In this episode of Nourished with Dr. Anikó, Dr. Anikó addresses the emotional exhaustion so many people are carrying right now—and names what’s often left unspoken: the cost of avoidance.

As violence, injustice, and political instability continue to unfold, many of us feel overwhelmed, depleted, and unsure how to stay engaged without burning out. Dr. Anikó challenges the idea that disengaging from the world is a form of self-care, and instead offers a grounded, compassionate reframe: avoiding what hurts doesn’t protect us—it quietly dominates our lives.

Through personal reflection, clinical insight, and cultural context, this episode explores why consciously engaging with grief, fear, and anger can actually reduce stress, improve well-being, and restore a sense of agency. Dr. Anikó also reframes self-care as something deeper than individual soothing, inviting listeners to consider how collective care and meaningful action support both personal and communal health.

This conversation is an invitation to stop expending energy denying the “elephant in the room” and instead use that emotional energy to create connection, movement, and change.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Why political and collective exhaustion is often driven by avoidance
• How suppressing grief, anger, and fear increases stress and inflammation
• The difference between conscious engagement and trauma spiraling
• Why action and community involvement support emotional resilience
• A reframing of self-care beyond bubble baths and personal escape
• How engaging with what matters restores agency and meaning
• Why joy, play, and celebration are not distractions—but fuel for the fight

Episode Highlights:

01:00 Naming the collective exhaustion and emotional overwhelm of this moment

03:30 Why avoiding the news and hard truths doesn’t actually protect us

05:30 How conscious engagement reduces fear, stress, and emotional domination

08:30 Why bubble-bath self-care can’t solve systemic anxiety and burnout

16:00 “Fight for the dance”: grief, joy, and why feeling can keep us from exhaustion

Episodes Referenced:  38. Healing, Growth, and Resilience Come From Feeling the Full Spectrum of Emotions - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/38-healing-growth-and-resilience-come-from-feeling/id1812511962?i=1000746983036

37. Is Climate Change Human-Caused? Science, Misinformation & Media with Amy Westervelt - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/37-is-climate-change-human-caused-science-misinformation/id1812511962?i=1000746011065

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

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Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this episode of Nourished with Dr. Aniko, Dr. Aniko explores why true healing, personal growth, and resilience aren’t possible when we ignore or suppress difficult emotions. Instead, she invites listeners to embrace the full spectrum of feelings - grief, frustration, joy, gratitude, and everything in between - to live more fully and intentionally.

Dr. Aniko shares practical insights on how acknowledging all emotions can:

• Deepen self-awareness and personal growth
• Build resilience during challenging seasons
• Help us experience gratitude without denying pain
• Strengthen relationships and parenting by recognizing both struggles and blessings

Episode Highlightsds

02:00 – The risk of emotional suppression and its impact on health
03:30 – Parenting and relationships: holding love alongside frustration
05:00 – Learning from grief: how pain points to what we value most
06:30 – Heartbreak, compassion, and personal transformation
08:00 – Gratitude as an expansion, not a replacement of difficult feelings
11:00 – Allowing emotions to move through instead of getting stuck
12:30 – Opening fully to the beauty and challenges of life

True resilience comes not from avoiding pain, but from fully experiencing your emotions. By embracing the full spectrum of feelings, we create space for growth, deeper connection, and a richer, more meaningful life.

Episode Reference:  30. Grief Is Love: How to Find Healing Through Connection with Amar Atma Singh Khalsa - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/30-grief-is-love-how-to-find-healing-through-connection/id1812511962?i=1000739466846

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this continuation of her conversation with award-winning climate journalist Amy Westervelt, Dr. Anikó breaks down one of the most misunderstood questions of our time: Is climate change actually human-caused and why is there still so much confusion about the answer?

Together, they unpack the science behind climate change in plain language, explain how greenhouse gases amplify natural climate patterns, and reveal how fossil fuel companies and media systems have intentionally distorted public understanding for decades.

This episode goes beyond headlines. Amy shares real-world reporting from wildfires, hurricanes, air-pollution health crises, and global climate displacement to show how climate change isn’t abstract it’s already reshaping lives, health outcomes, and entire communities.

They also explore how misinformation spreads, how journalism differs from opinion, and what listeners can look for to identify trustworthy sources in an era of outrage-driven media.

Episode Highlights:

02:10 – Is climate change human-caused and how natural patterns and human activity coexist

04:20 – How greenhouse gases amplify droughts, floods, heat, and extreme weather

07:15 – Air pollution, particulate matter, and the real health impacts of climate change

10:45 – The hidden benefits of climate action and why walkable cities trigger backlash

14:30 – Why wildfires behave differently now and what climate change has altered

18:20 – Climate change as a force multiplier alongside development and infrastructure

22:40 – Hurricanes, power outages, and how climate disasters compound over time

26:30 – Climate migration and what happens when places become uninhabitable

30:10 – Ocean currents, food systems, and risks to global agriculture

33:50 – Why scientists overwhelmingly agree on climate change

41:10 – How climate change became framed as a political issue

45:00 – The difference between journalism, opinion pieces, and propaganda

49:30 – How to recognize misinformation and bad sources

58:40 – Why hopelessness benefits powerful industries

1:02:30 – What individuals can realistically do about climate change

If you want this tightened further (fewer timestamps, or adjusted to exact edit points), I recommend trimming to ~10 chapters for Apple Podcasts — happy to do that next.

This conversation is honest, grounded, and deeply human. It offers clarity without fear-mongering and empowers listeners to engage with climate information thoughtfully, critically, and with agency.

Learn more about Amy Westervelt:

Website: https://www.amywestervelt.com/

Podcast: https://drilled.media/podcasts/drilled

Award-winning climate journalist, author, and host of Drilled and Hot Take

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this episode, investigative journalist Amy Westervelt examines how climate misinformation takes hold, how media systems reward confusion over clarity, and why expertise is often challenged rather than centered in public climate conversations.

This discussion looks at power, incentives, and structural trust including how false balance, platform dynamics, and corporate interests shape what audiences see, hear, and believe about climate change.

04:12 – How misinformation differs from misunderstanding
09:30 – The media’s role in amplifying doubt and controversy
15:48 – False balance and why “both sides” framing fails
21:05 – Power, incentives, and who benefits from confusion
27:40 – What responsible climate journalism actually looks like
33:10 – Rebuilding trust in a fragmented media landscape
38:45 – What listeners can do to engage more critically with climate narratives

About Amy Westervelt:

Amy Westervelt is an award-winning investigative print and audio journalist. In 2015, she received a Rachel Carson award for women greening journalism for her role in creating a women-only climate journalism group syndicating longform climate reporting to The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Economist, and many more outlets. In 2017, she founded the independent podcast production company Critical Frequency, which specializes in reported narrative podcasts that The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Atlantic have described as "fascinating," "rigorously reported," and "the best." Westervelt has received an ONA award for excellence in audio storytelling, multiple Covering Climate Now awards for climate reporting, a Wilbur award for excellence in religion reporting, two Peabody nominations, and was named a 2023 Covering Climate Now "Journalist of the Year." A 20-year veteran investigative journalist, Westervelt's earlier work for NPR, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Inside Climate News, and various other outlets earned her Edward R. Murrow, ONA, and Folio awards as well, and is often cited as amongst the earliest examples of accountability reporting on climate. 

Her book "Brought to You By: Inside Big Oil's Total Information War," is forthcoming from Bloomsbury.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywestervelt/

Drilled Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drilled/id1439735906

Website: https://www.amywestervelt.com/

Book: Forget "Having It All": How America Messed Up Motherhood—and How to Fix It: https://www.amywestervelt.com/book

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

Chronic abdominal pain in children is real—and often misunderstood. In this episode of Nourished with Dr. Anikó, pediatric gastroenterologist and integrative medicine specialist Dr. Ann Ming Yeh explains Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other disorders of gut–brain interaction (DGBI) in children and teens.

You’ll learn why IBS is not “all in your head,” how the nervous system and gut motility drive real pain, and why normal GI tests can actually be good news. Dr. Yeh shares evidence-based integrative treatments for pediatric IBS, including supplements, diet approaches, mind–body therapies, acupuncture, and nervous system regulation tools that help children restore function and quality of life.

This episode is essential listening for parents navigating chronic belly pain, clinicians treating functional GI disorders, and anyone interested in the gut–brain connection.

03:00 – Dr. Yeh’s path into pediatric integrative gastroenterology
08:00 – IBS vs IBD vs DGBI: what these diagnoses actually mean
13:30 – The gut–brain communication
18:30 – Visceral hypersensitivity: why the pain is real
28:30 – How IBS is diagnosed today (and red flags to know)
33:30 – Integrative supplements for IBS (peppermint, ginger, magnesium)
40:30 – Probiotics, fermented foods, and microbiome myths
46:30 – Diet approaches without food fear or restriction
53:00 – Mind–body treatments: hypnosis, biofeedback, CBT
1:01:00 – Acupuncture, and nervous system reset

Resources Mentioned:

"Choose Your Poo" - Bristol Stool Scale: https://med.stanford.edu/pediatricsurgery/Conditions/BowelManagement/bristol-stool-form-scale.html

nerva app: https://www.nervahealth.com/

Imagineaction: https://imaginaction.stanford.edu/

Streamind Health: https://www.streamindhealth.com/

More about Ann Ming Yeh, MD:

Website: https://www.annmingyehmd.com/

Book: https://www.annmingyehmd.com/constipation-book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/integrative_peds

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this New Year’s episode of Nourished, Dr. Anikó offers an alternative to resolutions and rigid intentions, inviting listeners into a quieter, more meaningful way of entering the year ahead. Through a personal ritual rooted in reflection, embodiment, and compassion, she shares how looking back on the year we’ve lived can become one of the most powerful tools for living with intention.

Rather than striving to fix or reinvent ourselves, this episode centers on integration. Dr. Anikó walks through her annual practice of reviewing the year month by month, using memory, photographs, and writing to reconnect with moments of joy, challenge, grief, and aliveness that might otherwise be forgotten. This process is about honoring life as it actually unfolded.

A key theme throughout the episode is the importance of starting reflection from the body rather than the mind. Through movement, time in nature, meditation, and simple practices like “shaking the bones,” Dr. Anikó explains how embodiment helps us access intuition and truth without overthinking or forcing meaning.

This conversation also builds on the idea of a grief-informed life. Difficult moments, losses, regrets, and emotional pain are not obstacles to intentional living; they are teachers. When we allow ourselves to feel, name, and reflect on these experiences, they offer guidance for how we want to live moving forward, without bypassing or getting stuck.

Dr. Anikó emphasizes that there is no universal blueprint for a fulfilling life. What brings meaning, joy, and vitality is deeply personal. Reflection helps us notice patterns, recognize what truly nourishes us, and make choices that align with who we are, rather than who we think we should be.

This episode is especially resonant for anyone feeling disillusioned with New Year’s resolutions, navigating grief or transition, or craving a more intentional relationship with time, energy, and life itself.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• Why reflection can be more sustaining than resolutions
• How reviewing your year helps integrate joy, grief, and lived experience
• The role of embodiment in meaningful self-reflection
• How noticing patterns can guide future choices with clarity and compassion
• Why intention begins with honoring what has already shaped you

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and let your lived experience guide the year ahead. Not through pressure or reinvention, but through presence, reflection, and care.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this episode of Nourished, Dr. Anikó explores how conflict when met with curiosity rather than defensiveness can become a powerful pathway to deeper connection. Through a nuanced discussion of apology, forgiveness, and emotional accountability, she unpacks why curiosity is the missing ingredient in most relational breakdowns.

At the heart of this conversation is a crucial distinction: accepting an apology is a relational act, while forgiveness is an internal process that unfolds in its own time. Dr. Anikó explains why genuine connection does not require premature forgiveness and how sincere apologies, grounded in curiosity, can create repair even when forgiveness isn’t yet available.

This episode also dives into the nervous system beneath our reactions. When shame, stress, or emotional overwhelm take over, curiosity disappears. By learning to regulate ourselves first, we regain the ability to stay present, listen openly, and hold more than one lived experience at the same time.

Dr. Anikó shows how curiosity allows us to acknowledge impact without collapsing into self-blame, to take accountability without losing our sense of self, and to engage conflict as a space of learning rather than separation.

Especially powerful for parents and partners, this conversation reframes conflict as a teacher - revealing our values, our needs, and our capacity for connection when we are willing to stay open.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• The difference between apology and forgiveness, and why confusing them creates disconnection
• How curiosity transforms conflict into understanding
• Why intent does not erase impact—and how to hold both with compassion
• The role of emotional regulation in staying open during difficult conversations
• How modeling curiosity reshapes family and relationship dynamics
• Why repair begins with believing someone’s experience, not agreeing with it

This episode is an invitation to approach conflict not as something to win or avoid but as an opportunity to understand more deeply, connect more honestly, and grow in relationship with yourself and others

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

Meditation isn’t about stopping your thoughts, it’s about changing your relationship to them. In this episode of Nourished with Dr. Anikó, Dr. Anikó breaks down what meditation really is, why so many people believe they “can’t” meditate, and how simple body-based awareness can radically shift the way you respond to stress, emotions, and daily life.

Through clear explanation and a guided sensory exercise, this episode shows how bringing attention into the body creates a pause between stimulus and reaction, interrupting habitual patterns driven by stress, fear, or past experiences. Rather than forcing calm, meditation becomes a practice of presence, observation, and choice.

Dr. Anikó also offers practical guidance for building a sustainable meditation practice, including posture, breath awareness, habit formation, and why seated stillness is such a powerful tool in an overstimulated world. Whether you’re brand new to meditation or struggling to stay consistent, this episode reframes meditation as an accessible, life-enhancing skill rather than a performance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why a racing mind doesn’t mean you’re “bad” at meditation
• How focusing on physical sensations pulls you out of thought spirals
• Why breath awareness is the foundation of any meditation practice
• How meditation increases emotional regulation and self-awareness
• Simple ways to create a daily meditation ritual that actually sticks

This episode is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with your body, and experience the quiet clarity that comes from intentional presence—no special tools or experience required.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this powerful episode of Nourished with Dr. Anikó, Dr. Anikó expands on a key idea raised in last week’s conversation about grief and emotional suppression: the very real and measurable harm that unprocessed emotions create within the body. 

Through research, clinical insight, and lived experience, this episode explores why emotions that aren’t felt don’t disappear they embed themselves physically, increasing inflammation, disrupting hormones, altering the gut microbiome, and raising the long-term risk of conditions like dementia, autoimmune disease, chronic pain, and cancer .

Dr. Anikó breaks down why intellectualizing feelings is not the same as experiencing them, why suppression creates lasting physiological stress, and how adaptive approaches such as cognitive reappraisal can reduce inflammatory load and improve mental resilience . 

Dr. Anikó also explores the gut–brain axis, the role of serotonin production in the gut, and the ways dysbiosis ties emotional patterns to mood, immunity, and cognition .

This episode also widens into a deeper reflection on what it truly means to live a grief-informed life one where emotions become guides rather than threats. Dr. Anikó argues passionately that emotional literacy isn’t weakness but resilience, and that allowing emotions to rise and resolve naturally creates more connection, clarity, and meaning in our daily lives .

What You’ll Learn:
• The scientific links between emotional suppression, inflammation, dementia, chronic pain, and disease
• The difference between feeling emotions and thinking about emotions
• How the gut microbiome and serotonin production respond to stress and suppression
• Why adaptive emotional strategies improve health outcomes
• The importance of a grief-informed approach to life and relationships
• How expressing emotions supports resilience, vitality, and meaningful connection

Whether you're navigating stress, grief, a disconnected relationship with your emotions, or simply want to understand the science of emotional health, this episode offers both insight and invitation. You’ll walk away with a profound understanding of why expression not suppression is essential for long-term wellbeing and authentic connection.

If the last episode cracked the door open, this one swings it wide.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this deeply moving episode of "Nourish with Dr. Anikó," grief specialist and board-certified chaplain Amar Atma Singh Khalsa joins Dr. Anikó to explore the transformative power of grief. Together, they redefine loss as a path to healing, self-awareness, and deeper connection.

About AmarAtma Singh Khalsa:
Amar Atma Singh Khalsa is the founder of the Institute for Compassionate Grieving, a sought-after speaker, retreat leader, and author of the upcoming book "The Tender Art of Grieving." With over 15 years of experience, Amar blends mind-body medicine, spiritual wisdom, and somatic healing to support individuals through the emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions of grief.

Episode Highlights:

• Why grief is not just an emotion, but a universal response that can open us to greater love and connection
• The dangers of emotional suppression and how it fragments our sense of self and community
• How reframing grief as an expression of love can transform our healing journey
• The role of embodiment and somatic practices in processing grief and fostering emotional safety
• Practical tools for making space for grief, including rituals, movement, and daily check-ins
• The impact of collective and personal grief in today’s world, and how compassionate grieving can be a radical act of social justice
• Amar’s upcoming book, retreats, and resources for those seeking support

Key Takeaways:

• Grief is a story of love, not something to be fixed or overcome.
• Suppression and shame are the real barriers to healing, not grief itself.
• Embodied practices and emotional literacy are essential for integrating grief and living a more connected, meaningful life.
• Collective grieving and compassionate community can help heal both individuals and society.

Connect with Amar Atma Khalsa:

• Website: compassionategrieving.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amaratmacoaching/
• Upcoming Book: The Tender Art of Grieving
• Retreats: Annual grief retreat at Kripalu, workshops, and online programs

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó!

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.