December 7, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 62: Eating Mindfully with Dr. Susan Albers

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on Stitcher or on WebTalkRadio.net.

Human beings are hard wired for survival. Our ancestors probably went through some feast or famine process. Food was not readily available for them, they had to hunt for it, they had to collect it, and if they didn’t, they were hungry. If the hunt brought home some giant animal, they might all feast on that, and that might be it for a while. And you can bet, when they were feasting, they were grateful for that meal.

But today, food is plentiful, we’ve never had the kind of choice that we have in our modern environment. How do we choose to eat healthy when faced with what my guest calls, the 3-E’s, an abundance of easy, effortless, and economic foods? Our modern environment has set us up for failure. Not only do we have an abundance of food, but we have so many things demanding our attention that when we do choose a food, we might not even realize that we’re eating it. We have a problem with mindless eating.

My guest today is Dr. Susan Albers, who likes to help people with ‘how to eat’ and not ‘what to eat’.

We chatted about what mindful eating is, how it’s like we’re on autopilot, Dr. Albers provides us with five strategies to begin a mindful eating practice, eating mindfully is sort of a meditation, we chat about what to do with respect for mindful eating in an office environment, or what we might really need if we reach for food as a reward, how to navigate the abundance of food at holiday parties, and the importance of being mindful when you’re out with friends and in order to be a great role model at home.

Check out Dr. Albers book ’50 More Ways To Soothe Yourself Without Food’ and her website, eatingmindfully.com.

Dr. Albers bio:

Susan Albers, Psy.D., is a New York Times bestselling author and a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in eating issues, weight loss, body image concerns and mindfulness. After obtaining a masters and doctorate degree from the University of Denver, Dr. Albers completed an APA internship at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University in California. Dr. Albers conducts mindful eating workshops across the country. Dr. Albers is the author of six mindful eating books including: EatQ, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, Eating Mindfully, Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful and Mindful Eating 101.

Music by Audionautix.com.

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net, iTunes, and Stitcher.

November 30, 2015 by Meredith

It’s Called Switchel.

I’m trying to crowd out some alcohol in my life – with worthy substitutes. In fact, my sister and I are working on an ebook of worthy substitutes, stay tuned. 😉

This one is called Switchel, and it’s very flexible.

You can use water or fizzy water, you can use maple syrup or honey or molasses, you can add fresh herbs… I think the key is the water to apple cider vinegar ratio of 8:1.

November 30, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 61: When Chocolate Equals Love with Christy Hall

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on Stitcher or on WebTalkRadio.net.

I have a very logical mind and I like to think about our health as the cumulative result of how we’ve interacted with our environment for our entire lives. In order to change our health, we need to change our environment going forward. But it turns out that we are more than just physical beings. Our thoughts and beliefs have a lot to do with our physical health. They are instilled upon us at a very early age. Our beliefs are the thoughts that we keep on thinking, and over time, those beliefs become our truth. We act on those thoughts and beliefs on a subconscious level, on autopilot, and that autopilot isn’t serving our health at all.

Bottom line is this: when we are programmed to think that chocolate equals love, we need to figure out how to we re-write our program.

My guest today is Christy Hall of Phoenix Wholistic, and she is a Whole Health and Wellness Transformational Coach, a Certified NLP and Certified FasterEFT Practitioner who helps clients solve emotional issues around food, stress, addiction, weight loss, nutrition, and lifestyle changes. Christy is well-versed in various programming languages, I chatted with her about the language of human programming. J

We chat about why we can’t do what we intend to do, about what we learned or perceived from our past experiences, about how we try to control food instead of ourselves, about how to break our autopilot, about FasterEFT and Tapping, and a little science behind tapping. I ask about when would one practice tapping and how do we remove a negative feeling from a memory?, Then Christy walks me through the process of breaking a negative emotion from a memory and then how to adapt this process for your own experience. We hear a simple NLP brain hack to help you elevate your life, and break free from habits that aren’t helping you gain health.

Your job is to recognize your autopilot and to explore the inner meaning behind why you do what you do so that you can create space to change your pattern.

Music by Audionautix.com.

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net, iTunes, and Stitcher.

November 23, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 60: My Favorite Things

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on Stitcher or on WebTalkRadio.net.

It’s that time of year again when we begin to think about the people that we love and how grateful we are for them in our lives… and oftentimes we want to express that gratitude with a gift. And I thought that I would pull together some of my favorite things to give you some inspiration for this holiday season.

My list includes:

Protip: as I was pulling this together, this was kind of therapeutic for me, you might want to sit down and think about what your favorite things in life are, you might be surprised at what is on your list – I know that I was.

Thanks to Audionautix.com for some of the tunes.

Thanks to The Grand Canyon National Park System for the audio clip. And to hear more of Katy Bowman chat about Move Your DNA – follow this link.

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net, iTunes, and Stitcher.

November 16, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 59: Heart Health to Total Health with Dr. William Davis, Part 1

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on Stitcher or on WebTalkRadio.net.

Nearly 1 out of 4 deaths in the US today can be attributed to heart disease, it’s the number 1 cause of death. And our conventional way to treat heart disease is to prescribe statin medications, to tell people to move more, to eat less fat., to eat a healthy diet including heart healthy whole grains. My guest today is a cardiologist who just doesn’t agree with this conventional protocol. Dr. William Davis practices cardiology in Milwaukee and he’s also the author of the book Wheat Belly – Total Health I recently reached out to Dr. Davis to talk to him more about his own ex as a card and what he has seen as the most influential lifestyle interventions to reverse and halt the progression of heart disease. This is part 1 of a 2 part interview where I find out how this cardiologist turned out to be a nutritionist of sorts.

We chat about how his practice changed over the years, how his own dietary interventions failed him, how his mom passed away of heart disease, his shift toward prevention rather than invasive intervention, the Milwaukee Heart Scan initiative and what he gleaned from the data that he collected from thousands patients, the lifestyle interventions that made the biggest difference with respect to heart health, and the curious side effects of those interventions. We talk about how grains (and primarily refined grains) dominate the diet today, and why, we chat about small dense LDL particles (See: Cholesterol Clarity with Jimmy Moore), we talk about calcium scans as a proxy for atherosclerosis, we talk about grain and sugar elimination, and the importance of vitamin D and iodine sufficiency in heart health.

For more info on how to switch from health care to self-care – visit my online program, Humanosity.

Music by audionautix.com

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net, iTunes, and Stitcher.

November 3, 2015 by Meredith - 1 Comment

The Roots of Health – Episode 57: Ecotherapy with Phoenix Smith

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on Stitcher or on WebTalkRadio.net.

How would you feel if you had headaches and you were stressed out and you couldn’t figure out what was wrong but you wanted to feel right again. And you went to your doctor and they did a medical intake, and talked to you about what was going on in your life, and then they left you with a prescription, a prescription to go outside and spend time in nature.

This might actually happen today. There is growing evidence that time spent in nature is healing to a body.

I was recently introduced to the field of ecotherapy when I stumbled across an article and video in The Atlantic. Ecotherapy is an emerging field of care that facilitates healing by introducing nature into your equation. I recently talked with Phoenix Smith, a certified Ecotherapist, about what exactly ecotherapy is, and what health conditions can be treated by ecotherapy, and how exactly does nature heal us.

We discuss what ecotherapy is and all of the different types of evidence-based ecotherapy approaches, find out if ecotherapy is right for you, what nature deficit disorder is, what sets us up for nature deficit disorder, what health issues can be addressed using ecotherapy (anxiety, depression, lack of creativity, trauma, isolation, other mental health issues), we chat about how nature heals, the explosion of the awareness of nature as a healer, and what it’s like to work with an ecotherapist.

There are many resources out there for you to learn more about ecotherapy and ways for you to reconnect with nature. There’s the Healthy Parks, Healthy People campaign and the Children and Nature Network. You can also pick up Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, Theodore Roszak’s book The Voice of the Earth, or Howard Clinebell’s book Ecotherapy: Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth.

Phoenix’s Bio:

Phoenix Smith, MSW has been a certified Ecotherapist for the past 5 years. She provides ecotherapy through teaching, community engagement and ceremonies designed to awaken, restore and heal our connections to the natural world. Her work has been featured in a video and article entitled: The Nature Cure in the national magazine The Atlantic.www.ecosoulwisdom.org

Music by Audionautix.com and Listening Earth.

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net, iTunes, and Stitcher.

October 19, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 55: Less Sugar with Veronica Chavez

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on Stitcher or on WebTalkRadio.net.

Parents, you may have kids at home, and you may recognize a connection between what your child eats, and how they behave. Last week, I did a show about sugar, about all of the names for sugar on a label, about artificial sugars and what they might do to us, about how swapping refined sugar for natural sugars can be an easy way to wean off of sugar… but there was something missing… the potential link between sugar and behavior.

I’ve recently met a woman named Veronica Chavez who has an inspiring story to tell about awareness, and putting into place a few simple measures, and weaning her child off of a prescription medication, allowing him to live again, undulled by the medicine that he was required to take.

Veronica’s son was diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder), we chat about the symptoms that led to this diagnosis and medication that he was ultimately prescribed. We talk about what the medication did to him, from the school’s perspective, from her perspective, and from his perspective. I quote from webmd about ‘busting the sugar-hyperactivity myth’, about how there remains no scientific link between sugar consumption and behavior, (I’ve met so many parents that beg to differ). Veronica continues her story with her tipping point, her awareness around the role of sugar in our health (she saw the documentary “Fed Up”, available to view on Netflix.), we learn her strategy to reduce her son’s sugar consumption and how it effected his behavior… spoiler alert: he no longer needs his medication.

Finally, because it’s nearly Halloween, we chat about what we can do to reduce the sugar that we release into the world… and into our kids…

Despite the lack of scientific consensus, consider the idea that the amount of sugar that your child consumes on a daily basis may just have an impact on their behavior. You’ll never know until you try.

Thanks to SoulStealerSlayers for the scary music

Background music by audionautix.com

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net and also on iTunes.

October 14, 2015 by Meredith

What is self-care success?

I’m smiling…

Over the past few years, I’ve made some observations. I’m learning. I’m listening. I want to help.

And my mission is to help people switch from ‘health care’ as we know it, to ‘self-care’. Self-care is individualized, respects your unique environment and circumstances, and can’t be dosed out in a ‘prescription’. More and more in our modern environment, ourselves are taken out of the equation.

And what do we have if we don’t have ourselves? Deep thoughts, I know.

Self-care success is not only recognizing the sorts of feel good – grow good things that you require in your life, but making those things happen… and making them happen as a part of your life so that they are just what you do.

The results might amaze you.

Let’s consider a few things…

Food. Food is a major issue for a lot of people. Some are stressed by what are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, some are bored in routine, some can’t seem to plan or are paralyzed with the choices, some people flat out don’t cook, don’t enjoy it, can’t stand it.

Here’s what it used to sound like in my house, every day, at approximately 5:30 pm:

Me: Didn’t you take anything out of the freezer for dinner?

He: No, didn’t you?

Me: Crap, what are we going to eat for dinner? (standing in the fridge with the doors open)

He: I don’t know.

Me: Me neither. Ugh.

Or how about the weekly shopping trip. We’re out of food, so we go to the store and buy the food we like to eat. No plan. And then it sits in the fridge and wilts/molds/rots. I swear I threw out enough food to feed another family member.

Another issue? Time. When do we have time to exercise? When do we have time to prioritize ourselves? Well, time isn’t going to change – so our relationship with time has to.

Are you ready for this? I’ve created a day-long workshop… one-day. This is not a forever-long program, it’s a day. And even better – this day will set you up for your self-care success.

How exactly? Well on this day you will:

Self assess to recognize your routine, your stressors, and obstacles to your success.
Set personal (meaningful) goal setting exercise.
Share, there’s lots of sharing, we’re sharing.
Find a movement-rich environment and tips about how to create your own.
(Have an awesome lunch.)
Receive ideas for how to maintain control week to week.
Create a 3-month calendar, complete with seasonal dinner plans, movement goals, and other self-care priorities.
Find a community of like-minded people to connect with for support & accountability.

And from this day thereafter? You can continue to connect, report, and share ideas in a private Facebook group or via email.

There’s no failure here… you’ve got a life to live, I want to help you live it a bit happier & in a your-life-promoting-way.

December 12th at the Holy Wisdom Monastery. Limit of 20 fine people so we can really spread out.

Visit the self-care success webpage for more info… or simply opt in below.

October 12, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 54: SUGAR.

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on WebTalkRadio.net.

You know what sugar is, it might even rule your world. You’ve grown up in a world where sugar is cheap and plentiful, it’s awesome sweetness makes you want to eat your food – and the food industry knows this. On the other hand, you’ve probably heard that sugar is poison or that it’s as addictive as cocaine, or that it’s linked to an increase in obesity and chronic disease. As such, you might have been convinced to give up sugar in favor of some zero-calorie sweetener.

Let’s take a closer look at sugar today to better understand sugar, the role that it plays in your life, and how you can change your relationship with sugar without going crazy.

You’ll learn what sugar is, the various names for sugar (get the list here!), a brief history of sugar, how much sugar are we’re eating, the recommendations for sugar intake (World Health Organization recommendation, American Heart Association Recommendation), about labels and added sugar (FDA), high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and your health, sugar isn’t the only culprit – it’s holistic picture, and the ancestral perspective with respect to sugar.

FYI – Sugar has 16 calories per teaspoon. A teaspoon is about 4 grams.

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net and also on iTunes.

October 5, 2015 by Meredith

The Roots of Health – Episode 53: End Myopia with Jake Steiner

Click here to go right to the show in iTunes or on WebTalkRadio.net.

I was first prescribed glass in 3^rd grade. They were giant lenses with enough real estate to adorn with stickers. That was close to ~32 years ago, and my prescription has progressively gotten stronger ever since. Up until recently – I thought the only option that I had to correct my vision was corrective lenses – or lasik surgery.

That is, until I found my guest, Jake Steiner. Jake is on a mission to not only make you aware that your eyes are not broken, but to teach you how to reduce and eventually eliminate your dependence on corrective lenses.

Jake and I discuss what IS broken (if it’s not our eyes), how your eye is actually designed to function (like a camera), why did I need my first prescription (teaser: I didn’t – you probably didn’t either), what exactly is myopia? (click here for some visual aids), how can you influence your own vision, we talk a lot about your focusing muscle – the ciliary muscle and how it can be ‘stuck’, how your corrective lenses make your vision worse over time, we chat about nutrition and eyesight, and about ‘eye yoga hippies’. Did you know that your corrective lenses are making your eyeball longer? – Yes. We chat about how your trip to the optometrist stacks the deck against you, about the history of corrective lenses, how you can measure your own ‘prescription’, and a warning about monkeying with your own vision without knowing exactly what you are doing – because ultimately, you’re monkeying with your brain health.

Please, please, please visit endmyopia.org to learn more about this.

Music by audionautix.com.

You can subscribe to The Roots of Health at WebTalkRadio.net and also on iTunes.