In this episode of the Joyous Health podcast, host Joy McCarthy sits down with Amber Romaniuk, an emotional eating, digestive, and hormone expert. Amber shares her personal journey of overcoming binge eating from gaining and losing over 1000lbs and spending over $50,000 on binge foods. She offers valuable strategies for breaking the cycle. 

From addressing emotional triggers to implementing self-care practices, this conversation provides valuable insights for those struggling with binge eating. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between hormones, emotions, and food, and discover how to cultivate body confidence and optimal health. 

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:37] Emotional eating and hormones.

[00:10:09] Triggers for binge eating.

[00:14:37] Emotional healing and sugar addiction.

[00:24:35] Binge eating and overeating.

[00:27:53] Signs of triggering binge eating.

[00:31:08] Breaking certain unhealthy habits with children.

[00:33:19] Setting good eating habits.

[00:37:38] Hormones and binge eating.

[00:40:10] Overcoming guilt and self-awareness.

[00:43:31] Body awareness and healing.

[00:46:41] Digestive aids and emotional triggers.

Resources: 

Find Amber on Instagram

Amber’s Website

Amber’s Podcast

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

In this episode of the Joyous Health podcast, host Joy McCarthy interviews Natalie von Teichman, the creator of the first meditation stuffie for kids. Natalie shares her expertise in children's mental health and discusses the importance of mindfulness for children. She also opens up about her own experience with COVID-19 and the impact it had on her mental health. 

As a mom of four boys and an entrepreneur, Natalie understands the challenges of balancing a busy schedule with self-care. She offers valuable insights and holistic-minded practical tips on how to incorporate mindfulness practices into our hectic lives, helping us find moments of calm and joy amidst the chaos.

She emphasizes the need to treat mental fitness with the same level of importance as physical fitness. Just as we prioritize our physical health through exercise and self-care, we should also prioritize our mental well-being by practicing strategies and exercises to strengthen it. Don't miss this insightful conversation about supporting children's well-being through mindfulness.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:48] Importance of mindfulness for children.

[00:04:14] Times of isolation and lockdown.

[00:07:53] Mental health and COVID symptoms.

[00:11:09] Children's mental health.

[00:19:34] Meditation and overcoming anxiety.

[00:23:01] Conscious breathing and meditation.

[00:27:33] Mindfulness for kids.

[00:30:23] Transitioning to parasympathetic state.

[00:34:08] Sensory stimulation for kids.

[00:37:35] Mesh toys for mental health.

[00:41:09] Creating a meaningful business.

[00:44:36] Box breathing and race car driving.

Resources:

Learn more about Miindfully

Find Miindfully Meditate on Instagram

Use code JOYOUS15 to save on a MediTate stuffie

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

This week Joy chats with Kena Peranjape, the founder of All You Are. The conversation with Kena was truly inspiring and motivating. Joy was deeply moved by Kena's journey and her remarkable ability to overcome challenging situations and find her purpose. She shares the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, even through difficult situations, finding purpose and connecting with your inner spark.  

Tune in to be inspired and motivated to discover your own passions and empower yourself.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:29] Maintaining a positive mindset.

[00:03:43] Transitioning in career paths.

[00:08:05] Following nudges and taking action.

[00:12:25] Finding positivity through adversity.

[00:15:42] Advice for difficult situations.

[00:19:22] Wearing a dress at the hospital.

[00:23:02] Purpose and fulfillment in life.

[00:30:37] Finding your inner spark.

[00:34:05] Shifting energy and mindset.

[00:37:59] Journey back to happiness.

[00:41:32] Finding gratitude in tough times.

[00:45:43] Meditation with young children.

Resources:

Kena on Instagram

Her coaching business: All You Are. 

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

In this episode of the Joyous Health podcast, host Joy welcomes Jill, a registered nurse and certified functional medicine practitioner, who is on a mission to change the way we approach menopause and aging. Jill believes that it is possible for midlife women to feel vibrant, happy, healthy, balanced, sexy, and strong. She guides women to greater well-being by addressing the root cause of their symptoms and educating them about their bodies. Join Joy and Jill as they discuss the importance of taking small steps towards better health and embracing the notion that aging doesn't have to mean decline.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:39] Embracing Aging and Menopause.

[00:03:34] Hormones and perimenopause.

[00:07:38] The journey of menopause.

[00:11:33] Lifestyle habits for menopause.

[00:16:18] Sleep and menopause.

[00:18:41] Hormones and sleep issues.

[00:20:44] Hormone replacement and progesterone cream.

[00:25:13] Drawbacks of taking oral progesterone.

[00:28:30] Hormone replacement therapy benefits.

[00:32:23] Symptoms of estrogen plummeting.

[00:36:48] Vaginal dryness and micro tears.

[00:39:22] When should I start?

[00:43:22] Testosterone and healthy aging.

[00:44:39] Hormone support and body function.

[00:48:05] The more people we can help.

Resources: Estrogen Matters Book

Find Jill on Instagram

Find Jill’s website 

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

This week Joy chats with Dr. Kwado Kyeremanteng, the department head of critical care at the Ottawa Hospital. He shares his insights on the importance of finding the leader within oneself and the courage to be authentic, even if you're not in a leadership role. He discusses his new book, "Unapologetic Leadership," and inspires listeners with his stories and energy. 

Dr. K also talks about his work in caring for the sickest patients in the ICU and his research on improving ICU resources and access to palliative care. Don't miss this empowering conversation on finding courage and making a positive impact.

Episode Highlights:

[00:02:25] Authentic leadership and courage.

[00:04:51] Making decisions from our values.

[00:09:32] People's unwavering belief systems.

[00:12:30] Speaking up in challenging environments.

[00:18:37] Authenticity and its impact.

[00:28:16] Using rejection as fuel.

[00:30:09] Developing a stomach for difficult decisions.

[00:36:59] Managing stress and relaxation.

[00:38:56] Leaning on your partner.

[00:42:49] Improving healthcare and avoiding ICU.

Resources:

Dr. K’s new book: Unapologetic Leadership: Finding The Moral Courage To Do The Right Thing

Dr. K on Instagram

Dr. K on Tiktok

Solving Healthcare Website

Solving Healthcare Podcast

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

This week Joy chats with Dr. Rachel Schwartzman, a board certified and licensed naturopathic doctor, about perimenopause. They discuss the lack of information available on this topic and the various symptoms women experience during this time of transition. Dr. Rachel provides actionable steps for managing these symptoms and offers valuable insights into women's health and hormonal imbalances. Tune in to gain knowledge and take control of your health during perimenopause.

This is definitely an episode where you'll want to take some notes, so settle in with a skin-nourishing cuppa tea and get your notebook ready!

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:11] Lack of information on menopause. 

[00:05:00] Common symptoms in perimenopause. 

[00:09:37] Heavy periods and alarming symptoms. 

[00:11:23] Body changes and societal pressure. 

[00:15:19] Supporting testosterone with weight-bearing exercises. 

[00:19:17] The Toxic 10 ingredients. 

[00:23:09] The power of healthy fats. 

[00:26:17] Clean estrogen and cruciferous vegetables. 

[00:29:09] Fermented foods and vegan chili. 

[00:33:14] Toxic cleaning products vs. natural alternatives. 

[00:36:34] Natural health products. 

[00:40:17] Herbs for nervous system support. 

[00:45:11] Magnesium and its benefits. 

[00:48:08] Conscious breathing and meditation. 

Resources:

Rachel’s Website

Rachels’s Instagram 

Rachel’s Facebook  

Dupont Family Clinic Website 

JHP: Raising healthy eaters with Dr. Rachel Schwartzman 

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

This week Joy chats with Dr. Eric Korem, who has always been driven by a relentless pursuit of high performance as he’s coached athletes from football players to Olympic athletes. As time progressed, that drive became a purpose — to improve the lives of others in ways they didn’t know were possible. He did his PhD on sleep so he knows a thing or two about how to get better quality shut-eye and he’s super passionate about helping others truly thrive. 

If you want to learn more about how to get the best sleep of your life and boost your resilience to stress then you won’t want to miss this episode. So settle in with a skin-nourishing cuppa tea and get your notebook ready–you’ll want to make notes of his amazing advice!

Episode Highlights: 

• Accuracy of wearable tech devices for sleep

• Breakdown of sleep stages and what hormones are involved 

• The power of sleep for immune health

• Testosterone and sleep

• The ideal number of hours of sleep

• 3 key sleep behaviours everyone needs to focus on

• Importance of having a consistent sleep schedule 

• How sunlight impacts hormones, mood and sleep

• How to get a better sleep 

• Tips to manage a racing mind aka monkey brain

• Dr. Korem’s fave app to help you relax, focus and sleep

• How to make stress your friend

• How to boost your stress resiliency 

• The power of strength training 

• Optic flow: What happens when you’re walking

• Dr. Korem’s app AIM 7

Resources:

Dr. Korem on Instagram

Dr. Korem’s website 

Dr. Korem on LinkedIn 

Dr. Korem on Facebook

Dr. Korem’s podcast 

Round up of accuracy of wearable devices 

Endel: App to help you focus, relax and sleep 

The Joy of Movement Book

Aim 7

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Connect with Joyous Health on TikTok

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

This week, Joy chats with Matt Maruca who is the founder and CEO of Ra Optics, a company that teaches people about the essential role that light plays in health and develops advanced light therapy-based products. He founded Ra Optics after a decade-long personal health journey that ultimately led him to light. The discovery that we are ultimately beings of light has led him to a profound interest in the nature of consciousness and existence itself.

In this episode Matt shares how he cultivates his inner light everyday and how you can take steps to begin letting your inner light shine. You’ll love hearing about his perspective on walking and why he’s decided to do the Camino de Santiago. Matt is such a joy to speak with, so we know you’re going to love this episode!

If you want to learn more about what it means to have an internal light and how to cultivate it daily, then you won’t want to miss this episode. So settle in with a calming cuppa tea and get ready to be inspired by Matt’s incredible outlook on life!

Episode Highlights:

• How Matt’s health issues inspired him to explore the healing power of light. 

• His process of believing his issues were genetic to things he could change.

• Why the internal aspect of light is as important as external light. 

• The damaging effects of functioning from a place of fear. 

• Actionable suggestions to begin cultivating your inner light. 

• The importance of meal timing to promote sleep and circadian rhythm. 

• How changing our thoughts can change how we live our life. 

• Why how we start our morning sets the foundation for our energy for the rest of the day. 

• The importance of catching when you slip into problem consciousness so you can shift to opportunity consciousness. 

• Why we need to embrace the energy of hope. 

• What the “cult of speed” is and why we need to reject it. 

• Hope requires willful action in order to create a new reality. 

• The book that inspired Matt to slow down, step outside of his comfort zone and explore the world. 

• The rejuvenating power of walking. 

• Why Matt decided to walk the Camino de Santiago. 

• The importance of being honest in all of your actions. 

• What Matt hopes to get out of his pilgrimage. 

Resources:

Ra Optics Website–use code Joyoushealth to save!

Matt on Instagram

Ra Optics on Instagram

The Light Diet Podcast

JHP: Using Light to Optimize Your Health with Matt Maruca

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Learn more about The Joyous Health Business Program

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

• Join Joy’s Hair Care Challenge at Natural Hair Care Challenge

• Explore Joyous Health Kids at Joyous Health Kids

This week, Joy chats with Allison Tannis, a practicing Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a masters degree in Nutritional Sciences. She is the founder of Enthusiastic Nutrition Inc., a company specializing in witty Nutritional Communications Content. Allison has also written five nutrition books on topics ranging from probiotics to healthy aging and healthy foods for pregnancy. Passionate about making healthy eating easy, she's known for adding a dash of humour to her meticulous research, making it easy to swallow.

In this episode Allison shares her vast knowledge on the most amazing foods, supplements, and lifestyle tips to help you nourish your skin from within. You’ll love her vibrant energy and ability to break down complex information into easily digestible tidbits that you can incorporate into your life right away.

If you want to learn more about how to feed your skin for a healthy glow no matter your age,  then you won’t want to miss this episode. So settle in with a skin-nourishing cuppa tea and get your notebook ready–you’ll want to make notes of her amazing advice!

Episode Highlights:

• What inspired Allison to pursue a career in holistic nutrition. 

• How she navigates contradictory scientific findings to find the truth in nutrition research.

• The importance of bio-individuality when it comes to choosing health habits that work for you. 

• What inspired her to explore the connection between the foods we eat and the health of our skin. 

• The danger of following health trends versus creating a sustainable lifestyle. 

• The connection between inflammation and aging skin. 

• Why we should cherish how we look every single day. 

• How a healthy glow reflects inner health and joy. 

• An interesting discussion of Botox and collagen injections.

• The role of internal and external hydration in skin health and wrinkles. 

• Why hyaluronic acid is a great skincare ingredient. 

• Her top supplement recommendations for skin health. 

• What to look for in omega-3 supplements.

• Why some ingredients are better when taken internally versus topically.

• Allison’s favourite foods for skin health.

• Simple lifestyle habits that can promote healthy skin. 

• The nourishing power of plants. 

Resources:

Allison on Instagram

Allison’s Website

Allison on Facebook

Allison on Twitter

Shop Allison’s Books 

Allison’s Tahini Salad Dressing

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Learn more about The Joyous Health Business Program

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

• Join Joy’s Hair Care Challenge at Natural Hair Care Challenge

• Explore Joyous Health Kids at Joyous Health Kids

This week, Joy chats with Kate Taylor Martin, founder of nutbar, the world’s first superfood cafe. While studying nutrition at the institute of holistic nutrition, Kate began to dream up a concept for a healthy cafe in Toronto–one which would replace the typical coffee shop fare of muffins, donuts and croissants with alternatives that were still delicious but also good for you. She built nutbar around a holistic approach to health and the basic foundation of focusing on real, whole food.

In this episode Kate shares how she was inspired to create a community space that served nourishing, whole foods to busy people on-the-go so they can truly thrive. She gets vulnerable about what it’s like being a full-time entrepreneur and mom to three small children and the challenges of both. You’ll love her practical tips for developing non-negotiable healthy living routines!

If you want to learn more about building your life’s vision and living a life you’re proud of, then you won’t want to miss this episode. So settle in with a cozy cuppa tea and get ready to be inspired to follow your dreams!

Episode Highlights:

• Kate’s wellness journey and how Joy inspired her to apply to IHN!

• How she found her wellness community through school.

• Her inspirational transition from studying nutrition to opening her first nutbar cafe.

• How being a little naive helped her take the leap into entrepreneurship. 

• Taste and health benefits of homemade nut milks vs. boxed nut milks

• How Kate built a brand as opposed to just working in her business. 

• The cost of maintaining quality and commitment to organic products. 

• Her guide to eating well without restrictive labels. 

• What life looks like being a mom of three young kids and running her business.

• The things she needs to do to find equilibrium. 

• Kate’s routines and the non-negotiables that changed her life. 

• The physical and psychological benefits of cold exposure and how to do it. 

• The impacts of modern day life on stress and health. 

• The foundation she builds at home to keep her kids healthy. 

• Why it’s important to help kids build connections between what they eat and how they feel, without shame or restriction.

• What’s next for nutbar.

• The one thing you must try when you go to nutbar. 

Resources:

nutbar’s Website 

nutbar on Instagram  

nutbar TikTok

nutbar Locations 

barmilk luxurious nutmilk 

More about Joyous Health:

• Check out our award-winning blog Joyous Health

• Check out  Joy’s bestselling cookbooks

• Sign up for the Joyous Health newsletter

• Follow Joyous Health on Instagram

• Find Joyous Health on Facebook

• Learn more about The Joyous Health Business Program

• Check out our full line of Natural & Organic Haircare and Body Care.

• Join Joy’s Hair Care Challenge at Natural Hair Care Challenge

• Explore Joyous Health Kids at Joyous Health Kids