Critical Conversations

Like most of us – her story is personal. After struggling with her health for years, Carly was in pursuit of a proper diagnosis over 5 years ago. It didn't happen overnight, but she was ultimately diagnosed with Hashimoto's, a very common autoimmune hypothyroid condition. It's then, that she became increasingly passionate about pursuing answers and identifying the root cause. In this episode: We discuss her health journey pitfalls and successes - including the top 6 changes she made - to heal from the inside out. www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode025 "I had to own my state and know that no one was going to do this for me, because my health is my responsibility. That’s when everything began to improve" - Carly Johnson Brawner of @frolicandflow Carly has also recently launched an online "Healing Hashimoto's" Course - Focused on empowering Hashimoto's patients to work better with their doctors to understand their disease and really begin to build a blueprint for healing, longterm. You won't want to m

We spend 42% of our day looking at screens. That’s 6 hours and 43 minutes daily – or 7,956 days of your life. Think about how crazy that is. This effects your posture longterm which has direct impact on your mental and physical health. It also changes how people see you, whether or not they take you seriously and whether or not they choose to show you respect. Until something is directly effecting your health – it’s really easy to just brush off the small daily habits – you know you should be doing. But here's the thing - research shows that something as simple as our body posture we maintain while holding our phones, sitting at the computer or even standing in a crowd - has a significant impact on our mood, our confidence, and even our cardiovascular health. We dive into this & so much more with this week's episode - I don't want to give it all away - so be sure to tune in.  FULL SHOW NOTES: www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode024 P.S.....  SHE DAY - Orange County is happening this Saturday 

It's about time we start paying attention to the symptoms and signals our bodies are sending us on a much deeper level. Skin Issues, Digestive Health, Heartburn, nutrient Deficiencies ... they're all more closely related than we realize. When you start paying closer attention to what your body is trying to tell you, you can get closer to discovering and even possibly reversing the root cause of the problem that has been developing overtime. Lifestyle, Diet, Environment, Toxins, Stress ... It's all connected. We dive into this, and so much more within episode 23 ... it's the perfect continuation and part two of the larger conversation from last week's episode. Jennifer Klotz, RD is at it again with the incredible information, statistics, and simple solutions you can start taking action on right away. Here's another AMAZING ARTICLE she's put together for you to summarize some of the key points from this episode you might want to re-read again and again.   Looking for tickets to SHE DAY? Join Us in Person, HERE.

92% of All Americans have at least ONE nutrient deficiency. Known to cause a multitude of health issues, such as: muscle cramps, joint pain, headaches, skin issues, fatigue, sleep issues, inflammation, bleeding of the gums, autoimmune conditions, etc.  & Yet, instead of paying attention to what intuitively sounds right, tastes good, and makes us feel well - the majority of us are falling victim to fad trends while losing the ability to know what our bodies actually need - intuitively. Access additional resources, articles and get the FULL SHOW NOTES on our website: www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode022 Being deficient in just one nutrient is serious, and yet most of us have no idea what our labs look like. These 'imbalances' truly throw your body out of balance and can lead to chronic health issues if left unaddressed, long term. This is why adding something new to your diet with a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals to your morning routine will make you feel instantly better. (This doesn't

According to a recent survey -  88% of Americans report feeling “stressed out” for a multitude of reasons around the holidays. Topics we tackle in this episode: Perceived Weight Gain,  Shocking Statistics about the Diet Industry, Food Rules, Food Allergies, Family Opinions, Food Cravings, (Letting Go of) Meeting Expectations for Others, Food Cravings, Breaking Free from Traditions (if that's what feels right),  & stress management techniques you won't want to miss. Don’t let the “little things” overwhelm you. We’re diving into the most commonly perceived stressors around holiday traditions and gatherings. We’re here to empower you with personal stories and advice to remind you that you’re not alone. Sharing shocking statistics around weight gain and the diet industry you won't want to miss. Don’t let family conversations derail you. & Don’t miss out on the traditions of the day. Relax, Let Go, Take a Deep Breath & Enjoy the time with your family and friends while you can.   links, resources &

Continuing our last conversation from episode 16 with Brigid all about the imperative role our gut health plays in our overall health, mood, and well-being. This week – we’re focusing in on GLUTEN & why so many people are experiencing improved health once going “gluten free”, the right way. As the saying goes – “you are what you eat”. But, now we know, it’s actually more about what you “absorb” that makes you who you are. Is gluten affecting all of us negatively, or is it just a small percentage of the population? Should we all be eating gluten free? Could you potentially be intolerant and not even know it? We answer all of your questions and more. Additional show notes, links & resources available at: www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode020 & Sign-up for Monday Motivation e-mails here: www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/contact Americans are predisposed to having increased issues & developing a sensitivity to gluten due to the “Standard American” diet and lifestyle – otherwise know

Amanda Huggins is back from Bali and here to shatter the notion of “perfection” in your life while helping you to see the real, raw, authentic potential within. In this episode: We talk about letting go of the grip on your life with ease, kindness, simplicity - while sharpening your inner perspective to cultivate happiness from within, along the way. What you focus in on – you’ll create more of in your life. links, resources & show notes: www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode019

What if we told you that you could significantly reduce your chance of developing or even begin to reverse most weight problems, skin issues, hormone imbalances, autoimmune conditions or metabolic disorders? These are statistically significant problems in our society & this week, we're here to tell you: We still have the chance to drastically reverse most of these issues - all by reducing/minimizing our exposures to a special group of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, found in most everyday items that most of us are being exposed to without even thinking twice about it. Jennifer Klotz, MS, RDN, LDN is here to empower us to make more informed choices when it comes to the widely available (chemical) products most of us are using on a daily basis and still bringing into our homes. It's time to take our power back and realize that everything we're exposed to - has the ability to impact our health. It's no longer just about calories in, calories out. (that's an old and very inaccurate way of looking at

Are you eating your clothes? That’s a crazy question, right? But, the answer is most likely, YES. Your clothes are shedding microfibers with every wash & these microfibers might just be a bigger deal than plastic straws when it comes to the environmental impact we all need to be aware of. Studies have shown that microfibers are flooding our planet – in fact, they've even been detected in beer, sea salt, small fish, and more. No one is talking about this loudly enough yet, so we're excited to bring Heather Young, co-founder of SHE Changes Everything, back to talk about something she’s so passionate about: microfibers and how they're impacting your health and the health of the planet. FACT: The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources estimates that 0.6 – 1.7 million tons of microfibers are released into the ocean every year. In this episode: We talk about the canary in the coal mine, plastic and how it effects your health, what microfibers are, where they come from, how you’re c

Gut Health is one of the major key factors we should all be becoming increasingly aware of when it comes to protecting our long-term health. We’re only just beginning to understand, as a society, how intricately related the balance of our microbiome is to our mood, our energy and our immune system. In this episode: Antibiotics, processed foods, refined and artificial sugars, prescription medications, pesticides covering conventional produce & all of our community parks, living in sterile work and home environments, willpower & calorie counting, as well as the impact that a lack of exposure to the outdoors, fermented foods, pre-biotics and pro-biotics are all having on our long term health. According to Brigid Titgemeier, MSN, RD, LDN -  Food cravings aren't actually a willpower problem at all – she says it’s actually a problem with the food environments that are being made available to us. Change your food “norms” - from what you believe to be acceptable, to what is actually nourishing and healing yo

 When you make small - Sustainable, Healthy, Ethical- changes that matter, over time, it truly can change everything. Simply becoming aware of the changes you can make is all we ask. Making an impact with the information you discover along the way is up to you!  In this episode, we only scratch the surface of it all, while discussing plastics, Lyme disease, autoimmune conditions, the invisible chemicals making you fat, formaldehyde, and the clothing you didn’t know was labeled as "toxic waste" before it made it to your closet. Sisters Heather Young & Jennifer Klotz are the faces behind the truly impactful website: shechangeseverything.com & hosts of the incredible events you may have already heard of, known as SHE DAY.The event will be hitting four major cities across the U.S. in 2019 & Listen closely, because there's a discount code offered specifically for podcast listeners - in this episode! They're here to inspire you, encourage you, provide you with the information you need - to make simple c

Welcoming Brigid Titgemeier M.S., R.D.N, L.D aka @beingbrigid as the newest co-host of the Critical Converations Community. She's here to help expand the conversation around health and nutrition via her incredible experience in the field of functional nutrition. Brigid graduated with her Master’s of Science in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University & completed the (IFM) Institute for Functional Medicine’s Advanced Functional Medicine Training for Clinicians. She has even trained under and worked along side Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the top functional medicine doctors in the industry - while working as a founding dietitian of the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Functional Medicine. Brigid is now also teaching as an adjunct instructor in a graduate level course in Integrative and Functional Nutrition as well as developing a new functional nutrition consulting practice that we will be sure to dive into deeper, soon.  At the age of 14 – Brigid was diagnosed with a rare condition known as narc

Have you ever pushed yourself for the sake of commitment - until you realize you’ve pushed yourself too far? We can push ourselves over the edge & develop unnecessary stress, anxiety, overwhelm and even illness in our lives because of it. As we discuss in this episode - Health is about so much more than just what’s on your plate and how often you’re working out.  Your mindset around the life you’re living - is truly everything.  Amanda Huggins, aka @thefeistyyogi – joins us as our FIRST GUEST on the critical conversations podcast as our newest co-host & she’s here to expand the conversation around mental health, anxiety and self worth. She started her career in tech start-ups, transitioned slowly into yoga, became a certified yoga teacher and has now found her calling – diving deeper into the realities of mental health & how your perspective of it all is affecting your life.   THIS CONVERSATION IS POWERFUL.    She’s expanding the conversation around health in a way we’ve never discussed before &am

The Critical Conversations Podcast was created by two friends that just so happened to be critical care nurses with a decade of experience taking care of extremely sick people - motivated by the things we knew we could change - frustrated by the capabilities & time made available to us within the American healthcare system. We ( Briana Reesing & Laura Gluck ) created this podcast for YOU & whole heartedly believe in the potential around the power of taking things into your own hands after seeing the true handicaps of the traditional system.We know from personal experience - that seeking out constant education and motivation when it comes to everything preventative health - is the most powerful thing you can do for your health and your life. Sadly, Laura has decided to step away from this podcast. Our friendship remains strong . & our passion to motivate you to take care of yourself is still very much - common ground between us - life has just pulled us in two different directions, and that's O

We’ve all heard sugar is bad for us. But, have you ever stopped to think about the consequences of substituting sugar for ‘DIET’ alternatives – such as those brightly colored, zero-calorie, artificial sweeteners instead? Sucralose (Splenda), Saccharin (Sweet & Low), Aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), Stevia (Sweet Leaf), & Sugar Alcohols (like Xylitol) are hiding in too many standard American food items to count. They’ve all been made in a lab by chemists discovering how to make our food sweeter with less calories – at the expense of our long term health. Plus, we can’t deny the fact that they’ve been perfectly marketed to us as one of the most recognizable condiments available to us at almost every coffee shop and restaurant in America – for FREE. If you don’t know them by name – we can confidently assume that you know them as the little “pink, yellow and blue packets” always crammed in next to the sugar. What’s not to like about FREE stuff? Or better yet … SWEET stuff? We hope to make you stop and thi

YOLO (you only live once). It may be a 'fun' common way to say 'live a little' - but we take it's meaning - Quite Literally. SUGAR – is known to cause cavities, diabetes (type 2) and weight gain when consumed in high amounts on a regular basis. But, DID YOU KNOW – it has now also been linked to digestive issues such as leaky gut and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, high blood pressure, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia and has even been linked to increase the likelihood and growth rate of certain cancers? That being said... What if we told you, you had the power to take your health back and do your best to prevent these above mentioned diseases solely by paying attention to what you’re eating …. Would you do something about it? Change your habits? Switch up your morning routine? Maybe skip the coffee & donut combo every single day and reach for something more nutritious for the health of it? How much sugar have you eaten today? Truly take a minute to think about it. Google it – Look into it. Turn

WARNING: Everybody poops. But, no one is talking about it. So, we’re taking the liberty of opening up the conversation around digestive health to a much deeper level today. Do you poop often enough? Do you pay attention to what it looks like? More on this (diarrhea and constipation), along with a multitude of other symptoms that may be silent symptoms of poor gut health that you’ve been ignoring. Psoriasis, Eczema, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Weight Gain, Fatigue, Brain Fog, Hypoglycemia, ADHD, MS, headaches …. You name it . It’s all connected. In this episode we dive deeper into the importance of your microbiome as well as the simple solutions that are in your hands on a daily basis. Get the full breakdown, show notes, quotes, links, & resources on our website: www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode009 & join our incredible community on instagram @CriticalConversations   Your hosts: Laura Gluck & Briana Reesing   *LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The information in this podcast is to be viewed as gene

Leaky Gut. Microbiome. #GutHealth. IBS. Food Sensitivities. Probiotics … There’s a chance you may have heard these words mentioned in recent conversation with your doctor, coworker, friend or possibly even on social media. But, do you truly understand why “gut health” is such a hot topic of conversation lately? You can access the full show notes, links and resources at www.criticalconversationspodcast.com/episode008 Or join the conversation on instagram @criticalconversations With this episode, we hope to help you understand the microbiome on a deeper level while leaving you with tangible tips and tricks of what you can do about it – how to avoid the things that may be harming you – and how to replenish the good bacteria in your body that’s trying to help you thrive and survive.     Still eager to learn more? We Highly recommend you checkout Dr. Josh Axe’s website as a resource for easy to understand information about the microbiome and more. - - - He also has a book with deeper information and solutions for

In this episode, Laura Gluck of www.fitasgluck.com shares her personal story with us for the first time. Ironically, it starts just like anyone else & we have a feeling you’ll be able to relate. It begins … when she was born. Healthy. Strong. Without Complications. Until a multitude of childhood infections led to multiple antibiotic prescriptions, resulting digestive issues, ovarian cysts, birth control, gallbladder surgery, hospital admission for sepsis - and so much more. Laura takes us through her personal medical history and reveals how, what seemed to be a moment in time, was the middle piece of a very complex puzzle. She starts by explaining parts of her history she didn’t realize were so important or so connected to other areas of her health until recently.  From labs showing glucose intolerance, elevated stress hormones and altered thyroid function, to casually being put on oral birth control to manage symptoms at age 15, no questions asked. We realize now how connected it truly all was.  More tha

We’re all unique – with our own health history, symptoms and life events. In this episode, critical conversations co-host: Briana Reesing of www.beachlifeorganic.com shares her own personal story in hopes of motivating you to seek out answers for the symptoms you may be having before it’s too late. It’s not always easy to get a clear diagnosis when the symptoms you’re having are vague or infrequent. But, that doesn’t mean you should give up. Be your own best advocate, listen to the signals and symptoms your body is showing you and begin to dial into those. Briana shares her own personal ‘journey’ of autoimmune issues triggered by increased stress in her adult life accompanied by a multitude of factors that had been leading up to the problem for years before the symptoms began presenting themselves. She was getting married, buying a house, fighting to stop a termite fumigation of her house, and working full time as a charge nurse of a busy ER when her body began shutting down.   If we learned anything from thi