals and candida. Candida — an overgrowth of yeast — is technically a parasite by definition (anything that feeds off the host). Most people are willing to acknowledge they might have a candida issue. That opens the door.

Heavy metals enter our bodies through water, food (especially seafood and conventional produce), old dental work, microplastics, and environmental exposure. They disrupt thyroid function, hormone balance, and the nervous system.

Parasites actually absorb heavy metals — which is why some people argue you need them. But Kim’s response is clear: systematically removing parasites and cleansing the heavy metals they carry out with them is more effective and less harmful than leaving them in place.

Mold is the other piece of this puzzle. Kim developed her Moldeze kit after discovering she had been living in black toxic mold while building her log home and simultaneously going viral. She had Aspergillus niger poisoning and says she survived only because the wormwood in her parasite protocol was suppressing mold spore growth. The relationship between mold and parasites is intimate: remove the parasites, and mold can flourish. Address both, and the body can finally begin to heal.

This Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

One of my favorite moments in this conversation was when Kim said: “I just didn’t want to overly complicate it.” Coming from a background in Western medicine, she designed her protocols to be structured, clear, and accessible. You get instructions. The herbs are chosen for specific purposes. And you can adjust based on your needs and sensitivities.

The RogersHood ParaFy kit is the foundation. Add the lymph kit and Sustain tincture for ongoing support. The Moldeze kit addresses mold and its effects on hair, skin, nails, and immune function. Lion’s Mane and Turkey Tail mushrooms (found in Holy Skull and the lymph tincture) support brain health, immune function, and scar tissue breakdown.

Is it a one-and-done process? No — and that’s by design. We are constantly exposed to environmental toxins. The goal is to make cleansing part of your seasonal routine, the way so much of the world already does.

You Are Not Failing at Your Health

I want to leave you with something important: if any of this resonates, please don’t spiral into shame or self-blame. We were not taught this. Our doctors were not taught this. The gap in our collective knowledge is not a personal failure — it is a systemic one. Kim, who holds two healthcare degrees and ran 25 medical colleges, didn’t know either. Until she did.

What’s possible on the other side of this knowledge? Better sleep. Clearer thinking. Hormones that actually respond to treatment. A body that absorbs what you put into it. Energy that isn’t constantly being hijacked. Kim’s mom — 73 years old, on 20 medications, on blood thinners and oxygen — is now off blood thinners, off oxygen, and down to four medications. That’s not a miracle. That’s what happens when the body gets the support it actually needs.

Health sovereignty. That’s what Kim is teaching. And it’s what I’m here to support you in claiming.

Want to Experience This for Yourself?

Melissa and I are hosting a FREE Q&A on March 11, 2026 at 6:00 PM CST — a chance to ask your questions and learn more before our group detox begins. (If you are reading this at a later time, please check in with us; we plan to host this several times a year.)

Our Release & Restore Group Detox begins March 30th. This is a 9-week guided experience that supports you through the protocol with nutritional guidance, lymphatic support, and the community doing this work together.

Links to join both are in the show notes. And before beginning any cleanse, please visit the RogersHood Apothecary website to review contraindications — this protocol is not right for everyone, and your safety matters.

You are not alone in this. And you are not failing. You simply didn’t know what you didn’t know — until now.

With love and wisdom,

Sara Klute Behn, Health Coach for Women

Your Wise Self with Sara