Humarian Health

Today, we welcome back board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Rajiv K. Sharma, MD. Amy sits down with Dr. Sharma to discuss the new edition of his book, Pursuit of Gut Happiness. Dr. Sharma talks about the new edition’s updates to spices and herbs and its increased emphasis on turmeric. Then he dives into some more specific benefits, like how mint affects smooth muscle spasms and stomach pain and how ginger can affect joint pain and aches. Dr. Sharma then disappoints Amy by dispelling the myth that ginger ale has any actual ginger in it to provide benefits. It doesn’t. Amy then asks Dr. Sharma to talk about the symbiotic relationship between probiotics and prebiotics and why they work better together than individually. Dr. Sharma closes the show by highlighting his saag recipe and explaining why it’s one of the healthiest dishes you can eat. You can purchase Pursuit of Gut Happiness on Amazon, Kindle, and at drguthappiness.com.

This week’s show is all about bras! Or rather, the lack thereof. Amy is joined by Humarian’s Community Manager, Christina Conlon, to talk to Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer about their book, "Dressed to Kill: The Link between Breast Cancer and Bras”. Syd and Soma work in the field of “applied medical anthropology” with a focus on how culture and lifestyle can make us sick. Soma begins by sharing her story of finding a lump in her breast and how a prior experience in Fiji led to the idea that constriction from bras could be a potential cause of breast problems. Syd shares new research regarding lymph stasis and how the constriction of bras can exacerbate this issue. They discuss some of the research indicating that women get breast cancer 100 times more than men, but bra-free women have about the same breast cancer rate as men. Soma shares her own experience with transitioning away from wearing a bra and tips for other women to do the same. Syd and Soma also dish about bra companies that have contacted them to consult on newer, less constrictive bra designs based on “Dressed to Kill” and the rise in prominence of less constrictive bras, like wire-free and sports bras. You can find “Dressed to Kill” on amazon.com and wherever books are sold, and you can find more about Syd and Soma’s research at brasandbreastcancer.org.

Our guest this week is Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, optometrist and author of Smart Medicine for Your Eyes. Amy and Dr. B chat with Dr. Ansel about eye exams, carrots, and eye diseases. Dr. Ansel explains the three “O’s” and how overall nutrition can affect our eyes. He also spends some time discussing the effect of continued electronic use on our ocular health. Tune in to find out why the windows to the soul are also the mirrors for the body! You can find Smart Medicine for Your Eyes on amazon.com and wherever books are sold.

On this week’s show, Amy and Dr. B. are joined by Becca Coffin, an intentional living coach, to discuss living intentionally, the importance of identifying core values, and the dangers of fear-based decision making. Becca talks about how her background with her local church and project management led her down the path to become an intentional living coach. They discuss why so many people are living on autopilot, living in survival mode, or just aren’t feeling fulfilled by life. Becca describes the process of intentional living coaching, starting by identifying core values, then trying to establish a “why”. She describes how her approach differs between individuals and families and why children are often the catalyst for many of these issues to rise to the surface. They talk about why the “we’re too busy” excuse often does not hold up when activities filling that time are brought to light. Becca also talks about fear and guilt-based decision making, the some of the most common core values people define for themselves, and why it’s often okay to say no. You can find more about Becca and intentional living coaching at beccacoffin.com.

Our guest this week is Reiki master Denise Dilworth. Denise joins Amy to discuss the art of Reiki healing and the benefits it can provide. She talks to Amy about the three levels of Reiki masters, the way that Reiki works to heal the body, the nature of attunements, the difference between Reiki and other healing arts, why someone might want to consider seeing a Reiki master, what a typical Reiki session looks like, and how to find a good Reiki master.

Our guest this week is spiritual director Beth Booram. Beth is also an author, retreat leader, and co-founder and director of Sustainable Faith Indy. She joins Amy and Dr. B to outline the purpose of a spiritual director and the concept of a ministry of listening. Beth talks about what drew her to spiritual direction, what to expect from a session with a spiritual director, and explains the difference between spiritual direction and therapy.

On this week’s show, psychotherapist Dr. Pilar Jennings, PhD, joins Amy and Dr. B. to talk about Buddhism, psychotherapy, trauma, and to discuss her book, To Heal A Wounded Heart: The Transformative Power of Buddhism and Psychotherapy in Action. She describes her history with Buddhism, psychotherapy, and meditation, and how this background led her to bring them all together in her career. Pilar discusses how this unconventional version of therapy focused on being with and accepting silence can help children to open up that are not willing to with more conventional therapies. Sometimes, people don’t have the words to express their feelings, and that’s ok. She spends some time talking about trauma. Where can it originate from, what different forms can it take, and why isn’t it as simple to identify as people tend to think? They discuss the common ground between psychoanalysis and Buddhism, namely equality of listening, or fair attention, and how the integration of Buddhism is accepted within the psychotherapy community. They end by talking about how she chose the name for her book, and what she really wanted to call it. You can find Dr. Jenning’s book on amazon.com and wherever books are sold.

On this week’s show, family counselor Liz Howerth joins Amy and Dr. B. to discuss counseling, self-motivation, and the importance of being honest with ourselves. Liz tells us how she got started and why she decided to become a family counselor. The gang discusses the nature of counseling and where it fits within the paradigm of therapy, psychology, and psychiatry, and they touch on recent shifts of acceptance in the public perception of counseling being a normal part of good mental health maintenance. Liz talks about EMDR and other modalities that are common in therapy today and discusses the applications of leading with advice vs. acting as a mirror and leading patients to come to their own realizations. She also discusses the importance of self-motivation in patients, the impact it can have on growth and general progress in counseling, and why Liz goes to counseling too!

Amy asks Liz about how to begin seeking counseling, how to measure progress, how to set goals, what to expect of your counselor and yourself, and why counseling might be worth a shot for those that haven’t tried it. Liz ends the show with a word of encouragement about being honest with ourselves.

On this week’s show, we welcome Gila Kurtz for National Walk Your Dog Week. Gila joins Amy and Dr. B. to talk about her website, Dog is Good, and her book, Fur Covered Wisdom: A Dog Can Change the Way You See the World. Gila discusses her background as a professional dog trainer and what inspired her to create Dog is Good. They talk about why Dog is Good is more focused on the messages than the products themselves, and Gila shares some of her favorite messages that customers have latched onto. She also explains how she is able to incorporate fitness into her pet’s life as well as her own and why it is NOT selfish to prioritize your own health so highly. Gila wraps up by talking about one of the most important lessons her dog has taught her. Gila’s book can be purchased at dogisgood.com and wherever books are sold. You can find more about Gila at dogisgood.com.

Our guest this week is fitness trainer and author, Nick Nilsson. Nick joins Amy and Dr. B to talk about intense weight training and exercise. Tune in to find out why Nick ate 8-9,000 calories a day in college, what he has done to get kicked out of gyms, and why he’s known as the “Mad Scientist of Muscle”. Nick also talks about some more traditional exercises and tips for helping someone that wants to add more weight to their lifts. You can find more information about Nick and his weightlifting knowledge on his website, fitstep.com.