Episode 206: Hormones, Nutrition, and Strength Training As You Age with Linda Stephens

Dr. Marc Hauser’s scientific research, including over 300 published papers and seven books, focuses on how the brain evolves, develops, and is altered by damage and neurodevelopmental disorders, with an emphasis on the  processes of learning and decision-making, as well as the impact of traumatic experiences on development. This episode focuses on his research and brain-based methods for teachers, clinicians, parents and anyone working with children who have different disabilities, including especially those that result from a history of traumatic experiences. Dr. Hauser’s new book, Vulnerable Minds: The Harm of Trauma and the Hope of Resilience  offers a hopeful new pathway to understanding children’s trauma and providing effective interventions to build healthier communities Key Topics: - The lasting impact of early childhood adversity - How different trauma signatures lead to different types of resilience - What the Adverse Childhood Experiences study really shows (and it may surprise you) - Dr. Hauser’s framework to determine the impact of adversity - How trauma impacts the brain at different developmental stages - How the pandemic impacted children’s brain development Learn more about Dr. Hauser and get the book at marcdhauser.com. Sponsor: Get a free electric mixer and 40% off mushroom coffee at trumeta.com/spark.

Heidi Schauster, MS, RD, CEDS-S, SEP is a nutrition and body image therapist, Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ Practitioner, and Embodiment Warrior who writes about whole-self wellness. She is author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body and Self and new book Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves. Key Topics: - The importance of body image support for kids - Disordered eating behaviors and what to look out for - How to speak about food and eating without creating a disordered relationship with food - The power in connecting to our true appetite - The rise of orthorexia: what it is and how to prevent it - Prioritizing pleasure at mealtimes - What to do about picky eaters Join the Nourishing Words mailing list on her website https://www.anourishingword.com or follow her on Instagram @nourishingwords. Find her books wherever books are sold. Sponsor: Get a free electric mixer and 40% off mushroom coffee at trumeta.com/spark.

A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. His new book, How Not to Age, lays out practical strategies for achieving ultimate longevity. Key Topics: - The reason Dr. Greger focused on aging in his recent book - Eight anti-aging foods - How to maximize the process of autophagy in your body - Pathways of aging - The anti-aging serum he shares in his book - How to wipe out “zombie” cells that create inflammation Find How Not to Age wherever you get books and go to nutritionfacts.org for more nutrition articles. Sponsor: get 40% off Trumeta mushroom coffee and a free electric mixer at trumeta.com/spark. Sign up for Erin’s monthly recipes and meals here:https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup

Chris Burres is the founder and chief scientist at MyVitalC, where he manufactures a Nobel Prize winning molecule responsible for the single longest longevity experimental result in history, a full 90% extension of life. Chris is also a published author and host of the Uncovering the Secrets to Longevity Health Summit. In this episode, Chris shares about the molecule that increases longevity by 90%, and he shares about his upcoming longevity summit. Key Topics: - The molecule that leads to 90% increase in longevity - Why longevity is important - How long can humans actually live in health? - Why Chris decided to host the upcoming longevity summit - Biggest surprises and takeaways from the longevity summit Click to sign up for the Longevity Summit: https://secretstolongevity.byhealthmeans.com/?idev_id=29911 Use the code sparkingwholeness to get $15 off at myvitalc.com/sparkingwholeness Sponsor: get a free mixer and 40% off mushroom coffee at trumeta.com/spark.

Can your diet impact your sex life? The answer is yes! It involves the same function that keeps your heart and brain healthy - blood flow. For this special Valentine’s episode REPLAY, Erin welcomes Leslie Bumpas back to the show. Leslie is a certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner whose passion is helping women thrive in all ages and stages. In this episode, Leslie shares all the tips and tools to redeem romance in your life - using nutrients in food! Key Topics: - Superfoods every woman should include to increase bloodflow and act as an aphrodisiac - Men's health topics: foods to boost testosterone, decrease erectile dysfunction, and support blood flow - The vitamin D/testosterone connection - Herbs that improve libido in women - What spinach does for your sex drive - Improving female health through nutrients - The real truth behind "an apple a day" - What to avoid and look for with hormonal imbalances Learn more about Leslie and her approach to health or book a call with her at go.redeemingwellness.com. Sponsor: Grab 40% off Trumeta coffee plus a free mixer at trumeta.com/spark. Sign up for Erin’s monthly tips and meal plans here: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup

Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, author of the best selling book Intermittent Fasting Transformation, a 2x TEDx speaker, and the host of Everyday Wellness podcast. Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting and women’s health. This episode covers the benefits of intermittent fasting for women, taking into account specific needs during phases of their menstrual cycle. Key Topics: - The benefits of intermittent fasting - How certain hormonal phases of your life make you less stress resilient - The best and worst times to fast for hormones - Weight loss resistance as a symptom of a bigger issue - Why protein is king - Exercise and fasting - What breaks a fast Learn more about Cynthia and get her book at Cynthiathurlow.com Sponsor: get a free electric mixer and 40% off mushroom coffee at trumeta.com/spark Sign up for Erin’s monthly meal support here: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup

Dr. Christine Gibson is a family physician, trauma therapist, and author of The Modern Trauma Toolkit. She’s on social media as TikTokTraumaDoc with over 130k followers. She runs an international non-profit Global Familymed Foundation, a cooperative, and a new company to train professionals how to manage workplace trauma - Safer Spaces Training. In this episode, we dive into the topic of the nervous system and how it plays a role in the entire body to help us to feel regulated and safe. Key Topics: - How a medical doctor got focused on trauma - Trauma’s role in mental health diagnoses - How to get out of freeze mode - How to calm the nervous system with the container method - How to use tapping as an evidence-based tool for PTSD Get her book, The Modern Trauma Toolkit, wherever books are sold. Learn more about her programs at saferspacestraining.com Sponsor: get a free electric mixer and 40% off mushroom coffee at trumeta.com/spark. Download Erin’s stress-busting nutrition guide here: https://mailchi.mp/5bf7e5c21f62/stress-busting-nutrition-guide

Meg Gerber RD, LDN, IFNCP, CGN is a Functional Medicine Dietitian, Yoga & Meditation Teacher and Founder of Grounded Nourishment (a private virtual nutrition practice). She is also the co-founder of JÜJ Digestive Bitters. JÜJ bitters are uniquely formulated, gluten free digestive bitters that optimizes digestion while also bringing more joy to the social experience of sober curiosity and drinking. This episode is for anyone who is looking to improve gut health, create better nutrient absorption, and start becoming more mindful with their nutrition. Key Topics: - How digestive bitters improve health - How alcohol negatively impacts health - Acid reflux and bitters - How bitters improve bile flow - How to take bitters and use them in mocktail recipes - The best way to improve digestion and absorption by 20% - - - Follow Meg at @groundednourish on Instagram. Learn more about bitters at livewithjuj.com and on Instagram at @jujbitters. Get 10% off your order of Juj bitters when you click this link and use the code spark: https://livewithjuj.com/?ref=SPARK Sponsor: go to trumeta.com/spark to get a free electric mixer and 40% mushroom coffee plus free shipping.

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.   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. Key Topics: - Dr. Fratantoni’s journey in the field of neuroscience - How to manage the modern era of information overload and what it does to the brain - How to get more focus by reducing common brain stressors - How kindness, empathy, and compassion change the brain - Best food for brain health - Easy action steps to prevent cognitive decline - The importance of cognitive challenge Learn more about Dr. Frantantoni’s work at drjuliefratantoni.com and Instagram at @drjuliefratantoni Join the Great Brain challenge from The Center for Brain Health here: https://centerforbrainhealth.org/great-brain-gain Download Erin’s mental health toolkit here: https://mailchi.mp/70a7b1d81de4/mental-health-toolkit

Former two-time guest Andrea Jones and Erin Kerry join forces to get real about how trauma symptoms impacted their life in the past year. They talk about how these symptoms impacted them physically, mentally, and spiritually, because of course - we are designed as very interconnected humans and you can’t bump one part without impacting another. If you are experiencing mental or physiological dysregulation, or maybe even a block in your spiritual walk with the Lord, this may be a great way for you to consider how stored trauma may be playing a role. Key Topics: - The importance of distinguishing between trauma, PTSD, and CPTSD - The different triggers that caused re-emerging trauma symptoms for Erin and Andrea - The physical symptoms of a trauma response - The mental symptoms of a trauma response - How trauma can put up a block in spiritual health - Practical tools to support a dysregulated nervous system, from neurofeedback to supplements to exercise and sleep Learn more about Andrea and work with her at abundantwellnesswithandrea.com or follow her at @abundantwellnesswithandrea on Instagram. Sign up for Erin’s monthly tips and meal plans here: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup