Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Practical Ways to Improve Mental Health Naturally

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Adel Corker shares his personal journey from decades in clinical medicine to becoming a passionate advocate for mental health. Despite an accomplished career in nephrology, his most important lessons came from lived experience—facing severe panic attacks, depression, and learning firsthand the critical link between body and mind.

Dr. Corker reveals how exercise, mindfulness, and self-compassion became essential tools in his recovery and explains why prioritizing physical wellness is one of the most overlooked ways to support mental health. He also highlights systemic issues, like underfunded brain research, and why society must shift its priorities.

This episode is both practical and hopeful, offering listeners evidence-based yet accessible tools to manage depression and anxiety while reminding us of the healing power of treating ourselves with kindness.

Primary Topics Covered:

• The overlooked connection between physical and mental health
• Dr. Corker’s personal experience with panic attacks and depression
• How exercise can be a powerful tool for managing anxiety and depression
• The role of meditation and mindfulness in building resilience
• The importance of self-compassion, self-respect, and self-love
• Why mental health research is underfunded compared to physical health
• Small, daily practices that improve both body and mind

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and partnership with A.B. Corker Foundation
 02:27 – Dr. Corker’s medical training and lack of mental health education
 03:54 – First encounters with patients struggling mentally while on dialysis
 04:56 – His personal experience with panic attacks
 06:05 – Why exercise became a lifesaving mental health tool
 07:19 – Meditation and learning to slow down
 08:07 – Photography, focus, and the importance of where we place attention
 10:04 – Building resilience through self-compassion
 12:36 – The funding gap in mental health research
 14:09 – Hope for shifting priorities post-pandemic
 14:31 – Final message: healthy body, healthy mind, and practicing self-care

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