The Wellness Mama Podcast

I am beyond glad that summer is almost here… so glad, in fact, that I talk to myself about it in this short podcast episode. Listen as I answer questions and share by best tips for preparing for a healthy (and stress-free ) summer. Did you Know? The term “dog days of summer” refers to the time between July 3 and August 11 and refers to the star Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. Also, according to folklore, if you want to know (roughly) the temperature, listen to the number of cricket chirps in a 15-second period and add 37 to get the approximate temperature in Fahrenheit. 7 Tips for Healthy Summer 1. Eat Your Sunscreen (+ Astaxanthin Benefits) What goes into your body is at least as important as what goes ON it for sun protection. An anti-inflammatory diet low in processed foods and high in vegetables, Omega-3s and healthy fats can help prevent sun damage and increase your body’s ability to get benefits from the sun. Resources Mentioned: Article: Eat Your Sunscreen&

Gluten is a hot topic in the health world. There are those who staunchly believe that only those with celiac disease should avoid it, while others claim that even a small amount can be harmful. In this episode, Dr. Tom O’Bryan sheds some light on this topic. Dr. O’Bryan is one of the leading experts on celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity as well as a functional medicine practitioner specializing in chronic illness. I’m on the road this week, so this interview is conducted by Olivia from Wellness-Media.com and is a playback (with permissions) of this interview from last year’s Wellness Family Summit. We Talk About: Is gluten really that bad or can people who don’t have celiac disease safely eat it? Long term effects of gluten consumption What intestinal permeability is and how it relates to gluten sensitivity How gluten (and other foods) can enter the bloodstream and cause autoimmune problems How celiac disease (an autoimmune disease) relates to autoimmune problems

In this episode, I talk to micronutrient experts Jayson and Mira Calton of Calton Nutrition about all things micronutrients, healthy fats and healing from osteoporosis. After receiving a diagnosis of severe osteoporosis before age 30, Mira set out to find health answers. Her journey lead her to Dr. Jayson and to a complete recovery from her disease with a micronutrient nutrition and lifestyle program. Their honeymoon involved a 6-year 100+ country journey they call the Calton Project. During this time, they researched and traveled to cultures around the world to see and experience their traditional lifestyles and diets. Jayson and Mira have been to countries that many of us have never even heard of and know the real story about these cultures that we often talk about in health discussions. Now, Jayson and Mira run Calton Nutrition to help others find their own health answers. They specialize in Micronutrients and have created a specific multivitamin called Nutreince to help boost micronutrient levels wi

Dr. Ben Lynch is a naturopathic doctor and world expert on MTHFR genes and methylation problems. In this episode, we talk about the many ways that methylation problems  can affect health, especially for women. What is MTHFR? The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene produces the MTHFR enzyme, which is responsible for breaking down (methylating) folate in the body. Up to 50% of Americans have an MTHFR gene defect of some type that impairs their ability to mthylate properly. These defects can cause problems with everything from nutrient absorption to gene expression. The methylation of folate is also important for healthy homocysteine levels and hormone levels because one of the byproducts of methylation us used to break the amino acid homocysteine down to another essential amino acid, methionine. The body uses methionine to make proteins, utilize antioxidants, and to assist your liver in processing fats. Methionine into SAM-e (s-adenosylmethionine) in the liver. SAM-e is important for reducing

Years ago, I wrote about how I remineralized a small cavity in one of my teeth and I never expected the response it would get. Now, there are dozens of comments from readers who have remineralized their own teeth, and dozens more from readers and dental professionals who claim this isn’t possible. I wanted to get to the bottom of this. I knew what worked for me, but wanted a dentist to really delve in and explain if remineralization is actually possible, and if so, how it works and the science behind it. A Dentist’s Perspective on Remineralization I was elated to meet Dr. Judene Benoit who uses a specialized approach to dentistry that combines the research and knowledge she learned in dental school with a holistic research-based approach to oral health. She has helped many people remineralize teeth and is the author of the book How to Stop Cavities: A Natural Approach to Prevention and Remineralization. In this podcast, she and I delve into the difference between healing and remineraliz

Ian Clark, founder of Activation Products, was diagnosed with a series of life threatening health issues in 2004 and was not expected to live more than a few months. Realizing that conventional measures of treating his illnesses had not worked for his family members in the past, he forged his own path to better health through food and specialized nutrients and supplements. After five years of healing and improving his own health, and 90 pounds lighter, Ian set out to help others achieve the same results that he had. He focused on finding the highest level scientific discoveries in the world and making them available to others. In my personal conversations with Ian, he has told me about several unusual supplements, remedies and practices that have made a noticeable difference in my life and that I had not heard anyone else talk about before. I asked him to be on the podcast to share these with you. In this episode, we cover: The scientifically backed reason you should put your feet up at night (and

Abel James, creator of the popular blog FatBurningMan, joins me in this episode to talk about female specific fasting for weight loss and mental performance, how to lose weight while eating chocolate, and using music for therapy. Abel is a modern day Renaissance man and bestselling author, award winning podcaster, world traveler and husband to Alyson. He has advised fortune 500 companies and is an acclaimed speaker. Abel graduated as a Senior Fellow with Honors at Dartmouth College with a concentration in Psychological and Brain Sciences and has traveled the world as a musician. His book The Wild Diet and his new musical album both release this spring. In this episode, we talk about: Abel’s own journey to health that involved following his doctors advice and gaining 30 pounds in the process before finding his own answers and losing 20 pounds effortlessly in 40 days (while still eating chocolate) What the “Wild Diet” is and how it is different from other diets Abel’s take on fast

This episode is with one of my favorite people and researchers… Dr. Terry Wahls of The Wahls Protocol is not only a brilliant doctor and researcher, but she reversed her progressive MS through food and lifestyle changes and went from using a tilt recline wheelchair to walking, biking and running. To say she is an inspiration is an understatement and her work is equally inspiring as she works to bring knowledge of the role of diet in cellular health to mainstream medicine. She has a clinic where she helps patients with a variety of conditions to find their own health answers. In this podcast episode, we cover: How Dr. Terry reversed her MS Her protocol for reversing chronic disease, autoimmune disease and more The real problem with GMOs (it isn’t what you think) How cholesterol works and why low cholesterol could actually increase your risk of death and disease The role of the microbiome for health The best ways to support our children for lifelong health So much more Resources mentioned: Terr

The objection I hear most often to a real-food organic diet is that it is cost prohibitive. This is definitely the case at first glance sometimes, since cheaper processed foods are often subsidized and cheaper than organic foods and produce, but on today’s episode, I’m excited to introduce a new real food resource that is helping bridge the gap. What is Thrive Market? It is called Thrive Market and it is an online membership site that delivers Whole Foods products at Costco prices with the convenience of Amazon Prime. I talk with Thrive Market’s CEO and co-founder, Gunnar Lovelace, about how this new resource works and how it will benefit you. Thrive Market is able to offer many natural and real food products at 30-50% off retail due to their membership model. They have a membership fee like Costco (less that $5 a month) and this allows them to offer products at wholesale prices. All orders over $49 qualify for free shipping. With a Conscience… One of my favo

I guess you could call me a broth snob! Our family drinks bone broth often and I make it at home all the time. I’ve perfected my own broth recipe and absolutely love it, so it is a big deal when I say that a broth is the best I’ve ever tasted. Chef Lance Roll has been a chef for over 20 years and he has an amazing chicken broth that he ships all over the world. I’ve tried his broth multiple times and it is incredible, so I asked him to come on the podcast and talk about all things broth. In this episode, we talk about the benefits and importance of bone broth and how it affects the body. He also explains how you can make your own nourishing and delicious broth and home and his special process for creating his highly concentrated and nutrient dense broth. Lance is so passionate about real food and spreading the message of the importance of broth. He sells his own amazing broth at TheBrothery.com but he also hopes that everyone listening will start consuming broth whether it is his or their o

In this episode of the Wellness Mama Podcast, Vani Hari, the Food Babe, and I talk about what is really in your food that you might have no idea you are consuming. Vani and her website FoodBabe.com have become incredibly popular for her work in exposing the dirty secrets of the food industry, especially chemicals that are added to foods in the United States but banned in other countries. She has successfully launched petitions against many food giants and has gotten them to remove artificial dyes, colors, chemicals and even antibiotics from their foods. Vani shares her own story and health journey from being an over-stressed and over-worked corporate employee with a poor diet to being a crusader for real food. Her transformation began with an appendicitis attack and a resulting investigation into the foods she had been eating that led to her poor health. Vani’s research revealed many problems in our current food supply and she set out to expose these problems and educate the world so that consumers cou

Chad and Brenda Walding join me on today’s podcast to explain how sitting can be one of the most harmful things you do each day. You’ve probably seen the headlines… “Sitting is the New Smoking” “7 Ways Sitting Will Kill You” “Sitting is Taking Years Off Your Life” …and you may have hoped it was media hype. Sitting is Worse Than Donuts… It isn’t hype. More and more studies have come out proving how bad sitting is EVEN if you work out regularly. Here are three important studies about sitting… Study One: Sitting causes premature death (especially in women!) Alpa Patel (PhD), an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006. The men in the study who spent six hours or more per day of their leisure time sitting had an overall death rate that was 20 percent higher than the men who sat for three hours or less. The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours a day

Today I’m joined by Brianne Grogan of FemFusionFitness.com for a great discussion about female health, pelvic floor health, and when Kegels aren’t a such a good idea. Some resources we mention in this episode FemFusionFitness.com Core Fitness for Women article Should You Do Kegels Article Other episodes to check out 106: Why to Stop Doing Kegels & Squat Instead with Katy Bowman 109: Vaginal Health, Menopause, and Hormone Therapy With Dr. Anna Cabeca 235: Signs of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction & How to Stop Pelvic Pain Naturally With Isa Herrera Thanks to all of you for joining me and listening to this week’s podcast episode. I’m really enjoying recording these podcasts and hope you are as well and are leaning a lot from them. You can stay in touch with me on social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, @Wellnessmama. I would also really appreciate it if you would take a second and subscribe to this podcast via iTunes or Stitcher so that you’ll be no

I’ve been fascinated by oral health and it’s connection to whole-body health for a long time. I’ve looked for answers to questions like “Can teeth heal” and “What really causes tooth decay” and this podcast episode addresses those same questions. What Really Causes Tooth Decay? Will Revak of OraWellness.com and I talk about the relationship between food and overall health and the health of the mouth. With statistics like “98% of adults in the US have some form of oral health problem,” it is time to start looking more deeply into the relationship of diet and lifestyle to oral health. The cultural understanding is that sugar sitting on the teeth causes tooth decay and that brushing, flossing and maintaining good oral hygiene is the key to good oral health. Turns out that the data doesn’t really support these ideas though. Consider this: Women are more likely to suffer from oral health problems when pregnant and a pregnant women with oral health probl

The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland in the neck that is intricately involved in body temperature, proper digestion and cognitive function and hormone health. In other words, when the thyroid isn’t happy, the body isn’t functioning properly. I know firsthand the frustration of living with thyroid disease and how difficult it can be to get the body back in balance. I saw many doctors over a period of 7 years before finding answers and I wanted to bring my doctor on the podcast to help shed some light on thyroid disease and autoimmune disease. Dr. Alan Christianson Dr. Alan Christianson is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in natural endocrinology with a focus on thyroid health. He read his family’s entire set of encyclopedia’s before he went to kindergarten and has always been highly intelligent. In grade school, he struggled with epilepsy, poor coordination and obesity and after being made fun of in class one day, he resolved to get healthy. He read a lot of nutrition and

I’ll never forget talking to a friend after she suffered a miscarriage. It was her third. She and her husband struggled to get pregnant for years and suffered through hormone treatments, surgeries and much more. They finally conceived and then lost their little one. Then another, and another. She was at her breaking point. Her marriage was at a breaking point and she felt like her body was betraying her. Her struggle was part of what led to my focus on reproductive nutrition. It didn’t make sense to me that women’s bodies should need hormones and artificial treatments to conceive. Fertility is a sign of health, and as I discovered, infertility is usually a sign of a deeper problem that needs to be addressed. Often, artificial hormones can make things worse. Thankfully, my friend did go on to have a beautiful baby (and two more after that), but I was forever affected by her pain while she was struggling with infertility. Today’s guest, Alisa Vitti, has been through the same struggle of

This week, Reed Davis of the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Program and I talk about practical nutrition for hormone health, weight loss, bone health and much more. Random fact: People with a lot of moles tend to live longer than people with a lesser number of moles. Also, one human hair can support 3.5 ounces. That’s about the weight of two full size candy bars, and with hundreds of thousands of hairs on the human head, makes the tale of Rapunzel much more plausible, just still fictional. Reed is Founder of the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) Certification Course. He is a Clinical Advisor at BioHealth Laboratory where he helps practitioners to interpret test results and develop natural protocols that restore function instead of just treating symptoms. Reed is one of the most successful and experienced clinicians in the world, having provided functional lab assessments to over 11,000 people for hormone levels as well as adrenal, digestion, detoxification, immune system, bone density and chr

Chris Kresser is a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of integrative medicine. He researched to find his own health answers after conventional medicine wasn’t able to help his chronic disease and he now works to help others improve their health and their lives through better nutrition and lifestyle. I’ve always been incredibly impressed by Chris’ research and work and I quote him often. I am so excited to share his research and work with you in this episode. If you are “pregnant or may become pregnant” this episode is incredibly important for you! Natural Fertility Chris became especially interested in fertility and hormone health when he and his wife had trouble conceiving and his research led him to unconventional answers about diet, lifestyle and stress. They went on to conceive and have a healthy (and beautiful) daughter and it is now a mission for him to help other couples do the same. Chris created a whole course on this and I highly recommend it. You can find out mor

Today, I’m taking a break from normal podcast interviews to step on my soapbox for a few minutes. I love doing interviews (you can check them all out here), but a recent experience reminded me of the importance of this issue and I didn’t want to wait for an interview to talk about it. Any guesses as to what the issue is? I’ll give you a hint- it is an addictive substance that is linked to various types of disease and is especially harmful to children who are exposed. Nicotine? Nope. Illicit drugs? Those too, but no. Asbestos? Yes, but not today’s topic. Another hint- It is molecularly similar to cocaine and harmful to the liver. Alcohol? No. Vegetable oils? Nope, but those are bad too. Toxic cleaning chemicals? No, but I would recommend using natural alternatives to those as well. Today, I’m ranting about SUGAR. Why? Because I decided to count for a week and my children were offered refined sugar in some form 21 times! The scary part is that we avoid a lot of situations where th

In this episode of the Wellness Mama Podcast, I talk to my friend Dr. Pedram Shojai (founder of Well.org) about ways to improve the future for our children and how to create vitality in our lives. In This Episode We Discuss 1:30- The problems that future generations will face 2:04- Pedram’s new goals for future generations 3:30- The problem with conventional medicine 4:20- Why he felt trapped 4:30- The “sick care” problem 5:15- One of the flaws of the existing health care model 6:05- What inspired him to create “Vitality” 6:40- The wheel of vitality 7:00- Sleep, mindset, diet and exercise 7:50- Why kids have so much energy 10:28- Changes to make to improve health 10:45- The first stop 10:50- Breakfast: say no to cereal 11:00- Why cereal is a big deal 11:30- Why our kids are disconnected from food 12:01- How to make positive changes for your family 12:47- The flaw with our method of teaching children 13:40- The epidemic of kids not moving 14:01- The mindset for kids- how to fix i