Breathe. Elevate. Heal. Podcast

In episode 13, Dr. K is joined with Michele McCay, RN, BSN, MBA, a nurse wellness strategist, global entrepreneur and an independent consultant who is on a journey to impact the lives of women and help them find their true purpose & GLOW from within! 

Deep inside, we all know that we have this destiny—this purpose—but for many we are still waiting to activate it or just don't know the steps to take to get out of our own way. The outside world has worked hard to convince us that we are only what we see in the mirror. But we are so much more than that. Many of us come up against internal blocks such as limiting beliefs, fear, anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism that holds us back from coming into our true essence and purpose. Even if someone does have an idea of their purpose, it's easy to drift away from it in a world that continually changes and evolves.

When we walk in our purpose we have more meaning in life which is an important ingredient for better health and wellness.  

In today's episode Michele shares what purposes means for her and what has brought her to this point of purpose in their life…and how having purpose can positively impact every area of one's life.

Key takeaways from Episode 13 to embody your true purpose and create a life filled with happiness, health & freedom:

Company website: designandwellness.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031 

https://www.instagram.com/womenlivinghealthy

 https://www.instagram.com/design_and_wellness_center 

Dr. K Linkedin  -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-knight-phd-rn-msn-cne-425189ba

Michele McCay on major social media platforms-under name--Michele McCay

[email protected]

youglowwithin.com

youglowwellness.com

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In Episode 12, Dr. K talks about energy medicine and how we can restore health back into our bodies and how we can work with energy to tackle many health challenges we face as women. Each of us is an open energy system. The energy field is one aspect of the human energy system, the other parts being the chakras and meridians. This threefold system is vibrational in nature and continuously interacts within itself and with all other systems of the body. In energy field disruption the a person may present any number of concerns indicating disharmony and imbalance in one or more of these energy systems.

Usually the human biofield can maintain its own balance and equilibrium however when there is chronic stress, crisis, illness , injury or life transition, these issues can create imbalance in the energy field and can significantly affect our personal well-being, our overall quality of living and even our personal health status; leading to a host of dis-ease and imbalances within the body…..

In many cases clients have tried several avenues of Western medicine may not be satisfied with the results. Treatment of the physical problem by surgical procedure or medication is often not adequate to bring balance and harmony to the person. The integration of energy work from the traditions of Eastern medicine with Western medicine is ideal. Energy-based therapies may identify problems before symptoms develop in the body. 

• Dr. K discusses how to implement 5 simple daily energy healing practices you can do in a matter of a few minutes each day to shift energy habits in your body and rebalance your energy field and energy centers that can help you restore homeostasis and create balance.

These include:

o Meditation

o Chakra Healing

o Relaxation Techniques

o Connecting to Joy and Gratitude and Nurturing the Body

o Movement and Breathing Techniques

Company website: designandwellness.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031 

https://www.instagram.com/womenlivinghealthy

 https://www.instagram.com/design_and_wellness_center 

Dr. K Linkedin  -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-knight-phd-rn-msn-cne-425189ba

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In todays episode, Dr. K discusses the impact of trauma on the brain and body. She offers 6 ways that we can begin healing trauma individually and collectively. Dr. K discusses that many of us carry trauma within our bodies and brain; pain that has never been heard or received because we live in a culture that has been traumatized within itself; a system that fails to see and truly understand the root cause of our suffering, emotional pain and addictions related to trauma. 

Dr. offers 6 ways to begin healing individually and collectively through:

Quotes mentioned in podcast episode :

Books mentioned:

Episode links: Company website: designandwellness.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031 

https://www.instagram.com/womenlivinghealthy

 https://www.instagram.com/design_and_wellness_center 

Dr. K Linkedin  -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-knight-phd-rn-msn-cne-425189ba

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In Episode 10, Dr. K is joined with Kimberly Cabe, a Board Certified Integrative Family Nurse Practitioner with diverse experience in the healthcare industry including family practice, internal medicine, hospitalist care, neurology and integrative medicine. Kimberly is passionate about holistic and individualized health care and is devoted to ongoing continuing education and review of new and updated health related research. She is also an experienced nursing instructor with a mission to spread wellness throughout her community and the world! In this episode, Kimberly talks about how the state of the world has only led to more chronic stress than ever before and a woman’s delicate hormonal symphony cannot tolerate it for long. Hormones have a widespread effect on an individual’s mental, physical, and emotional health. When they are dysregulated, hormones can cause profound imbalances throughout the body. Interestingly, research has found that many lifestyle factors can disrupt hormone balance, including nutrition, exposure to air pollution, and chronic stress. However, the converse is also true. Evidence continues to grow demonstrating that many lifestyle factors can be altered and improved to reverse hormonal dysregulation and bring the body back into equilibrium.  In episode 10, Kimberly Cabe , MSN, NP, RN a longtime nurse, describes the impact of chronic stress on hormonal balance and metabolic function and offers valuable ways to improve the health of hormones naturally such as: 1. Eliminating stressors 2. Mindfulness 3. Movement and Exercise 4. Healthy Nutrition 5. Quality Sleep 6. Herbal Supplements 7. Reframing Thinking 8. Self-Compassion 9. Nurturing Relationships Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast. Episode links: Company website: designandwellness.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/ https://www.instagram.com/womenlivinghealthy https://www.instagram.com/design_and_wellness_center Dr. K Linkedin  -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-knight-phd-rn-msn-cne-425189ba

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In episode 9, Dr. K discusses her battle with Graves disease(hyperthyroidism) and subsequent hypothyroidism from Radioactive Iodine Treatment.  Dr. K shares 7 natural thyroid healing practices that have enabled her to improve the health of her thyroid gland and naturally reduce her thyroid supplementation dose.  

Thyroid disease affects over 20 million people in the general population with women being about 8 times more more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Unfortunately, more than 30 million people are having thyroid issues but have yet been diagnosed or misdiagnosed. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common autoimmune thyroid disorder where the thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone. Graves disease, in comparison is a result of too much thyroid hormone or hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, which is less prevalent.

The thyroid is a small gland at the front of the neck. It’s part of the endocrine system and produces hormones T3 and T4 which help regulate many processes and organs in the body.

We need the thyroid gland and thyroid hormones which controls various functions of energy and metabolism at both the cell and physical level.

The majority of thyroid issues are autoimmune in nature and so in these cases there is always a “trigger” that causes the onset.  So a major part of healing the thyroid gland naturally is getting to the root cause of why the immune system has attacked the thyroid gland.  Unfortunately, modern medicine takes an aim at treating symptoms, whereas a holistic-functional approach can look at the underlying cause of the autoimmune thyroid dysfunction.  

7 Natural practices that Dr. K discuss that have been proven to improve the health of the thyroid gland include:

1. Assess stressors

2. Eliminate stressors

3. Optimize nutrition

4. Heal the gut

5. Restore the liver

6. Clear infections

7. Detox the home

Episode links:

Company website: designandwellness.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/

https://www.instagram.com/womenlivinghealth_onpurpose

https://www.instagram.com/design_and_wellness_center

Dr. K linkedin  -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-knight-phd-rn-msn-cne-425189ba

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In this episode, Dr. K answers the question, "Why do I feel so nervous as life returns to normal post Covid?"  

Dr. K offers insight into how the body's natural "fight or flight" response is designed to protect us from internal or external threats but yet leads to an ongoing stress response in the body that doesn't turn itself off.  As the body is faced with day to day threats from chronic stress, trauma, life stressing events etc...we are training the body to be "fearful".  Just as we train the body to be afraid we can just as well train the body to be "safe". Various mind-body therapies and the positive research regarding its affect on various types of anxiety and chronic stress and reducing the symptoms associated with anxiety are promising as one learns to return home to the body through yoga and learns how to reduce the tendency for negative thoughts from arising through combined Yoga-CBT.

Exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavior therapy or CBT have been considered the gold standard for many anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorders, but what we know is that, Yoga-CBT intervention may be particularly effective because it addresses both cognitive and physiological processes at once. So, “both work together very effectively because while yoga reduces the physiological causes of anxiety, thereby reducing the tendency for negative thoughts to arise, CBT focuses on altering the content of negative thoughts as they arise. Moreover, while traditional CBT teaches patients to replace maladaptive thoughts, the addition of yoga may prevent these thoughts from appearing at all.

Yoga infused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), meditation and mindfulness-based CBT offers an accessible and promising intervention for anxiety and anxiety disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorders. It is strongly suggested that we need more options to treat anxiety because different people will respond to different interventions, and having more options can help overcome barriers to care.  Having a range of effective treatments can increase the likelihood people with anxiety will feel more empowered and willing to engage in evidence-based care.

Episode links:

Company website: designandwellness.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/

https://www.instagram.com/womenlivinghealth_onpurpose

https://www.instagram.com/design_and_wellness_center

Dr. K linkedin  -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-knight-phd-rn-msn-cne-425189ba

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In episode 7, Dr. K answers the question "What are telomeres?".  Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces. Without the coating, shoelaces become frayed until they can no longer do their job, just as without telomeres, DNA strands become damaged and our cells can’t do their job.

This episode is based on the book "The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer", which details ground breaking evidence on the history of Telomeres and offering fresh advice on how to slow down aging and lengthen life. Nobel prize winning Doctor Elizabeth Blackburn and leading health psychologist Dr Elissa Epel have discovered biological markers called Telomeres which can help to understand how healthy our cells are and what we can do to improve them. 

Based on research from the authors and other population based research, Dr. K discusses 7 natural ways to protect and possible regenerate healthy telomers through: 

Physical exercise

Things that speed telomere shortening and premature aging include:

There are many natural ways naturally that you can impact your telomere length ..to age gracefully and to ultimately improve your overall psychological and biological health and boost longevity and vitality.  It's not so much living longer its living well that is most important.

Show links: designandwellness.com

Join private facebook group at : https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

This episode was released on Monday 6/7/21…In episode 6, Dr. K answers the question "How do I heal my spirit".  Western medicine unfortunately has focused on curing peoples body through surgery and drugs which is of course necessary in many cases, however, as we know, healing goes beyond medical treatment.  True healing starts from within the soul and spirit. People are beginning to see that Eastern medicine frameworks have true efficacy in healing the human consciousness and mind, body and spirit.  Recognizing that illness and disease are manifestations of disharmony in the mind and spirit.  When we recognize our true natural state, our challenges are an opportunity for us to grow in love, compassion and patience. When we focus our intentions on healing the spirit, we can be more present to what wants to unfold in our lives for the better. In this episode Dr. K discusses 6 ways to come more in-tune with one's spirit and intuition. 1. Being impeccable with ones words and actions 2. Connecting to breath 3. Connecting to nature 4. Connecting to the body and the 5 senses 5. Engaging in meditation, mindfulness, spiritual practices 6. Connecting to self-compassion and nurturing relationships Join private facebook group for women : https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/ Visit website: designandwellness.com https://linktr.ee/Lafesolutions

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In episode 5, Dr. K is joined with Cassandra Hill, who is a keynote speaker, a certified wellness coach and holistic health practitioner, a master life coach and the CEO and founder of holistic living consulting.  In 2014 Cassandra was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (systemic lupus….) As we know, autoimmune disorders are characterized as a condition in which the host's immune system mistakenly attacks itself … Eighty percent of all individuals affected by autoimmune disorders tend to be women and after living in pain for a year Cassandra decided to take control of her health and life. She educated herself about her disease through various health and wellness courses and started her path to healing. In 2016 she entered remission with her condition and is thriving instead of surviving. Today Cassandra shares her inspiring story leaves listeners with 6 tips that she has found changed her life and her battle with -Systemic Lupus. 1. Lean on one’s faith in God and spirituality 2. Have the right mindset about your illness and what it means for you 3. Learn as much as you can about your disease 4. Get the support you need  5. Become your own wellness expert and best advocate 6. Listen to your body and what it's telling you it needs. Show links: www.cassandraRhill.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/livehealthyforlife Twitter://twitter.com/CassandraHill80 Reach Dr.K at designandwellness.com or [email protected] Private facebook group for women https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/

Disclaimer Note: All information in all podcast episodes are for educational purposes only. Information spoken or heard on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on this podcast.

In this episode (episode #4) "What you should know about uterine fibroids and how to keep them from controlling your life with Dr. Coleman",  Dr. K is joined with Dr. Cameo Coleman and board certified family nurse practitioner who has extensive research and knowledge surrounding the issue of uterine fibroids and its' associated disparities within the African American female population. Uterine fibroids are a public health concern for all women however. Fibroids are affecting women at staggering numbers (_%65-80% in the general population and (as much as 90% in African American women). 

As uterine fibroids are most present during a woman's reproductive years they are the 2nd leading cause of surgery (hysterectomy) for women in the United States. Dr. Coleman is here to discuss other options outside of the conventional surgery including ablation and laser treatments for example. Dr. Coleman also discusses:

-What uterine fibroids are, their prevalence and their cause

-Signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids

-How uterine fibroids are diagnosed

-Uterine fibroid treatment options

-The affect of diet, exercise, movement and stress management on reducing uterine fibroid risks and development.

Fibroids can disrupt a women's quality of life when accompanied with unrelenting symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding, which can lead to symptomatic and dangerously low blood counts(anemia), prolonged periods, pelvic pressure symptoms, infertility and reproductive dysfunction. 

There is a gap in studies that assess the overall impact on a woman's mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Fibroids can significantly impact a woman's daily activities, quality of life and can even lead to fear and despair surrounding a woman's sense of control over her symptoms, overall health and her life.  

Uterine fibroid awareness is critical for women, especially for African American women where the risk factors grow significantly.  Although uterine fibroids are a major health problem and threat there is hope and there are many conventional and alternative treatments available that can potentially cure and lessen the symptoms of uterine fibroids.

Show links: designandwellness.com

La Fe Solutions' Design and Wellness Center facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/designandwellness1

Private facebook group for women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/153651943307031/