How Wellness Habits Support Depression Recovery: Nutrition, Sleep, and Healing with Darin Olien

Can everyday wellness habits really support depression recovery?

In this inspiring episode, bestselling author and wellness expert Darin Olien (SuperLife, Fatal Conveniences, and Netflix’s Down to Earth with Zac Efron) joins hosts Terry and Dr. Anita Sands to discuss the profound connection between wellness practices and mental health.

Drawing from his family’s struggles with depression and his own life challenges—including losing his home in the California wildfires—Darin shares how grief, nutrition, hydration, and lifestyle changes all play vital roles in building resilience and supporting recovery.

This conversation blends science, lived experience, and hope, reminding us that while genetics and trauma matter, the daily choices we make about food, sleep, and self-care can profoundly influence our mental well-being.

Link to Darin Olien's website: https://darinolien.com/

Primary Topics Covered:

• Darin Olien’s personal experiences with depression in his family
• The connection between grief, trauma, and resilience
• How ultra-processed foods impact mood, gut health, and brain chemistry
• Why hydration is often overlooked but critical for energy and mental clarity
• The importance of community, therapy, and safe spaces for honesty
• Why unresolved trauma is at the root of much suffering
• The power of sleep and circadian rhythms in stabilizing mood
• Why genetics account for only ~20% of outcomes, and lifestyle choices for the other 80%
• How to give yourself permission to dream and build a life you want
• Practical first steps toward wellness when energy feels low

Timestamps

00:11 Welcome and introduction
 01:10 Why mental health is often excluded from “wellness” conversations
 02:16 Introducing Darin Olien and his work (SuperLife, Fatal Conveniences, Down to Earth)
03:29 Darin shares his family’s struggles with depression
05:37 Coping with grief after losing his father, divorce, and his home in a wildfire
07:19 The courage it takes to feel emotions fully and move through them
08:25 The connection between processed foods, gut health, and depression
09:55 Why unresolved trauma fuels much of our suffering
11:28 The importance of therapy, professional help, and safe spaces
13:01 The power of active listening and men’s groups in healing
15:03 How pain and trauma can be transformed into healing opportunities
16:20 Lifestyle choices that impact depression (nutrition, sleep, hydration)
17:51 Practical tips for nutrition and eating whole foods with limited energy
18:42 Hydration and why dehydration mimics fatigue and low mood
19:41 Darin’s closing advice: seek help and give yourself permission to dream
21:52 Hosts reflect on focusing on what we can control
23:50 Genetics vs. lifestyle: why you have more influence than you think
26:30 Closing reflections and listener invitation for feedback

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