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Dr. Katharina Meister discusses the connection between hormones and sleep, including the role of melatonin and sleep-related hormones. She emphasizes the importance of sex hormones in maintaining healthy sleep patterns and the impact of sleep deprivation on hormone regulation and overall health. Dr. Meister also highlights the role of exercise in hormonal regulation and sleep quality, as well as the connection between gut health and sleep. She provides advice on when to seek professional help for sleep disturbances and shares ongoing research and emerging trends in naturopathy. Finally, she offers actionable tips for optimizing hormonal balance. In this conversation, Katarina Meister discusses strategies for managing stress and optimizing hormonal health.

She emphasizes the importance of incorporating restorative activities into daily routines and recommends a 3-2-1 exercise approach, consisting of three restorative activities, two weightlifting workouts, and one hour of walking or light cardio. Katarina also highlights the significance of nutrition in regulating cortisol levels and suggests including fiber, fat, and protein in meals. She provides tips for reducing sugar cravings and advises gradually reducing caffeine intake. Katarina explains the process of an initial consultation and the potential use of adaptogens and nutritional supplements to support hormonal balance. She also mentions the benefits of genetic testing for personalized medication response. The conversation concludes with a focus on establishing a routine and taking action steps such as walking and switching to green tea.

Takeaways

• Incorporate restorative activities into your daily routine to manage stress and optimize hormonal health.

Lakeside Natural Medicine

https://lakesidenaturalmedicine.com/practitioners/drmeister/ 

⁠Hooga: Red Light Therapy⁠⁠

I am excited to partner with Hooga! 🌟 Explore their Red Light Therapy Devices for Pain Relief, Skin Health, Energy Boost, and Recovery. Let's boost wellness together! 

⁠⁠Use code Wisconsin12 for 12% off⁠⁠

Equilife

⁠⁠Get A Free Bottle Of Gluten & Dairy Support On All Orders Over $149!⁠⁠

Receive a FREE bottle of Gluten & Dairy Support Enzyme on all orders over $149! Intolerance and sensitivity to gluten and dairy are some of the most common digestive issues. Many of the highly processed packaged foods we buy at the grocery store contain difficult-to-digest gluten and dairy-based ingredients. 

Top 5 Books on Body and Mind Connection

1. ⁠The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma⁠

In this episode of the Wisconsin Wellness Podcast, Laurie Groh talks with Elizabeth Grojean, founder of Baloo Living, about the science and story behind her ethical weighted blanket brand. Elizabeth shares how a leap of faith to Bali turned into a thriving business—and how slowing down can lead to deep transformation. You'll also hear:

🔗 Get 10% off at BalooLiving.com with code wisconsinwellness

🎧 Listen now on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2pGeHlpsWqdg4sTCpAGm3G?si=e5b4bc9098da4bc0

📚 Learn about The Pajama Program and SeaTrees

Try a 5-minute grounding break with a weighted blanket — even midday. Give your body a moment of stillness and see how your nervous system responds. And if you don’t have one, maybe this is your nudge to check out Baloo (10% off with code wisconsinwellness at balooliving.com).

Guest: Bradley Brown, MS, LPC-IT – Therapist at Shoreside Therapies

Description:

What We Cover:

Quick, doable strategies for better mental health today

Resources & Links:

In this eye-opening conversation, Laurie Groh is joined by Shoreside Therapies’ Victoria Hagan to explore how small daily choices can make a big impact on our brain health. From forgetting why you walked into a room to boosting memory and clarity as you age, this episode breaks down the science and gives you actionable tools. Learn about the five key pillars of cognitive wellness—nutrition, exercise, sleep, social engagement, and stress reduction—and how these changes can reduce your risk of dementia by up to 40%! Plus, Victoria shares insights from the fascinating Nun Study and leads us through a calming box-breathing practice.

Why You Should Listen:

• Understand the difference between normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia

Book a free 15-minute consult with Victoria Hagan:

• 📞 Meet Victoria at Shoreside Therapies

No waitlists. No jumping through hoops. Just real therapy, when you need it. Explore our services and meet your match today.

Visit Shoreside Therapies.

or set up a free consult today!

⁠⁠https://shoreside.mytheranest.com/appointments/new⁠

Join our community!

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This podcast explores the significance of grief education and the Grief Mentor Method with guest Julianne Manske Rollefson, a grief educator and podcast host. Listen as Laurie and Julianne discuss the universal experience of grief, the necessity of acknowledging and processing it in various life changes, and the role of rituals in coping with losses like death, divorce, or job loss. Rollefson introduces a holistic approach to grieving, emphasizing mindfulness, energy management, nourishment, outdoor activities, and the importance of incorporating rituals and rest in navigating grief.TakeawaysGrief is inherent in change and is experienced by everyone at some point in life.

There is a lack of education and support around grief in the workplace and society.

The five stages of grief model is limited and does not capture the complexity of grief.Acknowledging and understanding grief is essential for providing effective support.

Continuing bonds with loved ones who have passed can be a helpful way to navigate grief. Continuing bonds in grief allow for a healthy and ongoing relationship with the deceased in a different way.

The Grief Mentor Method, which stands for mindfulness, energy, nourishment, translation, outside, and ritual/rest, provides a comprehensive framework for navigating the grief process.

Grief is a complex and multifaceted experience that involves holding multiple emotions simultaneously.Rituals and rest are important components of the grief process, allowing for the integration and honoring of the loss.

Grief can be experienced in various contexts, including death, divorce, and job loss, and finding ways to acknowledge and mark these losses is essential.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:58 The Impact of Grief and Loss

06:01 The Need for Grief Education in the Workplace

11:30 Exploring the Limitations of the Five Stages of Grief

20:14 Continuing Bonds: Honoring Loved Ones in Grief

21:51 Introduction to Continuing Bonds in Grief

30:23 The Grief Mentor Method: Mindfulness, Energy, Nourishment, Translation, Outside, and Ritual/Rest

37:09 The Complexity of Grief: Holding Multiple Emotions

38:14 Integrating and Honoring the Loss: Rituals and Rest

39:06 Grief in Different Contexts: Death, Divorce, and Job Loss

Julianne Manske Rollefson

To learn more about Julianne and her work, visit shoresidetherapies.com, or follow her on Instagram at ⁠@juliannerollefson⁠.

⁠Grief Group At Shoreside Therapies⁠Shoreside Therapies:

Book a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free 15-minute consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ online and get into therapy within a week!

Set up a free 15-minute consult today!  Now offering video counseling.  Click the link to set up a time that works for you.

⁠https://shoreside.mytheranest.com/appointments/new⁠

🎯 Why You Should Listen:

Are your thoughts running the show? In this episode, Laurie Groh breaks down how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify thought traps, challenge spirals, and reframe your inner dialogue. If you struggle with overthinking, labeling, or feeling like your emotions run your life—this one’s for you.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• You’re not your thoughts. You’re the listener, not the narrator.

🔧 What You’ll Learn:

• How to identify common cognitive distortions

📥 Free Resource:

⁠Download the 5-Minute Reset Rituals⁠ – A collection of grounding tools and mindset shifts to support your mental wellness.

📣 Join the Conversation:

Have a thought trap you want to reframe? Tag @WisconsinWellnessPodcast on IG or DM Laurie with your biggest aha from the episode!

Episode Sponsors and links:

⁠⁠Headspace⁠⁠ Stress and anxiety are common challenges in today's fast-paced world, and Headspace is there to help. This mindfulness and meditation app provides effective techniques to manage stress, promoting mental well-being.

⁠⁠Blinkist⁠⁠: Learning something new daily is a fantastic practice, especially when combating nerves before a presentation. Blinkist, an app I personally use, offers insightful summaries of various resources. Listening to the summaries of some of my resources helps make me feel more secure in what I am presenting. It helps with my tendency to over-prepare.

In this episode of the Wisconsin Wellness Podcast, host Laurie Groh speaks with Elizabeth Grojean, founder of Baloo Living, about the importance of slowing down for creativity and health.

Elizabeth shares her personal journey of leaving a corporate job to find purpose and fulfillment, leading to the creation of her company that specializes in weighted blankets. They discuss the science behind weighted blankets, their benefits for sleep and mental health, and the importance of creating a calming environment. The conversation also touches on the impact of sleep on overall well-being and the role of weighted blankets in reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.

Takeaways

• Slowing down is essential for creativity and health.
• Personal growth often requires stepping out of comfort zones.
• Environment plays a significant role in our well-being.
• Finding purpose is more important than mere survival.
• Weighted blankets can help regulate the nervous system.
• Quality sleep is crucial for mental health.
• The science of deep pressure touch enhances relaxation.
• Weighted blankets are beneficial for all ages.
• Research shows significant improvements in sleep quality with weighted blankets.
• Creating a calming environment can enhance overall well-being.

Elizabeth Grojean, founder of Baloo Living

https://balooliving.com/

Discount code will be created for 10% off sitewide: WISCONSINWELLNESS valid through 9/30/25. 

Here are links for the nonprofit partners we mentioned as well: 
https://pajamaprogram.org/
https://seatrees.org/

Set up a free 15-minute consult today!  Now offering video counseling.  Click the link to set up a time that works for you.

https://shoreside.mytheranest.com/appointments/new

🎯 Why You Should Listen:

Are your thoughts running the show? In this episode, Laurie Groh breaks down how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify thought traps, challenge spirals, and reframe your inner dialogue. If you struggle with overthinking, labeling, or feeling like your emotions run your life—this one’s for you.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• You’re not your thoughts. You’re the listener, not the narrator.

• Thought traps like catastrophizing and labeling create intense emotions with no solutions.

• A grounding or breathing exercise can shift your state in just 2 minutes.

• Reframing is about honesty, not toxic positivity.

• Naming a feeling reduces its intensity—“name it to tame it.”

• CBT works best with daily, consistent practice.

• Your brain can change—hello, neuroplasticity!

🔧 What You’ll Learn:

• How to identify common cognitive distortions

• A step-by-step framework to reframe thoughts

• How to stop the text spiral of doom

• The one-word change that makes “should” statements less dreadful

• A grounding practice to use mid-spiral

• Why labeling is not helpful (unless it’s lovingly calling yourself a nerd)

📥 Free Resource:

Download the 5-Minute Reset Rituals – A collection of grounding tools and mindset shifts to support your mental wellness.

📣 Join the Conversation:

Have a thought trap you want to reframe? Tag @WisconsinWellnessPodcast on IG or DM Laurie with your biggest aha from the episode!

Episode Sponsors and links:

⁠Headspace⁠ Stress and anxiety are common challenges in today's fast-paced world, and Headspace is there to help. This mindfulness and meditation app provides effective techniques to manage stress, promoting mental well-being.

⁠Blinkist⁠: Learning something new daily is a fantastic practice, especially when combating nerves before a presentation. Blinkist, an app I personally use, offers insightful summaries of various resources. Listening to the summaries of some of my resources helps make me feel more secure in what I am presenting. It helps with my tendency to over-prepare.

You know what healthy boundaries look like, but how do you actually set them? Part one of our Boundaries Workshop was all about awareness, but this episode will help you take action.

Laurie further explores why boundary-setting can feel so difficult and how we can avoid the exhaustion, resentment, and overwhelm that builds when boundaries aren't honored — by you or others. You'll walk away with tools and strategies to overcome the guilt of saying "no," shift your mindset, and manage your emotions as you practice boundary work.

Tune in to walk through our Healthy Boundaries Checklist and get quick tips for maintaining healthy boundaries!

Topics discussed in this episode:

Introduction (00:00)

Healthy boundaries checklist (01:24)

Strategies to shift your mindset around boundaries (03:29)

Reframing boundary statements (06:45)

How to deal with the guilt of boundaries (08:55)

Tips for maintaining boundaries (11:55)

Shoreside Therapies

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shoresidetherapies.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shoreside Therapies offers compassionate, client-focused counseling for individuals, couples, and families. With expertise in mood disorders, life transitions, grief, trauma, and maternal mental health, their dedicated therapists provide a safe space to support your journey toward meaningful change and personal growth.

Headspace

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://headspace.pxf.io/oqGZBo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Headspace is a leading app for mindfulness and meditation, offering guided sessions, sleep aids, and stress-reducing techniques. Designed to fit seamlessly into your daily routine, Headspace empowers you to find calm, focus, and balance in today’s fast-paced world.

Wisconsin Wellness Podcast

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wisconsinwellnesspodcast.com/⁠

Episode Sponsors and links:

⁠Headspace⁠ Stress and anxiety are common challenges in today's fast-paced world, and Headspace is there to help. This mindfulness and meditation app provides effective techniques to manage stress, promoting mental well-being.

⁠Blinkist⁠: Learning something new daily is a fantastic practice, especially when combating nerves before a presentation. Blinkist, an app I personally use, offers insightful summaries of various resources. Listening to the summaries of some of my resources helps make me feel more secure in what I am presenting. It helps with my tendency to over-prepare.

Does saying no feel impossible? Are you constantly overwhelmed by everyone's demands? Afraid to disappoint others? These are signs of poor boundaries.

Listen to this live workshop as we explore why boundaries are so much more than just saying “no” — with real-life examples and insights to help you understand what healthy boundaries really look like.

We dive into the difference between automatic and conscious boundaries, when boundaries should be flexible, and the reasons why so many people struggle to set the right boundaries. You’ll learn how to spot the signs of poor boundaries in your own life and start making a change!

Topics discussed in this episode:

Introduction (00:00)

Internal boundaries exercise (01:48)

Two types of emotional boundaries (04:12)

The challenges of automatic boundaries (08:59)

Why boundaries vary by relationship (10:10)

Benefits of boundary setting (12:08)

Signs you have poor boundaries (22:11)

Why people struggle with boundaries (24:15)

Rigid boundaries: signs and causes (30:14)

Shoreside Therapies

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shoresidetherapies.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shoreside Therapies offers compassionate, client-focused counseling for individuals, couples, and families. With expertise in mood disorders, life transitions, grief, trauma, and maternal mental health, their dedicated therapists provide a safe space to support your journey toward meaningful change and personal growth.

Headspace

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://headspace.pxf.io/oqGZBo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Headspace is a leading app for mindfulness and meditation, offering guided sessions, sleep aids, and stress-reducing techniques. Designed to fit seamlessly into your daily routine, Headspace empowers you to find calm, focus, and balance in today’s fast-paced world.

Wisconsin Wellness Podcast

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wisconsinwellnesspodcast.com/⁠