Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Margaret Cho has been making people laugh, making people uncomfortable, and saying things that other people probably wish she wouldn’t for a very long time. 

In this conversation, we get into menopause, aging, sex, body image, queerness, Hollywood, and the weirdness of watching your parents get older. 

Margaret talks candidly about her own experience with menopause, including hot flashes, insomnia, low libido, and vaginal dryness, and what happened when she started hormone therapy. She also talks about why she thinks menopause gets framed as something women should dread when it can actually bring a surprising amount of clarity.

We visit her childhood in San Francisco, where Margaret spent much of her time in her parents’ gay bookstore. She grew up around gay men, lesbians, nightlife and conversations about Harvey Milk, and she witnessed the devastating impact of AIDS on the community around her. Lauren and Margaret compare notes on what it was like to grow up around queer adults and hear things kids probably weren't supposed to hear.

Margaret is also remarkably candid about what Hollywood did to her relationship with her body. She revisits All-American Girl, including being told she was too fat to play herself, and how the pressure to lose weight spiraled into severe anorexia and hospitalization.

We also talk about aging parents, the pressure women face to stay thin and young and partnered, and the strange freedom that can come with getting older and caring a little less about meeting everyone else's expectations.

And because no Margaret Cho conversation would be complete without some wonderfully random cultural detours, she tells us what she's been reading and watching lately, including celebrity autobiographies and Wife Swap.

It's funny, candid, occasionally dark, and very Margaret Cho.

Margaret's photo credit: Nick Spanos

Tickets to Choligarchy Tour and all things Margaret:

https://margaretcho.com/

The Kaye Ballard show we referenced: The Mothers-in-Law

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Use code Healthy10 for 10% off your order at checkout

Websites, Cookbook, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

#MargaretCho, #Menopause, #MenopauseHealth, #HormoneReplacementTherapy, #HealthyAging, #WomenOver50, #MidlifeWomen, #AuthenticAging, #LGBTQVoices, #AgeLikeABadassMother, #Podcast,

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Why are you suddenly so bloated, gassy, or uncomfortable after eating? In this episode, Lauren Bernick and Dreena Burton explore bloating, gas, digestion, fascia, jaw tension, stress, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, including the Chinese medicine concept of “dampness” and its connection to the Spleen and Stomach.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, late summer is associated with the Earth element, the Spleen and Stomach, and the emotion of worry. Dreena explains the concept of “dampness” and how, within this framework, it can be associated with digestive complaints such as bloating, gas, IBS, fatigue, and a heavy, sluggish feeling.

We also explore the surprising connection between jaw tension and the quads. If you've been seeing all those jaw-release videos on social media, Dreena explains why working on the fascia in your legs may sometimes help release tension in your jaw.

Lauren and Dreena talk about their views on self-care. Are we nourishing ourselves, or have we simply created another giant list of things we're supposed to do?

And lastly, Lauren shares a pretty hilarious self-care confession involving a video game for your vagina. 😂

Flows for today's podcast

 https://fasciaflo.com/badass/

Dreena's Main pages: fasciaflo.com/app and https://dreenaburton.com/

Jujube Tea post: https://bit.ly/jujubetea

https://www.instagram.com/dreenaburton/

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Use code Healthy10 for 10% off

Websites, Cookbook, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

How much of what we’ve been told about food, nutrition, and disease is actually true? Nelson Campbell joins Lauren Bernick to unpack the health misinformation that has shaped how we eat, think about disease, and understand what it means to be healthy, as well as the powerful interests that may have influenced what we've been told.

In this fascinating conversation, Lauren Bernick talks with Nelson Campbell, co-author of The Whole Truth with his father, legendary nutrition researcher Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study.

Nelson takes us behind the scenes of his father’s decades of research into nutrition, cancer, and chronic disease, and the forces he says have helped keep that information from reaching the public.

But this conversation isn't just about what’s wrong with our healthcare system. It’s about what we can do differently.

Nelson explains the difference between reductionism and biological wholism, and why trying to treat the body like a machine made up of isolated parts may be fundamentally flawed. We talk about his father’s research showing the relationship between animal protein and the cancer process, the enormous follow-up study that never received funding, and why Nelson believes our current healthcare paradigm is overdue for a major shift.

We also dig into Nelson’s decades of work helping people experience the effects of a whole food, plant-based diet for themselves. His Plant Pure Nation programs produced dramatic changes in participants’ cholesterol and other biomarkers, and his documentary From Food to Freedom follows people with type 2 diabetes as they changed their diets.

And then the conversation takes a surprising turn.

Nelson challenges some of the rigidity and confusion that have surrounded the whole-food, plant-based movement, including the tendency to obsess over individual food components rather than viewing the diet as a whole. He makes a compelling case that whole foods like nuts, seeds, avocado, and coconut shouldn't automatically be treated like dietary villains, and that making healthy food delicious matters if we want this message to reach the mainstream.

The Whole Truth: The Hidden Agendas Behind Decades of Health Misinformation - and What to Do About it by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Nelson Campbell 

https://nelsoncampbell.com/

https://campbellretreats.com/

PlantPure Cookbooks by Kim Campbell 

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Use code Healthy10 for 10% off

Websites, Cookbook, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother


#NelsonCampbell, #TheWholeTruth, #PlantBasedNutrition, #WholeFoodPlantBased, #HealthMisinformation, #ChronicDiseasePrevention, #FoodAsMedicine, #PlantBasedHealth, #AgeLikeABadassMother, #PlantPureNation, #Podcast,

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Holy sh*t. Lauren is 58.

And for a minute, she has some feelings about that.

Sixty suddenly feels close. And Lauren realizes that some of what she's feeling isn't actually about how she feels at all; it's about how she thinks society expects a 58-year-old woman to feel.

The truth is, this is Lauren's happiest, most productive time. Tune in to hear this mini-episode where she takes you on the brief roller coaster ride of her birthday. 

The main thing is that she feels like a badass, and she wants to normalize women talking about what makes them badasses. 

So what makes you a badass? Comment on the YouTube Video Version of this  podcast at: https://youtu.be/81hIW9CX7hg

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

 Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Healthy10 for 10% off

Websites, Cookbook, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Dr. Ellen Langer is a Harvard professor who literally wrote the book on Mindfulness in 1989. She has been referred to as the “Mother of Mindfulness.” 

Through her famous counterclockwise study, where she put men in their 70’s and 80’s in an environment that was 20 years in the past, she illustrates how our mindset can influence our physical health. Spoiler, they all became “younger” and measurably healthier. 

We talk extensively about the mind-body connection and how stress can impact health and longevity. She schools us in the power of language especially when it comes to chronic disease. 

This is a rare experience to learn from someone who has devoted her life to the transformative power of mindfulness and its impact on health and aging.

Her latest book, The Mindful Body is available now.

Mindfulness (25th anniversary edition) (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)

On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity

https://www.ellenlanger.me/

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Healthy10 for 10% off

Websites, Cookbook, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

#DrEllenLanger, #MindfulAging, #HealthyAging, #MindBodyConnection, #Mindfulness, #PsychologyOfAging, #AgingMindset, #LongevityMindset, #AgeLikeABadassMother, #TheMindfulBody, #Podcast,

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Between face yoga, red light therapy, lymphatic drainage, dry brushing, supplements, meditation, strength training, and the endless stream of health advice flooding social media, taking care of ourselves has become a full-time job.

In this solo episode, Lauren asks a question many of us are wondering: Has healthy aging gone too far?

Using biohacker Bryan Johnson's highly publicized quest to reverse aging as a jumping-off point, Lauren explores whether our pursuit of longevity has crossed the line into obsession. She also shares her own struggle to balance staying healthy after reversing heart disease with making room for the things that truly matter: family, friends, travel, laughter, and simply enjoying life.

This isn't about abandoning healthy habits. It's about recognizing that you don't have to do every wellness practice, every day, to age well. The healthiest life isn't necessarily the one with the longest checklist; it's the one you actually enjoy living.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why today's wellness culture can leave us feeling overwhelmed instead of healthier
• What Bryan Johnson's recent health diagnosis reveals about the limits of biohacking
• How Lauren is simplifying her own health routine after years of pursuing optimal wellness
• Why perfectionism may be doing more harm than good
• The surprising longevity habits that science continues to support: community, purpose, movement, laughter, and meaningful relationships
• How to create a realistic, sustainable approach to healthy aging without feeling like you're constantly falling behind

If you've ever felt guilty for skipping your supplements, missing a workout, or not keeping up with the latest longevity trend, this episode is your reminder that good health is meant to support your life, not become your life.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Episode 48: How Lauren Reversed Heart Disease with a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet
• Episodes 82 & 91: Lower Your LDL Cholesterol Naturally with Dr. Michael Greger
• Recipes: WellElephant.com

If this episode made you think, please share it with a friend who could use the reminder to slow down and enjoy life. And if you have ideas for future guests or topics, Lauren would love to hear from you.

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

 Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Healthy10 for 10% off

Websites, Cookbook, Classes, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

ACE Plant-based Eating Course https://discover.wellelephant.com/ace-plant-based-eating-course-reg/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

What do toxins, psychedelics, and authenticity have in common?

More than you might think.

Dr. Nikki Siso shares her personal and professional journey toward deeper self-awareness and healing. We explore how environmental toxins, emotional burdens, and even the roles we play in everyday life can disconnect us from who we truly are.

She discusses the impact of toxic load on health, and the lessons she's learned from the psychedelic experience with 5-MeO-DMT, a potent, fast-acting psychedelic found in plants and the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad. Inhaling it causes profound ego dissolution and non-duality states within seconds.

We talk about why authenticity isn't something we achieve once and for all; it's an ongoing practice of becoming more honest with ourselves. Nikki feels that she wasn't on the path to true authenticity until she had her breast implants removed. 

Whether you're curious about holistic health, healing through psychedelics, personal growth, or what it really means to live authentically, this conversation offers plenty of insight and food for thought.

Dr. Nikki built a Total Toxic Load Assessment, what she calls TOX, to investigate the three things no one looks at together: the toxins in your food, your home, and your own thoughts. It finally connects the dots. She's giving our listeners $50 off. Use discount code BADASS at checkout so you can go from running on fumes to clear and happy in your body again."

TOX Assessment: ConsciousKitchenATX.com/tox

Detox Program: ConsciousKitchenATX.com/ckm

ConsciousKitchenATX.com

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

 Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Healthy10 for 10% off

Websites, Cookbook, Classes, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

ACE Plant-based Eating Course https://discover.wellelephant.com/ace-plant-based-eating-course-reg/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

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Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

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#DrNikkiSiso, #PsychedelicHealing, #HolisticHealth, #AuthenticLiving, #MindBodyHealing, #ConsciousLiving, #IntegrativeWellness, #SelfHealingJourney, #AgeLikeABadassMother, #ConsciousKitchenATX, #Podcast,

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

In this mini-episode, Dreena Burton joins Lauren Bernick to explore the surprising connection among fascia, lymphatic health, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dreena explains the role of the San Jiao, also known as the Triple Burner meridian, and how stimulating this energetic pathway may help improve fluid movement throughout the body.

You'll learn how fascia, the body's connective tissue network, responds to resistance and movement, why healthy lymphatic flow is essential for immune function, and a simple technique you can try to encourage circulation and reduce swelling. Whether you're interested in Chinese medicine, fascia health, or natural ways to support your body's internal systems, this short episode offers practical insights you can start using today.

In This Episode:

• What the San Jiao (Triple Burner) meridian is and why it matters
• How fascia influences fluid movement throughout the body
• The connection between fascia work and lymphatic drainage
• Why lymphatic health is important for immune function
• A simple movement technique to help reduce swelling and support circulation

Connect with Dreena Burton

Visit Dreena's websites:

https://dreenaburton.com/

https://app.fasciaflo.com/

Find out more about lymphatic drainage on ep. 102 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-102-whats-the-deal-with-lymphatic-drainage/id1727889073?i=1000769640017

Subscribe & Review
If you're enjoying Age Like a Badass Mother, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend. Your support helps more women discover evidence-based, empowering conversations about aging, health, and living well.

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Healthy10 for 10% off

https://www.ancientgrains.com/shipping-policy

Websites, Cookbook, Classes, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

ACE Plant-based Eating Course https://discover.wellelephant.com/ace-plant-based-eating-course-reg/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

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Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Hormones can feel like a mystery, especially when symptoms like brain fog, weight gain, hot flashes, low libido, UTIs, and even frozen shoulder seem to come out of nowhere. In this episode, I sit down with hormone specialist and pharmacist Dr. Tiffany Ruder to separate fact from fiction and help you understand what may really be happening inside your body.

Dr. Ruder explains how hormonal changes can affect nearly every aspect of health, why brain fog isn't something women should simply accept as a normal part of aging, and how personalized hormone therapy may help address common midlife symptoms. We also explore the growing interest in peptide therapy, what the science currently shows, and the questions women should ask when evaluating treatment options.

Whether you're curious about hormone replacement therapy, pellets, creatine, or struggling with symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, or simply want a clearer understanding of your body's changing needs, this conversation offers practical insights and evidence-based information to help you make informed decisions.

Get your free cortisol reset guide from Dr. Ruder

https://tiffanyruder.myflodesk.com/cortisolreset

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/optimizeherpharmacist/

Find a compounding pharmacist

https://www.pccarx.com/Resources/FindACompounder

https://a4pc.org/find-a-compounder

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)

Get 10% off with coupon code Healthy10 at checkout

Websites, Cookbook, Classes, and Merch

https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/

https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/

https://wellelephant.com/

ACE Plant-based Eating Course https://discover.wellelephant.com/ace-plant-based-eating-course-reg/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/

Follow us and reach out at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @WellElephant

Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 

https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

#DrTiffanyRuder, #MenopauseHealth, #HormoneHealth, #Women'sWellness, #LibidoAfter40, #PerimenopauseSupport, #HealthyAgingForWomen, #MidlifeHealth, #AgeLikeABadassMother, #MenopauseMatters, #Podcast,

Question or comment? Send a one-way text to Age Like a Badass Mother. Include your email so I can answer you back.

Julieanna and Lauren talk about the concept of healthspan versus lifespan, the mechanisms of aging, the importance of a plant-based diet, and the role of phytonutrients. Then they get into a deep conversation about new evidence that women do need extra protein as they age. This is brand new information and the first time that Julieanna is speaking about this evolving topic. This is a lively conversation that covers the topic of marriage and matchmaking, to gratitude, to the six daily threes to help you get all the nutrients you need to live a long and healthy life.

https://healthspandietitian.com/

This episode is sponsored by Grand Teton Ancient Grains
Grand Teton Ancient Grains (ancientgrains.com)
Get 10% off with coupon code Healthy10 at checkout


Websites, Cookbook, Classes, and Merch
https://wellelephant.com/ecookbook/
https://www.agelikeabadassmother.com/
https://wellelephant.com/
ACE Plant-based Eating Course https://discover.wellelephant.com/ace-plant-based-eating-course-reg/

Shop Merch https://age-like-a-badass-mother-shop.fourthwall.com/


Follow us and reach out at:
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @WellElephant
Instagram: @agelikeabadassmother 
https://www.youtube.com/@agelikeabadassmother

#JulieannaHever, #Healthspan, #HealthyAging, #PlantBasedNutrition, #ProteinMyths, #WholeFoodPlantBased, #LongevityScience, #EvidenceBasedNutrition, #AgeLikeABadassMother, #PlantBasedLiving, #Podcast,

01:27 Journey to Plant-Based Nutrition
05:21 The Evolution of Plant-Based Diets
09:52 The Choose You Now Diet
14:23 Understanding Aging and HealthSpan
15:46 Understanding Healthspan vs Lifespan
16:48 The Mechanisms of Aging and Inflammation
18:58 The Importance of a Plant-Based Diet
19:17 Phytonutrients and Their Benefits
21:59 Rethinking Protein Needs
33:13 The Concept of Hara Hachibu and Eating Mindfully
35:53 The Impact of Ultra-Processed Foods
40:22 Understanding Metabolic Winter
44:22 The Role of Methionine in Health
47:32 Advice for Aging Well and Beyond