Sparking Wholeness

Back by popular demand, in this episode Dr. Duana Welch answers listeners top questions about healthy relationships and marriage!

Dr. Duana Welch is the original "Love Factually" author and coach known for using social science to solve real-life relationship issues. She was a professor at universities in Florida, California, and Texas across 20 years, and has contributed to NPR, PBS, Psychology Today, and numerous other outlets, podcasts and videos. Her first book, "Love Factually: 10 Proven Steps from I Wish to I Do" (2015), is now out globally in five languages.

Key Topics:

- Root cause of relationship conflict

- Trigger words or phrases that lead to conflict

- 2/3 of problems in marriages will never be solved

- The "four horsemen" that damage a relationship

- Overcoming past hurts and moving forward

- How to complain in a loving way

- Small talk: is it a big deal?

For more information on Dr. Duana Welch, head to lovefactually.co

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Proven, quality sleep is life-changing sleep. Discover special offers now for a limited time at your local Sleep Number store or at sleepnumber.com/wholeness.

Trish Wilkinson is a mom, parent coach, brain stages expert, and co-author of the best-selling Brain Stages book. She came back to the show for a second time to expand our conversation on ADHD and discuss what to do, as it seems more and more children are being diagnosed with ADHD.

Key Topics:

- ADHD family history - more than 70% of kids with ADHD have parents with focus issues

- Kids with ADHD are not deficient or disordered, but we may be overdiagnosing

- A brain that works differently is never a bad thing

- Benefits of brain mapping and neurofeedback

- Long-term effects of medication for ADHD

- Differences in male and female brain with ADHD

- The brain changes that happen in 4th grade

- Strategies for improved focus and concentration

BONUS: To access Trish's mini-webcourse, "Healthy Screen Time" for free, go to: thebrainstages.com/healthy-screen-time/

Our sponsor for this episode is Indeed. Get your free $75 upgrade to your job posting when you go to indeed.com/spark.

Most everyone will cope with burnout at some point in their lives. Those in a helping role may be more prone to burnout than others. Instead of dealing with burnout as it arises, there are practical tools and strategies to employ BEFORE burnout hits.

Dr. Michelle Pokorny is an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary whose doctoral work focused on burnout and soul-care among leaders. Her passion is to help men and women thrive, rather than survive, in their daily lives as well as work.

Key Topics:

- Definition of burnout - how emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment play a role

- The difference between burnout and depression

- An explanation for the higher rates of burnout in helping professions

- The impact of isolation on burnout and how stay at home moms are affected

- Gender and burnout

- Day-to-day practices to prevent burnout

- Life-giving, soul-nourishing activities

- Finding boundaries to stay away from the "tyranny of the urgent"

- Burnout and the brain

- Cultivating rest

- Burnout and the pandemic

Learn more about Dr. Pokorny at michellepokorny.com

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As hypothyroidism seems to become more prevalent, and those suffering face a myriad of symptoms, it’s important to ask the question: what more can we do to support thyroid health?

Dr. Nicole Fujiyama is a naturopathic doctor who helps adults navigate and find natural solutions for autoimmune diseases in order to transform their health and get back to living their best life.

Key Topics:

- What is autoimmune disease vs autoimmunity

- The growing prevalence of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s

- How thyroid is traditionally tested and why a full thyroid panel is recommended

- Lifestyle factors that trigger autoimmunity

- Why you should love the liver

- The process of gut healing

- Is an elimination diet necessary?

- Bonus: Fun facts about Chinese medicine!

Follow Dr. Nicole on Instagram at @drnicolend or learn more about her work here: drfujiyamand.com

Sponsored by:

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Did you know your microbiome changes along with the seasons? In this conversation with Chelsea Blackbird, we discuss how to optimize eating seasonally in order to improve overall health.

Chelsea Blackbird is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who works with women to optimize metabolism and food peace. She uses Biblical guidance and simple strategies to keep busy women focused on more God and better health. 

Key Topics:

- Fall foods and the historic aspect of eating seasonally

- How the gut microbiome matches up with the food we consume seasonally

- Fall foods to enjoy now

- Savory dishes for root vegetables that don't involved cups of sugar to turn them into pies

- Herbs and spices that improve health, including the benefits of oregano, cinnamon, and rosemary, among others

- Whole food nourishment for immune health

- Chelsea's experiment with a carnivore diet and what she learned

- Habits that Chelsea is incorporating right now for her health

- The nutritional program that you should join in November

Learn more about Chelsea at thechristiannutritionist.com. Listen to her podcast, The Christian Health Club, wherever you get podcasts. Join this round of Feast 2 Fast at https://feast2fast.co/erin-kerry

Thanks to our sponsor:

Proven quality sleep is life-changing sleep. Special offers now available for a limited time at sleepnumber.com/wholeness.

Yoga isn't just a "fitness trend." There is so much data to support yoga as treatment for mental illness, trauma, and stress management. In this episode, yoga instructor Luci Davis shares her love of yoga in a practical, helpful way!

Luci is the founder of "Pajama Yoga with Luci." She began practicing yoga in 2006 following surgery and treatment for thyroid cancer. She believes yoga was integral to her recovery physically, mentally, and emotionally. Her motto is "practice with the body you have today."

Key Topics:

- How Luci fell in love with yoga

- Yoga as a prescription for brain health and recovery

- The science behind how yoga works

- The role of the vagus nerve and gut/brain connection in yoga

- How to strengthen vagal tone to create stress resilience

- The importance of breathing to unite body and mind

- What it means to practice with the body you have

- Learning self-awareness

- Trauma healing and how "your issues are in your tissues."

- How to give yourself a vagus nerve ear massage and use breathing techniques for frustration

Learn more about Luci and subscribe to her videos at pajamayogawithluci.com

Get a $75 job credit to upgrade your post on indeed.com/spark.

Each year, an estimated 2.8 million people encounter a traumatic brain injury, commonly referred to as concussions.

This bonus episode is a roundtable discussion between Leigh Richardson, brain health coach and therapist, host of In Your Head podcast and owner of The Brain Performance Center in Dallas, Sandra Beck, business coach, radio host, and owner of Beck Multimedia, as well as Erin Kerry, mental health nutrition coach and owner of Sparking Wholeness.

Key Topics:

- Leigh's personal story of overcoming three brain injuries and how she recovered optimally each time

- How brain injuries affect us

- How to minimize risk for brain injury

- The impact of healthy brain regulation

- Nutrients to improve brain health

- The gut/brain connection

- The importance of stress management

- The power of breathing for brain health

What many women consider normal for their health is nowhere near optimal. Feeling exhausted, worn down, moody, and imbalanced is a sign your body needs help.

In this episode, Kelsey Jack, a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, shares the serious affects of stressed adrenals and the interplay in female health.

Key Topics:

- Kelsey’s story of hitting rock bottom and finding solutions to tackle the root

- The book that changed the trajectory of her health

- The role adrenals and cortisol play in health

- Underlying factors that hurt adrenal health

- How to take care of adrenals and the blood sugar balance

- Best nutrition practices to know if we’re eating enough to restore adrenal health

- How to listen to your intuition and advocate for your health

Learn more about Kelsey at whollywell.health and the Wholly Well podcast.

Sponsors:

Take your FREE in-depth hair consultation and get 15% off your first order of individualized haircare at prose.com/spark

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Amanda Lambert and Leslie Eckford are co-authors of “Choose Your Place: Rethinking Home as You Age,” “Aging with Care: Your Guide to Hiring and Managing Caregivers at Home” and “Beating the Senior Blues: How to Feel Better and Enjoy Life Again.”

Key Topics:

- Amanda and Leslie’s background in elder care

- The stigma of mental health and aging

- Symptoms of depression and anxiety in older adults and why it manifests differently

- How to advocate for parents as they age

- Adapting to the role reversal of child to caregiver

- Finding boundaries in caring for aging parents

- Resentments that develop

- Multi-generational living and all it entails

- How to fully support the mental health of the elderly

- The importance of regular communication

To learn more about Amanda and Leslie, head to mindfulaging.com.

Proven quality sleep is life-changing sleep. Special offers now available at sleepnumber.com/wholeness.

Weight loss and hunger are about so much more than calories consumed or “burned.” When looking to make changes to our habits, it’s important to take a deeper look into our relationship with food, body image, and ourselves.

Adrienne Youdim, MD, FACP, is an internist who specializes in medical weight loss and nutrition. Her mission is to transform the weight loss narrative to one that is both empowering and compassionate, inspiring people to live more physically and emotionally fulfilling lives.

Key Topics:

- The importance of utilizing all available resources: medical, spiritual, and emotional

- Physiological reasons behind emotional eating

- Strategies that impact weight loss

- Modeling good food relationships to our children

- How you “can’t bully yourself into change”

- How to address obesity in a non-shaming way

- The deep emotional hunger behind the physical hunger

- Changes in the female body that affect hunger and weight

- Impact of movement

- The protein factor on aging

- How to trust your intuition and identity food triggers

You can get Dr. Youdim’s book, Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss From the Inside Out on Amazon.

Follow her on Instagram @dradrienneyoudim, her podcast, “Health Bites,” and website dradrienneyoudim.com.

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