Eat for Life
Samantha Gilbert
In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to set aside self-care. With long daily to-do lists, many people disregard things that make them miserable. They go on with their lives despite feeling exhausted, sick, or downright depressed. Some can't even afford to stop to take a short breath. As a result, their bodies fail them, and they struggle to understand their ultimate purpose in life. Find the much-needed pause to reinvigorate yourself, right here on the Eat For Life Podcast. This show features free, learn-on-the-go content that can reveal the root causes of your suffering. Connect your physical, emotional, and spiritual health to find your very own path to healing. Tune in to bi-monthly discussions about the next best steps for a fruitful healing process. This non-judgmental space offers everything you need to resolve the challenges hindering you from reclaiming the life you are meant for. Learn how to address your illness, heal from childhood trauma, release negative energy, and experience monumental life change. Listen to conversations that acknowledge your pain and fears, giving you a chance to grow. If you are tired of hearing unhelpful medical findings, signing up for overpriced programs with no actual benefit, or getting unreliable advice from Google, this podcast can help. Dive deep into complex subjects such as neuroscience, epigenetics, functional and micromolecular medicine, trauma and abuse, as well as spirituality and faith. Find out how to apply them to your everyday life and unlock a better version of yourself. This is a safe place to hear advice that addresses depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, and autism. Build a healthy body through proper care of your hormones, heal an autoimmune disease, or get rid of a gut infection you may be suffering from. Most importantly, feel inspired by stories of individuals from all walks of life who overcame their most complicated and enduring obstacles. Host of the podcast is Samantha Gilbert (Sami), a Nutritional Therapy Counselor and Hope Communicator. She specializes in a functional, nutrient-based approach to healing the brain and body using compassionate approaches based on biochemical individuality. In addition to sharing expert advice, she is a living testament to the amazing power of nutrition therapy for those feeling drained of hopes and dreams. Sami had a painful relationship with food caused by biochemical imbalances running in her family. Due to the emotional burden of her childhood trauma, sometimes she ate compulsively, and other times deprived herself of food altogether. Sami also struggled with suicidal ideation, suffered from chronic fatigue, and regularly battled depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. For so long, she felt broken and alone. Trying to fix herself, Sami spent over $100,000 on different practitioners, counselors, and therapists. She tried a myriad of therapies including affirmations, visions quests, and meditation, as well as Prozac, Zoloft, and herbal remedies, that for the most part, made her feel worse. Eventually, Sami found the healing she needed by going back to school to study functional medicine and nutrition therapy. By becoming an expert in these fields, she discovered the best diets for anxiety and depression, the ideal nutrition for mental health, and how food and nutrients balance hormones. Sami’s physical and mental worlds now align as she Eats for Life and turns pain into purpose. This podcast is a bridge to forge empathetic connections and deliver healing advice to people going through a hurtful time. Your health is a puzzle and your unique story matters. Join Sami in putting the pieces back together and getting rid of everything that stops you from the life you are meant to live. You have the right to a healthy relationship with food and your body. Become confident about your passions and unafraid of other people’s opinions. Listen to Eat for Life at http://eatfor.life/podcast/.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 13, 2021 • 48min
How to Tackle EMF Pollution with Nicolas Pineault
Is your smartphone phone really bad for you?Our lives are increasingly full of wireless devices, from our phones, tablets and e-readers to our “smart” home appliances.We know there are mental health impacts from constant connection to the internet, work, social media and more through our phones, but our technology poses other risks too.Maybe you’ve been hearing people talk about the negative effects of magnetic fields and wondered if it’s really that bad. I can tell you, in my clinic, I have seen the devastating impact EMFs can have on mental, physical and emotional health.As a nutritional therapist, I’m usually talking about the toxins in our food supply, but we’re also constantly being exposed to toxins resulting from what today’s guest calls “electrical pollution.”Nicolas Pineault, “the EMF Guy,” is an advocate for safe technologies and the bestselling author of The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFsThrough his unconventional approach, blending humor, science and common sense, Nick has become a leading voice on the topic of electromagnetic pollution and its impacts on our health.I’m excited for you to hear our conversation as we dissect how EMFs affect mental health, cancer risk, infertility, cognitive function and aging.Listen to the full episode to hear:What emerging research shows about the impact of EMFs on cancer risk and their classification as a carcinogen.Why advocating for safer technology doesn’t mean you have to go back to the Stone Age.What EMFs have in common with smog and glyphosate.Simple steps to reduce your exposure in your home and office.Click here for resources.
Sep 6, 2021 • 40min
Integrative Mental Health Summit October 8-10
Prior to 2020, an estimated 25% of adults struggled with a mental health condition. Since the beginning of the pandemic, with the added stressors and uncertainties many of us face, along with the toll of social and physical isolation, that number is estimated to have risen by 40%.The landscape of our collective mental health has likely permanently changed since the beginning of 2020.But accessing mental health care and support is still a challenge for many people, particularly for anyone looking outside the traditional model of managing symptoms with medication.And yet, there is a body of research that supports and validates the use of integrative strategies for treating mental health concerns by addressing root cause imbalances in the body that affect brain functioning and symptom presentation.Today, I’m joined by the executive directors of Journey’s Dream and the Mensah Research Institute, organizers of the Integrative Mental Health Summit, October 8-10. This three-day online conference is intended for anyone and everyone facing mental health concerns by providing accessible resources and education.I am so excited to announce that I will be delivering a keynote speech on October 8.Breaha Wallin is the co-founder and executive director of Journey’s Dream. She was inspired to co-found Journey’s Dream following her brother Journey’s struggle with his mental health and subsequent death in 2013. Breaha is co-creating a world where mental health recovery is the mainstream expectation and everyone has access to excellent multifaceted care.DJ Wells is the executive director of The Mensah Research Institute was founded as a conduit for conducting, supporting and presenting research efforts that provide scientific evidence of the efficacy of targeted nutrient therapy and other natural approaches to improving brain function and to enhancing and optimizing mind, body health and balance.Listen to the full episode to hear:How mental health should be viewed as a spectrum from thriving to struggling, and why no point on the spectrum is permanent.Why mental health support needs to go beyond addressing acute symptoms and become a preventative practice.What integrative or functional medicine means when it comes to mental healthcare.Click here for resources and to register for the event.
Aug 30, 2021 • 47min
How To Support Your Child When They Are Disruptive with Dr. Nicole Beurkens, PhD, CNS
Parenting in a post-pandemic world with masking requirements, Zoom school, and social distancing from friends and classmates is hard enough.Being a parent to a behaviorally challenged and neurodivergent child comes with unique challenges that for many, have been heightened by the pandemic.Anger, rage, extreme defiance, high anxiety and other behavioral and mental health issues can take a toll on you and on your relationship with your child.If you are a parent struggling with how to best support your child, this episode with Dr. Nicole Beurkens was made just for you.As a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced degrees in psychology, education and nutrition, Dr. Nicole is the world's leading holistic child psychologist. She has dedicated over 20 years to providing parents with research based strategies that get to the root of children's attention, anxiety, mood, and behavior challenges, so they can reach their highest potential. She runs a multi-disciplinary evaluation and treatment clinic and is a bestselling author, published researcher, award-winning therapist, media expert, and experienced mom of four.Nicole and I take a deep dive into how to see your child's greatness, how to set firm yet compassionate boundaries, specific tools and scripts you can use to interact with your child, and how to help them build the skills they are lacking to help improve their behavior.We also talk about the importance of diet, sleep, digestion, and hydration, and how a breakdown in these key areas can significantly impact their behavior.Helping your child develop skills for emotional self-regulation takes time, but consistency, compassion and hope will help you see and support their strengths as well as their challenges.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why understanding that your child’s behavior is not about or a reflection of you is key to regulating your own emotional response.How to empathetically acknowledge your child’s feelings while enforcing clear boundaries.Why effective boundaries are about what you as the adult will or will not do, not what your child will do.The basic foundations kids need to support their physiological and neurological functioning.
Aug 16, 2021 • 49min
Autoimmune Disease and the Gut Microbiome with Kiran Krishnan
23.5 million people in the United States suffer from at least one autoimmune condition and that number is rising fast.Worldwide, autoimmune diseases are increasing by 7% each year, with the biggest increases in celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, and myasthenia gravis. The most significant jumps are happening in the northern and western hemispheres.There are now over 100 different types of autoimmune diseases and I see them in over half of the people I serve in my clinic here in the United States.Autoimmune disorders impact every body system, including the brain, thyroid, blood, GI tract, nerves, lungs, skin, muscles and bones. And let's not forget the female reproductive system in conditions like PCOS and endometriosis, which I classify as autoimmune diseases.Where is this exponential rise coming from? And why do most people develop more than one autoimmune condition?To help explain why this is happening, I’ve brought back microbiologist Kiran Krishnan to talk about triggers, why diet and detox alone don't work, and why taking a deeper look at your GI tract and environment is key to healing.Kiran Krishnan is a Research Microbiologist and has been involved in the dietary supplement and nutrition market for the past 18 years. He spent several years with hands-on R&D in the fields of molecular medicine and microbiology at the University of Iowa. He is a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Microbiome Labs.Listen to the full episode to hear:How the immune system relies on the microbiome to learn and adapt to your environment.A breakdown of two major immune system processes and how they can trigger autoimmunity in a dysfunctional microbiome.The three components of how an autoimmune disease is triggered.Why trendy diets like keto might alleviate some symptoms now, but have big repercussions for your microbiome and immune system later.Five warning signs of systemic inflammation that merit talking to your doctor.A gut microbe you’ve probably never heard of that is associated with lots of autoimmune issues.Click here to read the full transcript and resources.
Aug 2, 2021 • 41min
Post-Concussion Syndrome Healing and Recovery with Dr. Titus Chiu
When you think of a concussion, do you picture a football player passed out on the field or someone who hit their head in a car accident?It may surprise you to learn that a concussion doesn’t have to be from a direct blow to the head or include losing consciousness.So what defines a concussion?Anything that jostles the brain can cause a concussion. And symptoms can be more than just headaches.In fact, many people struggle for years before they realize they've had a concussion and are dealing with a wide variety of debilitating physical, mental and emotional symptoms related to Post-Concussion Syndrome.For years, today's guest struggled with many vague health issues, such as mild depression, lack of motivation, low energy and brain fog to name a few.The breaking point was after he got into a horrible car accident that nearly cost him his life, which led to his calling as a functional neurologist and the realization that he’d had a series of concussions prior to that almost fatal accident.Dr. Titus Chiu is a functional neurologist who has been passionately teaching people how to fix their brains since the day he healed his own broken brain. He is also an award-winning speaker and the bestselling author of BrainSAVE.Dr. Chiu helps high achievers go from surviving to thriving after concussion by empowering them with the most up-to-date tools and resources needed to take control of their brains.Listen to the full episode to hear:What a concussion really is and common symptoms that you might not know about.How Post-Concussion Syndrome symptoms can continue to develop long after the original injury.Why symptoms vary widely and encompass so many aspects of physical, mental and emotional health.Why a holistic approach to symptoms is key to targeting treatment for the specific areas of the brain that have been injured by a concussion.How learning to activate your vagus nerve plays a role in healing from concussion.Click here for resources.
Jul 19, 2021 • 40min
Why Anti-Diet Culture is Harmful with Mindy Gorman-Plutzer, FNLP
Diet culture tells us “eat this, don’t eat that,” while anti-diet culture too often says, “eat whatever you want” even if it’s inflammatory and can feed health problems in the name of body positivity.Though at opposite ends of the spectrum, both embody rules that keep us disconnected from the cues our bodies are actually giving us about the foods we eat.In truth, diets and anti-diets trickle into all facets of our relationship with food, forming a belief system about what we should or shouldn’t put in our bodies based on someone else’s experiences.What if that “all foods” anti-diet makes you feel crappy later? What if your Whole30, intermittent fasting, paleo, AIP, keto, whatever diet makes you feel anxious, depressed or fill in the blank?Our bodies are unique and so are our needs and responses to different foods.What if instead we slowed down and really listened to our bodies? What if we rewrote our stories with food and empowered ourselves to make choices based on how a particular food feels in our body?I brought my dear friend and colleague Mindy Gorman-Plutzer back on the show to talk about how both diet and anti-diet culture profits off of disconnection with our bodies. We also talk about the challenge with anti-diet culture and the true meaning of being an intuitive eater.Mindy Gorman-Plutzer is a Certified Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle practitioner and Eating Psychology Coach with over 25 years in practice. Mindy's life experience and training inspired her to create a framework that combines functional nutrition, positive psychology, and mind-body science.She's also the author of The Freedom Promise: 7 Steps To Stop Fearing What Food Will Do TO You and Start Embracing What It Can Do FOR You.Listen to the full episode to hear:What anti-diet culture gets wrong about intuitive eatingThe difference between being in relationship with your body and honoring it and restrictionWhy emotional eating is not the same as compulsive eating, and why it’s okay to bring your feelings to the tableSteps to begin reconnecting with your body and tuning in to your cues and responsesClick here for resources.
Jul 5, 2021 • 34min
Post-Birth Control Syndrome: Fix Your Hormone and Digestive Health with Jenna Longoria, FDN-P
So many women struggle on birth control.Yet when they finally decide to go off it, they continue to have the same, or in many cases worsening, symptoms.If you or a loved one struggle on any form of birth control, today's episode will empower you with the knowledge to understand why this is happening and the steps you can take to begin the healing process.You'll learn how hormonal and copper IUD forms of birth control–and other long-term hormone therapies–impair the GI tract and deplete the body of key nutrients that can lead to autoimmune conditions, thyroid imbalances, and so much more.We also discuss Post-Birth Control Syndrome, which can have lasting impacts on fertility, thyroid health, sexual function, and may even put you at greater risk of developing autoimmune conditions like Lupus.Today I'm talking with Jenna Longoria, AKA the Period Guru.Jenna is a board certified functional nutrition practitioner specializing in women's hormones. Her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, NBC, the Elephant Journal, and SXSW. Jenna is also the author of The Period Solution: 28-Day Hormone Balancing Guide.Through her virtual private practice, Jenna helps women reclaim their hormones and digestive health with a multi-disciplinary approach, combining functional medicine, nutrition, and diagnostic lab testing in her results-driven Root Cause Program. Jenna is a firm believer that the right diet and lifestyle can put any hormonal condition into remission.Listen to the full episode to hear:How suppressing ovulation impacts progesterone, and its ripple effects on heart, thyroid and bone healthWhat potentially life-threatening side effects are even more common if you have a family history of themHow the pill disrupts the gut microbiome, leading to inflammation, food sensitivities, yeast infections, and nutrient malabsorptionSix steps to take as you come off of birth control pills or an IUDClick here for resources.
4 snips
Jun 21, 2021 • 53min
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance with Beth O’Hara, FND
Beth O’Hara, a Functional Naturopath and founder of Mast Cell 360, dives into the complexities of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and histamine intolerance. She highlights the significant impact of these conditions—affecting 1 in 8.5 people—and discusses the critical role of mast cells in our immune response. Beth also uncovers how gut health and mold toxicity can trigger MCAS, emphasizing the interplay between trauma and nervous system health. Her holistic approach offers practical steps for healing, including dietary adjustments and symptom screening.
Jun 7, 2021 • 51min
2 Causes of Unexplained Behavior Change in Kids with Dr. Jill Crista
Drastic behavior changes. Extreme irritability. Developmental regressions. Why did your child become someone you barely recognize seemingly overnight?Radical, sudden changes in a child’s behaviors and mood can be signs of Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).These infection-induced autoimmune encephalopathies were once considered rare disorders that are only recently becoming more well-recognized by the conventional medical community.Which is why I'm so excited to share this powerful conversation with special guest expert, Dr. Jill Crista, who shares her own story of how she healed her twin sons of PANS and herself of Lyme disease and how that set her on a path to helping children and families heal from these conditions.While the root causes are often not readily identified, and treatment may not be straightforward, both PANDAS and PANS are caused by an autoimmune response to an infection that results in severe inflammation in the brain.Not all infections start this process because not everybody is going into the infection in a compromised state. And this is key to understanding and treating these conditions.Dr. Jill Crista is a naturopathic doctor and one of the leading experts in the treatment of mold-related illnesses. After 20 years of working with patients and having toxic mold sprout in her own home, she was inspired to write her book, Break the Mold.The book clearly and simply outlines the tools that everyday people can use to conquer mold. Dr. Jill also trains doctors to become mold literate, and supports mold canaries through her membership portal. Her motto? “Break the mold, take back your health.”Listen to the full episode to hear:A breakdown of infection-induced autoimmune encephalopathies and how the stage can be set for immune system confusionDiagnostic criteria for PANDAS and PANS, and why early stage PANS may hide in plain sightHow compulsions and tics in children don’t look like the movies and how to approach a child with a new or troubling behavior patternWhy taking healing fundamentals one step at a time is necessary for you and your child to keep from getting overwhelmedImmune system variables that make PANDAS and PANS difficult to test for, and testing adjustments that may be necessaryClick here for resources.
May 17, 2021 • 36min
The Vagus Nerve and Your Body's Natural Ability to Heal with Dr. Navaz Habib
Lots of people are talking about the vagus nerve, but do you know just how many of your body’s organs and functions it interacts with?In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Navaz Habib, author of Activate Your Vagus Nerve: Unleash Your Body’s Natural Ability to Heal.Dr. Habib explains beautifully what the vagus nerve is and why it's so important for optimum health.He gives us an overview of the anatomy and primary functions of the vagus nerve, including its major role in afferent communication–sending information from many of your major organs back to the brain–and the role of that communication in mental health and beyond.Dr. Habib also breaks down four primary types of stressors that impact vagal function, and what you can do to support this essential component of your health.Dr. Navaz Habib is the founder of Health Upgraded, an online functional medicine and health optimization clinic.He works with high-performance professionals, athletes, and entrepreneurs who want to experience optimal health, feel the way their bodies were meant to feel, allowing them to have a greater impact and serve more people.Having gone through his own personal experiences with poor health and weight struggles, Dr. Habib is well-equipped to identify root causes of health imbalances and to implement personalized recommendations to address them naturally.By activating the vagus nerve, we can optimize our productivity, focus our energy levels, and experience the effects of upgraded health.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why Dr. Habib calls your vagus nerve a “thriving nerve,” not a surviving nerveThe vagus nerve’s central role in your mental healthThe four types of stressors that impact vagus nerve function and your healthSimple, do-it-yourself steps you can take today to improve your vagal toneClick here for resources.
