Lauren Berberich: Healing Trauma with EMDR

On this week’s episode, Alanna and Nicole are joined by Lauren Nichols, whom Alanna found on Instagram via hashtags, in the middle of COVID lockdowns. Lauren suffers from and is an advocate for Long COVID – in fact, she is one of the first persons known to be suffering from this disorder.

In this episode, she explains her optimal health prior to having COVID (she was healthy other than having insomnia). She shares with us how she was one of the first people in the country to be infected with COVID – and doctors didn’t take her seriously at first because she presented with severe GI issues and not respiratory symptoms. From there, she continued to get worse instead of better – and hasn’t been “normal” since.

Her symptoms didn't start there. As the conversation builds, we learn about the consequences of her lingering symptoms, including her stroke, how it takes her hours just to get out of bed each day, and so much more.

Lauren also revealed to us details about the toll that COVID takes on the reproductive system, especially in women, which many tend to ignore.

This is a timely episode with summer gatherings and barbecues here for the ne

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlswgutspod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Lauren’s Socials:

Instagram: @laurenthemedium

 

Body Politic Socials:

Instagram: @wearebodypolitic

Website: www.wearebodypolitic.com

On this week’s episode, Nicole and Alanna are joined by Leslie Jacobs Toole, a local Cincinnati momma with a story to tell.

She had actually followed Alanna for a while on social media and once she learned of GWGP, she reached out to share her  BRCA Gene story with the gals. Being a topic both Alanna and Nicole were not very familiar with, it was a no-brainer to have her on the show.

In this episode, Leslie shares with us about her long family history with breast cancer - including her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 34. After witnessing her mother's suffering, she recognized the very real possibility she could have the BRCA Gene and also develop cancer like her mother. Against her mother's blessing, Leslie got tested - and the test came back positive. Then, in 2012 at the age of 24, she took her own health into her hands and got a double mastectomy. We were so blessed that Leslie felt comfortable enough to share the vulnerable details of how cancer and BRCA has affected her life - and we think others who are in a similar position will feel comforted and seen by her kind testimony - including how neglecting her emotional healing led her down a path that eventually led to her sobriety (7 years now!)

If your family has been touched by breast cancer and you're curious about the BRCA gene, then this is a wonderful conversation that you absolutely won’t want to miss!

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlswgutspod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Leslie’s Socials:

Instagram: @leslieajacobs

 

Bright Pink, A Supportive Community for Breats and Ovarian Cancer:

Website: https://www.brightpink.org/

Instagram: @bebrightpink

Our first-ever guest on the podcast is back and better than ever! If you haven’t listened to the first episode with Krista Deveau, now is a great time to do just that (note: it’s not necessary to listen to the first one to understand this episode, it will just give you more of an overview on Krista’s health story/background). In her second round with the Alanna and Nicole, Krista shares with us what it is like being pregnant with her ostomy bag. She tells us how she discovered she was pregnant, how her food tolerances have changed (i.e. she can eat A LOT MORE now!) and soo much more.

If you have ever thought getting pregnant with an ostomy bag can’t happen, Krista is here to prove to you it absolutely can, without issue.

This is a wonderful episode that you won’t want to miss, because Krista is just so darn likable! She makes everyone want to be her friend and we know you’ll leave the episode feeling the same.

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlswithgutspodcast

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Krista’s Socials:

Instagram: @my.gut.instinct

Whew. Be ready to laugh, to cry, to feel all the feels in this week’s episode! Alanna and Nicole are joined by Alyssa Sabo, Nicole’s friend, who is a comedian/actress/writer based in LA. What many people don’t know about Alyssa is that she received a life-saving liver transplant in 2011 because of Wilson’s Disease.

Alyssa shares with us her wild story of the emergent diagnosis, how she was in a coma for weeks and her healing following the liver transplant.

She discusses her lifestyle following transplant, stories of relapsing and so much more.

You’ll leave this episode absolutely adoring Alyssa and wanting to root for her (and wanting to watch her on Gaslit). This is a can’t-miss episode!

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlswithgutspodcast

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Alyssa’s Socials:

Instagram: @alyssasabo

Facebook: @alyssasabocomedy

TikTok: @alyssasabo

Website: www.alyssasabo.com

This is probably the wildest episode yet. Truly. We get pretty raw about all things poop-related. It's even hard to type.....such a taboo subject!

Alanna and Nicole are joined by Megan Marsiglio -- a mom, wife, entrepreneur, gut health advocate, and along with Nicole, a fellow Crohn-y. 

This episode gets real down and dirty! For years, Megan felt extremely isolated and humiliated about having a digestive issue - feeling like she was the only person who was anxious about making it to the bathroom "in time." As she slowly began opening up about her Crohn's Disease and what she was dealing with, she discovered how many others dealt with the same issues, and how many kept it to themselves due to embarrassment. It was then that she realized she had to do something to increase the conversation and push awareness - and became the founder of The Gut Gazette. 

In this episode we chat about bathroom anxiety when it comes to going at the workplace, when you’re dating, when you’re driving on a highway and have GOT TO GO NOW, etc. We even cross the lines of pooping your pants.

This episode is not for the faint of heart, BUT it is so incredibly important to realize our bodies NEED to poop to survive and it should be something that is celebrated and not frowned upon!

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlswgutspod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Megan's Socials:

Instagram: @thegutgazette and @bloommagency

Website: www.thegutgazette.ca

This week’s episode is amazing! Nicole and Alanna are joined by Lindsay Mitchell, the creator of Vital Side which is (as Lindsay puts it) an innovative approach to intentional brain re-training.  After successfully healing herself from crippling chronic symptoms from Lyme disease, Lindsay invested all of her energy into creating this four-step method in order to help others who are suffering to find relief and achieve long-term results from all kinds of chronic illnesses - including arthritis, Crohn's disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, depression, Hashimoto's and more. 

In our conversation, Lindsay reveals the process that led her from her work as a certified physician's assistant to discovering and then fully investing in the power of neuroplasticity.  We discuss how she created Vital Side to focus on neuroscience, mental exercises and visualization, which in turn helps to regulate the nervous system and calm symptoms. If you're looking for relief of any kind of ongoing ailment, you're going to want to tune in - this episode truly illustrates the connection of the body & mind and how our trauma and mental state can really affect our physical state.

You won’t want to miss this!

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlsWgutspod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Lindsay's Socials:

Instagram: @myvitalside

Twitter:  @myvitalside

TikTok: @myvitalside

Company Website: vital-side.com

On this week’s episode Nicole and Alanna are joined by Amy Suto, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during the pandemic. This conversation is extremely interesting, as Amy is in her 20s and most people with RA are diagnosed between the ages of 30 to 50. Like the common experience of many women with chronic illnesses, her college clinic doctors didn't take her early RA symptoms and pain seriously -- which caused her symptoms to go undiagnosed for several years until they became full-blown. 

In this fast-paced, honest, motivational conversation, Amy discusses her early challenges in functioning and healing with RA. Besides inflammatory food, she also reveals the most common cause for a flare up -- you guessed it -- stress! (Being that Amy is always out conquering her business world, stress is something that is tricky for her to manage -- so she shares her tips with us!) She also shares how she handles her RA while traveling (she is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and founder so travels A LOT), the importance of having an understanding/supportive partner while battling a chronic illness, the reality of losing friends during the healing process, changing our relationships to food, and SO MUCH MORE! *Pass me the castor oil liver packs*

This conversation is so interesting and you will learn A TON! If you're a productive go-getter who struggles with the daily handicaps of having a chronic illness... this episode is going to make you feel so seen.

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Show Amy and the podcast some love by giving us a listen and downloading this episode! And don’t forget to leave us a review on – we love to hear from you! 

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlsWgutspod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Amy's Socials:

Instagram: @sutoscience

TikTok: @sutoscience

Blog: www.amysuto.com

Amy's RA Website: www.letshealRA.com

Bonus: Amy's Freelancer Course: Make Six Figures on Upwork

Amy's Nutritionist, Katie LeBlanc: www.restoringautoimmunehealth.com/

In this episode, the Gutsy Gals are joined by Vanessa Bighinatti, a holistic health and wellness coach who takes pride in helping others heal their bodies naturally through nutrition and mindset. 

Vanessa was only in her twenties when she received her Lyme diagnosis, and she revealed to us the debilitating symptoms she lived with for YEARS (and how she was even bound to a cane at one point!) Then, one day she decided enough was enough. She changed her diet and witness dramatic results - and the rest is history!

In this conversation, she explains to us how food can be medicine for any ailment (sweet potatoes to help with depression?!), the importance of being your own advocate, even the importance of mindset. Vanessa also adds in a little chat about Reiki, which Alanna is a BIG advocate of!

This is one of the most educational episodes to date! We hope you feel inspired to try changing your relationship with food after this conversation, and maybe move towards eating for a better life and healing <3

Our next guest, Moyna John, is a writer and popular content creator living with Multiple Sclerosis.  

In this week's episode, Moyna shares with us her journey since being diagnosed – which happened relatively recently – and how it has impacted life with her then-fiancé/now husband (hint: not much has changed!) After receiving her diagnosis, Moyna sought out an MS community to learn and heal with; however, she was unable to find people close to her age or with much diversity at all. Thanks to her creativity, skill and realness, Moyna was able to blow up in the digital space and carve a path of her own, chronicling her journey battling a chronic illness as a POC and encouraging young people of all backgrounds to come together and learn about their MS. In this episode, she gets real on the struggles of balancing flare-ups with being a mom, and she even reads us excerpts from her most popular published articles that discuss various tips and tricks for living and thriving with MS.

 

You’ll leave this episode feeling as if you just listened to a close friend - because Moyna is SO  DARN RELATABLE!

 

Show Moyna and the podcast some love by giving us a listen and downloading this episode! And don’t forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts – we love to hear from you! 

 

If you want to learn more about the podcast and the hosts, visit our website at www.girlswithgutspodcast.com.

 

Follow us on social media!

Instagram: @girlswithgutspodcast

Twitter: @girlsWgutspod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlswithgutspodcast

Alanna’s Instagram: @alannamartella

Nicole’s Instagram: @thenikkidee

 

Chloe's Socials:

Instagram: @lifewithmoyna

TikTok: @lifewithmoyna

Blog: www.lifewithmoyna.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/lifewithmoyna

A brush with death can completely change your entire way of thinking! On this week’s episode, Nicole and Alanna are joined by Chloe Temtchine, an award-winning singer, songwriter and speaker who is one of the most inspiring and positive people that has ever graced the waves of this podcast. Seemingly out of nowhere, Chloe was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension/PVOD - and was given little time to live. However, with oxygen tank in tow, she sang through her 12 year struggle that resulted in cardiac arrest and a coma... which ultimately resulted in her having a double-lung transplant. 

In this uplifting episode, Chloe tells us how her lung transplant has impacted her life and career, how she copes with the unknowns following a transplant, and how very little can shake her after all she’s been through.

This is definitely one episode you do NOT want to miss. You’ll leave feeling in awe of the way Chloe views life and her illness and will be inspired to live the same - no matter where you are in your journey.