Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories

Sometimes it is the experiences that matter most. For Marla Berger, a tough loss in her teens stayed with her almost a decade before it led her down her journey of pursuing a career in mental health. Through experiential therapy, she serves her clients through their personal struggles by giving them the opportunity to “practice” taking action instead of traditional talk therapy. These experiences utilize art, nature, and even horses. Marla, the founder of Berger Counseling Services, joins us in this week’s episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories.

There’s nothing more important than taking care of our bodies. But when everyday activities like cooking (yes – cooking) in our kitchens have the potential to be harmful, we must listen and learn how to form better, and healthier habits. (Trust me – so much in this conversation came as a BIG shock to me!) That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome Udo Erasmus for a mindblowing episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories to educate us about the healthy and harmful fats we’re consuming, and the damaging practice most of us are using in our kitchens. As a leader in a billion dollar industry, Udo is a co-founder, author, health and wellness educator who is passionate about helping us all take our health into our own hands one fat at a time. 

This week on Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories, we’re joined by a best-selling mother-daughter duo who’s teaching us about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and making it accessible for all. Healing Herbal Soups authors Rose Cheung and Genevieve Wong used their time in the pandemic for good - writing a cookbook full of healing recipes inspired by and passed down from TCM doctors. In this episode, the pair share their favorite recipes, the impact TCM has had on them and others, and the health benefits you may start to see yourself with some of their tips.

We’re kicking off Mental Health Awareness Month with an important conversation surrounding stigma, mental health challenges, and resources that are saving lives. Joined by Jarrod Strickland, Executive Director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Florida, this episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories discusses Jarrod’s own mental health past that led him into the field of helping others, and the impact of the work he now does with NAMI Florida.

This week we’re taking a look below the surface, just in time for Earth Day. On Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories we welcome Rachel Shanker, the Conservation Liaison & Educator at Manatee Lagoon. Manatee Lagoon is a free Palm Beach County educational attraction with a dedicated area to view manatees up close. In this episode, Rachel educates us about the eco-discovery center, why the Manatees come to hang out there, how we all can protect them, and other sustainable practices we need to keep in mind for the betterment of our planet. 

After a life-altering concussion, Shelly Burton’s life changed direction. When the varsity athlete tried to fight through her injury, the symptoms became too much to ignore. She not only felt her own pain, but had a heightened sense of awareness, extreme empathy, and felt the pain of others she came in contact with. She was forced to listen to her intuition for the first time. In this week’s episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories, Shelly shares how she tapped into her inner voice and began pursuing her passion in energy medicine. Shelly shares how to know if energy healing is right for you and what it means to rewire your subconscious mind.

Our skin is our largest organ, so how we take care of it (and what we put on it) matters. When three close friends were diagnosed with breast cancer, Ira Green was inspired to make a change. It started as a reset for the products she was using in her life, opting for natural products where she could trust every ingredient. When she saw a gap in the market for a natural deodorant that actually worked, she left her job in finance to found Freedom All-Natural Deodorant. This week’s episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories includes Ira’s story through entrepreneurship, what she learned from her research of topical products we use every day, and how she is handling her own breast cancer diagnosis with strength.

Amber Laign found inspiration in one of life’s biggest challenges. When her partner was diagnosed with breast cancer, Amber was faced with the emotional challenges that come with stepping up as caregiver. Between the symptoms her partner – Robin Roberts of Good Morning America – faced post-treatment and the toll the experience took on Amber herself, she found solutions in essential oils. Inspired by her background in massage therapy, Amber’s deep dive into the benefits of essential oils turned into a business, Plant Juice Oils, when her product using Broad Spectrum CBD + essential oils started producing results in her community. Listen to this week’s episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories for more details about Amber’s wellness journey, meeting her business partner, and the work they’ve done during five years in business.

There are 35 million pediatric visits to the ER each year, but not all are treated the same. In communities across the country, there are health disparities putting children at risk. This week we welcome Dr. Alana J. Arnold to Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories who is the CEO and founder of Premier Pediatric Solutions, LLC. Their passion for improving pediatric emergency medicine care in communities throughout South Florida is at the forefront of their work. In this episode we discuss the need that inspired it all, and the huge impact they make through education and training.

It’s Black History Month! We’re kicking off with a conversation all about D.E.I.B. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), why it’s important, and the actionable steps we can all take towards creating inclusivity. Roslyn Rutledge-Rice brings her diversity expertise to Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories as a diversity practitioner, speaker, bestselling author, and co-founder of DPI, LLC, a high-impact business consulting firm. Roslyn went from being laid off to creating a space to let others find their voice, and in this week’s episode she walks us through what got her here.