The Wellness Mama Podcast

Episode Highlights With Esther BlumThe average age of menopause and early signs to look forWhy menopause can start really early for some women in todays worldHormones to look at to get a baseline for mitigating menopause symptomsWhen supplements like chaste tree, DIM, and calcium d-glucarate can be helpfulHow cruciferous vegetables help hormonesWhat to know about hormone replacement therapy and the forms she does and does not recommendHow cyclical progesterone in second half of cycle can be helpful pre-menopause, especially after birth control useWhy lifting weights has such a big impact on hormone levels for womenThe supplements she recommends that are helpful for most womenHow brightly colored foods help hormones and feed beneficial bacteria in the gutThe one beneficial bacteria in the gut that helps avoid weight gain and how to support itMore support for morning sunlight, strength training and eating proteinA reason to go for a ten minute walk after eating- it lowers glucose by 17%!Her three “meno-laws” for avoiding fat gain during menopause (or anytime)Why many women develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in menopause and how to avoid itThings that are helpful for alleviating hot flashesHysterectomies are the new c-sections… are they necessary? Are they avoidable? What to try insteadResources We MentionEsther Bum - WebsiteEsther Blum - InstagramSee ya later, Ovulator!: Mastering Menopause with Nutrition, Hormones, and Self-Advocacy by Esther BlumBrocEliteBerbEliteJust ThriveDaring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene? BrownOutrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha SilverGame of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel ShinnEstrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer by Avrum BlumingRyan Holiday booksThanks to Our Sponsors:Timeline Nutrition - Mitopure from Timeline Nutrition offers an easy way to get your daily 500mg dose of Urolithin A, which helps with energy and endurance.Wellnesse - My line of personal care products such as toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant

Episode Highlights With Jim KwikHis purpose in life and how his inspiration was his desperation through brain injuries and learning strugglesHow he teaches the “software” of brain health: learning faster, adaptabilityThings he recommends for having a limitless brain1/3 of our brain performance is determined by genetics but the other 2/3 are under our control to changeTools for brain health: a good brain diet, neuro-nutrition, killing ants (automatic negative thoughts), movement, brain nutrients, positive peer group and social relationships, clean environment, sleep, brain protection, new learnings, stress managementBrain is only 2% of body mass but requires 20% of nutrientsTop brain foods: avocado, blueberries, choline from eggs, salmon, sardines, dark chocolateTo avoid for brain health: seed oils, sugarWhat mirror neurons are and why they are important to understand for brain healthHow chronic fear suppresses the immune system and how to reduce it and manage stressThe importance of meditation for stress and healthHow morning sunlight and hydration directly help the brainThe thought experiment he does every morning for brain health and focusHaving a “to do list” and a “not to do list”What you see, you take care ofThe masters and experts never get bored of the basicsNever get bored of your brainResources We MentionLimitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim KwikKwik Brain PodcastJim Kwik - CoursesGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim CollinsChiliPad - Use code wellnessmama for 25% offThink and Grow Rich Deluxe Edition: The Complete Classic Text by Napoleon HillThe Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent PealeMindset by Carol S. DweckThe Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performan

Episode Highlights From KatieHow I'm so grateful for each of you since I launched this podcast in 2014What life changes I've experienced since starting this podcastThe importance of inner work and how emotions impact our healthGiving our children a better foundation for dealing with emotions and difficult situationsThe emerging research on psychedelics and substances like MDMA in assisted psychotherapyMost common health advice from past guests that is free: meditation and a gratitude practiceMost common supplement advice from past guests: magnesiumMitochondrial health and how to see how yours is doingHow lifespan is affected by the timing of our meals, eating fewer calories and lonelinessThe benefits of sauna use, increased protein in your diet, and getting enough good sleepSome tips on how to improve your sleepMy first-principles parenting, alternative ways to teach kids and my update on the Uncurriculum Homeschool methodQ&A from messages you sent to me on InstagramPodcasts I Mention502: Dr Joe Dispenza on Changing Your Thoughts, Emotions & Life501: Terry Real on Breaking Through Shame, Anger, and Trauma & Healing Relationships483: Mark Wolynn on Why It Didn’t Start With You, Inherited Trauma & How We Heal504: Paul Austin of Third Wave on Understanding and Using Psychedelics for Transformation584: Tucker Max on the Most Significant Finding for Processing Emotions, Trauma, and PTSD513: Tanner Wallace on Childhood Trauma, Attachment Wounds, and How to Heal537: Dr. Susan David on Building Emotional Resilience, Emotional Agility and Courage582: Frank Elaridi on the Power of Emotions and Hidden Trauma (And How to Clear Them)564: Chris Kresser on Nutrient Deficiencies & Why the Way We Think About Health Needs to Change506: Dr. Daniel Kalish on Aging, Mitochondria, Hormones, and Longevity590: Dr. Andy Galpin on Fat loss, Hydration, Human Performance, and Raising Strong Kids538: Dr. Satchin Panda on Time Restricted Eating to Reduce Body Fat and Metabolic Syndrome540: Dr. Stephen Cabral on How to Lower Your Biological Age, Live Longer & Look Younger371: How Eating More Protein Will Transform Your Metabolism With Dr. Gabrielle Lyon548: Ari Whitten on Eat for Energy: Beat Fatigue, Supercharge Mitochondria, and Unlock All-Day Energy557: Justin Nault on How to Lose Weight by Eating More and Exercising Less515: Dr. Michael J. Breus on How to Energize by Understanding Chronotypes, Sleep, Fasting, and Movement551: Mollie McGlocklin on Sleep Is a Skill + Chronobiology and Circadian Rhythm599: Mara Labs on How to Hack Sleep, Glucose, and Aging with Berberine516: Matt Beaudreau on Why Your Ki

Episode HighlightsTheir fascinating feats - swimming from Alcatraz and the fastest lacrosse shot in the stateWhat berberine is and how it can be usedThe berberine/glucose connectionWhat ketosis is and how it can be used therapeuticallyHow melatonin affects the glucose cycleTiming berberine for better sleep and appropriate cortisol responseWhy berberine can drastically improve sleepMany types of berberine don’t pass through the gut barrierWhat makes this specific form of berberine differentC-myc gene connection to berberineHow berberine blocks gluconeogenesisWhy butyrate is beneficial and how berberine increases itHow berberine can be fasting mimickingWhat myostatin is, how it inhibits muscle growth and how to use berberine to help muscle growthWhy berberine was superior to valium as a sleep aid in one studyHow berberine increases dopamine and serotoninTiming berberine and sulforaphane with workouts and food for brain and body health, plus muscle growthResources We MentionBerberineBrocElite550: Dr. Craig Heller on Cool Hands and Temperature Regulation for Better Performance and SleepNutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. PriceBibleThanks to Our Sponsors:Xtrema - The Original Non-Toxic Cookware on the marketJust Thrive - My source of probiotics, K2-7, Just Calm and much more!

Episode Highlights With Steven WrightWhat an immune misfire isThe two parts of the immune system: the innate and the adaptive side5 symptoms of immune misfireWhat cytokine storms areWhy skin issues can often be immune relatedWhat paraprobiotics are and how they interact with the immune systemHow paraprobiotics might help with gut issues, histamine imbalance, and other thingsWhy sleep and melatonin are important to the immune conversation and how to optimize themResources We MentionHoloImmune (discount wellmamaimmune automatically applied with this link)Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. FranklThanks to Our Sponsors:Xtrema - The original Non-Toxic Cookware on the market and what I use in my kitchen.Four Sigmatic - They first introduced me to functional and medicinal mushrooms and whose products I’ve been using for almost a decade.

Episode Highlights With Dr. Kelley-ChewWhat metabolic dysfunction is and why this is so important to understandThe flip side - what metabolic health and regulation isWhat role insulin plays in metabolic dysfunctionPersonalization of insulin response and what we can learn from itThe shocking amount of added sugar most people are consumingWalking as one of the most powerful tools for blood sugar regulationHow light impacts our circadian response and as a result, our glucose and metabolismWomen’s health - how women differ from men metabolically and what we need to understand to optimize hormones and healthHow these things change during the cycle, during pregnancy, and through menopauseThe four pillars we can follow to optimize metabolic health: diet, (food pairing, timing, etc) movement, sleep, stress managementResources We MentionLevels website (to sign up for Levels)Levels - InstagramLevels blogLauren’s InstagramDevotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary OliverThanks to Our Sponsors:Wellnesse - My line of personal care products including toothpaste, hair care, deodorant and skin careSleep.me -  ChiliSleep makes the coldest and most comfortable sleep systems available. They create the environment that meets the body’s natural need for lower core temperatures, promoting deeper, restorative sleep.

Episode Highlights With Morley RobbinsHis background and what led him on his own journey into researching these topicsWhat the “innate healer” is why this was a paradigm shifter for himThe importance of minerals and understanding mineral balanceStress: the body’s inability to make energy for the mind to respond to its environmentUnderstanding oxidative stress and what happens to oxygen without the bodyWhat ADP is and why it is importantAntioxidant enzymes and why they are important to understandWhy copper is so unique in its ability to regulate both iron and oxygen and how to use this to our advantage for healthThe reason you likely aren’t iron deficient or anemicWhy we need to produce 2.5 million new red blood cells per second and why this is importantThe difference between iron in the blood and iron in the tissue, and why this distinction is so important for understanding healthHow iron ages usWhy most testing isn’t accurate and the testing that shows a more accurate picture of iron, copper and magnesium5 habits of daily living that are a good insight to health: sleep, hunger, elimination, energy, and moodWhy they started adding iron to wheat flour and why this can be a big problemThe nine different forms of iron being added to our food system and why they are carcinogenicWhy gluten sensitivity might actually be a reaction to glyphosate and added ironThe reason he firmly believes that there is no iron deficiency anemia and what is actually happeningHow mental health and emotions have a measurable effect on physical issues and how to disrupt the processBest forms of magnesium for restoring balanceA good rule of thumb - 5mg magnesium per pound of body weight plus more during stressHow to actually get bioavailable copper to help restore this balanceResources We MentionRoot Cause Protocol - Morley RobbinsIron Toxicity Posts - Morley RobbinsSo You've Just Been Told You're Anemic? Jigsaw Health MagnesiumBiOptimizers MagnesiumSoverign Silver copper - Use code wellnessmama for a discountCu-RE Your Fatigue: The Root Cause and How To Fix It On Your Own by Morley RobbinsIron: the Most Toxic Metal by Jym Moon PhDMitopure from Timeline Nutrition -  Easy way to get your daily 500mg dose of Urolithin A. It upgrades your body's cellular power grid - giving your body the energy it needs to optimize. And clinical studies have shown that 500mg of Urolithin A alone significantly increases muscle strength and endurance with no othe

Episode Highlights With DanielleHow she lives a very low waste, almost zero waste lifestyle and why she startedTips for reducing our footprint and living lower wasteWhat she learned living in Thailand and teaching environmental classes thereVitalism- the type of medicine she studied and usesFunctional mushrooms 101- fascinating facts about fungiWhy mushrooms are considered their own kingdom in the animal world and why we didn't figure this out until the 1970sThings that separate fungi from plants, including the need for external nutrientsThere are at least 6x more fungi species than any kingdom on earthWhy some fungi sprout into fruit (mushroom) and some don’tFun fact: we breathe in fungal spores every time we breatheWhat functional mushrooms are and what separates them from other fungiUnderstanding adaptogens and the unique properties they shareHow to choose the best adaptogens for your bodyThe categories of adaptogens and what to look for to personalize to youPerformance adaptogens: lions mane and cordycepsImmune supporting adaptogens: turkey tail, acerola cherry (for skin), gojiThe two compounds in turkey tail mushrooms that have been studied and are the foundation for the first mushroom derived anti-cancer drugRestoring adaptogens for mood, sleep and stress: ashwaghanda, reishi, tulsiCacao is the single most nutrient dense food that exists, moringa is another great choiceResources We MentionHealing Adaptogens: The Definitive Guide to Using Super Herbs and Mushrooms for Your Body's Restoration, Defense, and Performance by Danielle Ryan Broida and Tero IsokauppilaFour Sigmatic - Mushroom DrinksRadical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working With Fungi by Peter McCoyThe Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America by Robert RogersBe Here Now by Ram Dass

Episode Highlights With Susan CainWhat led her to write her book “Quiet” and why "Bittersweet" was an important follow upThe importance of joy and sorrow together for the fullness of lifeWhy the impermanence of life paradoxically leads to joyConnection of melancholy and love and why certain sad music can touch us so deeplyWhat studies show about the relationship between a melancholic state of mind and creativityThe wounded healer archetype and why a very high percentage of people we consider “the greats” in art or music had a huge loss, often of a parent, at an early ageStrategies for learning to embrace the bittersweetWays we can help our kids learn to accept the bittersweet as part of life and support them through thisHow we can inherit grief and trauma from past generations and how we can transform this into beauty and creativityResources We MentionSusan Cain - Her websiteQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan CainBittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan CainLetting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins M.D. Ph.DSpring and Fall Poem by Gerard Manley HopkinsHer Bittersweet playlist on Spotify483: Mark Wolynn on Why It Didn’t Start With You, Inherited Trauma & How We HealThe Next Big Idea book clubFlow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Episode Highlights With Dr. Jen ForristalWhat the umbrella effect is and how it relates to parentingSteps we can take with our kids to help teach a growth mindset and coping skills for learning from challengesWhy to make a “sucks but normal” category in lifeThe importance of modeling in parentingHow to help teach your kids coping skillsWhat curious empathy is and why she considers it the most profound parenting shift for parentsHow she approaches bedtime routine and sleep in her homeWhat to do about tantrums and why it starts at birthHer “regulate or be regulated” approachResources We MentionThe Umbrella Effect: Your Guide to Raising Strong, Adaptable Kids in a Stressful World by Dr. Jen ForristalThe Fountainhead by Ayn RandFrench Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon471: Dr. Jen Forristal on Umbrella Parenting and Raising Children With Strong Coping Skills