Cut the BS, Your Health, Your Choice

This episode concludes Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a deeply personal conversation about abuse, survival, and breaking the cycle. Marcia speaks with JaReen, Founder of Crown of Beauty Within. She is a domestic violence advocate and inspirational speaker, who speaks about the realities of coercive control, healing, and reclaiming her identity.

She shares her own story of abuse, the long-term effects of trauma, and why speaking out matters even when fear, shame, and stigma try to keep survivors silent.

Notable quotes from episode:

“The beauty is from within.”

“You are not alone in this.”

“Love is not being putting hands on us.”

TAKEAWAYS:

• If you are in danger, create a private safety plan and identify a trusted place you can go.
• Keep one or more trusted people who do not know every detail of your location or plans.
• Reach out for support instead of isolating yourself.
• If you need immediate help in the United States, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline:  https://www.thehotline.org or by phone 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
• Remember that abuse is not limited to physical violence and can include control, surveillance, intimidation, stalking, financial and isolation.

Follow Marcia:

• 🌐| marciablee.com
• 📩| [email protected]
• 📸 | Instagram: @marciableellc and @mbmarshalllee
• 💼| Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

Marcia talks with Jaquette Chardae, a dental hygienist with more than 17 years of experience and a certified nutrition coach, about why oral health is an essential part of overall wellness. Jaquet shares practical advice on flossing, preventive care, children’s dental health, and the connection between oral health and the rest of the body.

They also discuss barriers to dental care, how missed checkups can lead to more complex and costly treatment, and what terms like deep cleaning, bridge, crown, and implant mean.

In this episode:

·         Why oral health is closely connected to whole-body health

·         Why flossing is an important part of a daily routine

·         How cost, insurance, and past experiences can affect dental visits

·         The difference between preventive care and more involved treatment

·         What deep cleanings, crowns, bridges, and implants are

·         How parents/caregivers can help children build good brushing habits

·         When children should start visiting the dentist

·         Periodontal charting and what dental measurements can reveal

·         Changes in dental technology, including AI and digital X-rays

·         How oral health can interact with conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure matters

 Connect with Jaquette:

• 🌐| https://curiosityandcourage.co/
• 📸 | https://www.instagram.com/jaquettechardae
• 💼| Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaquette-chardae-1018f
• Subscribe to The Courageous Journey newsletter:  https://curiosityandcourage.kit.com/32189bf59b

Connect with Marcia:

• 🌐| marciablee.com
• 📩| [email protected]
• 📸 | Instagram: @marciableellc and @mbmarshalllee
• 💼| Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

Marcia is joined by Jane Luong for a candid conversation about caregiving, especially the hidden labor around advocacy, coordination, and self-preservation.

They discuss what caregiving looks like inside families, workplaces, and health systems, and why caregivers need practical support, not just sympathy. 

Marcia opens with key statistics on unpaid caregiving and explains why this is the first in a series of caregiving episodes. Jane shares her path from special education teaching into caregiving for a stroke survivor, plus the lessons she has learned about speaking up, meeting people where they are, and protecting your own well-being while caring for others.

Marcia talks about her own family caregiving situation, including supporting a brother with dementia and a sister-in-law in who is bed ridden, while also helping manage finances and appointments.

Connect with Jane:

• 💼| Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/janeluong7

Connect with Marcia:

• 📩 | [email protected]

• 📸 | Instagram: @marciableellc and @mbmarshalllee
• 💼 | Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

On this episode, Marcia sits down with Gabriel Moise, a Registered Dietitian and healthy aging advocate from Prince George's County, Maryland, who shares how a family history of diabetes and obesity shaped his mission to break the cycle.

He opens up about the uncle whose vegetarian influence first sparked his interest in nutrition, the education that taught him not just nutrition but how to think like a dietitian, and the lesson that still guides his work today: you cannot treat the numbers without understanding the person.

Food can shape your health, your independence, and even your relationships - and Gabriel Moise makes the case for starting before a crisis forces the issue. If you or someone you love is thinking about healthy aging, chronic disease prevention, or what it really takes to eat well later in life, this conversation delivers a grounded, practical wake-up call. 

Connect with Gabriel:

• 📩| [email protected]

Connect with Marcia:

• 🌐| marciablee.com
• 📩| [email protected]

• 📸| Instagram: @mbmarshalllee and @marciableellc
• 💼| Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

Marcia sits down with William Spence, Creative Director of Breadcoin, for a conversation about hunger, community health, and how a local food token network is helping residents across Washington, DC. They discuss why food access is about more than calories, how Breadcoin supports small businesses, and how shared meals can reduce stigma and build belonging.

What stood out most to me:

• Hunger is traumatic
• Grocery access is not always enough when people lack a stove, fridge, or power
• Shared meals can reduce stigma and build trust
• Community partnerships can create real, local impact

Connect with William via Breadcoin:

• 🌐| breadcoin.org

• 📩 | [email protected]
• 📸 | Instagram: @breadcoinfoundation
• 👤 | Facebook: @breadcoin
• 💼| Linkedin: BREADCOIN

Connect with Marcia:

• 🌐| marciablee.com
• 📩| [email protected]

• 📸 | Instagram: @marciableellc and @mbmarshalllee
• 💼| Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

Embracing Movement and Wellness for Older Americans with Adrienne Shaw.  Discover the vital connection between physical activity, mental health, and aging gracefully with yoga instructor and wellness advocate Adrienne Shaw. In this episode, Marcia and Adrienne share practical insights on how movement is medicine, especially for older adults, emphasizing community resources and mindset shifts essential for aging well.

• The importance of staying active for better aging outcomes
• How movement aids recovery from illness or injury
• Adrienne’s favorite sayings: "Movement is medicine"
• Strategies to incorporate safe, accessible exercise routines
• Benefits of yoga beyond flexibility: mindfulness, balance, and mental clarity
• The significance of community programs in DC for seniors
• Easy tips like fall prevention exercises and safety modifications
• The role of nutrition, hydration, and food literacy

Connect with Adrienne:

• 📩 | [email protected]
• 📸 | Instagram: @shortyshaw3972
• 👤 | Facebook: @shortyshaw3972

Connect with Marcia:

• 🌐| marciablee.com
• 📩| [email protected]

• 📸 | Instagram: @marciableellc
• 💼| Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

Welcome back to another episode of Cut the BS: Your Health, Your Choice. In this episode, "EightFold Farms DC: Vertical Vitality," we are diving deep into the future of clean eating and local agriculture. Join host Marcia Lee as she sits down with Calvin Hines, Jr., CEO of EightFold Farms DC, to explore how vertical farming is redefining freshness, maximizing nutrient density, and reclaiming community health right from the root. Tune in to discover how sustainable technology meets real food.

Connect & Support EightFold Farms:

• 🌐 eightfoldfarms.com
• 📩 [email protected]
• 📸 Instagram | @eightfold_farmsdc
• 👤 Facebook | @eightfold farmsdc
• 🎵 TikTok | @eightfoldfarmsdc

Connect with Marcia

• 🌐 marciablee.com
• 📩 [email protected]

• 📸 Instagram | @marciableellc
• 💼 LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/marciablee

Welcome back to the relaunch of Cut the BS: Your Health, Your Choice. I am your host, Marcia Lee. This show is about reclaiming our power through real food and real choices. But health is not just about what is on your food—it is about the systems we live in and the communities that hold us up.

Today, I am honored to introduce a voice that embodies the 'brave space' we talk about so often on this show, K'La Jackson, founder of Obatala's Children.

K'la  is a mother, birth worker, and brave space curator dedicated to the intersection of reproductive justice and disability advocacy. Over the past decade, she has walked alongside families navigating the complexities of the NICU and social service systems.

In 2021, she founded Obatala’s Children to empower Black families with disabilities to thrive through collective care and storytelling. This mission is deeply personal, born from the life and legacy of her son, Kweli. Through this podcast and her work, La honors his memory by fostering the connectivity of love and grief for families similar to hers.

About K'La Connect & Support Obatala's Children

• 🎥  YouTube | https://youtube.com/@obatala's children

• 📸  Instagram | https//www.instagram/com/obatalaschildren

• 👤 Facebook | https://facebook.com/obatalas.children

• 🎵 TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@obatalaschildren

• 📩  Email | [email protected]

With sustainability issues being on the forefront, sustainable health is not discussed often. We will discuss this issue with today's guest, Dr. Nicole Peoples, DO, ABIM, ABIHM, IFMCP, Board-Certified Physician in Internal Medicine based out of Atlanta, Georgia specializing in Functional Medicine. She attended Spelman College and then went on to obtain her medical degree at Ohio University College of ⁠Osteopathic Medicine⁠.

Why do some people get sick while others remain healthy into old age? This was the question that drove her to pursue a career in medicine.  Osteopathy appealed to her because it allowed her to focus on the whole person. She completed her Residency in Internal Medicine at Alameda County Medical Center, UCSF affiliate training program, where she focused on strategies in behavioral change through motivational interviewing and health coaching.

Following her residency, she taught health promotion at Stanford University’s Cardiovascular Prevention Research Center and worked on worksite wellness and physician burnout. She then obtained additional board certifications in Integrative and Holistic Medicine and certified through the Institute of Functional Medicine.  In addition to her private practice, She has also worked as a hospitalist for over 10 years. 

At the end of it all, She realized that medications alone don’t make people healthy, but a healthy lifestyle does.

She is a mother to three beautiful children, a wife, and a daughter who recognizes the challenges that come with putting health first.  She identifies with feelings of doing it all, but somehow still feeling like she is not doing enough. She realized that if she wanted to help women like her stay healthy as we age, she was going to have to make it simple and practical. Taking care of yourself should not be hard but when you have a million things vying for your attention at some point you have to become intentional about taking care of yourself.

Her practice aims to help you do this so that you can actually get healthier, stronger, more vibrant as we age.

Dr. Nicole's contact information:

Linkedin profile: linkedin.com/in/drnicolepeoples

Websites:

Email: [email protected]

This episode focuses on Black Men's Health, it's time for a change. The life expectancy for black men in the US are the lowest of the major race groups. We will discuss this with my guest Aaron Henry, Assistant Professor at the George Washington University Physician Assistant program.

Aaron is a graduate of the George Washington University Physician Assistant program and has nearly 15 years of clinical experience in emergency medicine, urgent and primary care. He specializes in Black men's health disparities, with a focus on improving Black male life expectancy through preventative medicine.

He is also a men's health coach and owner of TrueGuide Health Consulting, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Translational Health Science.