The Tea Time Podcast

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter 12: Elimination Diets.

Elimination diets are often misunderstood as restrictive or overwhelming, but in this episode, Sharissa reframes them as a tool for awareness. Instead of focusing on what you can't eat, she explains how elimination diets can help you identify foods that may be contributing to inflammation, discomfort, or other symptoms.

Sharissa shares her personal experience navigating food sensitivities and how removing certain foods helped her better understand how her body responds. She emphasizes that elimination diets are not meant to be permanent, but instead are a temporary process used to gather information.

This episode encourages a slow, intentional approach — removing one category at a time, observing symptoms, and then reintroducing foods to see how the body reacts.

This episode reflects lived experience and personal research, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 Intro 00:12 Chapter 12: Elimination Diets 01:00 What elimination diets are 02:00 Why they are helpful 03:00 Common food sensitivities 04:00 Removing foods intentionally 05:00 Observing symptoms 06:00 Reintroducing foods 07:00 Personal experience 08:00 Action step 08:45 Closing

🔗 Resources

Free Journey Back to Health Workbook https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Tea Time Podcast Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

Watch on youtube: https://youtu.be/fOpbeuAtRME

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter 11: Clean Eating.

Clean eating is often misunderstood as simply eating unprocessed foods or sticking to the perimeter of the grocery store. While that can be one approach, Sharissa expands the definition to include three additional ways of eating clean: mindful eating, seasonal eating, and cultural eating.

She explains how mindful eating activates the body's digestive processes, beginning with smell and continuing through chewing and enzyme production. When we are distracted while eating, the body may not fully engage in digestion, even if the food itself is considered "healthy."

Sharissa also explores how eating seasonally can increase nutrient density by choosing foods that are grown locally and harvested at peak ripeness. She introduces simple ways to access seasonal foods, including visiting farmers markets or subscribing to a CSA produce box.

Finally, she discusses cultural eating as a meaningful and nourishing practice — reconnecting with family traditions and foods that the body may recognize and respond to on a deeper level.

This episode reflects lived experience and personal research, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 Intro 00:13 Chapter 11: Clean Eating 01:00 Grocery store "perimeter" idea 01:45 Expanding the definition of clean eating 02:00 Mindful eating explained 03:00 Distraction vs digestion 04:00 Eating seasonally 05:00 Nutrient density & farmers markets 06:00 CSA produce boxes 07:00 Cultural eating explained 08:00 Action step: reconnect with cultural foods 08:45 Closing

🔗 Resources

Free Journey Back to Health Workbook https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Tea Time Podcast Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

Instagram: @sharissabradley.author

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Ten: Gut Health.

Gut health is one of the most important starting points in a healing journey. The digestive system is responsible for breaking down food, extracting nutrients, and delivering them to the rest of the body. When that process is disrupted by inflammation, autoimmune issues, or bacterial imbalance, the entire body can feel the effects.

Sharissa shares her personal experience with celiac disease and explains how inflammation in the digestive system created symptoms like extreme fatigue and brain fog. When the gut isn't able to properly absorb nutrients, other organ systems suffer because they aren't receiving the support they need.

This episode also explains the digestive system as an "extraction system," responsible for both nutrient absorption and waste elimination. When digestion isn't functioning properly, bloating, pain, and gas can occur as the body struggles to process food.

Listeners are encouraged to begin simply by observing their digestion and noting how their bodies feel after meals. Instead of making immediate changes, the focus this week is awareness and tracking patterns through a simple food diary.

This episode reflects lived experience and personal research, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Podcast intro 00:13 – Welcome to Chapter 10: Gut Health 01:00 – How the digestive system extracts nutrients 01:45 – Personal experience with celiac disease 02:30 – Domino effects of gut inflammation 03:10 – What "gut" includes in the body 04:00 – Supporting digestive organs 04:45 – Reducing inflammation in the diet 05:15 – Probiotics, prebiotics, and healing support 05:45 – Gut health and mental health connection 06:15 – Bacterial imbalance and dysbiosis 06:50 – The domino effect of healing the gut 07:15 – Why healing starts with digestion 07:45 – Action step: observe digestion patterns 08:30 – Keeping a food diary 09:00 – Workbook resource 09:35 – Closing encouragement

Free Workbook https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Join the Tea Time Podcast Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

Follow along: @sharissabradley.author

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Nine: Systems and Organs

This chapter explains why the body cannot be treated as isolated parts. Sharissa shares her experience visiting multiple specialists who focused narrowly on one organ at a time — particularly the thyroid — without considering how interconnected the body truly is. She reflects on receiving conflicting advice, the financial and emotional toll of specialist care, and how fragmented medical perspectives can leave patients exhausted and confused.

Sharissa breaks down why understanding the body as a series of communicating systems matters. From the digestive system's role in nutrient absorption to the liver's 500+ functions, and from adrenal support to endocrine balance, this episode reframes healing through a holistic lens.

The action step for this chapter encourages listeners to identify one organ system that may need extra support and intentionally nourish it this week.

***This episode reflects lived experience, not medical advice.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 9 introduction

01:00 – Specialist experiences & fragmented care

02:00 – Conflicting advice & health exhaustion

03:00 – Losing the holistic model

04:00 – Endocrine system as interconnected pieces

05:00 – Gut inflammation & systemic effects

06:00 – The liver's 500+ functions

07:00 – Supporting smaller systems to benefit the whole

08:00 – Taking your power back

09:00 – Action steps & elimination diets preview

09:46 – Closing

Links & Resources

Download the free Journey Back to Health Workbook:

https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Community:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

Follow along: @sharissabradley.author

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Eight: Knowing Is Not Enough

Drawing from her graduate research in psychology, Sharissa reflects on a central question: why do we know what's good for us — yet still struggle to take action? From studying children sorting "good for me" foods to testing adults on health knowledge, she observed the same pattern across ages: awareness does not automatically lead to behavior change.

Despite unlimited access to health information today, rates of chronic illness continue rising. The issue isn't knowledge — it's implementation. This episode connects back to earlier chapters on brain resistance and energy conservation, explaining why large, sweeping goals often fail.

Sharissa shares practical examples, including breaking down exercise habits into small, manageable steps (like 20-minute YouTube workouts between clients), wearing flexible clothing, and using visible reminders to reduce friction.

The core takeaway: massive Monday overhauls don't work. Tiny, achievable action steps do.

The action step for this chapter is simple — share what you're learning with someone. Accountability and community help bridge the gap between knowing and doing.

This episode reflects lived experience, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 8 introduction 01:00 – Graduate research on health knowledge 02:00 – Rising chronic illness despite access to information 03:00 – Brain resistance & energy conservation 04:00 – Lofty goals vs. achievable habits 05:00 – The "Monday overhaul" trap 06:00 – Breaking exercise into tiny steps 07:00 – Reducing friction & setting reminders 08:00 – Baby steps toward habits 09:00 – The accountability action step 10:00 – Closing encouragement

🔗 Links & Resources

Download the free Journey Back to Health Workbook: https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Seven: Superhero Complex.

This short but powerful chapter explores the tendency to "wear the superhero cape" — trying to do everything, be everything, and meet everyone's needs while personal health quietly suffers. Sharissa reflects on how overextending herself often leads to neglecting sleep, hydration, nourishment, exercise, and rest.

Using the familiar oxygen mask analogy, she emphasizes the importance of meeting your own basic needs first. While certain life seasons (like caring for a newborn) may temporarily require self-sacrifice, consistently ignoring your own well-being creates long-term consequences.

This episode introduces the concept of a "Joy List" — a simple, physical list of small and big activities that bring personal joy. From freezer meal prep and reading to gardening, watching Netflix, or enjoying a favorite meal, Sharissa encourages listeners to identify what fills their cup.

The action step is simple: remove the cape and do one small thing this week that brings you joy.

This episode reflects lived experience, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 7 introduction 01:00 – What is the Superhero Complex? 02:00 – When health suffers 02:30 – Oxygen mask analogy 03:30 – People pleasing vs. true necessity 04:00 – Identifying neglected basic needs 04:30 – Introducing the Joy List 05:00 – Examples of joyful activities 06:00 – Small moments of joy 07:00 – Making joy visible & habitual 07:45 – Personal joy commitment 08:00 – Action steps & encouragement

🔗 Links & Resources

Download the free Journey Back to Health Workbook: https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

Instagram: @sharissabradley.author

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Six: Emotional Connections.

This chapter explores the powerful emotional ties we build around food — especially comfort foods connected to memory, safety, and love. Sharissa shares a personal story about cookies and tea with her grandmother, and how that ritual created a deep emotional pathway tied to warmth, belonging, and connection.

After being diagnosed with celiac disease and eliminating gluten, she lost the ability to access that comfort in spontaneous ways. This episode unpacks the emotional deficit that can occur when healing protocols, elimination diets, or food restrictions remove not just ingredients — but emotional anchors.

Sharissa encourages listeners to examine their own comfort foods and find ways to make nourishing swaps that preserve emotional connection without creating deprivation. From gluten-free baking to creative substitutions like sweet potato chips or vegetable-packed nachos, this episode focuses on reclaiming comfort safely.

This episode reflects lived experience, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 6 introduction 01:00 – Cookies, tea & grandmother memories 02:00 – Celiac diagnosis & losing comfort 03:00 – Emotional deprivation during healing 04:00 – Recipe swaps & nourishment 05:00 – High nutrient dense substitutions 06:00 – Nostalgia & grandmother's birthday 07:00 – Recreating comfort through scent & taste 08:00 – Encouragement & closing

🔗 Links & Resources

Download the free Journey Back to Health Workbook: https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

Watch this on youtube: https://youtu.be/VjoSDx8t03g

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Five: Find Your Why.

Sharissa shares why this chapter may be the most foundational part of the entire healing journey. While habit formation, elimination diets, detox, and lifestyle shifts all matter, none of them sustain without a deeply rooted reason for change.

Drawing from her personal experience growing up with a chronically ill mother and later becoming a sick mom herself, Sharissa explains how her "why" became anchored in not wanting her children to experience the same absence she felt. She reflects on navigating autoimmune disease, adrenal fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, and years of extreme dietary changes — including two years without coffee, caffeine, sugar, dairy, or chocolate.

This episode moves into practical action steps from the book, including writing out what your healthiest self would be able to do, rebuilding physical goals, reclaiming activities that were lost to illness, and building a support team that can help you stay anchored when things feel hard.

Sharissa also vulnerably shares that her own healing journey feels like it has backslid recently, with increased nausea and fear-based thoughts resurfacing — reminding listeners that healing is rarely linear.

***This episode is lived experience, not medical advice.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 5 introduction 01:00 – Why this chapter is foundational 02:00 – Growing up with a chronically ill mother 03:00 – Becoming a sick mom & finding her why 04:00 – Elimination diets & extreme change 05:00 – Why willpower isn't enough 06:00 – Writing your healthiest-self list 07:00 – What illness stole 08:00 – Inflammation, joint pain & flare-ups 09:00 – Two-year healing timeline 10:00 – Reclaiming reading & daily activities 11:00 – Building your support team 12:00 – Paid support & outside help 13:00 – Reaching out & asking for support 14:00 – Current nausea setbacks 15:00 – Fear spirals & mental chatter 16:00 – Multiple habits & rewiring stories 17:00 – Grace, gentleness & encouragement

🔗 Links & Resources

Download the free Journey Back to Health Workbook: https://sharissabradley.com/extras

Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series with Chapter Four: A Brain Resistant to Change. This episode builds on previous conversations about habits and brain energy, expanding into why habit change requires more than willpower or motivation.

Sharissa explains how habit change involves breaking down what we are actually trying to change and why attempting multiple new habits at once often leads to frustration. Drawing from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, she discusses how long it takes to form a habit and why deeply ingrained patterns require extended timelines and intentional prioritization.

Using her own experience with rebuilding eating habits, exercise routines, and stress responses, Sharissa shares vulnerably about setbacks, nausea, emotional responses, and the humility required to heal in real time. She emphasizes the importance of grace, realistic timelines, reminders, and rewards when working against long-established brain pathways.

This episode closes with actionable guidance from Chapter Four, encouraging listeners to choose one habit at a time, set reminders, create incentives, and give themselves compassion while doing hard work.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 4 introduction
• 01:00 – Habits require more than willpower
• 02:00 – The Power of Habit & research
• 03:00 – Adrenaline-based systems & haste
• 04:00 – Action steps: identifying habits
• 05:00 – Breakfast habit struggles
• 06:00 – Setbacks, nausea & grace
• 07:00 – Unlearning stress patterns
• 08:00 – Realistic habit timelines
• 09:00 – One habit at a time
• 10:00 – Setting reminders
• 11:00 – Rewards & positive reinforcement
• 12:30 – Encouragement & vulnerability
• 13:45 – Closing

Links & Resources

• Download the Journey Back to Health Workbook (free): https://sharissabradley.com/extras
• Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/

In this episode of the Tea Time Podcast, Sharissa Bradley continues the Journey Back to Health series by working through Chapter Three, Wired This Way. This chapter explores how the brain is designed to follow familiar pathways and why changing habits requires so much mental energy, patience, and grace.

Sharissa explains how repeated behaviors become automatic, using everyday examples like driving home without remembering the trip. She reflects on how long-standing patterns around food — formed in early childhood — are not easily changed because the brain naturally seeks the fastest, least energy-intensive route.

The episode includes a powerful illustration using rat maze research to show how new habits light up the brain and require significant effort, while repeated behaviors become more efficient over time. Sharissa connects this science to her own current healing work, including rebuilding consistent eating habits and navigating the mental exhaustion that comes with change.

She encourages listeners to recognize that exhaustion, headaches, and the need for more rest can be normal when building new habits. The episode closes with Chapter Three action steps, inviting listeners to track daily routines, identify where space exists for change, and practice grace while laying the foundation for healthier patterns.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome & Chapter 3 introduction
• 01:00 – Habitual brain pathways explained
• 02:00 – Grace with long-standing patterns
• 02:40 – Brain hemispheres & internal conflict
• 03:00 – Rat maze research & habit formation
• 04:30 – Mental energy required for new habits
• 05:40 – Personal healing goals & exhaustion
• 07:00 – Going against old pathways
• 08:00 – Current healing update
• 09:00 – Chapter 3 action steps
• 11:00 – Tracking routines & finding space
• 13:00 – Boundaries, priorities & grace
• 14:30 – Closing & next chapter preview

Links & Resources

• Download the Journey Back to Health Workbook (free): https://sharissabradley.com/extras
• Join the Tea Time Podcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2034745363989749/
• Follow along on instagram: @sharissabradley_author