The mindbodygreen Podcast

According to Alyssa Dweck, M.D., enhancing women’s quality of life as they age makes up a significant portion of her practice. Although she works with women in all stages of life—she lectures various Westchester public schools in her spare time and educates students about important gynecological issues—she places emphasis on the relationship between the aging process and gynecological health at a cellular level. What most people might not know, is that aging happens at the cellular level due in part to a lack of something called NAD in the body. NAD, at its core, is a substance that every cell in our body uses to turn food into energy, and it decreases as we age. It also decreases due to many other life stressors—being postpartum, excessive alcohol, over-eating, and getting too much sun exposure, to name a few. That said, it’s in every woman's best interest (no matter her age) to become well-versed in all things NAD and start taking the necessary steps to maintain levels of this coenzyme. After chatting with Dweck, we learned that there are actually a variety of ways we can maintain NAD as we age: In addition to taking steps to combat stress, wearing sunscreen, eating well, and leading an overall healthy lifestyle, one of the most efficient ways to boost NAD is to start popping a vitamin B3 supplement on the regular. But, it turns out, not all B3 is created equally. In this bonus episode, we talk about her three favorites. No surprise, Dweck frequently recommends this supplement to her patients (no need for a prescription, as this vitamin is sold over-the-counter), and those patients report back with glowing reviews, including significantly more energy. But, of course, we have to know: Does she take it herself? “I sure do,” the OB/GYN quips.Consider us really, really intrigued. For more tips on how to boost longevity and stay as healthy as possible as you age, check out this week’s podcast.To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., is a go-to source when it comes to questions surrounding gut health. Board-certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology and published in America’s top gastroenterology journals, he’s seen hundreds of cases surrounding our most common gut health complaints. Additionally, he earned a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) from Northwestern University, as well as a certificate in nutrition from Cornell University. When it comes to the gastroenterology and the microbiome, Bulsiewicz is nothing short of a seasoned professional.Jason Wachob, mindbodygreen founder and co-CEO, was able to chat with Bulsiewicz about whether cutting out whole food groups is really a good idea, as well as what he believes are the most important foods to consume for a healthy microbiome. For now, here are the three reasons why you shouldn’t cut grains out of your diet, straight from Dr. B himself.For more tips on how to create the perfect eating plan for your gut health microbiome, be sure to check out this week’s podcast. Maybe one day we can all be like Dr. B and participate in a rich, plant-based diet that will strengthen our microbiomes (with a cheeky treat here and there, for good measure). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a reproductive psychiatrist, Alexandra Sacks, M.D., helps people navigate the emotional toll of pregnancy and parenthood.A lot of her work is normalizing the ups and downs of motherhood. In the age of highly curated Instagram posts, Sacks breaks down the myth that being a parent is all joy all the time. She helps patients differentiate between the emotions that are to be expected with new momhood—ambivalence, isolation, and frustration—and more serious conditions like postpartum depression. She likes to use the phrase "matrescence" to describe this complicated time, which can mirror the awkwardness and discomfort of adolescence.Sacks lectures at major corporations on attitudes around maternity and paternity leave, and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Time, and on NPR. She also hosts a weekly Motherhood Sessions podcast, where she has honest conversations with new moms to learn about their experience and her new book What No One Tells Youhas been dubbed "the new essential book for soon-to-be-parents" by Vogue.This podcast episode explores the intersection of feminism and medicine. In it, Sacks walks us through how to prioritize mental health before, during, and after birth; how to maintain quality bonding and attachment with your kids as a working parent; and so much more. If you're not expecting any time soon, Sacks also has sage advice on simple ways to support the new parents in your life. To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's podcast episode is a special recording from our sixth annual revitalize event, which was held in Dove Mountain, Arizona, in June. The insights we learned on the main stage this year were too good not to share, so we're broadcasting them on the podcast over the next few weeks. Today, we'll hear four perspectives on the role of psychedelic drugs in today's wellness world.From the decriminalization of psilocybin in Oakland and Denver to the rise in ayahuasca ceremonies around the world, it feels like psychedelic drugs previously taken in hushed settings are now gaining mainstream appeal. So much so that the rate of use is quickly outpacing the research on how these substances actually affect the body.At this year's revitalize event, we invited four health experts to give their take on what exactly this means. What role, if any, should drugs like THC, MDMA, LSD, ayahuasca, and psilocybin play in wellness? Who should be taking them, and how can they do so safely? The panel covered massive questions like these, and, needless to say, not everybody agreed on the answers. And that included me! I jumped into the debate (a revitalize first) to say that after seeing too many friends have too many close calls, I don't believe they have a place in wellness. Tune in to the full podcast episode to dive deeper into this dialogue on when psychedelics expand consciousness—and when they do more harm than good.To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lissa Rankin, M.D., and Kelly Turner, Ph.D., have both spent years studying how people use spirituality to overcome illness against all odds. And what they've found is fascinating.Turner, a researcher who has spent time with over 1,500 hospice patients, has identified nine keys to healing—and only two of them are physical. The others, things like releasing suppressed emotions and identifying your reasons for living, may be difficult to write a prescription for, but they provide a potent medicine. Rankin is intimately familiar with these more emotional approaches to healing too, and she has spent the last seven years traveling to lands near and far to study other cultures' sacred healing practices.When Turner and Rankin took to the revitalize stage this year, the topic of trauma inevitably came up. When trauma, no matter how severe, is left unattended to, it can spiral into the types of illnesses that these two New York Times bestselling authors are so intimately familiar with."The more of those 'Big T' and 'Little T' traumas that build up in the system, the greater the risk of disease, especially as we get older," Rankin explained. Luckily, she added, recent science suggests that trauma is completely treatable.Turner agreed, saying, "We have the science now to apply to emotional interventions, and that's the marriage that I'm excited to finally be seeing. It's like, let's not just see what happens when you take this supplement or eat this new diet. What happens when you go through an eight-week forgiveness course? What happens to your body?"Here are four techniques that Turner and Rankin said show promise in getting to the root of trauma and helping us work through it so it doesn't continue to grow and intensify over time.To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is a special recording from our sixth annual revitalize event, which was held in Dove Mountain, Arizona, in June. The insights we learned on the main stage this year were too good not to share, so we're broadcasting them on the podcast over the next few weeks. First up: Two legendary functional medicine doctors discuss the science-backed secrets to aging gracefully.Frank Lipman, M.D., and Robert Rountree, M.D., are two of the most trusted voices in functional medicine today. Lipman is a New York Times bestselling author who has been marrying Eastern and Western medicine in a clinical setting since the 1980s, and Rountree's Boulder-based institute seamlessly blends functional nutrition, medical herbalism, and mind-body therapy. It's no surprise that the audience had their notepads out and pens poised when these two took the stage at revitalize 2019 to discuss aging.Over the course of their panel, Lipman and Rountree dove into the lifestyle factors that they believe dictate longevity. "You're not going to stop the aging process," Lipman forewarned, but certain factors can certainly help slow it down.Surprisingly, both doctors came out in strong opposition to some of the "magic pills" on the market today—and they don't recommend trying to biohack your way to a longer life span. Over their combined decades of experience, they've found that small, sustainable habits are far more effective than extreme, short-lived ones in delaying the aging process. Especially when you reach your '60s, Rountree and Lipman say it's important to take a "yang" approach to health: one that's built on plenty of sleep, gentle exercise, and fulfilling relationships."Be kind, be generous, and the other stuff is the icing on the top," Lipman said, prompting Rountree to nod and smile in agreement.Tune in to this 30-minute episode to learn all about the specific longevity-promoting habits they recommend. Along the way, you'll hear them share how they slow aging in their own lives, including methodically restricting calories and taking the right supplements. Enjoy, and be sure to stay tuned until the end so you can hear these renowned experts answer the audience's burning questions in a Q&A.To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Mackey, the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, wasn’t always the leader and innovator that he is today. Believe it or not, John started his career as a busboy. Never did he imagine that he would create a grocery store that would launch a new era of health and wellness—an era in which people felt empowered people to eat well and live better. In this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast—which comes straight to us from the main stage of this year’s revitalize event—John delves deep into what it means to be a conscious leader in today’s world and why it’s important for all of us to be purpose-driven, loving, and authentic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With estimates that around 12,000 million metric tons of plastic will be in landfills or in our environment by 2050, it's easy to feel like this overwhelming issue is out of our control, but the change actually starts with us as the consumers.You may know Bonnie Wright better as Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter films, but she's much more. Bonnie is an environmental activist and advocate for eliminating single-use plastics, a film director, producer, and screenwriter.Colleen Wachob, co-CEO at mindbodygreen, sat down with Bonnie on the mbg podcast to discuss how she became passionate about reducing her impact on the environment and the simple ways she's cut down on plastic in her life.Growing up, Bonnie spent time on the coast of England with her family and came to love the ocean. She gained inspiration from her surroundings and developed an understanding of nature's cycles. Over time she's seen a cultural shift toward convenience and the subsequent negative impact on the environment. As a surfer who spends a lot of time on the water in California, Bonnie sees the amount of plastic pollution floating in the water and on the beaches.With all of this, she's made it a priority to reduce her plastic consumption. Here are some of the strides she's made that you may want to incorporate into your life. Bonnie emphasizes that these changes did not happen overnight and recommends starting with one category such as beauty products or food containers and then moving to the next. "Even if your choice seems so small and insignificant, it does all connect," she explained.If you're feeling stuck with where to begin, she suggests noticing what self-limiting beliefs may be holding you back. Perhaps you feel like you're not good enough to remember to bring your own water bottle? These are normal ways to feel and are merely thought patterns that have been ingrained in us. To break through some of these, acknowledge that they are thoughts you can overcome and you are more than capable of making choices that support you and the environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his early 20s, Chris Kresser, M.S., LAc, sold everything he owned and took off around the world. He wanted to travel and surf and planned to spend two years doing both. But his path took a turn nine months into the trip when he began experiencing symptoms of tropical illness, including vomiting, nausea, and delirium. After taking antibiotics, he was able to keep traveling, but several months later it was clear that this was serious. It didn't make sense—he was eating well and in the best shape of his life, and yet this seemingly small bout of sickness was evolving into a chronic illness. He decided to go home and seek medical help. Over the next five years, Chris saw upward of 50 doctors and practitioners to try to get better. It turns out he had multiple parasites. He spent most days curled up on the floor in pain and thought he wasn't going to have a future. That's when he began to look beyond modern medicine and discovered functional medicine and the paleo diet. By changing his diet and lifestyle, Chris was able to heal.Through this experience and his studies as a licensed acupuncturist, Chris has learned quite a bit about the power of functional medicine and how to keep your gut as healthy as possible. "To me, functional medicine was a perfect model," Chris says. "It synthesized the holistic approach of functional medicine and the perspective of looking at the body as a collection of interdependent systems, but then it also utilized modern diagnostics like blood testing, stool testing, and saliva testing—things that weren't available in Chinese medicine 2,000 years ago that I think can be helpful in determining the source or cause of the problem."To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At mbg, we've long been interested in recovery techniques as part of a well-rounded fitness program and predicted that we’d see an even greater shift toward it in 2019. Lo Roxburgh, best-selling author and expert on fascia and alignment, joins mbg's Chief Content Officer, Olessa Pindak, on the mbgpodcast to talk about how she got started in movement medicine and let us in on the best ways to relieve tension. Growing up, she was an All-American swimmer so understood the importance of taking care of her body. When her mother was diagnosed with Stage 5 breast cancer when she was 16, she took a step back and realized just how important the mind-body connection was. She went on to get degrees in nutrition and physiology and certifications in structural integration, Pilates, and personal training. Now Lo works with clients to help them align their bodies and inner selves. Recovery is a not only a vital part of a fitness routine, it's also become part of our wellness conversation. Join in!To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices