Bill McKenna and Liz Larson: Optimal Brain Health – Simple Exercises to Adapt to Change! – Part 1

 Are you tired or fatigued after eating? Do you sometimes feel unwell after a meal? Did you know it could be a food allergy or inflammation? Our guest today is Dr. Tom O’Bryan who is an expert in food sensitivities and the way they affect our lives. Our body can attack itself when we are eating the wrong foods.

Dr. Tom has extensively researched inflammatory disease and the root mechanism behind disease. The Center for Disease Control reports that 14 out of the top 15 causes of disease are caused by chronic inflammation. But what is inflammation? And is it always bad for you? He talks about how excessive inflammation is extremely dangerous.

He explains how we have very little bacteria when we are born, yet we die with 90% bacteria according to experts. Our microbiome changes due to our environment.  Dr. Tom shares a personal story about the birth of his son and the microbiome he was born with during an emergency C-section. He also talks about the components of breast milk and the way it affects the baby. We must always put emphasis on a healthy microbiome. Depending on the type of bacteria you have, you may not feel well physically or mentally. You may be depressed or feeling anxiety. This is influenced by what’s in your gut’s microbiome. This tells the body how to function, digest, think, and so much more. He talks about metabolism and the blood stream, which activates your genes and how it is all affected by the microbiome. Inflammation can be activated.

So, how do you reduce inflammation? Dr. O’Bryan and his colleagues are working on a new docuseries called “The Inflammation Equation: Decoding the Path to Optimal Well Being.”  This series contains interviews and information from 80 experts and physicians worldwide.

According to Dr. Tom, we go from health to disfunction, then to disease. It’s always inflammation causing this. When brain fog starts, when you forget where you parked, or where you left your keys, you may be heading down the path of disease. In fact, there is a 400% increase in Alzheimer’s in younger people, based on studies over the last four years. This is completely from chronic inflammation. There’s new information for Baby Boomers, as well as women of childbearing age. The incidents of autism are skyrocketing as well as children on antidepressants. This can also be because of plastics found in so many places such as water bottles. Yet, there is hope and we can learn what our bodies need to be healthy. This is Part 1 of the interview. For info about Dr. Tom O’Bryan and to find out more about “The Inflammation Equation,” visit TheDr.com and https://rkt511.isrefer.com/go/tie24/theawareshow

 In Part 2 of this interview with scholar, philosopher, and researcher Jean Houston, Ph.D.,  she shares her first meeting with American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, one of her early and most impactful mentors. Margaret considered Jean her “adopted daughter” and encouraged her to keep searching, keep understanding, keep putting pieces together to make some sense of it all. Mead was one of the early founders of Earth Day and taught Jean to keep reaching for solutions. Thorough this experience, Jean learned to produce extensive writing about the “new story of humanity” – she wrote books every month about history, culture, and possibilities.

Jean talks today about how we can progress through community and cooperation and use our creativity to the fullest, by recognizing the good in one another. We can activate our innate genes as beings seeking constant growth and evolve to become higher humans as we visualize the possibilities and create the world we want. This is entelechy – it pushes us toward what humanity could be. Through her mentors and studies, Jean learned to observe and hone her particular awareness in a unique way of seeing people and raising them to their greatness. She worked for the UN and with many cultures throughout the world as well as working with Presidents including President Bill Clinton and President Jimmy Carter.

Today we are asked to consider, “What does a world that works look like?”  New science, quantum physics, and relational science teach that there is unity and oneness. We can experience the evolution of the human race, activate the genes of the higher human, and witness the possible human. Jean paints an image of what our possible world could look like, by seeing the possibility in other people.

Jean believes we are in a renaissance period now and although we’ve experienced the pandemic, wars, and scenes of outrage, we’ve also seen the linking of hearts, which is indeed the gestation period of a New Humanity. People want peace worldwide. We can do this by accessing the very depths of the human spirit which is available to all of us by seeing the very best in one another. This is the second of a two-part discussion. Info: JeanHouston.com.

The news is filled with stories of wars, pandemics, mass shootings, rights getting overturned, and so much continuous devastation, it could seem that we are living in End Times. Our guest today, scholar, philosopher, and researcher Jean Houston, Ph.D., delves into the idea of finding possibility, even during these times of great grief. We have been conditioned to respond to the terrible, but it does not have to be this way. As an icon in the Human Potential movement, Jean shares ideas about how the Renaissance, with its advancements in music, art, poetry, and cosmology, came after great plagues and times of war, much like the world situation today. Could we be in a new Renaissance period now? We are once again in a similar time of radical growth, and we have the power within us to see new possibilities and reach mythical potential in our human evolution. Jean shares stories of her travels and talks about her friendship with scholar Joseph Campbell and how they would have “beautiful fights” which were friendly arguments and deep discussions about mythology and the fate of humanity. Campbell wrote extensively about the “Hero’s Journey,” while Jean considered the “Heroine’s Journey.” Part of the problem is that 50% of the human race is not being recognized for women’s immense creativity and power. Women’s ways are missing. With an emphasis on compassion, cooperation, community, and process rather than product and competition, humane creativity must be celebrated by acknowledging the achievements of women. She also talks about her fateful meeting of evolutionary philosopher and Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who became one of her mentors when she was much younger. At an early age, they would have profound discussions of time, history, and transformation, as she gained an alternate education of possibilities through their talks.  Info: JeanHouston.com

Dr. Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the greatest voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer, and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Dr. Angelou’s unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of culture and race. Today she talks about her CD titled “Church: Songs of Soul and Inspiration” in which music is set to her poetry and includes many best-selling musicians and singers such as Patti Labelle, Dionne Warwick, Stephanie Mills, En Vogue, Chaka Khan, The Fire Choir, and many more. This interview was originally taped in June 2003. Info:  MayaAngelou.com

 Did you know that much of what we know about women’s bodies comes from the viewpoint of men? Our pain, strength, intellect, and much more have been based on an overwhelmingly male narrative. The result is a culture and society that continues to shape our healthcare. Today’s guest, Dr. Elizabeth Comen, is a breast oncologist, physician/scientist, and medical historian. She discusses her new book “All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women's Bodies and Why It Matters Today.”

She talks about how women throughout the ages, and even now, have been invalidated for their pain, and felt shamed and blamed. We’ve inherited this legacy and a culture of women apologizing for being sick, apologizing for taking up space, and apologizing for taking up time.

Dr. Comen has dedicated her medical career to saving the lives of women. An award-winning, internationally sought-af­ter clinician and physician-scientist, Dr. Comen works as a medical oncologist with a specialty in breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and is an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. She earned her BA in the history of science from Harvard College and her MD from Harvard Medical School, then completed her resi­dency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

As a Memorial Sloan Kettering oncologist, she sees thousands of patients and talks about the vital importance of seeing each woman as an individual. So many of these women express how they feel misunderstood and how their breasts matter. She talks about our difficult medical system and how it’s influenced so much from a cultural, religious, and historical perspective.

Throughout history, there’s never been a narrative that women’s bodies are as strong and as powerful as a male body. Landmark studies have always been for men, then modified for women. There’s no racial or ethnic diversity either as the studies typically focus on middle-aged white men. Her book talks about the stories of our deeply flawed system and offers suggestions for moving forward.

Dr. Comen also discusses hormones, fluctuations, hormone replacement therapy, and how to balance. There is a long story of misunderstanding hormones. Testosterone was touted as being amazing and important for men, while estrogen causes women to have crazy mood swings. She further discusses symptoms of menopause, premature aging, and the distorted idea that women should “always look perfect.”

She talks about the importance of lifting weights and stimulating strong bone density as we need strong bones, especially as we age. It improves our overall health. The gym can be intimidating, especially when women see many men lifting weights.

Dr. Comen talks about hysterectomies and the history of “hysteria” as it comes from the Greek word for womb. People thought women were prone to being hysterical and mentally unbalanced because of their “wandering wombs.”

She also talks about the long, horrible history of removing organs from women who were “not behaving” because maybe they were political or outspoken or overly sexual. She also talks about the Tuskegee experiments and Black men not being treated for syphilis. During this time, women too, could be forcibly arrested and treated with experimental means – if women looked promiscuous; if they were riding a bus alone; if they were outspoken. This occurred to thousands of women at the turn of the century. Many women were considered “dirty” and the innocent, clean men were being infected. Women felt shamed and blamed from contracting a disease from a man who was dishonest about their health.

Dr. Comen discusses the generational traumas of women and how it directly and indirectly affects women today. She talks about how bicycles were the symbols of the Suffragists movement because they represented freedom. Male doctors threatened that if women rode bikes, they would develop bulky muscles and not be able to reproduce.

She talks about men operating on women and the duality of plastic surgery. Plastic surgery was originally used on battle wounds when weapons caused so much destruction. Today there’s a duality as it can be either empowering or punishing.

She further discusses the history of early advertising and marketing campaigns and talks about how the tobacco companies encouraged women to smoke. Advertisers called cigarettes “torches of freedom.”  

She also discusses the effects of stress, including “good” stress and anxiety which can help us move forward in our lives. She invites us to think about the stories we’ve been told and to realize it doesn’t have to be as shameful as it has been historically. We can truly be empowered and change the narrative about women’s health. It must be a movement aligned with all genders and the realization that we are all in this together. Info: drelizabethcomen.com.

Would you like to have more joy and happiness?  Do you dream of having more money or vibrant, vital health? Would you like to experience a life of peace and ease? It is possible, according to our guest today, Hale Dwoskin. Hale is one of the teachers from the movie “The Secret” and is a founding member of the Transformational Leadership Council. Today he talks about the Sedona Method and reveals a powerful secret for manifesting what you want in your life, while showing you how to be at ease and comfortable with what you already have.

We all have a natural ability to let go of our deepest blocks. We hold onto this because we are confused, and we believe we are our suffering. We may have regrets and live in denial. But this is not who we are. These are all false illusions.

After many years of searching, Hale met his mentor, Lester Levenson, and began studying and then teaching emotional releasing techniques based on these ideas. He realized that Lester was no longer seeking. He showed him that it is possible to live in a state of peace.

When we hold on to pain, we relive it over and over. We can keep the wisdom, but we can learn to let go of the pain. The mind actually acts as a “subconscious attractor” to these negative experiences if we don’t let go. We must be willing to let go of our anger. Hale teaches the Sedona Method on air and asks listeners to welcome positive feelings of relief instead. He explains that the power is always in the present moment.

Hale Dwoskin is the author of “The Sedona Method”  book and taught this method for decades. He is an international speaker and featured faculty member at Esalen and the Omega Institute. Info: Sedona.com.

How do you move forward when you feel blocked? Do you know that you have a beautiful power to voice what you want in the world? But what if you don’t feel safe in expression? Lisa continues the conversation today with our guests Issac and Thorald Koren, better known as the musical duo “The Brothers Koren.” They are transformational voice leaders, music mentors, and artists passionate about hearing “the World’s song, one voice at time.”

How do you get into a safe space with sound? Finding the voice through song can be terrifying but the Koren Brothers share their ideas of 5 ways of being to create a safe space around sound. They ask a series of questions -- Can you be generous with your sound? Can you find something you like and accept it? Many people do not like the sound of their own voice, especially when it’s recorded.

Can you seek out something new of value? Can you free yourself of judgment? They talk about reclaiming your voice after voice trauma. You can still have an experience when you feel deeply. Allow a song to tear you open – it involves taking a risk. A part of us may be waiting to be felt.

Can you be curious about your experience? Can you make up your own melody? Can you trust the process? It’s freeing when you allow your voice to come out. Explore what’s possible.

Are you willing? Can you flow into the moment and allow yourself to meet your voice as you are today? We live such a willful life – but what if we let it flow instead? Be willing, rather than willful. Let it out.

The Brothers Koren sing live on air and share their song “Everything’s Changing.” They invite the audience to sing along, no matter where you are. They talk about coping with all the changes on our planet and how using our voices can help.  Harmony is always there to lean into, but so is dissonance. It’s up to us to choose. When we choose harmony, it magnetizes what we want. The most beautiful harmonies accept differences. Ask, how can you see another perspective? See the relations between the notes. Be in awe.

Can we stay in gratitude? Can you be awe of the fact that your voice is your own personal blueprint? Can you dare to make a sound without worrying how good it is?

Find your note, honor your note, and be interested in finding harmony with another note. This is very similar to flowing on the dance floor. Use your voice to find what feels good for you. Music holds so many memories. We all have the instrument within ourselves and can use this to embody and bring in more joy, balance, and harmony in our lives!

The Brothers Koren have played to millions of listeners worldwide and have toured with P!NK, Coldplay, and Rod Stewart as The Kin. They now foster first-time talent, not only those who want to go into the music industry but all of those who want to tap into their hidden voices. When it came time to take a break from touring, they asked themselves, “Are we really serving the greater whole?” After contemplating the answers, and although they made their dream come alive by playing on major stages worldwide, they made the decision to move to Los Angeles and began working with people who wanted to find their inner voice.  This is Part 2 of the interview.  For more info about their upcoming online class, visit: https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/hvkb/lisagarr/.  Info: BrothersKoren.com

Are you looking for a new exercise program? Would you like to feel healthier and fitter? We know there is no one-size-fits-all workout. Today’s guest, Paul Chek, is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology. For more than twenty-five years, Paul’s unique, holistic approach to treatment and education has changed the lives of countless people worldwide, many of his clients, his students, and their clients. By treating the body as a whole system and finding the root cause of a problem, Paul has been successful where traditional approaches have consistently failed. Paul is the founder of the C.H.E.K. (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology) Institute, based in California, USA, and the P~P~S Success Mastery Coaching Program.

Today he discusses the differences in women's and men’s physiologies and talks about various exercise programs. He also discusses ways to know if you may have a fungus or parasite in your system and healthy dietary changes. His book is “How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy.” Info: ChekInstitute.com.

Do you sometimes feel blocked?  What do you do when that happens? How do you move forward? Do you know that you have a beautiful power to voice what you want in the world? Our guests today are Issac and Thorald Koren, better known as the musical duo “The Brothers Koren.”

They are transformational voice leaders, music mentors, and artists passionate about hearing “the World’s song, one voice at time.”

They have played to millions of listeners worldwide and have toured with P!NK, Coldplay, and Rod Stewart as The Kin. They now foster first-time talent, not only those who want to go into the music industry but all of those who want to tap into their hidden voices. When it came time to take a break from touring, they asked themselves, “Are we really serving the greater whole?” After contemplating the answers, and although they made their dream come alive by playing on major stages worldwide, they made the decision to move to Los Angeles and began working with people who wanted to find their inner voice.

If your soul is not satisfied and if you don’t know what to do next, ask the Universe to assist. They explained about the Power of Request. Get to know yourself by using song and voice. This method is not just for musicians, but anyone who wants to delve deeper.

Always being overly interested and curious, they were both natural coaches and mentors and decided to share their skills. They especially loved the audience singing along with their songs so when the opportunity came to coach a first-time singer, they happily did it. They developed a mentoring program whereby they coach people who think they cannot sing to express themselves. They realized what they were doing was transformational. They worked with people with voice trauma and people who were afraid to speak or sing in public.

So what are people looking for who want to learn more about their voice? They are looking for a sense of home in themselves. This is an ancient art. All of our ancestors had the ability to use their voice. It’s both a power and a vulnerability. Although we may compare ourselves, we must realize everyone has their own unique voice. No two voices are alike. It can be exciting, but also awkward. Maybe you, too, have lost your dreams of wanting to sing?

And it’s not just the sound of our voice. It’s how we listen and it’s at the core of mental health. We can be afraid or disconnected from the instrument of our voice. It’s so often about reconnection.  In scary times of anxiety or depression, it can be healed through finding our voice. We have oftentimes been comparative or competitive when we think about how we sound. The Brothers Koren find that people just want to return to their bodies and simply exhale and have ease.

The negative self-talk and those negative voices are ingrained and it’s hard to find clarity and harmony. These internal voices can say we are not enough. They are protective, but traumatic. They become the loudest voices. Many women are not allowing their voices to be heard or are afraid to say something because it can be dangerous. It can be unsafe to express, so people dim their light.

The voice is a reflection. It is a full-body instrument. The voice is a harmonizer.  They talk about people singing together, such as in a choir, and explain how to listen to the space between two notes. How do we be in harmony? We can work with dissonance and find a way to wrap around uncomfortable emotions. We know the way to do it, but we must be willing to look inward. Can we find “home” within our body first? Can we meet ourselves as we are today? We must be compassionate to ourselves. Be willing to feel the feelings and be ok with it all, no matter what comes up.

Issac and Thorald Koren teach courses and classes. When people realize their voices are shut down or they were never able to express themselves, the Brothers Koren help people to reclaim their power. They also work with singers who have left their music and want to return. They also work with people who know if they use this medium, they know they will open in other ways. It’s the ancient biological birthright of us all to use our voice. This is Part 1 of the interview. For more info about their upcoming online class, visit: https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/hvkb/lisagarr/.  Info: BrothersKoren.com

Do you find yourself recreating and repeating the same relationship issues over and over again? Same issue, different person? Do you feel that you need a partner to “complete” you? Perhaps there’s something to look at there. And today’s guest, author and therapist Sherry Gaba just may be able to help. Her latest book, “The Marriage and Relationship Junkie,” offers great relationship insights.

In addition to being a Licensed Psychotherapist, a Certified Coach, and the award-winning author of “Love Smacked: How to Stop the Cycle of Relationship Addiction and Codependency to Find Everlasting Love,” she also says she’s a recovering codependent and love addict who was married to a man with narcissistic tendencies.

Sherry has been an expert on Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab, VH1’s Sober House, as well as Celebrity Rehab’s Sex Addiction, and numerous other programs. She has helped thousands of people cope with relationship addictions, narcissistic and toxic relationships, and codependency. You can find out more about Sherry and also if you’re a love junkie by taking her quiz at: SherryGaba.com.