Get Wellthy

Has anyone else been struggling with endless anxiety this year? Has it felt compounded with each month that has gone by?

There’s no doubt this past year has brought a lot of fear and anxiety to the forefront of our lives. Fortunately, this fear and anxiety is something we can get a grasp on. It’s not a product of our circumstances that’s here to stay.

Dr. Jud Brewer is an internationally renowned addiction psychiatrist and neuroscientist and New York TImes Best Selling author. Dr. Jud is an associate professor at Brown University and executive medical director at Sharecare. In his new book, Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind, he shares with us the science behind anxiety and the importance of understanding it. Not to mention giving us the tools to successfully manage it.

Dr. Jud has studied anxiety for years, but he has also personally dealt with anxiety. In today’s episode, Dr. Jud shares his story about his experience with anxiety with us as well as some tools that we can use to break free from the fear that chains us down. This episode is packed full of easy to digest and useful information, and you’re not going to want to miss it.

Episode Highlights:

• Jud’s story about his struggles with anxiety and what led him to studying it more.
• What mapping is and how it can help with anxiety.
• Why willpower doesn’t work.
• How we can train our brains to break unhelpful behaviors.
• What social contagion is and how it impacts us.
• Michelle shares about a tarot card reading she received and since she didn’t like what they had to say she swears the reading had to be about Brad.

Find More on Dr. Jud Brewer:

•  Get Dr. Jud’s Book, Unwinding Anxiety HERE
• drjud.com
• IG: @dr.jud

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Order Athletic Greens HERE!
• Get 15% off Real Coco Creamers on Amazon with the code: GETWELLTHY15
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

Have you ever wondered if there was anything you could do to prevent the decline of your memory or overall brain health as you age? It seems so normal to think of an elderly person and tie memory loss or impairment with their age, but the truth is, that simply doesn’t have to be the case.

Today we are talking about this with two brilliant physicians, Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai.

Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, are a unique husband and wife team of neurologists on the cutting edge of brain science and wellness. The Sherzai's work with their patients to achieve optimal brain health by advocating for holistic community-based lifestyle changes.

While brain health can feel like a daunting subject, their new book,  The 30-Day Alzheimer’s Solution (available today, March 23rd), is a brain-health conscious cookbook and lifestyle program grounded in rigorous science and explained in easy-to-understand terms complete with anecdotes, recipes, and holistic actionable steps.

We talk more about the book in today’s episode, but we also cover so much more about what we can do to improve our brain health and help prevent disease as we age.

Episode Highlights:

• The impact of lifestyle on brain health.
• A conversation about whether we are doomed because of our genes or not.
• What we can do to prevent brain disease.
• How even “normal people” can make changes to impact brain health for the better.
• Brad and Michelle fangirl about how amazing the Sherzai’s are (and they actually aren’t over exaggerating...they’re incredible).

Find More on Guest:

•  Get the Sherzai’s New Book Here!
• www.teamsherzai.com
• Sherzai MD Instagram
• www.healthymindsinitiative.org

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Order Athletic Greens HERE!
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

How has your mood been over the last year? Are you struggling with emotional rollercoasters? Or even worse, do you just feel to be in a slump all of the time with few “highs”?

A few weeks ago, we decided to poll our Instagram community to get an idea about how everyone has been feeling over this last year. It was both saddening and confirming to know that more than eighty percent of people felt a decline in their mood and they were struggling with how to fix it.

Fast forward to today’s episode. Michelle and Brad have made the decision to get super intentional about joy as a whole. What does it mean to be joyful? Are joy and happiness the same? What if you’ve achieved everything and still feel empty? Today Michelle and Brad are diving into this and opening the door to exploring the answers to all of these questions over the next year.

While you might not find all of the answers by the time that you wrap up this episode, one thing you will know for sure is that you are not alone. Joy may be lacking for a lot of us in this season, but as a community we can rise to the occasion and choose to be intentional about how we can truly find joy in our lives. We hope you’ll join us!

Episode Highlights:

• The difference between joy and happiness.
• How to lean into finding joy regardless of what season you’re in.
• Michelle and Brad touch on the future of the podcast and The Whole Smiths as it pertains to joy.
• Michelle and Brad share their light hearted banter over extremely controversial topics such as recycling, trash, music preferences, and more.

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Order Athletic Greens HERE!
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

Today, Michelle and Brad have their first repeat guest, Stephanie Telfer-Lara!

As you guys know, Stephanie is a spiritual psychologist and today she shares all about what it means to tap into our higher selves. She explains how spirituality can play into our lives, why it’s important in the first place, how we can discover what spirituality means for ourselves, and more.

This episode goes deep, but in a way that is easy to understand and digest. Just like every other topic on this podcast, the goal is to remind you that wellness is so much more than what we put in our mouths and how many hours a day we exercise. There are essential elements that play into our wellness as a whole, and spirituality might very well be one that you’re missing out on.

Listen today to explore more about spirituality, what it might mean for you, and to learn about the tools that you can utilize to begin exploring your spiritual journey.

Episode Highlights:

• Michelle and Brad anoint Stephanie as their first repeat guest.
• The difference between religion and spirituality.
• What makes people crave spirituality.
• How we can use spirituality to help us find our purpose.
• Difference between the ego and the higher self.
• Tools we can use to differentiate ego vs. higher self.
• Michelle tells a scary ghost story at the end, and even scarier she gives an update about Brad giving up caffeine--so listen all the way through!

Find More on Stephanie:

• Book a Consultation with Stephanie
• Find Stephanie’s Course Here

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Order Athletic Greens HERE!
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

Do you ever get that feeling that you’re sitting in a seat you haven’t earned? That maybe you aren’t qualified to do whatever it is that you’re doing? How do we determine if there is truth to those reservations, or if it’s all in our heads?

Likey, it’s in your head, so how do we tell ourselves to knock it off and can keep moving forward?

These are just some of the questions that we find answers to today during our conversation with Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin. Not only is Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin a psychologist, author, and coach, but she is an expert on the topic of imposter syndrome. Through this conversation, you will learn what imposter syndrome is, how to manage it and what resources are out there to help us combat this unwanted mental battle.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more, and make sure to check out the resources below.

Episode Highlights:

• What imposter syndrome is.
• What to do once you realize you are struggling with imposter syndrome.
• What type of people struggle with imposter syndrome.
• Whether or not there is a healthy balance of imposter syndrome.
• Michelle announces the next big endevor with the podcast: to record from the moon with Elon Musk.

Find More on Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin:

•  Own Your Greatness Masterclass
• Book:  Own Your Greatness
• IG: @drorbeaustin
• www.dynamictransitionsllp.com

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

We all know that person who can down a plate of brownies and not gain a single pound (cough cough, Brad).

And then there are some of us who can look at a photo of a cupcake and instantaneously gain three pounds. Why the heck does this happen and what are we doing wrong to cause this?!

Dr. Sylvia Tara is a biochemist and a bestselling author, and today she is talking to us all about fat and the role it plays in our bodies. This conversation is enlightening and more importantly encouraging.

We learned a ton about the importance that fat plays in our bodies as well as why each of us respond so differently to what we consume. That cookie cutter diet might work for your friend, but you’re not a failure just because it’s not working for you. Drop the shame and listen in on this conversation to learn more!

Episode Highlights:

• The purpose behind the diet industry and why it keeps us from actually learning the truth about fat.
• The different types of fat and what that means for us.
• The role that exercise plays in relation to fat.
• Why our bodies respond differently to fat.
• Michelle asks Brad to rate her as if she was a movie. Any guesses as to what rating he gave her?! (Hint: It definitely wasn’t PG.)

Find More on Dr. Sylvia Tara:

• Get Dr. Sylvia’s Book  “The Secret Life of Fat”
• thesecretlifeoffat.com
• IG: @sylviataraphd

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

Still pondering how to actually invest in good friendships since our amazing episode with Kristen Boehmer? Us too!

That’s exactly why we invited Kat Vellos to join us on Get Wellthy. Kat is an author, speaker and community creator specializing in the areas of connection and adult friendship.

Over the last year we’ve all been forced to isolate, sit in front of screens, and reconcile current friendships. Many would contend that these circumstances have been a massive disservice to our relationships, methods of connecting and well being. Today Kat spends some time reframing our thinking about what it truly means to invest in our relationships, how we can continue to have friendships even in the midst of a pandemic, whether it’s better to have a vast amount of surface level relationships or only a few relationships that take place on a deeper level and more.

If you enjoyed our first episode on friendship, you’re going to LOVE our conversation with Kat.

Episode Highlights:

• What makes it hard to find friends as adults.
• What the loneliness epidemic is.
• What the four pillars of connection are and how to use them to find friendship.
• How to find the balance between just making small talk and trying too hard to bond.
• The role that social media plays on our relationships.
• Michelle and Brad try and convince themselves that they don’t look as old as the characters in Sex and the City (no comment).

Find More on Kat Vellos:

•  Website: www.weshouldgettogether.com
• Book: We Should Get Together
• Book: Connected from Afar
• Sign Up for Connection Club
• IG: @katvellos_author

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Get 20% off your first Belcampo order with the code: WHOLESMITHS
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

“Oh, you think parenting toddlers is hard? Just wait until the teen years!”

Chances are if you’re a parent, at one point or another, someone has projected their negative feelings toward being a parent of older kids. But is that really the narrative we need to accept?

Today on Get Wellthy, we are chatting with Kirsten Cobabe who is known as the “teen whisperer” and has some amazing resources for parents of teens. Kirsten was so helpful in answering many of the questions that come along with being parents of teens. Not only was she helpful, but she was encouraging. Parenting teens doesn’t have to feel like a continuous struggle, in fact it can be enjoyable.

Listen today to hear some tips from Kirsten as we cover everything from how we can be intentional as parents to what we can do to facilitate healthy communication with our growing kids.

Episode Highlights:

• Michelle and Brad seriously contemplate the status of Brad’s “temporary-ness” as he continues to try to escape work for the hot tub. Spoiler alert, sounds like he will be temporary for a while.
• How easy it is to carry the way our parents “parented” us into our our parenthood journeys.
• Why it’s so important to be intentional as parents in the pre-teen-teen age ranges.
• How to approach conversations and facilitate healthy communication with our teens.
• Oversharing vs. being able to let them know that we understand where they are coming from.
• How to break our kids into technology in a healthy and realistic way.
• How school has changed this year and how to support our kids through it.
• How to approach kids who don’t open up.

Find More on Kirsten Cobabe:

• kirstencobabe.com
• IG: @kirstencobabe
• Teen 2.0 by Robert Epstein 

 Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Get 20% off your first Belcampo order with the code: WHOLESMITHS
• Get 15% off Real Coco Creamers on Amazon with the code: GETWELLTHY15
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

Do you ever have moments where that voice inside your head just keeps talking and you can’t get it to stop?

The voice that replays that and awkward interaction over and over again? Or that negative self talk that you just can’t seem to turn into a positive. The voice that’s rehashing past events or worrying about future ones? That voice.

Ethan Kross calls that “chatter” and details all we need to know about that voice in his new book, Chatter. Today we are talking to him all about why this happens, what that means for us, and how we can reign it in and get control.

Ethan is a scientist, psychologist, one of the world’s leading experts in controlling the conscious mind and he is a leading expert when it comes to all that we need to know about these internal dialogues.

This conversation comes at such a fitting time as the chatter within all of us is at an all time high with today’s current events. The fact is, we have this chatter for a reason. It’s a powerful tool if we can learn to train it, but if it’s left untamed it can be extremely destructive. Listen today to hear more about how we can use it to our benefit rather than our detriment, and get a sneak peak in Ethan’s brand new book, Chatter!

Things We Discussed In The Episode:

• Michelle shared one of her not great (or should we say terrible) ideas for an invention
• What “chatter” is and how it impacts our daily lives
• How we can think more objectively to help with chatter that might not be good for us
• Why negative emotions are actually helpful for us in small doses
• How we can help out kids to maintain their chatter at healthy levels

Find More on Ethan Kross:

•  www.ethankross.com
•  Order Chatter Here!

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Get 20% off your first Belcampo order with the code: WHOLESMITHS
• Get 15% off Real Coco Creamers on Amazon with the code: GETWELLTHY15
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast

Have you ever spent months of your life being dedicated to a diet and exercise plan, and yet your health goals are never reached, the scale never budges and you still feel like SH!#?!

Today Michelle and Brad chat with Dana Monsees from Real Food with Dana. She is a  board certified dietitian-nutritionist, and body image coach. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to what works and what doesn’t in our wellness worlds.

Dana spends her time today sharing about how diet and exercise are not always the solution to our health. In fact, most of what makes us truly healthy goes so much deeper than the foods we consume and the exercise regimens we choose. Dana has a special way of explaining the science behind why things in our bodies work (or don’t) the way they do, while still keeping the information she shares simple and interesting.

If you have given yourself grief over eating that piece of cake at the birthday party or have found yourself feeling guilty for skipping a workout after a super stressful day, you absolutely need to listen to this episode because it will transform the way you talk to yourself, view the foods you eat, and ultimately make you a ‘wellthier’ human overall.

Things We Discussed In The Episode/Episode Highlights:

• Michelle challenges Brad to try 60 days caffeine free--and as usual Brad shuts her down big time (...and he wonders why he’s temporary).
• The impact that our views on food have on the way our bodies process it.
• The impact stress has on our hormones, blood sugar, and health overall.
• The importance of having a healthy inflammatory response.
• Tactical tips on how to get a hold of your health (that don’t have to do with food).

Find More on Dana Monsees: 

• Dana’s Website: https://www.realfoodwithdana.com/
•  Real Talk with Dana
• IG: @danamonsees_cns

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on The Whole Smiths:

• Get 20% off your first Belcampo order with the code: WHOLESMITHS
• Get 15% off Real Coco Creamers on Amazon with the code: GETWELLTHY15
• Order my new cookbook HERE!
• IG: @thewholesmiths
• IG: @getwellthypodcast