The Viva Podcast

Do you make it a point to have laughter be a part of your wellness routine?  Maybe you should! 

Laughter and humor are things we often feel but don’t talk about and they can be incredibly important and vital to health and wellness. Listen to this week’s episode as Rachel and Jor-El weigh in on the health benefits of laughter and talk about how humor fits in their lives both in an outside of the therapy room.

Enjoy!

As always, don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Do you often struggle to face difficult conversations head on?  Listen in as Rachel and Jor-El delve into their thoughts on dealing with hard conversations and the best ways to move forward even if you're feeling uncomfortable. And why difficult conversations are needed to maintain healthy relationships altogether!

And, as always, feel free to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

This week, Rachel and Jor-El sit down with writer and sex positivity advocate Zachary Zane. In this episode,  Zach shares about his personal experience acknowledging his own bisexuality, how he came to write about sexuality and relationships more broadly and the role of of sex positivity in his life. Zach also shares with us how important it is to have queer affirming services in healthcare through the We Need a Button campaign which aims to ensure that all LGBTQIA+ people can get access to affirming supportive services.  

 

You can also learn more about, and keep with Zach on his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zacharyzane_/.

 

You may also want to check out the following resources which Zach mentioned:Lighthouse www.lighthouse.lgbt (LGBTQIA+ affirming healthcare directory)

Bisexual.org (Resouce site on bisexuality)

Dating Positives (STI positive dating site)

And don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Did you know that mental health stigma is highly associated with a lack of engagement in mental health services?  And with 1 in 5 adult Americans experiencing mental illness each year (and only 43% getting treatment), we need to stomp out stigma.

 

In our latest episode, hosts Rachel and Jor-El talk all about it. They each offer up some everyday examples of how we all may unintentionally contribute to mental health stigma. Our hosts also talk about the role of influencers and how they can be much more helpful in fighting stigma by documenting their stories rather than trying to educate the masses as faux experts.

 

Take a listen!

 

And don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

There’s so much pressure these days to live a life of balance. But, what does that really mean? AND IS IT EVEN ATTAINABLE?! Trying to keep all major areas of your life together can sometimes feel like you’re spinning plates, waiting for them all to crash. The pressure leaves many people feeling overwhelmed and very self-critical. In this episode, Jor-El and Rachel talk all things balance and even give you a little insight on how to finally get your piece of the pie (tune in to learn what that means)!

Don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

In this latest episode Rachel and Jor-El talk with mental health advocate and runner Sasha Wolff. Sasha shares with us how she was inspired by her own hospitalization and mental health struggles to create an online community that’s now spreading out into real life. 

“Still I Run” was inspired by the Maya Angelou poem Still I Rise, which has long been a beacon for those hoping to thrive despite difficult circumstances. This is exactly what Sasha hopes to create with her network. We talk with her about how telling her story helped her follow Brene Brown’s lead on reducing shame and embracing vulnerability. Tune in to hear about Sasha’s story of how she found more purpose as she became a voice for reducing mental health stigma.

Learn more about Still I Run on their Facebook page. Related: Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability (TED Talk)

This week on the podcast Rachel and Jor-El talk with Henry Calantog, more commonly referred to as Mr. C, Rachel’s past martial arts teacher!  Mr. C talks with us about life as a first generation Filipino, his journey towards reluctant entrepreneurship and how creating your own path and listening to yourself can be powerful keys to success and life satisfaction. Mr. C was so gracious in sharing so much wisdom, and he even shared some great stories about young Rachel along the way.

We hope that you enjoy!

Don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Hosts Jor-El and Rachel chat with Ali Feller: runner, mother, writer and host of the Ali on the Run Show Podcast. In this episode we talk with Ali about her life, the challenges (and benefits) of vulnerability and her fierce advocacy for those living with Crohn's Disease. Ali shares with us the connection between stress and Crohn’s as well as the importance of embracing empathy and compassion in contemporary society and the realities of living with a chronic condition.

Related:

Ali on the Run blog

Listen to the Ali on the Run Show

What is Crohn’s Disease? By the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation

A Day in the Life with Chronic Pain on the Viva Wellness blog

In our latest episode of Well, well… Rachel and Jor-El talk all things healthy eating! Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram and seen these perfectly curated smoothie bowls or sophisticated meal prep options? Yes, us too! But guess what, most people don’t eat like that regularly, not even those influencers themselves. Tune into this episode to listen to what works for Rachel and Jor-El, two people who have very different nutritional styles and execution but are informed by a shared philosophy. Learn how healthy eating translates into better mental health. Plus, get some insight into what fueling for long-distance running looks like for Rachel as marathon training season starts up.

 

Relevant posts on the subject:

 

Jor-El’s Easy Weeknight Meal: Eggplant in Red Sauce

Health Chef Julia’s Tips on How to Store Summer Produce

How Rachel Eats Healthy

Don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

In our latest episode, Rachel and Jor-El talk about some of the most common mental health conditions that people experience and share about: anxiety and depression. Do you know the difference between feeling depressed and clinical depression? What about feeling anxious and experiencing generalized anxiety?  We break down the lines between all of these, providing you the tools to understand these two mental health conditions and to embrace your changes in mood as a healthy part of life (and why self-diagnosis is usually not helpful!).

Take a listen and enjoy! As always, if you’re feeling like something might be off, it might be a good idea to talk to a therapist for support and treatment tailored to you.

Don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!