Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma

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 founder of Smile House in New York City, a dental wellness center integrating advanced diagnostics and modern science, and the founder of the Glow Good Foundation, which brings dental education and care to underserved communities around the world. With decades of clinical practice, academic leadership, and innovation at the intersection of dentistry and medicine, he is one of the most qualified voices in the world to be having this conversation, and everything he shares in this episode is worth paying close attention to.

What's Discussed:

(05:32) Why the mouth “seeds the gut” and why the oral microbiome matters so much.

(09:38) How gum inflammation may be linked to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and systemic inflammation.

(09:38) “Leaky gums” and why the mouth may be working the way people talk about leaky gut.

(23:10) Saliva testing, oral biomarkers, and how dentistry may help catch chronic disease risk earlier.

(27:30) Why periodontal disease is often silent and how to spot the early signs.

(34:24) Why oral health may deserve a permanent place on your preventative care team.

(35:35) Oil pulling, oral bacteria, and what it really takes to support the oral microbiome.

(47:15) The truth about fluoride, dosage, and what most people misunderstand.

(52:54) Mouth breathing, facial development, and why this matters so much for children.

(1:00:48) Charcoal toothpaste, hydroxyapatite, whitening products, and enamel damage.

(1:10:55) Coffee, apple cider vinegar, acidity, and how pH affects the mouth.

(1:12:41) Pregnancy, perimenopause, dry mouth, and how hormone shifts show up in oral health.

(1:18:57) Dr. Levine’s ideal oral microbiome routine and how to build a stronger oral health game.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and discover the one part of your health routine that could change everything else.

Thank you to our Sponsor: 

Timeline: Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price. Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/MONA

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Dr. Jonathan Levine: 

Website / Smile House: Smile House

Instagram: @drjonlevine

Smile House Instagram: @smilehousetribeca

LinkedIn: Jonathan Levine

GLO Good Foundation: GLO Good

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 thought to look at.

Doug Evans is the founder of The Sprouting Company, author of The Sprout Book with over 75,000 copies sold, and a three decade collaborator with leading researchers including Dr. Jed Fahey of Johns Hopkins, giving him a rare depth of credibility on a topic most of the wellness world has barely scratched the surface of.

What's Discussed:

(00:32) Doug's daily success practice and why an identified mistake is a success

(07:36) The biggest myth about sprouts and the Johns Hopkins food safety research that debunks it

(09:05) How nutrient dense sprouts actually are compared to fully grown vegetables

(11:00) The surprising connection between sprouts and natural GLP-1 production

(12:49) Why 93 percent of Americans are nutrient deficient despite spending $702 billion a year on groceries

(15:56) How Doug discovered sprouting living in a food desert and what happened to his health

(41:46) The NRF2 pathway, sulforaphane, and why Japan has built a billion dollar industry around it

(50:44) How to get started, what it costs, and where to find the free recipe book and app

(55:34) How to prevent mold and the most common sprouting mistakes

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Doug Evans: 

Instagram : @dougevans 

Website: https://www.thesproutingcompany.com/

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 includes the weight health hormones GLP-1, GIP, CCK, and PYY, so the strategies in this episode are grounded in real clinical practice and evidence, not trends.

What’s discussed: 

(00:00) Rooted check-in: What makes you feel rooted vs uprooted (and why “wellness checklists” can backfire)

(~06:30) Rapid fire: Weight gain myths, weight loss myths, nutrition mistakes, GLP-1 misconceptions, diet trends that keep recycling

(~14:00) Why women feel like their body “stopped responding” overnight: Hunger cues shifting, food noise, and why the old rules stop working

(~23:30) Digestion as the missing foundation: Bloating, constipation, reflux becoming “normal,” and why protocols fail when gut function is off

(~33:30) Stress physiology and nervous system regulation: Why lab results still don’t move the needle if your system is dysregulated

(~43:00) Breaking down weight-health hormones: GLP-1, GIP, CCK, PYY and how hunger/satiety signals actually work

(~55:30) How to structure meals for satiety: Building a plate that supports cravings, stability, and consistency

(~1:06:00) Gut and oral microbiome: What your mouth can reveal about your gut, and simple supportive practices that actually matter

(~1:18:00) GLP-1 reality check: muscle loss/bone loss concerns, metabolic priorities, and what to monitor (including DEXA)

(~1:28:30) First step if you feel overwhelmed by cravings, weight fluctuations, or confusing hunger cues: where to start so you stop guessing

Thank you to our sponsors:

BIOptimizers: Visit bioptimizers.com/mona and use MONA at checkout to get the best deal on Masszymes and all BIOptimizers products.

Timeline: Get 35% off your first month at Timeline.com/MONA35.

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Ashley Koff: 

Instagram: @ashleykoffapproved 

Website: thebetternutritionprogram.com

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 — Sugar amounts, pronunciation, background, and the “rooted” theme

03:10 — Feeling rooted vs. uprooted: why mornings spiral when you start with your phone

07:40 — Rapid fire: the biggest longevity myth, what actually moves the needle, and what most people don’t track

12:30 — Oxidative stress + inflammation, explained in plain English (and why it feels like “aging overnight”)

23:20 — Why astaxanthin stands out: how it works differently than common antioxidants

34:10 — Longevity noise check: what’s real science vs. expensive hype (rapamycin, NAD, etc.

44:30 — Supplement quality + bioavailability: why absorption matters and what makes AX3 different

55:20 — Dosing, food sources (salmon), digestion, safety, and who should be cautious

Thank you to our sponsors:

LeelaQ: Take 10% off at leelaq.com with code MONA.

IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Dave Watumull:

Website: https://ax3.life 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davewatumull/

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 Academy.

What's Discussed:

(00:00) Full circle moment and why menopause is an awakening, not a decline

(06:30) Nature as nervous system medicine and healing through immersion

(14:00) Uprooted in modern life: stress, culture, and losing the feminine voice

(22:00) The grandmother hypothesis and the shift from competition to collaboration

(30:00) Polyvagal theory, freeze mode, and why women feel better alone

(40:00) Grief as a daily practice and processing midlife identity shifts

(48:00) Biohacking vs bioharmonizing and reclaiming intuitive health

(56:00) Wearables, data, and using biomarkers without outsourcing authority

(1:04:00) The hormone hierarchy: oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones

(1:12:00) Fasting for women: metabolic reset, ketones, and spiritual insight

(1:22:00) Self-inquiry as medicine and building a relationship with your body

Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Ancient and Brave: Visit ancientandbrave.com and use code MONA for $10 off any order.

IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/

Learn more about Mona Sharma:

Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips. 

Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation.

Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

Learn more about Dr. Mindy Peltz :
Website: https://www.drmindypelz.com
Instagram: @dr.mindypelz