In this first installment of a two-part conversation, Sienna Mae Heath sits down with Michael Pickens, CEO of Botanical Enlightenment, a holistic supplement company dedicated to providing natural alternatives for people and pets battling cancer. Michael shares the personal journey that inspired him to start his company, as well as his work with naturopathic doctors to promote whole-food, minimally processed diets tailored to blood type—while warning against the dangers of sugar, seed oils, and chemical-laden foods.

Sienna and Michael dive into the tensions between modern medicine and natural healing, unpack the key differences between medicinal uses of CBD and THC versus recreational culture, and explore the surprising therapeutic properties of pumpkins and mushrooms that play a central role in Michael’s remedies.