The Good Mood Podcast

When a friend of mine signed up for her period tracker app, it asked her for her partner's email address.

Several times a month he would receive an email about the state of my friend's menstrual health. "You partner is in her luteal phase. You may want to tread lightly and carry a big stick". 

Well, that's not what the emails said exactly, but it was something to that effect: "During this time in her cycle she may need warm tea, cuddles and chocolate". 

Whenever they'd get into a fight he'd go, "What's the meaning of this? I didn't get an email." 

Have you noticed that, if you're a menstruating person, or transitioning into menopause, there are moments, days or weeks where you're ready to run for Prime Minister (or President), and other weeks you're a puddle on the floor of your closet, trying to figure out what pants to wear? 

When you talk to your doctor you might be prescribed an anti-depressant, told your birth control, peri-menopause or periods have nothing to do with it. And yet, you still suspect that your hormones are playing a role in your mental and emotional health. 

In this episode I talk to Dr. Jordan Robertson, a naturopathic doctor and women's health expert about Feeling Hormonal. What role do hormones play in our mood states and what can we do about them? 

We talk about hormones link to mood, the truth about hormone replacement therapy, how progress is better than programs when it comes to improving lifestyle and nutrition, how your hormones hate restriction, and how to talk to your doctor and seek help for the hormonal mood changes that are so common in those who menstruate. 

Dr. Jordan Robertson is a naturopathic doctor with a practice in Burlington, Ontario. She is owner of Clarity Health, the host and creator of the Women's Health Unplugged podcast, and the CEO of i-Med Research Hub, an online portal for integrative medicine practitioners to hone their research skills and stay up to date on the current knowledge. 

She is the author of the best-selling book on miscarriage "Carrying to Term: How to get tested, stay pregnant and carry a healthy baby to term".

Jordan has lectured across the province for medical doctors and naturopathic doctors and has been a guest on various international podcasts on women’s health. She has a special interest in women’s health, including expertise on PMS, menopause, fertility, PCOS and endometriosis and is the off-site Naturopathic Doctor for the McMaster Hospital Endometriosis Clinic.

You can connect with her:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjordannd/

Learn more about Clarity Health: https://clarityhealthburlington.ca/

Check out the Women's Health UnPlugged Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/womens-health-unplugged/id1381499307

Learn more about i-Med Research Hub (for practitioners): https://imedresearchhub.com/

We were introduced to the vagus nerve through Dr. Dave Miller, ND, the gut gangsta. In today's episode we learn more about the vagus nerve with Dr. Stephanie Cordes, a naturopathic doctor and mental health advocate.

Steph is obsessed with Polyvagal Theory, that discusses how our stress response can throw us into fight or flight, but also into shutdown via the vagus nerve. Through stimulating our ventral vagal response, we can enter into the safe and social states that create calm and connected nervous systems and help us heal from trauma or prevent burnout. 

We discuss the concept of safety and how to cultivate it through context, choice and connection (the 3 C's, from the work of Deb Dana). Steph talks about important soothing techniques that can help regulate the vagus nerve. 

We discuss somatic psychotherapy and how sometimes body work, like acupuncture can send important safety signals to the nervous system, calming thoughts and helping us co-regulate. 

We also discuss my new obsession, Attachment Theory, and how that relates to our vagus nerve. 

It's such a fun conversation. Steph is a real ND hippy with a practice in Guelph, Ontario. She is passionate about mental health, social justice, inclusivity, acupuncture.

In addition to being a naturopathic doctor, Stephanie has training as a doula. She has worked with those living with HIV in the LGBTQ community in Toronto. She is also a member of POCA, practices community acupuncture and is registered with Rainbow Health Ontario. 

She has special interest in mental wellness, digestion, trauma, addiction, and LGBTQ health. She believes in increasing accessibility to complementary care using an anti-oppressive and trauma-sensitive approach.  

In this episode we talk trauma, particularly at the end where we mention sexual trauma and violence, so feel free to avoid this episode if you find these topics triggering, or to let go of the episode when they come up at the end. 

I'm so excited for you to listen to this episode: it's a must-listen for anyone who suffers from anxiety, low mood, or who feels on the verge of burnout sometimes. 

So, essentially, all of us. Polyvagal theory and trauma-informed work, as well as somatic forms of psychotherapy are becoming so much more common place and this is a great place to be introduced to these topics in a conversational and accessible way. Steph is so knowledgeable, passionate and approachable. I love chatting with her. I hope you love listening! 

Find Dr. Steph at: 

Her website: https://www.drcordes.com/

Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/drcordesnd/

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

40 Trillion.   

The latest guesstimate that Dr. Kim Bretz, naturopathic doctor and gut microbiome guru throws out there: the amount of bacterial cells living in our guts and on our skin.   

We are outnumbered by them, but as Kim says, "thankfully our human cells are bigger so we look like our super-cute selves, otherwise it would be way more creepy".   

Not only do these bacteria take up residence inside of our systems, they influence our bodies in vast ways--from our gut health and digestive systems to our moods to our hormones.   

Dr. Kim Bretz ND is a naturopathic doctor working and living in Waterloo Region. She is a speaker, consultant and adjunct faculty at the University of Waterloo, Pharmacy.  She believes you should be able to eat food without pain.   

She also advocates eating an unrestricted diet full of real food.  She is a passionate international public speaker, having presented to multiple corporations and agencies, and is a guest lecturer for Canadian universities in the areas of health promotion, functional foods and natural health care products. She also runs continuing education for healthcare professionals in the area of the microbiota, strain specific probiotics and gastrointestinal health. 

For 6 years, Kim was part of Human Nature Network, a nationally syndicated radio program though CHUM radio, speaking in the areas of women’s health.  She is a ardent supporter of education and interprofessionalism. Kim taught gastrointestinal physiology and endocrinology at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy. 

She teaches a course in Complementary and Alternative Medicine focusing on Interprofessionalism at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, and has worked with the PIPER program out of McMaster (Program for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research).  

She has also been involved in the role of clinical lead in a research trial through the University of Guelph with the Spagnuolo Research Lab.  She has spoken or consulted for numerous companies including Thorne, Designs for Health and Rocky Mountain Analytical (LifeLabs). She was on the advisory board for Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ natural health care products and is the past president of the University of Guelph’s College of Biological Science Alumni Association.  

Dr. Kim discusses how our microbiome has changed throughout the course of her career. We talk about how the microbiome can influence mood, from the germ-free mice who have the bacteria from anxious patients implanted in their guts, causing them to experience anxiety (so, is anxiety just about gut bacteria?) to how to care for your gut while still eating the foods you love.   

Kim takes us on a journey through the development of the microbiota research and how we might harness this knowledge to improve our digestive systems and mood.   

I was so excited to talk to her because not only is she incredibly smart and knowledgeable but she is also hilariously funny and brings her dollop of humour to this conversation at nearly every turn.   

You can find Dr. Kim at: 

Her website: https://www.drkimbretznd.com/ 

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

Learn more about her gut connection program here: https://www.drkimbretznd.com/your-gut-connection

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

In 2019 I was in Costa Rica learning to surf. I met a girl there from Toronto who told me about the Lake Surfistas, a group of people who identify as women who surf the lakes. I found their Facebook group, started going to their events and was hooked.

They taught me to surf: to find friendship and comfort in the waters of the Great Lakes. I remember driving home from an impromptu surf get-together with a group I'd met through their Lake Surfista Facebook Discussion Page and remember thinking to myself, "Wow, this is happiness". 

Robin Pacquing and Shazia Mazhar talk about how surfing healed them, and how the power of female community has helped to change their lives. 

Lake Surfistas is a Canadian grassroots movement that brings together women of various identities, skills and backgrounds to celebrate water sports: surf, Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) and SUP Surfing on the Great Lakes. 

They aim to empower: build competence and confidence in the women that use these waters for board sports, and promote education, safety, enjoyment and sustainability of these resources. 

Shazia and Robin and I talk the power of community for mental health. Finding passion in movement. How they both got into surfing and their worst wipeout stories. 

I love that in this episode so many names are mentioned, which I think speaks to the power of our interconnectedness in this community and only further emphasizes the work that this organization has done to bring us together, to form friendships and strengthen our love for the lakes. 

To learn more visit the Lake Surfista Website: 

https://www.lakesurfistas.org/

And join the Lake Surfista Discussion Page on Facebook, which now has over 700 members. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lakesurfistas

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

A narrative conversation is a magical thing. Michael White, the founder of narrative therapy is famous for saying, "The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem". And yet so often we are stigmatized and shamed for who we are. 

Attempts to solve our problems often end up destroying our sense of identity, our personal power and our agency. 

Shame. It's a big topic that has come up in various episodes of this podcast. This podcast's central theme is: how do we remove the obstacles that stand between us and a Good Mood? And really, dismantling shame is one of the main answers. 

Shame's slimy, sticky sludge stands in the way of our personal happiness and our growth. When we feel wronged for who we are, when we feel responsible for our problems, we become powerless. 

Narrative Therapy aims to question the dominant stories we tell about ourselves and others. What are the dangers of a single story? What happens to our psyches, our souls and our sense of self when we come to believe that the problem stories about our lives are not just stories about problems but stories about who we are? 

In this episode, I talk to Mauricio Yabar, a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT (American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counsellors, and Therapists) about narrative therapy and sex. 

We talk about the dangers of the single-story of a psychiatric diagnosis, how many population are marginalized into a single narrative about their past, their lives and their futures and how narrative can help "thicken" subordinate stories about kindness, strength, resilience, and courage. 

Mauricio is currently working on his doctorate in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia where he is particularly interested in the effects of shame and stigma on youth who have committed a sexual offence. 

Mauricio's research involves working directly with these youth and their families, drawing from his background in narrative therapy to repair their damaged identities.

Just a word of warning, we do discuss sexual trauma in this episode so, listen at your own discretion and turn the episode off at any point if you feel that it's safer for you to do so. 

I have always found Narrative Therapy such a beautiful form of psychotherapy. You'll even see our conversation take a Narrative turn. I truly had a wonderful time speaking with Mauricio. I hope you enjoy listening. 

Find Mauricio: 

On his website: https://narrativeconversations.com/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/narrativeconversations_denver/

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

It takes guts. You know that feeling, the trembling, clenching and nauseous pit-in-your-stomach feeling when your nerves are on edge, or the gut-wrenching sobs when you're sad. You also know the complete and utter intestinal devastation that almost seems to precede a panic attack. Or, you know, just gut feelings. Visceral Reactions. 

The gut-brain connection. 

Our gut is sometimes termed "The Second Brain", connected through one of our cranial nerves, the Vagus Nerve (which is Latin for "Wandering Nerve"). The vagus nerve sends information from brain to gut and back again. 

9 out of 10 of my anxious or depressed patients have something going on downstairs in their guts. Anxiety and stress are often thought to cause IBS. This is why anti-depressants are sometimes prescribed off-label to treat IBS. Dr. David Miller, fellow naturopathic doctor, co-host of That Naturopathic Podcast and self-proclaimed "Gut Gangsta" works a little differently. 

Dr. Dave works from the butt up, taking the stress off our system by soothing gut inflammation, and creating happy tubes, so that we might better deal with the stressors of life. You see, gut issues can also CAUSE mental health issues. It works both ways. 

Dr. Dave and I talk naturopathic medicine in general. We discuss the vagus nerve and its role in depression and anxiety, and how it can optimize digestion. Most of all, we talk about Dave's passion, visceral manipulation and how to "listen with your hands" to correct structural abnormalities in the organs that helps us digest and assimilate the food we eat. 

I keep referring back to this discussion when working with patients. The idea of taking stress off the organs has stuck with me as I approach my mental health cases. And, of course, I've gone back to popping deglycyrrhizinated licorice lozenges (chocolate and coconut flavour) like it's my job. 

And, well... it kind of is, isn't it? 

You can find Dr. David Miller, ND at:

That Naturopathic Podcast: https://www.thatnaturopathicpodcast.com/

His website: https://www.drdavidmillernd.com/

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

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

Relationships are hard. They're also one of the main stressors, among finances, work, and health. Relationships, when they're smooth and harmonious, can be a reflection of cause of an optimally mentally healthy state. When things are going wrong, it can be hard to think of anything else. 

In today's episode I talk to Melissa Johari, fellow Bloorwest Wellness Practitioner, Registered Social Worker and The Couple Wellness Expert. Melissa is a therapist, focusing on premarital counseling using the Prep-Enrich program. She implements many modalities in her practice including Emotionally Focused Therapy, Resilience in Marriage therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Brief Solution Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Internal Systems Theory, Strengths Perspective, Mindfulness Theory, Psychodynamic Therapy, Anti-Oppressive Practice, Relational Life Therapy, and Hypnotherapy.

She takes a holistic perspective when working with clients, acknowledging the various systems in someone's life: financial, spiritual, physical, emotional, social, vocational, sexual, and environmental, through her Relational Wellness Wheel. When our lives are in harmony, so are our relationships. 

Melissa is also an Allied Mental Health Professional Member with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and offers supervision work to other therapists. 

In this talk we discuss lots of goodies: the 10 Steps to Resolving Conflict, Attachment Theory and Attachment Styles, The 5 Love Languages, and other frameworks for understanding how to create intentional, fulfilling and loving relationships that allow you and your partner to thrive. 

To learn more about Melissa: 

Her website: https://thecouplewellnessexpert.com/

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

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

Dr. Sairupa Krishnamurti is a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) and Ayurveda Practitioner. She has a general family practice with clinical interests in Reproductive Health, Fertility, Pregnancy, Post-natal-care, Paediatrics and Mental-Emotional Health. She also teaches Ayurvedic medicine, the ancient Indian healing system, as a faculty member at Jai Wellness, and the Centre for Ayurveda and Indian Systems of Healing. 

Sairupa practices in Toronto, at a clinic called Aurum. However for two years she was working in Singapore. 

Her aim is to  support individuals in the rediscovery of their inner wisdom through a non-judgmental, inclusive approach. 

In our conversation we talk the principles of Ayurveda, the 5 elements and 3 constitutions or doshas, how they can impact our health and well-being, and how to tailor our lifestyle practices to suit our individual needs. 

Sairupa talks about the concept of Swasta: being established in oneself or one's body, the key to optimal health. 

This episode is full of wisdom, which is what Ayurveda means: the wisdom of life and the wisdom of vitality. In it you'll learn a bit about your own constitution and how your sleeping, digestion and sexual practices (which are the 3 pillars of health according to Ayurveda), can keep you centred within yourself, living a life of health and vitality. 

Find Dr. Sairupa at:

https://aurummedicine.ca/about/dr-sairupa-krishnamurti-nd/

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

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

In today's episode I talk to Asante Haughton. Asante and I met in the summer of 2015 at the Narrative Therapy Intensive. Asante is a mental health advocate and motivational speaker. He's a program director, peer development and training manager at Stella's Place, a centre for Young Adult Mental Health, a web series host and interviewer, a poet, front-line worker, group facilitator, community outreach worker, researcher, prolific tweeter and a freelance writer. It seems like there isn't one job title for all Asante does. Asante does a lot of things. 

He's passionate about positive social change, equality, and mental health, and has dedicated himself to building stronger communities. He believes in people, global interconnectivity, and positive personal change. 

He's appeared on CBC’s, "The National", and in the documentary, "Three Voices", has an amazing Tedx Talk called "An Uncommon Story of Hope and Redemption" (which I highly recommend watching--it will make you laugh and make you cry). He's spoken at dozens of venues, where he aims to deliver a message of social awareness, social justice, community betterment, and above all, hope.

And that's what our conversation delivers today: hope. Asante and I talk about mental health but specifically, in these times, how anti-racism work is more significant than ever and the work that must be done to change our society. 

Asante shares his story about growing up dealing with poverty and racism at the heart of his personal mental health struggles, and how he aims to be the voice of change and do the hard advocacy work of educating us to see the hidden effects of racism in our society, our culture and our community. 

I highly recommend this talk and am so honoured that Asante agreed to join me on the podcast. I hope you enjoy it too. 

You can learn more about Asante by:

Watching his Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SipgIIf-Ehw

Reading his article "I Shouldn't Have to Say This": https://www.kbiinspires.com/shouldnthavetosay

Following him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/asanteV

Following him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdy.black.guy/

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn

Aglaée Jacob is a registered dietician who I met at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. 

Aglaée's journey, like many of ours, began with trying to fit her body into a certain mould: a particular size and shape under the guise of "health".   

She is the author of the book Digestive Health with Real Food, which helps identify underlying causes of gut conditions.   

Her journey has led her to start to listen to the body as an animal to heal disordered eating patterns within her, and to focus on nourishment: of the body, mind, heart and soul.   

Aglaée and I talk about body awareness, body image, mental health and disordered relationships with food, using food as medicine vs. using food to control our body shape, and how intuitive eating and full embodiment can help us heal and find true, holistic wellness and health.   

Aglaée is also the host and creator of The Nourishing Podcast.   

Find Aglaée at:  

Her website: radicatanutrition.com  

and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radicatanutrition/  

Get a copy of her book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Digestive-Health-Real-Agla%C3%A9e-Jacob/dp/0988717204  

and listen to her podcast The Nourishing Podcast, on all podcast platforms.

Good Mood Foundations: a 6-week lifestyle program for mental health and emotional wellness: taliand.com/good-mood-learn