My new book, Live Beyond Your Label: A Holistic Approach to Breaking Old Patterns and Discovering a Healthier You in Mind, Body, and Spirit, is now available for preorder at most retailers, including Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Christianbook, Books-a-Million, and more. The official release date is September 16, but you can preorder here.
This is the book I wish I had when I was struggling with my mental health as a young adult, stuffing down feelings and burying trauma in order to survive.
This book blends psychology, science, scripture, and my own personal experience living with the labels of PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder. I hope this book helps readers see that they are so much more than a cluster of symptoms on a DSM checklist. I hope they feel seen, heard, and validated in these pages. Every chapter is packed with helpful tools and ends with mind-body activity to tune into our body’s unique needs.
But guess what? You don’t have to wait for September 16 to add new tools to your toolkit! You can grab my preorder gift, a Nourishing Habits Guide, now!
Monika Sharda is a Holistic Health Coach who has spent the last decade studying the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and Yoga. She is a certified Ayurveda Health Counselor and Yoga Instructor. She helps busy professionals uncover the root causes of their health challenges and create personalized, sustainable wellness routines. Through workshops, talks, and 1:1 coaching, Monika makes holistic wellness accessible and impactful for modern lifestyles.
In this episode, Monika breaks down what Ayurveda is and how an ancient healing modality can be useful in the modern world today. Download here of find wherever you get podcasts.
Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD is the founder of Nutrivore.com and New York Times best-selling author of Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat. She creates educational resources to help people improve their day-to-day diet and lifestyle choices, empowered and informed by the most current evidenced-based scientific research. With Nutrivore, Dr. Sarah has created a positive and inclusive approach to dietary guidance, based in science and devoid of dogma, using nutrient density and sufficiency as its basic principles: Nourishment, not judgment.
This episode covers all the topics in Dr. Sarah’s new book, along with her recent “controversial” posts about seed oils. You don’t want to miss this! Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts.
Dr. Matthew Dawson is the co-founder and CEO of Wild Health, a Precision Medicine service providing personalized, genetics-based care to help patients achieve optimal wellbeing. In that, Dr. Dawson has trained thousands of physicians in Precision Medicine through online education, and has lectured in over twenty countries around the world. Dr. Dawson also co-hosts the Wild Health Podcast, a tool for teaching thousands about personalized, genetics-based Precision Medicine. His passion to help patients maximize their health span and perform at their absolute best considers all aspects of health: mental, physical, and spiritual.
This episode was especially fun for me, because I got to experience the genetic testing that Wild Health offers, and I discovered some incredible insights about my genetic predispositions to the following: depression and low motivation, fast caffeine metabolism, gluten sensitivity and intolerance, sensitivity to seed oils, increased risk of psychosis with THC, and so much more. I learned that super foods for me are eggs, fish, dairy, and leafy greens, which was fun to hear since I love those and consume them frequently.
To listen to this incredible episode, download here or find wherever you get podcasts. To try out Wild Health for yourself, get 15% off with the code SPARK.
This is the kind of clickbait title getting all sorts of attention on social media these days. Is it really possible to mimic the actions of a GLP-1 receptor agonist (like Ozempic) with supplements?
The answer is yes and no.
Let’s break down what these wonder drugs do. Because let’s be real–they’re truly amazing.
First, we need to understand GLP-1. GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like-peptide-1, which is secreted in our gut in response to food and helps us manage blood sugar and regulate appetite and satiety. We lose the ability to produce it as we age, experience loss of diversity in the gut microbiome, eat too many refined carbs and sugars, get exposed to chronic stress and toxins, and/or have a history of chronic restrictive dieting.
The medications (Ozempic, Semaglutide, Monjauro, Terzepatide, etc.) bind to and activate the GLP-1 receptor, slightly delaying gastric emptying which lowers post-meal glucose as well as fasting glucose. The effects are pretty fascinating: less preoccupation with food, decreased cravings, feeling fuller faster, and of course, rapid weight loss.
Now I’ve gotten a LOT of questions about my personal opinions on this intervention, so I’m planning on addressing this at length on a future podcast episode. Like most things, I see both sides, and I want to be able to address things well and thoughtfully. I don’t have time (or space) to get into it on this newsletter, and I’m still researching.
Back to the clickbait question: Is there such a thing as Nature’s Ozempic?
Companies are promoting the supplement berberine as an alternative to GLP-1 medications. Berberine is an incredible supplement. Some studies show it may be as effective as Metformin for lowering blood sugar levels, but I primarily use it to support people with gut overgrowths and chronic stress (which is high glycemic). Berberine is effective for gut healing AND blood sugar balance, but it doesn’t lend the same rapid weight loss results as the drugs.
So, because berberine can decrease the post-meal spike of glucose and even out the curve some, it is being promoted as Nature’s Ozempic. While it may potentially lead to weight loss in the long-term as a side effect of supporting blood sugar and the gut microbiome, it doesn’t use the same mechanism of action. And it doesn’t bring the same results as the popular drugs.
Here’s the cool news: there are LOTS of tools that can support blood sugar levels, increase satiety, and reduce “food noise” long-term. Personally, I haven’t experienced “food noise” in over ten years, when I introduced products to support my gut (especially with this combo here).
Here are my favorite tools that lead to stable blood sugar and decreased cravings! (Bonus: if you are taking any of the GLP-1 agonists for weight loss reasons, these tools can help you decrease the likelihood of gaining weight if/when you choose to stop taking them.)
Consume at least 30 grams of protein at every meal.
Eat your meals in this order: veggies first, protein/fat second, starches last.
Try a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before a meal.
Eat at least 25 grams of fiber per day (go easy, it can cause digestive issues if you’re not used to it). Soluble fiber like fruits, veggies, legumes, flaxseeds, and chia seeds can be especially supportive.
Try not to consume more than 25 grams of added sugar in a day.
Add healthy fats to your diet like avocados and olives.
Move your body for 10 minutes after a meal.
Supplements that are helpful: berberine, curcumin, green tea, psyllium husk, and digestive bitters (see my favorite brand and get 10% off with the code spark here). Always check with a knowledgeable practitioner before choosing to supplement with vitamins or herbs. Some interactions can occur with medications, so play it safe and find someone trained in supplements to walk you through it (like me).
Final reminder: I am not a diet coach. I don’t help people lose weight. I help people restore safety to the body through nutrients. When blood sugar is more stable, YOU feel more stable. When you’re on a blood sugar roller coaster all day, you’ll struggle with more cravings and less managed moods. Restoring safety to the body with these tips above is helpful for anyone!
*This article comes straight from my monthly newsletter. Every month, I send out meal plans, recipes, and quick tips like this one! For more like this, sign up for my monthly newsletter here.
I am living proof that you can put a mental illness into remission, but researchers like Dr. Georgia Ede have the studies to back it up! If you’re interested in supporting your mental health with nutrition, you can’t miss this episode!
Dr. Georgia Ede is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in nutrition science and brain metabolism. Her twenty-five years of clinical experience include twelve years as a college psychiatrist and nutrition consultant at Smith College and Harvard University Health Services, where she was the first to offer students nutrition-based approaches as an alternative to psychiatric medications. She speaks internationally about dietary approaches to psychiatric disorders. She co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for treatment-resistant mental illnesses, developed the first medically accredited course in ketogenic diets for mental health practitioners, and was honored to be named a recipient of the Baszucki Brain Research Fund’s first annual Metabolic Mind Award.
Her new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind was published in January 2024.
Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts.
After years of struggling with her own dysfunctional body-relationship, Marla Marla Mervis-Hartmann has transformed her experiences into services to help women discover honor and appreciate their bodies.
Marla has been featured at TEDx Salinas. Marla has followed her passion for women’s health down many study paths, including women’s sexual wellness; postpartum care; Restore Your Core educator; Tantra teacher certification; Yoga teacher training, and massage therapy. She has a Certification in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy. Marla is author of the upcoming book “BE-Friend Yourself~ A Guide to Freedom with Food, Peace with your Body & Confidence in your Life.”
Dr. Anjali Agrawal is a family chiropractor, functional nutritionist, founder, and speaker. Dr. Anjali helps families navigate their journey from conception to adulthood. As the founder of Back In Balance, Dr. Anjali integrates gentle chiropractic adjustments, functional nutrition, ergonomics, and a variety of unique diagnostic testing to identify the root cause of symptoms.
This episode covers the importance of digestion for optimizing absorption of nutrients. Parents will also learn some helpful tips for improving kids’ nutrient load as well. Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts.
Because we live in a world of constant activity and attempted multitasking, keeping your brain sharp is more important than ever. In this episode, we discuss keys to maintaining a healthy brain in the new year and beyond.
Dr. Julie Fratantoni is a cognitive neuroscientist who specializes in making neuroscience approachable and creating tools that help people become proactive about their brain health. She leads the user experience and content creation for The BrainHealth Project™ – a 10-year, longitudinal research study seeking to define, measure, and improve brain health and performance across the lifespan. She leverages behavioral science for the development of the online BrainHealth dashboard and mobile app where participants access assessments (BrainHealth Index), coaching, and training.
Dr. Fratantoni also leads the Center’s Kindness Enterprise, a research and translational program seeking to uncover wand harness the brain’s capacity for kindness, empathy and compassion as critical components of overall brain health and well-being.
Heather Creekmore writes and speaks hope to thousands of women each week, inspiring them to stop comparing and start living. The host of the internationally popular Compared to Who? podcast, she has been featured on Fox News, Huff Post, Morning Dose, Church Leaders, and For Every Mom, along with dozens of other shows and podcasts. She was a contestant on Nailed It, the hit Netflix bake fails show. Heather and her Marine-fighter-pilot-turned-pastor husband, Eric, have four children and live in Austin, Texas. Heather’s new book, The 40 Day Body Image Workbook is available now.
This episode features all the nuances between wanting to take care of your body without obsessing too much and getting caught in diet mindset.
Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts.
