From Survivor to Thriver

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 Have you heard of intermittent fasting? 

It’s the practice of switching between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. While most people think of it in terms of the physical effects, it can also positively impact your mental health. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Fred Rutman who has died and come back to life numerous times. This brought serious physical and mental health challenges for him but he found healing through intermittent fasting. 

Fred Rutman known as “Repeatedly Dead Fred”, has had 11 heart procedures in 11 years, been clinically dead dozens of times, suffered dozens of concussions, PTSD, Post-concussion syndrome, brain trauma, defective pacemakers, and botched surgeries. To put the icing on the cake, you can throw in multiple incidences of cognitive medical bias and misdiagnoses.  

Through it all, his faith and belief/practice of Judaism was rocked to the core. He also discovered the most powerful prophylactic medicinal tool we have - Intermittent Fasting. If we are supposed to make lemonade out of life’s lemons, then he is making the best lemonade ever produced. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Fred’s health journey
• The Lazarus Effect
• How social anxiety impacted his life
• The cost of men not speaking up about mental health issues
• The problem with our education systems
• Why learning something new helps with brain trauma 
• The power of intermittent fasting
• How it helps your body heal
• The importance of mindful eating
• How Fred’s mental health has improved

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Fred. If you want to hear more from her, make sure to follow him on Instagram and watch for the release of his new book The Summer I Died 20 Times. You can also email him at [email protected].

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Fast. Feast. Repeat. By Gin Stephens 

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung

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“Intermittent fasting is the most effective non-medicinal tool that most doctors have and not many of them use it.” -Fred

“I try to be very specific about the foods that I put into my body.” -Erik

“Theory only takes us so far. We need theory to challenge practicality, but you can’t do that without practicality.” -Marc

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It takes a lot of courage to face your traumas. Though it’s hard to sit in your pain, sometimes that’s what you need in order to do the inner work and finally heal. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Ulrika Karlsson to talk about her journey with depression and how she learned to do the inner work so that she could raise her vibration and find true healing. Through her work and books, she now inspires people to face their fears and turn them into manure so that they can begin to grow and evolve. 

For many decades Ulrika Karlsson was depressed, burned out, and eventually suicidal. Her whole life was an inner struggle with low self-esteem manifesting in many things such as stress, severe sleeping disorders, and a deep depression. This ongoing struggle eventually affected all aspects of her life; relationships, health, work, money, and career. 

Her first book; “2:47 The Journey Home to My Heart” was released in 2019. It is an autobiography where, with a raw authenticity and vulnerability, she writes about her inner journey to free herself from her own internal prison and to come back to her heart. From this long, and life-changing experience she shares her embodied wisdom, knowledge, passion, teachings, and vision across the globe. 

Today, she works as a Feminine Leadership Coach, International Spiritual Teacher and Author, Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist, public speaker and trainer with the entire world as a field of work. With more than 28 years of personal and professional experience in various Holistic disciplines, she helps guide women in senior and leading positions who long for a more authentic, peaceful, and balanced life.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Our ego and how it can get in the way 
• Subconscious programming 
• Raising your vibration 
• Finding answers within
• Doing the inner work
• The Akashic Records
• Energetic pollution
• The heart chakra 
• Grounding in our root chakra 
• Living in the present moment 
• Burnout vs. Depression
• Breathwork 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Ulrika. If you want to hear more from her, make sure to check out her books and visit her website. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

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“There is no growth in our comfort zone.” -Ulrika 

“We all, individually and collectively, need to raise our vibration by doing our inner work.” -Ulrika 

“It takes a lot of courage to face your traumas.” -Ulrika 

“The answers are within.” -Marc

“The only way you can experience true joy and those higher vibrations is by allowing yourself some time to sit with the pain and deal with these really difficult issues.” -Erik

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For athletes, sports injuries can be devastating not only physically, but emotionally as well. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Keagen Hadley who experienced a career-altering injury that changed his life. Knowing what athletes in this position go through both mentally and physically, he found his passion in helping injured athletes work through their injuries with occupational therapy and psychological healing.  

Keagen Hadley is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy specializing in using psychological treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with his patients. As a patient and therapist, he has a deep understanding of the interventions and knows how emotional stress can interfere with rehabilitation, daily activities, and overall quality of life. 

As an athlete, he tore both ACLs playing college and semi-professional football. This experience made him acutely aware of the struggles associated psychologically post-ACL injury and how to overcome them with positive results. In 2022, he achieved one of his lifelong dreams of becoming a published author with his first book, “Torn.” He wrote “Torn” specifically to help others get through these situations and ensure positive outcomes.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Keagen’s ACL injuries
• The link between physical and emotional injuries
• Keagen’s experience with CBT
• How he approaches working with his patients 
• How ACT therapy works
• The importance of not giving harmful thoughts power
• Reaction vs. Response
• What led Keagen to write his book
• Mental health awareness among athletes
• The first step to healing for injured athletes
• Remembering your why

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Keagen. If you want to hear more from him, make sure to check out his book and visit his website. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

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“The more we try to control our thoughts, the worse these types of thoughts can get.” -Keagen

“You follow the pain and you’re going to find something you’re very passionate about.” -Keagen

“All too often, the door gets shut before someone has even figured out a way to try.” -Marc

“With ACT therapy, it’s a way of reframing where you actually separate yourself from the connection to those thoughts.” -Erik

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Have you ever struggled with an eating disorder? 

Many things can cause disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Whether it’s trauma, feeling out of control, or even anxiety, eating disorders can put your life in danger if you don’t get the help you need. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Dr. Cristina Castagnini, who struggled with an eating disorder herself and has gone on to change the message around eating disorders and become the therapist she needed when she was struggling. 

Dr. Cristina Castagnini is a licensed psychologist, a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and both the founder and host of the Behind the Bite podcast, where a real doctor who really recovered from an eating disorder talks about your real struggles with food, body image, and weight. After overcoming her own struggles with having an eating disorder, it was always her dream to focus solely on helping women overcome their struggles with food and body image and to achieve a balanced life. 

 For over two decades, Cristina has been treating patients with a variety of mental health diagnoses, supervising postdoctoral residents, and continuing to grow her private practice. All the while, she aims to find the work-life balance being a single mom to two awesome kids, but knows first-hand there is just no way to do it all.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• How Dr. Castagnini’s eating disorder developed and how she hid it
• When she finally realized it was time to get help
• The intersection of eating disorders and trauma 
• How OCD can manifest around food 
• Clues your loved one might have an eating disorder and how to help
• Complimenting people on something other than their looks 
• Harmful categorizing 
• What eating disorders are really about 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Dr. Castagnini, if you want to hear more from her, make sure to check out her podcast Behind the Bite and follow her on Instagram. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links:  

Listen to Behind the Bite

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Check out his book

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Get in touch: [email protected]

“It’s not about the food, exercise, or the weight. It’s an illness. It’s about something much deeper.” -Dr. Castagnini 

“Eating disorders are about how we feel about ourselves.” -Marc


"We shouldn't have to label people into different categories." -Erik

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Do you struggle with OCD? 

According to the World Health Organization, it is one of the top ten most debilitating disorders, but it is one of the most misdiagnosed. This means that many people with this disorder aren’t getting the help they need. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we have a special two-part episode with Zach Westerbeck, where we talk about the things that people don’t know or understand about OCD, what it actually is, the truth about intrusive thoughts, and so much more. 

Zach Westerbeck is a Mental Health advocate, National speaker, College Success Coach, and author of “You’re Not Alone”, who was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in 2016. During that time period he experienced severe anxiety, deep depression, and thoughts of suicide. After hitting his rock bottom moment, he sought help and started to recover. 

Through his recovery process, he became Mental Health First Aid certified and now travels the country educating thousands of students on the fundamentals of mental health. Through his personal experiences and extensive research, he is able to relate and clearly articulate why now, more than ever, it is critical to understand how to manage your mental health. 

Zach has spoken at higher learning institutions such as Penn State, Georgia Tech, Purdue University, University of Arizona, to name a few.

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Your amygdala and limbic system when it comes to OCD
• CBT and intrusive thoughts
• Why people need a “why” 
• The deep, innate desire for certainty and safety
• Changes to your prefrontal cortex during trauma
• Mental health issues among different generations
• Overstimulation from technology
• Negativity bias
• Our capacity to change and adapt

We hope you enjoyed part one of our conversation with Zach. If you want to hear more from Zach, make sure to check out his book and tune in to his podcast. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Zach’s website 

Listen to his podcast 

Follow him on Instagram 

Follow him on Facebook 

Check out his book

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Get in touch: [email protected]

“This is the next wave. We’re going to have people healing from trauma, anxiety, OCD, and depression at scale.” -Zach

“OCD really is consuming.” -Marc

“For those of us with OCD, the scary part is we can actually change the narrative in our own minds.” -Erik

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Do you struggle with OCD? 

According to the World Health Organization, it is one of the top ten most debilitating disorders, but it is one of the most misdiagnosed. This means that many people with this disorder aren’t getting the help they need. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we have a special two-part episode with Zach Westerbeck, where we talk about the things that people don’t know or understand about OCD, what it actually is, the truth about intrusive thoughts, and so much more. 

Zach Westerbeck is a Mental Health advocate, National speaker, College Success Coach, and author of “You’re Not Alone”, who was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in 2016. During that time period he experienced severe anxiety, deep depression, and thoughts of suicide. After hitting his rock bottom moment, he sought help and started to recover. 

Through his recovery process, he became Mental Health First Aid certified and now travels the country educating thousands of students on the fundamentals of mental health. Through his personal experiences and extensive research, he is able to relate and clearly articulate why now, more than ever, it is critical to understand how to manage your mental health. 

Zach has spoken at higher learning institutions such as Penn State, Georgia Tech, Purdue University, University of Arizona, to name a few.

In today’s episode we cover: 

• What OCD really is
• When disorders like this manifest
• The impact of intrusive thoughts
• The relationships that you have with your thoughts
• Breaking compulsive patterns
• Signs of OCD in children
• Exposure and response prevention
• Why ERP therapy is so effective

We hope you enjoyed part one of our conversation with Zach. Make sure to tune in Thursday to hear part 2 as we dive even deeper into this conversation. If you want to hear more from Zach, make sure to check out his book and tune in to his podcast. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Zach’s website 

Listen to his podcast 

Follow him on Instagram 

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Check out his book

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Get in touch: [email protected]

“OCD isn’t just perfectionism. It’s not just organization, it’s not just cleanliness. It transcends way beyond that.” -Zach

“OCD really is consuming.” -Marc

“For those of us with OCD, the scary part is we can actually change the narrative in our own minds.” -Erik

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More and more, people are talking about manifestation, spirituality, and the law of attraction. 

In this episode of From Survivor To Thriver, we sat down with Krysta Francoeur to talk about her healing journey.  After suffering from a lifetime of chronic illness, Kyrsta came across The Secret and learned about the law of attraction. After discovering it, she went down a path of spirituality, magick, and healing which has led her to help others as well.  

Krysta Francoeur is known for her ability to create beauty in everything she sees, Krysta, the Founder and CEO of Wild Remedies, is a Modern Magick Maven who uses her lessons of karmic suffering in her body, mind, and spirit to facilitate healing, awareness, and balance in every area of her life.  

After spending a large part of her life battling chronic illness, inflammation, and self-sabotaging behaviors, she incorporated the conscious use of mindfulness, mysticism, and introspection to help uncover the answers that were always there, within herself. Harnessing these energies, although difficult, has guided her through an amazing journey of thousands of hours of research, spiritual, and self-exploration that has reconnected her with the creative and magical nature of herself, and of all women.  

Through the use of education, plant medicine, botanicals, and ancient wisdom, she hopes to help other women reconnect with themselves so they too can consciously utilize energies to heal imbalances and reignite the beauty and magic in their own lives.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The law of attraction and magick
• Her experience with chronic illness
• Taking control of your health
• Finding your inspiration
• Being present in the moment
• Trusting your intuition
• Excavating your trauma 
• Chaga mushrooms
• The impact of your gut health on your mental health

We hope you loved this conversation with Krysta. Make sure to check out her shop and get 15% off with the discount code 15OFF.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

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“People need to start empowering themselves to take control of their own health because you can’t put your health into the hands of other people.” -Krysta 

“We live in duality and nothing ever stays the same.” -Krysta

“The more time you spend in the present, the more access you’ll have to joy, the less anxiety you’ll have about the future, and the less depression you’ll have about the past.” -Marc

“Your intuition is a de facto way of allowing you to do things on your terms.” -Erik

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How do you cope when you are struggling with your mental health? 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Louise McMilan, to talk about her mental health struggles while battling cancer and how she now uses her experience to help other people overcome their struggles by finding healthy ways to cope and live life more fully. 

Louise McMilan is an Inspirational Speaker on her personal experience of mental health and breast cancer. She suffered from limiting self-belief and a lack of self-confidence for most of her life which often led to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and depression.

In 2017, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and shortly after her first chemo, she had to have major emergency surgery for appendicitis. Her tough times and years in the wilderness truly defined her and she shares her story to help other people view the world a little bit differently.  

She is the co-founder of Louise McMilan Coaching, working with single women to help them get unstuck and reignite their self-belief and confidence. Ultimately Louise's passion is to empower others to 'live life more fully' on their terms.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Why Louise decided to start helping others
• Self-talk vs. exterior talk
• Negative confirmation bias
• Healthy coping mechanisms for seasonal affective disorder
• The importance of having someone to talk to
• Setting boundaries with others and ourselves
• Tips for dealing with negative thoughts
• The power of being present

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Louise. To learn more about her, make sure to check out her website here or follow her on social media at the links below. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

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Visit Louise’s website

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“It helps sometimes just to be present in the here and now.” -Louise

“We often get better by putting our focus on others.” -Marc

“We have to share with people and get them to understand that it is in fact a real thing.” -Erik

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Depression and suicide rates among veterans are high, and not enough veterans get the support they need to heal from their experiences and trauma. 

In this episode of From Survivor To Thriver, we sat down with Sgt Q to talk about his journey through his own mental health struggles as a veteran and how he used his experiences and faith to help other people struggling by shifting from reactive to proactive responses when in mental health crises.

He is a firm believer in healing through service and has created an app that is changing the game for mental health emergencies.

Aaron Quinonez (Sgt Q) endured a rough upbringing before becoming a proud Marine right out of high school. He was trained to fight the enemy and was prepared for war. When he volunteered for a combat tour in Iraq, little did he know his real battle would be fought in his mind. 

After eight years of military service, Sgt Q suffered from depression, anger, and panic attacks and was diagnosed with PTSD. He nearly ended his own life in the parking lot of a church, where later he was redeemed by Jesus Christ, who gave him a new life. 

Sgt Q traded the battlefield for the mission field and found healing and purpose through building homes and churches, feeding children, and supplying precious hope to struggling communities worldwide. God then called him to form QMissions, a pathway for veterans—Sgt Q’s fellow warfighters—to replace the battle scars of their minds with the joy of serving. 

Now, Sgt Q is the award-winning author of Healing Thru Service originally aimed at struggling veterans, which also offers help for anyone in crisis and may be one's ticket to a more fulfilled life. He went from being homeless and on the brink of suicide to starting the multi-million dollar company with over 100 employees, Reliable Commercial Cleaning, founding the veteran non-profit, Q Missions, and the health-tech startup, Q Actual 2.0. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Sgt Q’s experience in the military
• The definition of service 
• The app Sgt Q built to prevent suicide 
• The toll war took on his mental health
• Why helping other people makes you feel better
• The different camps of people struggling with their mental health
• The importance of sharing our experiences
• Becoming proactive to mental health crises instead of reactive
• Building mental resilience

We hope you enjoyed this episode. To learn more about Sgt Q and his app, make sure to visit his website and read his book. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

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“Look for your pain, and there your ministry will be also.” -Sgt Q

“We have to stop trying to do everything by ourselves.” -Marc

“If there ever was a story of hope and light, it’s Sgt Q’s.” -Erik

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When you are struggling with things like depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, you may need more than just your therapist, psychiatrist, and medication to feel better.  It may be that you need to reconnect with or find something new that brings you joy. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Nita Sweeney to talk about her personal mental health struggles and how she found happiness in movement. As Nita says, depression hates a moving target, so getting up and moving can make a world of difference in your mental health journey. 

Nita Sweeney is the is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink and co-creator of the writing journal, You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving. 

Her upcoming book, Make Every Move a Meditation (available for preorder), was featured in the Wall Street Journal. A certified meditation leader, mental health advocate, ultramarathoner, and former assistant to writing practice originator Natalie Goldberg, Nita founded the groups Mind, Mood, and Movement to support well-being through meditation, exercise, and writing practice, and The Writer’s Mind, to share using writing practice to produce publishable work. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Nita’s experience with depression
• How exercise helped Nita’s mental health
• Outdoor activities with community
• How anorexia impacted her life
• Having multiple tools in your toolkit
• Why the reason for depression isn’t always clear
• Meditation
• The importance of finding your thing

We hope you found this episode inspirational and helpful. If you want to learn more about Nita, make sure to check out her website and read her books!

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

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“Sometimes just getting out of bed is the best you can do and the cure.” -Nita

“Depression happens in those moments by yourself and you don’t know why.” -Marc

“You can do anything for o