How Social Media Affects Our Mental Health

How can we manage our minds during the social media age? How can we best support our children and monitor their time on screens? How does “influencer culture” affect our kids’ mental health? Whether you’re using social media for entertainment, information, or to grow a business, excessive time on our devices can take a toll on our mental health.

Reena B. Patel is a renowned parenting expert, licensed educational psychologist, board-certified behavior analyst, and author of Winnie & Her Worries. For more than 20 years, Patel has had the privilege of working with families and children, supporting all aspects of education, mental health and positive wellness. She works extensively with typically developing children as well as children with exceptional needs, supporting their academic, behavioral and social/emotional development.

In this episode, we dig into all the hot topics in social media, and we discuss solutions and ways to use positive psychology work for your brain health. Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts!

Key Topics:

The way our brain has changed from social media
The negative impacts of social media on our mental health
The impact of influencer culture on adults and children
The use of positive psychology as a solution
The impact of gratitude
How help kids identify feelings and the physical symptoms of anxiety
The effect of screen time fatigue

To learn more about her books and services, visit her website here, and to get more parenting tips, follow her on Instagram @reenabpatel.

This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Get a free $75 credit on Indeed at indeed.com/spark.

The Science Behind Why We Eat What We Eat

Have you ever wondered why we have all the health and diet information in the world, yet there are still so many struggling to make the right decisions to improve their health? In this episode we cover the WHY behind making the food decisions we make.

Download and listen here or get wherever you find podcasts!

Jack Bobo is the CEO of Futurity, a food foresight company that advises companies, foundations and governments on emerging food trends and consumer attitudes and behaviors related to the future of food. Recognized by Scientific American in 2015 as one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology, Jack is a global thought leader who has delivered more than 500 speeches in 50 countries.

His new book is called Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices.

Key Topics:

The way our brain is biased against our efforts
Why we can’t just agree to disagree
How we have less trust in authority figures about our health
Confirmation bias in excess of information available today
Why people fear certain food over others
The “naturalness” bias
Why healthy food doesn’t taste good
The history of supersizing and unit bias
The “clean your plate” method and how it works against us
How our minds can trick us with what we’re eating, and the study that confirms it
Mental fatigue and decision fatigue in eating and grocery shopping
Solutions to change the way we think about our choices
Reshaping personal food space

Jack’s book is available now, and you can learn more about his work at this website. This episode is sponsored by Talkspace.

Get $100 off your first month with Talkspace when you use the code sparkingwholeness.

How to Get Out of Your Own Way to Have a Healthier Marriage

Everyone knows creating a healthy marriage means putting in the work, but what work is valuable and what are some good ways to get started?

This episode dives deep into all the important marriage topics – with a brain health twist! Download and listen here or find wherever you get your podcasts.

Bill O’Herron, LCSW, is a corporate executive, practicing therapist, and writer who seeks to use his 33 years of financial sales management experience, 24 years of marriage, 15 years of counseling clients, and 8,500 hours of sitting quietly to help his clients better understand themselves and deepen their relationships.

Key Topics:

Male and female brain differences and how that impacts marriage
How the male brain develops differently than the female brain
Healthy emotional self-regulation instead of partner regulation
How relationships are the most important thing in life
Chronic stress’ impact on relationships
Reticular activating system: how it works and how it kills the marriage
How relaxing can trigger old memories and activity causes us to avoid self
Tuning in with your 4th grade self and why that matters
The deeper emotions that anger covers up

Learn more about Bill and his counseling practice at Wholecounseling.com and grab his book, Waking Up Marriage.

Get 20% off your first order of Ancient Nutrition collagen when you use the code sparking at checkout.

Integrating Eastern Medicine Tools for Better Sleep, Stress Resilience, and Digestion

Jacqueline Gomez is the founder and CEO of Welleum, a company that brings Eastern medicine to the modern Western World.

In this episode, we dig into why more and more people are seeking out alternative health solutions, the hesitancy some may have in trying something new, and how Welleum offers a way to advocate for your health with resources and solutions that work.

Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts.

Key Topics:

What is Eastern medicine and why do we hesitate to utilize it?
The stress-body connection
“Pop-a-pill” culture and the need to treat the root
Why people are now turning to Eastern medicine
The resources provided by Welleum, along with their tinctures
How your boy is designed to function like a clock
Stress management tips
How to integrate Eastern and Western medicine and how it doesn’t have to be either/or
Developing a schedule to benefit whole body health
Ingredients in Welleum tinctures and science behind it
Correcting digestive imbalances

To learn more about Welleum and try their products, head to their website here.

This podcast is sponsored by Sleep Number. Save $1,000 on the NEW Sleep Number 360 special edition smart bed. Head to sleepnumber.com/wholeness to check it out!

Understanding and Embracing the Healing Power of Herbs

Adaptogenic herbs are getting a lot of buzz in the health world, so this episode is a dive into all things herbs and herbalism, with herbalist and writer Brittany Ducham.

Brittany’s new book, Radical Remedies, is a great starter for anyone wanting to learn more about how to use herbs to support health and well-being. In this conversation, we discuss her new book and how to individualize your personal use of herbs to support your health goals.

Download this episode and listen here, or find wherever you get podcasts!

Key Topics:

Brittany’s background in herbalism
How herbalism is a form of empowerment and activism and background on her book, Radical Remedies
Herbal energetics and elemental forces and how different people need different things
Herbs for mental health support, anxiety, stress, and tension
Digestive support and herbs that improve gut health
Adaptogens – what they are and how they help
How to get started with herbs without getting overwhelmed
Where to find herbal tinctures and formulations that are good quality
The interconnectedness of our world with plants and nature’s healing power

Find more information about Brittany and herbalism at her website here and follow her on Instagram at spellboundherbals.

Get a free $75 credit from Indeed when you go to indeed.com/spark

Food, Fertility, and Faith: What is the Connection?

Fertility and reproductive health are hot topics in the world of health and wellness right now. Many women (and men) are struggling and looking for natural tools for support. In this latest podcast episode with one of the leading experts in the field, we cover it all!

Download here or listen wherever you get podcasts.

Dr. Robert Kiltz is a board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, and Founder and Director of CNY Fertility, one of the largest and most dynamic fertility centers in the country, featured in the Wall Street Journal, Today Show, and CNBC for helping shape the future of fertility medicine. In this fascinating episode, we discuss how to merge intuition and ancestral wisdom with the latest science for fertility and overall health and well-being.

Key Topics:

Myths and misconceptions of fertility
Difference in Western medicine and taking a holistic perspective
The impact of stress on our physiology
How food factors in and creates inflammation
Obesity is not the cause of disease; it’s a symptom
Plant toxins and a carnivore approach to health
How the glycobiome trumps the microbiome
Prejudice and bias in science

“Living Your Best Life: How to Think, Eat, and Connect your Way to a Better Flow” by Dr. Robert Kiltz is now available on Amazon or at DoctorKiltz.com. For more information, visit Dr. Kiltz’s website, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Get $100 off your first month of therapy with Talkspace.com when you use the code sparkingwholeness.

Delicious Ways to Make Lower Carb and No Sugar Fit Your Lifestyle

Deana Karim is a mom on a mission. She is bringing delicious, low-carb, and sugar-free baking mixes to the world – and they are truly delicious! Deana is the founder of Good Dee’s, a company that makes mixes for brownies, cookies, bread, and so much more.

Before I hosted Deana on the podcast, I was able to sample some of the Good Dee’s baking mixes. I tried the brownies, cornless corn bread, and devil’s food cake mix. All were surprisingly delicious. They didn’t taste like they were low carb or sugar free. I can’t stand the taste of anything artificial, and I could tell that Good Dee’s baking mixes are only used with the highest quality.

In this episode, we cover how she started Good Dee’s, and why she feels having options to individualize your health goals is so important! Download to listen here, or find wherever you get podcasts.

Key Topics:

Story behind the baking mixes
How she came up with different seed flours to use (even watermelon seed flour)!
The various sweeteners used and the impact on her blood sugar
What makes Good Dee’s mixes stand apart from the others
Deana’s mission with her products
Deana’s favorite mixes and recipe suggestions
Tips to change things up and make it easy to fit your lifestyle!

Find all the Good Dee’s mixes or find a store near you that has them at the website here.

Get 20% off your first order from Ancient Nutrition at ancientnutrition.com – use the promo code sparking at checkout!

Talking About Gut Stuff Can Be Fun

Lisa and Alana MacFarlane are identical twins in every way – except when it comes to gut health. They became the ‘chief guinea pigs’ for the British Gut project where they discovered that despite having 100% the same DNA their guts have only 40% the same microbiota.

In their debut book The Gut Stuff, the dynamic duo offer a fun-filled, fact-packed, achievable guide to better health. In this fun and informative episode, we cover all the basics of gut health in a fun way!

Download and listen here or listen wherever you get podcasts!

Continue reading “Talking About Gut Stuff Can Be Fun” →

How to Regulate Your Brain, Reduce Stress, and Get the Best Sleep Ever

Jim Poole is the Founder of of NuCalm, the world’s only patented neuroscience technology clinically proven to resolve stress and improve sleep quality without drugs.

In this episode, we break down the history of NuCalm and the software built by a quantum physicist, and how NuCalm is unlike any other tool out there. Download here or listen wherever you get podcasts!

Key Topics:

Background on the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system in regulating the brain
What our fear brain does to our logic brain – How the brain and body communicate
The method behind NuCalm
Types of brain waves
How brain cells affect mitochondria
What time of day to use NuCalm
How 20 minutes of NuCalm is equivalent to two hours of restorative sleep
The music used and the way it improves the vibration and stress response
How to get started with NuCalm

This interview is jam-packed with good information!

To learn more about how to access NuCalm for yourself, head to nucalm.com.

This episode is sponsored by Sleep Number. Introducing the new Sleep Number 360 p5 smart bed. Queen now only $1,799. Only at Sleep Number stores or sleepnumber.com/wholeness

Are You in a Relationship with a Narcissist?

This is the first “listener request” episode! Many listeners asked for an episode on the topic of dealing with narcissists, and this one is powerful! Download and listen here or get wherever you get podcasts.

Sandra Beck is an author, coach, speaker, radio, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and also an expert on narcissism. She has done countless trainings and written much on the subject.

Continue reading “Are You in a Relationship with a Narcissist?” →