The Wellness Mama Podcast

My post about 101 uses for coconut oil is one of the most popular posts on WellnessMama.com. I’m a huge fan of coconut oil and my family uses it for everything! Jake Carney of TheAlternativeDaily.com joins me on this informative podcast to talk about the coconut oil secret, natural remedies and healthy fats. Jake has an extremely popular book, The Coconut Oil Secret and you can get it at a discount by visiting this link. In this episode, Jake and I talk about 2:03- How Jake became interested in alternative health 2:34- His big struggle that started at age 6 5:05- A tragedy in his personal life that was a catalyst for his own struggles 5:05- How his wife didn’t understand his struggle 5:15- What his doctor suggested and why he left his doctor’s office 7:35- What does everybody think? 7:54- How a surfing website helped him find answers 11:23- How TheAlternativeDaily.com got started 12:07- The free gift that had a huge impact on Jake 12:24- The site he will eventually start 13:30- When Jake st

In this episode I talk to former professional football player and world renowned speaker, Bo Eason, on a very important topic. This episode deviates from my usual themes of nutrition and health but addresses another important aspect of life. When I first heard that Bo would be speaking at an event I was attending, I wrote him off, figuring I would not learn much from an ex-football player. I could not have been more wrong! He told a story that struck me to the core, and I realized that he and I had similar goals for our families. He said that after he retired from playing football, he took his children to a birthday party in their city in California. He talked about how these lavish parties for five year olds always seemed to try and one-up each other and how uncomfortable he felt at them. His son Axel, found a football in the bushes and Bo and Axel started tossing the ball back and forth. Bo noticed a group of the other dads watching him and whispering as they played. At one point, Bo’s son dropped th

In this episode, Jonathan Bailor, author of The Calorie Myth breaks down the problems with the calorie theory of weight loss. Jonathan covers topics like why eating less or exercising more won’t ever truly solve a weight problem, how stress affects weight and clears up confusion with the often-misquoted Law of Thermodynamics. Jonathan and I Discuss 1:45- The disconnect between technology and science 3:00- Why Calories don’t count the way we think they do 3:30- Weight isn’t a moral issue. People who weigh more aren’t lazy 4:29- The idea of “just eat fewer calories” is akin to telling those with depression to just frown less and smile more 6:45- How calories can count, we just don’t need to count them 7:15- The “Calorie Myth” 7:29- Calories in/calories out and why it doesn’t work 7:44- The role of the hypothalamus 10:55- The four laws of thermodynamics and why it isn’t as simple as eating less and burning more 11:31- Why most interpretation

In this episode, I welcome special guest Steve Wright from SCDLifestyle.com to talk about all things digestion. Steve is the co-creator of SCD Lifestyle and the Solving Leaky Gut System. He is a featured contributor for Wellness Media, and has worked with hundreds of people to help them improve digestive health. SCDLifestyle.com helps readers find answers to problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Indigestion, Heartburn, Ulcerative Colitis, and other digestive problems. How Leaky Gut Effects Digestion In this episode we talk about finding real solutions for digestive problems and how to know what your body needs to improve digestion. Steve shares why conventional treatments often don’t work and how sometimes the “cure” can be like throwing fuel on the fire. He shares the two supplements that often make a night and day difference for digestive health and tells his own story of recovery. Steve talks about three things you must do everyday for optimal health and gives practical tips that you c

I had so much fun on this interview with Katie Kimball of KitchenStewardship.com. She is a fantastic writer and researcher, pregnant with her fourth child, and manages a household and her popular blog (and makes it all look easy). We recorded at 9 PM after our collective 8.5 children were sleeping and she provided a lot of great tips for cooking real food for a family. My apologies in advance for the little bit of audio feedback in this episode. The problem has been fixed for the future episodes. Katie shared some of her best tips for getting rid of pests like ants and wasps naturally without chemicals that can harm your children. Other Fun Topics We Talked About 0:30- Random brain facts like why you can’t tickle yourself 1:40- Katie’s ten foundational habits for a healthier family 2:00- The struggle to balance it all 2:20- Katie’s “Core Four” = Environment, Nutrition, Time and Budget 3:00- One thing at a time approach- Monday missions 3:40- One simple switch that makes a big di

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Kevin Cuccaro of StraightShotHealth.com. I met him a few months ago at a conference and was impressed with his research on stress and dealing with chronic pain. Many people struggle with chronic pain and Kevin has some valuable strategies for helping recover from it. Kevin is a doctor who left his private practice to pursue patient education and to help address some of the (major) problems in the health care system. As a doctor, he also provides some valuable insight in how to understand and talk to your doctor so that you can get real answers. In This Episode, We Discus 3:20 – Why as a doctor, he doesn’t want to see his patients all the time 4:30 – The frustration that doctors face 5:20 – Why stress can be good and why we need it 5:45 – The physiological effects of too much stress 6:30 – How stress impacts fertility and memory 6:55 – The continued effects of stress on the body 7:50 – How to become more resilient to stress and how

This week, I am so excited to welcome Heather Dessinger from Mommypotamus.com. She is a featured contributor to Wellness Media, author of several e-books and mom to three little ones. She and her husband Daniel recently moved to a farm and are working toward raising their own food. I was excited to talk to Heather because we both read each others blogs and I feel like we have a lot in common and I think she is an incredible resource for health and natural living. In This Episode, We Discuss 1:50 – Why the name Mommypotamus? 2:20 – Heather’s own health struggles 3:20 – Her life-changing moment at her wedding 3:55 – How her honeymoon was a catalyst for realizing the connection of food and health 4:45 – Heather’s turning point 6:28 – And YES to the hippopotamus! 7:00 – How and why she started Mommypotamus.com 7:20 – What are lip and tongue ties? 7:50 – Why we are seeing more tongue and lip ties 9:00 – Different symptoms related to tongue/li

I’m so happy to introduce Genevieve from MamaNatural.com. Genevieve is mom to two children and she and her husband Mike work together to run the Mama Natural blog and their wildly popular YouTube channel. She’s a also a Wellness Media featured contribute. Mama Natural on Quitting Sugar As her name suggests, Mama Natural is an expert at all things natural parenting, natural pregnancy and breastfeeding. She is also the mind behind the hilarious video Sh*t Crunchy Mamas Say: In this episode, Genevieve and I discus: 1:28 Her health struggle and how she came to real food 2:25 Her lightening bolt moment and how she made lasting changes 3:15 Her “last supper” 5:23 The factors that helped her with quitting sugar, lose 60lbs, and keep it off for over 15 years 6:16 How accountability helped her 7:23 How long it takes to detox from sugar and how to do it 8:20 Why she has hope for the health of future generations 10:45 Natural pregnancy, parenting, and birthing tips 16:00 The crunchy thing

It was wonderful to interview Lauren of EmpoweredSustenance.com who is a rising star in the blogging world and an incredibly smart researcher. Lauren and I talk about several topics that we are both passionate about, including the problems with canola oil, the benefits of gelatin and the importance of balancing hormones. In This Episode, We Cover Why canola oil is so dangerous and how we are both working to spread the word. (Read my full explanation here and check out Lauren’s campaign to get Whole Foods to remove it from pre-made foods) What foods are a “freak of nature” in both good and bad ways Why gelatin is an amazing superfood and how to consume enough Lauren’s own journey with debilitating autoimmune disease and how she overcame it Natural beauty care options and why it is important to avoid many conventional beauty products The unexpected factors that contribute to hormone balance How you can “Quit PMS“ Lauren’s simple step for better health The advice she w

I’ve written a lot about oral health and how it affects the health of the entire body. This episode is a replay from the Heal Thy Mouth World Summit where I had the privilege of speaking alongside top dental experts from around the world about how to improve your oral health. Topics I Cover in this Episode Why I think oral health is so crucial The oral health problems I’ve personally struggled with The fascinating research between diet and oral health My favorite resources for improving oral health How I’m helping to ensure that my kids have strong teeth and (hopefully) won’t need braces What foods and supplements help support tooth and gum health Factors that harm teeth and gums Other factors that affect oral health: hormones, saliva quality, sleep, stress, etc. Resources I Mention How to Remineralize Teeth Naturally Oral Affects the Health of the Whole Body How to Whiten Teeth Naturally (and Prevent Poisoning) Should I Take Supplements? Are You Low on Magnesium? Why I Drink Green

In this Episode, I talk about how to prepare real food on a real budget. Real Food on a Budget It seems like “real food” is one of those terms that has a hundred meanings on the internet. For the most part, I think all of the “real food” definitions are an improvement of the standard american diet, but I also think it is important to define that term these days. For me, real food simply means un-processed, non-modified foods in as close to their natural state as possible with a focus on nutrient dense foods. At our house, the bulk of our diet is made up of proteins like grassfed meats and pastured poultry, vegetables, fruit and lots of healthy fats. In this episode, I cover: Why fat is a more efficient fuel than carbohydrates or proteins Why counting calories is not effective What my typical daily and weekly meal plan template looks like Foods I prioritize when budget is tight Specific foods I consume when pregnant or nursing First foods for baby Foods to avoid during pre-conception,

In this inaugural episode of The Wellness Mama Podcast: Simple Answers for Healthier Families, I discuss my personal journey and my reason for starting this blog and the podcast. I also talk about what is next for the podcast and topics I’ll be covering in the future, especially my core topics on how to “RESET” your health: Why A Podcast? When my oldest son was just six weeks old, I was reading a magazine in the doctor’s office at my follow-up appointment and I read a line that hit me like a ton of bricks: “For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.” The article continued to talk about the coming rise in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease and other problems. I looked down at my tiny, perfect infant and every cell in my body rebelled against the idea that he would have to suffer these problems. I decided that a 50:50 chance of diabetes wasn’t good enough for