UPLEVEL: Real Health, Real Talk with Dr. Jenna Blasi

What if you knew that you could take responsibility for your past and the things you feel guilty about without punishing yourself? Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is talking all about guilt and why you do not need to keep punishing yourself in order to evolve! Tuning in, you’ll hear all about what guilt is trying to tell you, guilt versus shame, counterfactual thinking in terms of guilt, and more! Dr. Jenna delves into the difference between taking ownership and blaming yourself for mistakes before discussing how guilt actually holds you back and why ownership leads you to a higher level of identity. We even break down how you can start to forgive yourself with compassion and accountability using her recognize, repair, release model. Finally, she leaves listeners with an action step to start working through guilt and end self-punishment. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: guilt and why you shouldn’t punish yourself. 
• A breakdown of what guilt is trying to tell you. 
• The danger of judging yourself for decisions you feel guilty about. 
• Taking ownership of choices instead of placing blame. 
• Why guilt and self-punishment are holding you back. 
• How to forgive yourself: recognize, repair, and release. 
• Action step: recognize guilt and be curious and compassionate. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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Could your sleep tracker actually be making your sleep worse? Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna dives into the world of wearable sleep trackers and helps you understand what your data can—and can’t—tell you about your sleep. Tuning in, you’ll learn what devices like the Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin are actually measuring, why they can be useful for identifying patterns over time, and where their ability to accurately measure sleep stages falls short. Dr. Jenna also explores orthosomnia and how becoming overly focused on sleep scores can create anxiety and make it harder to sleep. You’ll hear why one night of data means very little compared to longer-term trends, how a written sleep log can provide context your device can’t, and why your relationship with the data may matter just as much as the device itself. Finally, Dr. Jenna challenges you to ask whether your tracker is helping you understand your body or overriding what your body is telling you. To hear all this and more, be sure to press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What listeners can expect from today’s episode: Do you track your sleep?
• What wearable sleep trackers are actually measuring (and where they fall short).
• Why trackers are better at detecting sleep than detecting wakefulness.
• Learn why tracking trends is the key to accurate sleep measurements.
• The limitations of consumer wearables when it comes to sleep-stage classification.
• How some trackers can significantly overestimate how much you’ve slept.
• What to look for in a tracker. 
• How a written sleep log can add important context to your tracker data.
• What orthosomnia is and how the pursuit of “perfect” sleep can increase anxiety.
• The importance of putting your sleep data into perspective. 
• Who may be most vulnerable to becoming overly focused on sleep scores.
• How to use your tracker well and when it may be worth taking a break.
• Re-evaluating your relationship: why more data is not automatically better data.
• Today’s action steps: check how you actually feel and ask whether your sleep data is helping or adding to your anxiety.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Oura Ring
Apple Watch
Fitbit
Garmin Watch

EP 6 The Sleep Solution: Unlock Your Health, Energy, and Longevity

EP 29 Bust Your Brain Fog and Reclaim Clarity

EP 36 Sleep, Stress & Hormones: Aligning Your Body Before Fall

EP 15 How Poor Sleep Hijacks Your Health & How to Fix It

EP 90 Why Sleep Is the Most Underrated Health Tool You Have

EP 91 What’s Really Happening to Your Sleep in Midlife?

EP 92 Why You Can’t Force Yourself to Sleep

‘A Validation of Six Wearable Devices for Estimating Sleep, Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Adults’ 

‘The Promise of Sleep: A Multi-Sensor Approach for Accurate Sleep Stage Detection Using the Oura Ring’

‘Feasible assessment of recovery and cardiovascular health: accuracy of nocturnal HR and HRV assessed via ring PPG in comparison to medical grade ECG’

‘Orthosomnia: Are Some Patients Taking the Quantified Self Too Far?’

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Have you ever found yourself struggling to sleep, obsessing about falling asleep, and getting anxious about being awake? Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is diving deep into why you can’t force yourself to sleep, why trying harder is so counterproductive, and what you can do about this. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about what you can do to create conditions conducive to sleep instead of commanding yourself to sleep, how you activate the arousal system when you try to fall asleep, and more! We delve into conditioned arousal, learned association, and when your bed becomes the problem before discussing four things that actually help you fall asleep. Dr. Jenna even shares her own experience with sleep anxiety and monitoring sleep. Finally, she leaves us with an action step to start becoming aware of sleep effort patterns and create the conditions for sleep. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: why you can’t force yourself to sleep.
• Creating conditions that are conducive to sleep. 
• What happens when you try to force sleep: sleep effort.
• A breakdown of when the bed becomes the problem. 
• The power of working with your brain, not against it.
• What you can do to help yourself fall asleep.  
• One: Reducing the effort and monitoring. 
• Two: Stimulus control. 
• Three: Genuine nervous system regulation. 
• Four: Addressing thoughts about sleep. 
• Action step: awareness of sleep effort and inviting sleep.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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Have you ever struggled with your sleep and found yourself “collecting” generic sleep hacks that don’t seem to work? Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is diving into what’s actually happening to your sleep during the menopause transition and helping you address the underlying cause of these issues. Tuning in, you’ll hear why understanding what’s disrupting your sleep is essential, how sleep works, how hormonal shifts may affect sleep in midlife, and more! We delve into stress and poor sleep before discussing why waking up at 3 am doesn’t automatically mean a cortisol diagnosis. Dr. Jenna also shares what you can do to fix what’s keeping you up at night, and reminds listeners that not every sleep problem that occurs during menopause is because of menopause. Finally, Dr. Jenna leaves listeners with action steps to start investigating their sleep problems. Thanks for joining!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: sleep in midlife and what disrupts it.
• Dr. Jenna breaks down how sleep actually works.
• What happens hormonally to sleep in midlife.
• How hot flushes can affect sleep in perimenopause.
• Stress/cortisol, sleep problems, and waking at 3 am.
• Addressing the root cause of poor sleep.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic insomnia.
• Action step: keep a sleep log for a week.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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Sleep is the thing that makes you capable of handling your life the way you want to, not the thing you catch up on when life calms down. When you think about health goals, where does sleep fall on your list of priorities? Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is diving into why sleep is the most underrated tool in your health kit. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the danger of glamorizing exhaustion and seeing rest as lazy, what sleep actually does for your body, what happens to your body when you don’t get enough sleep, and more! We delve into how sleep changes in midlife before discussing cortisol and quality of sleep. Dr. Jenna even touches on why hormonal issues are not the cause of every sleep problem in midlife. You’ll even learn about some practical things you can do to improve your sleep. Finally, you’ll be reminded to address what is actually waking you up at night. To hear all this and more, be sure to press play now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why sleep needs to be prioritized for your health.
• What sleep does to the body and your overall health.
• How sleep changes in perimenopause and menopause.
• The effects of stress and cortisol on your sleep.
• Why not every midlife sleep problem is because of hormones.
• Specific things you can do to improve sleep, especially in midlife.
• The importance of addressing the cause of your sleep issues.
• Today’s action steps to improve your sleep.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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What if you don’t need more information to solve your gut issues, but rather, you just need a professional to support you? Welcome to another episode of UPLEVEL and another discussion on gut health! Today, Dr. Jenna is joined by a naturopathic doctor who has spent more than 20 years helping people make sense of their gut health. Dr. Kim Bretz isn’t afraid to question trends and focuses on balancing evidence with real clinical experience. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), why gut health issues affect more women, why they’re often dismissed, the danger of food restriction, gut health in midlife, visceral hypersensitivity, and so much more! We delve into the hormonal fluctuations women experience and how they affect GI symptoms before discussing the nervous system and gut-brain interaction. Dr. Bretz also discusses how gut health disorders are diagnosed and the nocebo effect in gut health and DGBIs. Our guest shares some solutions to gut issues that can be put into place and tells us where she usually starts with patients experiencing gut problems. Finally, you’ll be reminded of the importance of hiring a professional to help with gut health issues. To hear all this and even be inspired to strive for food freedom, be sure to press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A warm welcome to today’s guest, Dr. Kim Bretz. 
• What disorders of gut-brain interaction are and why it’s important to understand. 
• Why gut health issues are often dismissed, especially for women. 
• The danger of food restriction and how it shows up in gut disorders. 
• What happens to digestion and gut health in midlife: visceral hypersensitivity. 
• The connection between a woman’s hormones and their gut health. 
• Dr. Bretz touches on how the nervous system comes into play in gut health. 
• The danger of gut health misinformation and demonizing food groups. 
• A breakdown of the Rome Criteria and how it has changed.
• The nocebo effect and how we can avoid fear surrounding food because of it. 
• Dr. Bretz shares some solutions for gut health issues with listeners. 
• The danger of DIY gut health and why hiring a professional is imperative. 
• A reminder that gut health shouldn’t be that hard: food freedom. 
• Dr. Bretz answers some of Dr. Jenna’s rapid-fire gut health questions. 
• What the gut has taught our guest about the human body. 
• The main takeaway of today’s episode, according to Dr. Bretz. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Kim Bretz

Dr. Kim Bretz on LinkedIn

Dr. Kim Bretz on Instagram

Dr. Kim Bretz on Facebook

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There is a plethora of false information about gut health out there that can lead you further and further from the truth. Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is breaking down some gut health myths that could be keeping you stuck. Tuning in, you’ll hear about the power of having a diverse diet and be reminded that in order to have a healthy gut, you need to eat a wide range of food groups, not eliminate food groups indefinitely. From parasite cleanses to the nuances of testing, this episode explores all the gut health myths you may be falling victim to. Dr. Jenna also breaks down what really makes a difference in gut health. (Spoiler alert: It’s not exciting; it’s foundational!) To hear all this and more, be sure to press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: busting some gut health myths.
• What a healthy gut actually functions on.
• Why your food list shouldn’t get smaller.
• Dr. Jenna’s thoughts on parasite cleanses.
• The danger of overdiagnosing SIBO.
• Why you can’t be fooled by normal test results.
• What actually moves the needle in gut health.
• Action steps for this week: look at your food list.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Episode 79: Are You Solving the Right Health Problem?

Episode 74: When Personalization in Health Goes Too Far

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There is an ongoing conversation between your gut and your hormones, and if you’re only listening to one, you’re missing part of the story. Today on UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is diving into the gut-hormone connection. Tuning in, you’ll hear about the key pathways of communication between the gut and hormones, what the estrobolome does, and more! We delve into what may disrupt the estrobolome before discussing what you can do to support your gut health. Dr. Jenna reminds listeners that everything that supports gut health also supports the estrobolome. Finally, you’ll be left with some action steps to support your gut health. To hear all this and be encouraged to prioritize gut health as part of your overall hormone health, be sure to press play now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: the connection between the gut and hormones.
• How the gut and the hormones communicate. 
• The missing piece of your hormone picture: the estrobolome. 
• Why balance in the gut is imperative for overall health. 
• A breakdown of what disrupts the estrobolome. 
• What you can do to support your gut health.
• Dr. Jenna shares today’s action steps. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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One of the most overcomplicated, misunderstood, and important pieces of your health puzzle is your gut. Welcome to another episode of UPLEVEL! Today, Dr. Jenna is talking about understanding your gut. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about why your gut is also called your second brain, the importance of trying to figure out what it’s trying to communicate about your health, and so much more! She breaks down what your gut symptoms are actually telling you, then discusses questions you can ask yourself about these symptoms to learn more about your overall health. Dr. Jenna even shares what supports a healthy gut. Finally, listeners will be left with an action step for this week to help better understand the gut. Thanks for tuning in! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing our topic for August: Gut health. 
• Asking yourself what your gut is actually trying to tell you. 
• Why your gut is known as your second brain. 
• What your gut symptoms are telling you.
• Some questions to ask yourself about your gut health. 
• A breakdown of what supports a healthy gut. 
• Today’s action step: keeping a gut journal. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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You have more control over your health than you think! In today’s bonus episode of UPLEVEL, Dr. Jenna is sharing her philosophy about your ability to take ownership of your health and reminding listeners of her mission for this podcast. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the importance of foundational pieces of health and why women deserve to thrive rather than just survive. We delve into the power of paradigm work in making changes to your wellbeing before touching on Dr. Jenna’s personal experience of learning to take charge of her health. Dr. Jenna even shares what we can expect from UPLEVEL in August. Finally, she challenges you to assess your foundations of health. To hear all this and be empowered to take your health into your own hands, be sure to press play now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• A reminder of Dr. Jenna’s philosophy and goals for the podcast.
• Why women deserve more than just surviving health-wise.
• How paradigm work has changed everything for Dr. Jenna.
• Why working at a conscious level doesn’t bring true results.
• A reminder of what you can control when it comes to your health.
• What you can expect from this podcast in August: gut health.
• A challenge to assess where you are taking ownership of your health.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

UPLEVEL Holistic Health

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Book Your FREE Discovery Call with Dr. Jenna Blasi