Sparking Wholeness

So often in the world of wellness, we find ourselves getting caught up in chasing optimal health yet finding out that there’s always a better goal, diet, plan, solution, etc.

Heather Creekmore is a body image expert, speaker, and author of “Compared to Who,”

along with the newly published “The Burden of Better.”

In this episode we discuss her newest book, the inspiration behind it, and WHY we need to stop comparing and set aside the heavy burden of better.

Be sure to pick up Heather’s new book, “The Burden of Better,” wherever you buy your books!

To learn more about our holistic health group, Re-Focus 2020, centered around restoring our perspective of health and body image, click here:

https://comparedtowho.me/refocus-christian-body-image-course-online/

Don’t forget to check out all the amazing Forager Project organic, plant-based products and exercise your right to vote at www.foragerproject.com/vote

In an era of information overload, it is hard to discern what is truth and what is biased. To be your own health advocate, it is important to be open to all sides, then form an assessment and make an evaluation. I dip my toes into some controversial waters to look at a different perspective in order to take a deeper look at the pre-conceived notions I have about medical research.

Dr. Jim Meehan champions honest science deployed to create genuine health. He has advanced training and experience in ophthalmology, ocular inflammation and immunology, preventive medicine, addiction medicine, and endocrinology.

In this episode that aims to challenge listeners, Dr. Meehan flips the narrative and calls into question many of our beliefs about medical research and encourages us to prove ourselves wrong and dig into the research in order to fight for our health.

Key Topics:

- Should we be allowed to do our own research?

- How the studies can be biased

- How to discern what is based on the true scientific method and what is pseudoscience

- His background in research

- The importance of trying to prove yourself wrong

- How randomized controlled trials are used to determine effectiveness

- How to look for research that isn’t biased

- The research on wearing masks

- How fear suppresses the immune system

- Tips to build up a healthy immune system and take control of your health

To learn more about Dr. Meehan’s work, go to www.meehanmd.com

In this interview with Dr. Josh Friedman, we take a deep dive into neurotransmitters and how to optimize them for mental wellness, via food as well as amino acid supplementation.

Dr. Friedman has a doctorate in Psychology from New York University and did post-doctoral training in Psychoanalysis from the Training and Research Institute for Self Psychology (TRISP) in New York City. He also is certified as a Holistic Health Counselor from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York and earned a Diploma of Comprehensive Nutrition (Dip.CN) from Huntington College of Health Sciences.

Key Topics include:

- The importance of digesting protein to create the right neurotransmitters

- The struggle with treatment-resistant depression

- Why B12 is essential for mental health

- How enzymes aid in digesting protein in order to benefit our mental health

- Amino acid suggestions for low serotonin, low dopamine, and low endorphins

- And so much more!

Website: moodhealing.com

Books mentioned in episode:

The Mood Cure by Julia Ross

The Anti-Anxiety Solution by Trudy Scott

Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker

Questionnaire for amino acids:

juliarosscures.com/questionnaire

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board certified psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutrition specialist. She is the director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In this fascinating episode, we discuss her new book, This Is Your Brain On Food.

Dr. Alina Olteanu is an integrative pediatrician and founder of Whole Child Texas. Dr. Sandy Gluckman is a speaker, author, child behavior specialist, and founder of Parenting That Heals.

In this back-to-school special interview with both women, we discuss current health concerns for our children (it may surprise you), what screens do for our mental health, and how our emotional state as parents determines the emotional well-being of our children.

Key topics:

- Rising anxiety epidemic in kids

- Common viruses in kids - are they still alive and well even though we’re taking more precautions?

- Effects of excessive screen time on stress hormones and the brain

- What screen time does to dopamine and the prefrontal cortex

- Long term health effects of screen addiction and potential for other future addictions

- The antidote to screen time

- Importance of nature

- How the science of interpersonal neurobiology plays a role in how our families handle stress

- How to add meditation into your life to counteract stress

CDC mental health study referenced:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm

To learn about the screen addiction training by Dr. Olteanu and Dr. Gluckman, go here:

https://drsandygluckman.com/preventing-reversing-screen-addiction/

It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the "health" topics. Everyone has an opinion on what being healthy truly is.

In order to simplify this process, I sat down with my friend, fellow health coach and former guest Melissa McGaughey, and we listed out our top 3 things we try to include in our day to day.

We included our list of 3 things for ourselves, along with our list of 3 for our kids.

No matter where you are in your health journey, this episode will help inspire you to keep going and incorporate tiny habits to make a big impact.

For more on Melissa, head to

https://www.enduralife.com/

All we hear from the news media is wash your hands, wear a mask, social distance. Is that really a long term solution for supporting your immune system?

Dr. Chad Edwards is a former army surgeon and currently works as an Emergency Physician. He is the founder and director of Revolution Health and Wellness Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, he pays special attention to sports medicine and health and wellness as a preventive strategy to optimize health, minimize injury risk, and decrease disease. Viewing his patients through a holistic approach helps identify subtleties in their function that are beginning to show signs of dysregulation.

This interview is a very balanced and informative take on the current pandemic, what we currently know, and what we can do to support our immune function.

Key topics include:

- His experience with Covid patients

- What the current numbers of deaths and infections tell us, according to CDC data

- The lack of data on wearing masks

- The issue of asymptomatic carriers

- Common sense precautions to take

- Practical steps to support immune health via gut health and supplementation

- The magic of vitamin c and nitric oxide

- The importance of glutathione, n acetyl cysteine and nitric oxide

- Should we run out to get the covid vaccine?

CDC data mentioned in the episode:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm#dashboard

For more information on Dr. Edwards and his clinic:

https://www.revolutionhealth.org

Matt Erb is a physiotherapist, senior faculty member with The Center for Mind Body Medicine, instructor at The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, and the Founder of Embody Your Mind, which specializes in high quality writing, teaching, and consulting in integrative and mind-body medicine topics.

In this episode we discuss the powerful mind/body connection and why we need to be listening to how our bodies handle our stressors.

Key Topics:

- How he uses acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

- The principles of ACT

- Survival biology and the aversion response to pain or unpleasant sensations

- The importance of improving our relationship to things

- Biobehavioral patterns of seeking care and comfort and regulating our physiological state

- Understanding emotional eating

- How ACT can help us in our day to day? Who is this useful for?

- Mechanics of emotional eating, autonomic nervous system development

- Mind-body practices we all could incorporate right now

Learn more about Matt at www.embodyyourmind.com

Watch his Youtube video on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy here:

https://youtu.be/8-B1nAvG1dI

What do you do when your mental health is suffering and nothing you try helps? Are there options beyond the traditional treatment plans? Where can you find support?

#SameHere is an organization founded by Eric Kussin after he experienced 2 and a half years of suffering from a mental health crisis that briefly interrupted his career as a sports executive.

In this episode, you’ll learn Eric’s story in detail, and you’ll also hear from psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Pleener, who is the leader of the Same Here psych alliance and advocates for multiple healing modalities when it comes to psychiatry.

Key Topics:

- Eric’s story and how he got to the root of his issues after digging through his trauma

- How mental health is a continuum and the problem with using phrases like “stop the stigma”

- The non-medication healing modalities that Same Here brings awareness to

- The STARR exercises that improve mental fitness, as the “gym for the brain”

- The importance of creating community support and awareness for mental health

- Why you can’t use the same tool over and over to improve mental health - you need more!

- Mental health treatment shouldn’t be a one size fits all plan.

- The work Same Here is doing with schools and businesses

- How you can get involved

To learn more, go to https://samehereglobal.org

Follow on Twitter: @samehere_global

Follow on Instagram: @samehere_global

Anne Tucker is the creator of Business Energetics and the Authentic Expression test. Her work is designed to help you see and understand your creative purpose, and to express it through your work so that you not only feel fulfilled, seen, and appreciated, but you also unlock the success you're capable of. Anne is helping to redefine business for a spiritual age, where the work we do becomes a conscious pathway to our own spiritual development.

Her book, Undoubtedly Awesome, uses the Authentic Expression test to show you how to experience less doubt in your life.

We discuss decision-making and doubt and how it adds friction. Other key topics include:

- the Authentic Expression test

- how it is different from a standard personality test

- how this test benefits decision-making

- how knowing your soul type can impact your work, your relationships, and the doubt you experience

- what the different soul types are and how they show up in our lives

- how Business Energetics can improve collaboration

Find out more about Anne’s work and take the free soul type quiz on www.annetucker.com