{"id":2576323,"date":"2026-03-05T07:27:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T12:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-woo-woo-philosophy-of-trumps-surgeon-general-pick\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T07:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T12:34:25","slug":"the-woo-woo-philosophy-of-trumps-surgeon-general-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-woo-woo-philosophy-of-trumps-surgeon-general-pick\/","title":{"rendered":"The &#8216;woo-woo&#8217; philosophy of Trump&#8217;s surgeon general pick\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-woo-woo-philosophy-of-trumps-surgeon-general-pick%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2576323&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-educated physician and wellness influencer nominated by President Trump to be the U.S. surgeon general, is portrayed as blending nutritional medicine with spirituality and New Age ideas. her career includes biomedical research roles at NIH, NYU, and Oregon Health &#038; Science University, and she has published several scientific articles. She left her surgical residency, saying she became skeptical of incentives in the medical system and focused on root causes of chronic disease, aligning with a movement skeptical of some mainstream medical approaches.<\/p>\n<p>Key themes in the coverage:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A holistic, almost spiritual view of health: Means emphasizes a strong bi-directional link between body and \u201cSource\u201d or the divine, arguing that metabolism and health are tied to spiritual well-being.She describes the body as a \u201cradio receiver\u201d and says that what we eat and how we care for our bodies helps connect to the divine.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The \u201cwoo-woo\u201d approach: She has openly embraced spiritual practices (meditation shrines, ancestral prayers, full moon ceremonies, plant medicine guides) and frames health as inseparable from personal meaning and energy. This blend of science and spirituality has been highlighted as a distinctive, unconventional stance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Feminine energy and cycles: Means stresses the role of divine feminine energy and hormonal cycles in creativity and productivity, arguing that women\u2019s cycles influence energy levels and work. Critics argue this risks reducing women to biological functions rather than treating them as whole people.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Public-health credibility and political debate: Since her nomination, conservative figures have accused her of pseudo-science or pagan beliefs, with some labeling her views as occult or Wiccan. Defenders argue that religious or spiritual beliefs should not automatically disqualify someone from public office, noting her credentials and research experience. The discussion reflects broader tensions over the appropriateness of unconventional beliefs in a public-health leadership role.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">The &lsquo;woo-woo&rsquo; philosophy of Trump&rsquo;s surgeon general pick&nbsp;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2516286\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4471909\/takeaways-hearing-surgeon-general-nominee-casey-means\/\">Dr. Casey Means&rsquo;<\/a> approach to health, expressed throughout her wellness influencer career, blends nutritional medicine with New Age spirituality and mysticism in a way that makes some <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/christianity\/\">religious conservatives<\/a> question her credibility.<\/p>\n<p>Means, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">President Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> surgeon general <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/surgeon-general\/\">nominee<\/a>, whose confirmation is currently under review in the Senate, has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly from religious conservatives for some of her wellness content posted online.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/education\/4481158\/medical-schools-commit-rfk-jr-plan-boost-nutrition-education\/\">Medical schools commit to RFK Jr. plan to boost nutrition education<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4478286\/us-requests-international-health-agency-delay-measles-review\/\">US requests international health agency to delay measles review meeting<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4478141\/gavin-newsom-threatens-pull-funding-care-court\/\">Newsom threatens to pull funding from local governments over CARE Court<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The surgeon general nominee earned her medical degree at Stanford University but did not complete her surgical residency program. During her time in the mainstream medical system, Means has held full-time biomedical research positions at the National Institutes of Health, New York University, and Oregon Health and Science University and published seven scientific articles listed in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/?term=Means+Casey\">NIH PubMed research library database<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Means says she quit her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-uc-san-franciscos-massive-abortion-training-network\/\" title=\"Inside UC San Francisco\u2019s Massive Abortion Training Network\">residency training program<\/a> because she became jaded with the perverse incentives of the medical system to go without treating the root causes of chronic disease, a mindset that brought her into alignment with the skepticism of mainstream medicine espoused by supporters of the Make America Healthy Again Movement.<\/p>\n<p>In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/articles-newsletter-3-ingredient-swaps-for-a-healthy-2024\">January 2024<\/a>, Means started her Good Energy newsletter, where she shares wellness tips, recipes, and health news. Five months later, she and her brother Calley Means, who is now a close adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/robert-f-kennedy-jr\/\">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>, published their <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >highly influential nutritional wellness book<\/a> under the newsletter&rsquo;s namesake.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the criticism of Means, including from Trump&rsquo;s first-term Surgeon General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/02\/27\/casey-means-surgeon-general-jerome-adams\/?utm_campaign=twitter_organic&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social\">Jerome Adams<\/a> and the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/casey-means-surgeon-general-hearing-hhs-vaccines-donald-trump-1051ec8e?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcU_IAB4i9JXIjDBZaPY8zk4rYZzcGHMYOQ8u0I5vkJhh-LW0P4ev5JYy2fGpw%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69a89e01&amp;gaa_sig=PFHq-DpDzX9xNAy0F79ZCgfchC5E7neRC9L9ca3DSWBRhgtj_bfPmRRhcF0ejZj5HK0yGrdewgPpCuqoxiwxUg%3D%3D\"><em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> editorial board<\/a>, has focused on her comparative lack of experience in public health and her skepticism of vaccines rather than her wellness influencer writings and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-jr-heres-what-comes-next-for-our-amazing-movement\/\" title=\"... Jr.: \u2018Here\u2019s What Comes Next for Our Amazing Movement\u2019\">social media content<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reviewed two years&rsquo; worth of social media content and newsletters from Means to get to the heart of her philosophy, which stresses the connection between bodily and spiritual health.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the highlights of Means&rsquo;s wellness influencer content, in her own words.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C_DUEBoJLFq\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C_DUEBoJLFq\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"http:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-means-says-she-embraced-the-woo-woo\">Means says she embraced the &lsquo;woo-woo&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>Means has said she embraced the so-called &lsquo;woo-woo,&rsquo; a term often used to dismiss supernatural beliefs or practices, to deepen her spiritual connection to the universe in her mid-thirties after the loss of her mother to stage 4 pancreatic cancer.<\/p>\n<p>A section of her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-32\">October 2024 newsletter<\/a>, titled &ldquo;Embrace the &lsquo;Woo Woo&rsquo; (AKA the mystery),&rdquo; Means describes the steps she took to &ldquo;tap into the &lsquo;mystical&rsquo; side of evolving my consciousness.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I set up a small meditation shrine in my house and prayed to photos of my ancestors asking for support on my personal journey, and wrote mantras and manifestations on small pieces of paper and tucked them around the shrine,&rdquo; Means wrote.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Means said she also &ldquo;talked (literally out loud) to the trees&rdquo; asking them for guidance in her romantic life, &ldquo;did full moon ceremonies,&rdquo; and &ldquo;did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>During this period in her life, Means said she also read a great deal of poetry, particularly from transcendentalist and modernist writers such as Sylvia Plath and&nbsp;Kathleen Jamie, among others.<\/p>\n<p>Means <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-55\">published a poem<\/a> of her own as one of her newsletters, titled &ldquo;The Devil&rsquo;s Wellness Plan.&rdquo; The speaker in the long-form poem outlines how they would use an overload of screens, processed sugar, pollution, and other societal ills to &ldquo;zap our life-force.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-source-the-divine-and-the-body\">&lsquo;Source,&rsquo; the divine, and the body<\/h2>\n<p>Means frequently refers to a connection to a God-like presence or divine awareness, which she calls &ldquo;Source,&rdquo; in her discussions on metabolic health and maintaining the body. For Means, living a healthy lifestyle is necessary in order to be connected to the spiritual realm.<\/p>\n<p>In an October 2024 newsletter, Means describes that she believes &ldquo;the body is simply the material &lsquo;radio receiver&rsquo; through which we can &lsquo;tune in&rsquo; to the divine,&rdquo; saying that body and soul are disconnected in a &ldquo;dualistic reality.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Means made a similar point in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C_vwUT6SQdh\/?igsh=MW42emR2dWVlZjNpcg%3D%3D\">September 2024<\/a> interview. Then, she said it is easy to lose sight of our inherent divine nature if we do not take care of our bodies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As we make the healthy choices, as we eat the healthy food, as we get sleep, as we move our bodies, we are creating the form of the body, the structure of the body that I think has an easier time connecting with Source,&rdquo; Means said.<\/p>\n<p>This connection to &ldquo;Source&rdquo; influences Means&rsquo; understanding of how food fuels the body and her description of metabolism, the process by which cells break down chemicals in food to release energy needed to sustain life.<\/p>\n<p>Means makes this point clear in an April 2024 interview posted on her Instagram page, in which she said that a healthy relationship to food &ldquo;has to come down to, like, honoring it and kind of worshiping it in a way&rdquo; because of its role in maintaining the body.<\/p>\n<p id=\"h-\">&ldquo;The reality is that every atom, every single molecule in your entire body is 100%, built from food,&rdquo; Means said. &ldquo;You are food. You are just this big 3D printer that&rsquo;s using food as the ink to reprint your cells.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C_vwUT6SQdh\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C_vwUT6SQdh\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"http:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-restoring-femininity-and-praise-of-yin-energy\">Restoring femininity and praise of &lsquo;yin energy&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>Another strand of Means&rsquo; thought emphasizes returning to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-31#:~:text=EVOLVING%20FEMINISM%20TO%20DIVINE%20FEMININE\">&ldquo;divine feminine&rdquo;<\/a> energy, largely based on women&rsquo;s reproductive cycles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Means argues that a woman&rsquo;s natural hormonal fluctuations affect her productivity levels. As echoed by other <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/1263527146\">TikTok and Instagram influencers<\/a> in recent years, the argument goes that a woman is creative and productive when estrogen is at its peak in the follicle and ovulation phases, and her energy levels drop during the luteal phase due to a rise in progesterone. <\/p>\n<p>Under this logic, women are naturally more effective during the first half of their menstrual cycle and wane in ability following ovulation and before their period &mdash; a view which critics say <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/1263527146\">diminishes women to biological functions<\/a> rather than full humans.<\/p>\n<p>In her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-59\">May 2025 newsletter<\/a>, inspired by the naturalistic elements of the Disney movie <em>Moana<\/em>, Means says women &ldquo;can&rsquo;t have ovulation without a cycle that has both yin and yang phases of hormones&rdquo; and that creativity must be &ldquo;followed by rest, restoration, and fallowness.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Feminine creativity happens in cycles,&rdquo; Means writes, &ldquo;like the seasons, the tides, and the phases of the moon. Women are lunar beings who exist on a 28-day moon cycle, inherently reflecting the cycles and patterns of the cosmos.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In an earlier newsletter, published in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-31#:~:text=EVOLVING%20FEMINISM%20TO%20DIVINE%20FEMININE\">October 2024<\/a>, Means describes how modern U.S. feminism was &ldquo;co-opted by forces who saw women as workhorses&rdquo; for economic benefit and tax revenue, ignoring the ebb and flow of women&rsquo;s natural hormone cycles.<\/p>\n<p>Means criticized the &ldquo;do it all&rdquo; feminism of the 90s and early 2000s, in which women were encouraged to be the so-called &ldquo;modern woman&rdquo; who could do both motherhood and career.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Choose to do one or the other and you&rsquo;re either a lazy housewife (and gold-digger) or a selfish capitalist career-woman,&rdquo; Means wrote. &ldquo;Choose to do both and you&rsquo;re an absentee mom and a suboptimal employee and an [anti-depressant] junkie. Women have allowed themselves to become economic commodities, and are increasingly treated and traded as such.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She then compared industrialized agriculture, which Means says exploits the &ldquo;life-giving&rdquo; power of soil, to the exploitation of women&rsquo;s creative capacity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Just as soil needs gentle tending and nurturing to produce abundant food for the world, so too women can benefit from gentle tending and nurturing to be in a biological state to produce life,&rdquo; Means wrote.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wellness influencer and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means takes her seat before the Senate health committee as she seeks approval to be U.S. surgeon general, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-christian-criticism-and-defense-of-means\">Christian criticism and defense of Means<\/h2>\n<p>Since she was nominated by Trump for the surgeon general post in spring 2025, conservatives have characterized Means&rsquo; views as pseudo-scientific at best and pagan at worst.<\/p>\n<p>After Means&rsquo; confirmation hearing last week, conservative radio show host <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/wng.org\/opinions\/which-witch-is-this-1747953788\">Erick Erickson<\/a> lambasted Means in an essay for the Christian publication <em>World<\/em>, calling Trump&rsquo;s nominee &ldquo;a near Wiccan speaking spells,&rdquo; referring to the modern paganist religion Wicca, which worships the Earth&rsquo;s natural cycles.<\/p>\n<p>Erickson&rsquo;s critique following her confirmation hearing was the most scathing to date. He cited New Testament scripture in telling Christians to steer clear of &ldquo;the spiritual forces of evil.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Means has engaged in occult practices to connect outside this present reality,&rdquo; Erickson said. &ldquo;But some Christians with illnesses or with children who are ill have bought into Means&rsquo; repackaged occult beliefs in good and bad energy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Other conservatives, however, have come to Means&rsquo; defense, saying that unorthodox spiritual beliefs ought not disqualify anyone from public office.<\/p>\n<p>Heritage Foundation Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/staff\/roger-severino\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/staff\/roger-severino\">Roger Severino<\/a>, the chief of HHS&rsquo; Office of Civil Rights under the first Trump presidency, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> in a statement that Means&rsquo; critics should be careful not to discriminate against Means based upon religious affiliations or spiritual conviction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Critics should consider the ramifications of disqualifying people from public office because they hold controversial religious beliefs given how liberals regularly attack Christian nominees who believe in marriage and the sanctity of life as a matter of faith conviction,&rdquo; Severino said via email.<\/p>\n<p>An HHS spokesperson did not directly respond to questions from the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> regarding Means&rsquo; spiritual content creation or how those insights would inform her tenure as surgeon general should she be confirmed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Her credentials, research background, and experience in public life give her the right insights to be the surgeon general who helps make sure America never again becomes the sickest nation on earth,&rdquo; said the HHS spokesperson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Woo-woo health views of Trump pick Casey Means<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2666,"featured_media":2576324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26056607625092.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[74580,5894,52292,70710,3634],"class_list":["post-2576323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-health-policy-2","tag-politics","tag-pseudoscience","tag-public-health-2","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26056607625092.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576323"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576327,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576323\/revisions\/2576327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2576324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}