Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma

Most of us know when our period is coming because we have learned how to prepare for it. But how much do we know about what happened in the weeks before it arrived? Would we recognize whether we ovulated, understand why the same symptoms return at the same point each month, or know when pain has crossed from common to something that needs attention? We are taught to handle each symptom as it appears. We take something for the cramps, cover the breakout, push through the exhaustion, and wait for the mood shift to pass. The cycle itself is rarely treated as one connected story. Yet if it is considered a fifth vital sign, how much information have we learned to ignore? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Kaya Purohit and Yasmin Nouri to question what many of us have been told about our periods. Can food meaningfully change how a cycle feels? What can be missed when symptoms are quieted before they are understood? How can stress, undernourishment, and blood sugar changes show up in the cycle?…

Most of us do not struggle because we have nothing important to do. We struggle because everything feels important at once. Texts, emails, work, family, and our own health all compete for attention, leaving us busy all day without ever feeling completely focused. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with David Nurse to explore whether flow state, the feeling athletes describe as being in the zone, can be trained. We talk about what constant interruption is doing to our attention, why trying harder can interfere with performance, and how the rest of us can use lessons from elite athletes during work, parenting, and high-pressure moments. David is a leading flow state expert, high-performance strategist, Wall Street Journal bestselling author (Do It: The Life-Changing Power of Taking Action) and former Brooklyn Nets coach. He has trained around 200 NBA players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and is now studying how people can access flow more often and stay there longer. What We Discuss:…

For many people, taking care of their health has started to feel like a second job. There is always another number to track, habit to add, or routine to perfect. More discipline seems like the answer, but constantly trying to optimize the body can make it harder to hear what the body has been saying all along. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sat down with Justin Roethlingshoefer to talk about the line between caring for the body and controlling it. Our conversation gets into how discipline can become tied to self-worth, how tracking can slowly replace self-trust, and why even healthy habits struggle to last when the rhythm of life cannot support them. Justin has lived this contradiction himself. He spent years studying human performance and working with elite athletes, yet at 32, he was dealing with precancerous colon polyps and a bleeding ulcer while still appearing incredibly healthy. Being told he might not live past 35 forced him to reconsider what health actually meant. Today, Justin is a Human…

A normal cholesterol result can feel like permission to stop worrying about your heart. You exercise, try to eat well, get your yearly blood work, and leave believing everything is fine. That is what makes heart disease so frightening. It can continue developing for years while the tests you have been taught to trust give you no reason to look any further. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sat down with Dr. Abid Husain to find out what can be missed when we rely on cholesterol and an EKG alone. We talk about the testing that can catch heart disease earlier, why women can have real heart problems even when traditional scans look clear, and how hormones, stress, blood sugar, sleep, and movement can change the picture. Most importantly, Dr. Husain shares what to ask for if you want a more complete view of your heart health before symptoms appear. Dr. Husain is a triple board-certified cardiologist and integrative medicine physician who has worked across inpatient and outpatient cardiology. After years of…

Have you ever caught yourself repeating a pattern you were sure you had already healed? The person or situation may change, but somehow you end up in the same kind of relationship, carrying the same fear, or reacting in the same way. You understand the pattern, so why does it still have so much power over you? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Manex Ibar to explore why certain patterns can feel impossible to break, how the subconscious may influence the way we see ourselves, and what those recurring struggles may be trying to reveal. We also talk about the Sphinx Code, destiny versus free will, spiritual bypassing, modern distraction, and what nature can show us when we finally become quiet enough to listen. Manex Ibar is a modern mystic, spiritual innovator, and creator of the Sphinx Code. Described by the Financial Times as “The Extreme Spiritual Guide” and known as the Doctor’s Shaman and the Billionaire’s Mystic, he has spent more than two decades blending ancient shamanic…

Most of us know when we are drifting away from ourselves. We feel it in the sleep that stops restoring us, the anxiety that starts to feel familiar, the energy that never fully comes back, the cravings that get louder, the workouts that drain us instead of building us, and the quiet sense that our body is asking for something we keep trying to override. The problem is that modern life has trained so many of us to normalize that state. We wake up and reach for our phones. We move through constant stimulation, blue light, low-grade stress, ultra-processed food, world events, long to-do lists, and the pressure to keep optimizing. Then we wonder why the body feels like it is always bracing, even when nothing is technically wrong. In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend and mentor Dr. Scott Sherr to talk about the cellular side of that stress loop. Dr. Sherr is a Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician specializing in Health Optimization Medicine and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and his work sits at the…

Mushrooms are suddenly everywhere, and honestly, I love seeing this ancient medicine finally getting the attention it deserves. But between lion’s mane lattes, mushroom gummies, fruiting bodies, mycelium, and microdosing, how do you know what is actually supportive and what is simply great marketing? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with my sweet friend Alli Schaper to take you into the incredible world of fungi. We talk about the mushrooms that may support your brain and body, what to look for before buying a supplement, and how microdosing is changing conversations around our habits, grief, joy, and even our fear of death. Alli Schaper is the CEO and cofounder of SuperMush, host of Into the Multiverse, and cofounder and board member of Microdosing Collective, the first U.S. nonprofit dedicated to legal microdosing advocacy. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Goop, Bloomberg, and Summit Series. What’s Discussed: (08:16) Why functional mushrooms…

Most of us were taught to treat the body like something to fix. Pain shows up, so we chase the pain. Stress builds, so we try to calm the mind. Tension gets louder, so we stretch harder. But what if the body is not working against you? What if it has been communicating through the very signals we keep overriding? In this episode, I sit down with Jason van Blerk of Human Garage to talk about fascia as one of the most misunderstood organs in the body, and why it may be a missing piece in how we understand chronic pain, stored emotion, tension, trauma, pressure, movement, and healing. We explore why pain may not always begin where it shows up, why the body is not just biomechanical, and how fascia may change the way we think about what the body holds, repeats, and struggles to release. Human Garage, co-founded by Jason van Blerk and Aisha Rodrigue, is a wellness platform that teaches self-guided fascial movement, breathwork, and body awareness techniques designed to relieve tension, improve mobility, and…

There is a reason brain health feels so urgent right now. So many people are watching parents, grandparents, partners, and loved ones face Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, depression, anxiety, or cognitive decline, while quietly wondering if the same future is waiting for them. With Alzheimer’s projected to affect nearly 14 million Americans by 2060, this is not a conversation we can keep saving for later. Most of us think about the brain only when something starts to feel different, but cognitive decline can begin 20 to 30 years before a single symptom appears. That means the way we eat, move, sleep, manage stress, support blood sugar, and care for our metabolism may be shaping the brain long before memory starts to slip. And with only about 6% of American adults considered metabolically healthy, the connection between insulin resistance, inflammation, and brain aging becomes much harder to ignore. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Perlmutter to talk about why prevention has to begin while you…

There is a point where “everything looks normal” stops feeling reassuring. You may be exhausted, bloated, itchy, inflamed, anxious, sensitive to foods, reacting to supplements, struggling with sleep, or feeling like your body is on high alert, yet the answers you keep getting are stress, aging, hormones, or nothing to worry about. Most people do not start searching for deeper answers because of one symptom. It is usually the way the symptoms keep stacking, shifting, and refusing to make sense. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tania Dempsey to talk about the immune patterns that can sit underneath complex chronic symptoms, why the body can stay reactive long after the original trigger, and what it looks like to investigate the whole system instead of chasing one symptom at a time. Dr. Tania Dempsey is a board-certified physician, founder of the AIM Center for Personalized Medicine, and one of the leading experts in immune dysfunction, MCAS, and vector-borne illness. She has spent over a decade working…

There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from spending years trying to heal yourself and still feeling like you have not arrived. You go to therapy, journal, regulate your nervous system, learn your patterns, and keep looking for the next thing that will finally help you feel peaceful. Then an old emotion returns or you find yourself in a familiar pattern, and it can feel like proof that there is still something wrong with you. The part we rarely question is what all that effort may be teaching us. When every difficult emotion, symptom, or setback becomes another problem to solve, healing can begin to reinforce the feeling that we are still incomplete. So what changes when we stop approaching ourselves as a project that always needs work? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Panache Desai to talk about why “doing the work” can become its own source of pressure, what acceptance actually asks of us, and why being human was never something we needed to overcome. Panache is a…

Peptides are everywhere right now, and the promise is hard to ignore. When you are dealing with slow recovery, inflammation, low energy, gut issues, or the feeling that your body is no longer responding the way it used to, hearing that one compound could help, can make it feel like the answer you have been waiting for. The excitement around peptides is real, but so is the confusion. With so many compounds, protocols, and promises circulating online, it can be difficult to know what your body may actually need, what is worth paying attention to, and where to begin. In this episode, I sat down with Nathalie Niddam to cut through the noise and talk about what you need to know before following a recommendation, building a stack, or adding a peptide to your routine. Nathalie Niddam is a holistic nutritionist and longevity educator, and host of Longevity with Nathalie Niddam. After years of studying peptides, bioregulators, and regenerative health, along with managing a peptide community of approximately 36,000…

Why do we sometimes pull away from the people we love most? Why can closeness feel comforting one moment and overwhelming the next? And why do certain patterns keep repeating even when we know we want something different? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Thais Gibson to look at the patterns underneath how we love, cope, shut down, chase, self-soothe, and respond when our nervous system does not feel fully safe. We talk about attachment styles, core wounds, subconscious beliefs, emotional triggers, and why the way we learned to protect ourselves can quietly shape our relationships, stress, habits, and healing. Thais Gibson is a bestselling author, PhD, and founder of Integrated Attachment Theory™, a neuroscience-backed framework designed to help people understand and rewire attachment patterns. With over a decade in private practice and more than 30,000 students across 115 countries, she brings a clear, compassionate, and deeply practical lens to why these patterns form and how they can…

Some seasons of health feel confusing because nothing looks dramatic on paper, but daily life tells a different story. You are exhausted in a way coffee cannot cover. Your weight is shifting even though your habits have not changed that much. Your hair feels thinner. Your brain feels foggy. And when you finally ask for help, the labs come back “normal,” and suddenly the conversation ends before anyone really explains why you still do not feel like yourself. That is where so many women get stuck. The symptoms are real, but the testing is often too narrow. The answer gets reduced to aging, menopause, stress, or needing to try harder, when the thyroid may be part of the picture that has not been properly seen yet. And for women over 40, that missing thyroid conversation can change how they understand their energy, metabolism, hormones, and body signals. Dr. Amie Hornaman joins me to talk about the thyroid patterns that are often overlooked, including thyropause, incomplete lab testing, reverse T3, Hashimoto’s,…

There is a frustrating moment that can happen in your thirties or forties when your body starts to feel different, but you cannot quite explain why. Your energy dips in a way that coffee does not really fix. Your recovery takes longer. Your focus feels hazier. Your body feels less responsive, even when you are eating well, moving, taking supplements, and trying to do the things that are supposed to help. And the hardest part is how easy it is to dismiss all of it. You start wondering if this is just aging, if your hormones are the whole problem, or if you need to try harder with another protocol. But what if the shift you are feeling is happening somewhere where most conversations about energy, hormones, and longevity do not look deeply enough? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Jennifer Scheinman to talk about why energy, recovery, focus, hormones, and body composition can start shifting in your thirties and forties, and what mitochondrial health, mitophagy, and Urolithin A may reveal…

A lot of wellness advice assumes the problem lives inside the individual. Your stress. Your habits. Your discipline. Your food choices. Your ability to regulate. But what happens when you are already doing the things that are supposed to help and your life still feels strangely disconnected? You eat well, meditate, try to regulate your nervous system, maybe even spend money on wellness, but the second you return to your commute, your neighborhood, your apartment, or another day without real connection, something in your body still feels unsettled. That is the health problem hiding in your zip code. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Tony Cho, a purpose-driven entrepreneur and regenerative placemaking visionary, to talk about why loneliness is not always a personal failure, why modern cities can dysregulate the nervous system, and why the future of wellness has to include the places, communities, and systems we live inside. And until you start looking at the spaces around you, you may keep…

Weight loss can feel exhausting when every plan gives you another reason to push harder. Eat less. Cut more. Fast longer. Ignore hunger. Be more disciplined. But for so many people, that only leads to the same cycle: trying harder, feeling stuck, blaming yourself, and wondering why your body still feels bloated, inflamed, tired, or out of rhythm. In this solo episode of Rooted in Wellness, I’m looking at weight loss through an Ayurvedic lens, where the conversation is not only about calories, restriction, or willpower. It is also about the state your body is in while you are trying to change it. Because if your digestion feels off, your cravings feel louder, your stress feels constant, or your body feels like it is holding on no matter what you do, the answer may not be another extreme reset. It may be learning how to support your body in a way that feels more grounded, nourishing, and sustainable. What’s Discussed: (02:47) Why the usual “eat less, move more” weight loss advice may not be the full story.…

There is a frustrating point a lot of people hit with cardio. You know it matters. You know heart health, stamina, and energy are important, especially as you think about aging well. But the version of cardio most of us were taught feels hard to keep up with: long workouts, more sweat, more time, and another thing on your schedule that can leave you feeling drained before the day has even started. That is also why the “I do not have time” problem is not always as simple as it sounds. For many people, cardio feels like something that only counts if it takes a big chunk of time or proves itself through exhaustion. But what if the body does not need another hour-long workout to start adapting? What if the real question is whether the workout is giving your body the right signal in the first place? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Ulrich Dempfle to talk about why the way we think about cardio, VO2 max, and longevity may need a serious update. Ulrich is the CEO and co-founder of CAROL, and…

You can be sleeping, exercising, taking supplements, trying to meditate, cutting back on caffeine, doing all the “right” things, and still feel like your body is bracing for something you cannot name. That is the part so many stress conversations miss, because anxiety is not always something you can mindset your way out of when your nervous system has learned that safety is not the default. We dive deeper into this in Rooted in Wellness with Dr. Dave Rabin, and this conversation will change the way you understand stress, anxiety, trauma, and why everything you have tried has only ever scratched the surface of what actually needs to heal. Dr. Dave Rabin is a board certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist with over 12 years of post-college medical training specializing in chronic stress, trauma, and treatment resistant mental illness, one of the few psychiatrists in the United States trained in both ketamine and MDMA assisted therapy, and the co-founder of Apollo Neuroscience. With decades spent working with…

There is a specific kind of frustration that happens when you are trying to take care of your body, but something still feels off. You are eating better, taking supplements, trying to manage stress, maybe even getting your labs checked, but your energy still feels low, your brain feels foggy, your digestion feels sluggish, or your hormones feel harder to understand than they used to. But what if the answer is not another extreme cleanse, another supplement, or another reason to blame yourself? What if your body has been sending quieter signals through the organ most people only think about when they hear the word “detox,” and understanding that organ could change the way you look at your energy, mood, hormones, digestion, and daily health? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Dr. Josh Levitt to talk about why the liver is so much more than a filter, why detox trends often miss the point, and how to support your body’s built-in detox process in a way that feels practical and sustainable. Dr.…

There is a very specific kind of frustration that happens when you genuinely want to get healthier, but every attempt starts to feel like the same cycle. You get motivated, you clean up your food, you promise yourself this time will be different, and then one missed workout, one busy week, or one moment of “I already messed up” makes you feel like you are back at the beginning again. But what if the problem is not that you lack discipline? What if the real problem is that you were taught to make fitness too extreme to actually become your life? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Stan Browney to talk about the part of fitness that most people overlook. We get into why motivation is not always the thing that creates change, why so many people make getting healthy harder than it needs to be, and why the way you approach food, movement, routine, and progress can either keep you stuck in the start-over cycle or help you finally move forward. Stan Browney is a fitness creator, YouTuber, and…

So many people spend years chasing answers. Doctor after doctor, test after test, protocol after protocol, and still their body feels like it is stuck in something it cannot find its way out of. They may be eating better, taking supplements, trying to lower stress, testing for Lyme, mold, viruses, or toxins, and still wondering why they do not feel better. If you are also feeling that same frustration, this episode is for you. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Dr. Bill Rawls to talk about why chronic illness is so rarely about one single diagnosis, pathogen, or protocol. Because when the body has been under years of stress, toxicity, depletion, and cellular strain, healing cannot only be about attacking what showed up on a test. It has to be about understanding why the body became vulnerable in the first place, what your cells need to rebuild resilience, and how to create the conditions for your body to actually recover. Dr. Bill Rawls is a medical doctor whose personal battle with…

Hormone health has become one of the most confusing conversations in wellness, and that confusion can change the way you care for your body. Some people avoid HRT completely because they are afraid of it, while others get placed on one-size-fits-all protocols that never fully consider their stress, sleep, lifestyle, labs, symptoms, or what their body is actually asking for. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Dr. Nayan Patel to help you understand how to approach hormone health with more clarity and confidence. We talk about where the fear around hormone therapy comes from, why “normal” is not always the same as optimal, how custom compounding can support more personalized care, and why your doctor, pharmacist, lifestyle, and daily habits all need to work together if you want the treatment to actually support your body. Dr. Nayan Patel is a sought-after pharmacist, wellness expert, and author of The Glutathione Revolution: Fight Disease, Slow Aging, and Increase Energy with the Master…

When we talk about health, healing, and performance, we usually focus on the things we have been taught to look at first. We talk about hormones, gut health, sleep, stress, inflammation, nutrition, movement, and nervous system regulation. But most of us never think to ask whether there is another system quietly shaping how we focus, learn, move, process stress, and feel in our bodies. That system is vision. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum to explore why vision is one of the most overlooked foundations of whole-body health. We talk about why 20/20 eyesight does not mean your vision is fully healthy, how the eye-brain connection affects focus, stress, learning, screen fatigue, concussion recovery, aging, and performance, and why standard eye exams can miss functional vision problems that may be affecting your daily life. Dr. Bryce Appelbaum is a pioneer in neuro-optometry, an international TEDx speaker, and the creator of Vision Performance Training, a transformative…

What if your mood swings, your anxiety, your exhaustion, and even your physical symptoms aren't problems to be fixed but messages waiting to be heard? You have probably tried to silence them anyway, pushed through the fatigue, tightened up your routine, added another practice to your morning. But what you have never realized is that your body is not breaking down but breaking open, asking you to finally stop running from the stories, the grief, and the generational weight you have been carrying for years. Your hormones and your emotions are not two separate conversations, and until you bridge that gap, no protocol, no supplement, and no wellness routine will ever be enough. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sat down with naturopathic physician Dr. Sonya Jensen to explore how to close that gap. We also talk about why the trauma your mother and grandmother never processed may be showing up in your hormones today, and why perimenopause is not something to survive but one of the most powerful invitations…

Have you ever done everything right, the clean eating, the morning rituals, the consistent workouts, and still felt like your body was working against you in ways you could not explain? Probably, you cleaned up your diet even more, added another wellness protocol, pushed harder in the gym, only to end up more exhausted, more inflamed, more frustrated, and no closer to feeling like yourself again. The problem was never your effort or your discipline. It was biology. And specifically, it was one hormone that most women were never told does far more in the female body than reproduction. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with neuroscientist and mitochondrial health expert Dr. Siobhan Mitchell to finally give that biology a name, an explanation, and a path forward. After this conversation you will understand why the belly fat, the brain fog, the cravings, the burnout, and the sleepless nights are all connected, why no amount of discipline was ever going to fix them, and exactly what your body…

We have been sold the idea that healing comes from the right supplement, the right protocol, the right biohack, and so we keep consuming more, optimizing more, spending more, and still wondering why we feel so depleted, anxious, and disconnected from ourselves. What nobody is telling us is that the most powerful wellness protocol on the planet does not come in a bottle and it never did. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Caroline Howell for one of the most grounding conversations I have had on this show. And honestly, if you have ever felt like you are throwing money at your health and still not feeling the way you hoped, this episode is going to be the permission slip you did not know you needed, to finally stop chasing the fix and start returning to what actually works. Caroline Howell is the founder of Canopy Panama, a regenerative sanctuary located in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, who has spent years restoring endangered tropical dry forests, regenerating…

Eating well, exercising regularly, and taking a cabinet full of supplements, yet still feeling exhausted, foggy, anxious, and like something fundamental is missing — that experience has a name. The World Health Organization calls it the hidden hunger, and the reason it is so widespread is that the mineral content of our food supply has been quietly declining for decades, leaving even the healthiest eaters chronically depleted at a cellular level. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Caroline Alan to uncover the one foundation that every health protocol is missing and why without it nothing else can work the way it was designed to. If you have ever felt like you are doing everything right and still not getting there, this conversation is where that finally starts to make sense. Caroline Alan is the co-founder and CEO of BEAM Minerals, one of the only companies in the world specializing in plant-based fulvic and humic mineral supplementation, and the author of The Mineral Reset. After…

When it comes to health and longevity, we obsess over what we eat, how we move, how we sleep, and how we manage stress, never realizing that one of the most powerful indicators of how well our body is functioning has been hiding in plain sight all along - our mouth. Most people brush twice a day, see their dentist once or twice a year, and assume their mouth is fine, not realizing that the mouth may be one of the clearest entry points into understanding inflammation, airway health, the gut, and long-term disease risk. We dive deeper into this in Rooted in Wellness with Dr. Jonathan Levine. We also chat about the connection between gum inflammation and chronic disease, what mouth breathing may be doing to children and adults, and how oral health habits, diagnostics, and daily tools may be shaping far more than just your teeth. Dr. Jonathan Levine is a prosthodontist with over 35 years of experience, holds nearly 30 patents on medical device delivery systems, and runs a clinical program at NYU. He is the…

Despite spending more on groceries and supplements than any generation before us, chronic fatigue, brain fog, stubborn weight, and inflammation are more common than ever. The uncomfortable truth is that the vegetables most people are eating today contain a fraction of the nutrients they did in the 1950s due to soil depletion, which means eating clean is no longer enough on its own. But there is a food that has been used as medicine for thousands of years, backed by over 2000 peer reviewed studies, grows on your kitchen counter in five days for under a dollar a serving, and contains up to 100 times more nutrients than the fully grown vegetables most people are eating. That food is sprouts. And most people have never considered them as anything more than a garnish. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma, I sit down with Doug Evans to unpack the science and the simplicity behind one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet and why it might be the missing piece most people have never…

You wake up determined to do everything right, eat clean, stay on track, and by mid-afternoon you are still foggy, bloated, and oddly hungry, like your body never got the memo. The frustrating part is you assume it must be you, so you tighten the rules, cut more foods, buy another supplement, and end up right back in the same loop. In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with registered dietitian Ashley Koff to break down what is actually driving that loop and what to focus on first so you stop guessing and start getting traction. We also talk about why digestion gets overlooked, how stress can distort hunger and fullness signals, and what weight-health hormones like GLP-1, GIP, CCK, and PYY have to do with cravings and satiety. Ashley Koff, RD, is the founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP) and a USA Today bestselling author of Your Best Shot (HarperOne). She has 25+ years of clinical experience and has educated health professionals, with her work featured across major media. Her expertise…

Most people blame “getting older” when they wake up foggy, achy, and running on fumes—but the real issue is usually inflammaging: low-grade inflammation + oxidative stress quietly stacking up while you’re busy doing “all the right things.” And the wild part is the longevity world keeps selling “more hacks,” when what you actually need is to fix what’s driving the burnout inside your system first. We dive deeper into this in the Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma with Dave Watumull. We also chat about what’s real vs. expensive hype in longevity, why government-funded research matters, and what to look for in an astaxanthin supplement so you’re not wasting money on something your body barely absorbs. Dave Watumull is the co-founder and CEO of AX3 Life. He has 25+ years of experience in astaxanthin research, development, and commercialization. He has contributed to human clinical research and has been involved in lifespan/healthspan research discussions referenced in the episode. What’s Discussed: 00:00 —…

Today’s conversation is a return to what women’s wellness was always meant to feel like: intuitive, rooted, and responsive to the rhythms of the female body. When midlife shifts begin, sleep changes, mood fluctuates, and energy feels unpredictable, it can feel destabilizing. But what if these changes are not a breakdown, but an awakening? I’m joined by Dr. Mindy Peltz to explore menopause as transformation rather than decline. We discuss nervous system regulation, the hormone hierarchy of oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones, and why metabolic health, particularly hemoglobin A1C, forms the foundation for hormonal resilience. We also explore fasting as both a metabolic reset and a spiritual practice that restores intuition and self-trust. Dr. Mindy Peltz is a bestselling author of Fast Like a Girl and Age Like a Girl, and a leading voice in women’s fasting, metabolic health, and the midlife hormonal transition. She is a Doctor of Chiropractic, speaker, podcast host, and founder of the Resetter…

Perimenopause can feel like your body is sending mixed signals. Appetite shifts. Sleep changes. Stress tolerance shrinks. And when labs come back “normal,” it can leave you feeling unheard in your own experience. In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Kleiner to explore circadian rhythm as a foundational regulator of women’s hormones. We unpack leptin as a master safety signal that influences thyroid function, reproductive hormones, metabolism, and appetite. We also discuss how artificial light, screens, chronic stress, and restrictive dieting can blunt this signaling, especially in midlife when resilience narrows. This conversation reframes hormone imbalance through the lens of rhythm and nervous system regulation rather than quick fixes. You’ll walk away with simple, practical ways to begin restoring amplitude to your day, starting with light, timing, and nourishment. Sarah Kleiner is the founder of Sarah Kleiner Wellness and the creator of My Circadian App. What's Discussed: (00:00) Midlife as…

Perimenopause can feel like your body is speaking a new language. Sleep shifts. Energy fluctuates. Mood feels unfamiliar. And when you are told everything looks “normal,” it can leave you feeling disconnected from your own experience. In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Deanna Minich to explore a more rooted, systems-based understanding of women’s hormones. We talk about the HPTAO axis and why stress, gut health, detox pathways, circadian rhythm, and nutrient diversity all influence how hormones move, signal, and clear. This conversation gently reframes midlife as a recalibration rather than a breakdown. We also explore estrogen metabolism, and the power of plant color and rhythm in supporting resilience. Dr. Deanna Minich, PhD is the Chief Science Officer at Symphony Natural Health, an international educator and speaker, and the author of The Rainbow Diet. Use code Mona to get 15% off: MacaLife: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/macalife Herbatonin: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/products/herbatonin…

Feeling tired, wired, or overwhelmed has become so common that many women stop questioning it. When wellness starts to feel like another full-time job, it is often a sign that the body is asking for something simpler, steadier, and more supportive. In today’s episode, I sit down with Kate Prince and Jo Woodhurst of Ancient + Brave to explore why modern wellness has become so complicated, and how we can return to practices that actually help us feel well. We talk about ritual over routine, blending instead of balance, and the role nature, rhythm, and community play in nervous system regulation and long-term resilience. We also explore the supplement space through a higher standard, including sourcing, formulation, and synergy, while reframing collagen, creatine, and nighttime support as tools that nourish rather than overstimulate. Kate Prince is the founder of Ancient + Brave, a B Corp certified wellness brand rooted in sustainability and education. Jo Woodhurst is the brand’s Director of Nutrition and…

Feeling tired, wired, or out of balance has become so normalized that many people stop questioning it. If your nervous system feels constantly “on,” your sleep feels light, or your body struggles to fully settle, this conversation offers a new way of understanding what may be happening beneath the surface. In today’s episode, I sit down with Todd Shipman to explore the invisible influences shaping our health in modern life. We talk about quantum energy, electromagnetic exposure, and the human biofield through both a scientific and ancient wisdom lens. We explore how modern environments quietly interact with the nervous system over time, why so many symptoms get dismissed or normalized, and how presence, grounding, and rhythm play a foundational role in regulation and resilience. Todd Shipman is a former technology executive and the CEO of Leela Quantum Tech, working at the intersection of innovation, science, and energetic intelligence. He advocates for quantum energy and natural wellness technologies, known…

What if the symptoms you’ve learned to live with were actually your body asking for deeper support? In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I’m sharing reflections from a powerful panel I was honored to be part of at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, alongside Samantha Prabhu and Shayun, and hosted by Abdul Karim Hanif and Dr. Iman. Together, we explored how women can reclaim agency over their health, voices, and bodies. Being on that stage reinforced something I see every day in my work: women are often taught to normalize stress, fatigue, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalance instead of listening to what their bodies are communicating. In this episode, I talk about the biggest gaps in women’s health, why so many high-functioning women are living in survival mode, and how female biology thrives on rhythm rather than constant pushing. We explore stillness, nervous system regulation, and emotional health as foundations for healing, and why your health protocol should be as unique as your biology. What's…

Cholesterol is one of the most fear-charged topics I hear about from clients, and the conversation often starts with a lab result that feels alarming without much context. If you’ve ever been told your cholesterol is “high” and left feeling confused, anxious, or unsure what actually matters, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, I sat down with Jonny Bowden to unpack what cholesterol really tells us, and where the standard approach often falls short. We talk about why total cholesterol can be misleading, why LDL is far more nuanced than “good” or “bad,” and which markers like ApoB, particle size, and Lp(a) provide a clearer picture of cardiovascular risk. We also explore insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic health as foundational drivers that deserve far more attention. Jonny Bowden is a renowned nutrition educator and bestselling author, including co-author of The Great Cholesterol Myth, known for helping people rethink heart health through science, context, and common sense. What's…

Inflammation is one of the most common words I hear from clients, yet so few people truly understand what it means or how it shows up in the body. If you have been dealing with joint pain, fatigue, digestive issues, brain fog, or a sense that your body feels constantly dysregulated, this conversation is for you. In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Shivani Gupta to explore inflammation through the lens of Ayurveda and modern science. We talk about how chronic inflammation develops, why digestion and daily rhythm matter so much, and how understanding your unique constitution can change the way you care for your body. We also dive into simple, grounding rituals like tea time, movement in nature, supporting digestive fire, and the science behind turmeric as a powerful anti-inflammatory when used intentionally. Dr. Shivani Gupta is an Ayurvedic practitioner, PhD researcher, and author of The Inflammation Code, dedicated to helping people heal at the root and reconnect with their body’s wisdom. What's…

If you have tried cleanses, protocols, or lifestyle changes and still feel bloated, fatigued, hormonally off, or stuck in recurring symptoms, this episode offers a clearer way to understand what your body is asking for. In today’s episode, I sit down with Meghan Swidler to explore detoxification as a foundational and restorative process rather than an extreme or short-term fix. We talk about how modern toxin exposure, stress, dehydration, and poor elimination quietly overload the body, even in people who eat well and prioritize their health. We unpack how the gut, liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, and nervous system work together to support detoxification, why detox pathways must be supported in the right order, and how jumping into aggressive cleanses can leave people feeling worse instead of better. Meghan Swidler is a detox educator and author focused on restoring gut and liver function, reducing toxic burden, and supporting the body’s return to balance through practical, sustainable detox practices…

Before anything shows up on a lab report, the body often signals imbalance through lived symptoms. Sleep becomes less restorative, emotional regulation takes more effort, focus shifts, and the nervous system feels less steady, even while test results still appear normal. We dive deeper into this in the Rooted in Wellness with Dr. Chris Renna, DO. Together, we explore why a grounded sense of self is one of the most overlooked indicators of health, how lived experience can be more revealing than lab data, and what truly shifts hormonally between ages 45 and 55. Dr. Chris Renna, DO, is the founder of LifeSpan Medicine and an early pioneer in longevity-focused care. He has over four decades of clinical experience across precision diagnostics, integrative medicine, neuroscience, and hormone health. His work focuses on personalized approaches to aging and long-term health optimization. What’s Discussed: (02:55) Why modern medicine manages disease rather than creates health (07:28) Sense of self and restorative…

You can eat well, journal daily, go to therapy, and still feel stuck in a body that won’t settle. When healing stays cognitive and skips the nervous system, regulation never fully happens and symptoms keep looping. We dive deeper into this in the latest Rooted in Wellness episode with Britt Piper. We also chat about somatic healing, nervous system regulation, generational trauma, and why slowing down can feel more threatening than staying busy. Britt Piper is a somatic practitioner, educator, and author whose work blends nervous system science with emotional and ancestral healing. Her background includes trauma studies, women’s wellness, and somatic experiencing. She specializes in translating complex neuroscience into grounded, body-based practices. What’s Discussed: (00:02) Why healing can stall when regulation stays cognitive instead of nervous system based (05:10) How trauma lives in the body and shows up as anxiety, fatigue, pain, and burnout (12:45) The difference between what happened to you and what…

If you have been dealing with brain fog, anxiety, chronic fatigue, mood changes, or symptoms that feel real but keep coming back with “normal” labs, this episode will help you understand what your brain and body are signaling beneath the surface. In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Eboni Cornish to explore the biological roots of mental and emotional health through the lens of neuroinflammation. We discuss how chronic stress, hidden infections, toxins, and gut imbalances can disrupt brain function, hormones, and mood, often long before conventional testing catches it. We also talk about why conditions like Lyme disease and autoimmune patterns are frequently missed, how the gut-brain connection shapes mental health, and why cleansing without restoration can keep people stuck. Dr. Eboni Cornish is a physician specializing in brain health and neuroinflammation, with a focus on integrating neuroscience, functional medicine, and compassionate, whole-person care. What's Discussed: (00:02) Why brain fog,…

What if the holidays become a space where you stay connected to yourself instead of feeling depleted by January? In Part 3 of the holiday solos, I bring together everything we have been exploring so you can support your body with clarity and steadiness. I share how alcohol affects digestion, sleep, inflammation, and energy, and what the liver truly needs this time of year. You will hear the simple practices I use to minimize bloating, calm the nervous system, and keep my rhythm steady without perfectionism or restriction. We explore mindful drinking, gut friendly food choices, hydration rituals, and the supportive herbs and supplements that help your system recover with ease. I also talk about boundaries, emotional triggers, and how to stay grounded when gatherings feel overwhelming or routines fall apart. This final part is an invitation to choose nourishment, intention, and self trust so you can move through the season feeling centered, supported, and well. What's Discussed: (00:06) The Holiday Season and…

If you have been feeling inflamed, fatigued, overly stressed, or unsure why your body is not responding the way it used to, this episode will help you understand what your physiology is trying to communicate. In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Ara Suppiah, a functional sports medicine physician who makes complex biomarker data feel simple, practical, and grounded. We explore why health is shaped by patterns and trends rather than isolated numbers and how markers like the Omega-3 index, hs-CRP, cortisol, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio reveal what is happening beneath the surface. We also discuss oral health as an early inflammation signal, the connection between movement and longevity, and the small daily habits that strengthen resilience. Dr. Ara Suppiah is a functional sports medicine physician known for translating complex physiology into guidance people can apply right away. What's Discussed: (00:00) Why your labs look “normal” even when your body doesn’t (04:18) The biomarkers that quietly…

If you have been dealing with bloating, irregular digestion, sensitivities, or feeling off after meals, this episode will help you understand what your gut is trying to communicate. In today's episode, I sat down with Dr. Rajan Karan, a gastrointestinal surgeon and gut-health researcher who makes complex digestive science feel simple and grounded. We explore why digestion is more than isolated symptoms and how the microbiome functions as a living ecosystem that reflects your stress levels, routines, food diversity, and nervous system patterns. We also discuss the role of fiber, the oral microbiome, healthy transit time, and the small daily habits that genuinely improve gut resilience. This conversation is a reminder that supporting digestion does not require extremes. It begins with accessible, sustainable practices that help your whole body feel more rooted. Dr. Karan Rajan is a board-certified gastrointestinal surgeon and gut-health researcher known for translating complex physiology into practical…

What if the holidays become a time to return to your natural rhythm instead of something you have to recover from? In Part 2 of the holiday solos, I answer your top questions about how to stay grounded, nourished, and supported through a season that often disrupts our routines. I share how I support my gut when travel and schedule changes show up, how I reduce bloating with simple daily rituals, and how I keep my energy steady using a blend of Ayurvedic wisdom and functional science. We explore mindful ways to enjoy nostalgic holiday foods without guilt, how to regulate your nervous system when emotions feel heightened, and the grounding rituals warm morning tonics, herbal teas, mindful chewing, breathwork, and post meal walks that help you feel balanced even when life feels full. I also share realistic tools for traveling well and navigating family dynamics with intention. This episode is an invitation to choose nourishment over pressure and stay rooted in what helps your body feel safe, calm, and well.…

What if the symptoms you feel every day were actually gentle messages from your energy body asking you to slow down, reconnect, and listen a little more closely? In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Jason Yuan, a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist whose work blends functional medicine with Eastern healing and energy wisdom. Our conversation explores what energetic congestion really looks like, why so many people feel ungrounded even when they are doing all the right things, and how subtle signals like fatigue, anxiety, digestive shifts, or feeling off are often early invitations back to balance. We talk about the biofield, the heart’s electromagnetic field, and the way emotions and belief shape healing. Dr. Jason shares simple, supportive practices you can begin right away to restore flow and reconnect with your inner guidance. This is a beautiful reminder that healing becomes possible when we honor every layer of ourselves. Dr. Jason Yuan is a naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, and educator whose…

What if aging wasn’t something that simply “happens,” but a reflection of how well your cells are able to repair, restore, and keep you in balance? Today on Rooted in Wellness, I’m joined by Dr. Nichola Conlon, scientist and founder of Nuchido, to explore how NAD, cellular repair, and lifestyle shape the way we age from the inside out. We dive into what NAD actually does in the body, why it declines so quickly, and how stress, inflammation, and modern living accelerate that loss. We also explore biological versus chronological age, what the newest tests can actually tell us, and why certain trends, NAD IVs, high-dose NMN/NR, and supplement stacking, aren’t always supportive. You’ll hear grounded, practical habits that naturally activate your repair pathways, along with early clinical findings showing improvements in inflammation, sleep, and even biological age. Dr. Nichola Conlon is the founder and CEO of Nuchido, where she brings years of training in molecular biology and drug development to the world of…