The Health Bridge

"We're destined to be old," says guest Christiane Northrup. But does that mean we actually have to be old in spirit? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Christiane Northrup as they discuss what it means to age and why a chronological age does NOT have to indicate our biological age. They also discuss the different mindsets people may have at different ages and ways we can derive pleasure from mindfulness. Why is it difficult for some people to love their own company? Why must we all try to conform to a herd? When we begin acting like an old person, are we allowing our bodies to age or can we delay aging by continuing to hold on to youthfulness?

The topic of vaccines is one that garnered a big reaction from our audience when The Health Bridge covered the measles outbreak at Disneyland. The response was so strong that Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried wanted to continue the conversation. Unfortunately, Sara fell sick right before this recording, so Pedram runs this one solo as he welcomed guests Jeff Hays and Louise Habakus. Jeff Hays is a filmmaker whose upcoming film, "Bought," deals with the topic of vaccine manufacturers and their practices. Louise Habakus appears in the film and is the founding director of Center for Personal Rights and lead radio host of Fearless Parent Radio. A lot of the responses we received conveyed opinion that Sara and Pedram were lacking information outside of CDC research. Jeff and Louise were invited to try to educate the hosts more on what you, the listeners, felt was lacking in the previous episode. What is most important to consider is that we must all be open to all the information is out there. Vaccination is a complicated topic that extends beyond just the aspect of public safety. Pedram, Jeff, and Louise discuss the various aspects that should weigh in a parent's decision.

It's an issue that many people have, but might feel somewhat embarrassed to talk about: Pelvic pain. This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome their friend Michael Yang. He dives into the topic of pelvic pain, discussing how chronic the pain can be as well as how underdiagnosed it can be. What sort of pain can be experienced in the pelvic region? How does pain affect women and men differently? Michael also dives into the connection between pain and the brain. How much of pain is psychological? How does a psychological mindset also affect other factors of our health? What role does it play in weight loss, for example?

With a full month having come and gone in January, many of us may have already fallen off of sticking with our New Year's Resolutions. What if the problem of sticking with a new diet or exercise regime isn't that we're having problems commiting, but that we have a spouse that is just completely unsupportive? This week on the Health Bridge Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the topic of toxic spouses. How can we overcome a spouse that won't adjust their diet to match one we're going on? Is it required that the spouse go on a diet if we're going on a diet? Could it be that we're not supporting their needs as well? Or is it a matter of convincing our spouse that changing a diet or adding in an exercise routine is for the best? Sara and Pedram discuss their experiences with their own spouses and what has happened when they try to introduce big changes.

100th episode! And boy do we have a good one! This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Jay Lombard to The Health Bridge. Jay co-founded Genomind which specializes in psychiatry and neurology. The three focus in on the biology of depression. What kind of genetic predispositions might lead to depression? What role does external factors play in determining mental health? Are there any ways to modulate the risk of depression? And what role does physical exercise have in the risk of depression?

We spend eight hours of our days, five days a week, week in and week out at work. It's a significant part of our lives. But while at work are we keeping the same strict standards on ourselves that we may keep at home? On this episode of The Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss different ways to stay healthy while at work. For some, we may be sitting at a desk all day in an office environment. How can we create new habits and make them stick in an environment that might be filled with lots of temptations, whether it's the candy at someone else's desk or unhealthy snack items offered in the lunch room?

Over the holiday break, Sara Gottfried and her husband heard a story on NPR regarding fasting and she was enthusiastic about talking about the topic on The Health Bridge with Pedram Shojai. Are there benefits to fasting? How often should someone fast? What are the possible positive outcomes for fasting? If you're thinking about fasting, what is a healthy way to fast? Just as important as fasting in a healthy manner is how you come out of a fast and Pedram and Sara discuss how to come out of a fast as well.

More than four dozen people have been diagnosed with measles in conjunction with recent trips to Disneyland or the adjacent Disneyland California Adventure Park. As Pedram lives in Orange County where the parks are located, this is a story that certainly hits close to home. This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the measles virus, how it can spread, and how a virus that has been declared eradicated can suddenly have another outbreak. Does the rising number of parents wary of vaccinating their children have any correlation to this recent outbreak? How can parents let their kids enjoy life without smothering them too much when trying to shield them from dangers such as measles?

Sara Gottfried has been hard at work on a book and it's finally ready to be presented! Sara's new book, "The Hormone Reset," has led Sara on quite the journey of discovery. Pedram Shojai discusses with her the process of writing a book while working full time and managing the kids. Sara mentions how the book made her more aware of the different approaches that can exist to becoming a fitter person. Sara reflects on the changes she saw in her own body in her thirties and the importance of managing estrogen. How important is it to be proactive about our hormones as we grow older? This one's explicit just because Pedram calls Sara a "bad@$$" which we must admit is not untrue.

Happy New Year! The beginning of a new year can signify new beginnings. It's a chance to make changes in our lives and begin anew. But for some we make resolutions that are basically dropped and forgotten by January 2nd. How can we make 2015 different? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome 2015 on The Health Bridge and talk about how to lock in those goals and achieve them. How can the people around us affect the success rate of our goals? How can we turn a new action into a long-lasting habit? Let's make 2015 the best year yet!