What If It's NOT Depression? Podcast

In today's society, loneliness has become an epidemic, a silent struggle that many of us face. Research shows that 20-40% of adults and half of our beloved older adults grapple with this heavy burden. But here's the truth: social connections hold the key to healing and belonging. They are the lifeblood that nourishes our spirits and fuels our sense of purpose.
However, let's acknowledge the obstacles we encounter in forging these connections. Our fast-paced, technology-driven world leaves us with little time for meaningful interactions. The virtual realm, while offering a semblance of connection, can leave us yearning for true human contact. Moreover, the shifts in our society have made us transient, constantly on the move, making it harder to cultivate lasting relationships. Our fears and vulnerabilities can wrap us in a suffocating embrace, keeping us from reaching out and exposing our true selves. Language and cultural differences add another layer of complexity, often creating barriers that hinder understanding and connection.
But let's not lose hope, my friends. We must summon the courage to step into the arena of vulnerability, to be seen and heard. It requires effort, empathy, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. We must carve out time to prioritize authentic connections and nurture relationships that matter. We can challenge our fears and insecurities, knowing that vulnerability is the birthplace of genuine connection. Let us create spaces where our uniqueness is celebrated, where diversity is valued, and where empathy is the currency of our interactions.
In this journey, we can transcend the grip of loneliness and build bridges that span across hearts and souls. Together, we can forge a tapestry of connections that light up our lives and infuse our existence with meaning. It starts with each one of us, daring to show up, be seen, and extend a hand of compassion. Let us embrace the power of vulnerability, for it is through vulnerability that we discover the transformative magic of genuine connection.

Coach Lee Hopkins helps people take their social connections to the next level. Whether you want to feel more included at work, meet an activity buddy, or make a close friend to share your deepest thoughts with, he can help. He owns a social connections coaching company called Patterns of Possibility where he helps his clients find fulfilling social connections and meaningful relationships with a simple 3-step process.
He is passionate about helping adults find authentic platonic connections. As a transgender man, he knows firsthand the difficulties that come with trying to make meaningful connections in today's world.
However, he doesn't attribute his struggle to connect solely to his gender identity. He believes he trapped and isolated himself by people pleasing and searching for the perfect friends. It was fear of rejection that kept him repeating a pattern of behavior that kept him isolated and unable to forge lasting connections.
It wasn't until he discovered the power of vulnerability that he began to break through the barriers that had held him back for so long. He learned that by speaking from the heart and being true to himself, he could have meaningful conversations that lead to lasting friendships and more fulfilling relationships with others.
Now, he is passionate about helping others do the same. Whether you're looking to expand your social circle or build deeper connections with those around you, he believes that authenticity is the key to success. By embracing ones true self and learning to communicate from a place of honesty and vulnerability, you can form the kind of connections that will enrich your life and bring you joy.
Learn more by watching this episode. Here is the link to the episode: 

Coach Lee offers this free ebook:
https://www.patternsofpossibility.com/ebooksmeaningful
You can find Coach Lee here:

It's been a while since we revisited how dental problems can impact your immune system and overall health. It's something that most people don't think about especially if they have no acute symptoms or pain. Some of you have learned over the years how much mercury from fillings or hidden bacterial infections from abscesses or cavitations can affect you. It's all about timing and connecting the dots.
While volunteering at a homeless shelter in 2014 in Providence, she met Dr. Jeanne Arthur the only biological dentist in RI.  Dr. Arthur inspired her to look at dentistry differently, connecting the dots and finding the root cause of the problem. Now, as a dedicated biological dentist with 25+ years of experience, Dr. Castillo certainly knows a thing or two about transforming patients’ lives for the better!  She loves being able to work closely with individuals on their dental health, their OVERALL health, and the critical connection between mouth and body that influences both. She works with other holistic specialists in the area to get to the root cause.
We discussed:

Dr. Castillo received her dental doctorate at Boston University. Since then, she has completed several Fellowships with the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Dental Implant Association. She completed The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) post-master program at Boston University. She additionally has her Biological Certification through the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine and her SMART Certification through the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. To this day, she continues to pursue new educational opportunities through prestigious organizations like the Dawson Academy and Spear Education.
If you would like to work with Dr. Castillo, her website is www.smileri.com, and find her on Facebook: The Aesthetic Dental Studio of RI and Instagram: @aestheticdentalstudiori
Enjoy this episode!

We have another kind of pandemic that few people are talking about and that is EMFs and 5G. There are definite things you can do about this. 
We talked about:

R is an entrepreneur, technologist & author. He is the CEO of Shield Your Body, which creates products that make it easy and affordable for people to reduce their exposure to wireless radiation from devices like cell phones and laptops. And, along with his father, Dr. Martin Blank, he co-authored ‘Overpowered’-- widely regarded as one of the best books written on the science of the health effects of EMF radiation. 
This follows a 20-year career in software development for bluechip firms including Apple, NBC, Disney, Microsoft, the NFL, IKEA and Mattel. R also co-founded Wildform where he co-created the first video encoder for Flash (sold to Google). He has served on the affiliate faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) program, and previously on the faculty of the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering. 
Additionally, R has authored numerous articles, videos, courses, and books in technology and software development. R has an MBA in Entrepreneurship from UCLA Anderson School of Management and an undergraduate degree from Columbia University. 
Find him at his website ShieldYourBody.com and IG and FB: @ShieldYourBody 
Listen to his podcast Healthier Tech Podcast.
Hope you enjoy it!
To your health and happiness, 

I am always searching for new ways to help my patients, and I go to the source!!
One area where I often see my patients struggle is the area of implementing strategies of stress reduction, breathing, and meditation. Even when one thinks they have mastered it, they continue to struggle when they are faced with a stressor - whether it's day-to-day stress, an acute situation, or chronic conflict. It's about leaning into learning how to respond to these things once you have mastered a practice.
I've found that "wearables" are helpful in helping you to "tune into" your body in real-time. Apps on your phone and products like Heart Math help, but I haven't seen anything quite like Lief, a product you apply onto your chest much like an EKG lead.
Here is a link to learn more about Lief through my interview with Rohan.
Rohan Dixit is the founder and CEO of Lief Therapeutics (https://getlief.com), a digital mental health company built around a breakthrough wearable device. Formerly a Harvard and Stanford neuroscientist, his work has been featured on The Today Show, CNBC, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, NBC, CBS, and Forbes magazine.
We talked about:

Right now you can get a 20% off discount using the code: WHATIF which will run approx. $50/mo according to Rohan. He feels that a 6-8 month trial will help to train your mind to sync with your body. He states that some health insurance companies do have reimbursements for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) with a prescription from your doctor/nurse practitioner.
Call your insurance company to see if they will pay for it as a treatment of anxiety/depression with a prescription from an out-of-network provider (ME!).

I’ve waited for months to finally talk to Cynthia Thurlow about intermittent fasting. It’s a method of eating that has so many benefits including treatment of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. However, it’s not for everyone. Listen to this episode to learn all the details and whether its right for you. You might have to listen to it a couple of times, because it's fast-paced and full of juicy information!
Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, author of the best-selling book Intermittent Fasting Transformation, a 2x TEDx speaker, with her second talk having more than 13 million views, and the host of Everyday Wellness podcast and co-host of the Intermittent Fasting podcast with Melanie Avalon, averaging more than 700,000 downloads per month combined. 
With over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting and women’s health, and has been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW, Medium, Entrepreneur, and The Megyn Kelly Show. Now her mission is to continue educating people about the transformative power of functional nutrition and intermittent fasting! In particular, she focuses on supporting women to overcome issues related to lack of energy, weight gain, and food cravings.
You may join her Free Facebook group - Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle
If you want to connect, check her out at her: 
Website - www.cynthiathurlow.com

IG - https://www.instagram.com/cynthia_thurlow_/

FB - https://www.facebook.com/CHTWellness/

When we think about environmental toxins, we usually think about Flint, Michigan, and the recent train crash and spill in Ohio. The fact of the matter is that we are surrounded by toxins on a daily basis in our own homes, and there are steps that you can take to avoid, limit, and even detox from them. Some of you are on detox protocols; they can be onerous at times. It is important to take the right binders at the proper times from practitioners that know what they are doing. There are other approaches too which Dr. Chen will tell you about.

Dr. Chen is a medical doctor with 15 years of clinical experience. She is board certified in the UK in both internal medicine and family practice, and now lives in California with her family.

Her world turned upside down when her daughter was hospitalized soon after being born with symptoms no doctor could figure out. Through doing her own research, she was able to help her daughter recover. She also realized that the many years of chronic fatigue, acne, and brain fog she had was due to environmental toxicity. This opened the world of root causes she had never considered before as a conventional medical doctor.

When she moved to San Francisco, she decided not to get licensed as an MD in the US - instead, she now coaches clients back to health virtually by identifying and addressing root causes. She is also on a mission to help people reduce their toxin load because she believes environmental toxins to be one important root cause not enough doctors are talking about.

She invented the Lumebox, a portable photo-bio-modulation instrument that provides red light and near-infrared light therapy. I personally use it for eczema and recovery from playing ultimate.

In this interview, she is going to share:

✅ Her story and how she got into this field

✅ How NOT to detox

✅ Benefits of Lumebox

To assess your own toxic load, take this free quiz: www.joindetoxright.com/quiz, by getting on her email list, she will send you tips to learn about how not to detox.

If you are interested in learning more about Lumebox and would like to order one, here is the link to get a discount: https://www.lm4bxfgy5d.com/functionalmindllc/

You can find her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/plateful.health

And her website is www.platefulhealth.com

I’m back in the USA and going to be staying put for a while. For those who didn’t know, I took a little sabbatical from social media and lived in France for 3 months. Upon my return, literally going through customs in mid-December, the hot water heater in our office burst! We lost pretty much everything; we salvaged what we could and put it into storage. We are presently renting a space temporarily in Barrington until we can get our bearings. Hopefully, we will be back in the office within the next 6-9 months.

That being said, I am restarting my podcast interviews on the topic of the root causes of mental health issues and what can be done to bring the body back into balance. Believe it or not, when one addresses their health issues, whether mental or physical, they feel AND look younger.

In this episode of What If It’s Not Depression? Vodcast, one of my closest friends and colleague, Dr. Rajka is going to talk about How to Live a Quality Life until 100: Top Secrets to Reverse Aging.

Yes, you can actually look younger, live longer and be healthier without spending thousands of dollars doing botox and plastic surgery.

Here is the link:

She is going to tell us about:

Dr. Rajka is a leading Triple Board Certified Functional Medicine Doctor, International speaker, Mentor to physicians, and Peak Performance coach.  Having overcome 2 decades of debilitating fatigue, she is passionate about helping women leaders recover their edge so they can regain focus, and productivity, so they can have the highest impact in their lives. She helps them add quality years to their lives so that they live long well.

She is offering a FREE Infinite Energy Guide here[hyperlink]

You can find her through her website - www.drrajka.com and on Instagram @drrajka

I hope you enjoy it!

Things seem to come in threes. Lately, I’ve had a streak of patients having dental issues as a root cause of their chronic diseases. I felt that it was time to talk about how the mouth can be a reflection of overall health and that chronic disease can begin in the mouth.

Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, DDS is an author, speaker, and health-based dentist. She calls herself a “functional integrative dentist.” She has written five books and runs an education center for Living Well.

After practicing traditional dentistry for 10 years, she became ill from drilling out mercury fillings. Her own healing journey led to her creating the Total Care Way, an answer to chronic disease.  Patients from around the world seek out her care.

She has received certifications as a Therapeutic Nutritional Counselor and is a Traditional Naturopath.  A busy mom of four, she loves to spend time with her family.  She is happiest when teaching and helping people!

Here is the link to this episode: Hidden Root Causes of Disease Hiding in your Mouth

We discussed:

Here is her free download: Healthy Mouth, Healthy YOU Diet Sheet

If you’re interested in finding a biological dentist in your area go to these websites:

If you want to learn more about her and/or how to connect with her, go to totalcaredental.com, livingwellwithdrmichelle.com, livingwelltoday.org. You may also find her on Facebook and Instagram at totalcaredentalutah, livingwellwithdrmichelle respectively.

Who couldn’t learn more about what affects sleep and how to improve it? I found someone who could give us another angle to approach sleep improvement other than just practicing “good sleep hygiene”; someone who could speak about factors that are rarely discussed anywhere else. That someone is Deepa Kannan.

Deepa is an Allied Functional Medicine Practitioner, Author, and Yogini in her practice, Phytothrive in Bangalore, India. Recognized by Mark Hyman, MD, she combines therapeutic & transformational yoga with nutrition based on the principles of functional medicine. She merges the science of the functional world with the deep symbolism of the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic medicine. The rare genetic disorder known as salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia of her son gave her insight into the workings of the adrenals and the stress response as it relates to all health and sleep. Her book, titled undecided, will be released by HarperCollins in April 2023.

Here is the link: A Conversation with the Sleep Whisperer

We discussed:

She shares a free guided meditation for you to try: https://link.chtbl.com/lovesleep

If you want to learn more about Deepa, check her out at:

I’ve had a lull in my interview schedule on my Vodcast as it seems everyone wants the summer off! It’s “catch-up time” for everyone since so much went to the wayside with the pandemic. So I went with the flow.

I plan to have two interviews a month. We will see how that goes! My mission continues to bring to you through various experts, the root causes of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues and tips on what to do about it.

We discussed:

Dana Kay is a Board-Certified Holistic Health and Nutrition Practitioner, two times international best-selling author and the CEO and founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute, and the creator of the ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids program.

You can download her FREE breakfast guide:  https://adhdthrivemethod.com/better-mornings-01

Connect with her in these places:

https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/

https://www.instagram.com/adhdthriveinstitute/

https://www.facebook.com/adhdthriveinstitute

Get her book too: https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/book